[IMG]http://simplefeed.consumerreports.org/rsrc/i/1/_/olympus_unveils_ep1_digital_slrlike_camera__741831 248/4.gif?f=3dcb3160-01dc-11dc-32a2-0019bbc55f7f&s=AewyNia7NTvDvhaDemju5DEsbnVsbCwwLDA *[/IMG] Olympus unveils E-P1 digital SLR-like camera

Olympus introduces its E-P1 digital camera, the latest in the mirco four-thirds type of cameras which offer the size and simplicity of point-and-shoot digital cameras, yet also feature interchangeable lenses?much like digital SLRs. Click to enlarge.
[ Photo: Olympus ]

Nine months ago, Panasonic created a lot of buzz in the photo industry by introducing the first micro four-thirds digital camera, the Lumix DMC-G1, $800. This camera combined key SLR features?a large image sensor and interchangeable lenses?with the smaller size and weight of a point-and-shoot. Today, Olympus is generating some buzz of its own with the introduction of its first interchangeable-lens point-and-shoot, the 12-megapixel E-P1.

In some ways, the E-P1 outdoes Panasonic (which offers both the G1 and the GH1, $1500, which includes HD video features) by offering a very compact and lightweight camera. According to the specs, it weighs just 11.8 oz., which is a bit lighter than the 14.9 oz. Lumix, half the weight of many models in our Ratings of digital SLRs,* and lighter than a number of choices in our point-and-shoot camera Ratings. (Ratings are available to subscribers only.) Its dimensions are also impressive, particularly since it's so thin. At 4.74"(W) x 2.75"(H) x 1.37"(D), the Olympus is more compact than the Lumix, which is 4.9"(W) x 3.3"(H) x 1.8"(D), and all other SLRs.

Yet, like the G1, the E-P1 has compromises of its own. There's no built-in viewfinder, which is one of the highlights of the Lumix micro four-thirds cameras. You can get a viewfinder accessory if you buy the E-P1 with the 17mm fixed lens, but it appears you have to slide it into the hot-shoe, which means you'll be unable to use an external flash. It also doesn't have Panasonic's swiveling LCD, although having one may have increased its thickness.

The Olympus E-P1 micro four-thirds camera is seen here with an optical viewfinder (mounted on the camera's hot-shoe, where an external flash would normally be used and a 17-mm lens. A 14-42mm lens is next to it. Click to enlarge. [ Photo: Olympus ]

One element that stands out is E-P1's design. Olympus decided to take a chance and bring back a motif it used in a film camera from the middle of the last century. Based on its Pen series of "half-frame" film cameras, Olympus seems to have produced a sleek and stylish camera that looks substantial and solid. I particularly like the leathery-looking handgrip.

In addition to size and design, the E-P1 is full of features, including HD video with stereo audio, body-based image stabilization, a dust-reduction system, and a few magnification modes, which allow you to, among other things, magnify the central part of your subject 5x by turning the focus ring.


At the time of this announcement, Olympus has only two lenses available for the E-P1: the 14-42mm zoom lens and the 17mm fixed lens. Yet, you should be able to buy any micro four-thirds lenses that are available from Panasonic, such as its 14-140mm, 7-14mm or 45-200mm lenses. In addition, you can buy a lens adapter for the E-P1 that will let you use a four-thirds SLR lens, from Olympus, Panasonic, Leica or third-brand camera companies, such as Sigma. However, my guess is that some of these full-size SLR lenses may dwarf the E-P1 and make it a bit unbalanced.

The E-P1 will ship in July and be available for $750 for the camera body only, $800 with a 14-42mm lens and $900 with the 17mm lens and optical viewfinder accessory. ?Terry Sullivan

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