For photography aficionados out there, this is a treat! Olympus have announced three new cameras, each catering to different markets.
Olympus OM-D E-M10
The first one is a new camera for their micro-four thirds line. Called the OM-D E-M10, it’s the little brother of their current flagship, the E-M1. Aesthetically, though, it seems to be closer to the aging but venerable E-M5 (my personal camera). Its sensor seems more similar to the E-M1, though, and is at 16MP (just like the E-M1 and E-M5). As the more budget-friendly version, it does lose out on some of the features, such as the 5-axis in-body image stabilization. In its stead is a less effective 3-axis in-body image stabilization. It does one-up its two bigger brothers by incorporating a built-in flash. But since both the E-M1 and E-M5 came with a small external flash as a standard package, it’s a moot point.
The E-M10 also has built-in Wi-Fi, 3.0-inch touchscreen, electronic viewfinder, 8fps burst mode and HD movie recording, all encased in a compact metal body which I’m assuming is also weather sealed. It’ll come in two packages: a body-only package priced at $699.99 and with the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42 mm f3.5-5.6 II R lens package priced at $799.99. It will be sold in black and silver colors this March.
Olympus Stylus SP-100
The second camera, the Stylus SP-100, is a camera with a fixed, super-zoom lens (50x or 24-1200mm to be exact) that lets you feel like a sniper because it’s the first camera of its kind to incorporate a red dot sight. Yes, the same ones used in firearms. It gives a whole new meaning to photography shooting doesn’t it? It’s supposed to help you keep track of the subject, especially when you are zoomed all the way in. The red dot sight is placed above the electronic viewfinder and can be closed when not in use. Its innards aren’t too shabby, too, with a 16MP CMOS sensor, TruePic VIII image processor, a 3.0-inch, 920k dot LCD and 460k dot EVF, and can record 1080p videos at 60fps. Also out this March, it’ll go for $399.99.
Olympus Stylus TG-850
The last one is a point-and-shoot waterproof camera, the Stylus TG-850. While its rugged, waterproof body is its main selling point, it does have other goodies. It uses a super wide angle 21-105mm lens with 5x optical zoom, a 3.0-inch, 460k dot LCD that can flip 180 degrees to take self portraits, a 7.1fps burst mode and 1080p fps60 video recording. It’s priced at $249.99 and will be available in March.