Pint-sized professional

Posted by Staff in Travel Tech Tues.

I love my point and shoot camera, but at times I find myself longing for the speed and high-resolution clarity that an SLR camera offers.

A SLR (single lens reflex), is the bulky interchangeable lens camera that professionals carry…and for most travelers, something that is expensive and bulky is not ideal.

But right when I was about to give up on professional looking photos I discovered the Olympus E-420, the worlds smallest and lightest digital SLR.  When fitted with the super flat “pancake” lens (25mm f/2.8 Zuiko Digital Lens) the camera is 20-40% lighter than other digital SLRs at 13.4 ounces…and yes, in “SLR camera world,” that is light.

The quality and depth of images taken with this camera blows my Olympus point and shoot out of the water, but it is as easy to use.  The camera includes automatic scene selection settings, for the average person scared by photo-lingo like ISO and aperture…but the camera is also good for the seasoned photographer longing for techie customization.

The E-420 fitted with the pancakes lens goes for $599.95 (samys.com)…and just in time for the holidays, Olympus has released the limited edition Komachi outfit which includes the camera body, pancake lens and a stylish handmade leather case, which goes for $749.99.