Olympus E-P1 now available for pre-order

You might've noticed this already, but for those out there who share our lust for Olympus' E-P1 "digital Pen," but haven't done too much digging, consider this a public service announcement. The retro-chich micro four thirds camera is now available for pre-order from a handful of online retailers, with several different packages to choose from based with various body color (silver or white) and lens color (silver or black) combinations. Looks like it'll still cost you about $750 if you want body only, but really, at this point we don't know why you wouldn't pay an additional Ulysses S. Grant and grab a lens with it. Ready to smash that E-P1 piggy bank a bit early? You've got plenty of retailers willing to help you out there, but don't feel too pressured, there's still a little bit of time to decide before the July launch.

Read - Adorama
Read - Amazon
Read - B&H
Read - J&R

[Firebird @ Jun 21st 2009 11:01PM]

retro-chic*

Wish the kit with the 17mm lens was like, a hundred dollars cheaper. Also, I wonder how long it will be until they refresh the E-3, which is dwarfed in specs by the E-P1. Come on Olympus, your most portable camera shouldn't be out-shooting your flagship model.

[Dummy00001 @ Jun 22nd 2009 5:20AM]

> Wish the kit with the 17mm lens was like, a hundred dollars cheaper.

That's not the problem.

Not only it is expensive, it also has the same mediocre quality of 4:3 25mm PanCake lens. All shots from 17mm I have seen have the same CA as the latter. The shots are pretty useless without postprocessing, meaning that one can't simply shoot in JPEG with it.

[Future Man @ Jun 21st 2009 11:23PM]

does it take good photos? I'm not too familiar with the micro four thirds thingy.

[Sesu @ Jun 21st 2009 11:36PM]

Sorry, replied to the wrong response before. 17mm is more like a 35 mm because of the smaller sensor size.

[Future Man @ Jun 22nd 2009 1:13AM]

I know that, I guess what I'm asking is if people are happy with the image quality.

It's a smaller censor so low light shots will suffer.

[Yem @ Jun 22nd 2009 2:00AM]

Smaller than what? It's *slightly* smaller than APS-C, much smaller than 35mm and much much smaller than MF. The samples I've seen look really good. MUCH cleaner than the files from my 6mp APS-C dSLR.

[Plothole @ Jun 22nd 2009 2:12AM]

To put in some context the 4:3 sensor is about a quarter the size of a 135 full frame sensor. But well over five times LARGER than the one in the G10 or LX3 (which already have larger sensors than most compacts).

The only camera that can really compare in spec are the DP1 and DP2. Though Foveons aren't very good at high ISO.

[massmediadesign @ Jul 1st 2009 3:28AM]

Check out user name Digi_shot on Flickr to get a sniff of what a micro 4/3 is like. By the way it was taken with a Panasonic G1.

[[e-mail] @ Jun 21st 2009 11:29PM]

I actually played with one at work on saturday. I must admit it was a really great portable camera. The 17mm is apparently more like a 35. Non the less, its a really really really cool camera. Im going to buy one as soon as I can.

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Jun 21st 2009 11:30PM]

How quickly does it focus?

[Sesu @ Jun 21st 2009 11:35PM]

That has to do with the smaller sensor.

[Plothole @ Jun 21st 2009 11:54PM]

17mm is 17mm. It's just that different medium sizes will give you different a different field of view for a given focal length. 4:3 is basically a half the diagonal length of the old industry standard 135 film. So for the sake of convenience it can be considered a 34mm "equivalent". For something like the LX3 (which has a fairly large sensor compared to most modern compacts) around 7.2mm gives you a similar field of view.

[Steve @ Jun 21st 2009 11:36PM]

Must........resist.............I don't think I can....

[Sesu @ Jun 21st 2009 11:37PM]

1: Want black
2: Want reviews. Previews don't cut it.

(above order isn't actually that important)

[Ipoplikearobot @ Jun 21st 2009 11:42PM]

I was told the US wasn't getting black. I wasn't shocked by this since we never get cool colors on gadgets.

[James Lewis @ Jun 21st 2009 11:47PM]

Please hurry up and review this and tell me it's just a pretty face; that it is slow, terrible in low light, has edge problems, and kills kittens. Otherwise, I know I'm going to do something stupid.

[dtwhite @ Jun 22nd 2009 12:06AM]

I was really in to this camera until I read that it comes standard with no flash. I'm not flash obsessed, but it's nice to have some moderate fill flash for portraits and whatnot, and I'd rather not have to pay a bunch extra for a bulky peripheral to do that. Seems like a stupid design decision to make it slightly smaller and omit that.

[Plothole @ Jun 22nd 2009 12:13AM]

More than slightly smaller I suspect. Afterall a flash isn't just the bulb you see on the outside. There is also a much larger capacitor in the body. At least if you want a flash that's any decent. And it seems clear from the diagrams and cutaways that the E-P1 is already crowded inside.

[TC @ Jun 22nd 2009 4:39AM]

I'm glad they didn't include a flash; I've never used an on-camera flash and appreciate the nod to more serious photographers who have little or no use for such things.

[Tony @ Jun 22nd 2009 12:55PM]

no flash is probably a deal breaker for me. I don't want a big flash, just give me what I get from point and shoot, some fill, some compensation for indoor lighting ... I'll wait for the e-p1F

[Plothole @ Jun 22nd 2009 2:48PM]

@Tony

Considering that this camera should give you far better ISO performance than a compact, you probably won't need flash to compensate for indoor lighting as much. The desire for a fill light is understandable... but still any flash worth its salt is going to add bulk.

[spyker @ Jun 22nd 2009 12:16AM]

It's been available for pre-order since it was officially announced... and I've also had my Amazon order since that date. Just a tip, the 17mm kit comes with the viewfinder. Amazon doesn't mention it, but Olympus (I emailed to check) said it does on Amazon and any other store.

[chispito @ Jun 22nd 2009 2:42AM]

I don't even care if that viewfinder is good for anything, it looks awesome. Something about having something like that sticking off the top of your digital camera is really appealing to me.

[xValentine @ Jun 22nd 2009 12:59AM]

As interesting as this may seem, wait for the reviews to come out first guys.

It's worth the wait.

[Richard @ Jun 22nd 2009 1:46AM]

I'm disappointed by the design. I was really into the one that silver and leather looking MFT that's been on Engadget every once in a while but I guess that one was only a mockup?

[PhotoFre@k @ Jun 22nd 2009 2:40AM]

Yeah, it's kinda lame design since most of the digital photographer are in the present and not the past.

[RT @ Jun 22nd 2009 2:23AM]

Already have my preorder in for a silver zoom kit. Can't wait until I get it.

[keithwwalker @ Jun 22nd 2009 5:53AM]

I'm waiting for the electronic viewfinder version (which was intimated by Olympus already).
The videos I have seen are very good.
Much info and links at 43rumors.com

[tekdroid @ Jun 22nd 2009 9:22AM]

The big question to me is how much of a compromise the Micro Four Thirds lenses will be (I know it can take Four Thirds lenses, too, but they will be bigger) and the second question is how Olympus decide to fill their Micro Four Thirds range in the future.

Optical or really good electronic viewfinder would be great.

The E-P1 takes very good videos, but they are very large and will probably require a fast SD card to keep up with the data rate.

[T55555 @ Jun 22nd 2009 11:02AM]

Why no two lens kit for US ???

[Patriks7 @ Jun 22nd 2009 12:45PM]

Wait, so what's the focal length multiplier on these lenses? Is it 2x just like on other 4/3 cameras?

[keithwwalker @ Jun 22nd 2009 2:35PM]

"For example, a Four Thirds lens with a 300 mm focal length would cover about the same angle of view as a 600 mm focal length lens for the 35 mm film standard, and is correspondingly more compact. That is, the Four Thirds System is said to have a crop factor (focal length multiplier) of about 2."

source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Thirds_System

But, with the 4/3 the adapter, the offset is such that the focal length multiplier is 1:1 for the 4/3 lens; but not the other way around.

[Plothole @ Jun 22nd 2009 2:56PM]

@keithwwalker

A focal length will behave the same way regardless of whether it's a µ4:3, 4:3, or other adapted lens. That's because focal length is a physical measure that doesn't change regardless of the size of the medium. Crop factors are nothing but a convenient way to compare different film/sensor sizes.

[Plothole @ Jun 22nd 2009 2:57PM]

*or the use of an adapter.

[Plothole @ Jun 22nd 2009 3:05PM]

Oh, but suddenly I think I know what you're thought process was.... however that wouldn't work. The lens has to be mounted the appropriate distance from the sensor to focus properly. Thus the adapter acts as a spacer, pushing it out to the required 38mm flange of the 4:3 SLR mount.

[Fonsii @ Jun 26th 2009 12:51PM]

Played with the camera today at the PMA (Australian Imaging Tech show) The camera retains a lot of detail at iso 1600, and can operate pocket wizards (i just happened to have them in my bag, I even surprised the olympus staff, proving pockwiz work on the E-P1)

definately a camera i would take around for travelling or for everyday use. the quality is simply superb for what it is (at least on the lcd, i took a photo of another EP-1 on the stand and the finger print i accidentaly left chrome on the display unit was very detailed, and noise was very little also.)

downside is where they placed the shutter speed knob, they put the wheel above at least 4+ other options, and i kept accidenatally changing shutter frame rates and other options. Otherwise I would definately get one when it comes out.

[André @ Jul 7th 2009 10:48AM]

Definitely a great step forward, cleaner break from dysfunctional habitual compacts than Panasonic's G1 (which was specifically tailored to not shock that crowd). Kudos for Olympus !

It is too bad that they were not able to put in a really high performance low light sensor. As it is it's doing a decent job for low light jobs (I would hazard maybe 80% of what a Canon DSLR 20D can do, based on what I have seen so far). But, had they put in say something like the SuperCCD sensor of the 3 year old Fuji F30 (well, upsized to 4/3 with a few more megapixels, but not that much more, say from 6 to 10 or 12) this would have been a runaway success, a must for all professional shooters.

As I already have enough cams to cover most bases I am happy to wait for the E-P2 or maybe E-P3. Some of these upcoming features were hinted at in a recent interview given to French photogs by A. Watanabe, Olympus' point man on the digital Pen. Some salient details, Oly is definitely considering mostly an EVF (electronic viewfinder) although not closing the door on an optical viewfinder (yes, please!) - and the sound system of the P1 is based on their flagship LS10 digital PCM sound recorder.
A near complete translation of that Q&A is available there FYI:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nycandre/3695960422/