Olympus PEN E-PL1 DSLR Announced

Olympus has announced new Olympus PEN E-PL1, a new budget version of the Olympus PEN EP-1, and Olympus PEN EP-2 Micro Four Thirds cameras, with built in flash, it will be available in March, priced at $599/€599/£549 with 14-42mm (28-84mm Equivalent) kit lens, and will be available in numerous colours: black, blue, white, red, and silver / champagne (depending on location).

Other features: ISO 100 to ISO 3200, 720p HD Video recording (30fps), 12 megapixel sensor, SDHC card support (Class 6 recommended), anti-shake sensor, face detection, in camera panoramic mode, 2.7" screen, 6 art filters, multiple exposure, dust reduction sensor, HDMI out, P/A/S/M Manual controls, RAW, 3fps shooting, different aspect ratios: 4:3 (Default) ／ 3:2 ／ 16:9 ／ 1:1, 290 shot battery life, mono audio (stereo mic optional extra), more details below. The Olympus E-PL1 is available for pre-order from Amazon UK in: Silver, Black, White and Red for £659 with kit lens.

Two new lenses have also been announced: "the new super wide-angle zoom ED 9-18mm f4.0-5.6 lens (18-36mm equivalent) or the high-power wide to telephoto zoom ED 14-150mm f4.0-5.6 lens (28-300mm equivalent)." and Olympus have also announced underwater housing for the camera.

Olympus PEN E-PL1 Previews: DPReview, Engadget, DigitalCameraInfo, DigitalCameraReview, DCResource (Blue), Crunchgear (pics of the stereo mic), TheDigitalStory, Press Release below, Found at Pocket Lint, Crunchgear, Photorumors, 43rumors

POWERFULLY SIMPLE: INTRODUCING THE INCREDIBLE OLYMPUS PEN E-PL1 CAMERA - Simple Operation + High-Quality 12 Megapixel Images + HD Video + In-Camera Creativity + Interchangeable Lenses = Total Compact Multimedia Package

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., February 3, 2010 – The new Olympus PEN® E-PL1 is truly greater than the sum of its parts, with a surprisingly small camera body packed with technology normally found in bigger, bulkier and heavier professional Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras and High-Definition (HD) camcorders. This third-generation PEN is built for shutterbugs who always wanted better pictures and considered a DSLR, but were intimidated by the bulky size and complex interface. The new camera’s simple design and easy interface enable consumers to easily create amazing images never dreamt possible. It will make you wonder how Olympus managed to put all of these powerful features inside such a compact camera for only $599.99.

The E-PL1 equals an affordable and powerfully simple all-in-one package that travels with you to capture life in the high quality that your memories deserve. “Many of today’s consumers want a camera with the professional still image quality of a DSLR and HD video in a compact body that’s as easy to use as a point-and-shoot,” said John Knaur, senior marketing manager, Digital SLR, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “Thanks in part to an image sensor that’s approximately eight times larger in size than what’s inside the average point-and-shoot camera, the E-PL1 delivers outstanding high-quality images. Add the flexibility of high-quality interchangeable lenses, the convenience of a built-in pop-up flash, in-camera creative features and technology designed to produce images effortlessly, and the E-PL1 is the total consumer-friendly, multimedia package.”

EASILY PEN YOUR STORY WITH A BRAND NEW PEN - This third generation of the Olympus PEN series combines powerful features in an easy-to-use package that will make capturing your life more fun. The new direct record button makes taking videos easier than ever and the new Live Guide functionality makes it simple to learn photography techniques without requiring the skills of a pro shooter.

New Direct Button for HD Movies - Recording HD movies with the E-PL1 is simple, thanks to an easy-to-reach red “direct button” (red record button) on the back of the camera body. If you’re about to snap a photo and you realize a video would capture the spirit of the scene even better, simply press the record button and instantly you’re capturing videos! Easily toggle back and forth between capturing stills and videos by using your index finger to press the shutter button or your thumb to press the red record button. Having the ability to shoot still images and videos opens up a world of imaging possibilities.

New Live Guide Sets the Scene Before You Shoot - The E-PL1’s new Live Guide interface simplifies great photography and gets the results you desire at the touch of a button. Want more vivid or muted color in your shot? Want warmer or cooler color? Want a brighter or darker subject, or a sharper or softer background? Or maybe you want to capture the fast-moving action of your subject with a little artistic blur, or perhaps freeze the action? Simply select Live Guide and press the up and down arrows on the back of the camera to slide through numerous photographic effects. Make adjustments and watch the LCD as the effects are made live – before the image is captured! Don’t worry about learning technical things like f-stops, shutter speed and white balance; jump right in by composing, adjusting exposure and more before the shot is taken. Seeing the results before snapping the image ensures you are getting the shots you want, and it will change the way you photograph. Shooting Tips are also included with Live Guide, so you can leave the manual at home.

Automate Everything - Live Guide is just the start of automated technologies on the E-PL1 designed to free you up to focus on your subjects instead of focusing on your camera’s settings.

➢ 19 Scene-Select Modes: From portraits to sunset shots, the E-PL1 is equipped with 19 Scene-Select modes for effortless picture taking, including Fireworks, Sunset, Children, Macro and Panorama, to name a few. Capturing beautiful portraits is easy with the ePortrait Mode that enables you to smooth your subject’s complexion.

➢ Intelligent Auto (iAuto) Mode: When you don’t want to use the scene-select modes, the iAuto mode automatically identifies what you’re shooting and adjusts settings for you to capture the best result depending on the situation.

➢ Face Detection: Reduce the chance of blurred subjects in images by recognizing up to eight faces, tracking them within the image area, and automatically focusing and optimizing exposure for sharp portraits.

➢ In-Camera Panorama: Capture three images and stitch them together to create one amazing, seamless panoramic picture. Or use the included OLYMPUS [ib] software to stitch up to 10 images together for the ultimate panorama.

➢ iEnhance: With this mode the warm yellow and orange colors of a sunset are heightened to a dramatically lifelike color that’s truer to what you see with the naked eye. iEnhance can be used in any mode, and automatically engages when using iAuto to enrich color in any subject.

➢ Share: Just connect the camera to an HDTV with an optional HDMI cable and use your TV remote to control playback functions and navigate the camera’s menus from the comfort of your personal front-row seat. The E-PL1 records to SDHC (Class 6 recommended) media cards that can be plugged directly into many devices and accommodate large files, including videos.

New Powerfully Simple Pop-Up Flash - The E-PL1 is the first camera in the Olympus PEN series with a built-in pop-up flash that makes it easy to illuminate low-light subjects, reduce red-eye and fill in dark areas. The camera is also compatible with a range of optional external flashes, including the Olympus FL-36R and FL-50R, which can be controlled wirelessly by the E-PL1 so you can dynamically control lighting as your photography skills grow.

PRO-QUALITY IMAGES - How do professional photographers capture the stunning images you see in the pages of glossy magazines and coffee-table books? Talent matters, of course, but you also need the right equipment. Rest assured that the E-PL1 has everything you need to produce vibrant, professional-quality images: a large image sensor, in-body Image Stabilization, Imager Autofocus, the proven Olympus Dust Reduction System and the TruePic™ V Image Processor.

Big Sensor, Not a Big Body - At the heart of the E-PL1 is a large-size image sensor that’s the same sensor as the one inside the Olympue E-30 and E-620 DSLR models. The only difference between this sensor and what the pros use is that this big sensor is inside the much smaller body of the E-PL1. This high-performance 12.3-megapixel Live MOS image sensor (eight times larger than the average point-and-shoot camera sensor) delivers excellent dynamic range, accurate color fidelity, and a state-of-the-art amplifier circuit to reduce noise and capture fine image details in both highlight and shadow areas.

Stabilize All of Your Lenses - Instead of selling more expensive lenses that have image stabilization inside them, Olympus takes a different approach by having image stabilization built right into the body of the E-PL1. This means that any lens Micro Four Thirds™, Four Thirds and any third-party lens) attached to the E-PL1 will deliver blur-free images thanks to three modes of In-body Image Stabilization that automatically compensate for camera shake, including in low-light situations or when shooting without a tripod. Since the PEN cameras are the world’s smallest interchangeable-lens cameras with image stabilization built inside the body, you can take the E-PL1 with you and capture great images, and it won’t weigh you down.

Track Your Subjects Wherever They Roam - The E-PL1’s Continuous Autofocus (C-AF) Tracking and Autofocus (AF) Target Registration locks your subject into focus and constantly adjusts focus and brightness whether you or your subject is moving. With this mode, a simple push of the shutter release enables you to keep moving subjects in focus – tracking them from left to right and from front to back – within the frame, automatically ensuring that even active subjects, like kids playing sports, are captured clearly.

The E-PL1’s Imager Autofocus in Live View enables you to compose, focus and capture the shot quickly and easily without ever taking your eyes off the camera’s large, 2.7-inch full-color, high-contrast HyperCrystal LCD for an easy, seamless viewing experience when shooting still images or videos. The LCD also provides a wide viewing angle of 176 degrees, which ensures that images can be composed from even the most obscure angles.

This Camera Leaves Others in the Dust - If you’re just starting out with a camera that has interchangeable lenses, you don’t have to worry about dust spots on your sensor ruining the perfect image every time you change lenses. Spend more time shooting with the E-PL1 and less time worrying about dust with the proven Olympus Dust Reduction System that produces spot-free photos with the exclusive Supersonic Wave Filter™, a patented ultrasonic technology that vibrates to remove dust and other particles from the front of the image sensor, capturing them on a special adhesive membrane every time the camera is turned on.

True-to-Life Color - The E-PL1’s Live MOS image sensor is complemented by Olympus’ TruePic™ V Image Processor, which produces clear and colorful photos using all the pixel information for each image to provide the best digital images possible. The image processor is noted for accurate natural color, true-to-life flesh tones, brilliant blue skies and precise tonal expression; it also lowers image noise in photos shot at higher ISO settings (ISO 100 to ISO 3200), enabling great results in low-light situations.

EASILY EXPAND YOUR CREATIVE HORIZONS WITH BUILT-IN EFFECTS - Express yourself with in-camera creative features. Professional images are rarely unedited images. Video and still image pros use computer-editing software to render their images with effects that set their shots apart from the pack. Olympus appreciates that you may not have hours to spend retouching your images at the computer, so the E-PL1 incorporates editing effects inside the camera to save you time. Whether you apply in-camera creative effects while shooting an image, or apply them later to images captured without the effects, all are inside the E-PL1, so you can achieve dramatic results on the go without a computer or editing software.

The E-PL1 has six in-camera Art Filters, including a new filter called Gentle Sepia. This filter gives your images and videos a soft, warm sepia cast similar to historical images from the early days of photography. The sepia tones are softer and the blacks are a true black, unlike traditional sepia images. The new filter joins Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pin Hole, Grainy Film and Diorama (the filter that makes everything look as small as the E-PL1).

With the E-PL1’s Multiple Exposure function available for still image capture, you are free to tell a visual story your way. The image capture options enable you to shoot one shot, then another and combine them in real time, or capture both shots separately and combine them within the camera later. Take a shot of your significant other, and overlay your self-portrait on top to figure out what your kids will look like. If you have kids already, overlay your kid’s face on top of a shot of his or her favorite cartoon character for laughs. Your ability to manipulate space and time makes this new creative multimedia device a veritable time machine. You often can achieve greater photographic expression by framing a scene in a unique way. The E-PL1 provides four aspect ratios that serve as masks to frame your image to the desired proportions, including the standard 4:3 aspect ratio that is suited to an 8 x 10-inch enlargement; the 16:9 aspect ratio that will display beautifully on a widescreen television; and other popular aspect ratios, such as 3:2 and 6:6. The Multi-Aspect Shooting further expresses your creative vision when combined with in-camera Art Filters and Multiple Exposures.

With the E-PL1, you have your own living library of still images, HD video and audio to remix at your command. In playback mode, you can seamlessly mix stills and movies inside the camera to create a multimedia slideshow, and dub in one of three built-in dramatic background music options to provide a soundtrack for your cinematic creation. With so many creative options, there’s no limit to what you can create. Choose whether or not you want to play back just pictures, just movies or a combination; also control playing back the whole movie or just a clip.

OPEN SYSTEM EASILY GROWS WITH YOUR ABILITY - With a basic point-and-shoot camera, you get one lens built into the camera. One lens, that’s it. And it’s likely a small lens, which doesn’t allow a lot of light through to hit the image sensor. So, you may have a difficult time in low-light conditions. And without the option of adding more lenses, you’re limited to what that one point-and-shoot lens can do. The E-PL1 solves these issues by accepting a variety of lenses to maximize its functionality. Whether shooting still images or HD video, you can add everything from an extreme wide-angle fisheye lens to a super-telephoto lens for a wide range of expressive options.

The M. ZUIKO DIGITAL Micro Four Thirds lenses are designed to be more compact and portable like the E-PL1. Choose from the ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 zoom lens (28-84mm equivalent in 35mm cameras) sold with the E-PL1, the ED 17mm f2.8 lens (34mm equivalent), the new super wide-angle zoom ED 9-18mm f4.0-5.6 lens (18-36mm equivalent) or the high-power wide to telephoto zoom ED 14-150mm f4.0-5.6 lens (28-300mm equivalent).

If you want to have even more options, the MMF-2 Four Thirds System Lens Adapter makes the E-PL1 compatible with all Olympus ZUIKO Digital Specific™ lenses and other Four Thirds System lenses from Sigma, Panasonic and Leica. Olympus OM film-based lenses can be attached to the E-PL1 with the MF-2 OM Lens Adapter, and there are third-party adapters developed for lenses from most other manufacturers.

SOFTWARE AND ACCESSORY OPTIONS WHEN YOU’RE READY - The E-PL1 incorporates an accessory port for connecting the optional VF-2 live-finder, a detachable electronic viewfinder, or the new optional external microphone adapter set (which includes the EMA-1 adapter, the ME-51S stereo microphone and a cord) for those who want to capture enhanced audio with any microphone that has a 3.5mm plug. These optional accessories easily slide into the camera’s accessory port and hot shoe.

Consumers who wish to hold the E-PL1 up to their eye rather than use the LCD will appreciate that the optional VF-2, which provides 1.15x magnification and a 100 percent field of view with sharp resolution, brightness and contrast. The viewfinder refreshes quickly to minimize image ghosting on fast-moving subjects. It also rotates up to 90 degrees to enable photographers to look down into it, which is useful when shooting subjects from challenging angles. The built-in diopter adjustment and high magnification offer easy viewing with and without glasses.

The E-PL1 offers OLYMPUS [ib] software that includes photography workflow, browsing, editing and unique photo-organizing functions. You can organize your photos by person with automatic face-recognition technology, by location with a Geotagging function or by event. You can easily view photos on an HDTV or on the camera’s LCD with the Photo Surfing or Slideshow functions. The name [ib] stands for image bridging, image browsing and image brightening. The software will be available for Windows operating systems only.

Underwater Housing for Aquatic Adventures - The new camera’s compact design makes it the perfect companion for all of your dive trips. The PT-EP01 underwater case has been specially customized for the Olympus E-PL1 and is waterproof to a depth of 40 meters (approximately 130 feet). With its durable, high-quality polycarbonate construction, this Olympus housing protects the camera from water while also cushioning it from knocks and bumps on land. The housing enables viewing from either the camera’s LCD screen or an optional electronic viewfinder. The flash connectors allow optional use of up to two UFL-2 underwater flash units via fiber optic cable. A nonremovable front lens port accommodates multiple Micro Four Thirds lenses.

New Exterior Design, Same PEN DNA - The E-PL1 streamlines the Olympus Micro Four Thirds PEN series form and is available in three new body colors, including Black, Champagne Gold and Slate Blue. Thanks to its compact size (4.51″ W x 2.84″ H x 1.63″ D excluding protrusions) and light 10.4-ounce body, the E-PL1 won’t weigh you down when you’re on the go.

AVAILABILITY - The Olympus E-PL1 will be available in March 2010. It includes the E-PL1 Body, M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zoom, USB Cable, Video Cable, Li-Ion Battery Pack (BLS-1), Li-Ion Battery Charger (BCS-1), Shoulder Strap, OLYMPUS [ib] software CD-ROM, Manuals and Registration card. U.S. Pricing / Product Configurations: E-PL1 Body with M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zoom Lens. Estimated Street Price: $599.99

Olympus PEN E-P2 M43 DSLR Review

The Online Photographer has reviewed the new Olympus PEN E-P2 - an update to the E-P1 (12.3mp, 3" live view, anti-shake sensor, 4fps) - it features a new expansion port supporting a new electronic viewfinder (VF-2, 1.44m pixels), audio input option, new art filters (Diorama / miniature and Cross process), i-Enhance, improved AF with AF-tracking, and a new body colour (silver, white and black). Movie mode is also enhanced with adjustable shutter and aperture settings. The camera will be available with 14-42mm kit lens and viewfinder for £850 Dec 2009 / Jan 2010.

"One of the objections to E-P1 was the lack of a proper viewfinder. E-P2 certainly remedies that with its electronic viewfinder, the VF-2. Specification-wise, the viewfinder has the resolution of 1.44 MP, a refresh rate of 60 fps and a magnification of 1.15x. To the eye, the viewfinder is as good as the viewfinder on my E-3. While the E-3 might not have as big a viewfinder as full-frame offerings from other manufacturers, its viewfinder is nice and bright, and good for manual focusing. It's exactly the same with the VF-2: Nice, bright and good for manual focusing."

Olympus E-P2 Previews: FourThirdsUser, TheDigitalStory, DPReview, DCResource, Imaging Resource, CNET Asia, DigitalCameraReview, Sample Photos: Olympus

Panasonic Lumix GF1 M43 DSLR Review

Cameralabs has reviewed the new Panasonic Lumix GF1 Micro Four Thirds DSLR - the camera features a 12.1 megapixel live view sensor, HD 720p Video at 30fps, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 1:1 aspect ratio, AF assist lamp, ISO100 - 3200, 3fps shooting, 3.0" 3:2 aspect 460k pixel screen, dust reduction, and built in flash. Compared to the Olympus E-P1 - It lacks the in body image stablisation, and instead relies on optical IS in the lens. The camera is available in Black, Silver, Red and White, for £619 with kit lens, or £449 body only.

"The new Lumix GF1 departs from the mini-DSLR-styling of the earlier G1 and GH1, instead adopting a relatively compact form factor. Like the Olympus E-P1 before it, the GF1 therefore delivers the combination of large sensor, interchangeable lenses and portability which enthusiasts have been requesting for years. It may still be fairly chunky compared to a typical compact, but is considerably smaller and lighter than a DSLR, especially when fitted with a thin pancake prime lens, like Panasonic’s 20mm f1.7 model."

Read Panasonic Lumix GF1 Reviews: Digital Camera Info, Trusted Reviews, TOP Part I, TOP Part II, ByThom, DPExpert, DPExpert GF1 and E-P1, ePhotoZine, The Online Photographer, DPReview, DCResource, Luminous Landscape, HardwareZone, Which43.com, Previews: Davids Simple Photography Hands On, Pocket Lint, DPNow, Links: Read the full GF1 Press Release, Related: Why I love Micro FourThirds (TOP).

Olympus PEN E-P2 M43 DSLR Announced

Olympus has announced the new Olympus PEN E-P2 - an update to the E-P1 (12.3mp, 3" live view, anti-shake sensor, 4fps) - it features a new expansion port supporting a new electronic viewfinder (VF-2, 1.44m pixels), audio input option, new art filters (Diorama / miniature and Cross process), i-Enhance, improved AF with AF-tracking, and a new body colour (silver, white and black). Movie mode is also enhanced with adjustable shutter and aperture settings. The camera will be available with 14-42mm kit lens and viewfinder for £850 Dec 2009 / Jan 2010.

Two new lenses announced: Olympus has also announced two new Micro Four Thirds lenses: M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 super wide-angle zoom lens (14-36mm 35mm equivalent), and M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 high-power telephoto zoom lens (28-300mm 35mm equivalent), both should be available in the first half of 2010.

"With its high resolution, brightness, and contrast, the new VF-2 external electronic viewfinder will expand your vision and enrich your photography. You can check and adjust settings on the viewfinder display, preview Art Filter effects, and even take advantage of the screen to make manual focusing easier. Together with the new Art Filter effects and "i-ENHANCE" feature, the E-P2 gives you the power to create your own unique images."

Olympus E-P2 Previews: FourThirdsUser, TheDigitalStory, DPReview, DCResource, Imaging Resource, CNET Asia, DigitalCameraReview, Sample Photos: Olympus

Olympus PEN E-P1 M43 DSLR Review

Digital Photography School has reviewed the Olympus PEN E-P1 Micro Four Thirds camera - The E-P1 is one of the world's smallest digital camera with changeable lens, it features the same size sensor as other Olympus Digital SLRs (meaning much better image quality with all the low-noise benefits of a DSLR), but with a camera body and lens size much more in like with a compact point and shoot. It is available for £579 (body only) or with a 17mm lens (34mm equivalent, with viewfinder £699), and 14-42mm 3x zoom lens (28 - 84mm equivalent, £599). It's also available with both lenses for £849.

"Another feature that will please the ambitious operator is the PEN’s ability to superimpose multiple RAW pictures onto each other: additional images can be overlaid onto an earlier image and varied in exposure, white balance etc. The PEN’s face detection function can ‘read’ detects up to eight faces, optimising focus and exposure."

Read our Olympus PEN E-P1 Review
View our Olympus PEN E-P1 Sample Photo Gallery
Olympus PEN E-P1 Unboxed at Recently Reviewed

Read more Olympus PEN E-P1 Reviews: The Digital Story (via 1001nc.com), LawrenceRipsher, DPExpert, Olympus PEN E-P1 Reviews

Panasonic Lumix GF1 M43 DSLR Review

ByThom has reviewed the new Panasonic Lumix GF1 Micro Four Thirds DSLR - the camera features a 12.1 megapixel live view sensor, HD 720p Video at 30fps, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 1:1 aspect ratio, AF assist lamp, ISO100 - 3200, 3fps shooting, 3.0" 3:2 aspect 460k pixel screen, dust reduction, and built in flash. Compared to the Olympus E-P1 - It lacks the in body image stablisation, and instead relies on optical IS in the lens. The camera is available in Black, Silver, Red and White, for £699 with kit lens, or £449 body only.

"I was quite happy to see Panasonic develop the GF1. On paper it looked like a perfect bridge between the LX3 and the G1/G1h siblings. Moreover, my biggest issue with the Olympus was autofocus performance, and Panasonic seems to have figured out contrast autofocus better than the rest of the pack. Thus, My hope was that I'd just get a "fixed" E-P1. Unfortunately, that's not exactly what I got."

Read Panasonic Lumix GF1 Reviews: DPExpert, DPExpert GF1 and E-P1, ePhotoZine, The Online Photographer, DPReview, DCResource, Luminous Landscape, HardwareZone, Which43.com, Previews: Davids Simple Photography Hands On, Pocket Lint, DPNow, Links: Read the full GF1 Press Release, Related: Why I love Micro FourThirds (TOP).

Panasonic Lumix GF1 M43 DSLR Review

The Online Photographer has reviewed the new Panasonic Lumix GF1 Micro Four Thirds DSLR - the camera features a 12.1 megapixel live view sensor, HD 720p Video at 30fps, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 1:1 aspect ratio, AF assist lamp, ISO100 - 3200, 3fps shooting, 3.0" 3:2 aspect 460k pixel screen, dust reduction, and built in flash. Compared to the Olympus E-P1 - It lacks the in body image stablisation, and instead relies on optical IS in the lens. The camera is available in Black, Silver, Red and White, for £729 with kit lens, or £499 body only.

"The GF1 is "pocketable" the way the Canon G10 or Olympus E-P1 is—you have to have big pockets like maybe those in a sport jacket. Better yet, a purse works well—even if, for husbands, it isn't your own purse, but is usually nearby. The GF1 isn't much bigger (with the pancake lens) than the Canon G10, and is the smallest camera made with interchangeable lenses and a built in flash."

Read Panasonic Lumix GF1 Reviews: DPReview, DCResource, Luminous Landscape, HardwareZone, Which43.com, Previews: Davids Simple Photography Hands On, Pocket Lint, DPNow, Links: Read the full GF1 Press Release, Related: Why I love Micro FourThirds (TOP).

Panasonic Lumix GF1 M43 DSLR Review

DCResource have reviewed the new Panasonic Lumix GF1 Micro Four Thirds DSLR - the camera features a 12.1 megapixel live view sensor, HD 720p Video at 30fps, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 1:1 aspect ratio, AF assist lamp, ISO100 - 3200, 3fps shooting, 3.0" 3:2 aspect 460k pixel screen, dust reduction, and built in flash. Compared to the Olympus E-P1 - It lacks the in body image stablisation, and instead relies on optical IS in the lens. The camera is available in Black, Silver, Red and White, for £729 with kit lens, or £499 body only.

"Overall, I was really happy with the quality of the photos produced by the Lumix DMC-GF1. Exposure was generally accurate, and the camera kept highlight clipping to a minimum. Colors were pleasing, though I might crank up the saturation a notch just to give things a little more "punch"."

Read Panasonic Lumix GF1 Reviews: Luminous Landscape, HardwareZone, Which43.com, Previews: Davids Simple Photography Hands On, Pocket Lint, DPNow, Links: Read the full GF1 Press Release, Related: Why I love Micro FourThirds (TOP).

Panasonic Lumix GF1 M43 DSLR Review

Luminous Landscape have reviewed the new Panasonic Lumix GF1 Micro Four Thirds DSLR - the camera features a 12.1 megapixel live view sensor, HD 720p Video at 30fps, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 1:1 aspect ratio, AF assist lamp, ISO100 - 3200, 3fps shooting, 3.0" 3:2 aspect 460k pixel screen, dust reduction, and built in flash. Compared to the Olympus E-P1 - It lacks the in body image stablisation, and instead relies on optical IS in the lens. The camera is available in Black, Silver, Red and White, for £729 with kit lens, or £499 body only.

"No sooner had the Olympus EP-1 been introduced than Panasonic announced the GF1, a direct competitor, though it would be some months till it would actually become available. The GF1 trumps the EP-1 in several areas, including much superior autofocus, a much higher resolution rear LCD, superior menu interface, and the availability of an optional electronic viewfinder."

Read Panasonic Lumix GF1 Reviews: HardwareZone, Which43.com, Previews: Davids Simple Photography Hands On, Pocket Lint, DPNow, Links: Read the full GF1 Press Release, Related: Why I love Micro FourThirds (TOP).

Panasonic Lumix GF1 Micro 43rds Review

HardwareZone have reviewed the new Panasonic Lumix GF1 Micro Four Thirds DSLR - the camera features a 12.1 megapixel live view sensor, HD 720p Video at 30fps, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 1:1 aspect ratio, AF assist lamp, ISO100 - 3200, 3fps shooting, 3.0" 3:2 aspect 460k pixel screen, dust reduction, and built in flash. Compared to the Olympus E-P1 - It lacks the in body image stablisation, and instead relies on optical IS in the lens. The camera will be available in Black, Silver, Red and White, for $900 / £816 with lens, or £549 body only.

"The Panasonic Lumix GF1 is a joy of a camera to shoot with. It gave us better shots than we could hope for with any compact, at an acceptable trade-off between size and convenience. It's dead-easy to use, with Panasonic's intelligent iA (Intelligent Auto) mode for point and shoot situations, and full manual settings for finer control."

Read Panasonic Lumix GF1 Reviews, Previews: Davids Simple Photography Hands On, Pocket Lint, DPNow, Links: Read the full GF1 Press Release, Related: Why I love Micro FourThirds (TOP).

Olympus PEN E-P1 Review by Thom

ByThom have published their review of the new Olympus PEN E-P1 (perhaps the most reviewed camera ever?) - a DSLR that fits in your pocket - you can find out how it performed in our review, and our sample photo gallery.

The E-P1 is the world's smallest digital camera with changeable lens, it features the same size sensor as other Olympus Digital SLRs (meaning much better image quality with all the low-noise benefits of a DSLR), but with a camera body and lens size much more in like with a compact point and shoot. It is available for £549 (body only) or with a 17mm lens (34mm equivalent, with viewfinder £749), and 14-42mm 3x zoom lens (28 - 84mm equivalent, £656). It's also available with both lenses for £849 for the 14-42mm Black & 17mm Silver Pancake Lenses & VF-1 External Optical View Finder Kit with Silver body. The camera features dust reduction, a 12.3 megapixel live view sensor, 720p video recording (1280x720) with stereo sound and HDMI out, anti-shake sensor, 3" screen, 3fps shooting, SDHC support, and ISO100 - 6400.

Read our Olympus PEN E-P1 Review
View our Olympus PEN E-P1 Sample Photo Gallery
Olympus PEN E-P1 Unboxed at Recently Reviewed

Read more Olympus E-P1 Reviews: DPExpert (Thoughts), Photography Bay, DPInterface, DCI, DCResource, DPReview, Davids Simple Photography, SteveHuffPhotos, PhotoReview, Hardware Zone, The Online Photographer, The Digital Story (with 17mm), DigitalRev, PC World, Trusted Reviews, Photocrati, Photography BLOG, Kennysia, T3, Steves-Digicams, Engadget.com, links continued below.

More Olympus PEN E-P1 Links:
Information: Serious Compacts London Launch, Olympus Press Release, Olympus Product Page, Hamburg Press Release (DPNow),

Previews: BandH, JessopsTV, DPReview, LetsGoDigital, DCResource, Four Thirds Photo, Imaging Resource, MacWorld, Digital Camera HQ, Edmond Terakopian, TOP,

Sample Photos: Photography BLOG,

Sample Videos: Youtube, DPReview

Panasonic Lumix GF1 Micro DSLR Announced

Panasonic has announced the new Panasonic Lumix GF1 Micro Four Thirds DSLR - the camera features a 12.1 megapixel live view sensor, HD 720p Video at 30fps, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 1:1 aspect ratio, AF assist lamp, ISO100 - 3200, 3fps shooting, 3.0" 3:2 aspect 460k pixel screen, dust reduction, and built in flash. Compared to the Olympus E-P1 - It lacks the in body image stablisation, and instead relies on optical IS in the lens. The camera will be available in Black, Silver, Red and White, for $900 / £816 with lens, or £549 body only.

Panasonic have also announced two new lenses: a new LUMIX G 20 mm / F1.7 ASPH. Lens and LEICA DG MACRO-ELMARIT 45 mm / F2.8 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. Lens. The camera will also be available with an electronic viewfinder.

"Panasonic today announced the newest addition to its LUMIX G Micro System line-up of advanced digital interchangeable lens system cameras based on the Micro Four Thirds system standard. The new LUMIX DMC-GF1 debuts as the world’s smallest and lightest system camera with built-in flash*. The DMC-GF1 features an elegant, compact flat body and combines great performance with ultimate operating and shooting ease. Furthermore, it effectively optimizes the advantages of a system camera to assure outstanding image quality. The new camera is capable of recording vivid still shots, as well as smooth, beautiful motion pictures. It also features the advanced AVCHD Lite movie for recording extended HD movies, networking with other AV devices and recording in the Motion JPEG format for greater compatibility with PCs."

Continue reading the full Press Release.

More Panasonic Lumix GF1 Links: Photography BLOG Preview, Sample Photos, DPReview Preview, DCResource Preview.

The DMC-GF1 comes with unique functions that include exposure meter and shutter speed preview through the live view. A number of accessories, including the Live View Finder that provides full-time live view, makes photography a lot more fun, while expanding the user's artistic capabilities. The camera comes in three attractive body colors: true black, active red, and sleek silver. Experienced photographers will find the GF1 an ideal everyday camera, while those new to system cameras will see that it gives them the potential to explore realms of photography far beyond the limits of compact cameras.

The DMC-GF1 does not contain the pentaprism found on other standard interchangeable lens cameras. This mirror-less structure allows for an extremely thin neo-classic body design and significantly reduces the size of the G1 by 35% and its weight by 26%. Despite its size, the GF1 comes equipped with a built-in flash and boasts a large, 3.0-inch Intelligent LCD with a wide viewing angle and full 460,000-dot resolution. The Intelligent LCD offers extremely fine, automatic backlight control in combination with high resolution for outstanding viewing in sunny outdoor or dim indoor situations.

Panasonic has succeeded in raising the level of image quality for all LUMIX G Micro System cameras to rival or even surpass that of D-SLR cameras. The 4/3-type 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor in the GF1 offers the best of both worlds - the superior image quality of a CCD sensor, and the lower power consumption of a CMOS sensor. It can deliver up to 60 frames-per-second Full-time Live View images, while reproducing images with fine detail and rich gradation. The sophisticated LSI (Venus Engine HD) separates chromatic noise from luminance noise and applies noise reduction to each, so users can capture beautiful images, even when shooting at high ISO sensitivity levels.

The DMC-GF1 also features My Colour mode with a total of seven preset effects – Expressive, Retro, Pure, Elegant, Monochrome, Dynamic Art, and Silhouette while inheriting the previous Custom mode that lets users manually set the colour, brightness and saturation levels. With the Live View function, users can see how these settings will affect the photo even before they shoot.

The DMC-GF1 can record 1280 x 720 high-definition motion picture in AVCHD Lite that features long recording time and high compatibility with audio-visual equipment. The action starts at a press of a button while most of the settings for photo recording are managed. Movie recording formats include HD Motion JPEG in 1280 x 720, QVGA, VGA and WVGA. Beginners can record excellent movies, because the popular iA (Intelligent Auto) is also available for motion image recording. Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.) helps prevent handshake when using high-powered zoom, while Face Detection automatically detects a face in the frame and adjusts focus, exposure, contrast, and skin complexion so it always turns out beautifully. Intelligent Exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure setting as conditions change. Finally, Intelligent Scene Selector automatically switches between Normal, Portrait, Macro, Scenery, and Low Light modes according to the situation to optimize visual quality.

The contrast AF system in the DMC-GF1 features the industry’s high-speed (approx. 0.3 sec with a Lumix G standard zoom lens H-FS014045.) Users can choose from multiple-area AF with up to 23 focus areas, 1-area AF with a selectable focus area, Face Detection, and AF Tracking. The DMC-GF1 also has a Quick AF function that begins focusing as soon as the user aims the camera to enable quicker focusing. Continuous AF keeps the subject in focus at all times.

The DMC-GF1 has advanced functions that will satisfy experienced photographers and yet is easy for beginners to use, thanks to its improved iA mode. With Face Recognition*, up to six faces can be registered, and up to three can be simultaneously recognized to show their names once registered. When the familiar face appears in the frame again, the camera displays the name of that person and prioritizes focus and exposure so that the face is bright and in sharp focus. In addition to these advanced functions, the iA mode includes fundamental functions users need in a good digital still camera, including MEGA O.I.S., which helps prevent blurring from hand-shake, and Intelligent ISO Control, which reduces motion blur by adjusting the ISO sensitivity if the subject moves as the shot is taken. Intelligent Exposure optimizes the exposure for each part of an image to prevent blocked shadows and blown highlights and ensure that gradation and details are reproduced beautifully. It now features an automatic backlight compensation function that activates whenever the camera detects that the subject is in backlight. Intelligent Scene Selector automatically detects the four most common shooting situations - Portrait, Scenery, Close-up and Low-light - and switches to the appropriate Scene mode. The user can activate all of these functions simply by selecting iA mode.

Olympus E-P1 Available for Pre-Order UK

The new Olympus E-P1 is now available for pre-order from Amazon UK - priced at £699 (including VAT and free postage) for the 14-42mm Silver Lens Kit, Silver body, and £749 (including VAT and free postage) for the 17mm Silver Pancake Lens & VF-1 External Optical View Finder Kit, with Silver body. Update: It's also available with both lenses for £849 (including VAT and free postage) for the 14-42mm Black & 17mm Silver Pancake Lenses & VF-1 External Optical View Finder Kit with Silver body.

Olympus EVOLT E-P1 M43 Camera Announced

Update: Olympus have officially announced the new Olympus E-P1 a new micro four thirds Digital camera, it's the world's smallest digital camera with changeable lens, it features the same size sensor as other Olympus Digital SLRs (meaning much better image quality with all the low-noise benefits of a DSLR), but with a camera body and lens size much more in like with a compact point and shoot such as the Canon G10! It will be available with a compact 17mm lens (34mm equivalent, UK Price with viewfinder £749), and 14-42mm 3x zoom lens (28 - 84mm equivalent, UK Price £699). More pics at Engadget. The camera will feature dust reduction, a 12.3 megapixel live view sensor, 720p video recording (1280x720) with stereo sound and HDMI out, anti-shake sensor, 3" screen, 3fps, takes SD cards (finally!), and ISO100 - 6400.

"With the release of the E-P1, the digital era’s next generation Olympus Pen has arrived: mirrors are no longer a necessary component for digital cameras with interchangeable lenses. The first groundbreaking Olympus Micro Four Thirds model impresses with its incredibly small size, retro style, and ease of use – without giving up any of the benefits of D-SLR quality. This new ultra-compact hybrid device can even record HD quality movies with depth of field and Art Filter effects familiar from still photography. Naturally, the E-P1 packs all the advantages of Olympus imaging technology e.g. image stabilisation, a dust reduction system, and bright interchangeable lenses. It will be available for purchase in July 2009 at a retail price of €800."

Read more Olympus E-P1 Information, Previews: Olympus Press Release, Olympus Product Page, Hamburg Press Release (DPNow), Previews: DPReview, LetsGoDigital, DCResource, Four Thirds Photo, Imaging Resource, MacWorld, Digital Camera HQ, Sample Photos: Photography BLOG, Sample Videos: DPReview

Olympus Micro Four Thirds Camera Prototype

Olympus have announced development of a new compact micro four thirds camera - which will be on display at Photokina - we should have photos tomorrow - but in the meantime you can view the prototype at DPReview.

"Olympus has commenced development on an interchangeable lens type digital camera based on the “Micro Four Thirds System”. The forthcoming camera will bring dramatic reductions in size and weight to the Olympus E-System, and will comply with the new Micro Four Thirds System standard which was jointly announced with Matsushita Industrial Co. Ltd. (Panasonic), on 5 August 2008. A concept model of the new camera will be exhibited at photokina 2008, the world’s largest trade fair for the photographic and imaging industries held in Cologne, Germany, running from 23 to 28 September."

Click for more pictures.

Panasonic Lumix G Micro DSLR with HD Video

LetsGoDigital, DPNow and Photography BLOG have pictures of Panasonic's new prototype micro four thirds Digital SLR with High Definition Video recording - the mock up shows stereo microphone, record button, 10x optical zoom lens with optical image stabilisation, and a large swivel screen.

"The prototype referred to as Panasonic LUMIX G, seems quite similar to the new Panasonic LUMIX G1 however, at first sight a number of striking features stand out. On top of the body a (stereo) microphone is positioned and on the back, top right side, a red button especially for HD movie capture is placed."