UPDATE: It is not true that the E-5 will use a new 12MPX sensor.
We just learned that the E-5 uses the same Panasonic 12 Megapixel sensor used for the [shoplink 14830]PEN[/shoplink]. Olympus preferred that sensor over the new Panasonic 16 Megapixel sensor (I guess we are talking about the GH2 sensor).
The E-5 should be available in October and be a little cheaper than the [shoplink 15032]Olympus E-3[/shoplink] was when launched in October 2007 ($1699).
We are not sure yet if other Olympus products will be announced after the E-5 (which will be unveiled on September 14).
Reminder -> The E-5 specs:
– Weather-proof (Magnesium) body
– 12.1Megapixel sensor (The same Olympus PEN sensor
– ISO 100 – 6400 in 1/3 or 1 EV steps
– AVI Motion JPEG(30fps) HD (720)
– 5fps
– it can take a picture with sound.
– mono mic with stereo external microphone input
– 3 inch LCD with 920.000 dots resolution
– 11 points full-twin cross AF sensor (phase-difference detection system)
– 11 area multiple AF (contrast detection system)
– CF and SD dual slot
– Built-in wireless flash
120 Responses
This sensor can’t be solely for the e5 given the low volumes. Maybe it’s the new gf sensor? Good to see there is plenty of sensor development going on at Panasonic. Will be interesting to see whether 18 or 12 gives the best overall results
A sensor optimized for digital still photo makes sense to put into the E-5 and presumably an upcoming E-40. Any sensor optimized for video, such as in GH-1 & GH-2 will have to trade its digital still photo performance. I believe video is just a bonus add-on for this new E-5 camera.
E-5 is a camera where still photo has priority. It shall be interesting to see what approach Olympus has taken to achieve this goal. 12 Megapixel seems to have been a given parameter from start.
If the performance is +1EV better noise & DR performance than for the E-3, birders with long telephoto lenses might become happier.
still intrigued by this built-in wireless flash? does it mean you no longer need to fire the flash to trigger your slave flashes?
That wouldnt be alot of improvement because GH1’s sensor is already at least +2EV better in noise and +1EV in DR then E3
Hmmm… any chance of the E-5 using this as a sensor???
http://www.43rumors.com/panasonic-3-layer-patent-like-the-sigma-foveon-sensor/
Zero chance 🙁
why?
What if it’s not Panasonic’s? 😉
I am a little disappointed in the 720HD. I was hoping for 1080HD.
Really wanted to buy an Olympus that competes with 1080HD Canons.
Wait for the Panasonic GH2 for video.
Buy the E-5 for still photo.
Alfons
Fine by me. More diversity and choice is great for the format (ie us). We just need one more mft/ft manufacturer to join in and we are in great shape…..
This is still not very exciting…
There’s something fundamental missing, something that will provide the WOW factor that Olympus desperately needs.
The camera world will not, I repeat NOT be blown away by the published specs. There is NOTHING here that is groundbreaking, or even particularly exciting. Would I move from my E-620 for video capabilities and the chance to stand in the rain? Of course not
I still believe there is something waiting to be unveiled…something to do with IQ…something… WOW
If I’m wrong I won’t be heartbroken because I love my 620 and I LOVE my lenses and together they do everything I need…
But if I’m right, then… WOW <—hopefully
You are right.
But everytime Oly tried to WOW its users, most where (bitterly) disappointed, as the WOW factor was crashing under weigh of review results.
Constant unsubstantiated pitches against Canon’s high-end cameras are rubbing even me the wrong way. Why Oly doesn’t advertise more its glass instead??
E-30 and E-620/E-600 have built in controller for wireless flash (I’m not familiar with E-1 or E-3 spec, but the E-30 is newer and higher spec in many areas over the older E-3)
… the built in flash just works as an intructor for the off-camera FL-36R and FL-50R. Its just like the system on Nikon D300, D700 etc.. For years Canon owners had to buy an ST-E2 hot shoe item for about £150 (probably also $150) to work in the place of a master, now Canon are getting this built into the camera.
crap with a price of 1700 the old e3… my bro is telling me to get the d7000 lol
I agree w/ CallaWolf.
Olympus has been an innovator in the dSLR market. From day 1 they have introduced unique (at the time) features like SSWD,articulating screens,Live View, and now they have a new flagship dSLR coming out. Don’t you think there is a new feature just waiting to be unveiled?
I’m pretty sure there will be.
Crossing fingers.
I still don’t believe this is all. The Japanese magazine subtitle suggests a strong emphasis on image quality. Allow me to guess that this will be manifested in increased DR and very detailed output rather than super-clean high ISO. As to sensor density, a 5 micron pitch is about as far as most Zuiko lenses can resolve so 12MP is a practical limit. There is plenty of room for improvement within those boundaries and Mr. Watanabe acknowledged just that in his famous “12 MP are enough” interview from late 2008. As always, Olympus knows what it is doing even if the market fails to understand the deeper philosophy. Canon, Sony and Samsung understand what people want while Olympus understands what people need. Nikon, Pentax and Panasonic are somewhere in the middle.
Anyway, it’s nice to see how tightly the specs are kept until the last minute.
to be honest im not yet WOW with the features
I’d me more than happy w. it being the exact same as my E-3, but with ISO1600 that looks like my ISO400, and ISO6400 that looks like my ISO1600. LOL…Other than that? I love my Oly cameras.
Well still not a single “Wow that’s great” Item on the List… really, really disappointing so far.
However I will buy it anyway, because I really need an updated (DR, No banding, better Iso but also more more MP) And the Video Option is nice to have.
B
a _new_ sensor_without_ 1080 video? I doubt it’s a new sensor then…
Why is “wireless flash” even a rumor. It’s a feature of all Olympus DSLRs on the market… It’s the same as saying “it will have a shutter release button” … or am I missing something?
The news about the sensor is good though… I need that DR … and that ISO performance… Photo Quality FTW!! 🙂
Re: Why is “wireless flash” even a rumor
Maybe it’s a new protocol, the same IRSimple that also newest pentax starts with. It’s an extension of the IRDA standard.
I would like to see that IRSimple also in the Panasonic Lumix G as well as in the Olympus PEN series.
If those specs are true and there is so litle improvments there is no reason to get E5.
Video should be real HD at 1080 ja more megapixels needed for big pictures.
Obviously it’s best to reserve judgement till the official announcement (and some good hands on reviews), but these specs are so underwhelming!
I’m glad to see xD is dead and gone, replaced by SD.
The new wireless flash might be interesting, but not if it requires new strobes or expensive add-ons. The existing RC system built into the E-3 and E-x20 and later cameras works fine for me most of the time, though off camera fill flash triggering in broad daylight is a bit sketchy. A radio system would be a great solution, but I don’t know if I’d run out and pay $1K for radio triggering.
I’d like the option to control a remote strobe with a FL-36/50R on the camera’s hotshoe so I don’t have to constantly attach and remove the strobe to trigger remote flashes at weddings, and it seems like that would have been an easy firmware fix, but no love from Oly on that one…
The video specs indicated are my biggest dissapointment. Like it or not the market is moving towards convergence. Clients are rapidly begining to expect video capture capability (especially in news and weddings). Most HDTVs sold today are native 1080, and I’m under the impression that the ability to under or overcrank frame rates was standard on any serious $2000+ camcorder years ago, so why can’t we get at least a 60 fps option?
Canon & Nikon shooters are working on that video learning curve right now. Oly needs to give us the tools we need to compete or we’re all going to get left behind.
All that said, I’m still hoping that Oly’s got an ace up it’s proverbial sleeve! I suppose we’ll find out in a few days…
KI,
I think that maybe the wireless flash is people hoping for RF (radio frequency) control and NOT the optical triggering that is employed now.
Think Pocket Wizards…Built in!
Doubt it though.
Radio doesn’t work globally, due to issues of allowable ISM frequency bands.
IR is the way to go if built into the camera.
Radio is for the accessories.
I despise IR, to me it is near worthless. Line of sight, distance limitations, and bright sunlight are major issues. If they build an RF system into their bodies and strobes I assure you that will attract a lot of “strobist” out there. I’ve read about the different frequency band issue before, but if RF RC airplane radios are sold globally I don’t see why a camera couldn’t. Worst case scenario they could create different models for different markets I’d much rather control all my remote strobes via a 3″ 920k LCD on the rear of my camera instead of some dinky hotshoe mount trigger.
Honestly, I’ll probably never buy an E-5 because I’m only really interested in m4/3’s, but if I were in the market for a DSLR again built in RF would be far more important to me than super clean ISO3200.
Will the real rumour stand up please?
Umm, wouldnt it be easier on everyone to just email Olympus and get them to say what the real rumour is, and put these here today gone tomorrow rumours to bed?
Wait for two days and you will know everything you need to know 😉
is that 2 days in October or 2 days now lol?
14 is the day of the oficial announcment and in 17 you can buy a magazine that tested E-5.
6400 ISO ??? :-((((((((((
and for the picture with sound, i have that on my ooooool olympus c-5050z
if it’s all true, it’s maybe time to leave oly … 🙁
@fred,
your C-5050Z is unusable on ISO higher than ISO-400 because of the huge noise. ISO-6400 on your camera is only marketing. You will never use it because it contains 95% noise.
Would be great if ISO-3200 is clean on E-5. Let’s hope it will come with a new performant senzor.
“UPDATE: It is not true that the E-5 will use a new 12MPX sensor.
We just learned that the E-5 uses the same Panasonic 12 Megapixel sensor used for the PEN”
Wow. That probably means we won’t even get better DR at base ISO. Wake me up when the price has dropped to GBP 700 because it isn’t selling.
It’s all over now. The PEN sensor sucks, it’s several years old, and cannot compete with even the entry-level Canikons. It’s a very bad sensor, and even the GH1 version is literally an order of magnitude better.
Goodbye Olympus, you have just killed yourself.
4/3 is dead.
You could be right. Unless the rumor is proven wrong.
http://dxomark.com/index.php/en/Camera-Sensor/Compare-sensors/%28appareil1%29/631|0/%28appareil2%29/630|0/%28appareil3%29/619|0/%28onglet%29/0/%28brand%29/Olympus/%28brand2%29/Panasonic/%28brand3%29/Canon
In past, we had seen that on Oly cameras using same sensor were having different performance, hinting that Oly uses different image processors affecting IQ greatly. Though I can hardly imagine how they could leap to 7D quality….
Though to me personally even GH1 quality would be more than sufficient. If Oly’s postprocessing can remove the high-ISO banding automatically, I would be more than happy. I’m fine with moire/grain, but banding looks bad.
olympus e-5 = FAIL
Or it could be that Oly started the false rumor themselves so that we would be more happy to hear on 15th that the bad rumors haven’t materialized.
i agree
SAME SENSOR AS IN OLD PEN?!
This is a disaster, a fking disaster. Purely suicidal Oly – you have failed to deliver. Now I HAVE TO sell my equipment and go for CaNikon. I hate it, but Oly leaves me no options. I’m so disappointed.
I just wish that all these rumors were FAKE. 🙁
Oh wait… Noone wants to buy any Oly equipment, so those will be left for kids to play with… And lastly to Olympus: you tards stole my money.
I’m sure there’ll be a decent number of m4/3 users looking to buy your glass. Not sure about the bodies though.
FT is dead! Long live FT!
if that’s true, tons of 4/3 lenses will be selling by a few hours… nobody wants a pen sensor in a deluxe workhorse body as the E-5 (unsless the sensor is exchangable..) what i doubt… one of the problems of having owned also fullframe digital camera before, the E-3 was that already iso100 was ‘noisy’ (compared to a 5D or D2x at ISO 100…)of course it was extremely good, but i expect AT LEAST ISO 100 to be pefect!
pens are even noisier at iso 100, please give us back a decent sensor, or bury the whole system and go for m43 but then i’m off to other shores
mmm, if these rumours are true, i also have to leave Oly for a Canon / Nikon upperclass camera because i hate the noise in some of my pics…
No wonder they did their best to hide the details about this camera :S
So why didn’t they release E-5 on February? Did it take this long to… Wait?
What this shows is that Olympus will not continue with 4/3 – and why in the would they do that? Cameras and lenses turned out to be as clumsy as APS-C. Why then have a smaller sensor??
M4/3 does a difference, 4/3 doesn’t.
There are excellent 4/3 but they are as clumcy as FF and more expensive than offers from Nikon and Canon.
Olympus can never beat Canon and Nikon in what they do best – Olympus must go for niche cameras!
Good decision by Olympus!
They preferred the old 12mpx? Are they blind?
I guess it is Panasonic who doesn’t want to sell his new sensor to Oly 😛
Here’s hoping these leaked ‘specs’ are misdirection. As published here, there truly are a massive FAIL. Nobody wants a year old sensor and crappy in-between video (either go for 1080p/24 & pick up the amateur filmmaker market, or leave it off altogether.)
Knowing that the high end of ISO is always marketing fluff, if it’s really 6400 max, then it means it’s 800 usable, and that’s so far behind Canon & Nikon it’s sad.
PS: Just spent 2 days at Ayers Rock, a spot swarming with photogs at every turn. Saw literally hundreds and hundreds of cameras. Didn’t spot a single Oly.
maybe PEN sensorS?
How?
Although the pen is an improvement over my E620 if what you say is correct, then the money I intended to spend will be used to upgrade to Canikon. I should still get a good price for my lenses.
It has to be a substantial improvement to make it worthwhile
Actually, I think these specs, if true, mean that there’s a internal battle within Olympus between the FT people and the MFT people, and the MFT have the upper hand. Forcing such a failing E-5 will kill off FT for good, and then the microFT group can use the FT resources.
You are all going far to bananas based on a rumor My advice: Cool down, in a few days you will know more.
Tomorrow you will know more 😉
i have a feeling that Oly has a watchful eye on your sources. that’s why they cant divuldge much now. but if this is it then i’ll just give it a shrug, it is what it is. let’s see it in action.
+1
Something is wrong here, really that´s all?
I remember this: http://www.43rumors.com/ft4-olympus-e-5-release-postponed-again/
some quote:
“Really, I hate it to give you such news! According to the same sources that told me the new Olympus E-5 was almost ready for launch the Olympus E-3 successor release has been postponed. Apparentely there are working models of the E-5 but for some reasons they will still not launch it.
Everybody is telling me that it is a revolutionary model (not just an upgraded E-3) but we have no clue (if our informations are correct) why Olympus is waiting to announce it. “
Hi Alberto! I will write a post about that soon! 🙂
boooooooooooooooooooooring.
What did you guys expect? Not many sensor makers out there, and 43 has never done well. What incentive does panasonic have to make a good sensor for such a small market? Olympus is completely at panasonic’s mercy. They have little choice but to use the pen sensor. I predict they will abandon 43. They cannot do aps-c now since they would have to start over in that format’s lens market. They must now stick with u43 and maybe enter a new market like the rumored super43. They were unwise not to go aps-c from the start.
Can it be that Olympus has launched an enormous smoke screen? Releasing fals rumors and tidbits just to be sure the next top camera stays a secret until release?
Or maybe it’s de-hype? If everyone is waiting for a catastrophe, even an ok camera will be warmly welcome.
I think many of these comments are reactionary. First of all, IQ is unseen and many would doom the whole package before seeing IQ. Olympus is an imaging company–have a little faith that they care about IQ and have noticed improvements in the industry. Second, it’s rather presumptuous for “rumors” to say with all certainty that it’s the same sensor as used in the Pens. Third, few realize (or remember) how much processors and programming effect the image quality beyond the physical sensor. The physical sensor is nothing without them, yet people on internet forums quack away in their dying Donald Duck voice about how the camera is doomed if it has the same sensor. Obviously people care about the sensor being “new.” And to me, it’s obvious that people have no idea what “new” means if they focus on the sensor alone and completely discount what Olympus can do with it via the newest processing power and software refinements.
Of course you don’t have to take my word for it, and you can vehemently disagree (I expect that). But, what we have here imo are incomplete perspectives that are hanging themselves without a trial or evidence. Let the IQ speak after the product is released, before saying stuff like “Oly is dead” and this is just a “repackaged Pen.”
What is the most dissapointing is that the technology for the rumoured model has been there for an year. People still have high hopes for Olympus.
I agree and by the way, I expect the best image quality Olympus ever have made. How it compares with the competition remains to be seen.
well, yup.
for example A900 and D3x. same sensor, but magic happens later, in camera software. Nikon was just able to push sony sensor to the limit.
A good example is the difference in IQ, specially at high ISO between the Sony alpha 900 and the Nikon D3x, both having the same sensor produced by Sony.
Why are people talking about selling their equipment and switching systems because they don’t like the rumored specs of a new camera? Does the old camera somehow become magically unusable when the new one is released?
If your E-3/E-30 takes great pics (as they do) what does it matter if you don’t like the E-5? The glass is still great, and you can still take great images. Quality photographs are the function of the user, not the tool.
I suppose the worst part of this news is that there can’t be a new Pen with improved sensor either then.
It seems Panasonic haven’t finished development of this sensor yet. That’s probably why the GF2 is postponed too. So we’ll have to wait until early next year for an improved Pen and the GF2.
I’m happy with my E-P1 and can’t afford a new camera right now, so it doesn’t bother me. But it might be bad for the system.
Having an E-PL1 and an E-3, i could live with the E-PL1 sensor in the E-3 successor, since it is definitely a step forward from the E-3 regarding usable ISO 1600. But i would definitely prefer Oly to use the latest and best sensor technology available.
😉 Sabine
If true, it’s a sad news. No need to argue, the Pentax K7 example is right upon the face. Whereas the K7 has probably one of the nicest body (compact, magnesium), its Samsung sensor hardly rivals with Canon and Sony. As a result, K7 sales are a shame compared to the Kx…
Ah yes, but the soon to be released Pentax K-5 has the sony sensor and faster AF algorithms and 1080p video recording in the same K-7 body. I think I’ve finally made my choice for my next system…
The 4/3 line is over. No new lenses, only one new body with an old sensor…
So, does it work like a trading card game for you? You already got all the Zuiko FT lenses and that’s why you’re disappointed there are no new lenses for you to collect?
The FT lenses available suit a wide range of use cases. Comparing to Nikon or Canon you don’t need to buy more than two lenses to own fast zooms to cover 12-60mm and 50-200mm. With just two high quality, rugged lenses you can cover a lot of situations. How much money do you need to spend on comparable Nikon/Canon gear?
so you want to tell me that olympus put a pen sensor into E-5 and called it a revolution? 🙂
if this turns out to be true then this is the end for m4/3 and 4/3, because if Panasonic’s GH2 new sensor is not better then the previous one then it too would be a flop
I have seen several comments from people using the latest pen with super high grade glass from Olympus saying image quality blows everything out of the water… If we suggest Olympus has done some improvements on dynamic range and the lower AA filter and AF, I think we all can be sure this cam will have improved image quality over the pens.
If Olympus has tested the latest sensor from panasonic and they don’t like it that is probably beause of noise or DR.
If you want D3 quality, then pay the price for that cam. If you cannot pay that price, then wait until we see results.
Give the e3 successor a fair chance!
Just a note: E-P1 12mpx sensor is much, much, much worse than E-3’s 10mpx one! There is no comparison between them. My “old” E-3 gives better results than my “new” E-P1: there is at least 1 stop difference! I don’t believe this rumor at all: do you really believe Olympus refuses a completely new and (eventually) better sensor to use a “weak one”???
Let’s summarize: Olympus E-5 comes after years of development with same features (fps, wireless flash, …), same if not worse image quality, and lower price? In this case, everyone will buy a used E-3!!!
I think E-5 is gonna be a very nice camera, with great improvements, otherwise it is going to be the biggest flop in Olympus’ history!!!!
According to the DxOMark tests the E3 sensor indeed performs slightly better than the PEN sensor, but the GH1 sensor would be a big improvement:
http://dxomark.com/index.php/en/Camera-Sensor/Compare-sensors/%28appareil1%29/631|0/%28appareil2%29/220|0/%28appareil3%29/630|0/%28onglet%29/0/%28brand%29/Olympus/%28brand2%29/Olympus/%28brand3%29/Panasonic
You have to copy and paste the whole adress to see the test results, it seems that the forum software converted just a part of the adress in a clickable link.
Same sensor as the PEN!? … with the same DR and noise as the PEN, the E-5 will not be on my shopping list….
…. maybe I have to go FF…
… but still hoping they have some sense left and this rumor is just a rumor.
Not true.
We’ll all see the final product in 2 days, and if the rumour is true, this’ll be the funniest joke of imaging industry these recent years. Old body, old sensor and old imaging engine come to a new model and took 3 years to develop? Why the hell Oly’s head of photography division not getting fire? ‘Cause he/she’s the cousin of company CEO?
Camera isn’t a precious anymore, it’s just a consumable product, if Oly still not tryin’ to cut lose ASAP, they’ll very likely to be out of the game, and m4/3 system….. will be continued by Pana, solely.
It is likely that Canon will come in the standard m 4 / 3. Best practices in establishing Canon CMOS matrix would allow the manufacturer to become a “Trojan horse” in the camp m 4 / 3. As a result, consumers will not notice, as the standard m 4 / 3 built sometime Olympus, will become an integral part of Canon. To expedite the process, Canon may issue multiple lenses m 4 / 3. Such as 45 mm 1.2, or 25 mm 1.2 … What the dream of the current users m 4 / 3.
Well, m43 without Oly wouldn’t be a big loss given the expensive consumer-grade roadmap they seem to have embarked on…
Two things do not make sense to me.
1- That E5 was delayed because of sensor choice decisions and availability, which it seems they could have got out of the Pen parts bin
2- That this camera comes very close to the quality of D300 and 7D, well what is the chance of that?
If the rumour about the Canon EIS 60 is true (with an 18 x 12mm sensor), why couldn’t Canon make m43 sensors (being as they are roughly the same size)? Not sure they have a reason to, but they could, couldn’t they?
Wow! The lack of innovation is the strongest sign yet that four-thirds is done. No new lens development and now no new technology. Why are they even coming out with this camera… it truly boggles the mind!?!?
It seems to me that a professional shooting with four-thirds has two choices: 1) sit tight with your current gear or 2) abandon Olympus.
The first choice requires a faith in Olympus that they have not earned lately. At this point, the only move that could save Olympus would be to unveil a ‘revolutionary’ roadmap for the future. A convincing roadmap would likely have to include the rumored modular camera that unifies 4/3 and m4/3 with a pro body. Even then, one has to wonder where they would go for their sensor tech…?
12 Mpix is no tragedy by itself. It is indeed the kind of sensor where the 4/3 supreme glass and underlying specs can triumph. A 24Mpix FF (36x24mm) system reaches its theoretical Nyquist limit at 2000 lp/ph. The 3000 horizontal lines of 4/3 12Mpix can resolve 1500 lp/ph, 75% of the detail Nikon D3x can show. In fact those figures are mitigated by lens quality, AA filter, processing. D3x ends up with 1350 lp/ph while G1 1200lp/ph, both with best glass (macro primes) at optimum apertures.
Zuiko glass can do even better: take off the AA filter, tweak processing and figures at par with D3x are within reach. High ISO/noise and dynamic range are another story of course. We need to see tests to say anything about the E5.
Well that only brings two words in my Mind for Olympus
1) Disaster
2) Failure
RIP Olympus
B
Agreed….
Time of digital cameras a la Brick passes. It is ridiculous to assume that parallel nanotechnology will flourish 1,5 kilo monsters from Canon and Nikon. Standard m 4 / 3 does not die, he may change the title master. Olympus has created, Canon (Nikon, Pentax) will continue. But preferably in the role of a future owner of m 4 / 3 looks like Canon. Only he can satisfy the wishes of the consumer in megapixels and a wide range of high-aperture lens with autofocus. Olympus to issue multiple lenses with an aperture of 1.2, as well as a more aggressive advertising aimed at a wider range of potential buyers.
Zaph: ’cause Canon is one of the few photography company that make their own sensor and strictly for themselves, being not an alliance of 4/3 forum, it makes no sense for them to produce m4/3 or m4/3 alike sensor for competitors.
Sony do offer sensors to other competitors (Nikon, Pentax… so on), but it’s just because they’re late to enter the business and selling sensors can keep their factories running, I would say things might change in couple years if Alpha system’s selling figure pick up and grow to a certain level.
It’s an interesting choice if true – DxOMark rates the E3 as having an ever so slight edge over the EP2 two sensor as it is, so unless some serious tweaking is being done, I don’t see how an E5 is going to produce anything more than a slightly higher res “E3” file, given its extra 2MP over the E3.
I’m actually a Nikon shooter looking to move over to the Olympus 4/3 system (yeah, you don’t hear *that* every day). While I’m very happy with the D3, I’ve always been fond of the E3’s size, build, and weather-proofing, and have been impressed enough with some of the Olympus glass to want to switch over.
Furthermore, I’d like to travel next year, and an E3 (or E5!) kit would be simpler affair to take with me than my desired D3 kit (I have a 300mm f2.8 I’d want to take but couldn’t, while the 150mm f2 would just squeeze in), so another reason to consider it.
However, while I don’t need a 16+ MP sensor, 10 or more FPS shooting, or 100,000 ISO or more, it would be difficult to switch to something that (on paper) seems like such a small improvement over a 2007 sensor, especially when I’m used to the DR of the D3 – that at least would be a critical point to me.
If Olympus does indeed release an E3s (as I think of the proposed E5 given the current rumors -> think of the slight changes of the D300 to become the D300s; we’re in the same territory here) then it could only be because they’ve planned to end the 4/3 format – the E5 is only there as a token improvement to give Olympus shooters one last upgrade (and it would need to be a cheap one at that!) in hope of getting them to stick with the brand long enough to see whatever next-gen system it is that they’re planning.
I hope that this isn’t the case; I hope that the E5 is something special – it should be given the time-span involved – at least we’ll know in just a couple of days.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
Olympus PEN EPL1
Overall Score 54
Dynamic range 10.1 Evs
Low-Light ISO 487 ISO
Olympus E3
Overall Score 56
Dynamic range 10.5 Evs
Sports
Low-Light ISO 571 ISO
Canon EOS 7D
DxOMark Sensor Scores
Overall Score 66
Dynamic range 11.7 Evs
Low-Light ISO 854 ISO
impossible IMO, they cannot make steps back, THE E-5 WILL ROCK!
If this is true…
we should not be satisfied.
Yes, I really enjoy my Olympus E3. The image quality is satisfactory, and the body layout works well for me. The weatherproofing is a comforting feature (fewer worries when shooting in crazy conditions)
Yes, I enjoy the excellent lenses that Olympus produces. The 35-100 f2 is unparallelled. The 12-60 is super quick. The 14-35 is astounding. Their high end stuff is a decent deal when compared with other manufactures…
Yes, the combination of the E3 and their lenses have worked well as a system and has given me years (I started with an E500) of good service with no trouble…
BUT…
That doesn’t mean that I (We) should be satisfied with marginal, small steps in technology like this one. I’ve spent a significant amount of money on this equipment. I expect Olympus to try a little harder to stay competitive. If this rumor is true, what they are offering will only be recognized as advancement to us, the people who already own Olympus equipment. There is NOTHING in the specs that will make a person shopping for a camera choose an E5, unless they are already an E3/30 user. And, from what I am reading in these comments, if we don’t see much of a need to purchase this camera, other photographers won’t see a need for it either. And that’s bad, bad, bad. That will mean bye bye 43rds.
Please Olympus, Please give us something on the 14th that will make us proud.
two more days to go. I’ll just wait for the official announcement and reviews before I decide which camera to buy.
Well, I hope they understand if I snatch up a 7D instead. I was hoping for something revolutionary to go with my lenses. I can buy new lenses if I have to.
Building a flagship camera with a two year old sensor is not cool. They basically just re-built the E-30, which would have been fine two years ago, but they just denied me any reason to upgrade. If I want 720p video and mediocre noise performance, I’ll just time travel my butt over to Best Buy and pick up an E-PL1 for 500 bucks. Why should I pay three times that to have it with PDAF and a big chunky body?
I want the big chunky body, yes, but not with stale technology in it, hopelessly outclassed by EVERY other “pro” body currently on sale.
Whatever happens in the future, we should recognize that the Olympus set the direction of development, which will be followed by Canon and Nikon, and all manufacturers who want to stay in business. The taste of the new cameras are not burdened with outdated technical solutions already vaccinated in the community of photographers. If Olympus surrender his position or withdraw from the market DSLR 4 / 3, then there is someone more powerful and faster.
Can anyone seriously believe that any company would engage in the following internal dialogue?
Product Manager: We have this problem. Our flagship is so old that we have micro four thirds cameras with more advanced technology than the flagship has. We have built a flagship and then immediately blew past it with everything else. We need to update the flagship.
Product Engineer: I have just the solution. I will put the PEN sensor into a flagship body. Shouldn’t take more than two years to accomplish. Of course, once we’ve built it, it will be two years behind the curve, and the minute we build anything else, it will once again supersede the flagship camera, placing us right back in this same situation.
Product Manager: Yes, do that one.
@Nathan: LOL! Well put.
it is so funny :DD
wait a second – isn’t it real conversation? 😛
Even GH1 sensor is better than PEN or E3. And GH1 is replaced soon with GH2:)
No logic here. Maybe they gave up already.
Your telling me that instead of the PEN getting a professional sensor the E5 is getting a consumer sensor
Bye-bye, Auf Wiedersehen, Arrivederci, Au revoir, Viszlát Olympus FourThirds!
you are kidding me right? A PEN sensor? In high end flag ship camera? WTF?? I hope if is 12mp sensor to be kodak sensor not the PEN …. is is the PEN well as many said up bb olympus …………….!!!! Hope that the surses are wrong at that … I can`t see advanced user or a pro to buy a PEN camera in “pro” body.
@_@ sorry double post I think……..or I see 2 more mine post except this one….
well, i hope the new E-5 is heavy, cause a gravestone should be.
Four-Thirds is dead. E-? is E-ND. -from Korea-
Wouldn’t it be E-?? then?
We’ll see tomorrow. Looking forward to it either way 🙂
The PEN sensor? Bad news then
How different is the Pen sensor from the 12 MP sensor in the E-30 and E-620? The E-30 and E-620 now are over 18-24 months old. Is this just an E-30 plus 720p video and a weather-sealed case?
I was hoping for a significantly better sensor than my E-30 (with a tradeoff skewed more towards image quality over just brute megapixels), 1080p video at least at 30 fps, faster processing or image write times, CF+SD, and weather sealing.
What are the limitations of using Olympus 4/3 lens on Panasonic u4/3 bodies such as the forthcoming GH-2?
I know the Panasonic focusing will be slower from contrast autofocus instead of phase autofocus and contrast autofocus in a D-SLR.
Panasonic does not have in-body image stabilization, which means that any 4/3 Olymnpus or Sigma telephoto zooms on the GH-2 would do pretty poorly without a tripod.
Is there any other big drawback from the GH-2?
No articulating LCD?
Slow speed write to flash?
Only SD and no CF or CF+SD?
I don’t really give a bloody damn as if the resolution isn’t 200000 MP or 14 or 16 or 18 MP.
I don’t give a damn if it has the same sensor as the PEN.
I don’t see a need to condemn the new E-5 to utter damnation especially when no one has YET to test it.
And I sure as hell don’t give a damn to all the reactionary comments.
SO why don’t we wait, see what the tests are like, then make a decision? Rather than speculating off the bat about what the E-5’s performance is like.
And just because it isn’t new doesn’t mean it should be condemned to the bin. Sure, in almost every case, new means better but if there’s room for improvement in an existing product and the new E-5 can demonstrate that there is definitive and conclusive to say the least of a high degree of improvement over current PEN sensor capabilities, then what’s there not to like?
This excellent website truly has all the info I wanted about this subject and
didn’t know who to ask.