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Olympus announces E-P3 EVIL camera

by adamhanlon

Olympus has announced a new version of the PEN EVIL cameras: The E-P3. The new camera is claimed to have the fastest AF speed available:

“One of the primary areas Olympus concentrated on when developing the E-P3 was the AF (autofocusing) system. The result is the world’s highest AF speed, faster than any traditional SLR with mirrors.”

In addition, it features improved AF tracking with 35 focusing points, a new 12.3 megapixel sensor and a new image processing engine. The E-P3’s sensor has a maximum ISO sensitivity of 12800, and the TruePic VI image processor claims both improved image quality and increased speed. Lastly, the new camera can record MPEG4 (H.264) 1960 x 1080/60i HD movies in AVCHD format.

The E-P3 will be available from late July/early August at $899.99 with either a 14-24 or 45mm kit lenses.

Press Release.

Olympus Imaging Corporation (President: Shuichi Takayama) is pleased to announce the introduction of the “OLYMPUS PEN E-P3”, the flagship of the PEN series of new generation system cameras conforming to the Micro Four Thirds System standard, scheduled for release on 22nd July, 2011.

Main Features:

World’s fastest AF (autofocusing)* achieved through the FAST (Frequency Acceleration Sensor) AF system and a lens incorporating the MSC (Movie & Still Compatible) mechanism.

Higher-than-ever image quality and high ISO12800 sensitivity thanks to the new 12.3-megapixel High Speed Live MOS Sensor with full HD movie compatibility and new TruePic VI image processing engine.

Advanced graphical user interface featuring a 3.0-inch OLED display with touchscreen panel. High-quality design with full-metal body and sophisticated detachable camera grip.

*Among interchangeable lens type digital cameras available as of June 30, 2011. According to our in-house test conditions, with an M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II R lens mounted on the OLYMPUS PEN E-P3 camera, with the lens at the infinity position, and with the subject at a distance of 1 meter and the lens focal length at 35mm (70mm at 35mm camera equivalent), AF calculation time is the time between when the shutter button is pressed and the start of exposure, focus to shutter release.

The OLYMPUS PEN E-P3 is an interchangeable lens type digital camera that conforms to the Micro Four Thirds System standard. Designed as the new flagship of the PEN series of new generation system cameras, the E-P3 is aimed at camera buffs looking for a camera that combines traditional style and functionality with advanced digital capabilities and top-notch performance.

Like previous models in the PEN series, the E-P3’s remarkably compact design has been made possible by the elimination of the quick-return mirror, while maintaining key SLR advantages such as high performance and high image quality.

In fact, the E-P3 easily outperforms any other camera on the market with its powerful new FAST AF system. When combined with a lens incorporating the new MSC (Movie & Still Compatible) mechanism, which increases the speed and decreases the noise of autofocusing, the combination of AF’s double-speed sensor drive and the double-speed detection processing allows the E-P3 to achieve the world’s highest AF speed. At the same time, better-than-ever image quality is made possible by the new 12.3-megapixel High Speed Live MOS Sensor with 1080i full HD movie compatibility and the new TruePic VI image processing engine. High-sensitivity shooting at ISO12800 is also possible.

Simplicity and ease of use have always been the hallmarks of the PEN series, and the E-P3 is no exception. In addition to its convenient Main and Sub dials, the new E-P3 is equipped with a 3.0-inch, 610,000-dot OLED display whose excellent color reproduction and touchscreen panel provide the superior display capability and intuitive operability needed for creative image composition. The user interface’s high-definition text and graphics support attractive graphical menus that are easy to see, easy to understand, and easy to use. Recreating the timeless style of the classic Olympus PEN series, the E-P3’s advanced performance is housed in an elegant, retro design with a durable metallic finish that exudes quality, reliability, and performance. A work of art in itself, the E-P3 features a new detachable grip, giving the user the opportunity to choose a grip most suitable to his or her shooting style; for example, an optional large grip can be used in place of the provided standard grip or the grip can simply be detached for a simpler look. Available in a choice of three colors - Silver, Black and White - the OLYMPUS PEN E-P3 brings a new level of performance to the world’s most stylish line of cameras.

Another example of Olympus’s commitment to relentlessly enhancing and advancing its line of new generation system cameras, this new camera is certain to expand today’s fast growing market for lens interchangeable type digital cameras.

Other Features:

Advanced Art Filters.

Advanced Live Guide.

Advanced movie recording.

Main Feature Details:

  1. World’s fastest AF (autofocusing)* achieved through the FAST AF system and lens incorporating the MSC (Movie & Still Compatible) mechanism

New AF system boasts world’s highest speed.

One of the primary areas Olympus concentrated on when developing the E-P3 was the AF (autofocusing) system. The result is the world’s highest AF speed, faster than any traditional SLR with mirrors. Because the new FAST AF system drives the Live MOS Sensor at double the previous speed (120 fps), image signals can be obtained more quickly than with previous systems. The speed of the AF computations that generate the contrast signal from the image signal in order to determine the degree of focusing has also been doubled. The advantages made possible by these improvements are further enhanced by the increase in the speed of communication for controlling the lens motion and the synergy of the MSC (Movie & Still Compatible) mechanism which facilitates fast, quiet movement of the AF system in the lens, as well as faster response time from shutter release to the start-up of AF system. Together, all of these improvements have resulted in imager AF speed that is almost three times faster than before, making it by far the world’s fastest.

*Among interchangeable lens type digital cameras available as of June 30, 2011. According to our in-house test conditions, with an M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II R lens mounted on the OLYMPUS PEN E-P3 camera, with the lens at the infinity position, and with the subject at a distance of 1 meter and the lens focal length at 35mm (70mm at 35mm camera equivalent), AF calculation time is the time between when the shutter button is pressed and the start of exposure, focus to shutter release.

35-area multiple AF with group area selection.

The number of focus selection areas has been increased from 11 to 35, enabling detailed, pinpoint AF across a wider area than before. To capture a moving subject accurately, the group area selection can apply AF to a limited region compose of 3 vertical and 3 horizontal areas.

Full-time AF.

The full-time AF function keeps the Live View image focused even when the release button is not pressed. As the camera always remains focused on whatever subject it is pointed at, S-AF shooting, which is initiated by a half-press of the shutter release button, can be engaged more quickly.

Improved tracking AF performance keeps moving subject in focus.

The functionality of the tracking AF that automatically tracks and focuses on a moving subject has been improved. Unlike the previous method, which tracked the feature points of the luminance signal and tended to lose the tracked subject when the shapes of the feature points changed, the new system used in the E-P3 employs an advanced detection method that uses the chroma signal and face detection data as well as the luminance signal, allowing it to continue focusing on the subject even when its shape changes or temporarily disappears during tracking.

AF illuminator The E-P3 is the first PEN series camera incorporating an AF illuminator to support autofocusing in low light. The light covers a range of about 3 meters and can be switched ON/OFF.

Improved face & iris detection AF.

The iris detection AF introduced on the E-PL2 has been made more versatile, allowing users to choose from “OFF”, “nearer-eye priority”, “left-eye priority” and “right-eye priority”. This facility is provided because the orientation of the face in portrait shooting is fixed so the focused eye is also usually fixed. Some photographers may prefer to be able to deliberately focus on the farther eye instead. These selections can be activated directly with a button.

  1. Higher-than-ever image quality and high ISO12800 sensitivity thanks to the new 12.3-megapixel High Speed Live MOS Sensor with full HD movie compatibility and new TruePic VI image processing engine

New 12.3-megapixel High Speed Live MOS Sensor with full HD movie compatibility.

Based on the 12.3-megapixel High Speed Live MOS Sensor used with the previous PEN series cameras, the new High Speed Live MOS image sensor is now capable of recording a full HD, or 1960 x 1080/60i movie. It is also driven at a double speed for AF as described above. Furthermore, the use of the line addition method for readout of lines in movies and Live View images improves image reproduction, reducing jaggy oblique lines and other noise. Maximum sensitivity has also been boosted to as high as ISO12800.

New TruePic VI image processing engine.

The E-P3 incorporates the newly developed TruePic VI image processing engine. It achieves both improvement of the image processing quality as well as reduction of processing time.

(1) Advancement of image processing quality.

Fine Detail Processing and Real Color Technology.

In addition to inheriting the Fine Detail processing that provided the E-5, our DSLR flagship, with extremely high resolution, the E-P3 incorporates Real Color Technology to improve reproduction of colors that are hard to be reproduced accurately. This technology improves the reproduction and gradation expressions of previously hard-to-reproduce colors such as emerald green, yellow, thereby also increasing the 3D feeling of the image.

Advanced Shadow Adjustment Technology (ASAT) for improved back light correction.

The Shadow Adjustment Technology (SAT) used to improve gradations in dark areas when the Gradation Auto is set (manually, iAUTO, etc.) has been further enhanced to provide optimal performance even under extreme high contrast conditions such as shooting against the light. As a result, this new ASAT technology produces a natural image like that seen by the naked eye, optimizing the brightness of the under-lit area with respect to the highlight area to prevent both over- and under-exposure.

MPEG4 (H.264) movie codec.

The E-P3 incorporates the MPEG4 (H.264) movie codec to record AVCHD-format movies that can be played back on living-room AV components such as HDTVs and Blu-ray players.

Improved movie quality: Inter-frame flicker noise reduction.

The inter-frame flicker noise reduction function reduces the flickering noise in motion JPEG movies and Live View display, as well as in AVCHD movies.

(2) Improved processing speed.

Improved sequential shooting response with faster return to Live View.

As the previous image processing engines were designed based on viewfinder shooting, a single image processing core processed the recorded image and Live View image in sequence and was not capable of outputting the Live View image until the recorded image had been processed. The TruePic VI engine newly designed exclusively for the Micro Four Thirds System incorporates a Live View-dedicated image processing core so that it can output the Live View image during recorded image processing. This has dramatically reduced the time it takes to return to Live View after shooting, enabling faster response during sequential shooting and rapid SLR-style shooting.

  1. Advanced user interface featuring a 3.0-inch OLED display with touchscreen panel, high-definition text and graphics. High-quality design with full-metal body and sophisticated detachable camera grip

3.0-inch OLED display with touchscreen panel.

The 3.0-inch OLED (organic EL) display used as the rear-panel monitor of the E-P3 can display video data equivalent to VGA (approx. 920,000 dots) using a special layout of 610,000 dots. With the ability to reproduce tight black and vivid colors thanks to OLED’s wide color reproduction characteristic, this display provides a wide angle of view, rich color expression and high resolution, all of which are sure to enhance the joy of photography. With two color tone options of “VIVID” and “NATURAL”, the user can take advantage of the properties of the OLED for a vivid picture, or reproduce a tone similar to the LCD display used on PC monitors.

The monitor also features an electrostatic capacitance type touchscreen control in addition to the traditional button and dial control facilities. This allows the following operations to be performed simply by touching the panel surface.

Of course, these operations are also available using conventional buttons and dials, as well as via the touchscreen panel, which can also be switched OFF if not needed. Long-term durability is assured by solid construction with the space between the cover and the panel sealed with optical adhesive that suppresses reflections due to airspace. The screen itself is treated with Anti-Fingerprint coating to minimize the diffused reflections due to finger oil. The result is excellent visibility, indoors and out.

Advanced user interface with high-definition text and graphics.

The E-P3’s user interface has been completely redesigned. The font and graphics used in the menus offer improved visibility and quality to render elegant graphical menus that are attractive, easy to see, easy to understand, and easy to use.

High-quality design with full-metal body.

In spite of the built-in flash and accessory port, the E-P3 recreates the sophisticated design of original PEN, retaining the simple, elegant profile made popular by the E-P1. The full-metal body includes metallic rear panel button controls and effectively balances ruggedness and light weight. The mode dial has a metallic pear-skin finish, and metallic dials and buttons, particularly the power button and blue power indicator feel solid and durable. The cool touch of metal in the palm of hand, the comfortable weight, and excellent balance will satisfy any lover of cameras.

Two types of detachable grip.

To better satisfy the demands of camera buffs, the E-P3 features a detachable grip that can be changed or removed to suit the shooting style of each user. The user can detach the provided standard grip and replace with the optional MCG-2 Camera Grip (MSRP 3,500 yen (3,675 yen incl. tax)) to hold the camera more firmly or just use the camera without a grip for a simpler look.

Advanced Art Filters.

Olympus has been supporting the creativity of photographers by incorporating easy-to-use Art Filters in its lens interchangeable type digital cameras. The new E-P3 incorporates all ten Art Filters, as well as all the Art Filter variations and Art Effects developed by Olympus.

Pop Art: Enhances colors, making them stronger and more vivid to create high-impact images with a pop-art feel.

Soft Focus: Gives images a dream-like quality that creates a romantic and mystical atmosphere.

Pale & Light Color: Subdues highlights and shadows to assure muted color tonalities that evoke a mood of reflection and nostalgia.

Light Tone: Brightens the image to reveal more shadow detail and evoke a lighter mood.

Grainy Film: Recreates the classic grainy look and tonality of black & white photography, imparting a dramatic feel to images.

Pin Hole: Adjusts color and reduces brightness at the periphery, recreating the distinctive look of photos taken with a pinhole camera.

Diorama: Creates the look of a miniature diorama by enhancing color and contrast, and blurring the periphery to distort distance perception.

Cross Process: Simulates the unexpected color transpositions and look that result when negative film is processed with a positive film emulsion, or vice versa.

Gentle Sepia: Gives images the look of a vintage sepia-tone print, with gentle contrast and well-defined shadows.

Dramatic Tone: Represents real space in a more imaginary way by applying unrealistic tones of light and darkness based on local changes in contrast.

With the PEN Lite E-PL2 (launched on January 2011), variations were introduced for the Pop Art, Grainy Film and Pin Hole Art Filters that slightly change the atmosphere of each filter. With the E-P3, a new variation is also available for the Pale & Light Color filter. The Pale & Light Color II variation is more reddish than the original Pale & Light Color I and helps the user select a photographic expression closer to his or her own image*1.

Pale & Light Color I Pale & Light Color II

The Art Effect function that can add various composition effects to Art Filters has also been expanded with the E-P3. In addition to the existing Art Frame effect, which puts a frame around the image, the Pin Hole effect, which decreases the brightness around the periphery of the image, and the Soft Focus effect, which provides focusing with both sharpness in the center and softness around it, Olympus has added the Starlight effect, which produces an effective trace of light in a night scene and the White Edge effect, which defocuses the four corners of the image in white *1. These effects allow the photographer to more effectively produce exactly the image they desire and provide everyone with the opportunity to utilize exciting new creative expressions in both still images and movies *2.

 

Starlight effect White edge effect

*1 The number and types of variations and the applicable effect functions are variable between Art Filters. *2 When a movie is recorded using an Art Filter, the number of frames and presence/absence of audio and Art Effect are variable depending on the type of the Art Filter. * Art Filter bracketing for recording multiple Art Filtered pictures with a single shot.

The Art Filter bracketing function can generate multiple pictures with different Art Filters with a single shot, making it possible to experiment with several different photographic effects at the same time. In addition to the Art Filters, this function can also be used to select multiple picture modes including Vivid, Natural, Flat and Portrait.

When the scene mode is set to 3D, the Art Filter can be applied to 3D photos*3.

*3Not available with the Starlight effect.

Advanced Live Guide.

Since the E-PL1 (launched on March 2010), Olympus has been incorporating a new user interface called the Live Guide. Designed for users who do not have expert knowledge of photography but want to have creative control over their pictures, Live Guide lets users shoot the pictures they want by selecting an icon and operating a slide bar to control the major factors for the SLR photography including “color vividness”, “color balance”, “image brightness”, “depth of field (blur background)” and “subject in motion”. The names of these factors are expressed in daily, easy-to-understand languages without any jargon.

With the new E-P3, the Live Guide function, which previously was only available in iAUTO mode, can now be accessed with the Fn button in any of the P/A/S/M exposure modes. The touchscreen panel on the Live View monitor makes it possible to recall the Live Guide and operate the slide bar in a more intuitive manner. Advanced movie recording.

In addition to the popular Motion JPEG (AVI: approx. 30 fps) format1, which can be easily played back and edited on a PC, the new E-P3 can record movies in both full HD (AVCHD: 1920 x 1080/59.94i) and HD (AVCHD: 1280 x 720/59.94p) movie formats2 for extended recording and playback on a large-screen high-definition TV set.

*1Recording capacity per one file is limited up to approx. 2 GB; max. recording time is approx. 7 minutes. *2Recording capacity per one file is limited up to approx. 4 GB; max. recording time is approx. 22 min. in full HD mode, approx. 29 min. in HD mode. Image sensor output is approx. 30 fps.

Olympus’s extensive experience in the field of IC recorders has made it possible to develop high-quality recording systems that offer extreme fidelity to the original sound and full presence. The camera body incorporates stereo microphones compatible with the linear PCM format (Motion JPEG mode) for high audio quality without compression, and Dolby Digital format (AVCHD mode). When high-quality external stereo microphones such as the SEMA-1 Microphone Set 1 (optional) is attached to the accessory port, audio input is switched automatically to the external stereo microphones facilitating higher quality stereo sound recording and effectively reducing wind noise.

Built-in GN10 (ISO200) flash with wireless controllability.

The E-P3 incorporates a GN10 (ISO200) electronic flash with built-in TTL metering. When the FL-50R, FL-36R and/or FL-300R external flashes are used, wireless control of multiple flashes is possible without an external commander. Firing mode and firing intensity settings for each of up to three groups and a built-in flash can be set easily on the LCD panel on the rear of the body. The built-in flash intensity can be set between 1/1 and 1/64 in 1-step increments.

Built-in sensor-shift type image stabilization plus electronic movie image stabilization using the multimotion-compatible movie IS system.

The E-P3 incorporates an image stabilization mechanism based on image sensor shifting so handheld shooting with reduced image blurs is possible even in low-light scenes or telephoto shooting. This mechanism shifts the image sensor unit instantaneously and precisely, and is built into the camera body so image stabilization is possible with any lens, including an M.ZUIKO DIGITAL lens as well as an old lens mounted using an adapter if the focal length is input manually.

Furthermore, an electronic movie image stabilization function with multi-motion compatibility is incorporated to compensate for image blurs due to ordinary camera shakes to those caused by respiration and walking.

Tone control for individual variations of the tones of bright and dark sections.

As an extension of the brightness adjustment of the Live Guide, functions for individual adjustment of the brightness of only in the “bright section” or “dark section” is added to the exposure compensation function to enable adjustments equivalent to those available with the Live Guide even when this is not activated. These functions make easy the pictures with tight black with a taste of reversal film or advanced expressions for enhancing or eliminating the gradations of white of snow.

One-push digital teleconverter function.

The One-Push Digital Teleconverter function magnifies the captured image by 2X with digital processing for easy telephoto shooting. Assigning this function to the Fn button allows you to take 2X close-up photos at the touch of a button. And when you use it in combination with an optional M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 R lens, you’ll be able to capture amazing super telephoto pictures with a focal length of 600mm (35mm camera equivalent). The captured image is output as a high-quality signal with all the original pixels ensuring the superior image quality thanks to superior image complement performance of the new TruePic VI image processing engine.

Two Fn buttons (Fn1/Fn2).

For added convenience, more functions can be assigned to the Fn button. Conventionally, only one Fn button is provided, but the new E-P3 is equipped two Fn buttons, allowing you to assign a different frequently used function to each button.

Menu Guide to clarify menu items.

If two seconds pass without any operations during menu display, the camera enters the explanation display mode, popping up an explanation of each menu item whenever it is changed. As the user can find out what each function is used for and how it is used without the instruction manual, the explanation display is a big help for users who are not familiar with the camera or who have forgotten how to do some operations. Once the user is accustomed to the camera, pressing the INFO button turns the pop-up display off. Whenever an explanation becomes necessary, press the INFO button to start up the display again.

Proven, reliable dust reduction system.

If dirt or dust penetrating the camera body during lens replacement attaches to the low-pass filter or image sensor, it will show up in the image. This problem is particularly important with the E-P3 because its mirrorless structure does not cover the image sensor with the shutter screen. Olympus has been aware of the critical nature of this problem since the beginning of development of lens interchangeable type digital SLR cameras and solved it properly. When the camera is turned on, the SSWF (Super-Sonic Wave Filter) installed in front of the image sensor is activated to blast dust away from the image sensor with supersonic vibrations. The tremendous power of the supersonic waves manifests reliable dust reduction performance by even removing dust that cannot be removed merely by shaking the image sensor or dust that is attached by intermolecular force and cannot be removed by merely discharging static electricity.

New scene mode: 3D Photo Shooting.

The 3D Photo function has been newly added to the scene modes. After the first shot, simply sliding the camera following the guide takes the second shot and records a 3D file (MPO format). The recorded image can be played with powerful 3D playback on a 3D function-compatible PC or TV.

Level Gauge display on Live View monitor.

Using the dual axis sensor incorporated in the camera, a 2-direction level gauge corresponding to vertical and horizontal directions can be displayed on the Live View monitor.