Review Summary: Olympus upgrades their high-end Pen line with a load of new enhancements while maintaining the retro look of the original. The sensor size also stays the same, but is said to be enhanced for better performance in low light, though we couldn''t see much of a difference. It''s the new targeted touchscreen interface that really impresses, allowing easy autofocus confirmation via onscreen zoom, and the autofocus itself is so fast it rivals professional SLRs.

Pros: Extremely fast autofocus; Pop-up flash and AF-assist lamp; Full HD recording; wisely limited focus for touchscreen; excellent print quality results; removeable grip.

Cons: Larger than some of the competition (see E-PL3, which is quite a bit smaller); image quality may have improved a bit, but noise suppression is still strong; touchscreen activated while hanging around the neck or shoulder; the camera has an overwhelming list of options; continues to use more noisy D-rings for shoulder straps.

Price and Availability: The Olympus PEN E-P3 should be available in the US market from August 2011. Two different kits are planned, both priced at approximately US$900, and differing solely in the choice of bundled kit lens. One kit will include the MSC M. Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm II R f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens, and the other will ship with the MSC M. Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/2.8 prime lens.

Review Summary: Olympus upgrades their high-end Pen line with a load of new enhancements while maintaining the retro look of the original. The sensor size also stays the same, but is said to be enhanced for better performance in low light, though we couldn't see much of a difference. It's the new targeted touchscreen interface that really impresses, allowing easy autofocus confirmation via onscreen zoom, and the autofocus itself is so fast it rivals professional SLRs.

Pros: Extremely fast autofocus; Pop-up flash and AF-assist lamp; Full HD recording; wisely limited focus for touchscreen; excellent print quality results; removeable grip.

Cons: Larger than some of the competition (see E-PL3, which is quite a bit smaller); image quality may have improved a bit, but noise suppression is still strong; touchscreen activated while hanging around the neck or shoulder; the camera has an overwhelming list of options; continues to use more noisy D-rings for shoulder straps.

Price and Availability: The Olympus PEN E-P3 should be available in the US market from August 2011. Two different kits are planned, both priced at approximately US$900, and differing solely in the choice of bundled kit lens. One kit will include the MSC M. Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm II R f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens, and the other will ship with the MSC M. Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/2.8 prime lens.