There is a new Pen again – this time with a viewfinder
15/9/2026
Translation: machine translated
The new camera from OM System is compact and yet has a viewfinder. Technologically, it offers hardly anything new, but it doesn't cost the earth.
Olympus released the first Pen in 1959 as an ultra-compact half-frame camera. 50 years later, the first digital Pen hit the market. OM System, the company that took over the camera business from Olympus, is now releasing another Pen. However, this is not something fundamentally new, but rather a continuation of existing models.
From the front, the latest model is somewhat reminiscent of the Olympus Pen E-P7 from 2021. The back is quite different: the new camera has a viewfinder and an articulating screen. The form factor is similar to a Fujifilm X100 or a Panasonic Lumix L10. With the Pen, however, the lens can be changed.
The Pen belongs to the Micro Four Thirds system: the sensor has a 4:3 aspect ratio and is slightly smaller than the APS-C format. It offers a solid 20 megapixels and has already been used in the OM System OM-5 Mark II.
This sensor is not the fastest, which limits the maximum frame rate for 4K videos to 30 FPS. The card slot only supports UHS-I with a maximum of 100 MB/s, and the USB-C port is also slow: it only offers USB 2.0 with a maximum of 480 Mbit/s.
On the positive side, however: despite its small dimensions, the camera has a built-in image stabilizer. According to the manufacturer, it compensates for up to 5.5 stops. The battery is new. With it, the OM System Pen achieves a good value of 400 shots per charge according to the CIPA standard.
Lens with better macro capabilities
Simultaneously with the new camera, OM System is also releasing a new standard zoom lens. The 14-42mm lens with an aperture of f/3.5–5.6 differs from the previous model primarily due to a shorter minimum focusing distance: you can focus from 13 centimeters in wide-angle and from 30 centimeters at the maximum telephoto range. In addition, like the camera, the lens has an IPX1 certification – a few raindrops won't harm it.
The MFT camera OM System Pen will be available in silver or black from October 1st. It will be offered with and without the new lens.
Header image: OM System
David Lee
Senior Editor
David.Lee@digitecgalaxus.chMy interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.
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