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Olympus E-PL5 PDF User Manual

Did you lose or misplace the instruction manual that came with your Olympus PEN E-PL5? It happens all too easily, but fortunately Olympus makes a soft copy available that you can browse through online, print out, or download (see the pdf file below). It is certainly good practice to carefully familiarize oneself with the many different functionalities and options that the E-PL5 offers, and the official user manual is without doubt an authoritative and comprehensive source of respective information.

That said, the instruction booklet can be a dry read, so that a dedicated camera guide book from a professional photographer that illustrates the camera's core functions in a real life photography context can be a very helpful complement. Yes, getting one of these camera guides (see here at amazon) would involve an additional expense, but if that book helps to exploit the camera's potential to the full, the (small) additional investment may well be worth it.

Also, you might want to check out the video tutorial on the Olympus PEN E-PL5 below.

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In any case, the E-PL5 is an advanced imaging tool, whose many features merit serious attention. This mirrorless interchangeable lens camera was revealed to the public on September 17th, 2012, which means that, as of today, the camera is 4210 days old (young?). The camera has meanwhile been discontinued and was succeeded by the Olympus E-PL6 as a replacement in the same line of cameras.

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Olympus's instruction manual for the E-PL5

The camera's instruction manual is 133 pages long. The pdf version is embedded below. As you browse through, you will hopefully find the information you are looking for. You can also print out a hard copy by right clicking on the manual and then choosing the respective menu option. For convenience, a summary of the key specs of the E-PL5 is included towards the bottom of this webpage.

Don't forget to bookmark this page for future reference (Ctrl-Shift-D on a Windows PC; Cmd-Shift-D on a Mac). Happy browsing!

Click on the button below to download the pdf version of the Olympus PEN E-PL5 manual to your computer. The file will open in a new browser window.

Download the Manual

If you prefer to read the user guide in another language, please check the respective availability on Olympus's support site. That site also provides complementary online resources, such as information on the compatibility of various camera accessories or the availability of firmware updates that are not necessarily comprehensively covered in the instruction manual.

Printed, hardcopy versions of the Olympus E-PL5 manual can sometimes be found online. You can check the availability on amazon and ebay via the buttons below.

amazon.com ebay.com

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Video tutorial for the Olympus PEN E-PL5

Perhaps instead of reading through a manual or operations guide, you might prefer to better familiarize yourself with your E-PL5 by watching a video tutorial. It can notably help to quickly get to know the key functions and to set up your camera according to your particular preferences and needs.

Once again, the Olympus E-PL5 is a sophisticated imaging tool and not exploiting its capabilities to the full would be a pity. Hence, taking the time to study online information material or to read through a well-written camera guide book is highly recommended to make the most of your purchase.

Find E-PL5 guide book at
amazon.com

Olympus E-PL5 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the E-PL5.

What is the technology behind the imaging sensor in the Olympus E-PL5?

The camera is build around a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Olympus E-PL5 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Olympus equipped the E-PL5 with the TruePic VI image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Olympus E-PL5?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 25600.

Can the Olympus E-PL5 be equipped with an optional viewfinder?

Yes, Olympus provides the VF-3 as an accessory (here on amazon) that can be mounted on the hotshoe.

Does the Olympus E-PL5 have a selfie-friendly screen?

Yes, the LCD-screen of the E-PL5 is flexible and can be turned to be front-facing for capturing selfies.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Olympus PEN E-PL5?

Olympus does not publish a shutter rating for the E-PL5. Yet, shutters in comparable cameras from other manufacturers are said to be good for at least 100 000 actuations. It should be noted, though, that this number represents a Mean Time before Failure. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust an expected shutter life of 100 000 shots over, say, three years, one would have to take about 100 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Olympus E-PL5?

Olympus embeds the number of shutter actuations in hidden menus. You can check the number of shots that your E-PL5 has taken up to now by carefully following the steps described on the Olympus E-PL5 shutter count page.

Does the Olympus E-PL5 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Olympus E-PL5 for flash photography?

The E-PL5's flash sync speed is 1/250 sec.

Does the Olympus E-PL5 support the Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus interface for SD cards?

Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-I cards (data transfer speed of up to 104 MB/s).

Which battery does the Olympus E-PL5 use?

The camera gets its power from the Olympus BLS-5 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

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Further reading

How does the E-PL5 stack up against available alternatives? In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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    Core camera specifications

    Here is a list of the main features and technical characteristics of the Olympus PEN E-PL5.

    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Olympus E-PL5
    Camera Type Mirrorless system camera
    Camera Lens Micro Four Thirds lenses
    Launch Date September 2012
    Launch Price USD 599
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format Four Thirds Sensor
    Sensor Size 17.3 x 13.0 mm
    Sensor Area 225 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 21.6 mm
    Crop Factor 2.0x
    Sensor Resolution 15.9 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 4 608 x 3 456 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 3.76 μm
    Pixel Density 7.08 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 1080/30p Video
    ISO Setting 200 - 25 600 ISO
    Image Processor TruePic VI
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 72
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 22.8
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 12.3
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 889
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Viewfinder optional
    Top-Level Screen no Top Display
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.0 inch
    LCD Resolution 460k dots
    LCD Attachment Tilting screen
    V-logging Friendliness Front-flip possible
    Touch Input Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Contrast-detect AF
    Manual Focusing Aidno Peaking Feature
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000s
    Continuous Shooting 8 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy100 000 actuations
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse Photographyno Intervalometer
    Image StabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash no On-Board Flash
    Storage Medium SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot
    UHS card support UHS-I
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port mini HDMI
    Wifi Support no Wifi
    Body Specs
    Battery Type Olympus BLS-5 power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)360 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 111 x 64 x 38 mm
    (4.4 x 2.5 x 1.5 in)
    Camera Weight 325 g (11.5 oz)

    Did you notice an error on this page? If so, please get in touch, so that we can correct the information.

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