Olympus E-PL3 Digital Camera Tech Review

The Olympus PEN Series E-Pl3 DSLR packs a TruePic VI image processor, 12.3 mega pixels and 1080P HD video, all for $700. Chris Hardwick and Candace Bailey review the digital camera for its Gadget Pr0n rating.

Find the full review from Gadget Pron on Attack of the Show after the cut.

What You Need to Know

• The PEN E-Pl3 is the newest micro four-thirds camera from Olympus.
• It has a 3” adjustable screen with no viewfinder and weighs just over 9 ozs.
• It's smooth, but perhaps a little too smooth and the size is perfect for throwing into your bag.
• We do miss the rubber grip on the old Olympus.
• There is HDMI and USB AV Out, so you can connect it right to your TV and it comes bundled with a removable flash.
• The LCD is adjustable; you can tilt it down which is good for if you’re trying to shoot something above a crowd, like a concert.  
• It also tilts the other way, which is great if you are trying to take your own crotch shots.
•  This has what Olympus is billing as the world's fastest auto-focus and it is noticeably faster than previous models.
• The art filters still look cool and make even your crappiest angles look un-crappy.
• You can even shoot a photo in 3D and take two pictures at slightly different angles and the camera processes them as MPO files.
• The pictures look great!
• The colors are bright and vivid, provided the lighting is great.
• Outside the colors popped and the 12.3 megapixel clarity is clear.
• The pictures really do look as good as a DSLR.
•  It has a high ISO, so you're getting more detail in low light than most micro four-thirds cameras.
• The 1080p video is pretty good; it’s a big step up over the E-Pl2 with minimal motion blur.

Price

• $700

Overall Rating

• 4 Seals of Approval Out of 5 (How do we rate gadgets?)
• It takes great photos and the video quality has improved.
• The art filters are fun.
• The price is what is holding this back; if it were $200 less we would have gone higher.
• The price really puts you in DSLR range.

Want something reviewed on Gadget Pr0n? Email us your suggestions to gadgetpron@g4tv.com.