totally unsurprising news/teaser from Olympus

[BJL]

Email today from Olympus points to this news/teaser of a forthcoming camera, so you could sign up if you are really impatient to get the E-M1 announcement ASAP:
http://click.email.olympusamerica.com/?qs=4450c4aba8886a56201044ef9e9274e31bc18d8ca745504bf6c2ba9d3f62d5befec2c3a03bf9c616

[bcooter]

Email today from Olympus points to this news/teaser of a forthcoming camera, so you could sign up if you are really impatient to get the E-M1 announcement ASAP:
http://click.email.olympusamerica.com/?qs=4450c4aba8886a56201044ef9e9274e31bc18d8ca745504bf6c2ba9d3f62d5befec2c3a03bf9c616

I think it is anticipated, at least by anyone that wants that extra usability in a 4/3's camera.

There are still unanswered questions in regards to sensor higher iso and video capabilities, but the camera shows a lot of promise with a non aa filter design and more professional features.

I was going to post two screen shots from the same session, form an omd and a Canon 1dx. both cropped from lightroom at 100% but ran out of time today.  In my view the difference is about 10% if that.

The 1dx was at 1200 iso, the omd at 640, but with the omd you can open up one more stop for the same look in regards to lens fall off and the level of focus you pull.

Point is if the AA filter removal, the new focusing aids, comes closer to modern dslrs then the omd even at it's reported price of $1,500 is a deal/steal.

Now if the omd has better focus for standard 43 and micro 43 lenses, has more video power in higher bit rate and various fps, then it's more than a deal.

I hope Olympus has listened.

IMO

BC

[bcooter]

Well, Olympus keeps teasing out photos, but they really need to tease out specs.

I'd love to know about the motion settings, if they have all I and how many mbs, color looks, c-log, sound out, hdmi quality out,  etc.

And the same with stills.  FPS, better continuous autofocus (an issue most mirrorless cameras have) and I would love to see an Olympus announcement that said "we now have a menu that humans can understand".

Focus tracking is a real issue and a plus and the OMD 5 had some issues with this.

I don't get camera companies.   List the facts and the photos if you want to build interest.

Another thing the makers should address is the hacks.   How smart would it be if all the makers embraced the hacks from people like magic lantern (by embrace I mean assist, or even pay).

I'd pay another price, if I knew that the OLY and Pana could be hacked to raw, or a higher bit count.

Since mft seems to be setting on the fence in regards to pro or prosumer, embracing more options, faster out of the gate firmware improvements would go a long way to allowing buyers to really go deep into the system.

It took the gh2 about a year before the hackers got the higher bit rate thing stable, same with the 5d2 sound bars.  If the makers would jump onboard straight away with these options, writing a check for a system gets a lot easier.

Also with Metabones adding m43 to their list of adapters, which is pretty cool considering you can take a huge lens set from leica, Canon and Nkon and mount them on a m43, get a stop faster adn drop the crop factor from 2 to 1.5.   Also there are now adapters to mount original oly 35mm film lenses to the m43 platform that offer tilt shift.

Anyway, from the latest leaked photos I gotta say Olympus can do pretty, jewel like equipment, but this time it has the look of purposeful equipmetn.

If only there marketing department would catch up to the design group.



IMO

BC

[John Camp]

Anyway, from the latest leaked photos I gotta say Olympus can do pretty, jewel like equipment, but this time it has the look of purposeful equipmetn.

I agree that it looks purposeful. But (there's always a but) the main reason for the existence of m43 IMHO is size -- smaller bodies, smaller lenses, etc. If the bodies start to grow, so that they overlap with Canon and Nikon APS-C systems both in size and in price...why not go with the more complete systems? I mean, you can buy a really, really good Nikon, the D7100, for $450 LESS than rumors have the price for this Oly. I'm very interested in the upcoming GX7, because it seems to emphasize m43 qualities -- that is, extremely small size to go with the small lenses, and good m43 quality. But I also have a NIkon system, and the m43 quality doesn't compare to the D800. So, there's really nice choice between small, discreet cameras with good IQ, and large, in-your-face cameras with excellent IQ. What is there to recommend large-ish cameras with only "good" IQ?

[bcooter]

So, there's really nice choice between small, discreet cameras with good IQ, and large, in-your-face cameras with excellent IQ. What is there to recommend large-ish cameras with only "good" IQ?

I don't need discreet and don't mind in your face, but I do like the 4:3 system and though I loved Nikon film cameras, have never been wild about Nikon digital.

But you have a point and I guess the only reasons to go micro 43 is the ability to shoot good motion files and it's a native 4:3 crop, which to some people isn't a plus, but to me is.

But the real reason for me is I just like them.  Maybe because they're different and I like the file quality.

I'm alone on this one I'm sure, but noiseless, glass smooth cmos images really look like noiseless, glass smooth digital to me, but I like the 4:3 images I'm getting, have learned how to process and purpose them, get a great affect, but as all things it could just be I'm talking myself into it.

Thing is I bet I buy one though if I had my way, this would be the digital camera I'd own.



So maybe I'm looking for a Contax.




IMO

BC

[BJL]

But (there's always a but) the main reason for the existence of m43 IMHO is size -- smaller bodies, smaller lenses, etc. If the bodies start to grow ...

Firstly, we need a sense of scale that the photos so far do not give very well, but it seems that despite its "SLR shape", this EM1 body is still fairly small; about E-620 sized?. The deeper grip adds bulk that will be unwelcome to people who mostly use quite small lenses (let me call them "street and people photographers") but will probably help when using larger telephoto lenses like some of the 4/3 SLR lenses that some of us want to get back into action or the hotly rumored 40-150/2.8. Hopefully the next step will be a more compact "street photographer's body" which also has the new PDAF/CDAF hybrid ability.

But above all, what matters most is the size of a complete working camera, not just a body on its own. In particular, the total size and weight with a zoom lens attached, and even more so when it is a telephoto zoom. And the size comparison then is to a kit in a larger format with a zoom lens of comparable reach. If the 4/3" format telephoto lenses maintain their size advantage, and the body is just big enough to give good ergonomics with them (adequate grip, enough buttons and dials with enough room between them, etc.) the size will be right for me.


P. S. There is also the annoying marketing ploy of displaying "pro grade" cameras like this with the vertical/battery grip attached, as if to add a sense of "serious bulk".  I call them "high heels for cameras".