Olympus have just announced the launch of a housing for the their EPL-1 Micro Four-Thirds camera system - PT-EP01 Water Protector.
Micro Four Thirds cameras have been one of the major recent developments in the last year, bringing SLR quality to cameras that are much smaller and more lightweight than traditional SLRs. The EPL-1 model is the most affordable model in the Olympus range.
Measuring 179mm x 156mm x 166mm and weighing in at approximately 1100g, it weighs only about half as much as the Olympus E-620 digital SLR camera system with lens and port.
The PT-EP01 Water Protector allows users to take advantage of the camera's Underwater Macro and Underwater Wide shooting modes, which ensure vivid and natural color with rich blue tones when shooting underwater, although the housing system does not support a dome system, which will disappoint many.
It also supports the Olympus Wireless Remote Control Flash System, enabling the camera's built-in flash to be used as the command unit for advanced multi-flash setups. Optical connectors are provided for up to two UFL-2 dedicated underwater flash units, with full control of flash mode and brightness settings accessible via the camera's LCD monitor when shooting underwater.
The housing will be on sale from 5th March and is expected to retail at around $600 US dollars.
