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Is this the Olympus E-P3?
There's only one way to make leaked blurrycam images appear even less legit: shoot 'em in black and white. That's exactly what we have here with the claimed leak of a new Olympus camera -- the E-P3, according to Photo Rumors -- in all its Micro Four Thirds glory. The camera appears to be a hybrid of both the E-P2 and E-PL2, including a P2-style button layout, but with a pop-up flash and sloping top plate reminiscent of the PL2. The new cam is also rumored to include a new 12 megapixel sensor, a max sensitivity of ISO 12,800, a high-res touchscreen, much-needed AF improvements, and an updated UI. Photo Rumors expects Olympus to announce the E-P3 on June 30th, along with an E-PL3 and E-PM1. That last model would be the first in the rumored Pen Mini series. We don't expect the E-PM1 to best the new Pentax Q's record-breaking small size, but with a significantly smaller sensor, the Q will be no match for any of Olympus's new Micro Four Thirds offerings. Update: Andrea wrote in to tell us that Mirrorless Rumors now has a much clearer publicity shot. Isn't it lovely?
Olympus E-PL2 Micro Four Thirds camera now shipping, Penpal still has us buzzing
Right on cue, Olympus' latest entrant into the world of Micro Four Thirds is now shipping. Just a month after receiving its official unveil at CES, the E-PL2 is finally taking over for the E-PL1. Aside from an ISO range topping out at 6,400, a 3-inch rear LCD, an SDXC slot, RAW image support and a newfangled accessory port, this guy's also fully compatible with the Penpal Bluetooth dongle. For those unaware, that enables photos to be shared and uploaded on the fly so long as your BT-enabled, 3G-ready smartphone is by your side, though it looks as if the camera itself has beat said accessory to market. The camera's yours for the taking at $599.99 (bundled with a ED m14-42mm f3.5/5.6 zoom lens) at the source links below. [Thanks, Tom]
Olympus E-PL2 camera leaked, Penpal Bluetooth dongle to share photos via smartphone
CES 2011 is just around the bend, and while LG's 72-inch monstrosity will undoubtedly see its fair share of attention, Olympus is hoping to shake things up in the camera realm. Or so we're led to believe. The shot above is purportedly the first leaked image of the outfit's forthcoming E-PL2, the Micro Four Thirds followup to the E-PL1. The real question here is this: did Olympus' engineers take your advice on how to change it? According to 43 Rumors, this guy will ship with a new 14-42mm f/3.5 - 5.6 kit lens, a 'direct movie' button, high-res 3-inch display, an ISO ceiling of 6400 and an intriguing Bluetooth module as an option. Cleverly dubbed Penpal, this is essentially the most sensible method of sending photos you snap on your camera to the web, be it on Facebook, Flickr or any other social network. If you've got the apparatus plugged into the hot shoe, you can sync it with your BT-enabled smartphone (Android or "Windows Mobile," we're told) and use its cellular connection to complete the upload. Definitely a more logical approach than shoving a 3G chip into a digicam, and undoubtedly a trend we expect to see take off in 2011. Regrettably, there's no pricing or release information to share, but all should be revealed in a matter of days.
