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Olympus PEN-F PDF User Manual

Did you lose or misplace the instruction manual that came with your Olympus PEN-F? 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 PEN-F 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-F below.

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In any case, the PEN-F is an advanced imaging tool, whose many features merit serious attention. This mirrorless interchangeable lens camera was officially introduced on January 27th, 2016, which means that, as of today, the camera is 3009 days old (young?). The camera has meanwhile been discontinued, but there has not been a direct replacement model for the PEN-F from Olympus.

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Olympus's instruction manual for the PEN-F

The camera's instruction manual is 188 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 PEN-F 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-F 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 PEN-F 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-F

Perhaps instead of reading through a manual or operations guide, you might prefer to better familiarize yourself with your PEN-F 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 PEN-F 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 PEN-F guide book at
amazon.com

Olympus PEN-F FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the PEN-F.

What technology is the imaging sensor in the Olympus PEN-F based on?

The camera has a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor at its core.

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

Olympus equipped the PEN-F with the TruePic VII image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Olympus PEN-F?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 80 to ISO 25600.

Does the Olympus PEN-F have a selfie-friendly screen?

Yes, the LCD-screen of the PEN-F 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-F?

Olympus does not publish a shutter rating for the PEN-F. 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 PEN-F?

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

Is completely silent shooting possible with the Olympus PEN-F?

The camera has an electronic shutter option, so that it is indeed feasible to capture images without any shutter noise.

Do I need to purchase an external camera trigger to shoot time-lapse sequences with the Olympus PEN-F?

No, the Olympus PEN-F 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 PEN-F?

The PEN-F 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 PEN-F 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 PEN-F for flash photography?

The PEN-F's flash sync speed is 1/250 sec.

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

Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-II cards (data transfer speed of up to 312 MB/s).

Which battery does the Olympus PEN-F use?

The camera gets its power from the Olympus BLN-1 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

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Further reading

How does the PEN-F stack up against available alternatives? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just use the search menu below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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    Core camera specifications

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

    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Olympus PEN-F
    Camera Type Mirrorless system camera
    Camera Lens Micro Four Thirds lenses
    Launch Date January 2016
    Launch Price USD 1 199
    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 20.2 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 5 184 x 3 888 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 3.34 μm
    Pixel Density 8.96 MP/cm2
    Moiré control no AA filter
    Movie Capability 1080/60p Video
    ISO Setting 80 - 25 600 ISO
    Image Processor TruePic VII
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 74
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 23.1
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 12.4
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 894
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.62x
    Viewfinder Resolution 2360k dots
    Top-Level Screen no Top Display
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.0 inch
    LCD Resolution 1037k dots
    LCD Attachment Swivel screen
    V-logging Friendliness Front-flip possible
    Touch Input Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Contrast-detect AF
    Manual Focusing AidFocus Peaking
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000s
    Continuous Shooting 10 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy100 000 actuations
    Silent ShootingElectronic Shutter
    Time Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer Built-in
    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-II
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port micro HDMI
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in
    Body Specs
    Battery Type Olympus BLN-1 power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)330 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 125 x 72 x 37 mm
    (4.9 x 2.8 x 1.5 in)
    Camera Weight 427 g (15.1 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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