Olympus' replacement for the 2-year-old PEN E-PL5 may look similar to its predecessor, but Olympus made a lot of significant changes for the E-PL7, mostly to incorporate newer technology that's since debuted in its OM-D line of interchangeable-lens cameras.

With its flexible display; great set of controls and generally streamlined design; the Olympus PEN E-PL7 hits quite a few high notes

It might be a little too complicated for newbies; and the grip could be bigger

Olympus' replacement for the 2-year-old PEN E-PL5 may look similar to its predecessor, but Olympus made a lot of significant changes for the E-PL7, mostly to incorporate newer technology that's since debuted in its OM-D line of interchangeable-lens cameras. (Asia and the UK got a very minor update a year ago, the E-PL6.) And though I may quibble with some of the individual parts, I like the whole camera in general, and enjoy shooting stills with it for all but action.

A likeable interchangeable-lens model, the Olympus PEN E-PL7's overall package makes an attractive alternative to an advanced compact and has quite a bit to offer as a first ILC.

With its flexible display, great set of controls and generally streamlined design, the Olympus PEN E-PL7 hits quite a few high notes.

It might be a little too complicated for newbies, and the grip could be bigger.

Love my new camera - replacement for my E-PL1 as I had a number of lenses so decided to stick with E-PL series. Great camera. E-PL1 did a good job but noticed the screen starting to go dark around the edges. Still takes great shots but decided to replace before it went completely black

I'm using E-PL7 for few weeks now and didn't want to write review before I used it for some time. I payed it $480 (body only), what is very good price compared to E-M10 which costs $774 (body only). I still don't understand why so much difference in price between Olympus models in some countries.

The Olympus E-PL7 is a 16-megapixel compact system camera with a Micro Four Thirds sensor. It's the smaller, cheaper, more stylish alternative to the company's very popular OM-D cameras.

Great sensor performance; Charming retro design; Decent touchscreen

Underwhelming video capture; Not ideal for bigger hands; Odd tilt-under screen

The Olympus PEN E-PL7 ($599.99 body only) sets itself apart from the crowd with a unique front-facing screen that flips down below the camera for selfies. That's a little gimmicky, but the PEN E-PL7 is just as serious a mirrorless camera as others in the company's PEN lineup.

Compact; Quick focus; 8.4fps burst rate; Micro Four Thirds lens system; In-body image stabilization; Tilting touch-screen display; Accessory port for optional EVF; Wi-Fi

Sometimes slow to start and shoot; No support for 60fps video; Lacks standard mic input; Lacks built-in flash; Single control dial

There are lots of things to praise and very little to criticise about the E-PL7. It's not short of competition, though, and the price is currently double that of the Samsung NX3000 .

OK so there's no enthusiast-baiting eye-level viewfinder supplied with the 16 megapixel E-PL7 but we do get a tilting LCD screen that offers a degree of flexibility, even if it does appear to be set up for self-portraiture first and foremost.

Quality metal construction; Consistent imaging performance; Classic retro styling

No eye-level viewfinder; no built-in flash; tiny controls

The Olympus E-PL7 (also known as the Olympus PEN Lite) is a new mid-range compact system camera. The Olympus PEN E-PL7 is a Wi-Fi enabled, 16-megapixel compact system camera with a 180-degree downward tilting touchscreen, 8fps continuous shooting, 1080p HD video recording in mov format, a maximum...

a great little camera, highly recommended

Durable; Great Features; Great Picture Quality; Lightweight; Simple Controls