Olympus EP-1

Includes Bonus Sandisk 4GB Memory Card & Delux Inca Cleaning Kit (with single kit only)

The Olympus FL-14 compact flash is elegantly designed to compliment the styling of the Olympus PEN with enough flash power to illuminate your subjects in extreme low light situations. The FL-14 features ideal compactness and covers a wide-angle of 28mm (film equivalent) and is well matched with the  M.Zuiko 17mm & 14-42mm lenses. There’s never been a better time to buy an Olympus PEN E-P1.

The PEN E-P1 is the first model in Olympus' revolutionary new PEN series of digital cameras that provides the picture quality of the traditional SLR with the size and ease-of-use of a compact camera. If you find SLR cameras a little bit bigger than you'd like, but want the better picture quality of SLR cameras, with the new E-P1, you can now have the best of both worlds. 

Key Features:

• 12.3 Megapixel
• SLR picture quality
• HD Movie recording
• Interchangeable lenses
• Image Stabiliser built-in
• 3 inch LCD
• ISO 6400 (max)

What Olympus Says About The EP-1:

Sleekly designed with a modern yet classic look, the PEN E-P1 impresses with its premium feel from an exterior finish of stainless steel and aluminium. 

Sporting a large 3 inch LCD screen with a wide-viewing angle, autofocusing is fast and precise, allowing you to capture your important moments with confidence. 

AS EASY TO USE AS A COMPACT CAMERA

Operating the PEN E-P1 is as easy as setting it to the truly fuss-free Intelligent Auto (I-AUTO) mode and letting the camera get the best shot for you. In I-AUTO, the camera automatically picks out the optimum settings for you to ensure that exposure and colour always looks the best for the scene you're taking a picture of. It even turns on Face Detection to ensure that pictures of friends and loved ones are always focused on them, automatically balancing the brightness of their faces with that of the background, ensuring that both turn out beautifully.

HD MOVIE RECORDING WITH STEREO SOUND

Movie capture in widescreen High Definition (HD720p) allows you to record those special moments that only a video will do - with CD-quality stereo sound no less. Imagine the convenience of being able to film a candlelit birthday scene, a christening, a big festive celebration, or a family backyard BBQ, and then immediately switch over to shoot a high-resolution still picture of such quality that you can print to a meter wide! Not printing yet? Just gather friends and family around to show off your pictures and video on your HDTV through the convenience of the HDMI interface on the camera. Or upload movies to the many online video sharing websites for friends and family to relive the shared moments.

CREATIVE OPTIONS GALORE

Need to add some instant flair to your pictures or movies? Six easily applied Art Filter effects will make your pictures and movies truly stand out. Choose from the colour intensifying Pop Art, dreamy Soft Focus, chillout Pale & Light Colour, lightening Light Tone, film-noir Grainy Film, or arty Pinhole filter effects. Need to shoot with a wide-screen look? Change from the usual 4:3 picture shape to 16:9 by using the easy-access Live Control. A square 6:6 and postcard print shape 3:2 format are also selectable.

USE THE LENS THAT SUITS THE SHOT

Being able to change lenses means you're not limited to the lens you get with the camera. You can use a multi-purpose zoom lens like the new 14-42mm standard wide zoom for most of your landscape, family, macro and general travel photos, and then switch to even wider* or longer* lenses when you feel the need to capture even more of the scene.

FULLY COMPATIBLE WITH THE WORLD'S LARGEST RANGE OF DIGITAL LENSES

Compatibility with the world's largest range of digital lenses, the Olympus E-system DSLR lenses , via the optional MMF-1 lens adapter means that you're never short on lens choices. Featuring some of the smallest and lightest SLR lenses available, most of the affordable but high-performance Standard series "Zuiko Digital" lenses complement the size and weight of the PEN E-P1 especially well.

A SERIOUS CAMERA FOR THE ENTHUSIAST AS WELL

For the SLR photography enthusiast, the PEN E-P1 is arguably the ideal compact complement to the larger sized digital SLR camera that you already own. 

Featuring a sensor size that's four times the size of the largest used in a "consumer compact" camera, and typically even larger than most model compact cameras, together with the newly designed Truepic V image processing engine, the new E-P1 provides pictures of exceptional tonality and detail, with an ISO capability of up to 6400 for available light photography.

Traditional exposure modes of Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Speed priority and Program Auto can be selected at a flick of a dial to suit your preferred way of controlling exposure. A 324-zone light meter in the intelligent ESP metering mode provides accurate automated exposure decisions, or use center-weighted or spotmetering. 

FOR THE BEST PICTURE RESULTS, YOU NEED GREAT LENSES

The new range of "M.Zuiko" lenses designed for PEN cameras promise to bring an even higher level of lens performance to the digital arena with their shorter flange-back distance. Constantly pushing optical design and manufacturing technology to higher levels, the best glass and cutting-edge lens designs provide the utmost precise optical quality with the new M.Zuiko line of lenses. The new 14-42mm standard wide lens, for instance, features a novel retracting lens barrel for minimum bulk in transport and utilise ED, HR and unique twin-sided aspherical glass technology normally found in the very high end SLR lenses. The new 17mm ultra-flat pancake lens is designed for true wide-open aperture shooting with razor sharp center to edge performance.

AMAZING LENS COMPATIBILITY

The new MMF-1 lens adapter enables the use of all current Olympus E-System SLR lenses with the PEN E-P1. This means that you are able to use the largest range of digital lenses in the world to get the shot you want.

For the photographer with legacy Olympus OM series film camera lenses** the new MF-2 adapter allows you to use your lens collection easily with the PEN E-P1. A myriad range of aftermarket lens adapters for the Micro Four Thirds lens mount permit the use of even non-Olympus** branded lenses with the PEN E-P1.

What's Included:

• Olympus EP-1
• Li-ion battery BLS-1
• Li-ion battery charger BCS-1
• USB/Video Multi cable
• Shoulder strap
• OLYMPUS Master CD-ROM
• Instruction manual
• Warranty card

WARRANTY: 1 Year Australian Warranty*
*Extended Warranties Available

I have to admit, when I first heard that Olympus were releasing a new digital SLR, the 'Pen', I was less than stunned with excitement. What sounded like an expensive hybrid, based on the micro-four thirds format, isn't something I could see a lot of demand for.

However, at last weekend's PMA show in Sydney, I got to see one, and I have to say, I was very impressed. The camera just oozes the style and sophistication of a bygone age of photography.

Available with either a single lens kit (including 14-42mm lens) and twin lens (with additional 17mm prime lens), prices should start around $1400.

This camera is going to be VERY hard to source at first. Luke-warm reception by most vendors...guilty...meant that Olympus haven't ordered big, so stock will scarce.

We'll post pricing and availability information as soon as we have any updates.