The leatherette which I ordered from Aki Asahi for my newly bought Olympus PEN E-PM1 has arrived. It took just under 10 days to be delivered all the way from Japan, just as the seller had expected. No problems faced.

Olympus PEN E-PM1 front

So why have I shipped from overseas when Olympus Singapore has an online store?

The leatherettes were priced at $25. The Red Lizard style which I was looking at seemed to be a top hit and has been out of stock for quite awhile now. Then there is the additional $10 delivery charge for orders ≤ $30. Instead of paying $35, getting it from Aki Asahi cost USD $20 ≈ SGD $26.55, that is $8.45 in savings. #cheapskate

Olympus PEN E-PM1 side

The leatherette is actually two separate pieces with adhesive which you paste onto the camera. It is very similar to the screen protectors on your touchscreen phones, just that you need not worry about air bubbles. Each piece is not flatly pasted onto the front of the camera, it goes around by the side too.

It is by no means permanent, you can also remove the pieces by blowing hot air onto it to expand the leather. Tearing the piece off from the camera should then be fairly easy.

Olympus PEN E-PM1 back

What was a bare camera in white has suddenly become a hot chic which everyone wants to be seen carrying. The only thing left to replace is the strap, the Olympus one is by no means ugly but it puts a smudge in an otherwise well executed fashion statement.

Do you like how my Olympus PEN looks now?

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