14 DAY TRIAL // Introduced at the end of June, Olympus has now announced US availability and pricing for the PEN Lite E-PL3, the company's first Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lens camera with a tilting LCD screen.
Just as the rest of its PEN siblings introduced in June, the E-PL3 is built using a Live MOS sensor with a resolution of 12.3 megapixel which was paired together with the TruePic VI image processor to enable Olympus' latest creation to reach an ISO ceiling of 12,800.
Together with the new auto-focus system reengineered to offer a faster response, the E-PL3 can deliver clean and crisp images in most day-to-day situations.
This combination of hardware components also enables 1080i Full HD video recording in the PEN Lite E-PL3, which supports the 60i (20Mbps/17Mbps), 60p (17Mbps/13Mbps), and 30p modes.
The rest of the specifications list includes a high-res 3.0-inch tilting LCD, a variety of in-camera Art Filters and a redesigned user interface.
Together with the new PEN model, Olympus has also announced the VF-3 electronic viewfinder for Micro Four Thirds cameras that features a 0.97x magnification and 920k dot resolution.
“The Olympus PEN E-PL3 is designed to capture spontaneous, authentic moments in amazing detail without the need to sacrifice portability or quality,” said Katie Roseman, senior product manager, Olympus Imaging America Inc.
“We’ve packed the affordable E-PL3 with technologies and image quality normally found in bigger DSLR-type cameras. Now, with the new VF-3, consumers can get more of a DSLR-like experience from our cameras by looking through the viewfinder to compose the shot,” concluded the Olympus representative.
The Olympus PEN E-PL3 kit will be available in black, white, red and silver, starting in September 2011 with a recommended price tag of $699.99.
The kit includes the PEN E-PL3 body with the M.ZUIKO m14-42mm f3.5/5.6 zoom or 17mm prime lens. The Olympus VF-3 electronic viewfinder has an estimated price of $179.99.