Olympus has unveiled the latest in its flagship range of Micro Four Thirds cameras, the Olympus PEN E-P5, which continues to blend vintage design aesthetics with high-end performance and versatility.
The new mirrorless camera sports much of the same hardware found in the popular, but quite expensive Olympus OM-D E-M5. It has the same 16-megapixel TruePic VI Live MOS sensor, as well as 5-axis image stabilization, a fast AF sysem and more.
The new PEN E-P5 is also the first Compact System Camera to offer a mechanical shutter with speeds of up to 1/8000. That’s an insane shutter speed that should ensure that even the most fast-moving objects, such as insects or racing cars, can be captured with the utmost clarity.
The speed of the built-in flash has also been greatly improved, with a sync speed of up to 1/320 of a second. Most photographers usually avoid the ‘pop-up’ flash wherever possible, as it tends to flatten and spoil the shot, but it’s a welcome addition all the same.
The PEN E-P5 is also the first interchangeable lens camera from Olympus to support Wi-Fi connectivity. Setup involves scanning a QR code, shown on the camera’s impressive 1.04 million dot high-definition tilt-type display, and pairing the two over a Wi-Fi network created by the camera.
Olympus is also launching a free smartphone capp, called Olympus Image Share 2.0, so that the smartphone and E-P5’s screens are synchronized. Canon has introduced a similar feature for its digital SLR range, enabling users to control the camera and take shots regardless of where they are in relation to the tripod.
As with many other camera manufacturers, Olympus is also offering some new software features to mimick some of the most popular apps found on smartphones and tablets. Photo Story+ lets snappers take a number of photographs from different positions and then stitch them together into a single collage, while also supporting stamps or signatures using the Olympus Image Share app.
There are also 12 artistic filters, the ability to shoot time lapse movies – with interval times ranging between 1 second and 24 hours, as well as a live bulb mode for reducing monitor glare and displaying a real-time histogram.
The PEN E-P5 is compatible with all of Olympus’ existing Micro Four Thirds lenses, and will be available from May in black, silver or white. It will be sold for $999.99 body only, or $1,449.99 with a black M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm f1.8 lens and VF-4 electronic viewfinder.
Image Credit: YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images
Global semiconductor revenues grew less than 1% this year but will hit $319 billion in 2013: IDC
Market intelligence firm International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that worldwide semiconductor revenues will see only nominal growth this year at less than 1 percent, reaching $304 billion , according to its year-end 2012 update of the Semiconductor Applications Forecaster (SAF).
IDC forecasts that semiconductor revenues will improve by 4.9 percent, to $319 billion in 2013, however, and log a compound annual growth rate of 4.1 percent from 2011 to 2016, reaching $368 billion in four years.
More specifically, the research firm expects growth to resume in the second half of 2013.
The main reasons for the extremely slow growth of worldwide semiconductor demand this year have been plenty, IDC says:
The only reason there was any kind of growth this year in the first place is the rise of smartphones, tablets , set-top boxes, and automotive electronics, and IDC expects will continue to be key drivers of growth over the coming years as well.
Other key findings from IDC’s Semiconductor Application Forecaster include:
– Semiconductor revenues for the ‘Computing’ industry segment will log year-over-year growth of 1.7 percent for 2013
– Semiconductor revenues from mobile PC demand will register 5.5 percent year-over-year growth in 2013, after declining 7.7 percent in 2012
– Media tablets, e-readers, set-top boxes and blu-ray players will continue to see above-average semiconductor revenue growth. Sales of traditional devices such as DVD players, DVD recorders, DVD players, portable media players, and game consoles will continue to erode.
– Overall, semiconductor revenues for the Consumer segment will record year-over-year growth of 9.8 percent in 2013
– Regionally, Asia/Pacific will continue to grow its share of semiconductor revenues, with year-over-year growth of 5.5 percent in 2013
Also read:
IDC: ‘smart connected device’ shipments reach record 303.6m in Q3 2012, led by Apple and Samsung
Image credit: Thinkstock
Samsung unveils its ‘future-proofing’ Evolution Kit to bring new features to its 2012 Smart TVs
The 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off next week but already Samsung has begun announcing new products , the latest of which is its Evolution Kit which allows models from its 2012 Smart TV range to be upgraded with new features and improvements.
At this stage, of course, its 2013 Smart TV range is still to be announced. However, Samsung says that the Kit — which is a piece of hardware that plugs into the back of a device — will bring enhancements to CPU, memory and GPU, all of which will give faster speeds for browsing the Web and multitasking, such as using apps while watching TV.
Samsung has been talking about the ‘future proof’ Evolution Kit since CES 2012 , and we’re all set to get full details next week.
The Kit will also bring improvements to the Smart Interaction features, such as voice control and motion control, giving a nice upgrade for owners of 2012 devices. Samsung announced last week it will make changes to its Smart Hub UI at the show, and those new updates will filter through to older models thanks to the Evolution Kit.
The Korean firm is likely to keep the news flowing, even before the Vegas show opens. However, the big announcements that the company has been teasing for a month won’t come before CES, which begins January 8 — that’s not long to wait now.
So far the teasers have included:
– Samsung teases innovative design for upcoming TV launch at CES
– Samsung posts CES 2013 teaser video promising new TV launch, but remains quiet on specifics
Headline image via Bruce Bennett / AFP/Getty Images , other images via Samsung Tomorrow