In very Steve Jobs style I can now tell you that there is one more thing….a new Olympus high end compact with fixed lens! I don’t think it will be announced today along the E-m1. I hope to get more info about it after the announcement…
UPDATE: This camera will not go on preorder tomorrow. I don’t know yet if Olympus will “hint” something tomorrow or if this camera will be announced just a couple of weeks later. All I know is that there is definitely a high end compact on the way.
Stay tuned for the E-m1 announcement at 5am London time!
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68 Responses
is this Oly’s answer to the X100s/X2/GR/CoolpixA?
sensor size … gotta be m43 😉
No, it’s a reply to the feature fest that is the GX7.
There’s too much people who are starting to favor smaller size. At the end of the day neither the E-M1 nor the GH3 fit my needs. Why shouldn’t I have a smaller (and more discrete camera) if feature wise they are pretty much similar?
Shot! I didn’t read the fixed lens part…
Ferget everything I wrote before. There’s a GX7 on my future.
Anything smaller than m43 size and it will be pointless.
A camera with the same Sony 1-inch sensor as in the RX100 but fitted with a faster lens and 5-axis IBIS would be wonderful.
RX100 is f/1.8 at the wide end, and has OIS stabilization. It is a pretty awesome camera with zoom capability that fits in your pocket. I can’t imagine what compact camera Olympus would come out with that would make me give up my RX100
If it is exactly the same as RX100m2, I would buy the Oly instead of Sony, because the Sony EVF ($440) is too expensive.
Well, a camera with characteristics similar to the RX100, BUT with the current 43 sensor, and maybe a better lens (wider zoom, even?), would be awsome.
If it had a prime lens it would be rather uninteresting (there are already many prime lens fixed compacts out there, and some of theme are very nice and small)
5-axis IBIS, a shorter but faster zoom (f/1.4-2 35-50mm equivalent), and Olympus colours.
Admin! You can’t throw stones like these! 🙂 Any rumor about sensor size & focal lenght????????
They better takw advantage of the sensor size and either make it a f1.2-1.4 prime or an f1.8-2 zoom
Then it would be outclassed by APS-C fixed lens cameras with sane (f2-2.8) aperture, because of course f1.2 or 1.4 even on m43 would be awfully big for a compact camera, and thus potential users would get a smaller APS-C instead.
f2 would be fine if m43 sensor size.
If f2, there would be a size advantage vs Fuji X100s. Of course, it can’t get any smaller than the Ricoh or Coolpix A, but then at f2, there would be no light penalty to the m43 sensor size against those f2.8 APS-C.
Anyway, there’s more than shallow DOF/low light performance to differentiate on that market. Better autofocus performance, or image stabilization, are things to look at.
No, it won’t be a problem to place the 43 sensor into a compact fixed lens camera and maintain a smaller camera size. Is the Sony RX100M2 outclassed with its 1″ sensor? No. This is very do-able by Olympus. Also, take a look at the Ricoh GR with the larger APS-C sensor and a fixed lens, and for that matter, look at the Sigma DP1, etc. with the larger Foveon sensor. These are not big cameras.
I don’t think you understood what I meant.
I think that a fixed lens (non-zoom) m43 sensor at f2 could be smaller than the APS-C Fuji at f2, but probably not smaller than Ricoh/Nikon (I’d say about same size), so would be GOOD competition to those products, provided Olympus bring something to the table, like better autofocus or image stabilization.
I didn’t say anything negative about m43, only that a fixed lens f1.2 ou f1.4 like true homer proposed would probably be to big to be good competition to the Fuji X100/Ricoh/Coolpix A.
It can’t be any worse than the E-M1 (nothing could be worse than that heap of junk)
The trolls never sleeps?
Trolls and us GAS patients…
On that realisation I am off to bed…
Hey, you are one syllable off from a haiku! 🙂
Good night. May a better world greet you tomorrow.
D800e.
It’s good name has been dirtied,
By a pretender.
Real camera men,
Don’t pick on smaller sensors
People use with love.
[Marco: I think it’s against haiku rules to have stanzas, but I wasn’t sure?]
Sure: women can love a man who is poorly endowed – but they’d always prefer a man with a larger sensor!
Sorry, but if you dare to answer J Shin, please do so with a proper haiku.
Mr Latouche. I beg your forgiveness poorly endowed sensor man!
Sort of a haiku,
with seventeen syllables!
Fantastic! Great job!
Thank you Mr Master Shin!
What a fehg.
JShin, no, it’s not a problem! 🙂 you can write a poem made of haiku if you wish. 🙂 Though I fear our big fat sensor feticists can’t appreciate poetry..
Yeah, we’d all rather have the “oil-spotting” Nikons.
Yes it is a terrible problem it takes almost 5 seconds to fix it joking aside all and I mean all cameras have quality control problems everything from oil spots, to DE-lamiating LCD screens to askew EVFs to the body material cover eroding it is daft to infer that only one make has an issue. The old Canon 5D had some mirror fallout issues perhaps an early attempt at a mirrorless model by Canon lol
And the 64k dollar question: will they go big sensor (1″ or m4/3) or small sensor (ie sequel to xz-2)
I don’t have the answer yet. But certainly more high end than an XZ-2 🙂
Hmmmh, so maybe we talk by an digital XA-1 😉
Thanks admin. I hope they use a bigger sensor.
Perhaps m43 sensor + 25mm f1.8? (Olimpus does not go faster than f1.8, at least that’s what they declared time ago when talking about their lenses).
I’m going to guess a 1-inch compact, like the RX100 with a zoom lens + EVF
I love my RX100, but EVF is one thing that it does not have. That is an interesting idea. If Oly wants to come out with something like the RX100 they are going to need to differentiate themselves somehow from that camera.
May be just what I need if it has a tiltable screen!
And if it can RC my Olympus flash!
Fixed lens or zoom?
don’t know it yet.
Could it be one that uses the RX100 II 1-inch sensor? If it has a better aperture than the RX100 it would be awesome. But I think I would had prefered a Panasonic version since it would have a better video.
I really love the video that my RX100 puts out. It looks great.
My problem with the RX100 is that it loses 3-stops of aperture from wide to tele and it loses fast, something like @28mm it’s f/1.8 @35mm it’s f/2.8 @65mm it’s f/4. I know that better aperture along the zoom make the camera bigger but as Sony said it’s not a RX100 replacement, I expect the RX100 II to have a better aperture, then it would be lovely.
Yea, but it is still better than a fixed 28mm f/1.8. If Oly is going to compete with a fixed lens, it is going to need to be something like a 35mm f/1.4, maybe f/1.8.
If its a m43 sensor it will not be a 35mm. for a fixed lens it would apeal to a few but not enough to sell at a reasonable price.
35mm to 45mm is about where the great fixed lens sellers of the 135 film era sat. So an m43 equivalent would sell quite well.
For the classic look a 21 or 22mm would be right. A 22mm 1.8 in a small m43 body would be nice. But I bet they would leave out the viewfinder.
Even leica C (Lumix) has EVF.
better is very relative because I bet that if it was just a fixed 28mm f/1.8 it would be way cheaper too but the fact is that it’s a zoom lens that loses 3-stops and the first stop goes away way too quickly, you just feel cheated. From 28mm to 35mm you lose more than 1-stop, way too soon.
Just give me a super small, high IQ, fixed, fast lens and I’m happy. SMALL.
A Olympus high end compact could have an advantage with 5 Axis stabilisation which the Nikon A and Ricoh don’t have at all. Also the focussing potentially could be better.
Damn for a second I was hoping it was another MFT camera, but that would of been leaked months ago with the em1. Welp GX7 it is!
I’m hoping it has a built in EVF or compatible with the external VFs and has a 25mm lens.
Make it compact with a fixed version of the 17mm f1.8 with same manual focus / distance scale. About the size of E-PM2 with 5-axis IS, ability to add EVF and more manual controls than E-PM2 / screw on grip @ around $800 and I will be all over it. Give it 2 dials, one around the lens and one on the back, a Exp Comp dial on top and I’ll be in heaven. That would make me want a m43’s camera again. Doesn’t need a flippy screen, in fact would be better without it (for size). Like an E-P5’d version of the E-PM2 with fixed 17mm. Yes please!
Oh and leaf shutter with ND filter.
Its not going to be this because they released the 17mm 1.8 at the start of this year.
Pretty sure it will be a compact with a zoom lens, not an X100 competitor.
Hopefully it will be the first decent alternative to the Sony RX100. Olympus is the only camera maker that can actually compete with Sony with the combo of good sensor and small cameras. So let’s hope it will be a better version of the RX100, even if marginally bigger…
And?
and I think it will be a smaller 1-inch sensor plus a zoom lens.
A fixed 35mm equivalent doesnt make sense for Olympus to release.
Maybe an e7 with that moving sensor tech Sony has. It moves 18mm, micro four thirds is 18mm shorter than the four thirds flange back distance.
Obs ftw. I wish this could be true.
Make it a fixed zoom 12-25
If olympus want to make something decent have to be FF ala rx1 with evf but olympus is lame so nothing good to expect
You must be a very big person according to your name. Of course you need a big camera as big as you are.
Full frame dose nothing more than give you a wide photo – most people will tell you they hardly ever needed a wider shot most people want a camera to reach out
And if you use a tele lens what then?
What has sensor size got to do with a wide photo?
I would not be surprised to see a 40 to 45mm f1.8 on a 135 sensor in a small body. Optical viewfinder with exposure settings and the ability to take external vf4. Start ISO at sub 100. Simple controls maybe only a 3 way Manual, Aperture, Speed switch. Exposure compensation and programmable 3 step shutter, eg DOF, focus, shot. And the 5way stabiliser to help with the slow ISO settings. Simple video with 30-60p and 25-50p.
Follow up with a 20-70mm zoom version.
Ahh well!
I wonder if there is any chance for weathersealing with this compact camera?
That might be an expensive feature but would target a truly unique niche.
Yeah! Mju series reborn! I guess it will have slow zoom to keep compact with 43 sensor. If it is the same quality with MFT kit zoom, it’s a no brainer for me.
If you are asking for a m4/3 sensor AND a 1.2 or 1.4 zoom, you sound silly. It’s just not realistic.
If they could make an rx100 style with an m4/3 sensor, I’d be thrilled. The only thing missing would be a 24mm wide angle, but matching the rx100 II would be a feat on its own. Sony did a great job.
If it ends up being a prime lens, the price needs to be great. The Nikon A and the Ricoh are both nice cameras. I think it could be an interesting option if they could offer it at $599 or less.
I think you are right on both counts.
If it sports a zoom lens then the sensor size will almost certainly be smaller than a 4/3 sensor.
If it has a fixed lens then the price has to be right and the features must be special. this is a very crowded category with Fuji, Sony, Nikon, Ricoh all in the game.
I would like to see Olympus really buck the trend and offer a 1-inch compact with a zoom lens that goes from ultra-wide to normal, say an 18mm-50mm equivalent.
This would be a very unique product.
Is the cat out of the bag yet?
They should just bulk up an xz-2 to whatever size they can cram a 4/3 sensor into.
It’s already a great platform- fast lens with versatile range, good controls, very customizable with grips, evf options, hotshoe…
If they could make a camera like without going much bigger, say around the size of the a Fuji x10, Nikon p7700 etc, it would be a great camera.