Three mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras

Olympus Pen E-P3

Nikon 1 V1

A picture-perfect Christmas

 

Three mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras to get for yourself or your shutterbug friends this festive season

by June Yang and Ryhan Bte Mohd Yazid

04:45 AM Nov 30, 2011

 

PERHAPS you know someone who wants to upgrade from their point-and-shoot. Or you want a new camera for Christmas. Whatever it is, you are in the market to buy a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera - more complex than a compact, but not as heavy and bulky as a DSLR - over the festive season. But where do you begin?

Two years ago, the range of non-DSLR interchangeable cameras on the market could be counted with the fingers on one hand. But as the market boomed, fuelled by the shutter-happy culture that sprung up with social media, more manufacturers came up with small, light cameras that offered the image quality and versatility of DSLRs. Today, shoppers face a wealth of choices. A Micro Four-Thirds camera, like the Panasonic G series of cameras? Or a system that has its own set of lenses, like the Sony NEXes?

While both of those are extremely popular, here are three recently launched alternative standout picks. We have the Pentax Q, with its unbelievable size. Then there's the Olympus PEN E-P3, an improvement on an established line. And there's the new kid on the block, the Nikon1 V1.

While the option of interchangeable lens do not come cheap, the versatility that comes with the camera is well worth the price.

Small is beautiful

by June Yang and Ryhan Bte Mohd Yazid

Pentax Q

The Pentax Q is said to be the smallest interchangeable lens camera around. Weighing a mere 180g and literally palm-sized at 9.8cm by 5.75cm and 3.1cm thick, this tiny wonder is bound to be a hit among relatives and friends when they see you pulling out something so unique from your front pocket. But judge it not by its size, as the Pentax Q comes packed with a 12.4-megapixel, backlit CMOS sensor and full HD video recording capability. Therefore, no matter how small the camera may seem, it is more than capable of capturing beautiful shots in any sort of lighting condition you may encounter. The Pentax Q retails for S$999 with the standard 8mm f/1.9 prime lens.

A classic gets better

by June Yang and Ryhan Bte Mohd Yazid

Pentax Q with flash. PHOTO COURTESY PENTAX

Olympus Pen E-P3

One of the pioneers of the mirrorless format with the Micro Four-Thirds format, Olympus introduced their PEN E-P3 earlier this year. Users of this iconic camera will be delighted to
know that although it stays true to the stylish form from the first PEN cameras, the E-P3 boasts faster focusing features, a better screen - a 614,000-dot VGA-equivalent OLED touch-sensitive screen - and the ability to record full-HD movies. The 16-megapixel E-P3 has addressed all the weaknesses of the previous PEN cameras and transformed them into strengths, truly making it one of the top choices for the amateur photographer who's looking for a mid-range camera. The E-P3 retails for S$1,298 with 14-42mm, f/3.5-5.6 kit lens.

More than meets the eye

by June Yang and Ryhan Bte Mohd Yazid

Nikon 1 V1

Nikon just jumped on board the compact interchangeable-lens bandwagon this year with the Nikon 1 series. With the V1, they've paired a very user-friendly interface with a 10-megapixel sensor, an electronic viewfinder and minimalistic styling in an array of colours. But it's not just the simplicity of this camera that's appealing. Nikon has developed four new lenses in their well-regarded NIKKOR range that are specifically for 1-series cameras. And an adaptor mount lets you hook the V1 up to existing NIKKOR DSLR lenses. So if you (or the recipent) are the type who enjoys splurging on an ever-expanding collection of lenses, the 1 V1 is a great investment. The Nikon 1 V1 starts at S$1,299 with a basic 10-30mm, f/3.5-5.6 kit lens.