Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

 

The Olympus E-P2 is Back in Black

By

Olympus has announced an all-black kit for the E-P2 Micro Four Thirds camera.  Not only is the camera body black, but the 17mm lens and FL-14 flash also come in black.

This will perhaps make the camera a bit more subtle for those who want to draw less attention.  I know that I continually drew comments from random people on the street when testing the E-P1.

The blacked out E-P2 kit carries an initial retail price of $999.99 and should be available in October 2010.  Check availability at B&H Photo.

Olympus E-PL1 Gets Augmented Reality Treatment

By

Olympus has launched an augmented reality demo for the E-PL1, which lets you demo the camera online with the help of your web cam.  When I received the email containing Total Immersion’s press release (the guys behind the augmented reality plugin), I was scratching my head a bit.  But then, I watched the below video and that better explained it (’cause it’s something you really have to see to get it – or maybe it’s just me). [Read more…]

Olympus E-PL1 Review

By

The Olympus E-PL1 is the latest in the line of PEN cameras, which prior models include the original E-P1 and the E-P2.  The E-PL1 is the first PEN camera targeted at and priced toward the consumer market.  As with the other PEN models, the E-PL1 is a Micro Four Thirds format camera and features a 2x crop factor over traditional 35mm sensors.  That means that the 14-42mm lens feels like a 28-84mm lens on a full frame camera.

One of the biggest problems I experienced with the first generation PEN, the E-P1, was slow autofocus tracking, which spoiled the solid image quality the camera otherwise delivered.  Overall, I gave the E-P1 rather poor marks in usability for all but a rather niche group.  Time heals all wounds though – and the new E-PL1 provides a better overall experience even if it still has less-than-perfect autofocus.

To see where the Olympus E-PL1 shines and shames, read on. [Read more…]

Olympus E-PL1 Sample Photos

By

As part of my upcoming review of the Olympus E-PL1, I have spent some time capturing images in a number of different situations.  It will be a little while still before the review is complete; however, I wanted to pass along these sample images for you to check out. [Read more…]

Olympus SP-800UZ Review

By

The Olympus SP-800UZ is a 14-megapixel superzoom camera with a whopping 30x zoom range, which measures to the equivalent of 28-840mm on a 35mm camera.  With a feature set that matches up against the likes of the Nikon P100 and Fuji HS10, the Olympus SP-800UZ has some serious competition in the superzoom department.  To see how it stacks up, read on. [Read more…]

Olympus SP-800UZ Hands-On Review

By

Olympus SP-800UZ

The Olympus SP-800UZ is a 14MP superzoom camera that features a 30x optical zoom lens.  The lens zoom range works out to a 28-840mm equivalent on a full frame camera. To help out with keeping the camera steady, the SP-800UZ offers Olympus’ Dual Image Stabilization, which combines sensor-shift stabilization with high ISO and faster shutter speeds to reduce blur.

The SP-800UZ can also capture 720p HD video, which is easy to activate thanks to a dedicated one-touch video record button on the rear in easy reach of the thumb. [Read more…]