Nikon Coolpix P90 12.1MP Digital Camera with 24x Wide Angle Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom and 3 inch Tilt LCD

Review: Olympus Pen E-PM1

Olympus Pen E-PM1

The Olympus Pen E-PM1 is a very small and slim 12 MP compact camera. The auto-focus system implemented is probably the fastest in the world, the LCD is 3 inches and the camera can record at 1080i. You can buy the camera in several colors: grey, brown, pink, white, purple and black for just $499.99.

Since both Sony and Panasonic launched a series of really small cameras, Olympus didn’t want to fall behind and launched their version of World’s smallest compact camera the PEN Mini or E-PM1. The camera weights just 217g (the body) and it is measuring 109.5 x 63.7 x 34 mm; basically the camera is very similar in weight and sizes with its rivals from Sony, the NEX-C3 and from Panasonic, the DMC-GF3.

The Olympus Pen E-PM1 is the cheapest, smallest and lightest camera Olympus sells. The camera borrows a lot of features from E-PL3, its bigger brother, like the 12.3 MP sensors or the 3 inch LCD screen.

The auto-focus system is another feature used by both E-PL3 and E-PM1 and it is considered to be the fastest focus system available on the market. This is possible due the True Pic IV processor and to the 35 point range that is spread over the LMOS sensor. The camera does not have an electronic or optical viewfinder, so you must use the LCD when making photos or use the special accessory port V2 available on the camera that accepts external viewfinders.

The camera takes very good pictures, but not as good as its bigger brother, the E-P3, but makes better pictures than Panasonic Lumix G series and has some extra features like the body integrated image stabilization, stereo sound, and Full HD video.  Unfortunately this camera doesn’t have a built in flash, instead you will find an external flash in the package.  You can use a wireless flash, if you choose, as the Pen E-PM1 supports such a device.

Another good feature is the boost of low light sensitivity from ISO 6400 to ISO 12800 which very convenient in low light situations.

Conclusion

The Olympus Pen E-PM1 is the first product in a series of small, sexy and light DSLR PEN cameras, with brilliant design without any sacrifice to picture quality and features.  The bigger brother, the E-PL3 looked like they made some compromise on some features, like the built in flash, in their pursuit of a better style. In the same time, all these compromises are understandable for the Olympus Pen E-PM1 due to its small size. Its small size has some downfalls: some buttons that are useful are missing, like the Delete Button, Shooting Mode dial, some Key controls or ISO button. The performance of the Olympus Pen E-PM1 is very similar with the performance of E-PL3, thus most users won’t see a real difference between these two; only those with more experience will notice the difference.

Review: Olympus VR-320

Olympus VR-320

The VR-320 from Olympus is a small pocket camera with 14MP sensor and a respectable 12.5x optical zoom. The camera has some interesting features like HD movie capture, dual image stabilization, 3 inches LCD, Magic Filters, 1 cm macro mode, Intelligent Auto Mode, auto-focus tracking and others. You can buy this small camera in blue, red, silver and black for as low as $109.00 (black).

If you don’t want to spend a fortune on a camera but get a good focal range, in the same time, then a travel zoom compact camera like the Olympus VR-320 is exactly what you need. The 14.5 MP sensor and the 12.5x optical zoom is not very common on a small pocket camera.

According to manufacturer the camera has a metal body, but in reality it feels more like plastic. The weight of this camera is around 158g, and its sizes are quite small: 100.6×58.2×28.5mm.

There aren’t too many things to say about this camera. The menu is quite simple and basic; the camera is able to record HD video and has a dedicated button for recording, but the resolution is only 720p and the sound is mono.

The zoom is very good, especially because of the dual image stabilization (software and mechanical) and they included seven Magic Filters and iAuto mode. You should understand that this was designed and is a point and shoot pocket camera. The back LCD has an aspect ratio of 4:3 and it is quite good, but in a bright day you will have some problems seeing if the picture was focused properly or not.

The design is not too fancy but rather functional and everything says that this is a budget camera with only the basic controls, all placed exactly where they should be. On the front you will see, like always, the lens which retracts when the camera is closed; on top there are the on/off, shutter release buttons and the zoom lever. The back, is dominated by the 3 inch LCD screen. Unfortunately they didn’t include a HDMI port, only a simple USB port on the back.

The camera boots quite fast, in one or two seconds and you can take pictures right after it boots up. If you don’t press the shutter release completely the LCD will show the image after exposure and focus. After pressing the shutter release completely, the camera will take the picture and save it on the SD card in 2-3 seconds.

Conclusion

From any point you will look at this camera you will notice that the Olympus VR-320 is a low budget modest camera with a small price and a good sensor and a nice 12.5x zoom. Don’t expect to make crystal clear pictures, this is a budget camera after all, but in normal daylight the picture quality is quite good, but not impressive. Magic Filters add a bit extra for this money, since only few manufacturers implemented such features on budget cameras. In the end, the camera does its job and the price is really great. You could not expect more from a budget small pocket camera.

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