A Review of The Olympus PEN-F with The Camera Project

Hi mom! I say that because she's the only one that reads this. Haha, just kidding, my mom is too busy to read my blog. 

Alright self-deprecation aside, it's long past time to share my experience with the Olympus PEN-F, a camera Josh and I tested out last month when our friends at Unique Photo were kind enough to lend us one. 

First up, the review:

And next, a little feature where Josh walks us through his process when doing street photography. Josh's work is really great, and I think this little tutorial is a good way to familiarize yourself with this camera and the basics of beginner street photography.

And now, in my own words!

I own the Olympus OM-D EM5 II, and I refer to it repeatedly in the review. The truth is, the PEN-F and the OM-D EM5 II have very similar feature sets, and are alike in most ways, which is why in the video we primarily speak in terms of calling out the differences. The major ones are the form factor, the resolution, and the intended purpose of the camera (PEN-F theoretically being targeted towards street shooters.)

Now, when I had to review the PEN-F, I was like, "shit, am I gonna like this one more than my OM-D EM5 II?" and the fear of buyer's remorse definitely crept in. But I can tell you after using both, I'm happy that I chose the OM-D EM5 II, and the reason is simple: weatherproofing.

While the PEN-F is cute and stylish and compact, and supposedly suprior for casual street photography (because of the range finder viewfinder and the touch control on the screen) it is NOT weather sealed. So proceed with caution in bad weather or rough climates. Meanwhile, you can totally shoot street photography with the OM-D EM5II. You can shoot any kind of photography with it, (obviously, it's a camera) and not worry about rain or dust or smoke. 

At this time, the PEN-F body is running $1200 on B&H, and the OMD-EM5 II is $999. 

So bottom line: the PEN-F is great, I liked it a lot, and have no complaints really! But if choosing between the two, the difference in resolution isn't a deal breaker or maker for me, but the weather proofing is, and for the price, the Olympus OMD-EM5 II is the no-brainer choice for quality and value.