New: Olympus goes full retro with E-P5

This is new from Olympus.

In a change from the usual kit lens bundle which is usually a zoom, the E-P5 will be bundled together with the black M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f/1.8 lens for RM4,499. A body-only option will also be available for RM3,499.

OLYMPUS has gone full retro with its latest Micro Four Thirds camera, the Pen E-P5.

While previous Pen models already share a similar design to the original Pen half-frame film cameras, the E-P5 takes it a step further with a design and logo that looks very close to the classic Pen F camera.

However, in this case the design is only skin deep, and underneath the sleek exterior, the E-P5 features everything you'd expect from a modern mirrorless interchangeable lens camera plus a few features unique this model.

The E-P5 shares many features with the OM-D E-M5 camera, including the 16-megapixel Live MOS image sensor and excellent five-axis built-in image stabilisation system.

Also unchanged is Olympus' extremely fast contrast detect autofocus also taken from the OM-D, but now with a new "short release time lag" mode which will allow for faster shot-to-shot times, although at the expense of battery life.

New design, updated feature set

With the E-P5, Olympus has once again taken a look at the features of its previous cameras and improved on them.

In keeping with the sleek retro looks, the company has redesigned the camera to have no visible screws on the top and sides. In fact, the only screws are on the bottom plate of the camera.

More importantly, Olympus has also introduced a new LCD screen that is even thinner than the one found on their previous cameras - it now sits almost completely flush with the lines of the body.

Unfortunately, like in the OM-D E-M5, the LCD screen still only tilts forwards and backwards and cannot be rotated.

The E-P5 also comes with a new more reliable shutter unit, and now boasts a 1/8,000sec mechanical shutter speed.

However, the most interesting new addition to the E-P5's feature set is built-in WiFi, which allows iOS and Android device users to not only transfer images from the camera but also to obtain a live view image and snap photos.

While this in itself is not unique in the digital camera market, the method by which the smartphone or tablet pairs with the E-P5 is - when WiFi is turned on, the camera will actually generate a QR code which can be read using the smartphone/tablet camera and appropriate QR code reader.

If the smartphone or tablet does not yet have the Olympus OI.Share software, the user will be prompted to install it from Google Play or the iOS App Store.

If it's already installed, the OI.Share app will be launched and the camera and the smartphone/tablet will be paired together using information obtained from the QR code.



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