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Olympus PEN E-P1 Camera Review – Digital SLR Quality Micro Camera

Olympus PEN E-P1 is the first Micro Four Thirds camera by Olympus complementing the past reputation of the manufacturer with its style and innovation. Fondly titled as the ‘Digital Pen’ in some of the countries, Olympus PEN E-P1 is small and compact like its ancestor Pen models; E-450 and E-620. With its bold features and ultra cool design, E-P1 is creating havoc in the DSLR market.

Design and Built

The PEN E-P1’s most commendable feature is its frame work and design. Supporting a stainless steel body, the camera may be weighty but this gives it a strong and sturdy feel. And at 335g, it is still lighter than its peers. Measuring 120.5×70.0×35.0mm in dimensions, E-P1 is easy to carry and hold.

The classy exterior matches the excellent positioning of the controls and buttons. A few buttons on the back panel, the four- way directional pad with a surrounding rotating scroll wheel (which gets annoying to scroll some times), barrel shaped control on the upper right hand side of the back panel for digital zoom and image cropping and a tightly gripped mode dial are some of the features providing ease of use. Towards the right hand side on the camera front is the faux-Bakelite grip which not only gives the camera a stylish look but also provides a nice resting place to the user while shooting.

Micro Four Thirds System

Making life easier for point and shoot camera users, Olympus announced its Micro Four Thirds last year. This system consists of the same 18x 13.5mm Sensor as conventional SLRs, however does not rely on the mirror and prism system so as to direct an image towards the camera’s optical view finder. This results in an internally less complicated and lighter device and also offers an over all reduced size. The camera is so small that it can easily fit into your pocket or bag. Despite its small size, the Olympus PEN E-P1 produces high quality pictures.

Micro Four Third cameras have an added advantage that they utilize the space taken up by the mirror-prism set, for the Live View LCDs or electronic viewfinder. This not only makes camera petite and portable but also provides support for interchangeable lenses and large image sensors.

Lens Kit

The camera comes with Olympus’s two new Micro Four Third lenses; M. Zuiko 14-42mm (f/3.5-5.6) and 17mm (f/2.8 Pancake Prime). Both the MFT lenses are well designed with the clever kit zoom that can be easily folded and thus is ideal for traveling. The only down side is that neither of the lenses are plastic- cased that definitely effects the robustness and durability of the optics.

The E-P1 has a remarkably efficient lens mount that offers the user a number of options to select from and a satisfactory telephoto coverage. The minute image circle and short flange back distance, Olympus PEN E-P1 provides adaptors that support full-size Four Thirds (most supporting AF) and classic OM mount lenses as well as Leica M glass can be adapted to mount on the camera.

Sensor and Processor

E-P1 may resemble the E-30 from the outside but the insides are much better in performance. The 12.3 MP Live MOS sensor ensures superb image resolution and clarity. There are Art Filters incorporated to boost the image quality which is a light low pass filter aided by the powerful and sturdy processor TruePic V. all of this helps in a better ISO performance and recording of High Definition video clips that was missing in the previous models.

The Display

The 3 inch HyperCrystal II LCD screen in E-P1 gives beautiful and bright images with a resolution of 230,000 dots. As with other Olympus models, some colour disturbances are noticed, nevertheless, the scenes captured are crisp and clear. Still images look a little cooler on the screen but appear to be satisfactory when viewed after shooting. Do not try to set the image as it might give you artificially warm shots.

Coming to the view finder there’s none! One of the differential features in Olympus’s debut digital ‘Pen’ camera is that it does not have any optical view finder leaving you the LCD screen for image composition. Although there is a hot shoe provided in which an external view finder can be fixed, then you would have to do without an external flash.

Movie Recording

Olympus PEN E-P1 records High Definition movies at an excellent resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels at the rate of 30fps thus competing with the present day HD point-and-shoot cameras and the Nikon D90 SLR camera.

The E-P1’s video mode shoots videos with stereo audio recording in the AVI format, but does not support the fancy AVCHD codec. This result in larger movie files, however there is the advantage of feasibility to view and edit theses clips with the modern softwares available nowadays. Thanks to the 8GB SDHC card, now you can record around 30min of720p HD videos that is though, half the time as recorded by Panasonic Z- series. Nevertheless, the image quality is admirable with visual aspects of image recording all fully catered.

Art Filters

One unique option in E-P1 is that of the ‘Art’ mode which allows access to six distinct art filters for image capturing; ‘Pop Art’ enhancing colours, ‘Grainy Film’ giving an artistic touch to the screen, ‘Soft Focus’ for a warmer and dramatic effect, ‘Pinhole’ gives an antique look, ‘Light Tone’ as the name suggests tones down the overall picture colours, ‘Pale and Light’ produces images with a faded look. All these modes may not be of any help to serious photographers but they add a little fun to your pictures and make them more interesting. In addition to the stills, these filters can be applied to video clips; doubling the fun!

Image Noise

E-P1 provides a wide range of ISO sensitivity; 100- 6400. Up to ISO 1600, the image integrity remains more or less intact but as the number increases, the camera looses control over the ISO setting and the picture colours and details start getting disturbed such that from being noticeable at 3200, at 6400, it becomes obvious.

Conclusion

The Olympus PEN E-P1 is a refreshing change in the conventional digital photography. It’s innovative in functions and stylish in design. With its high quality picture and video performance, Olympus PEN E-P1 can compete with any top class digital camera.

Olympus PEN E-P1 Camera Specifications

Size: 120.5×70.0×35.0mm
Weight: 335g (body only excl. battery and card)
Display: 3.0″ HyperCrystal II LCD, 230,000dots (73,000px)
Viewfinder: Optional accessory
Live view: Yes, Contrast detection system, 100% field of view
Processor: TruePic V image processor
Resolution: 12Mp
Sensor size: 17.3×13.0mm
Sensor type: Hi-Speed LiveMOS Four Thirds
Image size: 4032×3024
Aspect ratio: 4:3
Focus system: Contrast detection AF system
Focus points: 11
Crop factor: 2x
Lens mount: Micro Four Thirds, Two new kit lenses (M. Zuiko 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 and 17mm F2.8 Pancake)
File type: 12bit RAW, JPEG
Sensitivity: ISO100-6400
Storage: SD, SDHC
Focus types: Area, single, face detection
Metering system: TTL open aperture
Metering types: Digital ESP, centre-weighted, spot
Exposure compensation: +/- 3EV in 1, ½, 1/3 step increments
Shutter speed: 60sec-1/4000sec
Frames per second: Approx. 3fps
Flash: External only
Flash sync speed: 1/30sec-1/180sec
Image stabilization: Sensor shift type, one or two dimensional movement to 4EV steps
HD movies: (720p) with stereo sound, Linear PCM sound recording. 3.0 fps sequential shooting
Integrated cleaning: SSWF
Interface: USB 2.0, HDMI
Power: Li-Ion battery
Other features:
Automatic recognition of common scenes possible with i-Auto, Dual control dials
Face Detection & Shadow Adjustment
Art Filters, multi-aspect ratios, multi exposure
In-camera raw conversion (including application of Art Filters)

Olympus Mju Tough 6000 Yellow Review

If you like bright funky colours and enjoy tough sports, then Olympus Mju Tough 6000-Yellow is the right camera for you. Evident from its name, the compact digital camera comes in a vibrant lemon-yellow colour with a strong and sturdy built. Unique in its outlook, the Olympus Mju Tough 6000-Yellow has also a lot to offer in its functions.

Design Build

If you are the adventurous type or have kids as wild as a cat, then straight away buy this camera! Olympus Mju Tough 6000-Yellowis resistant to shock to an extent that if your kids drop it from a height of 1.5m, it remains unscathed. And don’t worry about the weather; you can shoot all the wonderful moments whether you are on Christmas holidays or chilling out at beach with friends. The camera can work in the most adverse of the conditions being freeze proof to -10°C and water proof to 3m.

The body is meant for the outdoor activities; therefore it weighs only 149g and measures around 2.2x 6.3x 9.5cm (Dx Hx W)…. dimensions just appropriate to be carried along with you on trips.

The Lens and Focus

The Olympus Mju Tough 6000-Yellow comprises of a highly accurate 3.6x wide zoom aspherical lens that offers a focal length of about 28-102mm for a 35mm camera. The camera has a CCD Optical Sensor of 10 megapixels which allows close-up shots with marked efficiency and excellence and produces sharp and clearly focused poster size prints. The image stabilization is effected through a dual system that eliminates the chances of blurring in case you are shooting at maximum zoom or in low light.

The Display

A 2.7 inch HyperCrystal III LCD Screen in the Tough 6000 is the perfect feature that helps you get a better preview in the most extremes of conditions such as shooting under water. An LED illuminator is provided that makes within water or macro scenes visible. In bright sunlight and at the most difficult of viewing angles, the TFT activated 230,000 pixels LCD Screen gives its best to you.

Easy Operation

Just like its design, the camera operation also offers ultimate ease of use. Keeping in view the hard core adventure lovers, Olympus has incorporated a very different but useful feature; the TAP control menu. Through this menu you can operate the camera by tapping it and no need to adjust controls and settings in the midst of action packed fun. To aid the camera adjustments, there is the Intelligent Auto Mode that alters the camera settings all by itself suiting the situation and the scene.

Advanced Face Detection

The Advanced Face Detection function can detect and focus up to 16 faces with thorough exactness and also captures the other parts of the scene with the right exposure and focus. There is a whole range of White Balance modes to suit your setting and is highly appreciated since this camera is designed especially for outdoor shootings.

Tough 6000 can also record movies with a satisfying audio quality so that your precious memories are livelier and closer to the reality.

Other Key Specs

A shutter speed of 4 sec minimum and maximum 1/ 2000 sec, an installed RAM of 42MB and compatibility with the xD-Picture Card and microSD Card are the specs that make Olympus Mju Tough 6000-Yellow more likable by the fans. Powered by an external battery, the camera comes with a couple of accessories as well including a hand strap and microSD to XD adapter.
Price of this camera lies in the range of £175.00 – £234.00

Olympus Mju Tough 6000 Yellow Key Specs

Olympus Model: TOUGH-6000
Packaged Quantity: 1
Product Line: Olympus µ[MJU:]
Digital Camera Type: Compact
Dimensions & Weight: Depth 2.2 cm, Height 6.3 cm, Width 9.5 cm, Weight 149 g
Display (Projector): Diagonal Size 2.7 in
Display Form Factor: Built-in
Display Format: 230,000 pixels
Output Type: Colour Technology, TFT active matrix, LCD display
Exposure Compensation: ±2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
Lens System Element Qty: 10
Aspherical lens
Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera, 28 – 102mm
Focus Adjustment: Automatic
Group Qty: 8
Lens Aperture: F/3.5-5.1, Macro Focus Range 2cm, Max Focal Length 18.2 mm
Optical Zoom: 3.6
Optical Sensor: Effective Sensor Resolution, 10,000,000 pixels
Optical Sensor Size: 1/2.3″
Optical Sensor Type: CCD
Sensor Resolution: 10 Megapixel
Total Pixels: 10,300,000 pixels
Image Stabiliser: Optical
White Balance: Automatic
Presets:
White Balance Presets
Fluorescent light (cool white)
Fluorescent light (daylight)
Fluorescent light (warm white)
Overcast,Sunlight,Tungsten light
Power Device: Form Factor External Type Battery charger
RAM: 42 MB
Max Shutter Speed: 1/2000 sec
Min Shutter Speed: 4 sec
Miscellaneous
Colour:Lemon yellow
Included Accessories
Hand strap
microSD to XD adapter
Underwater Depth:Up to 3m Underwater Use
Built-in
Vista Certification
Certified for Windows Vista
Supported Flash Memory
xD-Picture Card

Olympus MJU 1030 SW Review

Olympus MJU 1030 SW is a great addition to the budget range of digital cameras offered by Olympus.  Its not that there are no cameras available in the market that are resistant to shock, dust and water but the ever growing competition and advancement in technologies has forced camera makers to update their profile with models both well equipped and durable. Same is the case with Olympus which has added another gem in its collection i.e. the Olympus MJU 1030 SW.

Talking about tough and steady, MJU 1030 SW is the right choice. It can bear a fall from a height of 2m and remains intact under water up to a depth of 10m. And for those who are always worried about the camera life, this one comes with a 2 year warranty (only for UK).

Having a beautiful metallic body, the camera may not be the first one having 10.1 mega pixel CCD sensors but it has something that is not so common and that is the 3.6X wide zoom lens with a focal length of 28-108mm which is unique in design. The zoom works internally and does not protrude out like other lens giving 1030 SW a stylish peri scope like look.

The Auto ISO resolution ranges from 80-1600 and a 24 scene mode collection just adds up to the features.

Face detection, Shadow adjustments and Digital Image Stabilizer are yet some of the functions that only make shooting easier and better. The videos can be viewed on the 2.7 inch Hyper crystal II LCD, 30,000
pixel screen and the imaging is made more efficient by the True Pic Turbo III processor which is the same as that of Olympus E-3.

It takes care of color contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and makes multi-burst shooting at a faster

rate possible. Now you can shoot up to 11 frames in 3 MP High Speed Mode 5.2 fps) whereas in the Sequential Mode at maximum resolution, you can shoot at 0.7 fps on over 7 frames. The Digital Image Stabilizer is for the better since it prevents camera shake in case you extend the exposure time when there is no light.

The camera is available in fantastic colors of black, platinum and British Green that gives a vibrant feel to it. The case is scratch proof and the camera is able to bear weight of around 100 kg, talking of
toughness, eh? The robustness of the physique, its ability to bear high freezing temperatures of up to -10 degrees Celsius and being dust proof, water proof and shock proof, the camera is a wonder. Available at a price of just around £229.99, Olympus MJU 1030 SW has a full box of accessories with it.

Though a larger memory card and a more appropriate case would have made the package more appealing, a number of other equipments such as a wrist strap, a lithium rechargeable battery, a battery charger Li-50c and an AV and USB cable makes up for them.

Olympus master 2 software CD ROM and a basic printed manual along with a CD are all there for your help! All in all, it’s an amazing deal that is both unique and stylish in performance.

Olympus SP-510 UZ Ultra Zoom Review

In this modern era of compact and ultra sophisticated digital gadgets, there is a tough competition between cameras as well, that has made all the top notch companies to produce amazing models of digital cameras keeping in mind the advance technologies and user affordability. One such example is the Olympus SP-510 Ultra Zoom that offers the highest image resolution ever given by any 10x optical zoom digial  camera  available on the market.

Olympus was the first brand to launch the Ultra Zoom camera in the market back in 2000 and this time it has entered the market with a very user friendly digi cam.

This camera is cool and classic as an Olympus ED Zoom Lens with a large 2.5-inch LCD is provided to enhance picture quality. It also has a 7.1 Megapixel CCD imager that can produce up to 3072×2304 pixel images. The image integrity is kept intact with a precisely developed Extra Dispersion (ED) and high-refractive-index aspherical lens elements that ensures images of par clearness and lucidity. The focal length of the lens is equivalent to 38 to 380mm; f2.8 – f3.7 (in 35mm photography) which gives ultra sharp results.

Now, not only landscapes are captured beautifully but the finer details of an object can be recorded with excellence and accuracy thanks to the Super Macro Mode. Weather you want to shoot the patterns on a butterfly’s wings or the texture of a flower’s petals, the camera allows the user to zoom in the camera to as close as 1.18 inches without blowing out the pixels. And while shooting such fine details, one might have a hand shake that destroys the picture by blurring the image but features such as Digital Image Stabilization takes care of it all so you only get what you want! This helps in capturing fast moving objects as well and that too with high ISO sensitivity (ISO 4000).

A very , rather romantic feature in Olympus SP510 UZ camera is the freedom to capture images in low light as when on a candle light dinner or when for more dramatic effects, subtle skin tones are desired, in such cases the . Olympus’ Bright Capture Technology allow the user to view the pictures in LCD low light and then take the snap in the limited illumination after locking the focus. The unique True Pic TURBO Image processor incorporated into this camera helps you create shots closer to reality with almost natural skin tones and contrasts. This processor also makes sure that the overall starting time and shutter release lag time is short; being 15 seconds to 1/1000 seconds, thus speeding up the photo capturing. Also it offers Noise reduction in case of high shutter speed of ½ second. Along with the 7.1 million pixel the TURBO processor and the “pixel micro smoothing” enables the user to get clearer and crisper image results.

The camera has the ability to transform your snaps from just any ordinary picture to something beautiful. You can add frames, titles, fix the Red eye effects, crop images, and edit those using computers and editing soft and what not! There are also options available for further dramatizing your snaps by using various modes such as Sepia, Black and White, etc. and can also convert these joyous memories into calendar prints. The image is also supported by the new Lighting fix function that will adjust the lighting balance in the picture making even the finer details in the image, more prominent.

The Olympus SP-510 UZ has a Help Guide, a pre installed built-in manual that shoes the user how to use apply different scene modes and settings and the shooting Guide helps you include those particular effects that make your picture stand out. So, photography is made all so easy!

This camera is not just user friendly but is “gadget friendly” as well. It can be connected to a computer through a USB 2.0 cable without requiring any software, thanks to the USB Auto Connect feature, which connects directly via and requires no software. And if there is no computer available, no worries at all! The PictBridge function allows you to have your snaps printed via a PictBridge-enabled printer directly without having to use a computer. OLYMPUS Master™ software and a user interface incorporated are other such functions that make digital imaging easy and simple for you. The Calendar view available allows the user to sort pictures by date or a key word. With all these hosts of features, the camera is still affordable at a price of US $329.99 and the deal includes all the accessory items you require; a Neck Strap, Quick Start Guide, Basic Instruction Manual, WIN/Mac USB Cable, Warranty Card, OLYMPUS Master Software CD-ROM, Audio/Video Cable, Advanced Manual CD-ROM and 4 AA Batteries.

All in all, if you are looking for a stylish camera with the latest features and a user friendly nature, then the Olympus SP- 510 is the right camera for you.