Check out more of the “Tiny Camera” series for my tiny camera goodness! What do you think? More Olympus??? 👀 📸

OH YESSSS More Olympus love!!!

YEEEE! Silly little cameras + Emily = top quality content 🙌🏻

Also if you want to use the mode dial for changing aperture in shutter priority mode, go to menu>gear icon> option b> mode/dial > dial lock to OFF. I hope that helps. I've fallen in love with olympus cameras after using it for a while.

I loved my E-PL6 and have some great travel memories from using it. I now love my E-PL8 even more! I prefer the "super control panel" to either the full menu set or the quick menus.

As others have said the Olympus menus may not be super intuitive but if you enable the Super Control Panel (!!!) then you rarely need to delve into them. One thing I really enjoyed with my E-PL5 was having it on the neck strap, screen tilted up and shooting like an old fashioned box brownie. The lower eye line was fun for environmental portrait and street and it added to the E-PL5 3 axis stability for some great slower shutter speed shots.

I've really enjoyed following you (and Robin Wong) on your mini-camera journey. It has inspired me to dig mine out of the closet and fire them up again. Very envious of the color range that non-US users get to choose from because here I have only seen black body EPLs with an occasional silver. It is interesting that you brought up the premium feel/appearance of the Olympus. We have a local event facility that has dinosaur, butterfly, mini-farm and zoo areas and if you want to bring in a camera that is by their standards a"professional" unit they will charge you a $15 photo pass fee. I can bring in a GM-1 without a problem but they insisted my black EPL-7 with the saddle leather 1/2 case needed the surcharge--(I was using the Olympus 12-50 PZ lens). Thanks again for demonstrating and reminding us about this whole range of capable, fun-to-use and surprisingly great cameras!

I have an E-PL6 too. I agree with all your comments. For the current used price, I don't think there is a better MFT camera! I got great photos of my daughters wedding with this camera. Due to the lack of viewfinder I bought an E-M10 III too.

My first micro 4/3 interchangeable lens camera was the PL-2 and I upgraded to the PL-5. I agree that they are nice little cameras, but I felt I had to have the optional viewfinder. So, I got the VF-2 which was good, but the VF-4 made the PL-5 soooo much better for what I like to do with a camera. But, when I got my first M10 (the original model), I fell in love with it due to the controls and ergonomics and found it to be a huge improvement. I still have my M10 Mark II and would suggest that an older M10 or M10 Mark II can be a real bargain if you don't mind a slightly larger camera body. But if you find a great deal on one of the PL bodies, I recommend that you look for one of the optional view finders as they are so helpful when you are in bright sunlight. I sold my PL-5...but it would be fun to take it on a photo shoot or a stroll down memory lane.

Glad you enjoyed using it. I've got one for over 5 years now and it is a joy to use, especially with the VF-4 finder! Don't worry about the battery indicator. Like all Olympus cameras, they disappear after 10 seconds or so, then comes back when the battery is low. I like the fact that the touch screen is limited in functionality because I tend to touch the screen with my nose or accidentally even when I was holding it in my hand, so no big deal about no touch screen. The best bit of the camera is the image quality! Great colour saturation and tonality, especially in black and white; better than my Panasonic GX80.

Nice to see you in Munich Bavaria.

I picked up an old E-PL3 this year and it became actually my favorite camera! Despite low 12MP count. Also, I find the camera controls on my Panasonic GX85 to be totally baffling, so, I think whether you like Olympus menus is more to do with personal preference ..

Great video. Those Olympus Pens are really nice cameras. The E-PL5 (and seeing the great SOOC shots a photographer friend was getting with it) was the first MFT camera that really made me consider getting into the system. By the time I thought I might like a companion for my Pentax DSLR, there was a nice bundle of E-PL6, 14-42 EZ pancake and 40-150 kit zooms for a decent price and I was so tempted. Hated the menu, but the quick menu was fine and the image quality was really impressive. I didn't pull the trigger on that deal, missed it and regretted it. Years later, I finally picked up the E-M10 MkII, which is even better built, still slips into a coat or hoodie pocket (although people might think I'm excited to see them), has a brilliant quick menu, a nice evf, tilty screen etc... Well, I'm sure you know it. Needless to say, that's me hooked on the system for the foreseeable and I only regret not getting into it sooner with that E-PL6 years earlier.

I recently bought one of these with only 80 shutter count on it. I was after a really small body and liking it so far. you need to set up the super control panel if you haven't. It makes navigating the menus much easier . You can also touch this on the screen and use the wheel to change settings. There is also a superfine setting for the jpgs hidden away in the settings which is not there as default for some reason. Yes the battery indicator thing has me baffled as well. it comes on why not just leave it there? I do believe it comes on again though when the battery is getting low. you can set the level you want the indicator to come on in the settings. its seems a lot of the best setting are hidden away as standard and setting up this camera made me feel like I was playing an adventure game but its fun 😆

Loved the video and photos! Also, I appreciate that you include an ebay listing link in your descriptions. I really wish Olympus or Panasonic would release an updated version of one of the smaller M43 cameras you've reviewed recently.

Hi Emily, you might want to turn on the super control panel, it's much better than the quick menu.

The Olympus setup menus are easy to get lost in at first, but they are really packed with user customization options not offered by most other manufacturers. The good news is that once you have the buttons, dials, and other defaults configured the way you want them, you'll seldom need to bother with those menus again.

My PL3 still in every day use as a supplementary camera. Almost 10 years of usage. Some cosmetic damages. Stabilizer didnt work. 12 Mp noisy sensor. I love it anyway.

“An inch from death.” That’s a great title for a video series of frustrating photo shoots from hell!

I must say I like your collection of micro four thirds cameras. After watching one of your videos about the Panasonic GX80, several months ago I ended up buying one. You are making me want to buy an Olympus camera now. My favourite would be the Pen-F, but it is still rather pricey on the used market. Micro four thirds is great. I also bought the 25mm Panasonic Lumix Leica lens after watching another of your videos. 😂

Hahaha love the Spargel interlude.

Great video! , Those "old" mft-cameras are great to use and the results are stunning!

The back dial can indeed change the aperture, unless you've changed your Dial Function settings, or turned the Dial Lock to "on."

Looks very similar to the E-PM2 that was my first M4/3 camera. My PM2 did have some of the oddities you mentioned. After I upgraded to an EM10 I gave it to my stepdaughter. If I need something pocket sized these days (mostly for cycling), I use something tiny with a non-interchangeable lens, a Canon G7x and Sony RX100 are what I have for such needs.

Munich was the first foreign city I ever went to, from Manchester in January '89. Never been back. Loved it though, and it's great to see it again :)

The Battery indicator comes on again when the battery is running low, way before it dies. you will have ample warning before it goes flat.

The battery icon will appear when the battery gets low. In Settings you can select what level will trigger the battery icon to display.

Absolutely love your content. Have watched your content through the years and never stopped enjoying your quirky creativity and zany sense of humor unique to you! Keep up the awesome work.

I have a pl3 and i can say the exact same experience. This is the most illogical camera i have ever had in terms of menu and handling. Mine does not have a touchscreen and as you mentioned not everything can be found in that strange menu system. It looks like that they had an hour to design this menu before the release of the camera. However in sliver color it is probably the most gorgeous camera i have ever seen and that 12 mp sensor is just great if you use it in good light. I bought the evf put on the 12-45 f4 and i had great time with my family in the local forest. But its best with the pana 20mm f1.7. Great video as usual.

I have a black one, is beautiful, slim and like you said looks premium body. Is slow and is far to be easy to use, but with all of this, is still beautiful.

Hi Emily, great video. I have just adde the Olympus EPL1 to my growing collection of MFT for no other reason than it was white and looked ‘cool’ ! It’s just 12 mp but it’s surprisingly good. I have grown used to the Olympus menus mainly due to the help of Robin Wong and Rob Trek . The EPL1 is considerably lighter than my EPL 8 and is easier to pocket. Im enjoying your small camera review.

I bought a second hand EPL7 for 200€ this year, and it's a real bargain for the quality it can produce, although the handling, as you pointed out, is not as good as with some other cameras, but if you use it in aperture or shutter priority there's no issue

Did you colour grade these afterwards? Do you have a tutorial on this? THESE ALL LOOK SO GOOD!!!

Many years back I had the E-PL5, basically the same as the 6. I liked it a lot. Your video makes me want to get one again!

I'm using EPL-6 as my travel/light kit paired with 9mm fisheye, 14-42 and 40-150 lenses. Also flash and hotshoe EVF2. This whole pack weighs less than my Pentax K3 with 18-135WR :)

I have an E-PL6. It's a nice small camera. But I rather want to use my E-PL8. It has much better image stabilizer, another control wheel (around shutter button making it much easier to handle), focus peaking (I have many manual lenses), WiFi and Live Composite. My E-PL6 isn't in best condition any more because 5 years ago I accidentally dropped it and inside the camera some parts twisted a little. But everything seems to work and it still takes good and sharp images.

Same screen mechanism as the EM-1, probably the same sensor, and probably mostly the same processing, I already have an EM-1 but want a pocketable M4/3 camera, I’ve had an alert for these on classifieds for a while, but bargains are hard to come by (best bargains I have seen with these is bodies with a broken lens sold as “spares” for ~25€ but they go in minutes). They’re good for ~200€, they’re great for less than 50€!

Beside the Sony full-frame cameras which I am using, the Olympus E-PL6 and E-P3 are still in heavy use because the lenses are quite small (even my 40-150mmm which is a full-frame equivalent of 80-300). The image stabilization even manages this lens under decent lighting conditions. Impressive. I once had a Sony NEX-7 and that camera gave me a lot of satisfaction due to its compact form-factor. The same I can say about my compact Olympus cameras. What astonishes me most is the very small number of "focus misses". That compensates for the lack of a viewfinder. The image quality is still fantastic - even 10 years after the launch. And how you mentioned, these cameras were built like a tank.

My sister had an e-pl6 as her travel camera for a few years and she took some great photos with it. It was given to me after she broke it. I’ve made use of the spare batteries as they take the same ones for my em10 iii, sold one of the lenses for her, but I still have the broken camera body. I don’t know how much it would cost to send it off for repair, but I can’t imagine it’ll be worth it. It does feel nice and solid, but she dropped it on a rock while out walking

Curious piece from the past. Thanks for showing it off.

I love the E-PL6. Bought one used off of eBay. Yes, the menu is quirky. Yes, the touch screen could be better. Yes, the is no in camera charging. Yes, I like the buttons better on my Lumix. And still, the photos with the E-PL6 are great. The price is right. The very affordable Olympus 17mm f/2.8 pairs well with it.

Brilliant review! Really enjoy these hidden gems. Love the portability of smaller cameras. The "FUN" cameras! Thanks for sharing!

I have this same camera. I love it because it is red! And, I put my Laowa wide angle on it and have lots of fun street shooting.

1 - The amazing thing about EPL series is that it actually uses the same sensor as the flagship model. Eg epl5 uses the same Truepic 6 cmos as EM5 Gen1. So the image quality is basically the same but you can get them at a cheaper price than the flagship models. This makes EPL a very good choice for travel, street photography and beginners. 2- Olympus provides the option to use the dial to change aperture, shutter speed, etc. But it is not the default option, and you have to switch it on manually in the setting --> custom menu --> B: button/dial. (welcome to Olympus, the most complicated menu in the photography world).

About a month ago, I got the Olympus E-PL6 after my Oly OM-D E-M1 was having screen issues. I got the Olympus E-PL6 because I have learned it had the same sensor as the E-M1, but in a tiny footprint and that was perfect for my photo walks for the new location I am exploring now, Las Vegas. The menu system is horrible, indeed, as @MicroFourNerds Emily mentioned, but you can go through the settings once and enable and disable just about everything you like or dislike once and forget about the menu system. For instance, you can enable the Super Control Panel as well as enable the turning of the dial so it is easier to set apertures or shutter speeds. I also set the back button focusing of the video record button for easy access. Here are some the images I have been shooting in Las Vegas with Oly E-PL6; a few of them have been featured by some of the big social media accounts in Las Vegas. instagram.com/stories/highlights/17984519791842886/

"You can take the front grip off and put it on again." That's it, I'm getting one.

I have had an epl2 for years, but never got on with the menus, much happier now I have bought myself a s/h gx80.

The video is very inspiring, I like the tips and tricks for taking photos using Olympus, thank you

Thank you Emily, this is awesome. I think the M43 system might be the best budget solution to low budget entry level interchangable lens camera.

I’ve wondered about that disappearing battery icon too!

My advice - buy the next model. The price will be the same, but I had the PL-5 and PL-6 and on both the little wheel at the back started skipping. In the following generations they changed it with a 4-way controller and this never gave me problems. Now, there is a way to fix the skipping wheel. I treated it with a spray for PC contacts. No idea if this is "the right" way, but I sprayed it, moved it both directions for a while and left it to dry. It started working, but both times I sold the cameras and have no idea for how long.

Munich! I grew up near there! Haven't been in a few years. Miss it!

Great video in all regards - tech stuff, user experience and interesting photos.

Great summary. Oly menu does take some time to get used to, but apart from a handful of quirks, like having to enable LSF JPEGs first to be able to select them it's actually VERY intuitive for me. I'm using an EPM2 AND EM1.2. If the spinny wheel works like EPM2, if should control A and SS by spinning in respective modes and only pressing up arrow for exposure comp will make you click up and down... also there's a better quick menu, super control panel accessible by pressing INFO while viewing quick menu (well another quirk😂)... if I find an absolute bargain while looking for an EPL8, I might give it a go...

I like that Grip!

Oh and the digital teleconverter is so much more than cropping or simple interpolation. It sure doesn't make wonders, but I've tested it on EM1.2 and it produces pretty sharp pictures with details of animals whiskers etc.

I only have compacts and bridge cameras from Olympus. But, I will say, that the XZ-1 has a lot in common design wise with the PL6 - including the disappearing battery indicator. I also have a Panasonic LX3, that some people prefer over the XZ-1, but I use the XZ-1 more - it's a gem in my humble opinion.

It has other problems with videos: if you choose some filters among those available, the images go jerky, as if the processor could not manage the data. However it does have a couple of really good filters that it doesn't jerk with, and are great for "cinematic" video. The stabilization is painful but if used static or better still on a tripod, it can give incredible footage.

I agree with you on the software 😞. Different than my OG EM5.

4:08 you can "unlock" the wheel from the setting in order for it to control aperture and so on. It's a bit weird how this is disabled by default. 😂

Good one, I can relate to what you mean about the Oly menues, first time I tried an Oly on for size (Tough-6) I ended up selling it off in disgust after 4 months. Bought a secondhand Stylus 1S, liked that and now have several of their M43s to the tune of pondering off-loading the current crop of 20Mp Lumixs and go for Oly as the main cameras. The defining moment was a post on DPreview, that went through the menu system somewhat in detail, which I found while looking for how to turn on the Super Control Panel. It is still super clunky but somewhat manageable now.

Please come to NYC and do a photo walk.

NOOOO! Emily! This was under my radar, but now the price will skyrocket. LMAO.

Think you will find that using the 2 x digital crop gives you a full sized image ,rather than a cropped image you referred to

I have a version of this camera that is a little different. I have the Olympus EP1 and it has taken amazing photos over the 13 years that I have had it. I carried it with me on multiple vacations and have got some amazing photos with it. I love these little cameras for photography. I chose the 17mm olympus pancake lens to go with it and the results are still great. Love your channel and keep up the great work.

It was my first M43 body. The IBIS stabilization is no longer functioning. The shutter is LOUD. However, I can’t fault the images it produces.

I think you can switch on the super control panel which makes things much easier....

i have it too- 159 eur. a pleasure to use!

I have one of these and would use it still, but the shutter kicked the bucket a couple years back and is now permanently shut. But it makes for a pretty good shelf decoration.

Hope you did enjoy my home town!

Just got one for 120€ and am really enjoying it .I’ve even put down my gm5 . My experience with it seems to be same as yours . It’s cool but a little weird .

I have an E-PL 3 that I love over some of my other cameras and I imagine the menu and features are pretty similar. I used to ignore IBIS, and to some degree I still do, but if you're taking video you need to do two things. 1) go into IS 2 if you're shooting landscape or IS 3 if you're shooting portrait. 2) You have to manually set the focal length to match the lens that you're using. There's a myth out there, people seem to believe that if it's a micro 4/3 camera lens or if the brand of the lens matches the camera body, then it will automatically match up to the focal length that you're shooting. Maybe that's a thing with newer models, but it wasn't for me. I think IBIS is way overrated, but here's what it does if you turn it on and don't set it up right: it does the opposite thing that you want it to do. Your camera gets many times more shaky and your video looks like you're shooting it through clear jello. After learning this through actually reading the manual, I've been a bit surprised in certain situations at how much IBIS did help, but they are very infrequent happenings for me, so I'd rather save the money. The G100's electronic stabilization is much better, but everyone complains about the cropping because they don't realize how much better it looks in portrait mode for TikTok videos, which I suspect it's meant for,. Turning off IBIS is also a really good option for people trying to take video with Olympus cameras. It's good sometimes for stills, It can be a menace for photos. Love your videos! Hopefully that was helpful to you or someone in the comments.

Since I've found this channel, my spending has gone up so much 😂

In terms of small interchangeble lens cameras... well, I like the DMC-GM5 as the ultimate "mini, but can do it all" thingie - especially with something like the 14/2.5 pancake for street photog. But it's been so long since it's been in production, and in my core I'm a Nikon guy, so for a cheap(ish) street photo option I would go for a Zfc with the new 24/1.7 instead. Quite a bit of extra dough to be dished out, yes, but I am sure you will see dividends in the end result.

I have the PEN EP1 and even though the stabe doesn't work, its an amazing piece of tech.

Amazing little camera… I have it for nearly a year paired with the Olympus 45mm 1.8 and boy it was a powerful street portrait tool … I sell it to buy a Gm1

Great video as always

SCP Super Control Panel I think you can use the touchscreen to at least select the thing you want to change.

I certainly prefer the Lumix's buttons layout and menus , Oly is cute though , I have E PL7; E400.

I often use my Epl8 for my everyday. Great vid.

Great video. So I have the EP-L5, and I have never had the issue with the battery meter disappearing, even though i don’t have an EVF. It’s still an amazing camera to use

Only me seeing the radiating gradients around the sensor as the outline of a cat? 😅 great video! If thought about getting it’s younger bro/sis the epl8 when I saw it on sale, but I’d already gotten the gx800 by then. Kinda wish I did now I saw your video oh well

The screen movement range got me. Why on earth E-PL8 does not go above the camera but down isntead.

I have the PL5, I really don't like the Olympus skin colors, it pushes reds so much that makes everybody look like they have rosacea or dermatitis. But it has a fantastic BW filter that sometimes make me grave that camera just for that.

Hi, thaks for the review! I have one of these, and I like to take it around everywhere with the PL 15mm/1.7 lens. Just lovely. I like using a flash with all of my gera. But with the epl6 I have no idea on whether the TTL mode is activated or not. The tricky menu system gives no options for that. Have a nice day!

Love your channel!!❤

I have the E-PL3, but haven't used it as much, because I only bought it waiting for the E-P5 to come out.

better to choose e-p series instead of e-pl because there are more knobs to set apature and exposure

The PL6 is basically the same as the previous PL5 which has some tech from the e-m5. They produce good results but agree the Olympus menus can be a nightmare!

I love my Olympus M10 mkIII, the mechanics shutter is so satisfying...'click'

I enjoyed your photos.

Oh my, were you flying from Barcelona to Santiago de Compostela on Sunday 1st of May? If it was you, I was sitting a couple of rows behind you, holding an Olympus EM-10 camera. I must say that I'm also a Micro Four Nerd myself 🙂

Olympus pl6 has only 3 Axis in built stabilization. Mine is broken but shooting over 1/250, I get sharp shots.

That is a nice looking camera. I’m finding that I grab a small camera way more than a large one. I’ll stick with LUMIX G100. Just learning LUMIX menus. Olympus seems more complicated. If G100 could get rid of the crop, I would love to use it for video. Great for stills.

lovely video! Does the PL6 have a silent shutter? The mechanical sound of the shutter is very nice indeed but sometimes I need a silent mode when I do street photography. Thank you and keep up the great work!

I love my e-pl6 and won't part with it even though I have newer better cameras. I use Panny zoom lenses on it (such as the 12-32 or 14-42ii) because the lens IS is better than the 2 axis IBIS in the camera. Leave IBIS turned on but also turn on Lens IS Priority in the menus.

I've had my e-pl6 for 7 years, then this weekend it fell out of my bag and now the screen is dim and mottled. I'm gutted. It was my first M43 camera. 😢 Not so gutted that I didn't immediately buy a Pen Mini on eBay, but still sad. 😂

I'm using a 5-year-old GX80 and even if I wanted to upgrade to something better there's nothing similar on the marker. GX9 - 20MP sensor, not worth upgrade and basically sold out everywhere. Same story with Olympus EP-7.

Unique video!

I shot w/ a E-PL3 for almost ten years an can agree with most points you mentioned. I wanna add that C-AF is not the fastest (or most accurate) neither does the E-PL series have enough AF points to be usefull for sports or aircraft photography imho.