Born 1950 in Tokyo. Hugely impressed by the natural wonders of the Galapagos Islands, which he visited at the age of 19, launched his career as an animal photographer, and since then has taken photographs in the field in countless locations across the globe. Iwago's stunning photographs fire the imagination and have earned him international acclaim. Has published numerous photograph collections including Umi kara no Tegami ("Letter from the Sea"), which won the Kimura Ihee Award, and international bestseller Okite (Serengeti: Natural Order on the African Plain). The OLYMPUS E-1 is here at last. What I am happiest about is that now I can take photos with a super telephoto lens, with the camera in my hands. The ZUIKO 300mm uses the Four Thirds System to provide the equivalent of a 600mm lens on 35mm cameras to date. On top of that, it is very bright, with an aperture value of F/2.8. As a photographer who wants to capture instants of nature, words cannot express the gratitude I feel at having a 600mm lens with F/2.8, that I can actually use to take photos without a tripod. I took the E-1 on a shoot at Banff National Park, in Canada. From a wood, I heard the drumming of a woodpecker pecking in the trunk of a tree. It was a pileated woodpecker, the largest woodpecker found in North America. I put a 1.4x extender on my 300mm lens, and looked into the viewfinder. I was snapping the shutter without a moment's delay. That night, I was greeted by a sharp, fresh pileated woodpecker on my PC screen.

Vol.1: Kenji Ishiguro / Brings out the sensuality and luster. Vol.2: Mitsuaki Iwago / I must have been looking forward to the E-1 more than anyone. Vol.3: Kazuo Unno / Perfect for Macro model! I could not live without this camera now. Vol.4: Yasuhiko Miyajima / I'm sold on this camera. Vol.5: Shin Yamagishi / The lens lets you get right up close, which helps along shooting. Vol.6: Kenji Ishiguro / Capturing Thought in the Garden of Time. Vol.7: Mitsuaki Iwago / A feather-light response to the drumming of a woodpecker. Vol.8: Kazuo Unno / That once-in-a-lifetime blue is about to fly away now. Vol.9: Yasuhiko Miyajima / The breath of the painter comes through. Vol.10: Shin Yamagishi / The E-1 answers all my demands on digital cameras for portrait photography.