Olympus Pen E-PL1: Micro 4/3, lens included, for just £549!

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Just a few months after launching the Pen E-P2, Olympus is at it again with another micro 4/3 model.  The new Pen E-PL1 has a built-in flash and a more friendly price tag, but is Olympus running the risk of hurting sales of its other Pen cameras?

The manufacturer seems determined to make a name for itself in the market for compact cameras with interchangeable lenses, and is bringing out new models at a startling rate: we had to wait just six months between the Pen E-P1 and the E-P2 and then just three months for this E-PL1.  That should help it keep up with its competitor Panasonic, which already has three products in this area, and steal a march on Samsung, whose new NX10 is another potential threat.

Olympus' new tactic is the Pen E-PL1, a more accessible and affordable version of its two predecessors.  The camera body is a little shorter and thicker, with a larger handle, which should improve the grip.  As you can see in this photo, the new E-PL1 has its very own built-in pop-up flash, something missing from its two older, more expensive brothers.  That will make it easier to shoot in darker conditions or handle wireless flash modules, and it was about time.

Optional viewfinder

What's more, including a built-in flash gives you more flexibility about which accessories to use on the hot shoe, including the excellent VF-2 electronic viewfinder module.  That's an optional extra now, and doesn't come as standard as it did on the E-P2, and you'll to shell out more to get the 800 x 600 pixel viewfinder.  That's one of the reasons why the new E-PL1 seems relatively cheap compared to its predecessors.


Simplified interface

The tech specs are as attractive as before: a pretty large 12 Megapixel 4/3 MOS sensor, mechanical stabilisation, supersonic dust-reduction, 720p video and interchangeable lenses.  There are a few differences, though.  The LCD screen on the new version is smaller at 2.7'' instead of 3'', but still has a 230 000 pixel resolution.  The shutter is less fast (1/2000 s compared to 1/4000 s) and the range of sensitivities is also reduced: the E-PL1 doesn't go behind 3200 ISO.

It's the interface which has changed most radically.  The two scroll wheels, which were incredibly useful for configuring the E-P2 have disappeared, and are replaced by a very (too?) traditional four-way directional arrows, which make the E-PL1 a camera more suited to amateurs than experts.  A new button has arrived to give direct access to video mode, which is something that the E-P2 very much needed.

Olympus has also announced plans for a new onscreen interface to make things easier for beginners.  Finally, the launch of a special waterproof housing, only compatible without he E-PL1, is not likely to please those who shelled out for the E-P2.

Handling

What remains to be seen is whether the autofocus system will have made any progress.  To do that, though, we'll need to wait until we get our hands on a production model and spend a few weeks testing it.

The Olympus Pen E-PL1 will be available from March, in either black, champagne gold, slate blue or red, and will ship with black or silver 14-42 mm lenses for £549.

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