LCD and Viewfinder
Olympus E-PL9 has a Tilting 3″ LCD screen with a resolution of 1,040k dots. Both the screen size and the screen resolution is up to the standards of this class.
LCD is
Touch screen type, so you can change the settings and set the focus point with your fingertips.
E-PL9 doesn't have a built-in viewfinder but an optional external viewfinder is available. Lack of a viewfinder can be problematic especially under strong light where visibility of LCD screens goes down dramatically. If you need a Mirrorless camera with a built-in viewfinder in a similar price range, consider Olympus OM-D E-M10 II (Compare) or Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 (Lumix DMC-GX80 / Lumix DMC-GX7 Mark II) (Compare). If the price is not an issue, take a look at our Top Rated Cameras with Viewfinders.
Max Shutter speed
Olympus E-PL9 can shoot continuously at max speed of 8.6 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/4000 sec. E-PL9 also has an electronic shutter which can shoot silently at max speed of 1/16000 sec. One thing to keep in mind is that electronic shutter may cause rolling shutter effects on your images in certain conditions.
Flash
E-PL9 has a built-in flash, and it also has a flash shoe to mount your external flashes too.
Focusing
Olympus E-PL9 features a Contrast Detection autofocusing system. The AF system has 121 points to choose from.
Olympus E-PL9 also features
Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically.
Video Features
With Olympus E-PL9, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 3840 x 2160 at 30p,25p,24p fps and save in MPEG-4 and H.264 formats. This means that Olympus E-PL9 provides 4K (Ultra-HD) video, highest resolution that is available in the market today. When viewed on a 4K screen, you will be amazed by the level of details and the crispness.It is also a big step up from its predecessor E-PL8 which has a max video resolution of 1920 x 1080 only. If you are thinking of upgrading your E-PL8 and shoot a lot of video, this is a big factor to consider in favor of E-PL9.
E-PL9 has a built-in Yes microphone and a Mono speaker.
Olympus E-PL9 doesn't have any connections for external microphones and headphones. If you need a Mirrorless camera with external microphone connectivity, consider Canon EOS M50 or Canon EOS M5 in a similar price range.
Connectivity and Storage
Olympus E-PL9 features built-in wireless (Wi-Fi) connectivity ( 802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.0 LE) which lets you transfer your photos directly to compatible devices without any physical connection.Olympus E-PL9's Bluetooth connectivity feature comes handy for connecting other devices that supports it. One other feature that we like is the ability to use our smartphone as a remote to control our E-PL9. You can change camera settings, release shutter, view LCD screen and tranfer files using remote control app.
You can connect E-PL9 to compatible devices via its HDMI port or USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port.
Battery Olympus E-PL9 is powered by a proprietary battery which provides a shooting life of 350 according to CIPA standards.
Considering that the average battery life of Mirrorless type cameras is 359 shots, its battery life is about average in its class but it would still be wise to invest in some spare batteries for long photo trips.
Battery Life Comparison in Entry-Level Mirrorless Cameras
Samsung NX mini with its 650shots is the model with longest battery life among Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras. Check the comparison of Olympus E-PL9 vs Samsung NX mini or take a look at Longest Battery Life Mirrorless cameras list.
Olympus E-PL9 Features Compared to Main Competitors