Having spent the last couple of years furnishing its OM-D line of compact system cameras with a variety of differently priced options, Olympus has been pretty quiet on the PEN front. Sure, there was the handsome PEN F camera announced back in January, although as the sole recent arrival in the series, its entry-level proposition has essentially been left unchanged.
That’s no longer the case today, however, with the arrival of the E-PL8 – although it doesn't appear that much has changed since Olympus lifted the lid on the E-PL7 back in 2014.
Once again we have the same combination of a 16. 1MP Micro Four Thirds sensor and TruePic VII processing engine, as well as the same three-axis image stabilisation system that offers the same maximum 3. 5EV stops of compensation.
There’s also the same 81-point contrast-detect AF system, same 324-zone metering system and same 3” LCD screen that responds to touch and can be tilted through a full 180 degree angle to face forwards. Fortunately, if selfies aren't your thing, you can also adjust it 80 degrees upwards. And if cables aren’t your thing, you’ll no doubt be pleased to learn that Wi-Fi has once again made the cut.
One thing that has changed, however, is the design. The E-PL7 was hardly a looker, so it’s just as well that Olympus has chosen to fashion the E-PL8 with a more rounded design that’s easier on the eye, with its angular hand grip now replaced by a long strip.
Something else that’s (slightly) changed is the camera’s burst mode, which has climbed from a maximum 8fps on the E-PL7 to 8. 5fps here, although for this you need to turn off the camera’s image stabilisation system. Otherwise you can shoot at approximately 7. 4fps, with focus and exposure fixed to that of the first frame.
The company has also chosen Photokina to announce three new lenses, including a M. Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1. 2. With an effective focal length of 50mm against a Micro Four Thirds sensor and a super wide aperture, it will no doubt tempt many portrait shooters to smash their piggy banks.
M. Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1. 2
Just as interesting is the new M. Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4. 0 IS Pro (24-200mm equivalent), whose built-in image stabilisation system partners with the five-axis image stabilization on select Olympus bodies to create something called 5-Axis Sync. If Olympus is to be believed, this combination is the most effective image stabilisation system of its kind, with a mammoth compensatory effect of 6. 5EV stops of correction possible.
M. Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4. 0 IS Pro
Completing the lens announcements is a new M. Zuiko Digital ED 30mm f/3. 5 Macro lens, while a new FL900R flashgun with a guide number of 58m @ ISO 100 and coverage between 12-100mm (24-200mm in 35mm terms) has also been announced.
M. Zuiko Digital ED 30mm f/3. 5 Macro
The E-PL8 will be available in black, white and brown finishes, with each available as a body-only option or as a kit with the M. Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f/3. 5-5. 6 lens. Olympus states that the E-PL8, together with the three new lenses and the flashgun, will all be available from October.
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2016-10-7 03:00