MANILA, Philippines — I started using Olympus Digital cameras way back in 2005.  My first DSLR was an Olympus E-1 which was then the top of the line from their line-up.  It only had 5 megapixels and a miniscule LCD but it was built like a tank. It was also weather resistant and, by far, one of the most durable cameras I have ever used.  I quickly fell in love with the images it took.

There were no groups specific to Olympus users then so I started an e-group in 2006.  The rest is history and now we have the longest running brand-specific camera club in the Philippines – The OlyClub.

Last Nov. 19, I was fortunate to be invited by Red Dot Philippines to a Photo Shoot at Corregidor.  They were also generous enough to lend each and every participant a PEN for the duration of the event.  I was assigned an Olympus E-P3.  It was my first time to hold it, but because of my familiarity with PEN cameras, it took me just 5 minutes to familiarize myself with it.  I just made a few customizations and I was good to go.

My first impression was, it’s fast.  Really fast.  I can now say that it lives up to its promise as the fastest camera on the planet.

The touch screen LCD was one of the biggest upgrades from the previous models.  No need to focus-recompose-click shutter.  Just tap the subject on the LCD and the image will be captured almost instantaneously.

The Diorama Art Filter adds a new dimension in your shooting.

The Dramatic Tone filter is also something new for the new series of PENs.  On the left is a straight shot from E-P3 and on the right is also straight from the camera shot with the Dramatic Art Filter.

Ok here’s the rundown on the new Olympus Pen E-P3.

-It’s fast. Blazingly fast. In fact the fastest camera I’ve ever used

-Colors are same as my camera, the Pen E-PL1

-Loved the resolution of the LCD

-Easier to use because of the new dials and dedicated buttons

-Faster access to menus because of the touch screen LCD

-What’s not to love bout the new Art Filters?

-The new version of the kit lens (14-42) performs twice better than the MK1 in terms of speed. IQ same.

-I was carrying two PEN bodies and 4 lenses but i never got tired. It was the opposite from the last time I went to Corregidor.

Bottomline  - the E-P3 right now is the best mirror-less camera out there.  It’s small, light, but still captures images at par with, or even better than most DSLRs in the market.

-Just when I thought that my E-PL1 was enough, now I have to get my own EP3!ok

Michael R. De Vera on E-PL3   Art Director ,Graphic Artist 

I was given an EPL-3 as my camera and i was impressed with its super quick autofocusing (AF) which Olympus claims to be the fastest among interchangeable lens cameras.

Its 3-inch flip out LCD screen proved to be very useful  when taking pictures in unusual angles

The feature that really drew my attention was the addition and control of more art filters. You can choose from a variety of filters then view the effects immediately via Live View.

If you’re a  fan of the Lucis effect or pseudo-HDR look, try the Dramatic tone filter and it will quickly prove to be a favorite. As a graphic artist, i just love this filter.

Jaime Cumagon on E-PM1  Student, Technology Geek

Yes its so compact and a lot closer to the size of the Panasonic Lumix LX-5 than it is to my Olympus Pen EP-3 while having the same level of performance as its bigger brother.  Don't let the looks fool you as the EPM-1 is still a very capable camera  even in manual mode and that has changed the way I see budget offerings where I feel Olympus has hit two birds with one stone using this EPM-1 as both point and shoot users (P&S) alongside manual  preference users are treated with much care and respect.  The live view technology and LCD behind the EPM-1 is really good and even when viewing under bright light. Lag caused by the blackout time has been lessened to the point that this Pen is very responsive in all aspects.