Olympus Pen E-PL3: Goodbye Flash!

What's the word? Annoyed? Disappointed? Shocked? Flabbergasted? Well, you get the idea ...

This camera's predecessor, the Pen E-PL2, was a camera with a basic, boxy design, and although it did feel a bit plastic in places, it still had plenty of functions and was nice to use. It had a built-in flash, a video record button and a decent screen definition—all things that were mysteriously missing from the more advanced Pen E-P2.

Olympus did, however, put that right with the new top-of-the-range Pen E-P3, which finally had a decent screen and a flash. It's therefore difficult to understand why the brand's budget compact with interchangeable lenses makes all the same mistakes that Olympus recently corrected in its higher-end model.

In fact, Olympus has completely removed the flash from the new E-PL3, and instead supplies the camera with a separate flash accessory!

We've already openly criticised the Sony NEX cameras and the Samsung NX100 for using external flashes, as we don't think users should have to choose between extra lighting and a compact design. We're therefore disappointed to see Olympus go down the same road as these models.

Obviously, the Pen E-PL3 is more compact than the E-PL2 as a result (it's actually a centimetre shorter), and it's a more stylish camera too, sporting a more original and modern look. That said, we'll be keen to see what effect the removal of the grip has on the camera's handling. The screen now has a vertical-tilt hinge, which is handy for lining up shots above your head or on the ground. Plus, the camera has been treated to the same technical enhancements as the E-P3, with Full HD video, stereo sound, a faster autofocus and a new image processing system.

As it stands though, we'd have to recommend that you stick with the good old E-PL2. This older model has a proven track record, it works well (until the release of the Panasonic G3, we thought it took the best Jpeg shots of all micro four-thirds cameras), and you don't need to carry around an additional accessory just to be able to take a photo indoors or in low light.

If super-small and super-simple compacts are your thing, take a look at the Olympus E-PM1 also presented today.

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