Olympus Pen E-PL2 tweaks the E-PL1's winning formula

Olympus has announced the successor to the rather marvellous Pen E-PL1 Micro Four Thirds camera. The Pen E-PL2 offers a few improvements but doesn't stray far from the winning formula that bagged its predecessor one of our coveted Editors' Choice awards.

Among the immediately noticeable tweaks are the more pronounced grip, which should make for better handling, and the larger LCD display. The display now measures 3 inches diagonally rather than 2.7 inches, and has had its resolution doubled, to 460,000 pixels. 

Other changes include a new 14-42mm kit lens that's quieter and faster to focus, and access to the Live Guide feature when shooting 720p high-definition movies. Live Guide walks you through the camera's various settings, which should prove helpful if you're not yet a photographic maestro. The E-PL2 also supports high-capacity SDXC cards, so you can snap away without worrying about running out of room.

The camera offers a broader ISO range than the E-PL1 too, stretching to ISO 6,400, which should enable better low-light shooting. Its shutter speed has been boosted to 1/4,000th of a second.

The E-PL2 retains its predecessor's 12.3-megapixel sensor and, hopefully, the dSLR-like image quality that made the E-PL1 one of our favourite cameras of 2010.

The E-PL2 will be available in January for around £500. Click through the photo gallery to see more of the plucky fellow, and keep your eyes peeled for a full review soon.