Olympus PEN E-P1

Olympus Pen E-P1
Type Micro Four Thirds, interchangeable lens camera
Sensor Four Thirds System 18.00 × 13.50 mm Live MOS
Maximum resolution 4032×3024 (12.3 megapixels)
Lens Micro Four Thirds System mount
Flash hot shoe allows for external flashes
Shutter 1/4,000 to 60 s, 30 minutes bulb
Exposure modes Program, shutter-priority, aperture-priority, manual
Metering modes ESP multi patterned, Center-weighted average (60%), Spot (2%)
Focus areas 11 area contrast detect auto-focus, selectable
Focus modes Single, continuous, manual
Continuous shooting 3 frame/s
Viewfinder live preview, optional optical viewfinder
Rear LCD monitor 3" 230,000 pixel TFT LCD on screen with live preview
Storage Secure Digital card
Battery Olympus BLS-1 Lithium-ion battery
Dimensions 121 × 70 × 36 mm (4.7" × 2.8" × 1.4")
Weight 335 g (11.8 ounces)
Footnotes [1][2]

The Olympus PEN E-P1 announced on 16 June 2009 is Olympus Corporation's first camera that adheres to the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system design standard. The first camera to use the Micro Four Thirds mount was the Panasonic's G-1 camera.

Contents

Features

The design of the camera is reminiscent of the Olympus PEN half frame film cameras and is marketed as the Olympus digital PEN. The model presented on 16 June 2009 was very similar to the Olympus PEN F. Initially, two lenses were available from Olympus, one 14–42 mm f/3.5–5.6 zoom and a 17 mm f/2.8 pancake prime lens. Remarkably, with the exception of the optical viewfinder, the E-P1 seemed to fit most of the features found on the Olympus E-620, a larger Four Thirds system DSLR, into the small, compact MFT form factor[3].

In addition to Micro Four Thirds lenses, Olympus offers adapters allowing the use of Four Thirds lenses, or OM Zuiko lenses originally manufactured for use on the classic OM series of film SLR cameras that Olympus was famed for years ago.

The E-P1 does not have a built-in optical or electronic viewfinder, but instead uses the large 3-inch (76 mm) inch color "HyperCrystal" LCD on the back of the camera. The fixed LCD panel with anti-reflective coating presents a 100% live preview of the image as seen by the sensor. Olympus did offer an optional accessory hotshoe mounted optical viewfinder, the VF-1, that provided for a 17 mm lens angle of view

The E-P1 uses autofocuses using contrast-detection[2]

Other features include 720P30 video recording[4] with the ability to process the video in camera with different effects.

In an interview, Mr Akira Watanabe, SLR Planning Department Manager for Olympus Imaging, said that for a number of reasons Micro Four Thirds was developed to meet the demands of those who wanted a DSLR but without the size problems that come with one.[5]

The 17 mm f/2.8 pancake lens or the 14–42 mm f/3.5–5.6 zoom lens are of the Micro Four Thirds lens mount which means they are smaller than Four Thirds lenses which require an adapter to fit the Micro Four Thirds body.

Several third-party manufacturers offer adapters for lenses of virtually all single-lens reflex and rangefinder systems, plus some cinema lenses.

See also

Micro Four Thirds Camera introduction roadmap

Item Model Sensor Electronic View Finder (EVF) Announced
1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.1 mp effective) EVF; 1.4x magnification; 1.44M dots 2008, October [6]
2 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 4:3; 3:2; 16:9 (multi-aspect); 14.0 mp (12.1 mp effect) EVF; 1.4x mag; 1.44M dots 2009, April [7]
3 Olympus PEN E-P1 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) optional hotshoe optical VF-1; 65 degree AOV 2009, July [8]
4 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.1 mp effect) opt hotshoe EVF LVF1; 1.04x mag; 202K dots 2009, September [9]
5 Olympus PEN E-P2 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) opt hotshoe EVF VF-2; 1.15x mag; 1.44M dots 2009, November [10]
6 Olympus PEN E-PL1 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) opt hotshoe EVF VF-2; 1.15x mag; 1.44M dots 2010, February [11]
7 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G10 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.1 mp effect) EVF; 1.04x magnification; 202K dots 2010, March [12]
8 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.1 mp effect) EVF; 1.4x mag; 1.44M dots 2010, March [13]
9 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 4:3; 3:2; 16:9 (multi-aspect); 18.3 mp (16.0 mp effect) EVF; 1.42x mag; 1.53M dots 2010, September [14]
10 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.1 mp effect) opt hotshoe EVF; 1.04x mag; 202K dots 2010, November [15]
11 Olympus PEN E-PL1s 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) opt hotshoe EVF VF-2; 1.15x mag; 1.44M dots 2010, November [16]
12 Olympus PEN E-PL2 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) opt hotshoe EVF VF-2; 1.15x mag; 1.44M dots 2011, January [17]
13 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 4:3 / 16.6 mp (15.8 mp effect) EVF; 1.4x mag; 1.44M dots 2011, May [18]
14 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.1 mp effect) N/A 2011, June [19]
15 Olympus PEN E-P3 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) opt hotshoe EVF VF-2; 1.15x mag; 1.44M dots 2011, June[20]
16 Olympus PEN E-PL3 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) opt hotshoe EVF VF-2; 1.15x mag; 1.44M dots 2011, June[21]
17 Olympus PEN E-PM1 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) opt hotshoe EVF VF-2; 1.15x mag; 1.44M dots 2011, June[22]
18 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 4:3 / 16.6 mp (16.0 mp effect) opt hotshoe EVF LVF2; 1.4x mag; 1.44M dots 2011, November[23]

References

  1. ^ "E-P1". Olympus. Hamburg: Olympus Europa Holding GmbH. 2009. http://www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/21693_pen-camera_e-p1_21723.htm. Retrieved 25 September 2009. 
  2. ^ a b Joinson, Simon (July 2009). "Olympus Pen E-P1 In-depth Review". Digital Photography Review. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympusep1/. Retrieved 25 September 2009. 
  3. ^ Olympus E-P2 Review: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review. Dpreview.com. Retrieved on 4 September 2011.
  4. ^ Olympus E-P1 Review: 15. Video: Digital Photography Review. Dpreview.com. Retrieved on 4 September 2011.
  5. ^ Grayson, Matt (18 June 2009). "Olympus E-P1 Digital Camera Review". ePHOTOzine. Shireoaks: Magazine Publishing Ltd. http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Olympus-EP1-11723. Retrieved 25 September 2009. 
  6. ^ http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prModelDetail?storeId=11301&catalogId=13251&itemId=292233
  7. ^ http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/popup/pressrelease/gh1.html#1
  8. ^ http://www.dpreview.com/news/0906/09061601olympusep1.asp
  9. ^ http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/popup/pressrelease/dmc_gf1.html#1
  10. ^ http://www.dpreview.com/news/0911/09110501olympusep2.asp
  11. ^ "Olympus unveils the affordable Pen". Digital Photography Review. 2010-02-03. http://www.dpreview.com/news/1002/10020305olypenepl1.asp. Retrieved 2010-02-03. 
  12. ^ http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/popup/pressrelease/g2g10.html#2
  13. ^ http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/popup/pressrelease/g2g10.html#1
  14. ^ http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/popup/pressrelease/gh2.html
  15. ^ http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/popup/pressrelease/gf2.html
  16. ^ http://olympus-imaging.jp/product/dslr/epl1s/index.html
  17. ^ http://www.dpreview.com/news/1101/11010622olympusepl2.asp
  18. ^ http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/popup/pressrelease/g3.html
  19. ^ http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/popup/pressrelease/gf3.html
  20. ^ http://www.olympus-global.com/en/news/2011a/nr110630ep3e.html
  21. ^ http://www.olympus-global.com/en/news/2011a/nr110630epl3e.html
  22. ^ http://www.olympus-global.com/en/news/2011a/nr110630epm1e.html
  23. ^ http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/gx1/index.html

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Olympus_E-P1 Olympus E-P1] at Wikimedia Commons
Preceded by
None – New Model
Olympus Micro Four Thirds System cameras
November 2008–present
Succeeded by
Olympus PEN E-P2

Reviews