Sketch Pad: Olympus Delivers the First Truly Affordable Compact SLR

Although my family and I have pretty much been born and raised on a strict diet of Canon and Nikon when it comes down to our cameras of choice, I have to personally admit that Olympus has been on a bit of a roll lately. One of the biggest trends Olympus has been paving the way in is their development of smaller SLR cameras. Dubbed the PEN Series, the smaller cameras still utilize sensors similar to the size of much larger counterparts, interchangeable lenses, and full manual control.

The PEN series is crafted on sensor technology known as the micro four-thirds system, which takes a larger sensor almost the size of APS-C sensors used in higher end SLR’s such as the Canon 50D and Nikon D-300 and houses it in a body not much larger than a Canon Powershot or Nikon Coolpix. This is certainly unchartered territory in the photography world; many photographers out there certainly crave having a smaller professional camera that offers the majority of the features that a much larger SLR provides. 

Olympus just launched their Pen EPL-1 model today, which builds on many of the features offered in their earlier PEN models released in 2008 and 2009, but also adds a built-in flash, a variety of in-camera image editing features that casual and novice photographers will drool over, HD video capture, and best of all, a much lower price tag ($600 street!)

Although there aren’t many lenses available (yet) for micro four-thirds cameras such as the EPL-1, I have high hopes on smaller SLR’s really making waves in the photography industry. Critics have generally held the earlier PEN models from Olympus in high regard for their ability to take good pictures in low light with minimal noise, and even though it doesn’t come with an optical viewfinder there is a separate attachment that is available.

The PEN EPL-1 squarely positions itself right between professional and general consumer photographers. With it’s very reasonable price tag and long list of features, there is a very good chance I might be bagging one myself.

More info: Getolympus.com