angrylittleboy

Late last year, Panasonic and Olympus announced a breakthrough in digital photography with the arrival of the micro-4/3(m43) standard. Simply put, m43 provides the advantages of DSLR technology (Interchangeable lenses & high image quality) without the bulk. However, it was Olympus which turned heads with their m43 prototype.

Unlike Panasonic’s G1, the E-P1 (Oly’s m43) took advantage of one of the main features the new standard brings. Without the mirror box, Olympus was able to create a really compact camera with the capabilities of bulkier DSLRs.

Here are some of the rumored specs for the camera:

- 12 Megapixels
- Live view
- In-camera Image Stabilization
- Same autofocus system as Panasonic’s G1
- 720p Video
- Will use SD/SDHC cards (Goodbye, proprietary xD cards!)
- First batch of lenses will include a 14-42mm and 17mm (with the x2 crop factor of m43, that translates to 28-84mm and 34mm), but adapters are already being sold for older lenses

Pretty nifty features for a small camera, and the retro look ain’t that bad either. It’s already making me think about switching systems!

The Olympus E-P1 will be released during the later half of the year, with a rumored SRP to be within the $900-1000 USD range. If you’re impatient and can’t wait for the official late June press release of Olympus (and can read Japanese), you can go to photofan’s thread about the E-P1.

This video, Sofia’s People, was made using Canon’s 5D MkII, and I was struck with awe when I saw it. Can you just imagine the sheer amount of possibilities for a full-frame, HDvideo-capable camera like the 5D MkII? Photojournalists and documentary photographers will love the added flexibility that quality video recording will bring, and I believe most cameras a couple of years down the road will have this feature.