Someone really ought to explain to the British Journal of Photography how to keep a secret. They leaked the Nikon D3s early, and now they’ve dropped the new Olympus E-P2 as well, which was expected to be announced later tonight. I guess they just think they’re too cool for school. Or maybe they read the embargo time wrong.

To be fair, much of the announcement was already leaked — we knew about the body style, as well as the electronic viewfinder and microphone add-ons. However the official specs are new.

Here are the vital statistics:

• 12MP
• 720p video at 30fps
• Manual focus and aperture control in video mode (awesome)
• AF tracking (focus lock for moving objects, handy)
• Tiltable electronic viewfinder (800×600, looks nice)
• Optional microphone adapter for better sound (very good)
• Some new image modes

It actually seems that the camera itself hasn’t changed much from its predecessor. The big add-on is the accessory port, which will probably sport more stuff than an EVF and mic in the near future. Price is quoted as £849 (~$1400), however I believe that includes both EVF and lens, since the original E-P1 cost $750 for a body-only version. The poor Brits have historically paid more in these situations, so I think we can expect a more reasonable price than that.

And shame, shame on BJP for leaking this information.

[via 43Rumors and PhotoRumors]