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Olympus PEN E-PL1 - Great pictures for everyone

12th March 2010 Print
Olympus PEN E-PL1

In today’s world you’ve got to give the people what they want. And they’re going to want the new Olympus PEN E-PL1. Not only does it deliver extraordinary digital images, it’s the perfect tool for anyone who hesitated to buy SLRs because they find them too complicated. The possibilities are virtually endless with this easy to use retro-cool model. With great features like HD movie shooting and impressive Art Filters, you too can take exceptional pictures. Its 100% stabilised body even lets you shoot blur-free with all lenses. Combining SLR performance and a lightweight design, PEN lets you create exciting, innovative shots, preserving those moments in life you want captured forever. The ultimate democratising force in quality photography, the E-PL1 is available from March 2010.

The high-tech mirrorless construction of the PEN means it’s small and handy to use, yet it produces ‘big camera’ results. That’s the genius of the E-PL1, now fine-tuned with these new features:

Easy to understand, non-technical Live Guide
4 bold colours to choose from: black, white, champagne, red
6 intriguing Art Filters
Convenient integrated flash

Rewriting the rulebook
A hybrid of SLR performance embodying the latest technologies and compact comfort, PEN constitutes a new class of camera. The E-PL1 with integrated flash houses a 12.3 Megapixel Live MOS sensor, producing beautiful, razor-sharp photos and HD movies, and the TruePic V engine guarantees superior image quality at up to ISO 3200. Mechanical in-camera image stabilisation provides shake protection of up to 3 EV, effective regardless which lens you decide to use. The high definition AVI format movie option is available at 30fps and 1280x720p resolution – recording up to 7 minutes of film in a single shot. And all this top drawer technology comes in a neat pocket-sized camera.

Helping you take your best photos the new Live Guide speaks plain language, making it easier than ever to change difficult SLR camera effects like depth of field. These can then be monitored on the 2.7” HyperCrystal LCD. i-Enhance, for example, makes sure all colours in your picture spectrum are vivid and rich. It is automatically applied in conjunction with i-Auto mode, which recognises what kind of scene or subject you’re taking and adjusts settings accordingly, or can be used alone. And e-Portrait gives your subjects a quick facelift by glossing over impurities. With the abundance of supportive features and excellent technology, feeling like a pro is a given.

Draw your own creative conclusions
Whether in the form of a high quality movie or an image, the Olympus E-PL1 helps you capture the outside world while setting free the imaginative world within. Select from a range of six Art Filters to compose your own creative images or HD films: for instance Pop Art lets you warp it like Warhol, and the new Gentle Sepia gives images a touch of class. Use AF tracking to focus shots on one moving subject or do something with your movies normal camcorders won’t allow: play with depth of field and angle of view for atmospheric movie shooting and snap in high resolution during shoots for spontaneous stills. Further widening the expressive spectrum of options is the Micro Four Thirds system. It facilitates a range of interchangeable lenses and can be extended through the use of adapters. Brand new are the ultra-wide angle M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 (18-36mm) and M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 (28-300mm) zoom lenses. These ultra-light lenses are 50 and 70% smaller (compared to the 18-180mm volume) than their Four Thirds cousins and achieve less noise as well as greater AF speeds. Ideally suited to the PEN body, they capture unique pictures and movies without weighing down your bag. They will be available in late April and late May.

The accessory port offers even more imaging alternatives, such as attaching the VF-2 electronic viewfinder or Microphone Adapter Set, which is ideal to record high quality stereo sound in movies. When the work is done, relax and admire your handiwork from the sofa with a remote by connecting your camera to your TV via HDMI.

Fun camera, serious results
The E-PL1 is a quintessentially inclusive photographic tool: making it easier even for beginners to join the big leagues of quality movie and photo shooting. Available in March 2010, you can pick up your PEN in a choice of four colours.

More Photos - Click to Enlarge

Olympus PEN E-PL1 Olympus PEN E-PL1 Olympus PEN E-PL1