Olympus Announces the New PEN E-PL5 and E-PM2 Micro Four Thirds Cameras
Two New Olympus PEN Cameras Put More Power in the Your Hands with the World's Fastest Touch AF Shutter
Compact Portable Bodies Deliver Amazing Image Quality with OM-D E-M5™ Sensor, In-Camera Creativity Expands with New Art Filters
CENTER VALLEY, Pa., September 17, 2012 – Today,
Olympus announces two new PEN compact system cameras, the latest in its
award-winning line of Micro Four Thirds® products, designed to help both
advanced and emerging photographers take their creative power to a
whole new level. The Olympus PEN E-PL5 and PEN E-PM2 deliver amazing
image quality by packing superior image technology, blazing fast
processing speed and total creative control in classic bodies that
combine the portability and ease of use of a point-and-shoot without the
complexity of a DSLR.
In addition to advanced shared technologies outlined below, each new model offers unique features of its own:
- Olympus PEN E-PL5: This powerful performer boasts
significant improvements in functionality and ease of use. It features
an all-metal body in silver, black or white and is portable enough to
travel across the world without sacrificing DSLR image quality and the
control that experienced photographers expect. Inherited from its
predecessor, the E-PL5 has a swiveling monitor with a greatly expanded
swivel range of approximately 170° up and about 65° down, making it
easier to shoot pictures from low or high angles, and offers the ability
to flip the monitor up for self-portrait shooting.
- Olympus PEN E-PM2: The ultra-compact, simple and
stylish, smallest and lightest Olympus PEN is designed for people who
want to try an interchangeable lens camera for the first time. Available
in silver, black, white and red, the E-PM2 offers an intuitive vertical
touch navigation menu displayed by pressing the MENU button to provide a
fast and easy way to switch modes with fewer steps.
Superior Image Quality and Low Light Performance
Both
new Olympus PEN cameras share the same 16.1-megapixel High-Speed Live
MOS Sensor and new TruePic VI image processing engine as the
award-winning, flagship Micro Four Thirds system camera, Olympus OM-D
E-M5. Armed with this technology, the new PENs are outstanding low-light
performers with a maximum ISO of 25,600 and a dynamic range that has
also been increased, enabling finer expression of gradations between
dark and bright areas with a wider range of intensity. An AF Illuminator
and accessory FL-LM1 flash, included with both cameras, adds to their
low-light performance. Photos and HD videos will be crisp and clear
thanks to three modes of in-body image stabilization and the
award-winning Olympus Dust Reduction System.
Blazing Speed
Tapping in on the chosen subject
within the frame of the cameras’ LCD monitor instantly focuses the
subject and automatically triggers the shutter for instantaneous
in-focus image capture thanks to the Touch AF Shutter function. The
combination of the speedy response of the touchscreen panel and the FAST
(Frequency Acceleration Sensor Technology) AF system, the same
technology that made the Olympus OM-D the world's fastest autofocusing
camera, gives users the power to capture precisely the image they want
at precisely the moment they want it. With instantaneous focusing, the
camera won't shake the moment the shutter is released, assuring maximum
clarity and stability, even when shooting moving subjects. Maximum frame
rates have also increased more than 2X with a maximum frame rate of 8
fps in Single AF mode.
Ease of Use
Both new models have a 3-inch,
460,000-dot high-definition LCD screen and an Anti-Finger Print coating
to reduce smudges. The display offers a wide 176-degree angle of view
and is bright enough to compose images even in harsh midday light.
Capturing the shot you want is easy with the E-PL5 swivel LCD that
rotates up 170 degrees for simple self-portrait shooting. The intuitive
and practical touchscreen makes navigating the camera’s menus and
graphical user interface effortless. Going through a day’s photos is as
easy as scrolling through the images and enlarging photos with the tap
of a finger. Change the feel of each camera to suit your preferences
with a detachable grip included with the Olympus E-PL5, and the Olympus
E-PM2 grip is built-in. A convenient button on top of the E-PM2 calls up
the Live Guide function instantly from any shooting mode for intuitive
assistance whenever needed. My Sets on the E-PL5 Mode Dial allow further
customization to suit the user’s shooting preferences.
Creative Control
The Olympus E-PL5 and the
Olympus E-PM2 bring a new level of freedom to the creative shooting
experience. A new Water Color effect joins 11 available in-camera Art
Filters (Diorama, Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Light Color, Light
Tone, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Cross Process, Gentle Sepia, Key Line and
Dramatic Tone) and adds to other brilliant, easy-to-use functions,
including Variations and the new Monochrome effect. In-camera RAW data
editing selects various settings for RAW data editing and previews the
images before applying changes. The customizable Self Timer programs the
shutter release to go off at select intervals to ensure the perfect
shot. A small single AF target can be selected for pinpoint focusing
beyond the existing 35-point area selection. Users can get creative
while shooting in 1080i Full HD Movie with fade effect, so you can
transition from art filter to art filter without stopping the movie.
While shooting a movie, the Movie Teleconverter function magnifies up to
4x without image deterioration.
Sharing in a Flash
Using the OLYMPUS Image Share
application, which is compatible with both iPhone® and Android®
smartphones and the Toshiba FlashAir® SDHC memory card, it's easier than
ever to upload pictures to your favorite social network. Both PENs can
set up the FlashAir using the built-in smartphone connection capability
for an effortless Wi-Fi connection between PEN and your smartphone. The
OLYMPUS Image Share application makes it easy to upload images to a
smartphone by selecting them from thumbnails, apply Art Filters on the
smartphone and share. Images can also be enjoyed by friends and family
by issuing a one-time password to connect several smartphones
simultaneously to the cameras.
Is It a Body Cap or a Lens? It’s Both.
Olympus
also introduces an intriguing new lens for its Micro Four Thirds line.
The BCL-15 f8.0 Body Cap Lens serves as a body cap when carrying the
camera around without its interchangeable lens, and transforms to become
a pan-focus snapshot lens to capture images. The lens is so thin – just
9mm thick – that it can easily be mistaken for a camera-mount body cap.
With three glass lens elements in three groups, it can be used as a
wide-angle lens equivalent with a single focal length of 30mm (35mm
camera equivalent). In addition to daily use as a “pan-focus” lens
featuring a wide angle, fixed f8 aperture and shallow depth of field, it
is compatible with manual focusing using a lever and capable of
close-up shooting as close as 30 cm. A lens-protection barrier is
provided so the lens can be mounted permanently on the camera and even
put in a pocket together with the camera.
Coordinated Accessories to Enhance and Protect Your Camera
New Olympus PEN accessories provide sturdy protection for users to enjoy convenience, comfort and style wherever they go. The
CS-38B is a genuine leather body jacket designed exclusively for the
PEN that protects the camera body without detracting from its design.
The body jacket's genuine leather and rugged construction combines
casual with contemporary styling and is available in four colors.
The accessory MCG-3PR Camera Grip for the E-PL5 is available in three
patterns – Dot, Hounds tooth Check, and Stripe – and makes it easy to
accessorize with style. A matching LC-37PR Lens Cap, compatible with
both new cameras, is available in the same three patterns and allows the
E-PL5 user to have a color-coordinated combination.
The CBG-8 is a versatile camera bag that can be hung across the
shoulder, carried by hand or used as a bag-in-bag. It has a detachable
inner , which is partitioned to enable storage of other items in
addition to the camera and lenses, such as a smartphone, while the outer
pocket is large enough to accommodate a tablet PC or A4-size file
folders.
U.S. Pricing, Availability and Product Configurations
The
Olympus PEN E-PL5 and the Olympus PEN E-PM2 will be available in
October and ship with the Body, Flash FL-LM1, Li-ion battery BLS-5,
Li-ion battery charger BCS-5, USB cable, AV cable, Shoulder strap,
OLYMPUS Viewer 2 (CD-ROM), Instruction manual and Warranty card. The PEN
E-PL5 will also ship with the MCG-4(Changeable Grip).
U.S. Pricing / Product Configurations
Olympus PEN E-PL5 Body Only Estimated Street Price: $649.99
Olympus PEN E-PL5 Body with MSC M.ZUIKO® DIGITAL ED m14-42mm II R f3.5/5.6 Zoom Lens
Estimated Street Price: $699.99
Olympus
PEN E-PL5 (Available in silver, black and white). A complete list of
specifications can be found at the Olympus website: http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1628&page=specs
Olympus PEN E-PM2 Body Only Estimated Street Price: $549.99
Olympus PEN E-PM2 Body with MSC M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED m14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Prime Zoom Lens
Estimated Street Price: $599.99
Olympus
PEN E-PM2 (Available in silver, black, white and red). A complete list
of specifications can be found at the Olympus website: http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1629&page=specs
