Olympus Pulls Trigger On E-M1 v2.0 Firmware Early: Go Get It!

Excited by Olympus' new firmware 2.0 for the E-M1? Turns out Olympus was too; so excited, in fact, that it couldn't resist pushing out the update early. Originally intended to drop on September 24th, the upgrade – which adds niceties like tethered shooting – has in fact gone live today.

For many, it'll be the ability to plug their E-M1 into a laptop via USB and remotely control it that's the biggest advantage from the new firmware. Commonly used in studios, it gives a Live View preview as well as access to the shutter and other settings.

However, it's not the only improvement. For instance, there's in-camera digital shift for keystone compensation, and the Live Composite Mode for prolonged exposures brought over from the Olympus E-M10.

Two new Art Filters – each with three variations – have been introduced, and there are new photo Story themes. A boost to Live Guide allows effect layering, too.

The EVF has reduced its lag, down to 16ms, and there's better remote shooting from the OI.Share app for smartphones and tablets, adding a self-timer and interval shooting.

You can find the new firmware through the Olympus Viewer software.