In the next installment of his column for CNET, MOTO Development Group president Gregor Berkowitz examines the Olympus EP-1, an all-new digital camera designed to look like a classic SLR from the 1960s.

Why did Olympus give a digital camera the New Beetle treatment?

It’s simple: Point-and-shoot digital cameras are threatened by a new generation of camera-equipped mobile phones that actually take pretty good pictures. To fend off extinction, camera manufacturers are scrambling to create products that offer functionality no mobile phone could ever hope to match.

In the case of the EP-1, those highlights include Mad Men-era styling, removable lenses, and a fast (1/4000), mechanical shutter that makes a satisfying *click* when you take a picture. The iPhone will never offer any of those features, of course, which suggests that the EP-1 wants to be something more than just a high-quality camera. It also aspires to be a lifestyle accessory for people who want to show the world that they are serious photography enthusiasts.

To learn more about all the ways in which that ideal was incorporated into the design of the EP-1, read the full CNET column.