Olympus Pen E-PL1 Hands-On: Micro Four-Thirds for the Family

In addition to all that good stuff, the E-PL1 has an array of fun-to-use art filters. The six art filters let you apply effects to stills or video either in real-time or after you've taken the shot. The selection includes the downright addictive Diorama mode found on the E-P2, which makes large objects look like scale models due to some pseudo-tilt-shift fakery, as well as Pop Art, Pinhole Camera, Grainy Film, Sepiatone, and Soft Focus filters.

For all its versatility, multilayered user-friendliness, and portability, the E-PL1 presents a few drawbacks for people accustomed to shooting with a DSLR: You get a smaller sensor, an entirely different set of lenses, and no through-the-lens optical viewfinder. Perhaps the biggest problem for more-experienced shooters will be the d-pad-controlled aperture and shutter settings; you might miss the quick access of a scrollwheel.

But if you (or the avid photographer in your family) can look past those shortcomings, the Olympus Pen E-PL1 could boost your entire household's creativity and photography IQ.