OM System PEN review: a classy, feature-packed rangefinder that's amazing value

OM System PEN: Two-minute review

Given the ongoing component shortages and price pressures, producing an affordable camera in 2026 is no mean feat — and that's exactly what OM System has achieved with the new PEN.

It has delivered the rangefinder-style mirrorless camera many PEN fans have been crying out for, and equipped it with in-body image stabilization, twin displays, a retro weather-proof design (IPX1-rated), and a range of fun computational photography modes — and kept the price to $1,000 / £850 / $AU1,800. Need a lens? The 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III kit (see below) is just $100 / £100 / AU$300 extra.

Beyond that kit lens, the OM PEN is part of the Micro Four Thirds system, with hundreds of lenses to choose, covering just about any situation, though any of these will add to the cost. I found it to be a great pairing with the low-cost Olympus 45mm f/1.8 for portraiture.

There's little that's new here, mind you — we have the same 20.4MP CMOS sensor with 5-axis image stabilization as previous models, including the OM System OM-5 II, and the same 121-point hybrid phase-detection autofocus, with stripped back subject-detection options. The vari-angle touchscreen and 2.36m-dot EVF are borrowed from previous models, too.

However, the OM PEN remains utterly compelling because it's so much fun to shoot the everyday with, so easy on the eye, and kind on the wallet. Sure, the PEN could be better in various areas (some of the controls are particularly fiddly), but all is forgiven when you consider the overall package, and that price tag.

Having used the camera for several weeks (and made direct comparisons with the excellent Lumix 10 premium compact), I think the OM System PEN as an ideal starter camera for smartphone upgraders — and it's the best beginner camera for 2026 so far.

OM System PEN review: Price and release date

• Announced in September 2026
• Costs $999.99 / £849 / AU$1,499 (body-only) or $1,099 / £949 / AU$1,799 with new 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III kit lens
• Available in two colorways: all black, and black with silver trim

After years or rumors, OM System finally made a successor for the Olympus PEN series of cameras and put its name on it. And like the OM-5 II before it, the OM System PEN is excellent value for money in an industry otherwise hit with component shortages and price hikes — where else can you find a new interchangeable lens camera with a viewfinder and in-body image stabilization for less $1,000?

That price is for the body only, mind you, and if you're starting from scratch the best value package is with the new 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III zoom lens, and that costs $100 / £100 / AU$300 extra. The third-generation kit lens was announced alongside the camera, and gains a splash-proof design, matching the OM PEN camera.

The camera is available for preorder now in two colorways; black, or black with silver trim.

OM System PEN review: specs

OM System PEN review: Design

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(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

• Compact, IPX1-rated body that weighs just 13.9oz / 393g
• Twin displays: 2.36m-dot EVF and 1.04m-dot vari-angle touchscreen
• USB-C charging, mic port and hotshoe

There's no shortage of OM System bodies, but the PEN is the first OM-branded rangefinder proper, with its 2.36m-dot EVF neatly tucked into the top left corner of the compact, IPX1-rated retro body.

It's the same EVF that you'll find in the slightly pricier OM-5 Mark II — a camera that we awarded a 5-star rating and that sits in top spot of TechRadar's best travel cameras guide.

The key difference between those two bodies is that the OM-5 Mark II has a higher-rated weatherproofing, a pronounced viewfinder bump and a larger grip — meaning it's better suited to inclement weather, outdoor photography and for use with larger lenses.

The OM PEN is also a superb travel camera, but you'd typically use it on city breaks, for everyday and street photography with smaller lenses.

Image 1 of 11

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

It has the retro charm we've come to expect from Olympus-cum-OM System bodies, and I particular liked the black and silver version I had for this review. It's equipped a hotshoe for accessories such as an external flash (there's no built-in flash), a Mono / Color profile switch, a USB-C port for charging, micro HDMI, mic jack and a single SD card slot.

Most of the buttons are small and can be a little fiddly. I found accessing the computational photography a pain — you need to hold down the 'CP' button while rotating the top dial (that the shutter button is set within) to access the menu. Why not just a press of the CP button to open the menu?

The on/off switch is poorly designed, too — good luck trying to select the photography setting without skipping past it to the video mode. If you have moderately large hands like I do, the whole layout might feel a little fiddly. And I'm sure there are some retro camera fans who will be disappointed that there's no cable release thread in the shutter button. All that being said, I still very much enjoyed using the PEN.

OM System PEN review: Performance

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The Live ND computational photography mode in action, handheld. It has blurred the moving water here for a long exposure effect. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

The same photo but in a regular shooting mode. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

I switched to the Mono mode using the front dial on the camera (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

And here's the regular standard color mode (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

I used the High Res Shot mode which suits this stationary scene well, boosting the resolution from 20MP to 50MP, handheld. Note though that the leaves in front of the cabin swaying in the wind are blurred. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

I used the Live ND computational photography mode to blur the movement of the geese and water, but needed to rest the camera on a wooden post to ensure detail in the tree remained sharp (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

One of my favorite black and white photos with the OM PEN (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

• 20.4MP CMOS sensor with 5-axis stabilization
• BLS-7 battery with 410-shot CIPA rating
• 121-point hybrid phase detection autofocus with subject tracking

A 20.4MP Micro Four Thirds sensor is nothing to get too excited about in and of itself when you consider the larger sensor, higher resolution alternatives that are available.

Computational photography modes can close the gap where there are drawbacks; addressing the fewer pixels and lesser dynamic range versus larger-sensor alternatives, though they don't work for every scenario. (I've included some examples, above.)

With 5.5EV image stabilization, the High Res Shot mode can be used handheld to increase resolution from 20MP to 50MP, though it won't work for scenes with movement in them. The same can be said for the HDR modes, which also work by combining several images captured sequentially together into one, and would otherwise have ghosting in them where there's movement in the scene during capture. For still scenes, HDR works perfectly well for increasing dynamic range.

As a starter camera, however, the level of detail this tried and tested sensor is able to capture is easily sufficient for travel and everyday photography. Add a decent lens — and there are hundreds to choose from including the low-cost 45mm f/1.8 for portraiture — and you have the foundation for smartphone-beating images.

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Here I've used the 45mm f/1.8 lens set to f/1.8 for shallow depth of field (out of focus background) so the subject stands out. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

In this portrait, I'm using the 14-42mm kit lens, and when set to 75mm the maximum aperture is f/5.3, meaning it can't blur the background as much (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

Back to the 45mm f/1.8. If it were me, I'd struggle with the PEN if the only lens I owned was the 14-42mm kit lens (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

More 45mm f/1.8 portraits (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

This scene could have been shot with the 14-42mm, but again I opted for the 45mm lens (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

There's nothing wrong with OM System's 121-point hybrid phase detection autofocus system, despite its stripped back selection of subject detection options that includes humans or animals (cats and dogs).

I've used other systems with a wider range of subject detection modes, but for the most part you'd struggle to see a major difference in performance — when tracking birds, for example, I found the animal detection autofocus to be sticky. There's not the same degree of complexity for face and eye detection, though — it's reliable, but you can't manually switch which eye the camera autofocuses on.

Battery life is decent, being rated at 410 shots, but video specs are fairly basic for 2026 — 4K up to 30fps / C4K up to 24fps, with a wide choice of color profiles including OM System's flat OM-Log400 profile, but just 8-bit color depth. The slow and quick mode unleashes up to 120fps slow motion recording, or down to 1fps quick motion, but in 1080p only. Image stabilization works for video, though, which is a major draw for a camera at this price point.

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I've used the 45mm f/1.8 lens to blur the background and focus on the foliage in the foreground (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

The human detection autofocus works very well (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

Here's the 14-42mm lens at its widest focal length (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

And then zoomed in fully. It's a decent 3x optical zoom range (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

Should I buy the OM System PEN?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

OM System PEN review: also consider

How I tested the OM System PEN

• OM System loaned me the black and silver version of the PEN and the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III kit lens for several weeks
• I also used it with Olympus 45mm f/1.8 / Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4 lenses
• I took the camera to China for a work trip, and used it in a variety of scenarios and tried out the various computational photography modes

OM System sent me the black and silver version of the PEN with the new 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III kit lens, and I used the kit regularly for several weeks, including during a multi-day work trip to China. I also paired the camera with an Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lens and a (Panasonic) Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4 lens.

I've tried the various computational photography modes, used slow shutter speeds and shot video handheld to test the image stabilization effectiveness, and tried out various autofocus modes.

I've used the camera in light rain and in bright light, testing its splash proof credentials and the brightness of its displays. Along the way, I compared the PEN to a similar camera with micro four thirds sensor — the Lumix L10.

• First reviewed: October 2026
• Read more about how we test