I have been very silent about the upcoming Olympus E-5. I didn’t give you much news about that camera because we had received conflicting reports. Finally my sources allowed me to tell you why I had received such different rumors.
As I told you in April Olympus made a very last minute decision to not announce any new low and middle class FourThirds DSLR (->The cameras were ready for the worldwide launch!).
In case of the E-5, Olympus tested different prototypes (with different sensors, features and designs). Of course it is normal that a company reviews different camera versions, but what I am telling you is that they only decided a few weeks ago(!) how the camera will look! Even the name wasn’t sure until few weeks ago.
An example? According to our sources Olympus had two prototypes, one working with the Kodak sensor and one working with the new Panasonic sensor. We don’t know what sensor has been choosen but we suspect that Olympus will use the new Panasonic sensor
1) We believe the E-5 will be announced mid-September (14 or 15)
2) The E-5 will be in Stock months later (by end of the year). Reason for the delay could be the new Panasonic sensor which had a longer than expected development history.
3) We don’t expect the new sensor to have an electronic global shutter but two of our sources told us that we should expect a intermediate solution (?)
4) More Megapixels -> 14-16MPX
5) UPDATE: One source told me that it has a more current design (E-30 and E-3) and another source that is very similar to the [shoplink 14878]Olympus OM4ti[/shoplink] design (we still need to confirm that part of the rumor). I guess they saw two different prototypes 🙁
6) A special mount solution (could also use MicroFourThirds lenses?)
We hope to get 99% proof detailled rumors soon!
Thanks!
67 Responses
thanks for your new rumor on e5. Do you have any information about the coming panny gf2 or the super slim MFT camera? Since you told us it will be the most exciting product panny has ever made. Is there any further information?
Hi brain! We are collecting and checking the rumors. We need more time but on Munday-Tuesday we will post a small summary!
Bye
thx, admin
“Olympus made a very last minute decision to not announce any new low and middle class FourThirds DSLR (->The cameras were ready for the worldwide launch!).”
Very, very frustrating and disappointing to the E-620 user who loves its price point, size and features and only asked for incorporation of the E-PL1 sensor/processor and E-30 (or similar) improved OVF. I have 4/3’s glass which I love and do not want to either switch to mFT or spend a small fortune on a “pro” 4/3’s. How much market share will this monumentally wrong-headed move cost them? How many out there agree?
OM4Ti like system!!!! OH YEAH!!! I love my L1 with the Oly 25mm pancake just cuz it looks and feels so retro.
I hope the E5 will be that way. It’d be a refreshing change in this industry.
3) We don’t expect the new sensor to have electronic global shutter but two of our sources told us that we should expect a in-between solution (?)
Canon has a silent Live View mode where first shutter curtain is electronic & second is standard mechanical.
Maybe E-5 will have something similar & first mechanical curtain would be completely left out. It could help making shutter unit less complex & heavy, helping to design a better or smaller IS & smaller whole camera.
Is this a rumour or a story, as in fairy tale?
Yes, I agree that most likely they chose the Panosonic sensor, if only because of video (but probably also high ISO is better than Kodak).
I just wish that the sensor had a real ISO 100, not like the latest ones which have a native ISO 200 base (yes, according to DXOmark it is like ISO 125, but even then I’d rather have a measured ISO 80 base, like the Canon 7D/550D). With the E-P2/E-PL1 you can still see quite some noise at base ISO (200) in shadow areas. Compare it with Sony’s sensor on the Leica X1:
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2010/07/16/quick-test-3-shots-sony-nex-5-leica-x1-olympus-e-p2/
Thanks, this is very interesting! Nothing we didn’t really know or suspect already, but good to hear. Can you go into any more detail about what “Very similar Olympus OM4ti design” means? Just the outside look, or what?
Anyway, it’s hard to believe they only settled on the look a few weeks ago – only a couple months before the camera was set to be announced? But I suppose anything is possible…the news about Oly having low-end and midrange cameras ready to launch is intriguing too – oh, to be a fly on the wall at an Olympus meeting…
I’m eagerly waiting for a successor of the E-3 that will also be resistant to water and dust just as the E-3 and offer a higher resolution and less noise at higher ISO values.
Thanks for posting the time frame of the “E-5”. It gives me some room for planning and putting money aside.
@Olympus/@Panasonic: One more thing to make me happy: a 25mm fast prime that does not cost 800 (although I would like to own that Panasonic Leica 25mm lens…).
They might have PR spree releasing few cameras in a row so everyone will be talking about Olympus for some time just in time for Xmas shopping
Well, if they chose to use the Panasonic sensor, it might be better than the ones in the market now, otherwise…i see no way in competing with whats coming next from Sony and Nikon….(not even to talk about canon has already…)….I think it would be smart to come with something really revolutionary instead of evolutionary….panasonic sensors are far from being excellent yet…
Hello
If indeed it is true that they consider both the KODAK and Panasonic version and chose the latter it would be very frustrating as it could only be motivated by commercial and price related reasons . there is NO WAY that the Panasonic could match the quality of the Kodak one
ahhh so frustrating
H
Carlos
even if they choose a new Panasonic s ensor , which is better than the current Panasonic ones … it would NOT be better than what would arrive on the market
I think this is a HUGE mistake by Olympus as People tend to think that 4/3 sensor does not allow similar quality of sensor compared to APS sized sensor .. which is not true
it ‘s just that Panasonic is not at the same level as the Kodak and best Sonys sensors
Hello
I think you should submit a poll for current OLY users as what would they prefer to see Panasonic or sony sensor on the new E5
it would be interesting to see the results
don’t you think ???
Harold
Gimme a break!
They have a Kodak and a Panasonic Sensor for testing and maybe final production and they are ditching against the best sensor!
I cannot believe such stupidity (if the rumors is true).
B
Gimme a break!
They have a Kodak and a Panasonic Sensor for testing and maybe final production and they are ditching again the best sensor!
I cannot believe such stupidity (if the rumors is true).
B
Harold, i pretty much agree with you…thats the reason i sold my G1….Kodak sensor would be something new…pans…hummmm
Carlos
yes and maybe it has to do with stupid video applications but whatever the reason it is a setback …….
Kodak sure sounds more interesting, but hey, we have seen nice sensors from Panasonic too!
I love my OM-2’s size. I just hope the design has a good grip. Something that OM lacks.
I’m positive that we will see something interesting!
But why is Kodak’s sensor better? Some explanation or examples would be good.
In small sensors (from compact cameras) Panasonic does them better. The sensor from the E-1 was from Kodak, wasn’t it? And it was worse than the competition at the time.
The sensor from the Leica M9 is Kodak too, and it’s worse than the competition from Canon and Nikon (except if you like to not have AA filter, but that’s apart from the sensor itself). On the other hand, the sensor from the Panny GH1 is almost as good as the best APS-C sensors from Canon and Sony.
So I don’t see why you are so sure the Kodak sensor is better. Could you elaborate?
Oh, and Tobias,
I would like to see fast (f1.4) 18mm prime instead for those dark situations. We already have that Leica plus some Sigma lenses on normal focal lenghts.
i read your rumor … kodak is gone
according your rumor comparinf gh1 or new gh2 , olympus E-5 is not special.
sensor is upgraded , i wonder rumor is ture i deeply diaappoint e-5
i expext developing e-3 af moduel and more feature
i expect fanally 43 winner is panasonic . if olympus will do that olympus E-system be no more future
@Zonkie..
Well I’ve you are looking for HighISO etc. then its best to stay away from the Kodak one.
But if you are looking for the perfect ISO100 and excellent tonal and colour rendering then its Kodak fro you.
And the M9 is just an brilliant Rangefinder and if I would have the choice between a M9, D3x and 1DsMIV it would be any easy choice in favour of the M9.
As for the E1, well it wasn’t the Best for Test. But the E1 quality was appreciated – however slightly to late. Also the E1 still has the best UserRating at dpreview.com. I will never sell my E1.
B
“Very, very frustrating and disappointing to the E-620 user who loves its price point, size and features and only asked for incorporation of the E-PL1 sensor/processor and E-30 (or similar) improved OVF. I have 4/3′s glass which I love and do not want to either switch to mFT or spend a small fortune on a “pro” 4/3′s. How much market share will this monumentally wrong-headed move cost them? How many out there agree?”
considering that they are actually gaining market share with m4/3rds i don’t think it will cost them anything.
They need a pro spec camera so that people know they are serious, but its the lower grade cameras that sell in bulk. Making m4/3rds the entry level cameras is extremely smart since the original point of 4/3rds was to be smaller.
All they really need are lower prices across the board for all m4/3rds products. And an E5 for me.
As for Panasonic vs Kodak, some of you people are so fickle, you want super clean high ISO but you want the kodak, the two don’t go together.
I already get great colors out of my E30 im not quite sure how much it could improve.
Also if you want clean shadows on the E30 or 620 you need to over expose by .3, .7 or 1 full stop. Then bring the highlights back down in post. this is pretty much how I do all my shots in A mode.
But Kodak sensors are CCD. So you can’t have live view with them ‘right?
Hence, I can’t see how Olympus could return to Kodak sensors in spite of their qualities…
I don’t give a damn about live view. This “oh, mFT is sooo great and FT is dead” stuff really gets boring.
An OM4 styled camera w/ Kodak CCD and the 0.5x converter discussed months ago would simply be great. Of course for those of you that need some kind of handgrip, the batterygrip should look like a motor winder… 😉
I for one just hope the new e5 is water resistant as the e3
It would be cool if they went with the mechanical film SLR body style , i love the way those cameras feel and look.
As for micro4/3 compatibility , i think its bound to happen because olympus is going to be splitting their market with the two cameras , so im thinkin that all future 4/3 cameras will support micro four thirds lenses standard.
The ep3 will most likely be a dedicated “pro level” micro43 camera with a built in evf
@Borbarad
Well, the problem is that saying “perfect ISO100 and excellent tonal and colour rendering” without any example is rather vague. I know that DXOmark is just a scientific test, but at base ISO the M9 can’t compete with a D3(s/X) or 5Dm2 either in signal to noise, dynamic range, tonal range or colour sensitivity. I know that at pixel level the images from the M9 look great, but that’s mostly because of the lack of AA filter and has nothing to do with colour rendering.
@Billy
Yes, actually current ISO 100 in latest Oly’s cameras is an overexposed ISO 200 and then fixed by the image processing. It is cleaner than ISO 200, obviously, but then you lose dynamic range (which is already the weak point of those sensors). That’s why I ask for a real ISO 100 (or 50 if possible!).
Zonkie…still rather vague but like you said DXO mark is not field test so….and if look at the panasonic sensors (4/3) even the old nikon D50 beats the m4/3 options(DR wise)…hell…even the LX3 sensor beats the GF1 and G1 sensors (DRange) by a small margin….
@zonkie
disagree completely
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond300s/page17.asp
I don’t see any real world disadvantage when actually USING my E30 and DPR’s compare shows pretty good Dynamic Range there.
I think you missed my point. You can get perfectly clean ISO 200, first you have to nail exposure instead of just pointing and clicking and 2 I typically set exposure bias to +.3 or .7 and I have generally gotten perfectly clean shadows. I actually get pretty clean ISO 800, again by exposing properly.
If you know you don’t like the shadows then it makes more sense to over expose and bring the shadows and highlights back down in post.
Furthermore, that brings me to my next point, stop complaining about noise! As someone who makes LARGE prints noise is not a problem unless I screwed up the exposure some how and had to salvage it in post. the noise that everyone likes to make noise about on the E30 and 620 isn’t even noticeable in print until you get past ISO 800. I find its most often the people that sit there and do 2:1 views on their pictures that start whining about noise.
@Billy
I do not disagree with you in general, and we’re probably talking about very minor details here. But what I mean is:
The measured ISO 200 on the E-PL1 is ISO 124 (according to dxomark.com). Then the measured ISO 100 is also ISO 124. So if you shoot JPG and set the camera to ISO 100 what you’re getting is an overexposed image that’s been brought down by the image processing. The result? Here (see Dynamic range section):
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympusepl1/page9.asp
Also, did you look at the images linked on my first message? Comparing the daylight shot in both the Leica X1 and the E-P2, the shadows on the E-P2 (look at the white walls) look quite bad. It might not be too noticeable in print (depending on the size), but it is there, very clearly (while the Leica that has a Sony sensor is very clean without losing detail). Is it wrong exposure? I don’ think so, I’ve seen this in many other examples. At ISO 200 this sensor has noise. If it’s a big problem or not is another question, but it is clearly visible on a computer screen at least (oh, and if you compare the night shot in the linked article you will see even bigger difference).
Hello Zonkie
I failed to see how comparing Kodak sensor to one from the best one from Nikon or one from Canon. We were comparing with Panasonic sensor , REMEMBER ???
I am also not getting to go into the argument of the sensor at 3200 ISO that most serious photographers use very rarely if ever
the fact is that at normal Iso speeds -say 100 to 800 ISO -speeds that should be enough to cover 90% or more of regular applications , I challenge anyone to show that a Panasonic sensor at a given time has a better IQ than a Kodak sensor of similar size and generation
This is WHY Panasonic sensors are not used in real pro bodies , other than the E3
Look at the references of Kodak , Leica M8 , M9 … Leica S2 , Pentax 645 D
and for anyone who has used both , it is NOT EVEN a CLOSE CALL
Harold
“typically set exposure bias to +.3 or .7 and I have generally gotten perfectly clean shadows. I actually get pretty clean ISO 800, again by exposing properly.
If you know you don’t like the shadows then it makes more sense to over expose and bring the shadows and highlights back down in post.
Furthermore, that brings me to my next point, stop complaining about noise”
Well here’s my story. My wedding work is mixed in with one or two others at a studio, for which I shoot as an independent. Therefore it gets mixed “side-by-side” (we sync time on all cameras) and compared with the likes of D-700s, 5/7D Mark xxx, etc.
And I’m sorry, my stuff is noisy by comparison especially at ISO 800. I sat and got an eyefull on Friday, against same-situation shots by two D-700 shooters. So yes, I’m going to complain about noise because the hurdle is very high now, compared with those “others”. I’m frankly on the defensive and have to explain that Oly will be coming out with I new body in September that will improve all that.
Help us out here, Olympus!
Hi Harold:
“the fact is that at normal Iso speeds -say 100 to 800 ISO -speeds that should be enough to cover 90% or more of regular applications”
Yes I agree with the statement, However the thing is two fold
What was considered regular is becoming wider and wider, ie the market is finding that with the higher iso we can be far more creative so it is changing.
I was very happy with 800ISO but now that a large amount of my ‘work’ is wildlife I would love to have more freedom with super-telephoto work than what is currently allowed.
Hi Billy,
I too have the E620. If you are referring to the kit glass, my wife’s EPL-1 kit glass is just as good as the E620’s until you start looking closely. If you are talking about their high quality glass then the weight is up there anyway so you might as well go with the E5 and enjoy the weather-proofing to go with the HQ glass.
Regards
Neville
Sorry Billy that was meant for Steve
I think having a competitive camera to compare against the GH2 would be welcome for the market. If the E-5 comes out and supports mFT lenses while focusing stills capability it will be a nice choice against the more video-oriented GH2. I’d love to have the better sensor, but I don’t care for video, and especially if the E-5 comes with IBIS it may be a no-brainer to go with it instead of the GH2. Can’t wait to see what comes out at Photokina!
Olympus come up by new patent the 3.30.2010 for a electro first shutter and mechanichal last shutter.
A Panasonic Leader says them have problem by golbal shutter patent, but lawyers job by the case, so maybe the come next year.
hmmmm Fuji isn’t involved ? too bad
For me right now the E-5 needs to be something spectacular to match their SHG lenses. I want a pro camera through and through; 12 fps, 45 af sensor points, 12-18 mp, clean to iso 1000, watertight, fast electronics, and a pro body. I’m just starting out and have cut my teeth for a year with an E600 and cheap glass. I don’t want video. Don’t want to be laughed at the next time I go shooting in public. A Canon T2i user laughed at me whilst I was taking snaps at a local event this summer. I like the underdog. I don’t like to conform.
Basically, I want a camera that I could pound into the ass of that Canon guy, wash it off, then catch a wood duck flying from left to right at 30 feet and count the eyelashes on its’ crazy face.
C’mon Oly…is that too much to ask?
This rumour does not ring true to my ears. There is not enough time to go from prototype to full manufacture. To go from manufacturing decision in July to availability on the shelves by December I just don’t believe.
I believe Olympus may be manufacturing false rumours to maintain uncertainty.
Very similar to the OM4-Ti eh? If they released a digital back for my OM4-Ti, I would be happy.
@ John
Looks like you should go Canon
John, nice trolling. You almost got me.
Sorry Alfons if I got emotional. It really made me mad however. I check this website every day for crumbs of information about this camera. I’m really excited about its release, but am dreading what it’ll be. I don’t post often, but this really gets my goat.
Happy shooting,
John
The part of Canon guy laughing at you was hilarious! You really are afraid of shooting in public now? If you need to boost your virtual penis, go get the biggest Canon.
My clients have never questioned my gear. They want to see my previous work though.
This summer I changed from E-500 to E-3. And not because my clients asked for that. I believe this camera will serve me well for few years. I would love to get 3EV of more DR and a stop of sensitivity gain in a lighter body with perfect menu structure and button placement, but that’s just me, not my clients 🙂
I just hope they will release a new 4/3 camera soon! My E-30 needs service. Guess I have to go for a used 4/3 body as a backup in te mean time.
PS Zonkie, you have got it all exactly oposite. The way the tone curve are adjusted on ISO 100, is the way all ISO settings used to be on my E-510. ISO 200 is just “underexposed” one stop and brought up again in PP. In that way you get a lot more DR.
@Torstein
That’s just semantics (or technicalities). Let’s agree that in either case you have to chose between a clean image with low dynamic range (ISO 100) or a noisy one with better dynamic range (ISO 200).
The point is that at base ISO you should get images that are both clean and have good dynamic range. If to get that you need to have ISO 50, then do it. The LX3 has a measured base ISO of 53 and at that speed it performs almost as good as the GF1 at base ISO regarding noise and has more DR. I find this stupid. A sensor as big as a 4/3 one should have flawless base ISO.
@BobD – your upset that your 4/3rds camera doesnt produce as nice of results as a D700, really? Perhaps you should go get a full frame camera if your that concerned with noise. The simple fact is with a sensor that is half the size there is going to be twice as much noise. That said, if you nail the exposure the noise is hardly viewable especially in print.
You know whats really funny though, in all my nature pictures and portraits i have done no one has ever said its too noisy, they don’t notice and or they dont care as long as you produce something that they like.
Hi BobD
only a question you convert your RAW files with Studio 2 or viewer 2 or use another software to open Oly RAWs ?
because there is a big difference in noise if you don’t work with olympus Software. (the Oly converter is better)
i don’t kow if in Olympus decided to choose kodak or panny sensor but i think there is a substantial difference in camera architecture not only a sensor difference
two qiestions:
1) why a CCD sensor cannot work in live view ?
2) why some of us want a pro photocamera with video capabilities ? if i want a video camera i buy a video camera not a professional photo camera.
bye
To Matteo:
I really don’t understand why CCD sensor can’t work in live view… I didn’t find any information in the internet about that fact and didn’t Olympus E300 had live view and kodak sensor? I was really hoping for fuji sensor ir foveon… I don’t know which one would or is better but I would like something REALLY new.
Now, about the video – why not? When you try to make your camera capture video you have to make a better sensor for the durability. So if you don’t need video, just don’t use it and you can enjoy your camera as it never had that option. Why buy a new video camera? This is kinda stupid because there are people who like photographing and filming so they have to take both with them. Combine these two things and you get win win situation. I think that people who say that it is not nessecary to make photo/video camera don’t really have good reasons to back up their idea.
Edgaras_Anisimenko,
my reasons for not wanting a photo/video combination SLR camera:
1) I don’t want to find my camera in video mode when I want to take that critical shot.
Camera makers seem to be so proud of their new video features that you can find really big REC buttons on SLR bodies. I just hate the thought of hitting that button by accident (when running with camera etc…)
2) Design principles.
I don’t like the idea of camera companies centering hardware and software development to comply the video features. If research, selections between different sensors and software features are made by selecting the paths that make the best video features, I feel that I’m paying for a camera that has been developed for someone else. I’m shooting still and I want my camera to be as good a still camera as possible – not a compromise.
All Olympus camera by CCD sensor is E-1, E-300. E-500 and last E-400, but E-330, E-410 and E-510 and all new camera, is nMOS sensor by live view to Panasonic.
For CCD use in a big sensor in combo live view is not good for sensor, up heating and power use.
Maybe Kodak come by a CMOS sensor on at a modul to modular system camera so Olympus come up by to next year.!!!!!!
To Alfons:
Well, this is the most important thing: no company is going to make a camera for one or ten or even 100 people. I think that Olympus would lose a big amount of potencial clients without the HD movie mode. The only way is to make two almost idencial cameras: one with video and another – without it. I used nikon D90 and I didn’t have a problem shotting. Olympus camera creators are smart and think a way to design everything that fits and you won’t be pist. By the way, if there would be a dedicaded red button that starts recording won’t it be good if you could press the shutter button and make a photo? That way if you push the record button not willing to you could just ignore it and keep shotting. I am soooo waiting for a moment when some people who are against video taking photos and thei would see something that has to be recorded (like first alien landing) and thei wouldn’t have a tripod and the flash is in low battery and if thei took a picture it would look very fake 😀
to Edgaras_anisimenko
Hi Edgaras
in a professional Camera i don’t want a video capcabilities if this compromise the photocamera shooting capabilities
regardind CCD not capable to produce video i remember sony video cameras with 3ccd sensor 😉
i think Kodak Sensor solution is the 8MP new sensor and i think is a trine mount sensor with the capabilities of a 24MP sensor (8 MP for red, 8MP for blue and 8MP for green)
bye
P.S. not a big sensor but only 3 4/3 sensors with a real resolution of 24MP
Hi matteo
The Olympus software may be good for getting rid of noise, but its a terrible interface! LR3 does a excellent job of getting rid of noise.
I agree Billy, as long as I don’t try too much to bring up shadows (eg dark trees against snow), at 15″ size nobody says they are noisy. But I would still like higher clean ISO so they are not soft due to getting noise removed PP.
The solution for those who want Kodak, Fujifilm, Panasonic or whatsoever sensor seems to be a modular camera with changeable sensor unit. This is more like studio camera for me rather than professional hefty-mono-block DSLR that you can use also for defence. I don’t care what sensor brand they choose but dynamic range (more headroom) of 4/3 sensor is not up to best APS-C ones. And more fast primes for keeping ISO down is needed too, almost every serious manufacturers have their reasonable priced 50mm f1.8 lenses (or 35mm for smaller format) in the offer so why E-System doesn’t have this (from wide to normal lens range)? Sigma and Panasonic/Leica aren’t flawless either (expensive, hard to find, AF problems…). Almost every Olympus shooter would choose Zuiko lens between other brands like Sigma.
I really don’t care about the noise. I don’t use more then ISO 800 so I am fine. I pointed some features few times and I think the main thing that is need – AF assist lamp because I missed so many shots in studio with my E510… It won’t take a lot of energy from the battery! and if they had it in E-1 why not make it again? I think that way the old pro grade lenses would’t hunt so much in dark conditions
put a fl-36r on your camera and you’ll get the af-assist light. e-1 has had no built-in flash, so an assist-lamp was the only reasonable solution to get it focussing in low light conditions.
and of course: you won’t ever need a dedicated af assist lamp. either it’s so dark that you have to use an external flash gun to get good results or af just works. take the “old” lenses and put them on an e-3. there will be an enormous difference beteween focussing on an E-510 and E-3 – AF on E-510 (and of course any 3-number E-System camera) just sucks when it comes to low light.
are you kidding me? The flash af assist sucks and it disturbes models… some even think that I made a shot and stoped modeling. I would always go with the lamp not the flash
You’re right, strobe AF assist is crap, and has no place on a proper camera. Both the FL-36/50 have a beam (not strobe) AF assist function that can help a lot in low light. My complaint is that when you enable this function in the menu, then remove your strobe to RC trigger pre-deployed strobes your camera will strobe to assist focusing. Lame! I’d like to see Oly drop the strobe AF, build in a beam AF assist (preferably non-visible), and seperate the menu settings for the two.
If you use lamp is the easy,and not problem for AF, the is also lamp for flash shoes.
“BobD – your upset that your 4/3rds camera doesnt produce as nice of results as a D700, really? Perhaps you should go get a full frame camera if your that concerned with noise. The simple fact is with a sensor that is half the size there is going to be twice as much noise. That said, if you nail the exposure the noise is hardly viewable especially in print.
You know whats really funny though, in all my nature pictures and portraits i have done no one has ever said its too noisy, they don’t notice and or they dont care as long as you produce something that”
Neither are my nature and portraits….but I’m paid to shoot in low-light churches and dark reception rooms in lighting situations that always are challenging. I’m required to produce jpgs with little need for post processing because a wedding can easily produce 1,500 images that will go to a full-time wedding editor, doing 20 or more a year.
When I shoot my own stuff I shoot raw and correct noise in LR3, it is seldom an issue.
If there is no resolution in the next body, I’m forced to go to full frame because I’m competing with others that are now so equipped. That is my reality.
And Olympus will cease to become an option for professionals like me.
I’ve never had a client complain about noise, but it’s my job to worry about technical details.
I shot my last wedding using a pair of E-620s while my assistant/second photog used a D300/D700 combo. His ISO 4000 was noticeably cleaner than my ISO 1600. That’s just the way it goes, and I understood that Oly lags behind the competition in high ISO when I bought into 4/3.
That being said ISO is the new megapixel, and I’d love to see higher usable ISOs and more dynamic range at base ISO.
Ultimately a camera is more than just it’s sensor, and the 4/3 system still has a lot to offer.
Regarding the E5 rumors – I am still confused…does this mean that Oly is going to basically trash the 4/3 lenses and I will be stuck with a bunch of Zuiko lenses that will not wor on the new camera – I have like 6 great Zuiko lenses that work wonderfully with my E-510 and I was awaiting the new E5 thinking that the Zuiko 4/3 lenses will work…now I am VERY VERY confused…what have they been drinking at Oly?
Good Question please let me know when you find something out…although i doubt that would be the case for I believe the E1 had a bigger Sensor 13x18mm compared to current Oly 4/3 sensors 9x11mm or what ever & the same lenses are used for both. can someone please clearify this?
Sorry! I made a mistake with my email address here is the correct one.