Olympus Launches Super Compact 12-45mm f/4 PRO Lens and PEN E-PL10 Camera

The OM-D E-M1 Mark III was the big release of the night for Olympus, but the company also had two other products up its sleeve. The first is the surprisingly compact 12-45mm f/4 PRO lens; the second the PEN E-PL10 camera that was already released in Asia four months ago.

Admittedly, the largely-unchanged Olympus PEN E-PL10 won’t get anybody’s adrenaline pumping, but the new 12-45mm lens is very interesting indeed, especially if you want to carry the most compact camera/lens combo possible.

M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-45mm f/4.0 PRO

The new 12-45mm f/4.0 PRO lens’ claim to fame is just how small it is. Measuring just 63.4mm x 70mm and weighing only 254g, this dustproof, splashproof and freezeproof lens is being hailed as “the world’s most compact, lightweight model” in its class.

The lens features a full-frame equivalent focal range of 24-90mm, and is made up of 12 elements in 9 groups. That includes 2 high refractive (HR) elements, 1 dual super aspheric (DSA) element, 1 Super HR element, 2 Aspherical elements, 2 extra-low dispersion (ED) elements, and Olympus’ “ZERO” coating to provide the sharpest, most distortion-, flare- and ghosting-free performance possible.

Additionally, the lens can function as a solid macro-like lens in a pinch, with a minimum focusing distance of 12cm at the wide end, and a maximum magnification ratio of 0.5x (35mm equivalent) across the whole zoom range.

Paired with the recently released OM-D E-M5 Mark III, the duo becomes “the ultimate travel combo” and Olympus’ smallest weather-sealed camera-and-lens combination to date:

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-45mm f/4.0 PRO lens is scheduled to start shipping on April 7th, but it’s already available to pre-order for an SRP of $650. To learn more about this lens, head over to the Olympus website.

Olympus PEN E-PL10

The new(ish) PEN E-PL10 is the latest addition to Olympus’ entry-level PEN Lite lineup of Micro Four Thirds ILCs. The camera draws design inspiration from the classic 1963 PEN-F, but adds in plenty of entry-level-friendly features like 3-axis in-body image stabilization, a 180° flip-down screen for selfies, a built-in pop-up flash, adjustable Art Filters, and built-in WiFi and Bluetooth that you can use in conjunction with the OI.Share app on your smartphone.

Hardware-wise, the camera is almost exactly the same as the E-PL9 that preceded it: you get the same 16.1 Live MOS sensor, TruPic VIII processor, contrast-detect AF system with 121 focus points, and 4K/30p video capability.

Here’s a video introduction to the camera, followed by some product photos for a closer look:

The Olympus PEN E-PL10 is available now in White, Black, or Mocha for a suggested retail price of $600 body-only, or $700 when paired with an M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ Lens. To learn more about this camera, head over to the Olympus website or go ahead and order one today.