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Olympus' shrinking ILC lineup

Before you can say "holiday shopping," Olympus will unleash three new interchangeable-lens models into its PEN lineup. Of the three models, only one is truly real at the moment: the top-of-the-line replacement for the E-P2, the just-reviewed E-P3, which is scheduled to ship in August. The other two are what Olympus refers to as "concept" announcements, although Olympus' concepts tend to be a lot further along than most. What it usually means is that they lack complete specifications, pricing, and ship dates, and that any actual models tend to be hand-built samples for photography. They are … Read more

Preview: Is Olympus E-P2 enough of an update?

The E-P2 is Olympus' newly announced follow up to its first mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera, the E-P1, which also adheres to the Micro Four Thirds Standard (MFT). But while the E-P2 offers some nice enhancements over its line mate, it doesn't seem to address two of the major problems in its almost-identical body. That's too bad, because the E-P1 had serious shutter lag and focus issues. The E-P2 adds AF tracking in continuous autofocus and movie modes, which the company thinks should ameliorate many user complaints, but unfortunately the E-P1's performance woes occurred in single autofocus mode.

The E-P2 is extremely similar to the E-P1, though it will only come in an elegant shiny black as opposed to the silver and white versions of the E-P1. It'll be available with the same kit lenses, the 14-42mm and the 17mm pancake, with each kit costing about $1,100. The most notable addition to the body is an accessory port, which makes the body slightly higher. One of the first accessories Olympus will offer is an add-on tiltable electronic viewfinder that slides into the hot shoe, which the company will bundle with the camera. That's nice--it's an extra-cost option with the Panasonic GF1. The viewfinder seems pretty good and quite bright and contrasty. The other accessory is an adapter for an external microphone.… Read more