Olympus Releases the PEN for the Rest of Us
Read this tip to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Digital Photography and other Digital Photography topics.
Olympus Releases the PEN for the Rest of Us
Fifty years after the release of its groundbreaking "PEN" 35mm camera, Olympus brought us the digital camera version. The new PEN is a micro four-thirds digital that's compact in size, but carries the capabilities of a digital SLR.
Unfortunately for those on a budget, it's pricier than many digital SLR's... and therefore out of our reach.
Not to worry. Olympus has just debuted the PEN E-PL1. It's a gorgeous - if somewhat slimmed down - PEN for under $600. And that price includes a 14 - 42mm zoom.
Though 12.3 MP doesn't sound like terrific resolution, the sensor on theis camera is about eight times larger than a typical point-and-shoot's. So the pixels are huge. And that means far less noise. Your pictures will pop.
The E-PL1 also has the first built-in flash on a PEN model, as well as a feature Olympus calls "Live Guide." Live Guide lets you adjust for the effects you want with the press of a button, instead of having to memorize and make technical adjustments.
This micro four-thirds model is a bit bigger than a compact point-and-shoot, but it has all the auto features you'd get on one. And it's a smaller than a digital SLR, but offers most of the manual features you'd get with one.
Plus, it has 720 HD video, RAW image capability, image stabilizatoin, built-in art filters and more.
The E-PL1 is a digital camera somewhere in-between. More compact than an SLR, more powerful than a point-and-shoot. And, at this price point, I'd say it's a winner.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Sherril Steele-Carlin |
