Olympus PEN E-P5

The Olympus PEN E-P5 is a mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera in the micro four thirds system released in October 2013. This is, despite its number, the fourth model in the PEN E-P range. It remained the latest model in the E-P series until the introduction of the E-P7 in the summer of 2021. It includes the same 16 MP sensor as the Olympus OM-D E-M5. The E-P5 comes in three colour schemes; black, silver and white.

Olympus PEN E-P5

Overview
Maker	Olympus Corporation
Type	Mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera
Released	October 2013
Lens
Lens	Interchangeable
Sensor/medium
Sensor type	Live MOS
Sensor size	Four Thirds (13x17.3mm)
Recording medium	SD card
Focusing
Focus	Supports autofocus lenses
Exposure/metering
Exposure metering	TTL
Flash
Flash	Built-In+supports external flashes through the hot shoe
Shutter
Frame rate	9 fps
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optional external OVF or EVF
General
LCD screen	3" 1.03m pixel resolution
Weight	420g
Chronology
Predecessor	Olympus PEN E-P3

Specifications:

• 16MP Four Thirds sized (13x17.3mm) Live MOS sensor
• 1/8000s top shutter speed
• 5-axis image stabilization with panning detection
• ISO 100 – 25,600
• Burst rate: up to 9 frames per second (5 with continuous auto focus)
• Focus-peaking to assist manual focus
• Intervalometer and Time Lapse movie creation (up to 99 frames)
• 3" LCD touchscreen
• Built-in Wi-Fi for remote shooting (full control of all settings), image transfer and adding geolocation through smartphone

Compared to its predecessor Olympus PEN E-P3

• improved 5-axis sensor stabilization vs 2-axis sensor stabilization
• enhanced in-camera RAW conversion
• HDR bracketing
• fastest shutter speed 1/8000s vs 1/4000s - 1 EV faster
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• 9 fps burst rate vs 3 fps
• new 16 MPx sensor from the E-M5 vs 12 MPx
• higher maximum ISO: 25,600 vs 12,800
• tilting LCD screen vs fixed LCD screen
• Ergonomics: The thumb roller and the adjusting wheel around the d-pad have been replaced with customizable top dials.

Compared to the Olympus OM-D E-M5

In 2012, Olympus started the OM-D series with the E-M5 as their more professional line compared to their PEN series, which had been running for a few years. Back in the day, the main criticism for the PEN series was the lack of built-in viewfinder, the lack of weather-sealing and the weird ergonomics for some. Olympus worked on fixing these when they made the E-M5, and some of its features slid down into the E-P5.

• The E-P5 got the new 16 MPx sensor from the E-M5. Previously, every Olympus Micro Four Thirds camera had a 12 MPx sensor.
• The E-P5 got the 5-axis sensor stabilization with 4 EV efficiency.
• The same 9 fps burst. The low burst rate was a common weakness of previous Micro Four Thirds cameras.
• Tilting rear LCD screen.

There were features where the E-P5 was even better than the E-M5:

• It had 1/8000s fastest shutter speed instead of 1/4000s.
• It had a lot higher resolution back LCD screen: 1.03 million pixels vs 610k
• It had built-in Wi-Fi capabilities.
• It had a built-in flash.

However, the E-M5 had a major feature, the built-in electronic viewfinder, which the PEN series lacked until the PEN F's digital version, which was released in 2016. The EVF became a mainstream feature in the lower categories of mirrorless cameras as well, so the PEN series went to a decline, and a new camera in the main PEN series was not seen again until the E-P7 in 2021.

• 
  The tilting LCD screen of the Olympus E-P5
• 
  The white version
• 
  The E-P5's predecessor, the E-P3
• 
  The E-P5 got its 16 MPx sensor from the E-M5
• 
  The Olympus E-PL6 was the cheaper alternative to the E-P5