Having manhandled Olympus’ DSLRs at last year’s US Open, I can say with certainty that their tiny line of SLRs have come a long way in the last few years. Further strengthening the line is the E-450. The 10-megapixel shooter features a 2.7-inch LCD, Live View, Four Thirds lens mount and three Art Filters. It’s just as small as the E-420 measuring in at 5.1×3.6×2.1-inches and weighing in at 13.4 ounces making it the world’s smallest DSLR with Art Filters. What the hell are art filters? Good question.
* Pop Art: Enhances colors, making them more saturated and vivid, creating high-impact pictures that express the joyful, lighthearted feeling of the Pop Art style of the 1960s;
* Soft Focus: Creates an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere that renders subjects in a heavenly light without obscuring details; and
* Pin Hole: Reduces the peripheral brightness of an image as though it were shot through a pin hole, connecting the viewer intimately with the subject at the center of the picture.
WB is said to be improved and the TruePic III processor boasts better color quality. The E-450 accepts CF Type I & II, Microdrives and xD memory cards, which is something other manufacturers should adopt. Well, not those particular formats but having the option would be nice.
Look for the E-450 to launch on May 9 on QVC with availability in July for $700. Sounds kind of cheap, right? Well, you get two lenses with this kit – ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens and ED 40-150mm f4.0/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens.
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