Olympus PEN and the fine art of the serial selfie shoot
Hamburg, 08/28/2014 • The fashion blogger’s new camera of choice – 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 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 smartphone. 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 classy accessories and on-camera creative effects to match. It’s available in standout white, classic silver or black from late September 2014 for €599. That includes a slim-line, high-grade Pancake Zoom lens and the OI.Share app for shooting and sharing images via WiFi on a smartphone with Android or iOS.
Superior selfies
An interchangeable-lens camera that lets you release the shutter remotely from your smartphone is nothing new. But the 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 smartphone 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. Which is why Olympus fitted the latest PEN with their industry leading 3-axis Image Stabilisation technology. 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 Anne-Kathrin Bieber from Les-attitudes.com points out, this camera is about much more than gorgeous looks: “PEN is a great alternative to DSLR and perfect for people like me.” 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 creative options, plus super-easy shooting and sharing that wow the dedicated fashionista.
Unlimited creativity
Easy-to-use options and seamless online connectivity can’t fail to impress the blogosphere’s best. “There are endless great settings and filters in a lightweight, compact and easy-to-use device,” says Anne-Kathrin, 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. Both include finely nuanced settings so you can try out and delete to your heart’s content.
Instant sharing
Olympus OI.Share is a freely downloadable app that makes it quick and simple to pair the PEN with your smartphone via WiFi so you can share 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 €599 (SRP, equivalent in other currencies).
Product specifications are subject to change without notice. Please check the Olympus website at http://www.olympus-europa.com for the latest specifications.
* 35mm equivalent.
For questions or additional information, please contact:
Martina Beckmann
Olympus Europa SE & Co. KG
Tel.: +49-40-23773-5400
Email: martina.beckmann@olympus-europa.com
www.olympus-europa.com
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 smartphone 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 smartphone 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