Remarks upon selection
The PEN E-P1 achieves a favorable balance between the reduction in size and weight and high image quality with its first Micro Four Thirds system and mirrorless design. In addition to its high-tech basic specifications including a 12.3-megapixcel sensor, high sensitivity shooting at up to ISO 6400, and HD movie shooting, the camera has a number of unique functions such as Art Filter and live control. So it is the camera of a small body into which the joy of "shooting" and sense of fun are packed.
By dispelling the "big and heavy" image of conventional DSLRs, the camera successfully appealed not only to camera fans but also to people in a wide age range, mainly to a younger segment.
The PEN E-P1's major features:
* Micro Four Thirds system and mirrorless structure are adopted to achieve smaller body and higher image quality
* 12.3 megapixel Live MOS sensor of high resolution with which the camera precisely recreates the details, rich gradation,
and natural color reproduction
* Built-in anti-shake mechanism with a correction effect up to 4 EV steps
* Dust reduction system with SSWF (Supersonic Wave Filter) which strongly removes dust
* Six art filters for more creative expression including "Pop Art" and "Fantasic Focus"
* Multi-Aspect function for selection from 4 aspect ratios including 4:3, 16:9, and 6:6
* GUI (graphical user interface) for intuitive operation
* 2-direction level gauge corresponding to vertical and horizontal directions
* High-quality movie shooting function which produces nice bokeh effect in images
* 3-inch HyperCrystal LCD monitor with a wide viewing angle of 176 degrees
* OM lenses can be used via the optical OM adapter
* High-quality appearance that follows the look of "OLYMPUS PEN"
The E-P1, which successfully combined the concept of the legendary masterpiece "OLYMPUS PEN" and state-of-the-art digital technologies,
is the camera which offers the new direction of digital cameras. Based on the review, Camera of the Year went to OLYMPUS PEN E-P1.
"Readers Award"
OLYMPUS PEN E-P1
Principal remarks upon selection
OLYMPUS PEN E-P1 polled the maximum vote in the selection process of general users' votes this year.
Many comments came from readers about the reasons for their choice.
The following represent the readers' comments:
・This camera posed a new challenge to the digital camera industry that seemed to have had a sense of stagnation. (Tokyo, age 52)
・It's cute! Portable size and weight. I'm interested in its Art Filter functions. (Saitama, age 37)
・First of all, the look is fantastic. The body color is nice. It makes you feel like going out for shooting. The camera makes you have fun to have it. It reminds me of the old OLYMPUS PEN. (Tokyo, age 65)
・It looks stylish and makes you feel proud. It is "good" that you can easily shoot photos of a professional look using Art Filter. (Kanagawa, age 38)
・It lowers the threshold of using SLR cameras. Also, it helps the photography culture expand to women users with superb style and texture, and shows originality as represented by Art Filter. This is the camera with incomparable charm which has achieved a good balance between joy to have and fun to shoot, and is impressive enough to inherit the name of old masterpiece, PEN. (Shizuoka, age 42)
・This is a camera that is portable but with interchangeable lenses. Other than that it has a nice look, it strikes a balance between usefulness and fun to shoot. It is a meaningful model which suggests a new category of digital camera. (Nagano, age 40)
"Editors Award"
Canon EF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM
Remarks upon selection
Canon EF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM is a macro lens featuring Canon's own "HYBRID IS" technology,
compensating for both angle camera shake and shift camera shake.
In addition to the conventional angular velocity sensor (vibration gyro),
the Hybrid IS includes an acceleration sensor which detects the camera shake parallel to imaging area and compensates for it.
With those sensors, high-precision camera shake correction is made by measuring the amount of camera shake.
The macro lens of which a revolutionary technology corrects "camera shake" deserves the Editors Award
which is supposed to be given to "the products that have popular, topical and innovative appeals."
Canon EF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM's major features:
* Includes the world's first "HYBRID IS" which corrects both angle camera shake and shift camera shake
* UD glass with low refraction and low dispersion characteristics achieves outstanding image quality
* Dust- and water-resistant functions can withstand severe conditions of use
* Includes "Ring USM" autofocus motor for quick focusing and silence
* Full-time manual focus which allows focus adjustment turning the focus ring even while in AF mode
The editors selected the macro lens for CAMERA GRAND PRIX 2010 Editors Award as they appreciated the lens's new mechanisms,
improved optical performance, and descriptiveness, all of which satisfy many users.
"Editors Award"
Sony Back-illuminated CMOS Sensor "Exmor R"
Remarks upon selection
Sony developed back-illuminated CMOS sensor "Exmor R" for its compact digital cameras "DSC-HX5V," "DSC-TX7," "DSC-TX5," and "DSC-WX1."
The sensor is based on back-illuminated structure,
where the light receiving surface and metal wiring layer are reversed when compared to the structure of conventional front-illuminated sensors.
The back-illuminated structure can use incident light more efficiently than the conventional one.
In addition, the sensor combines quick data readout and noise-reduction characteristics,
enabling the shooting of noiseless and beautiful images in the dark including nightscape and indoors,
which has been difficult to accomplish with conventional compact digital cameras.
Sony back-illuminated CMOS sensor "Exmor R"'s major features:
* Uses light more efficiently than conventional CMOS pixel structure (front-illuminated) by being exposed to light from the back of the silicon substrate
* Noise reduction was achieved by developing a new and unique photodiode structure and on-chip lens optimized for this back-illuminated CMOS sensor
* The product became a future technology base from which development of various technologies for further speedups and high dynamic range images is expected
The editors valued that the sensor made the biggest contribution to expanding compact cameras' performance,
and that the technology was promptly provided to general users.
They highly appreciated that it helped to discover new possibility and appeal of digital cameras and decided to give the Editors Award
to the sensor for its popular appeal and advanced performance.
CopyRight© 2010 All rights reserved by Camera Journal Press Club
