Olympus has announced yet another brand new camera that has proven to be a success in its two months of being released. The Olympus PEN E-P1 is the worlds smallest interchangeable lens camera. With the body of your average compact digital camera and smaller lenses, this interchangeable lens camera is definitely more portable than any DSLR on the market.
The basic specifications on the Olympus PEN E-P1 are a 12.3 megapixel, “micro four-thirds sensor”, a 3-inch LCD screen, HD video, stereo linear audio and mechanical optical image stabilization. The image quality is said to be “DSLR comparable”, and has been proven by several reviews of the Olympus PEN E-P1. The camera also has a range of accessories, including smaller lenses that fit the camera, a lens adapter so you can use other, more professional lenses, clip-on optical viewfinder, and an additional flash unit.
There are also several “art filters” offered and show you the effect “live” on the LCD, the different effects included are pinhole, pop art, soft focus, grainy film, light tone and pale and light color and can be used on both video and photo modes. The style of the camera body is definitely retro and is made of stainless steel with aluminum on the top and bottom. Fourteen scene modes are also offered, including landscape, portrait, macro, sport, night scene, night portrait, landscape + portrait, children, high key, low key, DIS mode, nature macro, candle, sunset, documents, panorama, fireworks, and beach/snow.
The MSRP of the camera is set at 0 (body only) and at about 0 for the Olympus PEN E-P1 camera body and ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens, and prices fluctuate due to what accessories you buy.
The Olympus PEN E-P1 has gotten great reviews, with the only problem commonly listed being slowness. The art filters apparently also slow down the camera a lot while they’re in use. But the compact body and superb image quality are probably worth it. I’m definitely excited about this camera, and I am definitely considering it. With all the research I’ve done while I’ve been saving the money, the Olympus PEN E-P1 is almost the perfect camera for my needs. It will still be a while before I make the decision, and it will take more time to see how this camera really turns out, but it has certainly made its way to the top of my list.
However, Olympus has already released the ‘successor’, the PEN E-P2. Nothing on the inside has changed except for the addition of a couple new art filters. The changes are on the outside with the E-P2 sporting a new black matte color and a port on the back so you can adapt an HD viewfinder or external microphone. It is set to be on the shelves in december and will cost you 0 more than the previous model.
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