Photography Digest

The classically-styled PEN series of Little Four Thirds similar connections camcorders has given Olympus to be able to emphasize the little, well-known half-frame styles that it designed in its film the best possible. But it wasn't just the determine and design of the PEN and Trip camcorders that lay behind their achievements - it was also their fulfillment. And it's this ethos that explains the E-PM1, or PEN Little as it is likely to be promoted to its prospective audiences.

The Pen Little really does remain up to its name. With a main or sinkable kit get in touch with set up, it is very little indeed. It isn't quite authentic, but it's certainly more authentic around than any DSLR.

To go with the user-friendly determine, Olympus has identified for a beginner-orientated design and individual personal individual individual individual individual individual individual interface, with the least of management control management control management control management control buttons and cellular mobile cellular cell cellular phone phone cellular mobile cell cellular phone phone cellular phone telephone phone calls. Unseen below, though, the E-PM1 preserves much the same operate set as the enthusiast-targeted E-P3. The more-advanced features aren't quite as easy to get at, but they're almost all there.

A such, the PEN Mini's attention is probably two-pronged. To beginning electric electronic cameras fans or lightweight image electronic image picture picture photo photographic electronic camera upgraders its attention can be discovered in the factor that it is a little, lightweight and cost-effective (especially in the US, where Olympus's expenses is particularly aggressive) similar connections image electronic image picture picture photo photographic electronic camera which provides a lot of features without being frustrating. For fans, however, it is eye-catching because it gives you a lot of the 'guts' of much more expensive styles like the E-P3 and indeed the E-5, but at a low price and in a more authentic program.

For $200 more, the PEN-E-PL3 provides a little bit more immediate management, a operate change and a losing LCD show, but that is quite much the stage of the headline modifications between the two techniques. The E-PM1 can be used as a usually 'point-and-shoot' image electronic image picture picture photo photographic electronic camera, but its specifications does allow position for a beginning electric electronic cameras to make. We can't see E-PM1 clients creating the fulfillment of their kit zooms to try factors out with Olympus and Panasonic's wider broad variety of Little Four Thirds connections quite as much as E-PL3 or E-P3 business owners might, but the option is there. As such, despite its similar determine and expenses, the E-PM1 is exclusive from high-end lightweight camcorders like the Canon Powershot G12 and Nikon P7100 by advantages of its position within a program.

Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1 key specifications:

• Updated 12MP Live MOS sensor
• 120 Hz 'Fast AF' focus system
• Clip-on flash (included)
• Built-in autofocus illuminator light
• 460,000 dot LCD screen (16:9 aspect ratio)
• Dual-core TruePic VI processor
• 1080i60 movies in AVCHD format
• In-body (sensor-shift) image stabilization system

The Mini borrows the PL3's slimmed-down look. There's no built-in flash (a clip-on unit is included in the box, instead), and it shares the distinctly Sony-esque protruding lens mount. Despite being the least expensive model in the range, Olympus still includes stereo microphones for movie recording.

Differences between the PEN Mini (E-PM1) and PEN E-PL3

• LCD is fixed, rather than E-PL3's tilting version
• PEN Mini has no mode dial and fewer external controls
• PEN Mini is slimmer, due to fixed LCD, slightly smaller and lighter.

Compared to Sony NEX-C3

The PEN Mini ends up being a very similar size to Sony's NEX-C3, but its collapsible zoom lens makes the overall package smaller and closer to being pocketable.

Source:www.dpreview.com