Oct 07
It was only a year and a half ago when Olympus showed that a small, stylish camera with no mirror and a little sensor could hang in the big leagues. Many photographers instantly fell in love with the OM-D E-M5
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Sep 11
New Olympus Mirrorless Camera Plans to Eat Other Mid-Size Shooters for Lunch
Posted in: Today's Chili
Olympus has a new flagship mirrorless model: The just-announced OM-D E-M1. It arrives in October, and we likey.
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Sep 10
Olympus has trotted out an interesting new Micro Four Thirds mirrorless digital camera that has some very interesting features. Olympus says that the new digital camera will provide the highest ever image quality offered in one of its cameras thanks to a new 16.3-megapixel LiveMOS sensor and a new TruePic VII image processor. The camera […]
Sep 10
Olympus’ OMD E-M1 flagship ILC arrives with new sensor, Four Thirds lens support for $1,399
Posted in: Today's Chili
Olympus has just announced its top-of-the-line OMD E-M1 camera that squeezes the ruggedness of its E-M5 predecessor into a smaller package, while adding some tempting new capabilities. There’s a brand new 16.3-megapixel sensor, for starters, that dispenses with the optical low-pass filter of the previous model and uses the new TruePic VII image engine to kill artifacts, instead. Olympus claims that results in more resolution and sharpness, while also keeping noise and color fading to a minimum at high ISOs. Another big addition is the “Dual Fast” autofocus system that permits faster focusing and 6.5 fps shooting in continuous focus mode (10 fps with single AF). Also, you can now autofocus with non-native Four Thirds lenses using phase detection, and there’s better support for Olympus’ Zuiko lenses — like the new M.Zuiko 12-40mm f2.8 model shown above. Other features include 1080p/30fps video, an updated 2.36 million-dot EVF, a tweaked 5-axis image stabilizer and built-in WiFi.
Though more compact than before, the new body has extra dials and switches, including a dedicated HDR button with two selectable modes (one or two stops above and below normal). On top of remaining dust- and waterproof, the E-M1 is now also freezeproof and guaranteed to function down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. As before, that’ll let you take it into dusty, wet and now cold environments without fear of damaging sensitive optics or electronics. That aspect may have been the OMD E-M5’s killer feature, and with numerous performance improvements and those classic good looks, the E-M1 may actually top its forerunner — no mean feat. It’ll arrive next month for $1,399 (body only). %Gallery-slideshow83566%
Filed under: Cameras
Sep 10
Olympus E-M1 Officially Launched
Posted in: Today's Chili
Olympus’ latest micro 4/3 camera has arrived and it brings many improvements to the table, like a 37-point phase detection (in addition to the 81-point contrast detection) that is built into the 16.3 Megapixel sensor of this camera. This means that the OM-D E-M5 camera no longer has the best AF system in Olympus’ micro-4/3 line up, thus effectively becoming the number two m4/3 camera from now on. (more…)
Olympus E-M1 Officially Launched original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Sep 09
The interchangeable-lens OM-D E-M1 is so much camera you won’t believe it’s mirroress. The E-M1 is the successor to 2010’s E-5, the last Olympus camera with a mirror box and an optical viewfinder. I just shot with one of the first units in the world at the Oly launch event in New York, and I’m certain that almost no one needs a DSLR anymore. This camera is a serious business photography machine.
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Sep 04
Just the other day Olympus posted a teaser image in which the company teased that a new camera and possibly new lenses could be announced in the near future, and sure enough it looks like that time is soon. Olympus has recently started to hand out invites for a press event that will be held on the 10th of September which appears to be held in Taiwan. This is according to the folks at Digicame-info who originally published the invite on their website.
It is unconfirmed as to what Olympus could announce at their event, but some are speculating that the announcement could be for its Olympus E-M1 camera, along with the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-40mm f/2.8 lens. The Olympus E-M1 has been rumored for a while now, since back in July earlier this year. Alleged diagrams and specifications of the camera have been making their rounds on the internet, but we guess we will have to wait for the official event and unveiling to see if the leaks and rumors have panned out. In any case do check back with us on the 10th of September for the details.
Olympus Sends Out Invites For 10th September, Possible E-M1 Announcement original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Aug 28
If you loved Olympus’ earlier interchangeable lens camera offerings, you could be in for a treat as it seems that the camera manufacturer could be gearing up to launch a new flagship camera. This is thanks to a teaser image recently uploaded by Olympus, which as you can see in the image above, reads, “A new Olympus flagship camera with interchangeable lenses”, along with a tagline that simply says, “Coming soon…”
It is unknown at this point in time what Olympus could be launching but thanks to the FourThirds and Micro FourThirds logo spotted in the teaser, it does narrow things down a bit, not to mention the ad pretty much displays all of Olympus’ Zuiko Digital and M.Zuiko Digital lenses as well. In any case there’s no word on when Olympus will launch this new flagship camera, but we’ll definitely keep our eyes peeled for more information, but with IFA 2013 around the corner and taking place in Berlin, perhaps Olympus will take the opportunity to unveil something then, so check back with us then to see if there are any updates to be had!
Olympus Teases Upcoming Flagship Camera original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Aug 19
Features:
- Rugged point and shoot with internal, protected lens
- 50 foot water resistance
- 7 foot drop resistance
- Crush-proof (ostensibly)
- MSRP: $379
Pros:
- Surprisingly rugged yet light
- Excellent low-light performance
- Waterproof to 50 feet and shockproof
Cons:
- No external battery charger
- Potential for leaks if the case isn’t locked
- Lens noise when filming video
What Is It?
While we normally focus on flagship hardware on TC these days, I thought this new Olympus tough camera – an upgrade to the TG-1 released last year – was interesting enough to feature. Why? Because it’s not every day you can hand a camera to a team of toddlers and get it back in one, working piece.
The Olympus TG-2 is a simple, compact point and shoot that is clad in a hard plastic case. Locks on the bay doors make it waterproof to 50 feet and it can withstand drops on hard surfaces from 7 feet. The aforementioned toddlers – four in all – took the camera through the back yard at a garden party, dunked it a few times, and threw it around with nary a scratch. The worst I could manage was a ding on the side when it fell on concrete. In short, this camera is surprisingly resilient.
The camera itself isn’t particularly extraordinary. It does have an excellent f2.0 lens with 4x optical zoom but the 3-inch screen is hidden behind thick plastic, reducing the vibrancy of the shots when viewed in camera. As for the speed and low light performance, the 35mm equivalent built-in lens can grab some excellent shots across the light gamut and even underwater. While the camera in automatic mode can do little that similarly-sized point and shoots offer, the hearty package is really why you pay the price of admission. The camera supports teleconverters as well as zoom and fisheye external lenses, but those are additional $140 dollar investments.
Here are some very basic, unmodified shots I took in full sunlight in Program mode. I also took one goofy shot in the camera’s “Punk” art mode. The Art modes are simply gimmicky filters that Olympus seems to love to add to all of their cameras and, unless you really like simulated tilt-shift photography, you can probably ignore it.
Demo shots. Click to embiggen.
I also took this zoom test down my driveway. Both shots are taken from the same distance.
The Good
The best thing about this camera is its ability to withstand abuse. While I’d be afraid to, say, toss around the arguably rugged Canon G-series or other waterproof camera from Nikon, or Panasonic I could definitely see this thing rolling and tumbling down a hillside and surviving. While I have noticed some reports that the camera acts up after a deep dunking, I didn’t experience any problems while beating this thing up. I dunked it in a pool, ran water over it, threw it around, and even (accidentally) nicked the edge. It still kept shooting.
Could I eventually drown or break this? Sure. It’s not made of adamantium. However if you have a clumsy loved one or are looking for a good vacation camera, you could do worse than this model. It is small, fun, and quite solid.
The Bad
The camera did have a few problems. First, it requires a special cable for charging and does not include an external charger. There is also no visible way to tell which direction the battery should be dropped in, leading to a period where I thought, mistakenly, that it wasn’t taking a charge. The front of the camera also has a red ring that can be removed to add external lenses. This ring is easily jarred loose and can fall off. Finally, because there is no external audio jack, the lens noise is audible when filming video. That’s about it. This is, to be clear, a point and shoot and shouldn’t be depended on as anything else. The quality, while impressive, is hardly earth-shattering.
The Bottom Line
The question then is whether this camera is worth about $350. Given that the arguably superior Canon G15 and Nikon P7700 are about $100 more expensive and will take excellent shots, the real draw here, then, is the water and shock resistance. If you’ve broken a camera before or, barring that, you expect to use this on a long, rough trip – say to Burning Man or Bohemian Grove – you will find this more than adequate. If you’re looking to take real photos, you may need to go elsewhere.
That said, the TG-2 is surprisingly fun to use. When you don’t have to worry about water, rain, weather, or dust you can take some very interesting shots. It was especially fun while doing science experiments with the kids. In a fun test I decided use it to shoot a Mentos/Diet Coke explosion – from below. It went off without a hitch.
Aug 08
Harrods Olympus PEN Art Edition includes a custom Vespa scooter, because why not
Posted in: Today's Chili
Special editions with ridiculously expensive extras must be all the rage among well-to-do gadget fans — that’s the only real explanation we can imagine for Harrods’ new Olympus PEN Art Edition. The kit includes two PEN E-P5s (one hand-painted), but it also bundles prime lenses, accessories, a training session… and a customized Vespa scooter. You’ll have both the gear you need for amateur photography and the transportation to your photo shoots. Mind you, we’d expect nothing less when the Art Edition costs £16,000 ($24,814) — more than some cars. If you’re eager to acquire both a new camera and a new ride in one fell swoop, though, the limited-run PEN bundle is available from Harrods today. Check out a photo of the Vespa after the break.
Filed under: Cameras, Transportation
Via: Pocket-lint
Source: Harrods
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