An anonymous source unveiled the content of the new Olympus E-M1 firmware. This is his message:
Olympus OMD E-M1:
Silver version is coming.
It will include the new firmware that will be also available for the Black version.
Firmware update:
4K Recording (IS compatible)
High Speed and Slow motion Mode (240p or 120p)
New Codec with different recording mode (24p,25p,30p,60p)
Motion Film (I don’t know what it is exactly but it has something to do with a freeze picture functionality and choose to move what you want on the picture).
They didn’t confirm all yet but about a similar S-log mode than the Sony one
but they didn’t talk about it and how it would help grading for the cinema industry.
And others stuff that i didn’t have time to check yet.
I saw the 4K 24p and 30p mode, they was also other 4K mode but it was already the end of the Beta test. For sure this new update firmware doesn’t add anything, Olympus confirm 2 times that it was already there but not ready to be release because they needed to fix few issues. They add also new functionality for the pictures mode but i was not interested, only the video part.
It’s possible that they release the new firmware by the end of this month.
If true this would make current E-M1 owners extremely happy and sales of the E-M1 will increase for certain!
E-M1 Store Links:
Olympus E-M1 body at Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto, Amazon DE (via DL), Amazon UK (via DL), Amazon ES (via DL), WexUK, Topshot FI, CameraWorldUK.
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO Lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, AmazonDE (viaDL), Amazon ES (via DL).
Olympus E-M1 with 12-40mm Lens kit at Amazon DE (via DL), WexUK and CameraWorldUK, Amazon UK (via DL), Amazon ES (via DL).
Olympus E-M1 with 12-50mm Lens kit at Amazon DE (via DL), WexUK, CameraWorldUK, Amazon UK (via DL), Amazon ES (via DL).
Olympus EP-13 Eyecup for E-M1 at Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus HLD-7 Battery Grip for E-M1 at Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus LC-62D Metal Front Lens Cap for 12-40mm at Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus LH-66 Lens Hood for 12-40mm at Adorama and BHphoto.
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218 Responses
This is extremely good news! I’d be very happy to have 4K video. 🙂
I’m struggeling to take this seriously….. but WOW! ….
I don’t believe for 4k (I don’t want to crush my feelings if it doesn’t happen) but after seeing this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVZABJ-lzeA
What if there would be a same video features (high FPS and FPS speeds) for E-M5 too? And Truepic VII A/D cameras would get the 4k?
That firmware update for E-M1 (and E-P5? and so on E-M5?) would shut up so many whiners and bring busloads of new customers over night (figure speaking). Or it can seriously damage Olympus if this rumor isn’t true and bashers gets more fuel to their started fire….
well… when you put it that way… – it seems like they’re up to something. …. 🙂
Would I qualify as a whiner or basher just because I won’t believe full 4k recording is coming to E-M1?
To be clear, I’m very satisfied with my Olympus gear. Very little to complain about, certainly would like to have better video(cleaner output, better manual controls, 24/25p …those things should be very possible also if they took the time ). It’s just that all these rumors are nothing more than rumors, and this particular one just doesn’t make sense in so many ways. If 1 dude on the Internet is saying something, without ANY proof or even just a little “hint” from Olympus, it sounds to good to be true, and 99% of the time it will be be.
The problem with these rumors is that if it turns out to be fake, people are going to be disappointed with Olympus for no reason.
All rumors come from the manufacturers’ themselves, either spread by their marketing departments, or from engineers or other employees who “leak” information they aren’t supposed to, or from journalists who choose to disregard NDAs.
Why would a regular person decide to start a rumor by mailing admin with some invented stuff? Doesn’t make sense.
Some rumors will indeed come from manufactures(purposely leak info), but definitely not all. There has been some crazy talk here at 43rumors an a LOT turned out to be not true AT ALL.
That’s why this site is called 43 rumors. I don’t mind at all, it’s entertaining.
Regular people don’t start rumors but trolls do it all the time all over the web.
Rumormongers existed long before the internet, I guess they need the attention.
Still doesn’t make sense, but neither does Adam Sandler as a movie star.
Anything photography related in this firmware upgrade?
I don’t believe it. No way.
anything for photography please? better AF perhaps? Stuff that matter.
There are many new things here too. Working to get a list about that as soon as it gets.
Whoever said video is not photography? And better AF?, have you ever used one? :-/
By definition, it isn’t. Photography is the taking of still pictures. Videography and cinematography is the recording of moving pictures. That moving pictures really is a series of still pictures has nothing to do with it.
By definition, photography is recording (writing with) light. There is nothing in the definition that limits this practice to stills. In fact, cinematographer is synonymous to director of photography.
Yeahhh right. Some anonymous source ? Why is this not FT1 ?
Trust me, FT3 is very low rated 🙂
I have “reasons” to trust him veyr much but because it’s the first time he is contaced with me I prefer to remain very conservative.
Well alright, i can’t for sure say that it’s technically impossible, as i’m sure the E-M1 must be quite powerful, so i can’t rule it out either. But it’s not just that, it wouldn’t be just a camera update, it would be a whole new path for Olympus.
If possible it does make sense, it’s exactly what the camera needs to get to the top, it would mean a lot more sales for the E-M1 without the need to develop new hardware, and at the same time get a better name for themselves. That is if they market it well, and not just have current owners update. The new silver edition may give it an extra nudge.
If Olympus does any of those, even that I would not use them at all or very little, it would be a win for them as it would give way more weight to their side when doing next gear upgrade what body to choose.
And I have more power for recommendation Olympus to anyone, especially to friends and family. If Olympus cares older customers (without forcing to buy a new model every time), it gains trust to invest more money to them in future. It is win-win situation.
But for me the silver edition can be a slight negativity as I so admire the silver E-M5/E-M10 and it was not available at the time. But it is true that silver camera draws more attention among people and animals and black is better in that.
Just mean that a camera that is actually different on the outside would give news sites etc. a little more to go on, even just a color. And give us something for the occasion to remember it by. Ah yes, the silver (E-M)one, that is when ‘it’ happened. You can still buy the black version. 😉
Thank you from your words (no, I have nothing to do with leaks etc) as that should be encouragement to rumor leakers than they can at least give a hints.
And for me, FT3 is a low end as well. Why? It is like flipping the coin, 50/50 change. And I don’t like to gamble like my friends do but they like to summon me with them to do analysis in roulette (where typical situation is they start with 100€ and we leave with 700-1000€, just by guessing black or red. And I get my fair share then from them) but I would never place any my money to thing.
But that rumor was something, it got at least thinking and wishing some of those features (120fps@720p) like with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVZABJ-lzeA what is official feature video. So if that half is true….
All…. are…. anonymous….
That is the point over here. 43rumors even explicitly tells sources to make fake email accounts (burners) and send information to specific address. And 43rumors does their own journalism by checking the sources information and then based what they get, release the rumor with their own estimation.
Or do you believe that m4/3 camera corporation CEO needs to be writing to here?
That doesn’t mean *all* are anonymous. But that’s not the problem, it’s that it seems to be a random person he hasn’t dealt with before. Thus no better than you sending in your wishlist. But according to admin there was some kind of confirmation that he feels could be legit, so who knows.
I’ve no idea what all that video stuff means to me – other than not much. One day I might get interested in video, but until then, i just want continuous improvement to the still photography capabilities.
I feel the same way. I’m treating it as a cool bonus feature.
My feeling on it is that, while I don’t currently do much video, 4K may have the potential to change that, since I could get both high image quality and motion. ATM, I always opt for the high image quality.
For me the changer is if I get 25p what now is requirement so I can shoot indoors or outdoors when streetlights are on without flickering. And then 120fps in 720p will be dreamy to be shot with Olympus 60mm f/2.8 Macro as you can really get cool video material how insects behave.
4k if it is 36Mbits or even 30Mbits (or would be even the 24Mbits) would be welcomming as UHD televisions and displays are dirty cheap (<1200€ for 55" TV and <600€ for 28" 10bit display).
If Olympus manages to bring 4k video recording, I am forced to buy a 4k television (well, there is other reason what is my hobby but still).
And 240fps in HVGA (Half-size VGA) 480×320 (4:3) or 480×272 (16:9) or 640×240 (8:3) resolution would be very awesome feature. Sad if they would just add it to E-P5 and not to bring it to their Pro line DSLM.
Now today so many videos are in web, where 480×272 (16:9) would be enough to really show something in 8x speed. You can use the camera even to the golf training or sports or just for your cats. And Olympus has had awesome high-speed cameras for years so they know more about video that many believe. They even do videos for medical devices from microscopes to endoscopes.
So what if rumor sources is true, and they had things ready but had just the few mathematical (algorithms in firmware) problems to get it work well? Do you ship product with a good video, that enthusiasts (who never have real requirements for videos) bash and then later release update. Or do you hold on for the product for next few months if not year and don't ship it?
Pulling stills from the 4k can work from what I’ve seen. My first DSLR had only 6 Mpix but I didn’t complain then.
Shooting in 4k should give you more detail and when you edit in 1080p or 720p you can crop heavily or add camera movement/stabilisation in post without losing any resolution.
I’m a still photographer first and foremost, but this is an impressive firmware update if true. Hopefully enough to make the whiners shut up. I obviously expect the GH4 to remain the top choice for videopgraphers, but this makes the E-M1 more competititve in that front. I shoot videos on occasions and the slow motion options (I assume in 1080p, not 4K) would be useful to me.
Hopefully, the firmware update has a bit more on the still photo front than what is revealed here.
In any case, the upgrade confirms the E-M1 will be in the market for quite a while.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVZABJ-lzeA
That is for E-P5….
OK, that is pretty cool 720p 120fps, but I would hope that they would add a few other bitrates and clean up the H.264 codec to there are less artefacts and blocking when shooting scenes with more detail and movement.
Shooting tight with shallow depth of focus, or static shots looks great, otherwise it looks like crap.
Less artifacts and blocking? What you are shooting as I don’t see those and I shoot subjects what move faster than any human sportsman can do or any man build vehicle can (related to size) expect maybe a fighters.
And that is with f/11 to get everything sharp and everything is moving.
So far I have not seen anyone to post a examples where there are serious artifacts and blocking in video file out of the camera, instead their exported files can be total crap because they don’t know how to import data and how to export.
Yeah right LOL, as if Olympus could care one bit about updating/adding functionalities to its camera.They dont give a shit.Once you buy an Olympus, that s all you got.
And have you thought they maybe are changing the ways, just like they have been redesigning the product catalog. What do you do if Olympus now starts bringing new features with firmware if they can?
They did bring new features with firmware updates, improve features instead just fix problems.
Maybe you don’t give a *****. Once you have made your mind, others can’t change their, right?
What a nonsense. Olympus has quite a good record of upgrading their cameras via firmware with new stuff. See 0s anti shock, 100 ISO, etc.
Why is it the EM5 crowd is always left out 🙁
Yeah when the EM5 was released there were rumours about better video frame rates and other useful things that could have made a huge difference but it looks like the camera that made m43 so popular has been forgotten
I’m guessing either the E-M5’s CPU can’t handle it, or they are not developing it because they want to bring out E-M5 mk2. I finally discovered the problem with indoor video flicker last week – it would be nice if they bring out a frame rate update to fix that.
Seems more like a wish list, even though technically the sensor maybe can do it since they are made by Panasonic but the CPU and thermal requirement is too great for 4K
CPU is capable now for 16Mpix continues recording and processing, why wouldn’t it be for 8k?
And what do you say if that “wish list” comes true? Do publically state it in next few months how you were wrong everywhere where you doubted it?
(I actually wish 4k would not come but…)
what if it wont come true, are you going to do publically state it in next few months how you were wrong everywhere where you believe it?
I don’t believe it, so I don’t need to admit it.
I am just saying there is possibility and we need to wait and keep open mind about it.
I don’t believe until I can choose it from camera settings, but saying that it is impossible or just a dream is as silly as truly believing so.
About “Motion Film”. I think it’s what is widely known as Cinemagraph, half way between image and video (GIFF) a cool effect but one would have better results doing it manually in post.
http://i.imgur.com/CADBfr1.gif
Sure, in post it is easier but hey, there are users who just want to get things done quickly in camera and send to email etc.
Great sample shot. Thanks for posting! What was the workflow?
Video, vídeo, video… What about photography?!?!? Isn’t this a photographic camera…?
I think when the E-M1 came out, the community were like “man..the video suck! they need to improve this ASAP.
It has been true for ALL Olympus cameras, video with them is very sadly lacking. They have a lot of work to do to catch up.
For those photographers who hate video, remember this: the more volume a company sells, the lower it can reduce its costs, and the better the chances of the company surviving for the future.
If Olympus can sell *more* cameras to both photographers and videographers, such as myself, then this is a *good thing* for Olympus and its photography fans!
Hear hear
Not only can more camera sales lead to more discounting, but more importantly imho they also lead to more R&D and more lens development.
The timing is perfect for this kind of thing. A year in… Pany has sold boatloads of GH4s to the creative classes… Will continue to as it becomes increasingly a standard… Oly can pick off more of the high end consumer market… And please it’s existing owners to boot!
This feature will all but guarantee I stay with Olympus for awhile and keep investing in glass.
40-150
300
Rumored fast wide glass
Exactly, videographers need lenses too! Which pushes along more lens development 😀
I’m not a video hater, just I don’t need it.
What I’d like to know is if a camera “limited” for taking only stills (no video codec at all) would work better/faster than a camera with the same sensor and engine + video enabled.
Just being curious about it.
As I wrote above, I set the video button to ISO changing on my cameras, and video mode is disabled.
No, such a disabled camera would not be better for photographers. Simple economics/business/logistics will tell you that.
If it was made, it would just be a pointless and expensive *marketing* gesture, just like the Nikon Df is.
The reverse is instead true, the drive to higher end needs for fast cards and fast processors for 4K video (as an example) will mean benefits for photographers! Just to name on example.
It is, and it will be such.
Olympus isn’t removing features. It is adding.
Should Olympus do what Nikon did with Nikon Df and remove the video completely, while the same A/D and sensor it has what D4 has?
Should Panasonic remove the photography features from GH4 then, so it is just pure video camera?
If the camera would lose some still features, I would be mad and reject the firmware.
The presence of video capability dilutes the purity of a stills camera. Photography is a higher form of art, that shouldn’t be stained by the presence of video. Nikon did the right thing with the Df. Others should follow IMO.
+1000
o_O
This was for the astonished mrallcaps: You can create art with a medium format, a pinhole and a smartphone camera. That’s not the point.
I believe that what Larry is saying is that he doesn’t need his camera processor to be “slowed” by unused video functions.
I don’t know if a DF works faster than a D4, but I know that I always disable video functions on my cameras and the red/orange button is set to change ISOs on the fly.
Just like a computer, if you don’t run the program (ie: use video mode in the case of a camera), then you aren’t “wasting” resources. The presence of video only does one thing: adds a little camera icon to your mode dial. Get over it Larry.
The Df sounds like an amazing camera: great analog style controls, fantastic low light, high ISO performance, clever legacy lens support, etc. But Nikon’s digital photography strategy has been taking a real beating lately. The stock has lost value and they’ve been hit with class action suits due to QA issues with their cameras. They’re a great legacy brand and will likely recover, but are not leading in a direction I’d want to go. My own video “needs” are those of consumer convenience. I don’t need GH4 pro features but artificially removing all video options holds no appeal either. I can easily not push the REC button when focused on stills, see no IQ degradation in my EM1 as a result of video being an option, and love Olympus’ IBIS when I want to shoot some short clips. 4K would be great too. If it adds too much to cost, I’ll buy a camera that doesn’t have it. The Df doesn’t seem to reflect a price reduction due to the removal of video.
“Purity”, “stained”? is that you Ms Cartland, heavens above, I thought you were dead.
I would rather my E-M1 was a multi-skilled whore, thank you all the same.
How can it be possible to give 4k mode to a camera that is not able to?
Panasonic give us a 1080p96 mode for the GX7!
Why do you assume that it’s not able to? If they enable it with a firmware update, then we can be pretty sure that the camera is able to do it!
They use a Panasonic sensor in the E-M1, possibly the same one as in the GH4 (but with added PDAF pixels). They could have chosen a processor that can handle 4K, and designed the camera to deal with the heat dissipation. Maybe they had an agreement with Panasonic, that Panasonic should be allowed to have the market for themselves for a while, before Olympus was allowed to enable it in their camera.
Ok thank for youyr reply, i undestand now. I didn’t know the E-M1 got the same sensor as the GH4. I choose the GX7 because it has better video function maybe it need a high speed and slow motion modes like 1080p96. Wait and see about this firmware.
I saw the disqus user name bug again, just about every comment had Alexo’s name before I refreshed. So no trolling or spamming going on, just refresh.
And… so this is only for the E-M1? Maybe some still photography functionality left overs for the E-M5? Not that I really need anything, but whatever, I’m just greedy.
According to the same “trusted” source, the E-M5 also supports 4k recording(internal encode).
That makes this whole story even more ridiculous, as even now(2.5 years later) there is very little hardware that can encode 4k video. Some modern high-end smart-phones can record and encode(low quality) 4k(and struggle to do so btw…cooling issues), but those are MUCH more powerful then the SoC’s in current camera’s(GH4 excluded), let alone older camera’s
The problem is that we like to compare 4k capability general computer CPU’s. What are known to be slow to manipulate a video. Instead we need GPU what sole purpose is to process video. (video in this case the algorithms what used for any video).
Like with CPU vs GPU on todays workstations, the latest CPU is multiple times slower than few years old GPU.
Just like here, digital cameras have CPU whats sole purpose is to only do video (EVF is video, single frame is same data but just single frame).
The temperature isn’t the problem alone, it is still the processing requirement as the smartphones doesn’t have the dedicated processor to actually manage the data. They are still SoC (System on Chip if someone doesn’t know) and are running from much slower speeds than old x86 architecture CPU’s are.
Like if we take now a Samsung smartphone what has Exynos 4-core CPU. Even it has clockspeeds couple gigahertz almost, its speed is actually similar to Pentium 3 800Mzh, what was single core. But it has a integrated GPU APU, what can easy the processing.
The same thing is with networking. A common computer today (high-end desktop/laptop) already struggle with 100Mbits networking. Throw there a Gigabit network and there is no such computer what can handle the full speed at all, even cheapest gigabit routers struggle on that. But throw there a little more serious networking hardware and it has no problems to manage dozen of such ports doing very serious packet filtering and management. While being way slower than CPU/GPU on top personal computers.
Same thing is with digital cameras, we can have a processor what is very slow to present menus, but damn fast to do video processing without problems.
Why? because instead being general purpose processor, those have very specific manner how to do things. And many of them are programmable, meaning we can simply update their functionality with firmware and their capability changes totally.
So doing CISC or RISC kind microprocessors to get high performance is the key.
If well designed, a single small cheap chip can crunch 4k video faster and easier than larger and very expensive personal computer CPU.
My display can process 4k. My GPU can process 4K even on todays games, what is more demanding than just playing video, they need to calculate everything. And I can push a button and the same GPU records 2k video with h.264 encoding (actually continually records and only flush the data to disk when requested).
So rendering a high end game in 4k resolution and all the time encoding it with h.264 to file same time in 2k 60mbits bitrate is pretty well.
A A/D processor in digital cameras is other story as they don’t need to render anything, only manipulate pure data. And if one part does one thing and does that one thing well before passing it forward to other part, very complex things can be done without huge impact.
It will be interesting to know what Olympus engineers have managed to pull, even the 120fps mode alone is amazing. And I am more than happy for 25fps mode.
Good thing you brought that GPU thing up. You know for example that not a single(1) AMD/ATI GPU can decode/encode 4k h264? You can play games on 4k, but the hardware is unsuitable for decoding/encoding 4k video.
What does ‘unsuitable’ mean? I know don’t know anything about video but I’ve done a fair bit of CUDA for microscope superresolution algorithms and it’s fast. Like, really fast. x80 speedup vs 12 core Xeon processor using one of the pro Keplers. That’s made me a believer in GPGPU.
I can’t really imagine that this kind of computational capability could be challenged just by encoding/decoding 4k. I could process through 1000s of 16-bit FHD tiffs in just a few seconds.
Of course mobile GPU/CPUs are an entirely different matter. Don’t know much about those.
Well yeah, a pro Kepler card weighs as much as an EM-1 and likely uses 300W+ of power on its own.
Thanks Captain Obvious, my point obviously wasn’t that the E-M1 would do 4K internally (which I find hard to believe anyways). I was just curious because Mark said that NONE of the PC cards do live 4k encoding.
Btw. my bet is on 4K timelapse. Requires only very low throughput.
GPGPU(OpenCL/CUDA) can be used to do certain operations much faster(more efficient ) then CPU’s can, but still cost’s a lot of processing power(that isn’t available in mobile devices). On a really fast PC/graphics card it’s still IMPOSSIBLE to encode 4k H264 live @ 24fps.
But this isn’t really the issue, video can be encoded much smarter on specialized hardware, but I find it hard to believe that the E-M1 already has that onboard because in 2013 this wasn’t as mainstream/cheap is it’s becoming now.
Well said – My local telephone exchange has the power of a 486 CPU, yet it can handle 1.6 million calls an hour, simply because it was designed purely to do that and nothing else. All the hardware is bespoke and many of the ICs are as well.
Yup. You can add 4K to firmware. Is it April 2015 already?
If the hardware already supports it, then yes, you can add it in firmware.
I have a hat ready to eat if one of Olympus’ current MILCs is going to get 4K via firmware update!
Wow, this is tuly something, should it prove to be facts!
But “They add also new functionality for the pictures mode but i was not interested…”
What is all that about?!
I suspect that is the informer’s report to the admin being quoted.
Ridiculous. If TruePIC VII and chips of E-M1 were capable of those great functions, then why Oly did not showed them up last year?
Two possibilities:
1. They had more work to do on the software part, but chose to release the camera anyway, so as not to lose sales to still photographers.
2. They had an agreement with Panasonic to wait, so as not to compete with the GH4. In return, Olympus got to use the Panasonic sensor.
Or 1+2, they had problems to get the other framerate than 30 working and they had agreement with Panasonic for 4k.
‘4K support’ is not only related to the easy-saying ‘aggrements’ or ‘patents’, but processing power of processors and bandwidth of output parts are really matters. Nothing proves the capabilities of E-M1’s electronic hardwares except for the LiveMOS itself. Moreover, It’s 2 years since E-M5 supported 1080/30p with same quality as E-M1’s. If TruePIC VII of E-M1 was more powerful in video then TruePIC VI, Oly should have supported more higher bitrate or another frame rate for E-M1’s 1080p video when M1 was released last year. But we have nothing. That’s why I think Oly is not so good at movie technology and do not trust this rumor.
Oly has admitted they were not focused on video, therefore not investing resources to develop it. They also admitted this was something they needed to do. So they have the platform and now work on the firmware (which also controls some hardware capabilities) and come up with something. Not saying this rumor is true, but there are possibilities. Think the total rumor is BS but there are aspects that may be doable. Would love to be proved wrong.
The DPR review suggested that the data being read off the sensor was effectively lower resolution than 1080p, before it even makes it in to their consumer-oriented codecs. I cant see how a firmware update will solve the sensor read-out problems. This is usually down to CPU speed and temperature control, which obviously cant be ‘fixed’ in firmware. Unless the sensor turns out to be capable of a full-sensor readout, there will be little change in the actual video quality; It’ll just record lots more pixels showing detailed moire and jaggies in a swollen file size.
I hardly can take anything seriously what DPR says these days. So many years now they are self-protecting their own fanbase with articles that doesn’t help anyone.
Oh another mFT baby butt hurt by the equivalence article lol , The truth shall set you free
Nobody is talking about or cares about equivalence. However, I agree with Fri13 that DPR is about as correct or helpful as kenrockwell.com. DPR does make good fiction reading…if one is into that sort of thing.
Oh dear another sore butt mFT fanboy. It is ironic that those who cry most about all the review sites are nearly always Olympus mFT fanboys who have a problem that some how their best smaller sensor cameras do not do as well as the best larger sensor cameras regarding image quality. And desperately try to avoid the facts of equivalence , presumably to stop from looking like idiots for paying $1600 for an “F1.2” lens that does the same job as an 85mm F2.4 [ same AOV, same DOF ,same total light gathered] on FF
You are seriously on a {wild} rumor site that has posted some outrageous whoppers in the past and saying that other sites generate fiction, lol.
Probably because the $1,500 panny/leica 42.5mm f1.2 gathers more light than a $1,300 Nikon 85mm f/2.8, or your phantom 85mm f/2.4, is made of premium materials, has image stabilization, has superior auto focus (faster and more accurate), quieter focusing motor, better looking bokeh, sharper images, less vignetting wide open, better flare control wide open, superior sharpness wide open, and still manages to be lighter and smaller. Plus it helps make superior 4k videos like the one I made here as well:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3aT3p2sSrGs
My question to you is why do trolls who either don’t know or can’t handle m43 cameras constantly look for excuses to degrade their optimum performance using made up examples or use full frame lenses they have never used nor have any experience on how poorly said FF lenses can perform?
It is probably the same sensor Panasonic uses in GH4, so why not? And you don’t need full-sensor readout for 4k, only 2160 lines.
Maybe it is the same sensor. But its not the same CPU (=different processing capability), not the same body (= different cooling characteristics).
And you’re right, you don’t *need* full sensor readout, but the point is if you are skipping lines instead you will end up with moire and jaggies.
The EM1 currently does a terrible job of 1080p. There’s nothing to suggest that it’s going to be able to do vaguely decent quality 4K, if at all.
Wow, 4K with active IBIS. People in forums said it couldn’t be done because of heat issues but this will prove them wrong if it turns out to be true. The one feature that would trump everything else would be for access to 4:2:2 encoding straight off the camera. Although, I wouldn’t expect this until the GH5 arrives.
That is actually now my only reason to wish this is true, to get those people shut up about Olympus. But even if it isn’t true, it doesn’t change my camera gear at all and I still get better results with it than any other camera because its current features doesn’t change.
Nope. No change. Heat dissipation will be a problem. Bit rate or recording time will be so pathetic that 4K is just for frills.
FT 0.3
I would love to see my EM1 do 4K specially seeing how sharp GH4 videos are though this firmware upgrade seems unlikely.
I will buy it, if true. If not, then A7S will be the one for me.
Zero chance this is true. But if it is, I’m all aboout the EM1. But really, this is just a videographer’s wishlist. I would love for it to be true but no way- it’s far too revolutionary for a company that has shown almost zero interest in video up until now.
ok…now do it for E-M10 pls :-0
For me, a new codec and something like SLOG, which would enable more useable dynamic range, would be huge. Dramatic improvements in dynamic range for video are far more needed than 4k from my perspective. Would be great if Olympus enabled raw video. But yeah, this rumor is total bs. Deserves a 0 rating.
Have you used E-M1 shadow/brightness curve mode? You can pull shadows and dim bright areas to tight S-curve to get lots of details visible and very flat video to process.
Exactly, the curves are even better than s-log, but the only problem is the limited bitrate and the codec that do not allow post processing without adding noise.
bit. rate.
Backport to E-M5. Even without 4k.
Sounds WAAAY to good to be true. Guess what, if something sounds to good to be true… Don; t let mad dreams and wild hopes cloud your judgement.
Somehow I am starting to smell a fish in al these rumours. By pushing exaggerated rumours, any competitor can make sure the actual launch of a product is soon drowned in howling disappointed. This is not just a problem for Olympus, also for Panasonic, and other brands I follow. Rumours more and more float into the real of crazy fantasies.
That’s true. And that’s reason why rumor distributing sites needs to get little more information than just someones word.
If someone sends data, with photos of marketing material similar, then it can be pretty high bet it is true. Unless then competitor or other brand fan is seriously investing time to fake it.
That’s what FT1 –> FT5 is for. Marketing material would be FT5. Some random anonymous email with absolutely no evidence would be FT1. A source that has developed credibility but without hard evidence would fall somewhere in between. I think that the admin does a pretty good job of sorting that out.
On the other hand, the admin runs this place like a tabloid so….
All camera and photo forums are like a tabloid sometimes. Rumors sites more so as that is the nature of rumors.
You think you could do a better job? Create your own site and let’s see how you handle it.
Agreed. Admin hits a good mix
Try harder. Or, depending on how you look at it: trying too hard.
In the Netherlands, E-M1 = 1499 Euro. GH4 = 1499 Euro. E-M1 has to be very good at video and 4K if you buy it for the video. If not, GH4 seems more logical choice for videographers. Now if they would add these video features to the the other OM-D bodies, that would be interesting. Olympus never had 24p and 25p video, only 30p.
There’s one feature that the GH4 hasn’t: the excellent, video-enabled in-body stabilization. If the E-M1 would catch up with the GH4 in all those other properties, it might become a strong competition even though the price is the same. (I would expect the E-M1 price to drop somewhat one of these days, though; it’s already been on the market for three quarters of a year now without so much as one cent of a price reduction in Europe.)
Actually, IS is the problem. 4K has a strong demand on sensor dissipation, limiting the IS options. So no, IS is not great feature from the engineering point of view when it comes to video.
If this camera has 4K, likely it will have a short video recording time before overheating and shutting down.
I am not a sensor engineer, but isn’t the sensor always on once the power is turn on? Isn’t that why we get live view in the LCD? I thought it is the processor that is heating up for 4K video.
sensor and processor both actually. there is generally a much larger energy use and therefore heat when processing framerates off the sensor for storage, then when just using live view. there is also the matter of bus speeds. It will be interesting to see if any of this is true. I would be very happy with just an improved 1080p (24/24 30 50/60 fps) Any type of 4k or slo-mo implementation would be a bonus.
YES. Those who say the sensor will heat up doesn’t know what they talk about.
The sensor does use full 16Mpix all the times for hours etc without heating. And that is twice as much as 8Mpix is.
But the difference is that how well the CPU can handle compression at increased data and flushing it to card. There is the heating problem, not in sensor.
I can do few hours long exposure without problems. That means the sensor is ON all the time continually reading the photosides and feeding power.
Or I can just keep camera on and it use whole sensor again.
Interesting how this post clearly defines who’s an optimist, pessimist and realist =). Look at how the hacker crowd bumped GH2 and Canon with MUCH greater capabilities. Oly doing video like this for the first time makes sense to take time to go through Q&A. Maybe they have new staff or have had a lot of bugs to work out and like someone said wanted to release the camera. All review sites and consumers certainly barked enough how poor Oly’s video implementation is. And they do seem to respond to the customer.
An optimist is someone who gets up in the morning, a pessimist is someone who doesn’t.
And realist will do both.
I think the two biggest improvements I’d like to see with this firmware upgrade would be getting HDR to work with the 2 second timer and improving the speed of auto focus. I could care less about video.
The timer with HDR would be nice. Also more options for HDR blending instead of just HDR1 and HDR2.
I can think of no instance of something so revolutionary coming in firmware a year later for any product other that computer or mobile operating systems. This would be unprecedented and spectacular, if true — one of the most customer centric moves in the history of digital photography.
But if this is simply marketing 4K timelapse capture and generation in camera, I think it will have negative backlash.
Negative backlash amongst who though? The readers of 43rumours.com? I doubt we’re that big a crowd and I don’t think that anyone else out there knows about the rumours to be let down by them.
The level of discussion on photo forums is not always polite, but I find it to be generally intelligent. These are enthusiast and pro users — the very type of individuals who have influence over other people’s purchase decisions in families, and are active on social media. Any manufacturer not paying attention to this group does so at their own risk. We are their best customers.
That said, this has not been announced, much less marketed, so I’m not suggesting that it won’t be handled appropriately. Just a word of caution.
I’ve seen other companies market things like super high speed frame rates that are so low quality as to be almost useless. I’d hate to see Olympus fall into that trap. But the presumably well intentioned sources who are leaking this 4K rumor have not leaked any qualifiers, so they’re creating high expectations. Creating buzz is one thing. Creating consumer confusion and/or disappointment, even accidentally, is not only hurting their company.
120fps in 720p and 240fps in HVGA (Half-VGA), that is about 480×272 for 16:9 ratio.
That doesn’t mean it is low quality of they manage to get same compression ratio as with now, it will be very high quality then.
60fps for 1080p would be more than enough, as it is 2x from 30fps or 2.5x from 24fps. . While Panasonic can offer 96fps for same and that is 3x to 30fps or 4x to 24fps.
Olympus has own pro speed cameras http://www.olympus-ims.com/en/hsv-products/i-speedpl/
And they are capable at max 1280×1024 resolution and with that to 2000 FPS. But maximum framerates can be 150 000 FPS or even 1 000 000 FPS but with lower resolution. And you can get 10bit colors.
But these cameras is for professional use only, where you need to really see what happens in those few seconds capturing times.
I for one would be very happy with 4k timelapse capture that can be combined to be part of a movie. I am doubtful of a full 4k. I would be very happy with just an improved 1080/60p mode, along with 24p etc. Slow mo would be nice as well. Still, the internals of the EM1 are the best of any of the OMD bodies so maybe the can handle this. It also means they have found a solution to possible heat problems. If there is any truth to to this at all, I suspect it will still be below the GH4 in overall video capabilities and quality but above much of the hybrid market. Call me cautiously optimistic. Not a true 4k but maybe a 4k timelapse. Hopefully a much improved FHD mode with 60p and maybe some type of slo-mo. The sensor is capable but is the processor and bus speeds up to it? Don’t know. However I don’t see this cascading down to the lower OMD models, unless there is a OMD-EM5 replacement with improved internals.
I’d enjoy 4K time-lapse too. It seems feasible and lets them market “4K.” Hopefully, they market it in a way that clearly communicates what it is.
The Stylus 1 has a limited High Speed Video as quoted:
Record modes (movies)
Record mode Pixel count Frame rate Recording length
Full HD 1920×1080 30 fps 29 min
HD 1280×720 30 fps
HS120* 640×480 120 fps 20 sec
HS240* 320×240 240 fps
* HS: Record quickly moving subjects for slow-motion playback. Available in P/A/S/M mode.
4k timelapse is already been possible.
Now, make same update for E-M10 !!!
At least 60p video…
Still sounds too good to be true to me. But if it is true I will be very very happy, as much as i love my Em1 the video mode does leave it a lot further behind other options out there despite the unique 7 axis stabilisation.
4k is wonderful but simply better codec options and frame rates and uncompressed hdmi out would be more welcome. Both would be a dream come true so lets see.
My inner voice tells me this is BS, but i can’t deny that i really like to see improvements on the video quality of the OM-D series, something like full sensor readout, clean HDMI live view output, improved codec, 24-25-60fps option, less Art Filters and more dynamic range handles, maybe RAW in the same way that MagicLatern works, that’s possible, right? no 4K this time around just the best 1080p image you can found at least to compete with the BMPCC.
It make sense to keep the E-M1 as the flagship for a least another year and then launch the MKII, also will help to fix the strange-opaque gap between the E-M10 and E-M5. My thoughts? i think the E-M5 will die.
Olympus goes PAL. Hell YAEH!
if they are can do this to EM1, the must be able to do it to EM10 am i wright? I mean anybody thinks the will improve video on it too? Don’t need 4K, don’t need superslomo, just nice smooth video and maybe little higher frame rates.
The E-M1 probably has considerably higher bandwidth of internal data channels, etc. In any way: looks too good to be true, and such things are (almost) never true.
E-P5 High Speed Movie Video: http://youtu.be/cVZABJ-lzeA
So E-P5 seems to have better components then?
I was really hoping the next firmware upgrade would allow the EM1 to shoot lasers. Disappointing.
lol
Only on silver model… They added the laser to it.
Too good to be true. And not in a line with Olympus firmeware update strategy.
The only thing that keeps my hope alive: Sony wasn’t able to implement incamera 4K….but E-M1 has a panasonic sensor. Could be part of the deal with panasonic to bring 4K half a year later.
And 4K for Sony-Sensor bases cameras like E-M10 and E-M5 will be impossible.
Ahahaha.
If this really is true it would be absolutely awesome.
I don’t believe the 4k nor the high fps part of this rumor. I think the addition of 24p, 25p and 60p video modes along with a cleaner and higher bit-rate codec might be possible since the sensor originated from Panasonic and is probably related to the GH3/GH4 sensors. Still, there may be other aspects of the original hardware / firmware design that might not even make the new frame rates possible.
E-P5 High Speed Movie Video: http://youtu.be/cVZABJ-lzeA
That was posted month ago. 120 and 240 FPS speeds for E-P5. Seems to be waiting just firmware update. And if that camera can do it, with same sensor and processor as E-M5, then it is waiting E-M1 firmware release (or why to push video if it is never going to happen? Why it was made in the first place if it is never going to happen?) so they can release firmwares same time?
The firmware is just software, it doesn’t have same limits as hardware. Once hardware is out, you can’t change it at all. But firmware is responsible to controll hardware directly (it is the software to hardware, like BIOS is for motherboards or how extension cards has firmware in them to operate hardware, control everything in hardware) and you can replace whole firmware at once without having its limits.
Only limit is the hardware capabilities, like can it handle the required voltages or is there enough bandwidth for data between specific modules or is there enough space to flash new firmware with added features or is the ROM space too limited.
I hadn’t seen that video before. Still, I will believe it when I see it released.
I’m a software engineer so I definitely I understand the differences between hardware and firmware.
I’m throwing the BS flag. It would be the biggest firmware update in the history of firmware. Adding 4K is unlikely and adding it with IBIS would be extremely unlikely due to heat build up on the sensor. Well, maybe if they use a very low data rate but that would rather defeat the purpose.
The sensor is running at 100% during live view alone. 4k would not make it run hotter. The ONLY question is : Can the chips on the board handle 4k? Some are saying no, others are saying its possible.
The sensor heat issue is well, a non issue. The sensor generates the same heat during live view as it would during 4k recording.
Well, the E-M1 must have quick and capable chips. It has one of the largest image buffers and fastest write speed in any mirrorless camera. So, based on what the E-M1 is able to do today, I think nobody can really exclude that the rumors are false. There are many possibilities, why Olympus hadn’t shipped the E-M1 without 4K initially, perhaps hardware was ready, but firmware not. The point was to release the E-M1 early enough, especially earlier than the GH4 in order to get an early cash flow and to utilize the gap on the market. Olympus did a similar thing with the E-M5, in releasing that camera, when no other competitor had anything similar to offer. That move had great success, so we could have a similar motivation here.
If Olympus would have released the E-M1 now, when 4K seems ready, they would have lost some market share to the GH4 and X-T1. With the E-M5 trick, they won a lot of market share from Panasonic as many photographers replaced their GH2 with the E-M5.
Early release means early crash flow. And the E-M1 is so excellent otherwise, that there is not need to have a successor with 4K video right now.
All good points, but I’ll suggest that the E-M1 release was “rushed” for another reason; to retain the rapidly-waning loyalty of the 4/3 legacy lens owners–the E-1 and E-3 owners looking to upgrade who did not find the E-5 quite enough and were looking to bail from the brand.
And the buffer is larger and faster than many top DSLR like Canon 5D Mk II, Mk III or Nikon D800.
(buffer is about 2GiB size). Throw there a fast SD card and it is unlimited for RAW and not just for JPEG. Of course there is the problem what I wait to be fixed and it is once cache is being flushed, the camera settings are inaccessible.
I sometimes use old 512Mb-2Gb SDcards just for retro and they are capable write only 2-4MB/s. And I can still fire 35-40 frames bursts without problems.
But then it is long waiting when each photo takes few seconds to be written. Place a 45-95MB/s writing capable card and it isn’t slow at all.
lower data rate is ok if you dont need to edit alot as long as the codec is a good one.
Lower isn’t a problem as long it is over 3-6Mbits what denies same resolution export. And if over 19Mbits, then there is no limits in post. After all you will import video in to new codec and only after edut when exporting you push it with same values without much revising (losing details as much as saving photo once and second time in JPEG 100).
You know even E-M5 is capable for 16Mpix hours long exposure in full sensor IBIS enabled without overheating problems? That is more consuming to sensor than any 4k video.
I’d poop my pants, but I really can’t believe this either…
These video features are the best thing that could happen for photo enthusiasts… more money in Olympus’ pockets, more resources for R&D, future lens development, etc… Olympus had to spend money to buy IP for codec, and firmware implementation, but should easily recoup their investment with increased sales. I’m still not sold on IBIS for videography for professional use, but certainly wold trump the GH4 for enthusiasts who aren’t going to shell out money for professional fluid heads & support, stedicam, etc…
Instill believe it is same h.264 codec as now, only with new profiles to encode data to video.
As much as I still think that a fair amount of doubt is still in order here, I regularly find it entertaining if not downright hilarious to read some of the self-proclaimed technical and business management experts’ statements about how some rumored feature cannot possibly be true, because it just wasn’t technically feasible, or how this or that wasn’t commercially sensible and therefore could not possibly come true. Funny how little imagination some people seem to have. I, for one, can easily imagine how Olympus would have had access to just the same technology that Panasonic put into the GH4, decided to employ all the necessary hardware, while still having quite a lot of work to do to bring their software, i.e. firmware, to a competitive level, considering that they never intended to produce even semi-professional video results with their cameras.
Then again, it could even be an ingenious marketing plan – if they really add 4K to the E-M1 now, they will suddenly be able to keep up the original price tag for many months to come, which otherwise I would expect to drop significantly before end of the year, after Sony’s and Fuji’s competition has become quite strong.
Personally, I enjoy reading perspectives that are divergent from my own. Sometimes they sway me, sometimes not. But I always find it interesting to hear other points of view, “expert” or other, on subjects of mutual interest. They broaden my own understanding and force me to exam my own opinions and rationale more carefully. Of course, your namesake may not share that sentiment 🙂
I think the same, other opinions can open my eyes more wide. but it happens not much here 🙂
🙂
If this site required a log in to post comments you’d get a lot less of the trolls and bashers.
And step in own small bubble….
That’s why there are moderators who can deal trolls and bots. And if there isn’t, then there should be system like Slashdot has, where randomly picked user’s (registered) gets modding points to mod others, but are incapable to comment on that thread without invalidating own modding.
And there are modding rules like mod others up instead down. And does work very well.
🙂 Just for the record, I didn’t choose that nick because I’d somehow identify with the character, it was just because I had been reading Gibson at the time, the nick was still available, and the avatar pic was easy to make 😉
I think that for an opinion to be “divergent” (from my own opinions, from widespread conventions, from the book of rules or from whatever) is not a merit by itself. To find a different opinion interesting, I expect at least some hints implying that someone has not put even less thought and imagination into it than I 😉
While I am hoping that this rumor is true, and it would be a godsend if so, I am skeptical. I am expecting it to not be true. Lets hope that it is, though!
Coming from Olympus and being video-related, I’ll believe it when I see it. Moreover, when I see the results. Who doesn’t want to have a great video from Olympus to pair up with the IBIS? Can they deliver it?
The biggest trick will be higher bitrate and higher quality video no matter the pixel area combined with the IBIS. The olympus can will become an amazing handheld option. It already is, just that the video quality is only a notch above poor. The way it smooths out motion is remarkable.
You do know E-M1 currently gives higher video quality than you get from HD cable shows or most new Blue-ray 1080p movies? You didn’t? What okay, then you want to hint even today top movies as “only notch above poor”.
No it doesn’t , just because it can do full HD is no indicator of the final quality, bit rates, codecs, processing algorithms all play a major part. The E-M1 is a great camera in many ways and I love mine but video compared to my GH3 or even GH2 is a let down. I am scared to even look at the GH4 LOL
in the past the GH2 was capale of much higher bitrates already after unlocked. Now with technology specs in chips ahead further again, its possible Olympus locked it too? maybe becasue they did not test it at higher bitrates yet, or did not see it as a priority after all? If so its probably like the A7 with external 4k recording , or its just a 4k viewr option for stills? My guess is that its probably a wishful thinking for some who need it
As rumor sources say, they needed to fix something first to get new video features enabled…
So if it is true, it really makes difficult position for those who bash Olympus. And if it isn’t true, it still place Olympus bashers to difficult position as they are just unhappy for anything Olympus would do.
Don’t care about any of this..all we need is a new sensor for still photographers in the next run of cameras….all models!!!!!!
Ahem, why? The current sensors provide excellent image quality.
He wants D810 megapixels with D4S ISO performance. In every M4/3 camera, even the $400 ones.
The thing is you can get the E-M1 image quality in a $400 E-PL5 . There has been no improvement in mFT still image quality since the E-M5 which will be coming up on its 3rd birthday by the time the E-M1mk2 is on sale.
High ISO noise, low ISO shadow/sky noise, lower mp count all lag behind the best APS options. Considering that Sony can make a 20MP 1″ sensor that competes very well with the best mFT { at low ISO}, surely it is possible to do better with mFT.
I have serious doubts that the E-M1 can truly support 4K video considering how inferior its current video is to Panasonic.
EXACTLY! I love what I have but I want more. I don’t want blown highlights. Its very close to being there there..but it isn’t quite yet.
I don’t mind paying for it…I am not one on those guys that buys the base camera and then complains that it does not have all the advanced features. LOL! That would be half the people who come to this website.
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2012/05/31/saving-an-olympus-om-d-e-m5-file-part-2-blown-highlight-recovery/
If you suffer from blown highlights, then you _seriously_ have very extremely overblown highlights if you can’t recover it.
I can recover everything in my shots expect the circle of the sun and few pixels around it. Otherwise I do not have any problems as long there is no shiny surface what reflects the sun or pure white surface in direct sunlight. So anything what is weaker than sun, I can recover.
I get these swirls of smeared light spots on high ISO pictures. They usually occur on flat, low-detailed objects in a picture. There’s room for improvement.
I would really like, better codec and frame rates that makes the em-1 as good in video situation as the Black Magic Pocket cam (that by the way will surely be replace in a near future).. I don’t expect any 4k by Oly..
I had the E-M5 and it broke my heart to sell it in order to get decent video from the GH3. I now have the GH4, arguably the best hybrid camera in the world, but if the E-M1 is going to have all the crazy 4K features I am definitely selling my GH4. Once I used the Olympus 5-axis IBIS, it’s hard having to work within the unstabalized limits of the GH4. I literally did not require a monopod, tripod or gimbal with the IBIS.
But it sucked for video. If they could optimize it so it doesn’t ruin shots, it could be a very effective tool for discreet videography.
this is my feeling exactly. I also sold it because of the codec but I would have loved to keep it as a c/grab cam.
wow! this is HUGE!!! it will definitely sell like HOT CAKE if it gets all those features! A high bitrate good codec, 4K, high frame rate on FHD, Log profile…..WOW!!! ……wow!!……
Hell, I’d be happy if this rumored firmware update just made the EM-1’s video equal to the GX7 with IBIS. Even that would be a good competitor to the GH4 simply because of the IBIS (and the fact that the GX7’s 1080p is ALREADY better than a 5D3 imo).
Olympus is not going to GIVE 4K away. Don’t sell your GH4s yet.
Olympus would not give it away free, you would still need a over 1000€ E-M1 body.
Think about it, a such features without releasing a new body is without new additional manufacturing costs.
What better way to bump sales of EM1 than to create the idea that it will soon be upgraded to include 4K?
Nobody’s going to body w/o confirmation that it actually will be 4K capable.
Oh, that would be sooo amazing!
The video would be nice, but I’d be much happier if they fixed auto iso by letting us select minimum shutter speed, and also gave us better focus peaking options like like the Sony and fuji.
I don’t understand how minimum shutter speed matters when you can set to manual with autoiso and fix the shutter to what you want only worrying about aperture?
Cos then you cant add exposure comp. it is no longer fully manual, you are trusting the cameras meter entirely. If I can set a minimum shutter speed in Ap then I can add the exp comp to expose to my liking.
Just bought a GH4, would have WAY rahter had the EM-1 with it’s IBIS, gosh darn it, guess I can just lose a couple hundred if I decide to swap…
Jeez, IBIS won’t save your life. You have GAS, man. And the best mft camera available.
My Olympus OMD EM1 just failed after less than 5 months.
Oly support said “it sounds like a sensor problem.” And even though it is so new to me, it was a refurb from GetOlympus.com in the USA, so the warranty is just 3 months.
I never bumped or dropped it. It just failed in my camera bag after working fine a few days prior.
Anybody ever experience a fail so early in the lifespan? I’ve owned a few SLRs and DSLRs over the years and never had so much as a single repair.
Bummer
You shamed it by visiting rumor blogs instead of going out and using it. It committed Seppuku.
🙂
A 3 month warranty is shameful indeed. I did use it several times a week, some weeks every day. It had my heart. The M43 format still does, but the company, not so much. We’ll see how the repair goes. The submission form on their website was throwing errors on Safari and Chrome. Not encouraging.
Having had issues with the two mft olympus cameras I have owned I understand. I probably will never buy an olympus as long as panasonic is around. Just.comparing low end oly lenses to low end panny lenses is all one needs to know about how each company approaches build quality.
Yes, I had a few such problems over the time. One was with, I think, an E-500, with a suddenly occuring pixel defect that caused all pixels in the column below it to get stuck in one colour. As it was well inside the warranty, it was no big thing, though. And later the E-30, too, had a major failure (cannot remember exactly what it was, though) soon after I had bought it – and just a few days before I was about to go on holiday, which meant I had to buy another camera for the purpose, although I was already low on budget (I bought an E-620 then, which I did like very much, too, but in the end I switched back to the E-30 and sold the E-620)…
I had to have the E-30 serviced a couple of times altogether, and once or twice after warranty was over, too (which is two years around here).
Sorry to hear what happened. I usually buy refurb from Oly, AND I get the extended warranty (2 years) since all refurbs are eligible for the extended warranty… including the lenses (3 years).
You wrote elsewhere that you expected the camera to be serviced free after 5 months, although the warranty was clearly 3 months. You did not pay for the extra warranty, you took the risks and saved money at the time of purchase (nothing wrong with that, I do it too), but any expectations of free service beyond that is totally unreasonable.
Perhaps. I don’t recall being offered the opportunity to buy a warranty extension and my fault for not doing so. Policy is policy, so while it may be “totally unreasonable” to expect Olympus to bend to fix this, it seems within reason to expect a camera not to die 5 months after purchase for no reason.
“it seems within reason to expect a camera not to die 5 months after purchase for no reason”
I am sure there were a reason, we just don’t know it. For example, it might have been mishandled by its previous owner, which did not show on the testing at the time of refurbishing (after all, it worked for 5 months after that), but lowered its life.
And there are always variations in any physical (as opposed to digital) products.
If you bought it on American Express, they usually double the warranty (up to 1 more year), so you might have the warranty from them.
I hope it’s not to good to be true but it’s certainly not too bad to be untrue.
What is this, the NVIDIA approach? Release capability limited hardware, de-limit in software over time?
The software is not a trivial part of the package, probably more important than the hardware.
Firmware wish:
Hyperfocal distance scale like on Ricoh GR and Fuji cameras.
Sounds good… but I would also like a headphone port
4K recording? Really? Somehow that sounds awfully optimistic. I’m under the impression that we need specific encoding hardware in order to really pump out 4K video in the E-M1. I just want to be able to change focus peaking color besides just black and white. Also a photo stitching software would be great to have in camera. Overall, I just really want the new Pro lenses to come out with announcements for their F/1 lens designs.
If this is true, I might get an EM1 as a second camera… parallel import bodies are US$900!
While I don’t see any reason why this isn’t possible (it’s very believable that the hardware for the E-M1 was pre-built for 4K and it IS using the Panasonic sensor, after all); and while it’s entirely possible Olympus and Panasonic may have had a previous agreement about who would push their 4K camera first — and who would hold back and wait — what makes it less likely, IMO, is that it’s probably unable to record full 4K internally … and I see no evidence that Olympus plans to introduce anything like Panasonic’s YAGH (unless it can port to the YAGH or perhaps the Atomos Shogun).
Olympus rumored to said that it would be revealing new peripherals in fotokina. So what if a new grip comes for video?
If this is true & the tests are good, I’ll finally be upgrading. Thanks, Olympus.
that moition film sounds a lot like live composite from the EM-10 a kind of live bulb where only the moving part refreshes.
This is a very tempting rumor. I have been holding off my purchase on a pro mirrorless due to my indecision to pick between the olympus e-m1 or fuji x-t1. My mind is actually leaning more on the e-m1 because of the rich features and the touchscreen. It would definitely help me make up my mind on the e-m1 if this silver version and this feature rich firmware are true.
For those arguing about the e-m1 being unable to do 4k, it basically depends upon whether the hardware in the camera was already 4k ready, which was only limited/disabled by the current firmware (due to the firmware feature being still in development), or the hardware was not optimized for 4k to begin with. If the former, then it could be very possible that a new firmware can enable 4k capabilities, but if it’s the latter, well then, the camera simply can’t do 4k with a mere firmware update. It’s simply the same logic of a computer. You cannot get more physical RAM just by changing the OS (firmware), but you can change to a new OS (from windows 32bit “limited to use up to 4gb” to windows 64bit) to utilize the extra RAM, which was already in the system, that your old OS was not able to use.
It all comes down to if the e-m1 was built with 4k in mind or not. And of course, I, personally, would definitely want to see this rumor to be true, so I can just pull the trigger on this new toy for me. However, even without 4k, I would really just want to see better 1080p video performance in the camera and faster frame rate on the in camera time lapse movie.
I get your analogy but still need to fix the technical mistakes:
“It’s simply the same logic of a computer. You cannot get more physical RAM just by changing the OS (firmware), but you can change to a new OS (from windows 32bit “limited to use up to 4gb” to windows 64bit) to utilize the extra RAM, which was already in the system, that your old OS was not able to use”
Operating System (know as Kernel) isn’t firmware, it is only a software what is responsible to share hardware resources to every other process (programs and libraries).
Firmware is special coded software (typically in machine language instead higher level languages like C or C++) what is flashed to ROM (“Read-Only-Memory”, can’t be written while running in normal ways) chip and each device has a own firmware. Even CPU has a firmware for them, 3D cards has own firmware, printers has own firmware, keyboards can have own firmware.
Firmware is in device itself, while device driver is “plugin” to operating system so it knows what kind signals it needs to send to hardware, what then excutes signals with firmware.
And 32bit CPU is capable to use more than 4GB of RAM, and 32bit OS can allocate more RAM than that. But the limit is the 32Bit OS can not allocate more than 4GB per process. So not a single software can have more than 3,8GB of RAM (rest goes to IRQ etc) but there can be multiple process each having as much RAM available. 64Bit OS is required to allocate more RAM per process, requiring 64Bit CPU.
But now what it seems, Olympus has shipped a “64bit camera” with “32bit OS” what they are now upgrading to “64bit OS” and that allows user to gain the extra features to that hardware is capable.
Highly doubt 4k video with IS.
Fingers SUPER CROSSED. And I sold off one of my EM-1!?!! arghh. If this really comes out.
Will get a second E-M1 if this true. Silver please. Also excited for the 40-150 f/2.8 and 7-14 f/2.8.