Olympus E-P2 PEN 50 year 1959-2009
The throwback instant re-classic Olympus Pen camera has returned after 50 years of cult status. This time cloaked in a powerful digital body, with over 12 million pixels of art power at its command a photographer's point and shoot is born. With art filters enabled you can choose from several fun, and sometimes swanky modes to really spur creativity, a cross process mode that really is the most reliable digital Lomo experience I have seen. Art filters do seem rather lame for the seasoned of Photoshoppers out there, however on board instant filtering is a boon to creativity and spontaneity that really is a fun retro activity. There is a certain satisfaction to heavy limitations on perfect outcomes birthing beautiful shots. The fact that the micro four thirds system is tiny also means many will actually carry these cameras around, and capture real shots unscripted with great frequency, some of the best shots are accidents and candid.
I drank a bottle of wine and took the E-P2 for an art filter test drive, I was pleasantly surprised at the speed and low light performance. I firstly noted the sturdy, heavy feel of the camera. This followed by a great loud shutter sound made for a true retro feel, top it off with the oversized cheezy neck strap and you are one camel hair jacket away from 70's awesome chic. I will continue testing the new firmware and update as the software improves. I was shooting the Lumix pancake style 20mm lens, and hope to score some retro glass soon for further exploration. Some great examples of the exciting new Micro Four Thirds format follow:
From the man:
The stylish retro black metal body of the new E-P2 may be reminiscent of a traditional rangefinder – but there's nothing traditional about this powerful new camera from Olympus. The E-P2 is a 12.3-megapixel interchangeable lens camera, and it blends the high-quality still images of a DSLR with High Definition (HD) video, stereo Linear PCM audio recording and in-camera creativity – all inside an ultra-portable, easy-to-use body. The E-P2 also brings a new twist to the PEN lineup: an accessory port which accommodates the included VF-2 electronic view finder or optional external microphone adapter (SEMA-1).
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