Olympus has just announced 3 new models to their line up of micro-four-third interchangable lens digital cameras. The three new PEN models are the updated E-P3 & E-PL3 as well as the new Mini E-PM1.
Olympus E-P3
The Olympus Pen E-P3 is the third flagship micro four thirds camera from Olympus and will launch in early August with the 14-42mm kit lens. The Olympus E-P3 sports a 12.3 MP Live MOS Sensor, TruePic VI Image Processor, FAST AF Tracking System with 35 focus points, Low Light Performance, Fast Shutter Response, Full HD Movie – Shoot up to 29 minutes of full 1080i HD video in either AVCHD or AVI formats and a Full HD Movie – Shoot up to 29 minutes of full 1080i HD video in either AVCHD or AVI formats. The Olympus PEN E-P3 kit will be available in stylish black, white and silver.
Olympus Pen E-PL3
The Olympus Pen E-PL3 is what Olympus describes as a ‘Lite’ version of the E-P3. This powerful camera is perfect for photographers who want their memories to reflect incredible, professional image quality. Easy-to-use creative technologies are packed in its versatile body – the size of a small, portable point-and-shoot camera, but with the versatility of interchangeable lenses. It will also feature a new 12.3-megapixel Live MOS Image Sensor, TruePic™ VI Image Processor, high ISO of 12,800, a reengineered autofocus system, full 1080i HD video with Dolby Digital sound recording. No release date is available yet for the E-PL3 but it is expected to be released later in the year perhaps early fall.
Olympus Pen Mini camera (E-PM1)
The third Olympus micro four thirds camera to be announced is the Pen Mini E-PM1. he smallest and lightest Olympus PEN is available in six stylish colors (purple, pink, brown, white, silver and black) and features a new and simplified user interface as well as a streamlined button structure for superior ease of use. Its small size and portability make it the ideal camera to document life’s fun and spontaneous moments. This very compact camera will also launch in early fall.
Categories: DSLR, Lens, m4/3 micro four thirds, Olympus Tags: 14-42mm, 14-45mm lens, amazon.com, camera, digital camera, E-P3, E-PL3, E-PM1, Lens, m4/3, Micro Four Thirds, Olympus, Olympus E-P3, Olympus E-PL3, Olympus E-PM1, olympus pen, Olympus PEN E-P3, pre-order
The Olympus XZ-1 the popular professional compact point and shoot digital camera has had a good price drop on it and is now currently selling for $420 on Amazon.com down from $499 earlier which makes it a good deal right now. To take advantage of this deal for the Olympus XZ-1 click on the image above or click here.
Summary review of the Olympus XZ-1: The company’s latest enthusiast compact represents its return to the top end of the compact camera market. The impressive set of features builds around a 28-122mm equiv. F1.8-2.5 lens and includes a 3.0″ VGA-equivalent OLED screen, high-sensitivity 10MP CCD sensor and dual control dials. The XZ-1 enters a competitive segment of the market but its specifications suggest it can hold its own.
Categories: Deals, Olympus, Point and Shoot Tags: amazon.com, camera, deal, digital camera, Olympus, Olympus XZ-1, Point and Shoot, price drop, XZ-1, XZ1
Olympus has unveiled a new version of their shockproof, waterproof, freezeproof and crushproof compact camera. The model Olympus Tough TG-810 is designed to capture all of your extreme adventures no matter where you go. Whether you are capturing close-ups of fish and sea creatures on a scuba diving trip in the Caribbean or shooting ski/snowboarding stunts in crisp high-definition video (HD video) on the Rocky mountains or hitting the local skate park near your house the Olympus Tough TG-810 is perfect for you.
“The Olympus TOUGH TG-810 is built tough for the extreme explorer and the everyday adventurer alike,” said Jennifer Schmell, product manager, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “Whether taking it under water or high upon a mountain, the Olympus TOUGH TG-810 is a rugged companion that will capture HD video and stunning images far and wide. Its GPS and Electronic Compass track your location and direction, while the built-in Manometer shows how high or how deep your adventures are taking you.”
Some of the Olympus Tough TG-810 Features:
- 14-megapixel rugged digital camera
- 3-inch, 920,000-dot, Super Precision HyperCrystal III LCD
- GPS, Electronic Compass and Manometer – use as a regular compass, tag images with landmark information or capture your altitude or depth of water in addition to location data and map coordinates;
- HD Video and HDMI® Control – HD video delivers a broadcast-quality movie experience when played back on a high-definition television (HDTV);
- 3D Photo Mode – captures two shots of a scene from two different angles to create still photos that can be viewed with the added excitement and realism of 3D;
- Eye-Fi™ Card Compatibility – allows automatic wireless uploading of images to the website or PC of your choice;
- New! Magic Art Filters – make it possible to create special artistic effects in still images and/or movies directly in the camera;
- In-Camera Panorama – offers quick and easy panorama shots; and
- AF Tracking – tracks a moving subject automatically and keeps it in focus for optimal image quality.
The Olympus TOUGH TG-810 comes in black and silver and will be available in April 2011. It includes a Wrist Strap, WIN/Mac USB cable, Audio/Video Cable, Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery, Quick Start Guide, Instruction Manual, software CD-ROM and Warranty Card. Estimated Street Price: $399.99 (U.S.)
Ever since the Olympus XZ-1 has been released it has been extremely popular and high in demand selling out in most major retailers and as a result hard to find. Not to despair though, the Olympus XZ-1 will be back in stock on March 11th on Amazon.com. Click on the photo above to order the Olympus XZ-1 or click here.
Olympus has just released new firmware updates for its E-5 Four Thirds DSLR camera, the E-PL2 Micro Four Thirds camera and XZ-1 point and shoot enthusiast compact camera. The latest firmware versions for the E-5 and XZ-1 resolve minor bugs relating to the LCD display and external flash units. Version 1.1 for the Olympus E-PL2 changes the default setting of the image stabilizer to ‘On’ when used with the add-on Fisheye, Wide-angle or Macro lenses.
Download links for the latest software firmware:
If you are looking to get a new Olympus E-5, E-PL2 or XZ-1, click on the links below for the best deals on each camera:
Categories: 4/3 four thirds, DSLR, m4/3 micro four thirds, Olympus Tags: E-5, E-PL2, Firmware, Firmware update, Olympus, Olympus E-5, Olympus E-PL2, Olympus XZ-1, XZ-1, XZ1
The Olympus E-PL2 is the successor to the popular E-PL1 micro four-thirds mirrorless digital camera. Dpreview known for its indepth reviews has recently made a detailed review of the Olympus E-PL2, below is an extract from the review.
The Olympus E-PL2 is very close to other E-series cameras such as the E-PL1 or E-P2 in terms of both specification and design, but it’s arguably different enough to make it preferable over to in-house competitors for some users. Image quality is pretty much identical, but compared to the E-PL1, the E-PL2 hasa better build quality, an arguably more attractive design, faster AF (with the new kit lens) and an additional rear dial.
While the E-P2 is nominally higher up the PEN-hierarchy some photographers might nevertheless prefer the E-PL2 instead. It’s smaller, has a built-in flash and comes with the faster focusing new kit lens. However, you’ll have to make do without the E-P2′s top thumb dial, which can make changing settings just that little bit more cumbersome.
Having said that, there’s not much between the performance of all the current Olympus PEN cameras. The improved AF speed is arguably the biggest argument for the E-PL2 (although you can equally improve the E-P2′s and E-PL1′s AF speed by combining them with the new lens). The lack of the top dial, if you like setting your shooting parameters manually, is one against it. At the end of the day a lot of it is down to personal preference.
However, if you’re in the market for a mirrorless camera it’s hard to go wrong with the E-PL2. It doesn’t just look good when compared to its Olympus stablemates, but also cuts a fine figure next to the mirrorless competition from other manufacturers. In addition the range of accessories and Micro Four Thirds lenses is continuously growing, making Olympus PEN one of the currently largest and most flexible systems in the mirrorless camera sector.
As previously announced the Olympus XZ-1 is a new high end compact point and shoot digital camera which has garnered a lot of attention. Dpreview known for its indepth reviews has recently made a detailed review of the Olympus XZ-1, below is an extract from the review.
The XZ-1 is a rather late addition to the burgeoning enthusiast compact sector and, in some respects, a surprising one – the XZ-1′s potential market can’t help but overlap with the E-PL2′s, to an extent. But it’s a very welcome addition to what’s become an exciting part of the market for the keen photographer. This now includes a fairly broad range of cameras, varying from the ‘point-and-shoot with manual-override’ of Canon’s S95 up to the big, bulky, button-and-dial-covered Nikon P7000 and Canon G12, via the middle-ground option offered by Panasonic’s LX5 and Samsung’s TL500 (EX1).
The XZ-1 steps in towards the more compact end of this spectrum and does a great job of balancing flexibility with pocketabilty. Not only does it offer a very versatile lens range (28-112mm equivalent), but it does so with a maximum aperture that can’t be matched. At F1.8-2.5 it’s brighter at every point than either the Panasonic or Samsung, and is in a completely different league to the F2.0-4.9 offered by the Canon S95 to which it’s otherwise so similar.
The brand new Olympus XZ-1 digital camera is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com for $499 and will be shipping soon.
The new Olympus XZ-1 is a low light fixed lens at f/1.8 to f/2.5 and is designed to compete with the Canon PowerShot G12, Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5, and Nikon Coolpix P7000. With a range of f/1.8 to f/2.5, defocusing the background will be cake with the Olympus XZ-1, and Olympus promises faster shutter speeds in low light, thanks to the wide aperture. Another most excellent thing about the XZ-1′s lens is the control ring, which is just like the Canon PowerShot S95′s. The Control Ring works in tandem with the Wheel Controller found in the back of the camera to tackle ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed, Scene Modes, and Art Filters. For low light shooting, the Olympus XZ-1 has a Low Light mode, which automatically adjusts the ISO up to 3200 with the ability to capture images at the full 10-meghapixel size. iAuto (Intelligent Auto) is also designed to detect low light scenes, and the AF Illuminator allows shooters to adjust the focus in dimly lit environments. The Olympus XZ-1′s LCD screen is no slouch either. It’s a 3-inch 610,000-pixel OLED display. Olympus has also given the XZ-1 a 10-megapixel CCD sensor with TruePic V Image Processing and Six Art filters have also been handed down from the PEN lineup, in addition to Live Guide.
“The XZ-1 features one of the world’s brightest built-in lenses on a digital compact camera to enable you to shoot high-quality still images and HD videos in any shooting environment, including difficult low-light conditions,” said Katie Roseman, product manager, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “This camera will give you the versatility needed to take on any challenge without weighing you down.”
Categories: Olympus, Point and Shoot Tags: amazon.com, Canon G12, digital camera, LX5, Nikon P7000, Olympus, Olympus XZ-1, P7000, Panasonic LX5, Point and Shoot, pre-order, XZ-1, XZ1
There is a new deal for the Black version of the Olympus E-PL1 with the 14-42mm Lens which has dropped in price to $429 from $499 on Amazon.com. To take advantage of this deal click on the image above or click here.
The Olympus PEN E-PL1 is a Micro Four Thirds digital camera featuring 12.3-megapixel resolution. It includes the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 digital zoom lens, features built-in flash, a 2.7-inch HyperCrystal LCD with Live View function, Continuous Autofocus (C-AF) tracking system and is able to capture HD video with high-quality audio.
Olympus PEN E-PL1 with 14-42mm Lens (Black)
$429.00
Categories: Deals, m4/3 micro four thirds, Olympus Tags: amazon.com, deal, digital camera, E-PL1, m4/3, Micro Four Thirds, Olympus, olympus e-pl1, olympus pen, Olympus PEN E-PL1, price drop
There is currently a good deal for the Olympus E-P2 with the 17mm f/2.8 lens on Amazon.com, you can get it now for only $500. It had been dropping slowly in price all week. To take advantage of this great deal click here or the image above.
The Olympus E-P2 is a Micro Four Thirds format digital camera and the second generation PEN model. It features 12.3-megapixels with a 3-inch HyperCrystal LCD with the Live View function. It will also record HD video with high quality audio and allows you to have full manual control of shutter/aperture in Movie Mode.
Olympus PEN E-P2 with 17mm f/2.8 Lens
$500.97
Categories: Deals, m4/3 micro four thirds, Olympus Tags: 17mm, 17mm lens, amazon.com, deal, e-p2, Lens, m4/3, Micro Four Thirds, Olympus, olympus e-p2, Olympus PEN E-P2, olympys pen, price drop
