Following in the spirit of the Sony QX1, the Olympus Air A01 is a new lens camera that hopes to up your photography game with an even smaller smartphone-connected shooter.
No bigger than a simple paper weight, the Air comes packing a 16-megapixel Micro Four Thirds (MFT) sensor, to which users can attach Olympus and Panasonic lenses. While the lens camera does not feature a screen of its own, users can pair the device to their smartphone.
Using the OA.Central app, mobile shutterbugs can arrange their composition remotely while tweaking their settings. Additionally, the app allows users to edit the photos and ultimately share them on the web.
It's the little things
The Air shares the same 16-megapixel sensor and TruePic VII processing engine as the Olympus OM-D E-M10.
However, putting the guts of a full-size compact system camera into a compact cylinder has resulted in a few sacrifices. For one thing the Air is not equipped with a mechanical shutter, nor Olympus' renowned in-camera image stabilization.
The good news is the Olympus Air is all around smaller, lighter and more affordable than the Sony QX1 – which costs $399 or £250 (about AU$520). Priced at $299 (about £190, AU$390), Olympus' first lens camera will begin shipping in the states this July (thus far there are no plans for release in the UK and Australia).
- Read our hands on review of the Olympus Air right here
