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post by ableh

The Micro Four Thirds system turned two years old last October, and a lot has happened since Panasonic debuted the DSLR-inspired, but mirrorless Lumix DMC-G1. What was then a brand new system has had time to mature, and mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs) now make up one of the fastest-growing and competitive segments of the consumer digital camera market.

Although the Micro Four Thirds system got in first, Panasonic and Olympus haven’t had everything their own way. After a decent head start, Panasonic’s G-system and the Olympus PEN-series have been joined by Samsung’s small-but-growing NX range, and Sony’s innovative NEX-3 and NEX-5. All this competition has resulted in a rash of new releases from both ‘original’ mirrorless ILC manufacturers in recent months, as Panasonic and Olympus attempt to consolidate their early lead and grab as much market share as possible.

Part of that strategy is to aim lower, at novice rather than solely enthusiast consumers. The Olympus E-PL1, released in February 2009, was designed to appeal to precisely this market, filling the gap between high-end compact cameras and enthusiast-oriented, mostly DSLR-inspired, ILCs. The E-PL1 dispensed with the control dials of the E-P1 and E-P2, but retained the same sensor (albeit with a lighter AA filter), in a smaller, considerably more compact-like body. It also boasted – gasp! – a built-in flash; something which Olympus opted to dispense with in both the E-P1 and E-P2.

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just post by ableh

The M Zuiko Digital 14-150mm F4-5.6 is its fourth lens Olympus Pen series cameras, and the first to venture into the region telephoto. 10.7x zoom ratio firmly in place “superzoom” territory, covering a range of very useful 28-300mm equivalent, making it ideal for general “walkaround use or travel. (In fact, Olympus said that with her on your camera, you never miss a photo opportunity, perhaps begging the question why the company still makes other goals.)

Like all superzoom 14-150mm uses a complex optical formula, with 15 elements in 11 groups including 3 aspherical elements (one ED glass is) to correct the aberrations. But unlike others, is an objective rather light, tipping the scales at less than 10 ounces. It is relatively small too – Olympus suggests that the volume was reduced by 35% compared to its analog digital SLR lens – the maintenance of the Pen series’ emphasis on portability. The autofocus system has been designed to meet the demands of filming, and uses only two elements focusing lens that promises fast and silent AF. There is a circular aperture to give smooth fuzzy environments, but in what becomes a kind of trend line of the pen, the hood is an option.

A missing feature, however, is integrated into the optical stabilization, simply because Olympus uses stabilizing the housing for its cameras Pen. This means that owners of Panasonic G Series will not receive any form of stabilization at all with that goal, which is an important consideration for a relatively long slow zoom. This is the main difference from the most obvious alternative, Panasonic Lumix G Vario own HD 14-140mm F4-5.8 OIS, but the increased complexity of objective results stabilized at a hefty price tag. Let’s see how the Olympus realizes.

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