Olympus E-PL7

August 28, 2014 | Zoltan Arva-Toth | Compact System Camera | Comment |

The Olympus PEN E-PL7 is a Wi-Fi enabled 16-megapixel compact system camera with a 180-degree downward flipping touchscreen, 8fps continuous shooting and a body-integral 3-axis image stabiliser. Other highlights include 14 Art Filters, a Live Guide for real-time adjustment of manual settings, and remote operation via the Olympus Image Share smartphone app. The Olympus PEN E-PL7 will be available in white, vintage-style silver or classic black from early October 2014 for £499.00/$699.99 including a slim-line, interchangeable 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 EZ lens. The body-only price is $599.99.

Olympus Press Release

The fashion blogger’s new camera of choice

Olympus PEN and the fine art of the serial selfie shoot

London, August 28, 2014 – Writing on mademoisellerobot.com, fashion blogger Laetitia Wajnapel called her PEN “the ultimate fashion blogger camera”. Pick up a new Olympus PEN E-PL7 and you will start to see why. PEN designers clearly understand something other camera brands often miss: people with an eye for style and first-class, creative photography don’t want a bulky, plastic SLR spoiling their carefully crafted, personal look. When they glance in the mirror, they want their camera to make them look even better. Not that you need a mirror if you own a PEN E-PL7. Its LCD flips down and around so you can frame and shoot a series of pre-timed, sequential still or video selfies without your hand blocking the shot. Or without even touching the camera, by simply tapping your smart phone. The E-PL7 may be disguised as a fashion icon – and as easy to use as a phone – but in truth it’s a cutting-edge, pro-standard beauty with a range of equally stylish accessories and on-camera creative effects to match. It’s available in eye-catching white, vintage-style silver or classic black from early October 2014 for £499. That includes a slim-line, high-grade Pancake Zoom lens and the OI.Share app for shooting and sharing images via WiFi on a smart phone with Android or iOS. 

Superior selfies

An interchangeable-lens camera that lets you release the shutter remotely from your smart phone is nothing new. But the new Olympus PEN E-PL7 lets you get really creative before you do. You can zoom in and out without touching the camera, or adjust key settings like aperture and shutter speed in real time and preview the effect live on your smart phone’s screen. Using simple controls on your phone, you can set the PEN’s self-timer to take stills in quick succession – for a full-length, paparazzi-style sequence. Or switch to close-up, adjust the interval, and shoot different poses just like a photo booth. 

The PEN’s tiltable LCD is touch-sensitive, so it’s ideal for ‘old-school’ selfies too. Flip it down and around and the E-PL7 automatically goes into ‘selfie mode’. The EZ lens zooms out to wide angle and the LCD becomes a 3-inch mirror, with buttons for selecting a self-timer sequence, e-Portrait or shutter release – simply by tapping the screen.

No matter how light your camera is, if you hold it up with one hand long enough to record a sequence, rotational blur is always an issue. Olympus fitted the latest PEN with their industry leading 3-axis Image Stabilisation technology for this reason. In short, this counteracts rotational hand movements much more effectively than regular systems in comparable cameras. Good to know!

Outstanding impressions

One beautiful design deserves another, so Olympus supplies a range of accessories for the OLYMPUS PEN E-PL7 that includes retro-styled, matching body jackets, lens caps and straps, in sumptuous, head-turning leather. But as blogger Julia Rebaudo from Stylonylon.com points out, this camera is about much more than gorgeous looks: “Discovering PEN was an absolute revelation for me! The range is small, light and stylish but with incredible versatility and image quality. They are without a doubt, the perfect cameras for bloggers.” It goes without saying that the E-PL7 delivers images of the very highest quality, even in low light, as it boasts much of the powerful technology used in Olympus’ high-end OM-D series cameras. But it’s most likely the myriad of creative options, plus super-easy shooting and sharing that will wow the most dedicated fashionistas. 

Unlimited creativity

Easy-to-use options and seamless online connectivity can’t fail to impress the blogosphere’s best. “The Olympus PEN system has helped me gain confidence in my photography, to the point that it has become an integral part of my work….everyone always comments on the look of my camera and I promptly add that it packs in a lot of technical prowess too!” says Laetitia, whose blog gives fashion advice to thousands of readers every month.  For example, Live Guide, which lets you intuitively adjust settings using a sliding scale on the LCD (no menu navigation required) and check the effect of your changes in real time before releasing the shutter. Live Guide makes it easy to achieve sophisticated, pro-standard effects like bokeh (background blur). Once you’ve captured your still shot or video, PEN’s trademark creative options kick in. Olympus pioneered on-camera image editing and the E-PL7 comes with fully 14 different Art Filters, including the new Vintage and Partial Colour filters. Both include finely nuanced settings so you can try out to your heart’s content. 

Instant sharing

Olympus Image Share is a freely downloadable app that makes it quick and simple to pair the PEN with your smart phone via WiFi so you can share immediately with friends – and future fans – on social media. Step one: touch a button on the LCD. Step two: swipe the QR code on your phone across the camera. Done. Now it’s time to spread some envy online.     

With OLYMPUS PEN engraved boldly on the front of its full-metal body, the E-PL7 proves you don’t need an ungainly DSLR to rub shoulders with professional photographers, or express your own sense of style. It’s available in the new, elegant PEN packaging from early October for £499.99

E-PL7 Main Features:

> Exquisitely designed, compact, lightweight and retro-styled camera with an all-metal finish

> Specially designed for capturing superior selfies

> Remote-controlled preview & selfies via smart phone with options including sequential and self-timer interval shooting

> Large, flip-down and tiltable high-res LCD touchscreen for framing and capturing selfies

> Automatic ‘selfie mode’ settings, including wide-angle lens position and portrait mode

> 14 Art Filters for adding wide range of creative effects

> Built in WiFi for posting via a compatible smart phone and the free Olympus Image Share app

Other Features:

> Live Guide for real-time adjustment of manual settings

> Dedicated fashion accessories, lenses and underwater kits available

> Supplied with slim, interchangeable 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 EZ lens for go-anywhere creativity

> Outstanding image quality thanks to the 16.1 Megapixel Live MOS sensor and TruePic VII image processor

> Fast AF and fast start-up

Product specifications are subject to change without notice. Please check the Olympus website at www.olympus.co.uk/pen for the latest specifications.

For a full list of E-PL7 features, go to www.olympus.co.uk

More information on O.I Share can be found at: app.olympus-imaging.com/oishare/

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