Olympus E-P1 design was unintentional: Interview

The recently announced Olympus E-P1 caused quite a stir in the imaging industry partially because it uses the new micro four thirds technology, but primarily due to its retro aesthetics. Our sister site CNET Asia caught up with Yoshitomo Nagashima, general manager of the SLR Marketing department in Olympus to find out more.

In this age when most point-and-shoots are rectangular in shape and dSLRs look like black blocks with protrusions, it's no wonder that the radically different E-P1 raised more than a few eyebrows.

Masaomi Tomizawa (left) and Yoshitomo Nagashima (right). (Credit: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia)

Earlier this year, Olympus started a series of campaigns to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Pen-series cameras. Last month, the Japanese company launched a teaser ad which indirectly linked the E-P1 to the Pen family. Despite this, the company claims its initial intention wasn't to mould the new micro four thirds camera after the Pen F. Also with us was Masaomi Tomizawa, section manager of the Electronic Device department who gave us more information on the design and development process behind the E-P1.

Looking at the design of the E-P1, can Olympus share with us why the camera was modelled after the Pen series?

Olympus: Our initial intention for the E-P1 wasn't to model it after the Pen. When we first conceived ideas for the camera design, we had a lot of drafts. However, we settled for the five best and conducted focus group sessions with our target audience who are current point-and-shoot owners looking to upgrade to a better camera. Surprisingly, it was the younger generation who preferred the retro aesthetics. Hence, we set out to create a mock-up unit, which was seen at Photokina last year.

How long did it take for the team to design and develop the E-P1?

When the mock-up model was showcased at Photokina, we had only an idea of the specifications of the camera. We finalised its design only after the imaging trade show.

The Olympus E-P1 with the 17mm pancake lens and optical viewfinder. (Credit: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia)

What were the difficulties encountered when conceptualising the E-P1?

We first designed the outer shell of the E-P1, then the engineers had to modify the circuits to fill them into the space given. However, we knew that if the individual departments worked separately, everyone would have different ideas on the E-P1. To avoid any forms of compromise, we formed a team with key personnel from the design, research & development and production department and had them work toward the same goal.

Why was a metal body design chosen for the E-P1 when it is targeted at the entry-level segment? The extra premium could be avoided if, say, polycarbonate was used instead.

Yes, we agree that the E-P1 could be made more affordable if we used cheaper materials. However, we really wanted to make a high-quality camera, and to the company, the design is the most important aspect. Hence, we still went ahead with using metal for the body of the E-P1.

Is it possible to make future micro four thirds any smaller, like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3's present size?

Yes, it is possible. But with regard to the E-P1, we felt the size was just right. But if consumers were to demand for an even smaller micro four thirds camera, we would definitely explore that option.

The retractable 14-42mm micro four thirds lens. (Credit: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia)

Will future Olympus-made micro four thirds zoom lenses have the retractable feature like the new 14-42mm optics?

It is important to keep the whole camera system small, but we also have to consider how balanced the system feels when the lens is attached to the camera's body. Also, different focal length optics require different engineering, so that has to be taken into consideration as well.

What is the reason for not including an on-board flash, considering that this camera is targeted at the entry-level segment who may not be comfortable with operating an external flash?

First and foremost, it is to keep the camera small in size. We could have included an on-board flash on the E-P1, but that would have made the camera bigger and we didn't want that. To counter the problem of shooting in low-light situations, we used a new imaging engine which can deliver high ISO sensitivity shots without sacrificing details. But if consumers really want to use a flash, we have the FL-14 external flashlight.

Does Olympus approve of third-party manufacturers that make adapters to fit other lenses onto micro four thirds cameras?

We can't stop other companies from making peripherals that allow other lenses to be used on our cameras. It's a case of supply and demand. If there is a need for such accessories, then surely some companies will provide them. At the end of the day, it's the user's decision. We cannot comment on whether this is right or wrong.

It's interesting that the E-P1 is able to record videos with Art Filters applied. However, certain settings cause the frame rate to drop dramatically. Why did Olympus still decide to go ahead with this implementation?

Art Filter application in video mode on the E-P1. (Credit: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia)

We realised that when Grainy Film and Pinhole filters were used in video recordings, the clips looked really retro and interesting. The slow frame rate further enhances the aged film look, and hence we thought it'd still be interesting for photographers to experiment with. However, future micro four thirds cameras from Olympus will definitely be able to achieve 30fps regardless of which Art Filter is applied.

How different is the TruePic V engine from the previous processor?

The major improvement that TruePic V has over TruePic III+ is that the new processor can remove noise more effectively. This is important since we expect users to be shooting at high ISO sensitivities in low-light conditions. Also, TruePic V is able to render the colour purple more faithfully, instead of showing it as blue which some image engines. We are very confident of TruePic V, and we think it can deliver better-looking pictures than some of our own dSLRs.

So what's the level of collaboration between Olympus and Panasonic now?

We worked with Panasonic to develop the micro four thirds technology and the collaboration ends there. When it comes to developing cameras, it's our own affair and they don't know anything about it. Similarly, when they designed the G1 and GH1, we didn't have any involvement, either.