Introducing the Olympus PEN E-PL 8

I don’t know about you, but the camera on my phone hardly ever gets used. Not because it’s broken but because it has some serious competition.

It’s attractive, lightweight, jam packed full of features and fits perfectly in my handbag.

No, it’s not Channing Tatum.

It is however my current crush – the Olympus PEN E-PL 8.

Introducing the Olympus PEN E-PL 8

I’ve always been a bit snap happy and since being introduced to Olympus in 2014, my love for their cameras is strong.

Prior to receiving the PEN E-PL 8* I owned an Olympus OM-D EM-10. I used it every day for a variety of purposes – outfit shots, photos for the blog, Instagram photos, family photos etc. Let’s just say, the PEN E-PL 8 had very big photographic shoes to fill.

But fill them it has.

Like all Olympus cameras, the PEN E-PL 8 is bursting with features.

It’s also extremely stylish (hello retro brown casing with cream camera strap. It is so lovely to meet you!) I love how the sophisticated look of the camera means wearing it around your neck or over your shoulder feels more like adding an accessory to your outfit rather than carrying a camera. Well played Olympus, well played.

Let’s discuss the camera’s features

Yes, lets. There are so many features to the PEN E-PL8 ranging from built in filters (yes, the camera comes with a variety of filters!) to recording movies (perfect for vloggers or those who love to capture moments involving movement and sound).

Here are the features I love and use on a daily basis. I’m certain you will love them too.

The Screen

The large screen on the back of the camera really is all sorts of amazing. It’s a downward opening touch screen, which makes taking individual and group selfies a whole lot of fun!

There’s no more worrying about where to look or having to take the photo again because your thumb was in the shot. Just turn the screen downwards and you’re good to go.  

Movies can also be filmed this way and you can easily access the various camera settings by touching the screen in front of you.

The ability to tilt the screen also means no more standing on your tip toes or aimlessly holding the camera above products and hoping for the best when shooting the perfect flat lay.

And see the little green square on the screen? Enable that feature and the camera will focus on whatever object/person/area on the screen you’ve tapped the green square onto. So clever!

Built in Wi-Fi 

This feature is a photo sharing game changer. The PEN E-PL 8 comes with built in wifi. Combine this with the free Olympus Image Share App and not only can you use your phone as a remote control but you can import your photos directly from the camera to your phone.

The app saves the photos to your camera roll which you can then share with your friends or followers on Instagram or Facebook. You can even turn the camera off from your phone once the photo importing is complete.  I know! The technology and ease of use is incredible.

Shooting in square

I adore this feature of the PEN E-PL 8. Changing the image aspect from traditional portrait or landscape to square (1:1) makes taking photos for Instagram and Facebook so quick and easy. 

It’s the perfect way to take high quality images that can be instantly shared, all without the need for cropping.

Having the camera on a tripod, shooting in square and using the built in wi-fi to use my phone as a remote is how I take my outfit photos each day.

Scenes

The camera comes with a very useful scene feature which I love. With a simple flick of the main dial you can select a scene for what you’re about to photograph and the camera will take care of the rest.

The Sports scene is one I use on a regular basis. It’s fantastic for capturing the kids in action and the 16 megapixels provides amazing image quality.

One last word

Photography experts will probably gasp at this, but I shoot everything in either AUTO or Scene mode. As much as I would love to learn how to take photos in manual mode, f-stops and apertures are all a bit confusing for me.

And that’s why I’ve fallen so hard for the Olympus brand. Their cameras offer something for everyone – even people like myself who love to take photos but aren’t that great when it comes to the technical side of photography.

If you’re looking for a stylish, take anywhere camera that’s oh so easy to use, the PEN E-PL 8 might just be the one for you.

Available in white, black and brown, it would make the perfect gift this Christmas. For more information, head to the Olympus website.

Then leave the computer open for your nearest and dearest to see it. Or send them a link to this blog post or share it with them on Facebook. You never know, it might result in a gorgeous new camera sitting under the tree this Christmas!

Would you love a new camera for Christmas? What colour would you choose – white, black or brown? 

* The PEN E-PL 8 was sent to me for editorial consideration and review as per my disclosure policy.