Olympus Pen-F color and monochrome

Last Update: 7th September 2021

In this article, we will take a look at the different Color and Creative Photography features available with the Olympus Pen F. I will also discuss the new functions Olympus added to the Monochrome, the Color Profile, and the Color Creator functions with the latest V3 firmware upgrade. We will study the Pen-F integration with WorkSpace and how one can share and upload profiles. We will discuss how to create and change profiles and finally, we will have a look at the new Pen F gallery on the official Olympus website.

These images were part of the ad campaign introducing the Pen F as a definition of style and substance in 2016

The Pen-F is one of the most radical and elegant mirrorless cameras ever designed. That said, it was received amidst "unexpected" hostility as most reviewers and forum experts immediately complained about the menu, and then demanded an OMD type "Pen F". These M43 experts also rejected the Pen F, claiming the Creative Dial had no real purpose, it's in the wrong location, and the Creative Dial and ART Filters have no place in modern digital photography. 

Search "Pen F" on the DPReview and the Mu-43 forums and you will be blown away by the negative reactions and the gossip from Olympus and M43 photographers. The most surprising was that none of these "experts" figured out that Olympus was really in the process of introducing a completely new and future Color and Creative Photography concept.

We also saw how the Pen F enabled street photographers and how they welcomed the EVF placement. The unique MonoChrome and Color features made the Pen F special and one of a kind. They could simply select from a list of up to 32 different Color and Monochrome Profiles without having to spend time on location to select individual camera settings.

Something I discuss in my WorkSpace "how-to" article, is the unique Live View feature of WorkSpace. This feature enables photographers to develop their Color and Monochrome Profiles on any WorkSpace "Live View" display. Photographers can now develop and test their new profiles before entering them into the Pen F. Also see Part 6 in my Color and Creative Photography series.

See this launch video of the Pen-F (less than 5 minutes)

Street Photography with the Olympus Pen-F

The interesting Pen-F video with the POV Photo Guy (Highly Recommended)

The Pen F had two firmware updates, see the details below:-

• Olympus added the "Bleech Bypass film" ART filter to the Pen F
• Custom settings C1 to C4 are now included when saving the camera configuration
• This makes it possible to share Pen F configurations with C1 to C4 with friends
• The ability to extract color and monochrome profiles from JPEG images
• You can now share color or monochrome profiles by sharing your JPEG files
• Shading effects have been added to the color profile and the color creator
• The ISO auto settings have been expanded and are the same as the EM1 II
• The monitor AF Targeting Pad performance has been improved
• ART filter selection and the touch function operation have been improved

Below is the User Manual (V3.1) page #, and the related creative Pen F functions:-

• Page 38 - Creative Dial operation
• Page 39 - The Color Profile Tool
• Page 40 - Monochrome Profile Control
• Page 66 - Monochrome Profile Grain filter
• Page 41 - The Color Creator
• Page 42 - Art Filters
• Page 67 - Color filter effects to the Monochrome Picture Mode
• Page 116 - Assigning photo story to C3 and SCN modes to C4
• Page 116 - Photo Story
• Page 118 - SCN Modes
• Page 33, 88 - How to set up Custom Modes
• Page 179 - 182 - A summary of the Firmware updates V2 & V3

I wrote a 6 part color and creative photography series. Please go see parts 3 & 6 if you are new to the color wheel, color harmonies, and how to work with color and your Olympus camera. Also, see my article on how to use the Color Creator.

Setting up the Pen F to its full creative flexibility?

Your Pen F should always be ready for maximum creative use. It's really a mistake to wish the Pen F was some kind of OMD camera. For example, camera manufacturers will carefully select the image sensor for each camera to match the camera concept. This is why Olympus used a different image sensor for the Pen-F and not the same sensor for the EM1 II. The EM1 II was designed for high performance and speed, whereas the Pen F was designed for street photography and ultimate creativity. The EM1 II and the Pen F are completely different cameras and together they cover a wide range of photography applications.

A = Creative Dial / B = Mode Dial (Custom Modes) / C = Lever

The Mode Dial on the Pen F is different from the EM5 II, the EPL9, or the EM1 II. For example, you will not find Photo Story or SCN Modes on the Pen F. You need to first configure the Custom Modes C3 and C4 for Photo Story and SCN Modes before you can use these features on the Pen F. See the above user manual summary and the relevant pages in the user manual. That leaves C1 and C2 open to save your preferred camera configurations and any additional color and monochrome profiles. This enables you to save up to 9 additional colors and 9 additional monochrome profiles.

Tip:- If you like to save new color or monochrome profiles to the custom modes C1 and C2, start by selecting your preferred exposure mode like Aperture Mode (A-Mode).  Now you can configure the Pen F as you like, plus the 3 Color or the 3 MonoChrome Profiles. When done save the configuration to C1 or C2. It is not possible to save a new configuration directly to C1 or C2.

The Olympus Pen-F's main creative modes?

It's sometimes difficult to picture the complete creative magnitude of Olympus cameras and especially, the Pen F. The reason is the different creative features and options are linked to more than one function. For example, looking at ART filters you might say no they are not that interesting. 

It's only when you select ART filters that you see that each ART filter has several more options. Some of these options will also be seen when you work with the Color or Monochrome Profile. You could be in a situation where you quickly want to record a series of images with Photo-Story. You do not want to edit the Photo-Story images when back home, so you decide to use a Pop ART filter with Photo-Story. As you can see these cameras are truly creative masterpieces.

One can summarize the Pen-F creative modes in 6 groups:-

1. The Color Creator
2. The Color Profile (One can save up to 9 profiles in C1 & C2)
3. The Monochrome Profile (One can save 9 profiles in C1 & C2)
4. Monotone "Picture Mode" (different from the monochrome profile)
5. ART Filters, SCN Modes, Photo Story, and HDR
6. Live Composite, Live Time, Panorama, Stacking, Timelapse

Each of these creative groups has access to more options like curves, grain filters, color filters, and shading to assist the photographer in creating the perfect image look and feel in the camera.

The Color Profile Tool

A = You can select 1 of 3 factory set Profiles (Profile 1 is neutral)

Olympus describes the above color profile presets as:

"Of the three color profile presets, Colour Profile 2: Chrome Film Rich Colour provides rich, deep tones, and Colour Profile 3: Chrome Film VS gives rich film colors with high levels of saturation. You can make adjustments to these two presets, or you can create your own color profile from scratch using the Colour Profile 1 preset."

The first color profile (Profile 1) is neutral and available to the user. Profiles 2 & 3 are factory preset color profiles. If you assigned your preferred camera configuration to custom modes C1 and C2, you have 6 (3+3) more options for saving your own profiles. Set up your different color profiles for C1 and C2 and you will have a total of 8 preset color profiles and profile 1 for unique situations. I keep a summary of all my profiles on my mobile phone with a brief description of each profile.

The following variables are included and saved with color profiles:

• Color Profile tool with 12 different color selection
• The Shading function
• The Highlight/Shadow & Midtone function (Curves)
• Sharpness and contrast settings (See the SCP)
• Exposure compensation (Exposure Comp dial on the Pen F)

These are the main settings when creating your own color profiles. Keep profile 1 in the factory setting so that you can quickly adapt colors when out doing photography. Save your own or any shared profiles in the Picture Modes C1 and C2 (6x Profiles in total). Always practice your color awareness. 

For example, practice your color awareness by doing the following:-

• Practice scanning your surroundings, identify colors, and build color harmonies
• When paging through a magazine identify the main colors and the color harmonies
• Be aware of the people's clothes (colors) and check their selection of colors
• Practice using different color harmonies (Complementary, Analogous, and Triadic)
• In time you will find your color awareness and creating harmonies will improve
• See this interesting photographer and his article on working with color - link

With practice, it will become second nature to scan your surroundings, select colors, and build harmonies. Adjust your target colors with Profile 1 using the Color Profil. The more you do this the easier it gets. The secret is to apply small adjustments at a time. In most cases, subtle chances are more effective than extreme color effects.

For example, you are out visiting a historic city with your family. Your partner is dressed in a bright yellow shirt with jeans. The sky is clear so you decide to focus on the complementary colors yellow and blue. You like these colors to stand out with the blue skies above the buildings. Highlighting these complementary colors, you can increase the vividness of yellow and blue with +2. Next, you will reduce the vividness of all the other colors with -2. Next, you will increase the contrast with the curves function, and in the final step, you can create a slight pinhole look with the shading function.

Monochrome Profile

A = Monochrome Profiles / B = Grain filter setting or selection

Olympus describes the above monochrome profile presets as:

"Of the three monochrome profile presets, Monochrome Profile 2: Classic Film B&W provides a grainy monochrome look, and Monochrome Profile 3: Classic Film IR emphasizes red color filter effects for the look of infrared film. You can make adjustments to these two presets, or you can create your own monochrome profile from scratch using the Monochrome Profile 1 preset."

The first Monochrome Profile (Profile 1) is neutral and available to the user. Profiles 2 and 3 are factory-preset monochrome profiles. If you assigned your preferred camera configuration to custom modes C1 and C2 you have 6 (3+3) more options for saving your own profiles. Set up your different monochrome profiles for C1 & C2 and you will have a total of 8 preset monochrome profiles and profile 1 for unique situations. I keep a summary of all my profiles on my mobile phone with a brief description of each profile. All said, with a little practice it's often faster to evaluate the scene and adapt Profile 1.

The following parameters are saved with each monochrome profile:

• The Monochrome Profile with 9 target colors with 3 levels each
• The Shading function settings
• Highlight/Shadow & Midtone settings (Curves)
• Sharpness and contrast (SCP adjustments)
• Film Grain Effect in the (See the SCP)
• The Monochrome base color (found in the SCP)
• Exposure compensation (Exp Comp dial on the Pen F)

When creating your own monochrome profiles follow the steps below:-

• Like with color profiles, be aware of your surroundings and dominant colors
• With monochrome, you only focus on the target color and the opposite color
• When adjusting the blues in the sky, blue will darken and yellow will brighten
• With landscapes, one typically targets the sky, clouds, trees, fields, or structures
• With monochrome or black-and-white scenes, focus and work on strong contrasts
• The first step is to select your target color and adjust it with the profile tool
• The next step is to activate the SCP
• Select a monochrome base color (T) or leave the base color neutral
• From the SCP you can also select black & white or monochrome grain settings
• Finally, use curves to add more contrast and the shading function as required

See the examples below:

Original image on the left and the Monochrome profile using a yellow base color on the right

Again the original image has a color profile, then a monochrome-only profile, and finally a base color

The monochrome profile tool is not the only monochrome or monotone option on the Pen F. All Olympus cameras have the monochrome picture mode. To activate the monochrome picture mode, turn the creative dial to the "OFF" position and press the OK button to activate the SCP. Move the cursor to picture modes and turn the front dial until you see monochrome. The different monochrome options will be available in the SCP.

Olympus Pen F with 50mm f1.8 - ISO200, f4.5, 1/800 (MonoChrome Profile plus a little Photoshop)

How to create/manage and share your color or monochrome profiles?

See my WorkSpace, how-to page here. Go to how-to technique #7 for a detailed explanation of how to manage your profiles. Olympus added a new gallery with color and monochrome images created by different Olympus visionaries. You will find the collection here. Each image can be downloaded and the Exif data is included. Each image also has additional information about the profile. This is a great resource for Pen F photographers looking for ideas and inspiration... 

You can now lift any of these profiles with WorkSpace and transfer them to your camera. You can also open the image in WorkSpace, open the Exif Info, and manually transfer the settings to your Pen F.

Part of the Olympus Pen F collection of color and monochrome profile images

The available information for each image in the gallery

A more advanced technique for developing profiles is described in this article.

For example, it is possible to use color cards to copy and create your own profiles. I created a series of color cards with different DXO film profiles applied to them. Each image has another DXO film profile applied to the color card. This is a little more advanced and you need to be patient and ready to practice. The color cards are also a great help to develop a feel for color and to identify what the other person did when creating profiles.

Then finally visit my Pen F Profile page where I regularly add new profiles I developed or profiles I see on the web. You are also welcome to let me know when you develop a new profile you like to share with others...

I have added a few videos below. They offer more information on additional Pen F creative functions. Sometimes it's enough to apply a basic ART filter, it's not always necessary to look for complex solutions. Unfortunately, I had to remove several links, it seems Olympus is deleting videos from YouTube, I do not know if it is linked to Olympus selling the camera business.

Live Composite

See this link for 7 interesting TIPS on how you can use the Live Composite function. You can also subscribe to this Olympus webpage.

Photo Story

Rob Trek showing how to enter a version of the Kodak 25 profile

Photowalk and Advanced Exposure Techniques

Last Update:- 27th May 2024

My wife and I were driving past the old town of Rapperswil at the far end of Lake Zürich. Returning from our appointment, we decided to stop at Rapperswil and spend an hour or two in this lovely old town. My wife with her EM10 III and myself with my Pen F and 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ lens.

I also wanted to try my Gossen light meter. The idea was to try the Gossen with more demanding exposure techniques like ETTR for street/city photography. (Walimex is a Gossen)

Olympus EM1 II w 30mm Macro, 2x FL600, mini studio, RC Mode.

Regular visitors to my blog know I've been on a journey studying the camera's image sensor, types of image sensors, the size and capture theory, and different exposure and focusing techniques.

While searching for information for my new Gossen, one thing led to another, and I came across the Sekonic YouTube presenter, Joe Brady. In his videos, Joe demonstrated the benefits of using external light meters with modern cameras. Joe convinced me to add the Gossen to my exposure toolbox. The Gossen was tucked away in my photography "to-do" list until I saw Joe's videos.

It's now 3 years since I started studying image sensors. In that time, I read different articles on DPReview and participated in heated forum discussions. I always compared the information I received to theoretical and technical articles published by engineering schools, image sensor manufacturers, the European Machine and Vision Association, and other enthusiast websites. 

As in most situations, finding that one thing that matters needs unpacking much fluff and talking. Without getting too much into the sensor size debate, those who did change from one format to another know it's way more than the size of the sensor or pixel area. The 3 factors we should consider are buying/selling costs, the size and weight of camera equipment, and the available lens offer.

Focussing on one thing, I discovered the key to optimum image quality is having the image sensor at its optimum SNR and saturation level. (Figure 1) It became clear that the digital camera is not a digital paintbrush. The ideal SNR is specific and available in a small operating window. This motivated me to shift the creative part of my digital photography to the post-processing phase.

The image recording phase is simply a data-collecting phase and nothing more. The goal is to select the "best" exposure mix to push the sensor to its ideal performance window. This "ideal" performance window happens when the sensor reaches optimum SNR or Saturation levels. (See Figure 1) The sensor records more tonal data with the lowest visible noise at full saturation.

Figure 1.

It took my wife and me 2 hours to complete our photo walk in Rapperswil. I selected an ISO of 200. The cloudy conditions would benefit from the higher DR at ISO200. I started with an aperture of f5.6 and aperture mode. That meant I had to carefully select my focus point and monitor the histogram when using ETTR or upping the exposure. This process of monitoring and adjusting the exposure is quick and takes seconds. The photographer's experience in advanced exposure technique guides the decision to use an ND or Polarizer filter, stacking or bracketing, or the camera's HDR function.

Olympus Pen F with 12-50mm ISO200, f5, 1/500 - Raw file converted in Photoshop (only basic settings).

I adjusted the exposure of the above scene with the Gossen. Study the histogram. The Gossen's exposure reading was the equivalent of the camera exposure at +0,3EV. The dynamic range of the scene was influenced by the clouds. For example, one has more or less clouds in the exposure frame when pointing the camera up or down. With the camera's exposure reading pointed toward the clouds, the street-level exposure and SNR decrease, and the visible shadow noise increases. 

Not that shadows generate image noise. Less reflected light on the sensor means a smaller SNR, less tonal data, and more visible noise. Interestingly, the Gossen exposure meter is less affected by clouds because its FOV is 180 degrees. The camera's FOV is linked to the focal length of the lens...

This is the same image edited in Luminar 4 - One can see how the camera handled the DR well.

The above image is an edited version of the RAW file. While editing the RAW file in Photoshop, I knew the RAW file had enough tonal data, which enabled me to push the RAW file a little more. 

I upped the camera's exposure with the aperture "gain" option (image below). The histogram shifted to the right, and the street-level image brightness improved with the higher exposure level. My final exposure benefitted from an ETTR gain of +1EV. Moving the histogram to the right means the darker street level benefits from more tonal data and less noise. An increase in tonal data benefits the complete tonal range. Exposure techniques like HDR increase the tonal data even more. I also used the camera's over and underexpose indicators to monitor highlight and shadow clipping. The Olympus histogram is flexible enough to help us find the best possible exposure mix with ETTR. 

I rarely go for clipping-free exposures. The brighter clouds did clip a little in the above example. I was OK with that because most people wouldn't recognize any clipping. I apply the same rule for darker shadow areas. I learned it's better to clip (turn black) some darker areas and prevent non-critical areas from showing noise. This is similar to what Panasonic does for filming. For example, Panasonic allows us to work with a smaller tonal range of 15 to 256. Study the OOC jpeg below. 

This is what the camera's jpeg looks like when one applies an ETTR of +1EV.

The image below is the edited Raw conversion of the above jpeg. I pushed the sensor to its optimum saturation and SNR with my exposure mix. This allowed me to "push" the conversion of my raw file a little more. Study my articles about Workspace and the Enhanced Raw Format for more.

Those preferring out-of-camera "ready" JPEGS should read the following. The secret is to treat your Raw and JPEG files differently. The RAW file can be pushed to have more tonal data with less visible noise and can be re-adjusted to mimic the scene in post-editing. Jpegs are different and benefit from more accurate exposures. For example, we can tweak the gamma curve of Olympus cameras. This is done with exposure compensation and the Gradation and highlights/shadows functions.

The following settings allow us to create JPEG profiles in the cameras. For example, use the mid-tone slider to correct ETTR adjustments and the i-Enhance Picture Mode to activate the Olympus image quality features. The gradation function improves shadow details and limits clipping, and the highlight and shadow sliders are used to add contrast or manage the shadows and highlights.

Olympus Pen F with 12-50mm lens - ISO200, f5.7, 1/250 (+1EV ETTR) - Raw file converted and edited in PS and Luminar 4.

Final thoughts on saturating the image sensor and ETTR

Study this article to learn more about ETTR or what it means to "flood" the sensor. Study this article for more on how to read the DxOMark image quality database, and read this article discussing the 4 things that will improve your image quality. The image creation process for the above image starts by reviewing any depth-of-field (DOF) or movement requirements linked to the aperture and shutter mix. The next step is to optimize the sensor. I used the following camera setting for the above image:

• ISO200 (Manual setting - see intro text))
• Shutter speed of 1/400 (Aperture-Mode - shutter speed was selected by the camera)
• An aperture of f5,6 (The photographer's choice in Aperture Mode - f5,6 creates a large DOF)
• I used my Gossen exposure meter reading with an ETTR of +0,5EV to up the SNR.
• The histogram confirmed that I could shift the histogram to the right with +0,5EV.
• I used the histogram's under/overexposure warnings to find the final exposure mix.

The final step focuses on the reflected light reaching the image sensor. The aim is to expose the sensor optimally with techniques like ETTR or stacking. Which of the above exposure settings would you change if you had to increase the shutter speed? I manually selected ISO200. We also know that the ISO does not control the reflected light to the sensor like the aperture/shutter mix. 

Something we haven't discussed much is to 

think of the aperture as gain.

The target is exposure and not DOF when using the aperture gain effect. That means doubling the reflected light to the sensor for every 1EV aperture increase. This exposes (floods) the sensor with information. The question is, how does this affect the DOF? Something that should be talked about more is the 2-stop DOF (Depth-of-field) advantage of M43 cameras.

The "starting" depth of field was set for the city scene. It's, therefore, safe 

to slightly increase the aperture (gain) to control the image sensor. 

This M43 (DOF) advantage varies from application to application, like macro, landscapes, or city scenes. Always experiment and use your photography experience to select the best exposure mix. Photographers migrating to M43 cameras tend to prefer higher apertures. For example, they will use f8 to f11 for landscapes, whereas f5.6 to f7.1 is enough for landscapes on M43 cameras.

Pen F with 12-50mm, ISO200, f5.1, 1/200 and +0.3EV (ETTR)

Full-frame cameras have more background blur but a smaller DOF. Full-frame photographers disagree on forums, while it's nothing new to find serious full-frame photographers using techniques like focus stacking in more critical DOF applications like cityscapes or landscape photography.

One needs to break free from the commercial "background blur" hype to learn why the M43 aperture is one of the M43 segment's most exciting features. The key to unlocking this strength is re-thinking how we apply the aperture with crop sensor cameras. A depth of field aperture of f5,6 is good for city and landscape photography. The key is having the correct focus point. See this article.

It was safe to add +0.5EV reflected light to the sensor for the first image of Rapperswil. The brighter street level and 50% more reflected light onto the sensor didn't affect the original DOF much.

Consider how marketers distract M43 photographers by shifting the focus to equivalence and background blur. They effectively confuse and prevent crop-sensor Photographers from benefiting from the DOF or the unique sensor saturation or "gain" advantage of M43 cameras. Instead, M43 photographers focused on diffraction, noise, and keeping the ISO below 500.

If you want to experience the full benefit of aperture gain and how it impacts sensor performance, apply this technique to older M43 or smaller sensor cameras like the Olympus X-Z2.

The takeaway is the aperture changes the reflected light (gain) or DOF. Exposing to the right (ETTR) means more aperture gain, especially in poor light conditions with slower shutter speeds and higher ISOs. One needs as little as +0.5EV to improve the sensor's saturation. A full stop will seriously flood the sensor. More reflected light means a better SNR, more tonal data, and less Visible Noise.

It helps to practice with older 12 and 16MP mirrorless or compact cameras. The benefits are more visible with older image sensors, and it also helps to master the DOF versus gain principle. 

Does later 16MP and 20MP sensors also benefit from this technique? Absolutely, but the differences are less visible for newer versus older sensors. The camera's auto-exposure algorithm saturates the sensor more with newer Olympus cameras. See this article about Olympus' safety headroom.

Olympus Pen F with 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ lens, ISO200, f5.0, 1/350, +0.3EV (ETTR) - Raw file converted in Photoshop.