As with many announcements that will no doubt be coming into the light over the next couple of weeks, we have been following the rumors around the Olympus E-PL7. Today, everything was made official and Olympus announced their latest PEN Micro Four Thirds compact camera.

The PEN E-PL7 features a 16MP sensor, 3-axis in body image stabilization, and surprisingly, can shoot 8fps that goes along nicely with an 81-point AF system. Overall, a nice little compact offering for those wanting a small, compact, unassuming body for travel or maybe street photography.

The new PEN E-PL7 is currently available for pre-order on B&H, with both body and kit options in black and silver. The body comes in at $599, with the kits going for just $100 more, at $699. I will have to wait and see about performance, but this looks like a nice little piece of kit for the money.

Olympus PEN E-PL7 Specs

• 16MP Live MOS Sensor
• TruePic VII Image Processor
• 3-Axis In-Body VCM Image Stabilization
• 3″ 1.04M-dot 180° Flip Touchscreen
• 81-Point FAST AF with Small Target AF
• Full HD Video Recording at 30 fps
• Continuous Shooting at 8 fps
• Built-In Wi-Fi Connectivity
• Art Filters, Photo Story & Panning Modes
• FL-LM1 Flash Included

Availability is expected sometime in late September, so you have some time to get your ducks in a row if this is something on your list. This could make a great little back to school gift or tool for a student. You can find the body only here, and the kit here, or if you prefer to look at all the options you can find them over on B&H here.