While the photos could generally be a little sharper, the E-PM1 is competitive for its class.
Lori Grunin
I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.
Though it's not bad, this set of images makes the Olympus PEN E-PM1's JPEGs look a little better than they are. Central areas of detail stand up well at midrange ISO sensitivities (ISO 400 and 800), but the peripheral areas seem to suffer excessive blurring. Still, I think the JPEG compression and noise reduction are a bit better than the Panasonic GF3's, and pretty close to the Sony NEX-C3's.
2 of 7 Lori Grunin/CNET
ISO 1600, E-PM1 vs. GF3 raw
If you're going to shoot raw, the PM1 ultimately delivers similar photo quality to the GF3 as well as the NEX-C3, and all are pretty decent at mid- to high ISO sensitivities. (Here, the GF3 was shot with a much better lens than the E-PM1, giving it an edge in exposure and sharpness.)
Overall, the camera renders saturated but relatively accurate colors and correctly handles a variety of difficult exposures.
4 of 7 Lori Grunin/CNET
Natural/default vs. iAuto color
Usually I complain about the hue skew of the default color settings; in the E-PM1, Olympus defaults to a natural setting, which delivers very good color. Its auto, on the other hand, shows some shifts.
5 of 7 Lori Grunin/CNET
Sharpness
Overall, I find the the E-PM1's photos a little softer than I like, but that may be the kit lens (see next slide).
This is a similar shot taken with a Lensbaby Sweet 35 Optic, which just seemed to produce sharper results (in the sharp areas) than the kit lens.
(1/800 sec, f4, ISO 200, pattern metering, AWB, Lensbaby Composer Pro with Sweet 35 Optic)
7 of 7 Lori Grunin/CNET
Art filters
Olympus continues to supply the best in-camera special-effects filters I've seen--the filters have a nice set of options and produce the best results. The E-PM1 also has a solid multiple-exposure mode.
