This time, they got the colour right..

A replacement too soon? 

Olympus announced the successor to the TG-1 premium all-weather camera recently at the CES show in the US.
Its the TG-2 HS and its an improvement from its predecessor. 
Said to go deeper and tougher than the TG-1, this premium-priced compact camera are made with some noticeable improvements in terms of how deep this camera can go underwater and its crush-proof rating.

The TG-1

TG-2

The camera's rear controls

  Same-same different? 

From the appearance, both cameras looked the same.
The tweaks in terms of its controls are really marginal.
But, in terms of colour coordination, I think the Olympus guys got this one right.
The lens rings can also be changed for the fashion-conscious user...

March debut

The TG-2 is expected to hit the market in the US (at a retail price of USD$380 in March this year..     

Tough gets better?

Something new...
Olympus Cameras had announced their TG1-iHS weatherproof camera to cater for the serious crowd.
This one has 25-100mm zoom lens with a large aperture of F2.0.
That said, this is the 'fastest' camera in its class.

Shining star: Olympus' TG1-iHS

 The thing about all-weather compact cameras..
When you have a camera with a rugged housing in a small package, there are bound to be some issues.
So far, the best of the lot is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4. The rest are really crappy.
This Olympus boasts of fast optics and better image quality.
Best of all, you can accessorize it with a wide angle and telephoto converter.

The camera is GPS-enabled for Geo-tagging

A fisheye converter to complement the TG-1iHS

 What can we look forward to? 
All I can say is that a faster lens would put this camera one notch above the rest.
So far, Olympus has a wide range of compact cameras to cater for the outdoor enthusiast.
But, having tried their micro four-thirds, I am yet to familiarize myself with the controls, especially the exposure and focus lock function which is non-apparent on their cameras.
But that said, I can certainly look forward to a camera that can function at the high seas and in all weather conditions... Hopefully, this new compact camera won't cost a bomb!

First impressions: Olympus OM-D

Is it worth it? 
I attended a product launch today at a fancy restaurant in Damansara.
Well, my main intention was to hand back the Olympus EP-3 loan camera which I had used for a couple of weeks.
Other than that, it was to touch-base with my contact who represented Olympus Malaysia in Public Relations.
The guy was pushing for me to purchase the new Olympus OM-D.
I sat through an hour of presentation of the entire Olympus product for 2012 and the place was really crowded.
Since the geek from our tech page was in attendance, I was just scouring in the background. 

Olympus camera's OM-D complements its micro four-third system

Changing the game...
I kinda lost interest in all the jibba jabba given by the Olympus product manager on their new OM-D camera.
Big words like: "Changing the game" was used repeatedly throughout the session.
As far as I am concerned, there are many choices when it comes to an interchangeable lens system to cover the serious amateur market.
For the OM-D, Olympus is pushing its five-axis image stabilizer and electronic viewfinder.
And all the marketing and sales jargon was thrown-in by the Olympus dude to draw the crowd.
I kinda dig the weather-sealing, but with a pricetag of RM4K for the camera body with the 12-50mm F3.5 - 6.3 kit lens, I think this camera is way overpriced.
Kit lenses, even with a motorised zoom and weather-sealed protection, does not impress me.
At the end of the day, its a coke bottle lens.
And for my kind of work, even though the camera is rugged and compact, the sheer looks of it could be just too 'intrusive'


Conclusion
It would take a lot to sway my views on purchasing this camera.
No, I don't need a micro four-third, not when I still have my reliable G-system from Canon. 
The factor that would sink the OM-D is the price. Too expensive, too much for so little. So, better luck with the next OM camera..

First impressions: Olympus EP-3

A good impression..
I managed to meet up with the public relations people for Olympus Camera Malaysia and talked them into loaning one of their micro four-third system for my food walkabout.
To test it out, I brought the Olympus Pen EP-3 for a spin.
It was my second century ride to Bagan Lalang and I tested this camera which was equipped with a 14-42mm lens.
Now, unlike Panasonic and Samsung, the Olympus micro four-third system is well-backed.
You don't have to worry about lenses and accessories.
Compared to the Pana-retard's Lumix series cameras, the Pen series cameras are never short of surprises. Which is impressive.

My loan camera: the Olympus EP-3

Image quality
On a scale of 1-10, the picture quality on an Olympus Pen would rate at 5.5.
The lens that came with my loan camera is an entry-level piece.
In short, its a coke-bottle lens.
I don't have high expectations on the 14-42mm lens, which makes a really cool 'walkabout' lens on the compact EP-3. 
Truth to be told, there are high-quality lenses made by third-party manufacturers that you can use to snap better images with the EP-3.
But the 14-42mm lens is a good start.
With a price tag of RM3.19K, the EP-3 is not for the beginner. 
It complements your D-SLR system on sets that don't require all the extra bells and whistles.
Most of the shots taken on the EP-3 was point-and-shoot. So, I don't really expect a lot.
Its a departure from using an 'enthusiast' compact camera like the Canon Powershot G12 which I've gotten so used to.


One tough mutha!
All good things said and done, I am pretty impressed with the overall built quality of the EP-3. Even though its made entire in China.
The QC on the body was really good.
I am not used to the controls and could not find an exposure lock and many of the self-timed shots were underexposed.
The pop-up flash on this camera is also too weak to fill-in for simple snapshot images.
Compared to the G12, the EP3 is flawed with its built-in flash.
Other than that, I don't have much to complain about the overall image quality as 70% of the captured shots were decent.
With the zoom lens, you can actually shoot with dept-of-field.
There are eight shooting mode including movie, I only used three at the most.
The preset shooting mode was some funky art filter. I had to re-set the camera to its factory settings to get the most out of it.
And when it comes to testing this baby, I took it out for two trips.
First was to Bagan Lalang and the second outing was to Tanjung Piai. 
The battery life on the EP-3 exceeded my expectations and I must say that it pretty much held up to the continous shooting and review on the LCD screen. It took some effort to wear down the battery.


Sample shots

Summary
The EP-3 is a fun and pretty nippy camera to play with.
It has a range of lens you can acquire to enhance your range of photographic angles. From landscape to portraiture, the possibilities are endless.
My only beef with this camera is the touch-screen snapshots, which is unnecessary (it clicks when it comes to contact with your body).
Otherwise, the Olympus Pen EP-3 is a worthwhile system to consider if you want something small and un-intrusive for your work.
As for shooting food photos for my Food Trail column, the Pen cameras are a good choice.