E-PL1, a camera worth waiting for?

These days, things are progressing in retro styles.

First, the deflated US dollar. Things are more expensive then before. Salary did not adjust. And most of us become poorer except the greedy bankers.

Second, protectionism seems coming back. The invisible hand defunct. A visible hand comes to stage.

Then, the E-P1. I am not a big fan, or even a fan, of Olympus. I live in a die-hard Nikon camp. Loved my loyal but aged D70. The E-P1 caught my attention simply because it reminds me of camera design when I was a kid. This is the first time I want to have a camera other than Nikon.

Later, the Panasonic GF-1 (Girl Friend #1?). Well, well, it is not exactly retro. But it is elegant to have such a DC. It keeps you afloat on top of those snap-shot DCs. But it won't propel you up to the DSLR level.

Now the E-PL1. This is a camera striking a good balance. It can do point-and-shoot, do movies, change lens, priced reasonably well, got a bunch of filters, can see effect on-the-fly, ... and the list goes on. The operation

Hands-on preview here:


Amazon Japan is accepting orders. Wonder how many die-hard olympus fans will take the plunge...