Keep up! The speed-blurry world of Olympus PEN cameras

Not even three months after the PEN E-P2 launch and eight months after the Pen E-P1, big bad Olympus has ripped the veil off the E-PL1 PEN digital camera

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The introduction's pretty cheesy, and we're pretty sure it wasn't done on a Olympus PEN camera, but you'll get the idea. YouTube video from getolympus.

We love our gadgets and our tech toys. We really do. If we're not the first to see the newest gizmo on the block we generally go into a week-long sulk. But even we are having a hard time keeping up with some of the techy speedsters out there. Take Olympus. Olympus first introduced the Olympus Pen E-P1 cameras to the world in June 2009, and photography buffs all "oohh-ed" and "ahh-ed" their way to the shops. Then, barely five months later, we saw the newer, better PEN E-P2 pop into the marketplace, causing more than a few to gnash their teeth and lament, "why didn't we just wait!?" And now, not even three months after that, big bad Olympus has ripped the veil off the even newer E-PL1 PEN digital camera.

Sigh. So many cameras, so little money.

Olympus PEN E-PL1 -- we like it, but should we wait another three months for the newer version?

The good news is that the new PEN E-PL1 isn't a souped-up version of the first E-P1 and E-P2 -- it's a more bare-bones, entry-level model that's targeted at consumers and photography novices with a simpler interface and more point-and-shoot functions. Other new features include a dedicated movie-mode button for easy HD movie recording and the Live Guide interface, where settings such as brightness, hue, background defocusing, and other image settings are all adjusted from the LCD screen.

Six Art Filters are also included, including a new Gentle Sepia filter, and they can be applied to movies as well as still-image shooting. Like the E-P2, the E-PL1 is equipped with an accessory port that can be used to attach a viewfinder or microphone. Gone are the manual control dials of the E-P1 and E-P2, so if you're an experienced photographer debating between the existing PEN cameras or Panasonic's GF1, leave the E-PL1 out of the equation -- you'll likely be irritated by the sheer amount of button-pressing to get the settings you need.

However, what's really interesting are the new lenses and accessories to be rolled out with the E-PL1. There's two additions to the range -- the M.Zuiko 14–150mm F4.0–5.6 (35mm equivalent of 28–300mm) and M.Zuiko 9–18mm F4.0–5.6 (35mm equivalent of 18–36mm) Micro Four Thirds System lenses, as well as the PT-EP01 Underwater Case (for the E-PL1) obviously. Olympus has traditionally been one of the favorite brands for divers and underwater photographers, so that's a nice spot of welcome news.

Local retail pricing is not available now, but the Olympus PEN E-PL1 will hit shelves in March 2010, at the estimated retail price of US$599.99. Will Olympus roll out another E-PL2 version three months later? We're torn between a greedy more-is-always-good tech obsession, and the concern that if we do get all these cameras, we should probably learn how to shoot a decent picture too at some point.

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A technology reporter and wannabe entrepreneur in a previous life, Larry is now City Editor for CNNGo Singapore, where he sacrifices his nights, caffeine intake and waistline to the demands of the job.