OM SYSTEM PEN Mirrorless Camera: OM System's Retro Icon Returns
Posted by Photogear on 11th Sep 2026
The PEN name is back, in Black and Silver.
OM System's new PEN Mirrorless Camera pairs a compact, retro-styled body with a genuinely current spec sheet, body-only or bundled with a matching kit lens.
OM System has announced the PEN Mirrorless Camera, a compact Micro Four Thirds camera that leans into the PEN name's design history rather than hiding it. It comes body-only in Black or Silver, or bundled with the new M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III Lens in either colour, and that same kit lens is also sold on its own for anyone building a kit around a body they already have. Photogear has all five listed as new arrivals, with stock expected late September 2026. Here's what's new, and which configuration actually suits how you shoot.
Choose your PEN
Pick your colour first, then sort the lens: bundle the 14-42mm kit now, add it down the track, or skip it altogether if you're already covered or want something else from OM System's range.
Key features
- Sensor and stabilisation: 20.4MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS sensor, TruePic IX processor, and 5-axis in-body stabilisation rated at 5.5 stops.
- Viewfinder and screen: a 2.36m-dot OLED EVF (100% coverage, 1.1x magnification) plus a 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen.
- Autofocus and burst: 121-point AI-based subject detection (faces, eyes, animals) with continuous shooting up to 30fps.
- Creative modes: focus stacking, in-camera HDR, a High Res Shot mode, and 17 art filters, all done without leaving the camera.
- Video: 4K24p (DCI) recording, slow motion up to 120fps, and OM-Log400 for more room to grade footage afterwards.
- Battery and charging: a 410-shot rating, up from the OM-5 Mark II's 310, plus USB-C charging.
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2 for the OM Image Share app, covering remote control, wireless transfer and GPS tagging.
- Build: IPX1 weather-resistant polycarbonate construction at 393g.
- Lens mount: takes the same M.Zuiko and third-party Micro Four Thirds lenses as the rest of OM System's range.
Standout features
The PEN isn't just trading on its name. Underneath the retro shell sits a genuinely current Micro Four Thirds spec sheet.
A compact, weather-resistant body with real dials
OM System has kept the classic PEN silhouette, right down to the top-plate dial layout, while wrapping it in an IPX1 weather-resistant build that shrugs off light rain and everyday knocks. At 393g with a battery in, it's genuinely pocketable next to most interchangeable-lens cameras.
Pairs with your phone over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2 connect to OM System's own OM Image Share app, for remote shutter control, wireless image transfer straight to a phone, and GPS tagging pulled from the phone's own location.
20.4MP sensor, 5-axis stabilisation, and a real viewfinder
A 20.4MP Live MOS sensor and TruePic IX processor pair with 5-axis in-body stabilisation rated at 5.5 stops, useful for handheld low-light shooting without reaching for a tripod. It's also one of the few cameras in its class with a proper 2.36-million-dot OLED electronic viewfinder built in, rather than relying on the rear screen alone, alongside a 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen for waist-level or selfie-style framing.
Autofocus that recognises people and pets, and a burst mode to match
121 cross-type autofocus points with AI-based subject detection track faces, eyes and animals, and continuous shooting runs up to 30fps for fast-moving subjects. For slower, more deliberate shooting, focus stacking, in-camera HDR, a High Res Shot mode for extra-detailed stills, and 17 art filters cover most of the creative ground a PEN shooter is likely to want, without leaving the camera.
4K video, USB-C charging, and a full day's battery
Video tops out at 4K24p (DCI) with slow motion up to 120fps and OM-Log400 for more room to grade footage afterwards, plus a 3.5mm microphone input for better audio than the built-in mic alone. A single BLS-7 battery is rated for around 410 shots per charge and tops up over USB-C, so there's no separate charger to carry.
The M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III Lens, in more detail
The kit lens is an 8-element, 7-group design with three aspherical elements, an f/3.5-5.6 maximum aperture through its 14-42mm range (28-84mm equivalent), and IPX1 weather-resistant construction to match the bodies it's sold with. It's also genuinely small: 125g and just 2 inches long when collapsed, with a common 46mm filter thread, making it an easy lens to leave on a PEN body for everyday use rather than something you'll want to swap out straight away.
Colour is purely a style choice, both use the same internals underneath. Silver leans further into the PEN's 1960s design roots, while Black keeps a lower profile day to day and shows less wear on the top plate over time. Worth handling both in person if you can before deciding.
Picking your PEN
The PEN isn't trying to be OM System's fastest or most rugged body, that's still OM-1 Mark II and OM-5 Mark II territory, both quicker and more thoroughly weather-sealed for demanding conditions. What the PEN trades for that is size and simplicity: a genuinely pocketable, retro-styled camera built around a proper EVF and a straightforward control layout, rather than another rugged all-rounder. If you already know you want the fastest, most rugged body in the range, look at OM-1 Mark II or OM-5 Mark II instead. If you want something smaller and simpler that you'll actually carry every day, that's exactly what the PEN is built for.
On the kit question, the 14-42mm bundle works out cheaper than buying the body and the lens separately, and it's a genuinely useful everyday lens rather than a throwaway one, so it's the easy default if you don't already own Micro Four Thirds glass. Already have a lens that fits? Body-only saves you paying for glass you don't need.
