Olympus E-PL8 PDF User Manual
Did you lose or misplace the instruction manual that came with your Olympus PEN E-PL8? 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-PL8 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-PL8 below.
In any case, the E-PL8 is an advanced imaging tool, whose many features merit serious attention. This mirrorless interchangeable lens camera was announced on September 19th, 2016, which means that, as of today, the camera is 2733 days old (young?). The camera has meanwhile been discontinued and was succeeded by the Olympus E-PL9 as a replacement in the same line of cameras.
Olympus's instruction manual for the E-PL8
The camera's instruction manual is 162 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-PL8 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-PL8 manual to your computer. The file will open in a new browser window.
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-PL8 manual can sometimes be found online. You can check the availability on amazon and ebay via the buttons below.
Video tutorial for the Olympus PEN E-PL8
Perhaps instead of reading through a manual or operations guide, you might prefer to better familiarize yourself with your E-PL8 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-PL8 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.
Olympus E-PL8 FAQ
Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the E-PL8.
What is the technology behind the imaging sensor in the Olympus E-PL8?
The camera is build around a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.
Which image processing chip is used in the Olympus E-PL8 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?
Olympus equipped the E-PL8 with the TruePic VII image processor.
What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Olympus E-PL8?
The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 6400, which can be extended to ISO 100-25600.
Can the Olympus E-PL8 be equipped with an optional viewfinder?
Yes, Olympus provides the VF-4 as an accessory (here on amazon) that can be mounted on the hotshoe.
Does the Olympus E-PL8 have a selfie-friendly screen?
Yes, the LCD-screen of the E-PL8 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-PL8?
Olympus does not publish a shutter rating for the E-PL8. 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-PL8?
Olympus embeds the number of shutter actuations in hidden menus. You can check the number of shots that your E-PL8 has taken up to now by carefully following the steps described on the Olympus E-PL8 shutter count page.
Do I need to purchase an external camera trigger to shoot time-lapse sequences with the Olympus E-PL8?
No, the Olympus PEN E-PL8 has an intervalometer built-in, so that low frequency shooting (for example, flower blooming, sunset, moon rise) can be undertaken without the need to purchase a separate external intervalometer and related software.
Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Olympus E-PL8?
The E-PL8 offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.
Does the Olympus E-PL8 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-PL8 for flash photography?
The E-PL8's flash sync speed is 1/250 sec.
Does the Olympus E-PL8 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).
Further reading
How does the E-PL8 stack up against available alternatives? If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.
- Canon 700D vs Sony A9 II
- Canon T7i vs Olympus E-PL8
- Leica CL vs Sony A9 II
- Leica D-LUX 5 vs Olympus E-PL8
- Leica M-E Typ 240 vs Sony A9 II
- Leica V-LUX 2 vs Olympus E-PL8
- Nikon D600 vs Olympus E-PL8
- Nikon P1000 vs Sony A9 II
- Olympus E-PL1 vs Olympus E-PL8
- Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic G9
- Panasonic G95 vs Sony A9 II
- Sony A7 II vs Sony A9 II
Core camera specifications
Here is a list of the main features and technical characteristics of the Olympus PEN E-PL8.
Camera Model | Olympus E-PL8 | |
---|---|---|
Camera Type | Mirrorless system camera | |
Camera Lens | Micro Four Thirds lenses | |
Launch Date | September 2016 | |
Launch Price | USD 549 | |
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 - 6 400 ISO | |
ISO Boost | 100 - 25 600 ISO | |
Image Processor | TruePic VII | |
Screen Specs | ||
Viewfinder Type | Viewfinder optional | |
Top-Level Screen | no Top Display | |
LCD Framing | Live View | |
LCD Size | 3.0 inch | |
LCD Resolution | 1037k dots | |
LCD Attachment | Tilting screen | |
V-logging Friendliness | Front-flip possible | |
Touch Input | Touchscreen | |
Shooting Specs | ||
Focus System | Contrast-detect AF | |
Manual Focusing Aid | Focus Peaking | |
Maximum Shutter Speed | 1/4000s | |
Continuous Shooting | 8 shutter flaps/s | |
Shutter Life Expectancy | 100 000 actuations | |
Silent Shooting | no E-Shutter | |
Time Lapse Photography | Intervalometer Built-in | |
Image Stabilization | In-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 | micro HDMI | |
Wifi Support | Wifi built-in | |
Body Specs | ||
Battery Type | BLS-50 power pack | |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 350 shots per charge | |
Body Dimensions |
115 x 67 x 38 mm (4.5 x 2.6 x 1.5 in) |
|
Camera Weight | 357 g (12.6 oz) |
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