Olympus Pen E-P1 Micro Four Thirds Digital SLR Camera (14-42mm Black & 17mm Silver Pancake Lenses & VF-1 External Optical View Finder Kit) - Silver

The Olympus Pen: a legend returns
When he originally designed the first of many Pen cameras, Yoshihisa Maitani could not have suspected that he was starting a revolution. Selling over 17 million units, the Pen became one of the most trusted, popular, and successful camera series ever. The removal of the mirror box in the 21st century has brought the legendary series back. Mirror-less construction is the foundation for both the Olympus Pen E-P1's stunning new design and its remarkably compact size. Everyone will fall in love with the camera's irresistible retro-look. It is reminiscent of the classic Olympus Pens, which were cherished for their compactness, usability, and affordable price.

Five decades later, the E-P1 promises to honour the memory of its famous forefathers and hails the beginning of the next generation of the digital era. Added to all the advantages of Olympus imaging technology, the new ultra-compact hybrid device can even record HD quality movies with sound and stunning creative effects familiar from still photography. Plus, with the application of Art Filters, it includes the ability to vary depth of field, angle of view and autofocus during recording as well as adding artistic creativity to photographs.

The Olympus Pen E-P1 reinvents high-end stylish photography for the digital era. The new model and its two accompanying Micro Four Thirds lenses are available from July 2009.

Miniaturised Optics, Maximum Brilliance
Thanks to the mirror-less construction, the flange back is half the distance from the sensor compared with standard FourThirds cameras. Therefore making the camera significantly thinner and more compact.

High ISO shooting: ISO 6400
The high ISO sensitivity allows you to capture low light subjects using available light without the need for a tripod (e.g. birthday parties and night scenes) due to the faster shutter speeds.

Image Stabilisation
Regardless of the lens you select, the built-in IS system effectively counters camera shake. A gyro sensor detects the precise direction of the shake. Using the on-board Supersonic Wave Drive (SWD), the image sensor shifts to compensate for this movement. The maximum effectiveness of IS system is 4 EV (exposure value) steps. (In a movie shooting, an electric image stabilisation works.)

High image quality
Producing clear images and rich colour the M. ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses continue the high performance of the ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses and a newly developed TruePicV image processor bring out the true potential of the system, delivering sharp images rich with colour. Realise the image quality of a DSLR in a compact and easy to use camera. Discover the fun and expanded creative possibilities of using an interchangeable lens camera system.

Newly developed compact dust reduction system
Dust entering digital cameras with interchangeable lenses can cause damage to photos. The Supersonic Wave Filter (SSWF) is a transparent filter which is located between the camera's shutter and sensor. It shakes off settled dust particles by generating a series of ultrasonic vibrations. Olympus was the first to incorporate dust protection.

Effortless handling and full control
The newly developed Live Control interface ensures effortless operation: it is incredibly easy to use and the effects of selected functions can be viewed immediately on the 7.6cm/3.0" HyperCrystal LCD. In addition to easy focusing for sharp and crisp shots, an intelligent i-Auto option also allows the camera to automatically adjust to six common scene modes such as portrait, landscape and night. What's more, subjects can be sure they will always look their best with e-Portrait - a practical option that smoothes away wrinkles and eliminates imperfections and blemishes. This way everyone can look like a top model, especially when they appear on TV via the practical HDMI output. SD card compatibility eliminates concerns about storage by providing ample space for recorded images and movies as well as convenient file storage and transfer.

Photo & Movie Art Filter. View larger.

Creative Magic: Art Filters
Turn your memories into works of art. A choice of six Art Filters are available to instantly give both your images and movies a unique look and feel. Just select the desired Art Filter before taking a picture or shooting a movie, the effect is then shown directly on the LCD in Live View Mode.
Pop Art: Enhances colours, making them stronger and more vivid to create high-impact pictures in the style of Pop Art.
Soft Focus: Creates a soft tone, which gives pictures an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere without obscuring details such as hair or flower petals.
Pale & Light Colour: The foreground is enclosed in flat, gentle light - similar to a flashback scene in a film - creating a sense of deja vu.
Light Tone: Creates a picture with shade and highlight areas rendered very softly to provide a sophisticated atmosphere with a gentle feel.
Grainy Film: Recreates the effect of grainy, high-contrast monochrome pictures. The strong presence and dramatic atmosphere amplify the impact of the subject.
Pin Hole: Reduces the peripheral brightness like an image seen through a pinhole camera. Added to this is a unique colour tone and the results have an air of secrecy or otherworldliness.

Multi Aspect:
Choose from four different aspect ratios that enable individualised framing of scenes. These provide a new means of adding expression to shots and the selected ratio can be seen directly on the camera's LCD. The available aspect ratios include: 16:9, 3:2, 4:3, and 6:6.

HD Movie. View larger.

HD Movies
High-definition video (HD video) mode delivers high-quality movies at a resolution of 1280x720 pixels (or STD 640x480) both at 30 frames per second. Featuring controls and quality that camcorders cannot deliver.

Control background blur with aperture control. Record sharp blur-free movies with in-camera Image Stabilisation. Apply built-in Art Filters to your movies for added creative flair.

(Frame rate dependent on selected Art Filter. 3 min movie is recordable. File format is the AVI Motion JPEG® .)

Movie operation + still image recording
Automatically records a high resolution still reference frame at the end of movie recording. Great for use as a location reference or to expand the movie's storyline.