The Olympus PEN-F, would I buy this again? 

Pro photog here. Bought Pen F when it first came out back in my pro DSLR work camera days to use as a lightweight travel camera. When I switched my pro camera to mirrorless I sold the Pen F thinking the mirrorless (R5) could serve as both working cam and travel cam. Major regret. The Pen F is just so much lighter and fun to travel with. It is inspiring to shoot with. Yeah, it’s 1/2 the file size but who cares and the images are incredible. Just re-purchased Pen with the 17mm prime. Will get the 12-100 Pro at some point. Will never sell again.

My only camera since 5 years, people love it so much, that a friend recently bought also a penF , lucky her with 4 lenses for 1100 euros

I bought one when they first came out. Sold it about a year ago after switching to full frame (Sony). I love my Sony setup, but I regret selling the Pen F. I think this is the perfect street photography camera.

I think it's better to have direct access to the controls and functions, than have a minimal camera that one have to dive in the menu to get into the functions and risk to loose the moment and the photo.

As a happy M1 markll owner i rececntly purchased a Pen F from MPB for €520 in exellent condition (about 13000 shutter counts). I like the dial layout very much. Don't have to dive into the menu all the time. Discovering youtube ran into a Rob Trek video about how to dial in the Kodachrome 25 colors into the Pen F. I did put them in C2 custom settings. Amazing.

I have both a black and silver Pen F…and I just bought another silver one. Yes I love this camera!

I found one last year after looking on the used market for 3 years. It keeps its value to say the least It’s more of a collector’s item than anything if you ask me. However, I do like the monochrome profiles a lot and the fact that you can add grain or filters in camera. When I take it out for a few hours of shooting I add the grip too. Contrary to you I would buy it again for a reasonable price.

I bought one back in 2017. I have since got a Sony A7C in 2020 and a compact G5Xii. I use either the Sony ff or Pen F for hiking everywhere in Canada, and the compact Canon or sometimes Pen F for travel in and out of the country. I've thought about getting rid of the Pen F so many times but I can't get myself to do it. There is just something special about it that makes me feel good when I take it out and use it despite its being inferior to the ff in overall image quality. I know now that I will probably never let it go even if I move on to other cameras by replacing the Sony and Canon. I have the grip attached to mine and will be taking it with me again in a few days to Japan and the Phil.

I like the retro form factor and of course the Olympus brand. Nice review and maybe I will get myself one too....

I bought this camera almost 4 years ago. I was debating getting it or the Fujifilm X100F, but this had an adjustable screen and interchangeable lenses. I think the controls/buttons on the camera are designed for people like myself who used to operate film cameras. Anyway, I think it’s going to be a collectible camera in the future.

I think you've missed the point of this camera.This was a "flagship" Pen camera with a different target buyer than the "regular" line which was "for everybody". It was more aimed at the pro photographer that already owned other "serious" camera(s) and took this as a lighter version for street, travel etc or just as it follows the original Pen-F cult "coolness". Hence the top materials, controls, included evf etc. You want clean - you have like 20 other PEN models :) Complaining the Pen-F has too many controls is like buying a Ferrari and complaining it has a small cargo space.

I'm Sorry Bart but I own 2, one black body with the "L" bracket, and one silver body which I purposely outfitted with a leather 1/2 case (almost as good as the bracket for improved ergonomics) for looks and a wooden shutter release. I also would mention that the Pen-F is the only camera in the "Pen" series that will allow you to use an old fashion "screw-in" remote shutter release. I love the "monochrome" settings available on the front dial, and mostly shoot in that mode as a back-up. None of the negative characteristics you mention, except for weather sealing, is a "deal breaker" for me.., you get used to these things. It takes just a split second to power up or down. All in all, I think it is a beautiful camera and I hope OM Systems doesn't come out with a MkII version.., I love mine just the way it is. My advice is to use it more often to really appreciate it.

Nice videos Bart-Jan! Greetz from Belgium :)

I absolutely love that camera. I will never smell it. 😊

I finally got one, same case, I found one in a mint condition with box and everything for a decent price. Can't wait to use it. I wanted to try the Fujifilm Z100 F but the price is insane. Plus, with the Olympus, I can reuse my old lenses from the OMD EM5 🙂

One interesting thing about EVF, generally. I began to be an Olympus shooter by an E-PL6. It have only the back LCD. Than I moved to E-M10 II. For about a year, I didn't understand, why I loved more the pictures was taken with the Pen. Than I realized that I check my photos with two eye. In this "mode" the photos taken with two eye (using the LCD) have more chance to be loveable for myself, bacause I watch them as I took them. For me, composing with only one eye make slightly more difficult for the results to satisfy my normal, two eye inspection. (Of course, there are many situations when I have to use my EVF.)

Awesome video, I want one!!!!!! , but I have 2 EM1Xs, EM1.2, Air, EPL8 converted to full spectrum and the very beautiful EP-1. Cheers!

Bought a third PEN-F for 600 euro with only electronic shutter uses. It is ridiculously cheap for such a great camera. My girl and me both use one and we will never find a better cam. If you dislike the sturdy buttons you just don’t understand the concept behind this gem.

I have it in Black, but still want a Silver one to match my 1963 Pen F!

This is the best camera for all-purpose shooting. If it had the blazing fast and accurate Sony autofocus, I would never use anything else.

Heb hem al 3 x in mijn mandje gehad op MPB met inruil van mn EM1 mark2 en mn EM10 mark 2... Na deze video gaat dat niet meer gebeuren denk ik. Hooguit ter vervanging van de EM10. Thanks voor de duidelijke video Bart!

I have no issues with the buttons at all, on the contrary. I would like to have it weather sealed. A bit pricey perhaps, but a keeper for sure.

MPB is selling them for 6-700 euro. Thats not bad. I think I have a couple of old lenses lying around....

Wish there was a version with a flip up and down screen, like the epl9

Yes, I have the same camera (of course in black), and I was lucky with my used very mint buy. I think it was in 2018 that I purchased it for € 850 with the 12-40/2.8 and a Pana 45-100/4.0-5,6 and a memory card. After I sold the lenses, the remaining price for the camera was just € 300. A real bargain with just 1000 shots on it. I don't think I will ever sell, and it's the perfect camera with the Pana/Leica 15mm f1.7.

thanks for your personal overview of the Pen-F. It's an interesting Olympus product that many feel just missed being a big seller. That may explain the demand in the used market - not many new units were sold so people are buying from a small pool. The Pen-F would have lost sales to photographers who didn't get along with "flippy screens" and to vloggers who didn't get with this camera's poor focus tracking. Perhaps it was a little late to market with the tech inside? I have a GX9 and, for me, it too requires an add-on grip to make it comfortable to hold. Its buttons take some time to get used to. It too takes great pictures and its focus tracking too has low limits. But for M43 they are both cameras that encourage more photos to be taken than larger bodies. While I'd like to see a GX10 kitted out with Panasonic's latest sensor-tech I'm in no hurry to get on. Panasonic probably has the funds to build a GX10. OM-S may be tempted to reuse the Pen-F body cast with a modern sensor but is a non-stacked phase-detect sensor on M43 enough to charge for a Pen-F flagship?

I lost out on buying this camera x 3 times so I gave up and bought the original EM-1 silver edition. Another great looking & performing Olympus camera, and for me the EM-1 is probably better because I prefer the flip up screen. 1975Plato is right, the Pen F does keep good value at least in Canada. The Pen F is usually over a $ 900.00 - I paid $ 350 for teh EM-1.

Retired Pro Photographer I have the OM-1 with lots of lenses and also have a Pen f so I can use all the lenses, L love using it I carry it all the time with the 25mm lens and my Iphone for wide shots

They are basically collectors items now. I picked up a second Pen F not too long ago just in case OM systems never come out with a mark 2.

interesting you don’t like the way the top looks… all the additional dials is actually what makes it feel like an old rangefinder for me. it’s like an old leica iiif or a fed 2… it also really appreciate that i have so much manual control at my fingertips. appreciate the video though :).

I have 2 Pen F, they’re that good.

Hi Sir! Please, could you tell me if the Olympus PEN EP7 is compatible with the Olympus Mini Flash LM3?! Thank you indeed! PS : I do think this new camera is a best have for a beginner!! It's absolutely sweet!!! D.

Bart-Jan. Thank you for the great video. I couldn’t help but be attracted to your room. May I ask, what is the white typewriter???

I LOVE MY PEN F.

But ı cant find in stock

Could you do a show and tell on your typewriter?

I have owned the Pen F since about a year after it was introduced. It is starting to have issues so I need to move on. Maybe a new Nikon zfc or the Olympus ep7. If OM improved the Pen F with better AF and a larger brighter EV I would be very tempted. I will not buy another used Pen F because the prices are too high right now. Oh and I hate the front color dial I am always hitting that accidentally.

Hmm... sounds like dollar-for-dollar, the ep-5 is the way to go out of these options.

I sold mine a few years back after just a few weeks. I was having a bad G.A.S. attack! I got frustrated with some of the ergonomic problems. Now I am thinking aout doing it all over again. I'm getting a bit bored with the X100 line and don't like the OVF getting in the way. I miss the Oly stabilizaion and like the small lenses. I dunno. Maybe I'm crazy.

Get an Olympus EM5 MK2 instead. Same guts with weather sealing in addition. Half the price.

Awww man!!! Not a single photo!! :(

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Like a dog in the manger he wont use it but growls if someone tries to buy it.

suspicious number in fairly mint condition…. as if the menu was so hard original consumers couldn’t use it!

Its very expensive given how dated the specs are.

the look is nice and retro, but practically Lumix GX8 is better.

Totally agree on the negatives, far too many buttons on this camera, quite ridiculous actually.

to much is adjustable … who cares which way your wheels go … just wast front to be speed and back aperture … ie always accessible

I still live my PEN-F for street photography and just buyed a second one. 😊 @voss_vision