OM System PEN with 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 III Lens Kit (Silver)

A compact camera that lets you change your mind. 

Compact cameras are having a remarkable comeback, but many ask you to accept one permanently attached lens and one way of seeing. The silver OM SYSTEM PEN takes another route. It combines a compact, rangefinder-style body with a 20.4MP Micro Four Thirds sensor, then pairs it with the new weather-resistant M.Zuiko Digital 14–42mm f/3.5–5.6 III zoom. Its 28–84mm-equivalent range covers everyday scenes, travel, people, and details, while the interchangeable lens mount leaves room for your photography to evolve.

Why photographers love it

• A versatile lens from the start: The included 14–42mm lens provides a 28–84mm-equivalent range, moving naturally from wide environmental photographs to portraits, details, and short telephoto compositions.
• Compact enough for everyday photography: The camera weighs just 13.9 ounces with its battery and a memory card. The lens weighs only 4.4 ounces and retracts to approximately two inches long for storage.
• A weather-resistant camera and lens combination: Both the PEN and the new 14–42mm lens offer IPX1-rated dust- and splash-resistant construction, giving you more confidence when the weather changes.
• A lens mount that keeps your options open: Use the included zoom when flexibility matters, then choose from a broad range of Micro Four Thirds primes, portrait lenses, macro lenses, and telephotos when you want a different point of view.
• A built-in electronic viewfinder: The 2.36-million-dot OLED viewfinder makes composing in bright sunlight easier and provides the tactile, concentrated experience of bringing a camera to your eye.
• Five-axis image stabilization: Up to 5.5 stops of in-body stabilization helps keep handheld photographs sharp in lower light and works with every compatible Micro Four Thirds lens.
• Dedicated Color and Monochrome controls: Four customizable color profiles and four monochrome profiles let you shape color, contrast, grain, highlights, and shadows while making the photograph. Profiles can also be saved and shared through the OM Image Share app.
• Capable autofocus and computational tools: A 121-point all-cross-type phase-detection system recognizes people, cats, and dogs. High Res Shot, Live ND, Focus Stacking, HDR, Multiple Exposure, Starry Sky AF, and Pro Capture expand what you can create inside the camera.

The Looking Glass Take

For many photographers, this is the PEN configuration that makes the most sense. The 14–42mm lens gives you enough range to photograph an entire day without carrying another lens, while remaining light enough that the camera still feels like a compact camera.

The lens is not the thinnest pancake lens or the brightest choice for very low light. What it offers is arguably more useful for a first lens: a flexible 28–84mm-equivalent range, close focusing, very little weight, and weather resistance that matches the camera body. It gives you time to discover whether your photography naturally leans wide, normal, or toward the short-telephoto end.

Once you know, the PEN does not hold you to the original decision. Add a compact 17mm lens and it becomes a beautifully simple everyday camera. Choose a 25mm, portrait lens, macro, or longer zoom when your photography asks for something else.

We do not see the PEN merely as a less expensive substitute for today’s fashionable fixed-lens cameras. It presents a more open-ended idea of what a compact camera can be. The camera remains small. Your point of view does not have to remain fixed.

Good to know: The included 14–42mm f/3.5–5.6 III lens retracts for storage and must be extended before photographing. Its variable maximum aperture prioritizes size and versatility rather than the low-light performance or shallow depth of field of a bright prime lens. The IPX1 weather-resistance rating applies when the lens is properly mounted and the camera’s covers are closed; it does not apply while charging or using the HDMI connection. The PEN has no built-in flash and uses one UHS-I SD memory card. It records DCI 4K video at 24p and UHD 4K at up to 30p, but its 8-bit video system is best suited to occasional rather than advanced production work.

Ideal for: Travel and street photographers, families, everyday documentarians, first-time interchangeable-lens camera buyers, current Micro Four Thirds photographers seeking a smaller camera, and anyone attracted to a fixed-lens compact but unwilling to commit permanently to one focal length.

What’s in the box: Silver OM SYSTEM PEN Mirrorless Camera Body, M.Zuiko Digital 14–42mm f/3.5–5.6 III Lens, BLS-7 rechargeable lithium-ion battery, body cap, hot shoe cover, shoulder strap, LC-46 front lens cap, and LR-2 rear lens cap.