Olympus PEN E-PL10 Review

Visually there may be very little difference between the Olympus PEN E-PL10 and E-PL9, but there have been some subtle updates to the camera designed to make it easier to use. The camera features the same 16mp sensor, 4K video recording, 3-axis image stabilisation, a built-in pop-up flash, plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The E-PL10 is available in white, light brown, and all black.

Olympus PEN E-PL10 Features

The E-PL10 features the same 16 megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor as the E-PL9, but has had a number of tweaks to the user interface, to make it easier to use the touch-screen to change settings. The camera has 3-axis sensor-based image stabilisation, like the E-PL9 / E-PL8.

The 3inch tilting touch-screen has a resolution of 1040K dots, tilts up and down, with it possible to tilt completely down and forwards for selfie shots (under the camera). You can view a dual-axis electronic level on the screen, plus use the touch-screen to take photos, and video.

The camera records 4K video at 30/25/24fps, and the 3-axis image stabilisation will help keep videos steady and smooth. Stereo microphones are built-in. There is no microphone socket.

There’s built-in Wi-Fi, along with low-power Bluetooth so that you can connect to your smartphone or tablet using Bluetooth.

The E-PL10, like the E-PL9, has 121 autofocus (AF) points (contrast-detection), numerous art filters, and a built-in pop-up flash.

The shooting modes include Advanced Photo (AP) mode, which is designed to make it easier to use some of the more advanced shooting modes, of which there are many, including Live Composite, Live Time, Multi-Exposure, HDR, Silent, Panorama, Keystone Compensation, AE Bracketing, and Focus Bracketing.

The scene modes have been updated slightly, and you can use the touch-screen to select the scene mode you want, as well as change settings. These have been designed to be easy to use, and the Night scenes including "Light Painting" and other night modes that you can use, without advanced photographic knowledge. There's an Auto mode, with easy on-screen controls, P, A, S, M, with full manual controls.


Olympus PEN E-PL10 - Top / Super Control Panel

Key Features

• 16.1 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor
• Micro Four Thirds lens mount
• 3-axis sensor-shift image stabilisation (up to 3.5 stops)
• 3inch tilting touch-screen, 1040k dot resolution
• 4K video at 30/25/24fps
• FullHD video recording at 60p, stereo sound
• ISO100 to ISO25600 (extended)
• Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
• 8.6fps continuous shooting, up to 14.1fps using the electronic shutter
• HDR, Focus Peaking
• 31 Art Filters
• Available in all black, white/silver, and brown/silver

Olympus PEN E-PL10 Handling

The Olympus PEN E-PL10 features a plastic-bodied camera, and on top, the metal dials and shutter release button give the camera a more premium feel. The front grip has a slightly soft texture but can feel quite slippery at times. Combined with the 14-42mm pancake zoom lens, the camera is easy to take with you, being compact, and easily stowed away into a jacket pocket.

The rear grip for your thumb is quite small, and although it is made of hard plastic it does provide a reasonable area to hold on to. Some of the buttons seem quite small, but they are clearly labelled, and the 4-way controller around the OK button gives quick access to some of the key controls, including exposure compensation, focus area, drive mode, as well as flash settings.

The rear touch-screen looks good, with a decent resolution of 1040K dots. The frame surrounding it is quite large, and it would be nice if Olympus were able to slim this down in future models.

Advanced Photo mode was first seen on the E-M10 Mark III, and is designed to make it easier to access some of the more advanced features on the camera, and these have been updated slightly to make them easier to use with the touch-screen. There’s also an updated Scene modes menu, with quick access to settings. These can make the camera easier to use, however, the main setup menus on the camera are long overdue a good update and can be quite tedious when looking for a specific feature.

Use of the Super Control Panel can make it easier to access settings and controls so that you can avoid having to use the menu system. You can also access exposure compensation, focus (area), flash settings, and the drive mode, using the four-way controller (with middle OK button). The drive mode options have been expanded, to include silent shooting which uses the electronic shutter (on the E-PL9 this was only available in the "Silent shooting mode"). You can also use the electronic shutter with TTL flash. The back (top) Function (Fn) button, can be customised.

Olympus Pen E-PL10 Scene Menus / Advanced Photo Modes

Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth means you can connect to the camera from your smartphone or tablet. The Olympus O.I. Share app is available for Android and iOS devices. It’s easy to set up a connection, and from there you can remotely control the camera, import photos, edit photos and add Geotag (location) data to images.

On the side is a MicroUSB connection, and an HDMI connection. The camera doesn't have an accessory port, so you can't add an electronic viewfinder to the camera.

Battery Life is rated at 350 shots, which is the same as the E-PL9 and E-PL8, and the camera uses the same battery (BLS-50), which is shared with a number of other Olympus PEN, and OM-D E-M10 cameras making it easy to find spares.