Olympus has recently completed its family of micro Four Thirds Pen, three months almost to the day after launching the E-P2. The E-PL1 is a new compact interchangeable lens affordable. For its price positioning and accessible interface, it is intended for photographers Sunday seeking a compromise between a compact high-end SLR and a first prize.

Devoid of both adjustment knobs that are yet the quintessence of his two predecessors, more compact and lighter, the E-PL1 actually offers the grip and ergonomics of a compact, all inspired by the great sensor and interchangeable lenses for SLR. It comes with the expansion port on introduced his younger brother, although the external electronic viewfinder is optional this time, and even has a retractable flash, which his elders are deprived under the pretext of lack of space.
This Pen prize also shared most of the rest of the sheet with the E-P2, almost twice as expensive, with a few differences. We find in particular the same Live MOS sensor to 12 megapixels, this time capped at ISO 3200 and not 6400, but still associated with a system of mechanical stabilization (after providing the manufacturer with a gain of up to 3 speeds ) and an anti-dust supersonic waves.
The processing circuit TruePic IV allows for him to shoot RAW and JPEG at 3 frames per second and film in high definition format Motion JPEG at 30 frames per second. In addition to priority and manual modes, there are the inevitable called intelligent automatic modes that identify the Scene mode best suited to each situation. Refinements home such as artistic filters are still the party while the system of automatic focusing (autofocus) by detection of contrast, less effective than a reflex, remains unchanged. The screen is finally confined to 230 000 points, which appear less rough this time as the screen diagonal pass from 7.2 to 6.9 cm.
Here is a summary of the salient technical features of the Olympus Pen E-PL1:
- Live MOS sensor stabilized at 17.3 × 13 mm and 12.3 megapixels
- Sensitivity 100 to 3200 ISO
- Photos in 4000 × 3000 pixels at 3 frames per second
- Videos in 1280 × 720 pixels at 30 frames per second
- LCD 6.9 cm to 230 000 points
- Storage on SD or SDHC
The Olympus Pen E-PL1 will be launched in March 2010.