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Olympus OM-D E-M5 Launch in Malaysia

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 (dont ask why the naming is so complicated ok, lets just call it OM-D shall we?) was launched last week and I sat through a very interesting presentation by the Olympus team in Malaysia.

For one that swears by Micro Four Thirds cameras, Im naturally interested to find out more on any new models launched in the market.
This one particularly caught my interest, especially when it boasts of so many firsts.

Asthetically wise, Olympus stood out from its competitors too, thanks to its retro styling andrugged body, which incidentally, is ready for sand, sun, sleet or snow.

The design of the OLYMPUS OM-D takes its inspiration from models in the original OM one-digit Series the OM-1 through the OM-4. The cabinet & the pentaprismis made of a magnesium alloy, which gives the camera body a high degree of rigidity while the bottomis made of aluminum.

The fingerprint marred the picture. I wonder why it wasnt wiped clean prior to putting it on display!

Functionality-wise, Olympus didnt just syiok- sendiri and designed the camera based on their internal teams whims. Feedback from their consumers based on the Olympus PEN series were given serious consideration.

Olympus PEN and the OM-D are targeted at a slightly different demographic as well. Trust me, news are going around that the starting price for the OM-D is RM4K+ versus the PEN series at RM2K RM3K, so it make sense that the OM-D functionality are much much superior.

Well, you get what you pay for I guess? Below are some of the exciting new features. I dont know about you, but I was seriously tempted to get one, RM4K or not.

Instead of boring you with words, thankfully I got shots of the presentation. These slides should convey all you need to know about the OM-D in a concise manner.

The 3 key features why the Olympus OM-D is droolworthy are the lens (OlympussM.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED lens), the Image Processing via True Pic technology and the superb built of the camera.

New TruePic VI image processing engine:
The new camera incorporates TruePic VI, a new image processing engine first introduced on the E-P3. It improves image-processing quality and reduces processing time.

Next, theElectronic viewfinder with high image quality and high functionality that enables real-time checking of various shooting conditions.

The OLYMPUS OM-D is the first Olympus interchangeable lens type camera to incorporate a 1.44-M dot high-definition electronic viewfinder, which fe! atures a 100% field of view and max. 1.15X magnification as well as an eye point of 18 mm.
This viewfinder allows the image to be viewed clearly from the center to the periphery with little or no vignetting produced by fine movement of the eye positioning.

The camera has an eye sensor and can switch the activation of the rear-panel monitor and electronic viewfinder automatically. Information including shutter speed is displayed at the bottom of the field to avoid interfering with the framing operation.*

More of theEVF Creative Controlare explained below.

The ability to check the effects of various corrections and Art Filters is one of the advantages of an electronic viewfinder not available with an optical viewfinder. The EVF Creative Control is a new interface that exploits this capability to the max. It allows the user to concentrate on composing the image without taking their eye away from the viewfinder.

This function divides the image brightness into the highlight brightness and shadow brightness, and adjusts them separately using two dials. The adjusted results can naturally be checked against the actual brightness in the viewfinder image, but can also be checked using a tone curve displayed on the viewfinder screen.

After completing brightness adjustment, the user can also control white balance, magnification and aspect ratio using the Fn buttons and dials, and do it all without having to take their eye off the viewfinder.

The key superiority of this 16M Live MOS sensor are image quality improvement with significantly less noise than the previous sensor and also the dynamic range that provides superb gradation reproduction across a wider range of brightness.
In addition to that, the sensor also features a high data read speed, which supports full-HD (1920 x 1080) movie recording and the high autofocusing speed of the FAST AF system.

What really got my attention was this5-axis image stabilization that are able to compensate for camera shake of any kind during both still photo and movie shooting. While I havent got the chance to actually evaluate this in detail, the demo shown during the launch made it looked pretty promising.
I learnt that camera shake is actually caused by five different kinds of motion: horizontal shift, vertical shift and rotary motion (rolling), as well as the yaw and pitch. The OLYMPUS OM-D incorporates the worlds first IS mechanism that is able to correct for all five types of motion that cause image blurs.

The OLYMPUS PEN E-P3 was famed for its AF speed. The OM-D takes it up another level withfastest FAST AF autofocusing system plus 3D tracking for improved moving object tracking performance.

And yes, not forgetting another 1st the OM-D is t! he World s 1st Dust and Splash-proof design.
When used in combination with the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ lens, body and lens become an integrated dust- and splash-proof camera system that offers excellent reliability.

The M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED lens.

Other features:

Frankly, there are so many features and functionalities worth reviewing in the OM-D E-M5. While Im impressed with the features, Im not as assured of its user- friendliness. The Sony NEX -7 (Im comparing it with another camera thats within the same price range and the NEX-7 is also targeted at pros) was a breeze to use with its 3 navigational buttons. I hope to have a review OM-D unit in my hands soon. Lets see if this baby is as great as advertised.

It w! as a lon g and educational presentation but one of the more interesting part was this funky function Make Up Mode.

You got to watch this video to believe it! This is Photoshop 101 in your camera. Literally.

Interesting? Im loving it!

Yes, I admit Im impressed with it so far, just by the presentation at the launch alone. Below are more shots that I would like to share.
Since I prefer not to be overly technical in my blog post, do leave a comment if you would like me to share with you the full list of features and explanations of the Olympus OM-D E-M5. Perhaps Ill publish that in a separate blog post as it is 21 pages long!

Thanks to Olympus Malaysia for my little OM-D. Now, when am I getting an actual one??

Apart from the OM-D,Olympusalso introduced ten new cameras from their compact series.
This includes cameras from three categories the Tough, Travelers and Smart namely TG-820, TG-620, TG-320, SZ-31MR, SZ-14, VR-350, VH-510, VH-210, VG-170 and VG-150.

Availability for these compacts varies according to models, with some already in the market and some mid Feb to end April.
Prices are:TG-820 RM1299, TG-620 RM999, SZ-14 RM899, VR-350 RM699, VH-210 RM449, VG-170 RM499, and theVH-510,TG-320, SZ-31MR andVG-150- TBA ( April 2012).

Below: The launch showcased some of the iconic older Olympus models as well.

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 is only available end March 2012 and no, they dont have it in PINK

So whos a fan of Olympus here? At the rumoured price of RM4K + anyone here going to grab one?

All pictures taken with:

Italian Delights @ Nerovivo, Jalan Ceylon, Kuala Lumpur

Nerovivo is a lovely Italian restaurant housed in a refurbished bungalow off Jalan Ceylon. I was here last month for the first time to sample their new menu, launched on January 9th. As well as the new menu, Nerovivo also has a new chef (who joined the restaurant in August 2011) and the restaurant has been recently remodeled (larger al fresco dining area outdoors and some changes to the bar area indoors).

I have met Chef Paolo Petris during MIGF, and though the meeting was brief, I remember him being friendly and chatty. It was nice to talk to him again after our meal here at Nerovivo, an extremely nice man who is very passionate about food and cooking.

About 75% of the menu are new items created by Chef Paolo. First, we started with the octopus carpaccio (RM36) - a beautiful vibrant dish, don't you think it looks very pretty?. (Oh did I not mention that Chef Paolo is very creative with his food presentation?)

Octopus is a popular ingredient in South Italy, whereby it is boiled and served as chunks with olive, capers and potato to make an octopus salad. However, this dish has been refined here, sliced thinly for a tender bite and served with black olive tapenade, basil oil, capers cherry tomatoes and herbs.

Carpaccio di Polipo

The strozzapreti with clams and porcini is a dish unique to Nerovivo, Chef Paolo mentioned that there are no other restaurants in KL serving this kind of pasta (at time of tasting). The pasta has more of a bite compared to say, fusili or spaghetti, I liked the flavourful sauce it was served with - made with clams, white wine and fresh tomatoes. This is a pretty light pasta, not the creamy type.

Stro zzapreti con porcini e vongole (RM38)