Olympus PEN E-PL6 Picks Up Some Tricks from E-P5 and OM-D
The latest mid-tier mirrorless model adds some nifty features, but will American buyers ever get their hands on it?
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Hot on the heels of the recently announced PEN EP-5, Olympus today unveiled the PEN E-PL6, a quick follow-up to last fall's E-PL5. The newest consumer-oriented Micro Four Thirds body inherits the flagship Olympus OM-D E-M5's autofocus system, as well as the E-P5's low ISO 100 setting, time-lapse functionality, and compatibility with the add-on VF-4 electronic viewfinder.
Externally, it appears that the E-PL6 is virtually identical to its predecessor. It has the same retro-inspired shape, the same buttons and dials, the same 170-degree swivel rear LCD, and the same black, silver, and white color options—though it does tack on an alternative red finish. Inside, the E-PL6 utilizes the 16.05-megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor and TruePic VI processor originally designed for the OM-D and subsequently adopted by the E-PM2, E-PL5, and E-P5.
The E-PL6 will be available in body-only, single-lens (14-42mm II), and dual-lens (14-42mm and 40-150mm) kits at the end of June. Pricing has not yet been announced, and it's not clear whether this particular model will ever make its way to the U.S. market. Thus far, the camera has only been announced on Olympus's Japan-based global site, and there's no language suggesting an American launch.