It's official, it is goin to be a digital Pen

digitalintrigue said:
20090606_b8dfe15594df34db46adzcYUyXIFqZT9.jpg
Click to expand...

Looking at this pic again it looks like that the little curves protruding lip on the left side beneath the EP-1 logo is hiding a control dial underneath - as Wiyum said.
Could be wrong though!
 
Last edited:
Possibly the only digital camera where I have gone, now I like that!

I probably still won't buy one as the darkroom and slides are it for me but I have to say I could be tempted at the right price. That's my style and size of camera.

I was at an election count yesterday and the size of some of the Nikon DSLRs with grips, zooms (f/2.8's certainly) and flashes was horrific, I sincerely mean that too, there is no way in god's earth I would use something like that. It looked easily like 4-5lbs of gear. I looked a bit silly with my teensy M2 and 50mm f/1.8!

But that Olympus, definitely nice. A compact camera with a big heart.

Olympus continues to make cameras that I *really* like (I had briefly flirted with the idea of the E-410 a year or more ago and 25mm pancake lens... Then I saw some Tri-X and that was that!)

Vicky
 
well the chinese rumours say it'll come in silver or white.

I'll give the translation a go...

Olympus Pen E-P1
Announcement in Mid-June
Available in July
Appearance would be similar to the concept
120x70x35mm 300g (approx)
Colour: Silver and White
Price: Body only, 90,000 Yen; Kit, 125,000 to 130,000 Yen

Lens,
17mm F2.8 pancake, price: 45,000-50,000 Yen
14-42mm F3.6-, price approx. 35,000 Yen

Memory: SD card
Resolution: 13M RAW JPEG RAW+JPEG
Video: 1280x720 7min, 640x480 14min
Liveview and in-body image stabilisation
3" LCD (I think that's what it meant)
11 point AF
ISO 6400—200
(Shutter speed?) 60-1/4000
 
Last edited:
Too bad there's no optical viewfinder. I have never had the hots for any Olympus gear but would have considered buying this one if it had an optical viewfinder, I wanna hold it to my eye!

EDIT: let's hope it at least has an EVF under the flash shoe, having to shoot this baby at arms length would defeat the whole Pen-style design!
 
Last edited:
CLE-RF said:
Too bad there's no optical viewfinder. I have never had the hots for any Olympus gear but would have considered buying this one if it had an optical viewfinder, I wanna hold it to my eye!

EDIT: let's hope it at least has an EVF under the flash shoe, having to shoot this baby at arms length would defeat the whole Pen-style design!
Click to expand...

Just put an accessory finder on the flash shoe, then you can hold it to your eye. Doesn't look like there is enough room for EVF in the back.
 
I like the looks of the camera, and indeed it does resemble some of the early Pens.

I'm in agreement with others that I wish it had an optical viewfinder, although I suppose you can simply slip one into the accessory shoe.

Nice work by Olympus, it seems.

Regarding pro outfits, a full-frame Nikon D3X weighs 43 ounces (1,220 grams) or nearly four pounds. That's just the body. Add two or three of their pro-level lenses, batteries and flash, and you're quickly talking about 12 to 15 pounds of gear.
 
it's kind of cute. But, without an optical finder, it's just another P&S. :( A small, discrete camera that you have to hold out in front of you at arms length is no longer discrete.
 
Well, just another interchangeable lens P&S. Oh wait...how many of those are there?

Shouldn't have sold my CV minifinder, it would pretty much match the 17 pancake...
 
You guys have to realize that you're not going to get an optical viewfinder on that style of body. Firstly it has no mirror and thats why it's able to use a big sensor and tiny interchangeable lenses in the tiny body. A "see through" optical VF would be hard to make because of the interchangeable lens thing. You'd have to electronically design it to be able to automatically frame for zooms both wide and long and do it instantaneously, and the technology for that both isn't in existence and if it was would push the price of the camera up to leica levels.
In the original pen, it had an optical mirror, this digital pen doesn't because it can't to fit in the electronics. Note how the hot shoe was placed directly about the lens mount? That's so that aux finders will slot into there and be fairly accurate with framing.

You don't have to hold a PS camera at arms length, you can gold it by your hip or at half or quarter of an arms length if you want. Or even you can use an AUX finder and hold it up to your eye.
 
I'm pretty psyched about it overall. I hope there's some more dials stuck on there and I'm concerned about the viewfinder, but it looks pretty good.
 
kywong said:
Announcement in Mid-June
Available in July
Appearance would be similar to the concept
120x70x35mm 300g (approx)
Colour: Silver and White
Price: Body only, 9m Yen; Kit, 12.5 to 13m Yen

Lens,
17mm F2.8 pancake, price: 4.5-5m Yen
14-42mm F3.6-, price approx. 3.5m Yen

Memory: SD card
Resolution: 13M RAW JPEG RAW+JPEG
Video: 1280x720 7min, 640x480 14min
Liveview and in-body image stabilisation
3" LCD (I think that's what it meant)
11 point AF
ISO 6400—200
(Shutter speed?) 60-1/4000
Click to expand...

Since Japanese currency above 9999 is based on 10.000, "9m Yen" means ¥90.000 for body only. Seems a realistic price, GRD and GRD II initially was around ¥70.000, Sigma DP-1 around ¥80.000 or more I think (although of course they have lenses). So with current exchange rate $900-$950 for body only.

Merry Christmas & now for the "I would buy this instantly if it cost less" posts ;)
 
Last edited:
Pickett Wilson said:
Gavin, I hear what you are saying. I just think these things are getting too small. Make it a little bigger and give me an optical finder.
Click to expand...

Well, there are the E-420 and E-520. I'm looking for something around the size a a Leica CL that has decent quality, so I'll check one of these out when they hit the stores. If I like it, who cares what the price is.
 
Pickett Wilson said:
Gavin, I hear what you are saying. I just think these things are getting too small. Make it a little bigger and give me an optical finder.
Click to expand...

E-620. Optical finder and bigger allround while still being one of the smallest DSLRs. m4/3rds is meant to be small - sort of the whole point :angel:
 
The E620 isn't micro 4/3, if you want a VF (not optical tho) and a bit bigger, the G1 has been here for 8 months now. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom