Olympus E-P2 Camera Gets Needed Upgrade

the new Olympus E-P2 micro four-thirds digital camera keeps its 12.3 megapixel resolution and adds an accessory port, manual controls for movie more, and continuous autofocus.

It was just back in June that Olympus introduced its Pen E-P1 micro four-thirds camera, promising to being DSLR-like quality to a small, consumer-friendly form factor. But today Olympus is already rolling out an improved model in the form of the Olympus Pen E-P2, adding a fe key features to address photographers’ gripes about the E-P1 and packing one of two high performance lenses. But where the E-P2 improves on the E-P1, the E-P2’s price tag is substantially higher.

“The high demand for the E-P1 demonstrates that today’s photo enthusiasts and consumers want the high-quality imaging like that of DSLRs in a compact retro design,” said Olympus’s senior marketing manager for digital SLR John Knaur, in a statement. “The new Pen builds on the success of the E-P1 by adding many of the features that were on enthusiasts’ wish list for the second generation.”

One big addition to the E-P2 two is an accessory port below the camera’s hot shoe, enabling users to connect a separate electronic viewfinder or an optional stereo microphone for shooting video with sound. The E-P2 also sports a full manual aperture control in movie mode (giving videographers that creative freedom they so desire), and the camera sports a new continuous autofocus feature that can track subjects not only across a frame, but back and forth within a frame.

The rest of the basic specs for the E-P1 are remarkably similar to the E-P1: a 12.3 megapixel resolution, SD/SDHC storage, HD video shooting capability, in-body image stabilization, and a 3-inch LCD display. The camera also features a number of built-in creative filters and features intended to let photographers express themselves more easily: the E-P2 adds a new “iEnhance” feature to create dramatic contrast and and color, and new “Diorama” and “Cross Process” filters that can be applies to still images and video.

The E-P2 will be available with one of two M. Zuiko Micro Four-Thirds lenses: 14–42mm ƒ3.5–5.6 (28–84mm equivalent) or 17mm ƒ2.8 (34mm equivalent) and detachable electronic viewfinder for a suggested retail price of $1,099.99, it should hit retailers in December 2009.