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.

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 2797 days old (young?). The camera has meanwhile been discontinued, but there has not been a direct replacement model for the PEN-F from Olympus.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
- Canon 77D vs Olympus PEN-F
- Canon M200 vs Sony A9 II
- Canon M5 vs Sony A9 II
- Fujifilm X-H2S vs Sony A9 II
- Nikon D5200 vs Olympus PEN-F
- Nikon D5600 vs Olympus PEN-F
- Olympus E-M10 IV vs Olympus PEN-F
- Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic S1H
- Olympus PEN-F vs Sony H200
- Pentax K-500 vs Sony A9 II
- Sony A1 vs Sony A9 II
- Sony A5000 vs Sony A9 II
Core camera specifications
Here is a list of the main features and technical characteristics of the Olympus PEN-F.
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 Aid | Focus Peaking | |
Maximum Shutter Speed | 1/8000s | |
Continuous Shooting | 10 shutter flaps/s | |
Shutter Life Expectancy | 100 000 actuations | |
Silent Shooting | Electronic 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-II | |
Connectivity Specs | ||
External Flash | Hotshoe | |
USB Connector | USB 2.0 | |
HDMI Port | micro HDMI | |
Wifi Support | Wifi built-in | |
Body Specs | ||
Battery Type | 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.
You are here: Home » Olympus PEN-F Review » Olympus PEN-F User Manual