Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Camera and Lens Rebates Roundup

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Canon 60D Rebate

There have been several photo-related rebate promotions announced recently.  Below a quick roundup of all the current rebates from Canon, Nikon, Olympus and the rest courtesy of B&H Photo.

Canon Double Instant Rebate Promotion – ends January 8

Canon 60D Instant Rebate – ends November 24

Nikon DSLR and Lens Kits Instant Rebates – ends November 20

Nikon S4000 $30 Instant Savings – ends November 20

Tamron Lens Rebates – ends November 31

SanDisk Memory Card Rebates – ends January 1

Olympus E-PL1 and Lens Instant Rebates – ends January 1

Canon DSLR & Printer Rebates – ends December 31

 

Olympus: “No More Entry-Level DSLRs”

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Not that this should really surprise anyone, but Olympus seems to have gone on record to confirm that the company is no longer interested in developing entry-level DSLRs in light of its successful PEN series, which are based on the Micro Four Thirds system.

“We do not have concrete plans to replace the E-620 and other recent SLRs. The entry level SLR class can be completely replaced by the Pen system in terms of performance.” -Toshiyuki Terada, Product manager of SLR Olympus Planning Department

Terada went on to say that Olympus plans on developing an advanced-PEN camera and, at some point, Olympus expects to phase out DSLRs entirely in favor of the mirrorless Micro Four Thirds cameras.

[via Photo Rumors]

Olympus E-5 Announced

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The Olympus E-5 is the new flagship DSLR that replaces the aging Olympus E-3.  The E-5 features a 12.3MP Live MOS sensor, a 3″ swiveling LCD and sensor based image stabilization, among other new features.

The Olympus E-5 carries an initial retail price of $1699.99 and should be available in October 2010.  Check availability on Amazon.com.

Olympus E-5 Key Features

  • 12.3MP Live MOS Sensor
  • 720p HD Video Capture
  • Built-in Image Stabilization
  • ISO 100-6400
  • 11-point TTL Autofocus
  • 5 fps
  • 3″ Swivel LCD (920k dot resolution)
  • Built-in Wireless Flash Control
  • CF and SD Card Slots

More details in the press release below. [Read more…]

The Olympus E-P2 is Back in Black

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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

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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

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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…]