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Yesterday I posted a low rated FT2 rumor about an XZ camera with 28-300mm zoom and a Four Third sensor camera with fixed lens. I wasn’t sure which one was correct but with a little bit of help of one trusted and one new source (Thanks!) I learned that most likely both rumors are correct!
1) The new XZ compact camera with 28-300mm zoom and same sensor size like current XZ cameras will be announced in October.
2) Olympus is definitely working on a High End Premium compact camera with Four Thirds sensor. But it’s likely NOT going to be announced in October.
So there was the reason of the confusion, I got small bits of rumors about two different cameras and not one camera 🙂
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Some of the glorious High End fixed Lens filmcameras from Olympus:
Olympus Trip 35 ([shoplink 35471 ebay]here on eBay[/shoplink] and article on 43rumors)
Olympus 35 SP ([shoplink 36258 ebay]here on eBay[/shoplink] and article on 43rumors)
Olympus XA ([shoplink 37225 ebay]here on eBay[/shoplink] and article on 43rumors)
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For sources: Sources can send me anonymous info at 43rumors@gmail.com (create a fake gmail account) or via contact form you see on the right sidebar. Thanks!
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Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct
57 Responses
XZ 28-300 equiv sounds great if only it has an EVF and if price range is correct (PEN E-PL5+14-150 is ~700 euros)…
28-300 does sound great. I can live without an EVF if the price is right.
Maybe I suffer from Parkinson’s disease, but I can’t shoot à 300mm equiv without an EVF… Even with a great IBIS 😉
superzooms are dead
Superzooms aren’t dead. Small sensor compacts WITHOUT long zooms are dead.
Camera phones will eat up that market for most people who just want casual snaps. Camera makers will need to differentiate by better IQ (large sensor), longer zooms, or enthusiast features (interchangeable lens, external controls, etc.). Compact superzooms will replace the old standby 3x compact for the casual snapper who wants to buy a separate camera, and high end compacts will trend toward large sensors/enthusiast features for the advanced users.
superzoom are dinosaurs and they died with consumer prices of apsc dslr and now cometitive mirorless and plenty of lenes…oly must bring some magic to sell it well, as if its just xz with 28-300, then the IQ will be lower than xz, as they have to optimize the output to longer zoom
No way man there are superzooms with 25-600mm F2.8 lenses , I have read the fantards here say again and again F2.8 is F2.8 apparently sensor size doesn’t matter lol
At least you can add an EVF to it if desired.
Olympus 43 SP-D !
Do you know if the premium compact will have a fixed focal length or a zoom?
no.
OK, thanks for the great work with rumors!
I dream of a 12-24/2, that would be awesome!
Hey Admin do you know if it. has EVF? 😉
Hi admin, thanx for your work and permanently teasing our curiosity with new rumors! 🙂
But I´d like to know a little bit more about the way you´re evaluating sources and rumors. Could you tell us more about that? What must a source do to get trusted? And how can a new source prove to be serious?
I would buy an FT sensor compact with a 17-51/2.8 mechanical zoom and an EVF. (But would anyone else?)
I very likely would buy it if it has a dual focal length lens: 12mm f/2.8 and 40mm f/4.0. It’s not gonna happen!
Yes, something small with a dual focal lens and no zoom. Like the old handsome Ricoh R1.
http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Ricoh_R1
Guess, nobody would buy a 43 Sensor with a big heavy zoom in F 2.0 or F 2.8.
I would like the high end compact no bigger than the xz2 (ideally Sony rx100 size). To keep it small, dual focal length is ok, or something like 15-30mm. EVF is a big plus but I have an external EVF that I can use.
The clue is in the name rumor
Nokia 808 – 1/1.2” sensor
Nokia 1020 – 1/1.5” sensor (smartphone)
Sony RX100 – 1” sensor
I don’t care about compacts with 1/1.7” sensors.
High end compact with 4/3” sensor? A good idea, but tought, waterproof.
Nikon has just announced waterproof (15m diving) and tought (2m fall drop) mirrorless with sensor x2,7 crop. With 2 waterproof lenses. Oly – lets, make compact build like TG-2 – smaller then PEN mirrorless, but waterproof, can be with fast prime.
True, that compact should really come with a constant F2.8 and it should not be priced too high, around 500€? Actually the Fuji X-S1 already had a 2/3″ 20x zoom, so bigger sensor and more zoom.
That m43 compact shoukd either bring some kind of multiple focal lenght or a good zoom and it should be really tough. Otherwise I don’t see its habitat along the Ricoh GR oder X100s.
But the XS-1 is big, very big.
Something like an XZ-2 size with a small zoom lens with 1″sensor (14-35 F2.8-F4) is probably achievable if they work hard on the lens integration.
The 28mm-300mm equivalent will either have a tiny sensor (Xz-10 size) or will have a very slow lens.
The Fujifilm X-S1 is as large as an entry-level APS-C DSLR with kit zoom.
I would also prefer that 2nd option: a RX100, X100S, Coolpix-A or Ricoh GR competitor, but with m43 sensor, a 12-25mm F2.0-F2.8 “Pro” grade zoom (or something similar, but please 12mm on the wide end) and high quality weather sealing. Maybe they can build a lens with 2 or 3 discrete steps: 12mm, 17.5mm and 25mm?
Look at the Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 lens. The lens you propose would probably be a similar size because of the larger aperture, despite the shorter focal length. Wouldn’t really be suitable for a ‘compact’ camera
You are right. So make it 2.8 constant zoom or something with 3 discrete steps… I am just dreaming. 😉
emmmm, just think that 4/3 sensor with fixed lens camera is a bit boring cuz we have compact bodies/lenses from both pana and oly. then a high quality zoom will ask for big size. emmmm
A super high quality 2x zoom, 12-25mm with F2.0-F2.8, in a tough weather sealed and small (E-P5ish) package for 800-900€ would be a killer! It would also have 5-axis IBIS, Live time/bulb, DualFast AF, twin dials, hopefully a integrated VF4, WiFi, intervalometer and all the other good stuff. Of course it would be quite pale on the video side, but the competition (except for RX100MKII) is also not really on the move forward in this regard.
xz 28-300 could be a winner, especially if they have the guts to make it weatherproof. or as nikon AW1 15m waterproof 2m crashproof…. would be a ultimate tough.
And sorry to say if performance is xz2 like, it might be scratching my head for the em5/em1 route (yes i know not comparable, but sometimes weight and size are more important)
Nah, it will just be another XZ model maybe with an EVF in the corner.
If any camera will be waterproof it is the 4/3 fixed lens camera.
Admin, you posted this months ago: Possible XZ3 lens: 28-112/1.4-1.8
http://www.43rumors.com/olympus-patent-discloses-a-new-xz-3-lens/
Could you ask your sources if this one is true?
There was also an i.zuiko patent for a 4.4-67.5/2.4-4.2 (20-315 equiv)… Could be this one also (same post as above).
This patent would more likely correspond to a 24-370mm equivalent lens using a 1/2.3″ sensor and compete against the FZ200. So that means there is coming the XZ3 with faster lens, new superzoom with semi-fast lens and smaller sensor, and a large sensor compact. That is 3 different cameras.
kk
Yeah the AW1 was the first really intelligent move I’ve seen Nikon make in years and I was really quite surprised. That is the move that I would have done quite some time ago. Here sits Panasonic and Olympus with all weather cameras, with tiny sensors and no RAW and they are both going to come out with another “yawn” fixed lens large sensor compact. Why not really get the customers and make it waterproof, instead of pissing away your resources on half ass, BS, ideas? Ask a photographer, instead of a marketing moron and you Japs would probably make more money.
How about a compact with 4/3 sensor and 28-300mm zoom lens? It shouldn’t be too big, certainly not bigger than m4/3 body + 14-150 or 14-140mm lens.
28-300 equivalent lens, that is…
I rather want that 56-600mm equivalent one. 😉
@Admin
no more news of another version of Panasonic GX this year or ultrasmall m43 (GF?) soon?
I hope fixed 35mm f2.0 with 5-axis stablization and weather sealed. Global shutter with better video quality.
Olympus has already said that video is not a priority for them so I don’t expect much of an improvement.
They didn’t even add better codec, 24p or 60p in their most recent flagship camera how you would expect them to add better video or even less global shutter?
the one with 4/3″ sensor is a prime or a zoom?
hmm… no word on it.
The idea of a 12-25 zoom is very interesting, could they make it f/1.8~f/2.8? This would be a very good landscape/street photography companion.
I think that a prime with 4/3″ sensor wouldn’t be so great when there are cameras like Ricoh GR and the X100s from Fuji. The less bad they could do with a prime would be a 25mm with at least f/1.8.
They could make it, except it would be about the same size as the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 lens. You may as well carry a GH-3 to mount on the lens.
Don’t hold your breaths! The price for XZ-3 or that of the new premium compact will be a show stopper. As of late the Japanese have been increasing the prices of their new products to an unprecedented levels, I really wonder why?!
Strong Yen?
Because they’re making smaller volumes of cameras and all are trying to move up market as the bottom end of the market has crashed.
The only areas holding up for sales is the enthusiast market, which is less price sensitive, and as their overheads haven’t shrunk as much as their sales the unit cost of each camera will have risen.
i wish high end compact:
1-wide angle 24mm max
2-f/2.8
2-not a superzoom… 200mm is enough.
3-same sensor as EM5,EP5,EMP2, EPL5.
4-why not ibis as like EM5,EP5.
5-hotshoe with VF1 to VF4 compatibility.
6-Tiltable screen
Did i forget something?
Oh yes, not expensive, around 600€ !
So you want something better than epl5+14-150 combo for 100 euros less? And you would call it compact?
I doubt it 😉
many announce for NY show?
or 4/3 sensor compact will be announced at CP+ in Japan (Feb.) and may be going to sell in March.
Same sensor size as xz2 with 28-300 is interesting only for it’s range and assuming fast lens but what I’d much prefer is an xz3 1 inch sensor with 24-100 fast lens and a heap of gimmicks plus a 43 sensor tough camera with a fixed 35mm equiv f1.4 lens.
What are the chances that this is a replacement of the xz-10 instead of the xz-2? I use the former because the latter did not offer any size advantage over my e-pm2+p14mm combo.
This is the most likely scenario. The only way they are going to have a large zoom range and keep the camera small is to use a small sensor like the one the XZ-10 has.
I’m inclined to believe you may be correct on that. I think it’ll be based on the x-z10 tiny sensor and they probably market it as the worlds smallest 28-300 camera with such and such gimmick.
I would in a heart beat purchase
(as I mentioned in an earlier post) an
x-z3 with a 1 inch sensor decked out with heaps of controls, features, accessory port, fast lens, em1 screen and wi-fi and a 43 sensor based tough camera with a 35mm equivalent f1.4 or no slower than f1.8 with heaps of features including wi-fi. Olympus can release a couple bolt on lenses that connect to this tough cam like a fisheye, uwa and tele.
The digital XA is coming!!
Wish the 4/3 compact (digital XA?)was coming in October instead! Hope they don’t give it some 6-figure alphanumeric name. Just call it XA5 and be done.
If they wait until March, the premium compact market will be more crowded (possible Canon GX 2 and Sony RX10, with APS-C sensors…) but good times for us!