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Olympus has refreshed its PEN line-up to include two new models to sit in the middle, and bottom
of the range. Both of the cameras have the same 16.1 million
pixel sensor as the recently announced OM-D E-M5 which bodes extremely well for image
quality. Also new for these cameras is a 3-inch screen
which is a CAPACITIVE/RESISTIVE touch device. On the E-PL5 this is a tilting screen which
can be used for shooting from awkward angles, or even self-portraits. Here on the E-PM2
it's a fixed screen. Having a touchscreen means you can set the
autofocus point by a simple press of the finger to the screen, and you can also use touch-shutter,
which means the camera will focus and take a shot when you touch the screen.
Also shared between the two cameras is a new HDR bracket mode. This enables up to five
frames to be captured across a range that covers 12 EV.
Aside from the sensor, other technologies from the OM-D have also made it on to the
new PEN cameras. This includes Live Bulb mode which shows a long exposure image building
up on screen, allowing you to close the shutter when it looks ready.
Olympus is well-known for its love of digital art filters, with 12 available on both the
E-PL5 and E-PM2. Filters can be used in P, A, S, M modes enabling creative control over
settings such as aperture to be retained. Images can also be captured in both raw and
JPEG format. This means that a filter can be removed, or swapped for another one, in
post-capture. The E-PM2 is smaller than E-PL5, which is
turn is smaller than the PEN E-p3, the camera sitting at the top of the PEN range.
Neither of the cameras has Wi-Fi built in, but they are compatible with Toshiba's new
FlashAir SDHC cards which create a wireless network which smartphones can connect to.
THESE ARE TO BE SUPPLIED WITH THE CAMERA AT LAUNCH (check with Mark).
We have yet to be able to examine image quality from the new PEN cameras, but as they use
the same sensor as the processor as the impressive OM-D, we think we'll be seeing good things.
Read Angela Nicholson's hands-on reviews of the Olympus PEN E-PL5 and E-PM2 at TechRadar.com.