Olympus E-PM1 PEN Mini – pricing announced for Micro Four Thirds compact

Olympus has divvied up the pricing details of its tres compact Olympus E-PM1 Micro Four Thirds camera, which also regales under the name of the PEN Mini.

Big on features

It may be a wee little fella, but the 12MP compact system camera packs a ton of top notch features, including an ultra-fast 35-point auto-focus system,  Multi Exposure, 1080i Full HD movie recording with stereo sound and wireless flash control via a bundled clip-on unit.

Compatible with 20 Micro Four Thirds, 27 Four Thirds and more than 500 other lenses (via adapters), the PEN E-PM1 will be available from early autumn in silver, black, white, silver-rose, purple and brown.

Prices start at £449.99 for a standard kit including an M.Zuiko 14-42mm II R lens.

Bag the camera on Amazon:

Olympus E-PM1 Compact System Camera – Silver-Rose (includes M.ZUIKO Digital 14 -42mm II R Lens)

Olympus E-PM1 Compact System Camera Double Zoom Kit – White (includes M.ZUIKO Digital 14 -42mm II R and M.ZUIKO Digital 40 -150mm Lenses)

Full specs:

Olympus Press Release:

Stylish vision – Olympus unveils the sexiest system camera ever

SLR quality without the complexity Meet the gorgeous Olympus PEN Mini

London, 25 August 2011 – The new PEN Mini is a tiny powerhouse of a system camera with interchangeable lenses. It’s also a beautiful camera that takes even more beautiful images and it couldn’t be any easier to use. The Mini is ideal for anyone who wants a fuss-free camera that fits in at a party as well as it fits in their pocket. Just like a point-and-shoot, it comes in six colours but the Mini is really an SLRquality camera hiding behind the simplicity and looks of a genuine compact. It makes high-class photography and movie-making wonderfully easy.

Olympus’ Live Guide gives beginners intuitive control of key parameters like aperture and depth of field, without them needing to know how they work. Six Art Filters add fun creative effects to both Full HD movies or stills and if you don’t know what a setting in the menu is for, a window pops up to tell you.

With the world’s fastest* autofocus systems, great low light performance plus a superb choice of high-grade Olympus lenses and stylish accessories, it’s tough to see just what the PEN Mini can’t do.

Also known as the PEN E-PM1, it’s available from early autumn in silver, black, white, silver-rose, purple and brown. Pricing will start at £449.99 for a standard kit including an M.Zuiko 14-42mm II R lens.

A camera for everyone

Olympus developed the PEN for people who get a kick out of great images, but find shooting with high-end cameras way too tough since most SLR cameras are heavy to carry and relatively difficult to use. The Olympus PEN Mini changes all that. The Mini generates the stunning picture quality of a large SLR camera, with none of the hassle or baggage.

It’s smaller and lighter than almost every other system camera with interchangeable lenses, has a faster autofocus*, plus it’s easy to use and it looks fantastic. This new PEN has the inimitable style of a must-have icon. With its slender contours and premium finish, it’s the sort of camera you’re happy to take out and show off wherever you are. Even the supplied high-grade lens looks the part.

A guide for every shot

Like the rest of the PEN range, no matter how bad (or good) a photographer or filmmaker you are, the PEN Mini makes sure you get your settings just right, with none of the work. There are pop-up descriptions in the main menu in case you forget what all the different things mean. And with the quick-access Live Guide assistant, you can see on the LCD what needs adjusting to get the best shot available – and check how any changes will affect your picture when you push a dial on the back.

With Live Guide, without knowing how they work, you can adjust factors that are essential to final picture quality, including Colour Intensity, Lighting Mood, Brightness, Background Blur and Motion Blur. Of course, the Live Guide helps you capture excellent movies as well as stills. The Mini can record moving footage in the beautiful 1080i Full High Definition AVCHD format, which generates smaller files that are perfectly suited for playing back on TV. Alternatively, you can select 720p HD Motion JPEG video, which makes the files easier to edit on a PC.

Art Filters for special effects

If you like the visual effects graphic designers add to photographs in magazines, you’ll love the creative Art Filters on the PEN Mini. There’s Pop Art, Soft Focus, Grainy Film, Pinhole, Diorama and Dramatic Tone, which gives shots a dynamic atmosphere by boosting the contrast.

All six filters can be applied on-camera to both Full HD movies and stills – at the touch of button, no PC software required. As soon as your photos are ready, you can share them with friends on the LCD as a slideshow – or in radiant colour on a big High Definition TV.

System lenses for excellent images

As a system camera, the Mini is compatible with a huge range of accessories and lenses for every possible situation. The main kit includes a first-class M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm (28-84mm**) 1:3.5-5.6 II R lens, but the Mini can also take more than 500 other lenses (some via an adapter), including Olympus’ legendary M.ZUIKO DIGITAL range of ultra-high quality optics.

Thanks to the Mini’s in-body Image Stabilisation, irrespective which lens you choose, blur-free shots are virtually guaranteed. The Mini’s FAST AF has a big role to play here too. It’s one the world’s fastest* autofocus systems for cameras with interchangeable lenses.

In addition to the external flash supplied with the camera, users can attach a growing number of classic Olympus accessories via the Accessory Port 2, for example the Bluetooth®-compatible PENPAL Communication Unit that automatically reformats still photos for wireless transfer to other compatible devices and social media. For safe, stylish and inconspicuous storage, the optional sporty Street Case fits the Mini like a glove.

The PEN Mini is available in black, white, silver, dark brown, purple and silver rose from early autumn 2011.

PEN Mini main features:

Design
 Small, light system camera with interchangeable lenses
 Super-stylish design available in six attractive colours
 Interchangeable decoration ring on supplied lens

Image Quality
 Powerful TruePic VI image engine for faster recovery time and excellent image quality
 Ultra-effective in-body image stabilisation for blur-free movies and stills with any lens
 Compact M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm (28-84mm**) 1:3.5-5.6 II R fast and near-silent (Movie and Still compatible) lens
 12.3 effective Megapixel High Speed Live MOS sensor for excellent low-light performance and Full HD movie recording
 ISO 12800 sensitivity
 1080i Full HD stereo movie recording as AVCHD or Motion JPEG Ease of Use
 3.0” LCD with 460,000 dot resolution
 FAST AF, world’s fastest* autofocus system. Always on, with 35 AF points, low-light AF Illuminator and out-of-picture AF Tracking
 Intuitive Live Guide in HD Movie, still and P/S/M/A mode
 Pop-up description for each menu point
 Live View in HD Movie and still mode
 Easy-to-use Live Wheel feature menu
 Fewer buttons means simpler operation

Creativity & Flexibility
 Six creative Art Filters in HD Movie and still modes
 Accessory Port 2 for compatibility with the growing family of PEN accessories
 Compatible with 20 Micro Four Thirds, 27 Four Thirds and more than 500 other lenses (via an adapter)
 1/4000th sec. shutter speed with 5fps sequential shooting
 Multi Exposure mode for 2 RAW images
 Long-life BLS-5 Li-ion battery

Other highlights
 External, tiltable flash supplied
 3D still photos
 Slideshow playback
 SDXC*** card and Eye-Fi compatible
 Wireless flash control

For a full list of PEN Mini features, go to http://www.olympus.co.uk

* As of June 2011.
** 35mm camera equivalent.
*** SD is a trademark of SD Card Association

[Olympus]