Olympus E-P1 Micro Four-Thirds camera

 

Review of Olympus E-P1

The Olympus PEN E-P1 Micro Four-Thirds camera is a beautiful piece of hardware and something photo geeks can’t help but want. After all, it has lots of history behind it, it’s one of the best looking digital cameras on on the market, and it packs much of the power of a DSLR into a size close that of to a point-and-shoot. But it’s not a DSLR and it’s too big to fit into a pocket, so as a result the E-P1 falls into a middle ground where might not be just right for anyone.

 

The PEN series has a long and storied history, so its return in 2009 was big news in the photo community. The use the Micro Four-Thirds standard meant that the camera would have a small body and could use lenses from Four-Thirds cameras but it also meant that the sensor size would be limited when compared to a standard DSLR. It also means that the camera can’t have a through-the-lens optical viewfinder, something that would no doubt be an issue with the photography fans who were most interested in this unique breed. But it does have a generously-sized LCD with live-view and with the E-P1 you get an interchangeable lens system on a camera that is under a pound.

Specifications:

• Megapixels: 12.3
• Mount: Micro Four-Thirds Mount
• Sensor: High speed Live MOS
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33 (4:3)
• Memory: SD/SDHC
• LCD: 3.0-inches
• ISO sensitivity: AUTO: ISO 200 – 6400 (customizable, Default 200-1600) / Manual ISO 100 – 6400, 1/3 or 1 EV steps, Movie ISO 160-1600
• File Formats: RAW (12-bit lossless compression), JPEG, RAW+JPEG
• Image size: RAW: 4032 x 3024, JPEG: 4032 x 3024 pixels – 640 x 480 pixels
• File Size: Raw: Approx. 13.9MB, JPEG (4032 x 3024 Fine): Approx. 5.7MB
• Sequential shooting speed: Approx. 3 frames/sec. in sequential shooting
• Video Format: AVI Motion JPEG(30fps)
• Video Modes: HD: 1280(H)x720(V) Aspect 16:9, SD: 640(H)x480(V) Aspect 4:3(VGA)
• Max. Recording Times: HD: 7min, SD: 14min
• Shoe: Hot shoe
• Dimensions: 120.6 mm (W) x 69.9mm (H) x 36.4 mm (D) (excluding protrusions)
• Weight: 335g (body only)
• Battery: About 300 shots