This is an Olympus PEN E-PL7. I have a silver one, it looks like this. The camera was released in August 2014, almost a decade ago. My first PEN was a black mini, E-PM1 in November 2011; and it was my introduction to micro four-thirds. My next M43 camera was the E-M5 in October 2012, followed by an E-PM2 in May 2013 and the E-M1 in November 2013.
I ordered the silver E-PL7 on March 25, 2015. A refurb that came with a silver 14-42mm/f3.5-5.6 zoom, not the pancake electronic zoom. It was my third PEN camera, but the first that really embraced the retro-rangefinder vibe. (The E-PM2 was white. While it had a rangefinder body style that evoked the retro look, the color was definitely more contemporary than "retro.") I can't recall if I ordered the silver one because that was all that was available, or because it appealed to me in terms of its retro-aesthetic.
I still have that camera. It's among the ones I've shot with the most, with nearly 10K shutter activations. Still works fine and looks great. No dings, scratches or screen issues.
I recall getting the E-PL7. Mitzi was at her place, recovering from her ankle surgery and I was staying there helping her out. I remember being surprised at how heavy the camera was, for being so small. The E-PM2 was considered "entry level," and it felt very light. As a "mid-tier" product, I thought the E-PL7 looked and felt quite premium, and I recall being really pleased with how it felt in my hand.
I don't recall the first time I actually noticed the black E-PL7. I know it was years after I'd bought the silver one. I do recall thinking at the time that it was a very smart looking camera, better even than the silver one.
I've had or have several of Olympus' PEN cameras. Of the ones that were explicitly evoking that "retro" look, they were all silver and black. My E-P5, PEN-F, E-PL7, E-PL8 and OM System E-P7 were or are all silver and black. (I still have the 7, as mentioned, as well as the PEN F and the E-P7.) I should add that I think the E-PL5/6 design (I have a red, sooo red, E-PL6) was transitional between the modern look of the earlier digital PENS (other than the flagship models), and the explicitly retro style of the E-PL7 and E-PL8.
I also have an E-PL10 kuro, which hedges on the retro vibe, tending back toward contemporary. I almost sold it to KEH, but do I like the appearance. I think it leans much more modern in its design, embracing clean lines and flat surfaces more than the E-PL7. I think that's partly to accommodate the built-in flash, which the E-PL7 lacks.
(The E-PL8 started the move toward a flatter, more squared-off body. Some people like the look of the E-PL8, I feel like it's neither fish nor fowl. Can't decide what it wants to be. The brown one is nice though. It was easy to sell the E-PL8.)
But, for reasons that I can't pretend to understand, I'm presently searching for a black E-PL7. I think it's just about the best looking (digital) PEN Olympus ever made. The PEN-F is a nice-looking camera, and fully embraces its retro chic. But it's kind of big and chunky, and a little busy with the twin control dials and a separate exposure compensation dial. I mean, if you like buttons and controls, and many if not most photographers do, the PEN-F is fully equipped. But I'm accustomed to dealing with just the one control dial of the E-PL series.
The other thing I like about the E-PL7 over the E-PL10 is that the 7 retains the accessory port beneath the hot shoe. I can plug in an electronic viewfinder on sunny days. And the E-PL7's TruPic VII image processor retains nearly as many customization settings as its OM-D siblings. The E-PL10 has the TruPic 8 image processor, with a much simplified user interface and far fewer options for control customization or saved settings.
My silver E-PL7 remains a favorite of mine, but I'd really like to have an all black one. I think the proportions of the black paint to the black leatherette are more pleasing than on the E-PL10. The black is a real black on the E-PL7, while the E-PL10 is more of a dark gunmetal gray color. I think the dark lettering looks nice on the E-PL10, but the small white letters against the black paint of the E-PL7 are more appealing to me.
Anyway, this kind of thing seizes me and I'm a bit transfixed until it passes. The black ones seem to be in short supply on the auction site, but I've put a bid in on a "best offer" listing. They're also kind of pricey, I think, for a nearly 10-year-old camera. We'll see how it goes. If the offer is rejected, maybe the feeling will pass.
Originally posted at Nice Marmot 06:56 Thursday, 21 March 2024