You can follow the Olympus E-M5II launch event liveblogging here on 43rumors at. The official deadline is 6am London time which is:
– 10pm Los Aangeles time (Still February 4 there).
– 1am New York time
– 7.00 Berlin time
– 15:00 Tokyo time
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16 Responses
do you know if tg-4 will be released???
The only compact camera rumors I have seen was TG-860 and SH-2. But a TG-4 should be coming too, since that series is very popular, I think.
One of the more intriguing announcements in recent years. I’m rather curious about improvements to CDAF in continuous mode, video quality and of course the implementation of the sensor shift trick. My interest is strictly academic, though, as I don’t need a new camera.
I’m most concerned/interested in AF improvements and possible shutter improvements (no shuttershock)
Make or break for Olympus. This is a milestone release, throwing every idea they have in a remake that’s filled with minor feature enhancements.
Will it be enough to carry the O ship forward another two years?
It should, because it will be a great camera. But it won’t, because Olympus product management, under pressure from the big bosses, will stupidly price it way too high. They will cite other high priced products that were also overpriced, but were overpriced 3+ years ago when the market could support it. Then when the ship continues to founder, management will scramble around, pointing the finger at everybody else: the economy, the stupid consumers, smartphones, mean old DSLRs, blah blah blah.
But if it doesn’t sell well at launch (which is what I’m hoping for) the price will surely fall
Yes, the price isn’t set in stone.
Yep, the price will fall just as every other price falls.
True enough, but there is much more at stake when setting a too-high launch price.
Because, you want your product to be seen as a success in its own right. You want to see months-long waiting lists like you used to see back in the heyday 3+ years ago for new launches (OM-5, X-100, NEX-7, D800).
In short, you want to price it such that it can maintain that price for years, because that’s how long before you can next afford to bring out a replacement in today’s market.
The last thing you want to do is to jump into the same old model: overprice at launch to skim the fan boys, slash to the “real” price 12-18 months later, then skim down every few months. That old model is no longer sustainable, people will just stay away, and besides their old EM-5 is perfectly fine, pictures with the same old 16mp sensor they always had will be indistinguishable.
The old pricing model makes this a me-too new launch in a me-too market where me-too cameras are not selling. If you don’t dominate the usual lists the first few months, you are looked on as not too compelling, and the initial groundswell of excitement you could have tapped at launch never really took off. Which means, you quickly lose any price control you might have retained, and those who chose to held out are rewarded, and you have just reinforced the decision of all potential customers to just hold off on purchases.
Your new model then is quickly overshadowed by whatever next new camera brand is out. The glow is off.
For you and me, this will be good. For Olympus, if they can’t show a huge spike at launch anymore, exactly how do they keep the ship afloat? Especially once everybody already has all the lenses they need, and then some?
Who bought the E-M5?
Lots of DSLR owners who were inspired by the size and IBIS and lots of m4/3 users who were interested in the “DSLR experience”. In early to mid 2012 there were no other compelling mirrorless options on the market except the GH2, so everybody bought an E-M5.
Who is going to buy the E-M5II?
My guess: mostly E-M5 owners and maybe some video enthusiasts.
Since the market potential is immensely reduced, the price has to be relatively high. I believe that reducing the price by 20-30% would not substantially increase the demand for this camera.
No it won’t be a make or break for Olympus, far from it even.
If that were the case Olympus would have been shattered during the time when many were waiting for the 2nd Pro body the E-3, back in the day.
Now the sensor delivers quality that’s good for professional photography, and it seems to have improved for niche purposes too. For ultimate speed I think we won’t have to wait long for Olympus or Panasonic to deliver the competition (speed wise) for Canon and Nikon pro gear. The 40-150mm F2.8 has all the genes to kick b$tt.
Good grief, this is not the placid, gentlemanly market of 4 or 5 years ago.
And even then, Olympus abandoned the 4/3 DSLR market because they were going broke; mirrorless was their hope to even survive; and even then Olympus WAS shattered until Sony came along and gave them money to keep them afloat a little longer.
Mirrorless shipments are already down 40% from just two years ago, and there is no end in sight for the trend, especially when you have yet to turn a profit on the format. This is a consumer toy market in a tailspin. This is a fight for survival, and any brand needs an extremely strong anchor product to even stay where they are, much less go down further. Olympus NEEDS the EM-5 to buoy them up.
Why isn’t the event going live at the same time erywhere? Why, Olympus, why? Why are Americans given priority over Europe and Asia? It’s so stupid!
It is actually live at the same time everywhere, the only “difference” in time is (the value which is) due to the existence of time zones.
Dumbass
I don’t think 1am New York time is favoring any Yankees. I’ll be hugging my pillow by then.