Viewfinder, live view, LCD and video
As previously mentioned, the E-PL1 has no in-built viewfinder and instead relies on an electronic viewfinder that slides onto the camera’s accessory shoe. The Olympus VF-2 electronic viewfinder has a 1.44-million-dot resolution, with a 100% field of view and a refresh rate of 60fps.
Although it is always apparent that the VF-2 is an electronic rather than optical viewfinder, its high specification makes it feel comfortable and natural to use. Yet with the VF-2 costing nearly £250, most entry-level photographers will probably opt instead to use the EPL-1’s rear LCD screen.
Measuring 2.7in, the screen is slightly smaller than the 3in models currently found on most DSLRs, but it does help keep the size of the camera down. With only 230,000 dots, the screen is also of a fairly low resolution, so while it is suitable for composing images it is not quite so good for checking detail resolution in-camera.
Like the E-P2, video footage can be captured at a resolution of 1280×720 pixels at a rate of 30fps. Sound can be recorded in stereo, although the E-PL1’s built-in microphone is only mono. If you wish to record stereo sound you will need the Olympus SEMA-1 external microphone adapter kit, which costs around £90.
