Olympus has announced that its smallest Micro Four Thirds camera, the E-PM1 PEN Mini, will be available for purchase in September for $499.99.
The camera is bundled with the same MSC M. Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm II R f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens that is included with its other PEN cameras, including the E-P3 and E-PL3. The 12.3-megapixel E-PM1 will be available in black, silver, pink, purple, brown, and white.
The camera's large, 3-inch LCD is packed with 460,000 dots of resolution and in-body image stabilization helps you capture sharp images in dim lighting. An accessory port and standard hot shoe are available, making it possible to use an external EVF or flash. The camera doesn't have a built-in flash, but an accessory pop-up flash is included.
Olympus has designed the camera's menu system to use on-screen graphics. A pop-up guide is available to explain settings to users moving up from a point-and-shoot. Popular features, including Art Filters, iAuto, Scene Modes, and Movie recording, are very easy to activate. A 3D photo mode rounds out the camera's feature set.
Late last month, Olympus also set a September release date for the PEN E-PL3 Micro Four Thirds camera and announced a VF-3 viewfinder accessory and SP-810UZ ultrazoom digital camera. The 12-megapixel E-PL3, the successor to the E-PL2, uses a tilting 16:9 LCD display, a departure from the fixed 4:3 OLED display of its predecessor, and eliminates the built-in flash that was found on the E-PL2. The camera will be available as a kit with either the M. Zuiko 14-42mm zoom lens or M. Zuiko 17mm pancake prime lens. Both kits are set to retail at $699.99 in black, white, red, and silver.