Olympus E-P1 hands-on reports, previews and more

This is a jam-packed segment, so be sure to run to the coffee machine and get a giant cup of coffee or tea :-) Make it decaf if you are easily excited or irritated :)

But before we get started, the Imaging Insider lets us relive the NYC event as if we were there: They have made available an audio recording of the presentation, along with pictures of some of the slides shown!

More E-P1 hands-on reports and previews
The hard-working Ian Burley has produced an excellent hands-on preview that Olympus users will appreciate. It includes mounting of 4/3rds lenses using the adapter, including the 12-60mm SWD and 70-300mm. His preview is using a free-flowing Q&A format. Also included are side-by-side body pictures of the E-P1 and the GH1. Discussion follows right below his post.

Jerry Grossman spent some time with the camera at the NYC launch event and he is sharing his first impressions and web-size sample pictures at DeMystifying Digital. The sample pictures highlight the Art Filters that became popular with the 4/3rds Olympus dSLRs.

But cameraholics are not the only people interested in the camera. The popular travel blog Gadling.com has stated a series of blog posts on the camera. They have already posted part #1 and part #2.

Swedish website Kamerabild.se is featuring a 10-minute hands-on video preview of the camera (not video taken with the camera) produced by Webb.TV. It includes side-by-side of analog and digital Pen bodies. The audio is in Swedish. But if you pick up Rosetta Stone(d) you should be able to understand everything within 10 minutes ;-)

PDN Gear Guide has posted another short update of their hands-on experience with the E-P1 in the NYC.

More from the NYC event, Adorama's Tech Talk shares their first impressions, including some shutter sounds of music!

Pocket Lint has spent some time with the camera and shares their impressions and blog-size sample pictures. And their sister site Pho Press UK has posted some camera body pictures.

The Imaging Resource preview page has been updated with more hands-on stuff and samples and other goodies.

Then we jump to China where the Chinese Engadget has posted its first look at the camera. Links through the Engadget mothership.

Interviews
If you can't get enough of Akira Watanabe, you will be thrilled to know there is more! He has given an interview to Focus Numerique. The interview text is in French, so grab your computer-translator or call your french-speaking friends to translate them for you ;-)

Promotional material
The UK Safari blog, a semi-private group of Olympus users, has posted a series of E-P1 promotional videos found on the interwebs.

Japanese Coverage
DC.Watch.Impress, which for short we call DCWatch, has posted their E-P1 preview, which includes the shutter sound, dozens of camera-body pictures, menu pictures, lens pictures, and even some sightings of the ISO-bunny but TTL. They even have close-ups of both sides of the lens caps. They also have pictures of the cameras with the external OVF mounted on them. Also of interest, side-by-side pictures with the E410 body. The E410 is a fairly small DSLR, yet it looks like it needs a Jenny Craig membership when next to the E-P1. If you check out all their pictures, you may be irreversibly contaminated with E-P1 affections ;-)

Also from DcWatch, there is an interview (computer-translated) with Mr Ogawa of the SLR Business Division.

Japanese camera site digitalcamer.jp has detailed coverage of the Japanese press event. Unfortunately they are using the same webmaster as Thom Hogan, so they don't have direct links to individual posts ;-) Look for their coverage under the date of June 16, 2009.

And if you are (or are going to be) in Japan, you can check out the E-P1 in person at the following dates and places.

Further Reading
+ Coming on Sat/Sun: Reactions in the Forums
+ Coming on Friday: Reactions and Opinions
+ Sample pictures roundup
+ Sample videos roundup
+ coverage of the announcement and pre-annie countdown