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Olympus E-P2 official, patches over E-P1 problems and jacks up the price

by Paul Miller posted Nov 5th 2009 at 1:01AM

Functionality-wise there's not much to complain about the new Olympus E-P2, and in fact it pretty much exactly addresses all the primary issues with the E-P1. The main physical difference is an accessory port right behind and below the hot-shoe, which allows for plugging in the new VF-2 Electronic View Finder, or alternatively the EMA-1 audio input module. We would've preferred to have both simultaneously, but we'll take what we can get. In movie mode the camera now supports full manual shutter and aperture control, and the new Continuous Autofocus tracking system works both for stills and for video. The E-P2 has a new black paint job, but otherwise seems mostly unchanged, with just a few effects and a new "iEnhance" color adjustment mode rounding out the new features. Olympus will actually sell both of these micro four thirds cameras simultaneously, but here comes the real kicker: the E-P2 will retail in kit for for $1,099, a whopping $300 more than the E-P1 -- less than the comparable GH1, but still more than an entry-level DSLR. That cash gets you either an ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens or a 17mm f2.8 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens, and both versions come with an Electronic View Finder standard. Check out the full PR after the break.

Gallery: Olympus E-P2 official

Continue reading Olympus E-P2 official, patches over E-P1 problems and jacks up the price

Olympus E-P2 leaks out again, brings along lofty price tag

by Darren Murph posted Nov 4th 2009 at 4:31PM

We heard way back in August that an E-P2 could be on tap for a late 2009 release, and while it doesn't appear that the actual ship date will happen before next year, we'd be shocked if Olympus didn't come clean with its second Micro Four Thirds camera here soon. We've seen leak after leak after leak, and now we're staring at what appears to be a few press images of the not-yet-released camera. Reportedly, the 12.1 megapixel shooter will feature AF tracking, an electronic viewfinder, a black color option, 3fps shooting and a 720p movie mode. Nothing earth-shattering, but an appreciated update nonetheless. We're told that it'll be available across the pond in January for the mildly stunning price of £849 ($1,406), but at least that sum includes a 14-42mm lens. Or so they say.

Olympus E-P2 tap keeps leaking, new viewfinder now on show

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 30th 2009 at 10:11AM

Now this is how you build up anticipation for a new product. Start off with just the name accidentally popping up on one of your corporate websites in order to get our imaginations flowing, then leak a teeny tiny image of the optional viewfinder. There's actually a good bit of info here -- you can tell the new attachment (titled VF-2) seems to be vertically adjustable, something missing from the previous generation, but there's also the bogus news that it'll fit only the forthcoming E-P2. The silver lining to that knowledge, though, is that the body we can only partially see must be the as yet unannounced E-P1 successor, which means the new Micro Four Thirds shooter will at least have the option of a black body... which some people care about. Deeply.

Olympus E-P2 leaked in the most insignificant of ways

by Darren Murph posted Oct 29th 2009 at 3:04AM

Olympus' E-P1 micro four thirds camera only hit the market a few months ago, but already it seems as if a successor is inching closer to release. A peek at the outfit's official Chinese website shows a panel and link for a "new" E-P2 camera, though it seems as if the page it's listed on isn't quite complete. Still, we're guessing there's a reason of some sort it's listed, but we're still struggling to find the patience required to see this whole thing through.

[Via 4/3Rumors]

NTT DOCOMO's Touch Wood mockups make naughty puns easy

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 24th 2009 at 5:20AM

We're still not entirely sold on the intersection of gadgets and wood. Nevertheless, companies keep pumping out the concepts in response to our greener times. Here's NTT DOCOMO's effort using surplus wood leftover from Pacific culling operations. The Touch Wood prototype was developed in tandem with Sharp and Olympus and is based on the SH-04A slider. A Touch Wood mockup (pictured above) resembling a more feminine bean was also announced. In either case, the Touch Wood body is made of cypress without adding any artificial coloring or paint. And by using Olympus' 3D compression molding technique, they've manage to maintain the kind of durability, and resistance to water, insects, and mildew that you'd expect from, well, a tree. With any luck, these handsets will be on exhibit in October at the ITU Telecom World and CEATEC Japan shows... touch wood. SH-04A prototype pictured after the break.

[Thanks, Stop Spamming]

Continue reading NTT DOCOMO's Touch Wood mockups make naughty puns easy

Olympus E-P1 meets 50-200mm SWD lens monstrosity, hilarity ensues

by Paul Miller posted Sep 5th 2009 at 11:02AM

We've already seen plenty of the Olympus E-P1, but when we dropped by Olympus' booth today at IFA we just couldn't resist slapping on the biggest lens they had, courtesy of the micro four thirds to standard four thirds adapter, and shooting a bit of dramatic show floor footage. The verdict? It's totally impractical, especially because there's no autofocus during video with certain lenses, meaning we're stuck working the manual focus ring, D90-style. Still, we didn't expect anything different, and our short film entitled "People Wandering Around, Totally Out of Focus" really made the effort worth while. Oh, and for our money? The white model is about twice as sexy as the gray. Videos are after the break.

Gallery: Olympus E-P1 meets 50-200mm SWD lens monstrosity

Continue reading Olympus E-P1 meets 50-200mm SWD lens monstrosity, hilarity ensues

How would you change Olympus' E-P1?

by Darren Murph posted Sep 4th 2009 at 11:05PM

Just look at that little bugger. Ain't it just so cute? All jesting aside, the adorably retro piece of kit you're inevitably peering at above rings up at $799 to $899, meaning that it's priced way too high to be slotted in most consumers' impulse buy category. Olympus' E-P1 was launched with high hopes, and it pretty much held the weight of the Micro Four Thirds world on its shoulders. During our time with the unit, we found image quality to be satisfactory overall and the design to be simply stunning, but we certainly didn't come away feeling it was flawless. For those of you who overlooked the entry-level DSLR in order to try something different, how has that decision treated you? Are you full of remorse? Could you not be happier? Spill all in comments below.

Olympus grabs for entry-level DSLR dollars with $600 E-600

by Darren Murph posted Aug 31st 2009 at 9:21AM

We had some pretty overwhelming evidence that Olympus' entry-level E-600 was more than just some fancy Photoshop, and sure enough, the outfit has today made things official for us. Designed as a low-cost E-620, the 12.3-megapixel shooter drops only the backlit buttons, a trio of 'art filter' modes, aspect mask control and the two-shot multi exposure mode from an otherwise heralded device. If you can live without those, you'll find a delectable $599.99 price tag that includes a 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko zoom lens, a 2.7-inch swiveling Live View LCD, in-body image stabilization, a dust reduction system, sequential shooting at four frames per second and the ability to accept CF, UDMA and xD memory cards (sorry, SD lovers). It'll be available from respectable camera outlets this November -- just in time to satisfy that nagging need on the forthcoming holiday gift list.

[Via Electronista]

Gallery: Olympus grabs for entry-level DSLR dollars with E-600

Purported Olympus E-600 apparently spotted in the wild

by Donald Melanson posted Aug 26th 2009 at 2:28PM

This one is being greeted with a fair bit of skepticism on the forums given its seemingly odd placement in Olympus' lineup but, if the pictures are to be believed, it looks like the company could be set to release a new E-600 ~~Micro~~ classic Four Thirds camera -- and soon, considering it's already in a camera shop. As you can see above, however, the camera looks a fair bit like Olympus' existing entry-level E-620 DSLR, and there's unfortunately no specs to speak of, although the E-600 model name did apparently crop up in another rumor a few weeks back. Is it the real thing? Hit up the link below for a closer look to judge for yourself.

[Via 4/3 Rumors, thanks Enzo]

Magazine hints at Olympus E-P2 before year's end, Leica M9 for September

by Donald Melanson posted Aug 4th 2009 at 12:58PM

There's not exactly much in the way of specifics on either of these just yet, but the usually-reliable French magazine, Chasseur d'Image, has seemingly revealed in its latest issue that Olympus will be rolling out its E-P1 followup, the E-P2, before the end of the year, and that Leica will be releasing its M8 successor, the M9, as soon as September. The real kicker is that the E-P2 is said to be bringing with it an oft-desired viewfinder, while the M9 will reportedly be a full-frame camera, and presumably cost more than a small car. Of course, neither are anywhere close to being official, but it may not be the worst idea to stick with your current gear a little while longer to see how things shake out.

Read - Photo Rumors, "Chasseur d'Image magazine: Leica M9 in September"
Read - Leica rumors, "Olympus EP-2: released before the end of the year, with a viewfinder"

[Thanks, Tony]

Olympus announces new FE and mju range 12 megapixel shooters

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jul 22nd 2009 at 11:11AM

It looks like the camera fanatics at Olympus just don't know when to stop. Just as we're trying to figure out how to cadge an EP-1 for our own greedy amusements, the company is back with a handful of budget compacts, which may lack a bit of "the sexy" but are obviously a touch more affordable. Among new additions to the FE range you can count the FE-5020 (5x super wide optical zoom), FE-4000 (4x wide optical zoom), and FE-26 (3x optical zoom). Aside from the differences in lens size, these bad boys are all pretty much the same, hitting the ground with 12 megapixel CCDs, 2.7-inch displays, advanced face tracking, intelligent auto mode, and both xD-Picture Card and microSD compatibility. If that weren't enough, the FE-5020 and FE-4000 also include "Magic Filter" functionality (which some might call "tacky filters," if the fish eye lens and sepia tone effects aren't really your bag). While we're at it, we might as well mention the company's newest addition to the mju line: The mju 7010 sports a 7x optical zoom, but otherwise looks pretty much the same (12 megapixel, 2.7-inch display, advanced face tracking and intelligent auto mode, magic filters, etc). All the aforementioned devices are due to hit the streets this August. We don't have a price yet on the FE cameras, while the mju is said to retail for £249 (that's about $400).

Read - Olympus announces FE-5020, FE-4000, FE-46 and FE-26
Read - Olympus mju 7010

Olympus E-P1 review roundup

by Darren Murph posted Jul 17th 2009 at 9:03AM

Olympus did its darnedest to drum up hype for the recently unveiled E-P1 Micro Four Thirds shooter, and while we already shared our two pennies on the thing, we figured it prudent to round up the best of the best from elsewhere on the web to give you a fuller picture. The long and short of it is this: the E-P1 is universally praised in terms of image quality, with the only real knock in that department going to higher-than-likable noise levels in low-light scenarios. Still, a camera is about more than just the output, and reviewers were quick to lament the dearth of an integrated viewfinder and flash. Furthermore, critics panned the camera for being slow to focus, oftentimes requiring well over half a second to finally settle and snap a shot. That said, we couldn't find anyone who wasn't won over by the image quality, but we'd make darn sure those other nuisances won't frustrate you to no end before falling for the cute factor.

Read - PhotographyBLOG
Read - DigiCamReview
Read - photocrati
Read - PhotographyPress
Read - OutbackPhoto
Read - CNET
Read - Steves Digicams

Olympus Mju Tough-6010 seeks clumsy photographer to grow old with

by Vladislav Savov posted Jul 17th 2009 at 4:26AM

The latest addition to the Olympus Mju (Stylus in the US) family of ruggedized cameras is the Tough-6010, which claims to be waterproof up to (or is it down to) 3 m (10 ft), freezeproof to -10°C (14°F), and capable of withstanding drops from 1.5 m (5 ft). It retains the TAP Control Mode from its elder sibling, which lets users access various functions by tapping the camera's top and sides. If you're going to be snorkeling on Greenland's north coast, there is perhaps no other camera for you -- but if you care about actual camera specs, this is a 12-megapixel shooter, equipped with 3.6x optical zoom, 2.7-inch LCD, dual image stabilization, ISO sensitivity up to 1600, and storage handled by your choice of xd-Picture Card or MicroSD. Should you be leaving for Greenland soon, fret not, as the UK will be getting the 6010 this month for £299, with continental Europe and the US probably not too far behind.

Olympus E-P1 available to those willing to pay a little premium

by Tim Stevens posted Jul 14th 2009 at 7:13AM

If you've been lusting over the latest Micro Four Thirds entrant from Olympus just like we have since we first saw the E-P1, you'll be happy to know that it has finally entered that special time in its life when it's not available through mainstream retailers just yet, but it is available -- if you're willing to pay a bit more than Amazon's (still unshipped) pre-order asking price of $749. Kit prices of the body with the 14 - 42mm kit lens we tested are right now ranging between $799 (MSRP) and $899 (a Benjamin premium) at various Amazon affiliates, and while anyone willing to refrain from clicking the "Buy" button for a week or three will surely save quite a bit, waiting is such a bother.

[Thanks, Ron M.]

Engadget Podcast 153 - 07.03.2009: Independence Day edition

by Trent Wolbe posted Jul 3rd 2009 at 11:01AM

It's your holiday weekend America -- how are you going to spend it? We'll tell you how: by listening to Engadget Podcast 153 over, and over, and over. What better way to utilize your extra day off and barbecue-packed good times than by putting Josh, Paul, and Nilay on repeat for you (and your friends') enjoyment? Check out the 'cast this week as the boys explore the ups and downs of the Olympus E-P1, Dell's MID plans, and field a handful of questions from our handsome, intelligent, and just basically awesome listeners. You won't be disappointed.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: Virt - Katamari on the Rock

Hear the podcast