New E-PL1s camera, new 14-42 lens and new battery

[under water]

Olympus has announced a new version of the E-PL1 with an 's' added.
It can now go up to 6400 vs 3200 and uses a new battery.
The biggest change is a completely new version of the 14-42mm lens. This one is lighter, much quieter (and therefore useful for video) and focuses faster that the current version.

Olympus launches enhanced kit lens on Japan-only E-PL1s: Digital Photography Review

This may explain some of the bargain prices that have been available for the e-pl1 recently.
Announcement says Japan only and not before April, but the lens may be available sooner.

 

[nudibranco]

Unfortunately the magnification ratio has gotten worse so it is a step back for UW use!

 

[under water]

Unfortunately the magnification ratio has gotten worse so it is a step back for UW use!

Can you explain further?
I thought magnification ratio was a function of focal length and that hasn't changed.

 

[nudibranco]

Can you explain further?
I thought magnification ratio was a function of focal length and that hasn't changed.

Well Olympus did make the lens quiet and improved the focus by using the internal mechanism rather than rotating the front element. So the minimum focus distance is 30cm rather than 25cm... you can check that in the new spec.
Olympus announced the UW case which was the main reason I went to the EPL1 but it is not addressing the lenses that would make the EPL1 stellar underwater. No semi-fisheye or macro lens (and Pana lenses are so expensive that would make almost sense to go the DSLR way...) Anyway I know some better news will come eventually for M4/3 UW...Perils of new technologies!

cheers!

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

The minimum focus distance is still .25m or 25cm you have just been given additional information that the range is from 14 to 19 mm, the wider end. From 20 to 42 mm the minimum focus distance is .3m or 30cm. It appears to me that because of the added focus distance of 30cm on the narrow end of the lens the maximum image magnification is greater up from 0.24x to 0.19x.

If you own the current Olympus 14-42 gear and shading ring they would not fit because the new lens has a 37mm v. 40.5mm filter size and the lens is thinner. The 9-18 gear will be a perfect fit however.

No info. on how long the lens is when extended compared to the old lens.

Looks to me a better lens for both still and video in the housing.

The Olympus m4/3 "roadmap" still includes an 8mm fisheye, 12mm pancake and 50mm macro for spring 2011, time will tell.

http://www.four-thirds.org/jp/microft/standard.html#i_014-042mm_f035-056_ii_olympus

Phil Rudin

 

[under water]

Phil,
I think going from 0.24x (0.48x equiv) to 0.19x (0.38x equiv) is going down in magnification, not up.
Wouldn't 0.5x (1.0x equiv) or higher be the target?

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

You are correct Frank, so at 0.24x the image should be about 1:2 or twice life size in 35 mm terms and at 0.19x a little larger than 1:2.

Phil Rudin