Olympus PEN E-P5

Retro. The Olympus PEN E-P5 is the successor to the popular E-P3. It merges the cool retro design of the compact PEN F rangefinder camera with the high-end qualities of a [mirrorless] DSLR. New is the requisite Wi-Fi social sharing features (with easy set-up using QR code) we see cropping up in all new cameras. This allows Wireless Touch AF Shutter (view the image on your smartphone and use touch AF on smartphone to trigger the shutter on the camera) and Geo-tagging.

The distinctive styling of the PEN F rangefinder camera is carried over quite attractively. The use of high-quality textured metal for the top plate, shutter button, lens release button and arrow pad cover lends a premium look and feel to the camera. Olympus claims countless mock-up prototypes were used to finalize the design and placement of controls and dials. The PEN E-P5 will be available in an all-black, silver top and black, or white body.

The PEN E-P5 probably comes closest to match the high-end features of a DSLR: 1/8000 sec. max. mechanical shutter speed, Continuous Shooting at 9fps, 5 axis image stabilization, 1/320 sec. sync speed with the built-in pop-up flash, up to 1/4000 sec. sync speed with Super FP external flash, a high-speed AF (30% faster than E-P3), short release time lag mode, 3.0-in. 1.04 million pixels tiltable LCD, 0.5 sec. start-up, Focus Peaking function with use of manual focus lenses, optional external VF-4 EVF (2.36 million dot and 1.48x viewfinder magnification) with eye-sensor.

A new feature for those who travel a lot is the Photo Story theme that allows you to include multiple photos (or views of the scene) in a single one. Other features include Time Lapse and Art Filters.

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Olympus OM-D E-M5 Silver

OM-D. The Olympus OM-D E-M5 harks back to the 35mm film era when the Olympus OM-1 took the camera world by storm. Back then, the OM-1 was a revolutionary DSLR with everything squeezed into a compact and light body, yet unmistakenly professional in both quality and performance. In addition, the OM-1 came with a complete system of lenses and accessories.

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 wants to pick up that legendary mantle with a mirrorless DSLR, the film having been replaced by an image sensor, the optical viewfinder by a high-resolution electronic viewfinder and, since the mirror is now redundant, the latter is removed — hence the mirrorless label. In all other aspects, the OM-D E-M5 is a professional DSLR camera.

In addition, the OM-D E-M5 features a magnesium-alloy housing that is dust-proof and splash-proof for trouble-free shooting in all environments. This protection is extended to the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm F3.5-6.3 EZ lens, the bundled attachable flash unit, and the optional grip with power battery holder.

Though the Electronic View Finder enables photographers to check exposure levels, white balance and preview Art Filter effects in real-time. The display screen is a high-resolution (610k-dot) 3.0-in. tilting OLED touchscreen with a fast 120fps refresh rate.

The OM-D E-M5 has PASM shooting modes, blazing fast Contrast-detect AF, Continuous Shooting at 9fps. Other features include Art Filters and Multiple Exposure capability.

The E-M5 has the Micro Four Thirds (mFT) mount and therefore accepts all mFT lenses, as well as Four Thirds (FT) lenses, OM lenses, some Leica lenses and lenses from other brands with the appropriate adapter. A Dust Reduction System ensures any dust that may have entered the camera when changing lenses are removed from the sensor.

A direct HD Movie button gives instant access to Full 1080 HD movie 1920×1080 pixels with manual control over aperture and shutter speed. The popular in-camera Art Filters apply to both still shots and video.

The Olympus OM-D E-M5, in all its retro-look glory, is the first of the new OM-D mirrorless DSLR line and is sure to become a favorite of enthusiast photographers. It comes in Black or Silver, and is priced at about US $999 (CAD $999) body only.

Read our Olympus OM-D E-M5 Review…

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Olympus E-PM1

Mini. The Olympus PEN Mini, also known as the E-PM1, is one of three PEN mirrorless DSLRs that Olympus announced together in June 2011. All three have the same image sensor and basically the same features: 12.3MP resolution (on a 17.3x13mm Live MOS Image Sensor), Sensor-shift image stabilization, TruePic™ VI Image Processor, high ISO of 12,800, fast AF, Full 1080i HD video with Dolby Digital sound recording, newly designed user interfaces and a variety of Art Filters and built-in creative features. The PEN Mini (E-PM1) stands last after the E-P3 and the PEN Lite (E-PL3); it more closely ressembles the E-PL3, minus the titltable LCD screen.

The E-PM1 has the Micro Four Thirds (mFT) mount and therefore accepts all mFT lenses, as well as Four Thirds (FT) lenses, OM lenses, some Leica lenses and lenses from other brands with the appropriate adapter. A Dust Reduction System ensures any dust that may have entered the camera when changing lenses are removed from the sensor.

A direct HD Movie button gives instant access to Full HD movie 1920×1080 pixels with Dolby stereo sound. The popular in-camera Art Filters apply to both still shots and video.

Exposure flexibility is available to more advanced photographers: Program AE (P), Aperture-Priority (A), Shutter-Priority (S) and full Manual (M) mode are all accessible directly on the Mode Dial. Advanced photographers will also appreciate available manual control over aperture and shutter speed while filming. The E-PM1 does not have a built-in pop-up flash but external flash FL-LM1 is included. This flash is compact, slides into the hotshoe. The E-PM1 also accepts a range of optional external flashes, with wireless flash control using the FL-36R and FL-50R speedlights. The use of off-camera flashes [as fill-in light] and synchronization in Super FP mode at a fast 1/125-1/4000 shutter speed allow the use of a large aperture in daylight [to obtain beautiful blurred backgrounds in portraits].

The E-PM1 includes a port for the detachable high resolution (1440k-dot) VF-2 live-finder which rotates up 90 degrees — useful when shooting subjects from challenging angles. The external accessory port also allows for connection with the SEMA-1 external microphone adapter for enhanced audio capture. For those into underwater photography, the new optional PT-EP05L underwater housing is waterproof to a depth of 45 meters (147 feet).

There are not too many differences between the three models as far as image quality is concerned or even features. The Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1 will be most attractive to those moving from a tiny sensor digicam and want DSLR-level image quality. It comes in Black, Red, Silver and White (colors are country-dependent), and is priced at about US $700 (CAD $700) with the 14-42mm kit lens.

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Olympus E-P3

Retro. The Olympus PEN E-P3 distinguishes itself from other compact mirrorless DSLRs with its distinctive and beautiful retro look. Even though it follows in the footsteps of the E-P1 and E-P2, the E-P3 includes features from the E-PLx models and adds much welcomed improvements: the world’s fastest single-AF for a 3x optical zoom lens, a built-in flash, a touchscreen OLED, AF-assist light, FUll HD movie and an interchangeable handgrip.

The Olympus E-P3 is one of three PEN mirrorless DSLRs that Olympus announced together in June 2011. All three have the same image sensor and basically the same features: 12.3MP resolution (on a 17.3x13mm Live MOS Image Sensor), Sensor-shift image stabilization, TruePic™ VI Image Processor, high ISO of 12,800, fast AF, Full 1080i HD video with Dolby Digital sound recording, newly designed user interfaces and a variety of Art Filters and built-in creative features. The PEN E-P3 stands at the top of the PEN models, above the PEN Lite (E-PL3) and the PEN Mini (E-PM1).

The E-P3 has the Micro Four Thirds (mFT) mount and therefore accepts all mFT lenses, as well as Four Thirds (FT) lenses, OM lenses, some Leica lenses and lenses from other brands with the appropriate adapter. A Dust Reduction System ensures any dust that may have entered the camera when changing lenses are removed from the sensor.

A direct HD Movie button gives instant access to Full HD movie 1920×1080 pixels with Dolby stereo sound. The popular in-camera Art Filters apply to both still shots and video.

Exposure flexibility is available to more advanced photographers: Program AE (P), Aperture-Priority (A), Shutter-Priority (S) and full Manual (M) mode are all accessible directly on the Mode Dial. Advanced photographers will also appreciate available manual control over aperture and shutter speed while filming. Of the three PEN models, only the E-P3 has a built-in pop-up flash. Like the others, it also has a hotshoe for attachment of an optional external flash. Available external speedlites include the FL-36R and FL-50R with wireless flash control. The use of off-camera flashes [as fill-in light] and synchronization in Super FP mode at a fast 1/125-1/4000 shutter speed allow the use of a large aperture in daylight [e.g., to obtain beautifully blurred backgrounds while using fill-in flash when taking portraits].

The E-P3 includes a port for the detachable high resolution (1440k-dot) VF-2 live-finder which rotates up 90 degrees — useful when shooting subjects from challenging angles. The external accessory port also allows for connection with the SEMA-1 external microphone adapter for enhanced audio capture. The handgrip is removable and Olympus includes a small one as standard and provides a larger one as an optional purchase for those with bigger hands. This also opens up the opportunity for independent designers to provide differently shaped and sized handgrips.

The compact mirrorless DSLR cameras have been welcomed with open arms by enthusiasts and the Olympus E-P3 is sure to figure among the very best, providing DSLR image quality and flexibility without the complexity or size. It comes in Black, Silver or White (colors are country-dependent), and is priced at about US $900 (CAD $900) with the 14-42mm kit lens.

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Olympus E-PL3

Lite. The Olympus PEN Lite, also known as the E-PL3, is one of three PEN mirrorless DSLRs that Olympus announced together in June 2011. All three have the same image sensor and basically the same features: 12.3MP resolution (on a 17.3x13mm Live MOS Image Sensor), Sensor-shift image stabilization, TruePic™ VI Image Processor, high ISO of 12,800, fast AF, Full 1080i HD video with Dolby Digital sound recording, newly designed user interfaces and a variety of Art Filters and built-in creative features. The PEN Lite (E-PL3) stands in the middle between the E-P3 and the PEN Mini (E-PM1) and differs from them mainly by having a titltable LCD screen.

The E-PL3 has the Micro Four Thirds (mFT) mount and therefore accepts all mFT lenses, as well as Four Thirds (FT) lenses, OM lenses, some Leica lenses and lenses from other brands with the appropriate adapter. A Dust Reduction System ensures any dust that may have entered the camera when changing lenses are removed from the sensor.

A direct HD Movie button gives instant access to Full HD movie 1920×1080 pixels with Dolby stereo sound. The popular in-camera Art Filters apply to both still shots and video.

Exposure flexibility is available to more advanced photographers: Program AE (P), Aperture-Priority (A), Shutter-Priority (S) and full Manual (M) mode are all accessible directly on the Mode Dial. Advanced photographers will also appreciate available manual control over aperture and shutter speed while filming. The E-PL3 does not have a built-in pop-up flash but external flash FL-LM1 is included. This flash is compact, slides into the hotshoe. The E-PL3 also accepts a range of optional external flashes, with wireless flash control using the FL-36R and FL-50R speedlights. The use of off-camera flashes [as fill-in light] and synchronization in Super FP mode at a fast 1/125-1/4000 shutter speed allow the use of a large aperture in daylight [to obtain beautiful blurred backgrounds in portraits].

The E-PL3 includes a port for the detachable high resolution (1440k-dot) VF-2 live-finder which rotates up 90 degrees — useful when shooting subjects from challenging angles. The external accessory port also allows for connection with the SEMA-1 external microphone adapter for enhanced audio capture. For those into underwater photography, the new optional PT-EP05L underwater housing is waterproof to a depth of 45 meters (147 feet).

The Olympus PEN Lite E-PL3 is principally targeted to those wanting to learn photography without the encumbrance of a traditional DSLR. However, if you compare the differences between the E-PL3 and its bigger brother E-P3, you’ll notice that the main differences are not deal-breakers. In fact, I suspect that many advanced photographers will be tempted by its more compact form and its tiltable LCD. The E-PL3 comes in Black, Red, Silver and White (colors are country-dependent), and is priced at about US $700 (CAD $700) with the 14-42mm kit lens.

Read our Olympus E-PL3 Review…

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Olympus XZ-1

Xceptional picture quality. The Olympus XZ-1 is Olympus’ flagship prosumer compact category digital camera. It features 10MP resolution (on a 1/1.63-in. CCD sensor), Sensor-shift image stabilization and an iZuiko 4x (28-112mm equiv.) wide-angle optical zoom lens in an compact body. It is the first built-in Zuiko® lens on a compact digital camera.

The XZ-1 features a fixed lens (i.e. the lens is not interchangeable) with a maximum aperture of F1.8 at wide-angle and F2.5 at telephoto, which should help obtain defocused background. The built-in Neutral Density (ND) Filter should prove useful when you want to shoot using a slow shutter speed in the bright outdoors.

The XZ-1 has a 3.0-in. OLED display with a high 614K-dot resolution. There is no built-in viewfinder but you can attach an optional electronic viewfinder. There is a built-in pop-up flash and a hotshoe to use optional external flashes, including the Olympus FL-14, FL-300R and FL-36R.

The XZ-1 records HD 720p movies at 30 fps with stereo sound. Six in-camera Art Filters (Pop Art, Soft Focus, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama and Dramatic Tone) can be applied to both still shots and HD video.

For the experienced photographers, the XZ-1 offers PASM shooting modes. A manual control ring around the lens allows for quick changes to settings such as ISO, aperture and shutter speed, depending on the selected shooting mode.

Optional accessories include optional RM-UC1 Remote cable, SEMA-1 external microphone adapter, the VF-2 and VF-3 electronic viewfinders, the PT-050 underwater case (waterproof to a depth of 40 metres /130 feet) and the MAL-1 Macro Arm Light.

The Olympus XZ-1 captures high-quality still images and HD videos in a compact digital camera with a fast, super-bright Olympus iZuiko lens.

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QUICKFACT SHEET

Category: Point-and-Shoot

The Olympus Stylus 7010 is an ultra slim point-and-shoot digital camera featuring 12MP resolution (on a 1/2.33-in. CCD), 7x wide-angle optical zoom (28-196 mm equiv.), and a large 2.7-in. LCD (230K dots). Magic Filters allow more creative photography.

The new Magic Filters include:

• Pop Art – Enhance and saturate colours to create vivid, high-impact pictures that express the joyful, light-hearted feeling of the Pop Art style of the 1960s;
• Pin Hole – Reduce the peripheral brightness of an image as though it were shot through a pin hole, connecting the viewer intimately with the subject at the center; and
• Fish-Eye – Emulate the wide-angle of a fish-eye lens by taking extremely wide, hemispherical images and magnifying the center of the frame.

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