I got this mail from a Chinese 43rumors reader (Thanks!):
“Jun GAO, a travel photographer in China, shared on his Weibo (twitter equiv. in China) today: A new Pen model from Olympus will be announced after Labor Day vacation (1st May). It looks quite good with all classic Pen elements. Technical spec will be superior to [shoplink 29074]EM5[/shoplink] with seamless integration of WiFi control capability.
He also mention he will share his photo work with this new Pen camera right after the announcement.
Mr. Gao appears to be partner photographer of Olympus in China. He actively promoted EM5 and shared quite some travel photography work using EM5. Follow his tweets here http://www.weibo.com/jamesgao75#_rnd1365743777678.”
83 Responses
Interested to see Olympus start implementing wifi, IMHO wifi should be available as an accessory similar to the penpal.
“as an accessory similar to the penpal.”….or a http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/story/307268/the-weirdest-iphone-accessories
🙂
the taser one?
Wifi is trivial to implement. The modules are tiny by now. Having it as an add-on defeats its purpose of making communicating easier, with less movable parts.
Sounds promising. Would love the hotshoe and the viewfinder port to be in different places so one could use a viewfinder and on camera flash….
Wow
“Superior to EM5” but the EM5 already 2 years old .
Although I’m desperate for a new camera but just can’t see the motivation of getting new camera with old tech inside it .
Sorry if my remark offend the readers here .
The E-M5 is roughly 1 year old.
+100
Yun had me worried that I had some sort of time perception problem for a second there 🙂
Don’t worry…Yun will NEVER actually buy a camera. 🙂
LOL
He just likes to show up here and complain about all the features that a camera doesn’t have and worry that one will come out tomorrow with something he missed…so he will never ACTUALLY buy a camera…(or ever take any pictures)..that concept is WAY too frightening for him. ….but please try to be patient with him…coming here and going on and on about these things is like therapy for him and it calms him down….
Its barely one year old.
Mines only 3 months old
It’s not even 1 yr old. Maybe if you were in Japan at the release date. I ordered mine 10mins after release and got it mid May (USA). Then went to Japan the day after I got it to see it on the shelves everywhere while the world was starving for OM-D
And I’m sure the next thing he and some of you will say is that the E-M5 (and its sensor) are “old” technology.
Sounds like fake..
Labor Day is first Monday in Sept, there is no holiday on May 1st.
This must then depend on country. On Finland 1.4 is day off and it is labour day.
Yes it depends on country. Here in Czech Republic (comunist republic in past) we celebrate or celebrated it on 1st May too.
Cheers
Labour Day is on 1st of May in the Old World, and is a day off in most countries in Europe.
May 1 is Labor Day in China.
Did someone forget that there are other countries and people with different holidays and customs?
Really? No kidding.
I know, even though the Haymarket Affair took place in the U.S. and is considered the inspiration for May 1st Labor celebrations around the world, our country (perhaps in fear of labor) chose the first Monday in September for the holiday.
Story is from China, it’s International Worker’s Day and it is a shopping holiday.
FYI: The US does not celebrate labour day on May 1st…most of the rest of the world does.
The hotshoe for the viewfinder has to be on the left side of the camera in order to get a rangefinder for those who want the external viewfinder!
Not the hotshoe, but a built-in viewfinder has to be on the left side. Oly needs urgently a second mFT camera with integrated EVF. Everything else is not acceptable for me.
I completely agree with you, but I lost hope that Olympus will produce a Pen with integrated EVF as a rangefinder…
+100, otherwise em5 is still the only m43 choice for me
You will have to look elsewhere then. Too bad.
Currently there are not many mFT-options, because a built-in viewfinder is a must for me. That´s the reason for being disappointed.
I don´t like the SLR design of the G- and GH-line. GX2 (if with EVF) and maybe the G6 (if redesigned) could be possibilities, otherwise there is only the OM-D E-M5 or its successor.
the omd has slr stying too
And where is that EVF supposed to fit (in the body)? The display would need to be smaller or the body made bigger to include it or there will be very little room for controls on the right.
NEX-7 size would be acceptable
very few rumors for a camera which is going to be announced in 2 weeks, it’s almost like the secret policy from apple.
That’s okay. We all understand that you’re intellectually challenged.
Can’t wait to see more of what Oly is up too, the Pany’s of late are not inspiring to me so far.
Bet this model will not have an integrated view-finder (that is EM-x’s turf). Not interested but will be great to see more progress on the image quality front.
So he is the chinese version of Ming Thein.
Interesting..
Wow, only one year extra development time after M5/E-PL5 to integrate wifi!
You have to wonder where they find room for everything.
It was much easier when you just had to make room for a canister and piece of film.
There are several P&S cameras with wifi included so it is not exactly unusual.
Wifi is minuscule…..look at the wifi SD cards.
The dust reduction system is not a trivial size and neither are multi-core CPUs. Since they don’t need a separate processor for auto focus, that certainly saves space.
If you consider that there were many 135 format compact cameras in the 1980s, it seems odd that we can’t have similar but digital cameras now. The same goes for interchangeable lens cameras of all kinds. They don’t have to be huge but film was relatively cheap.
So first you’re saying it should be difficult to fit everything in, and then you’re saying that it’s odd they haven’t done it yet…
From the leaked info so far, the E-P5 is not going to be a standout camera for me, considering the rumoured price of $1000 (with a kit-lens, yet to be determined). Especially without an integrated EVF, it’s a tough sell. Wi-Fi is not something I care about either. Even with the rumoured “superior specs” to E-M5, it’s a real stretch to justify its price tag.
I’m not that fussed with looking for great sensor leaps and improvements, as some seem to be obsessed with. Most cameras of the last two years or so are more than good enough for a wide variety of cirumstances that most people, including professionals, would need to shoot in. Most current generation sensor cameras from m4/3 to 135 FF will deliver a good to very good ISO 3200. I don’t need to go higher than that. Sensor tech and processing tricks will continue to push the boundaries of high ISO image performance. But I think we’re at a time where the camera makers are starting to move on a little from the pure numbers race, and focusing more on things like functionality, connectivity, portability, and in some circles, a back to basics approach.
” Most current generation sensor cameras from m4/3 to 135 FF will deliver a good to very good ISO 3200. I don’t need to go higher than that.”
I agree with you and I remember reading the same thing about the E-P3 before the E-M5 came out. Perceptions will change.
$1000 including 17/1.8 kit is great when the 17/1.8 is $500. Hopefully that will push the price of the 17/1.8 down.
The E-P4 (I am not superstitious) will come out with faster AF and better ISO wrapped in that gorgeous Pen body and everyone (inducing me) will go “ooh ahh” over it.
Maybe I should sell my E-m5 now.
The lens bundled with the $1000 kit is not confirmed. If it was the M.Z. 17mm f/1.8, that would be a superb deal if that was true. But I kind of doubt it. It’ll more likely be a 14-42 for the $1000 kit. The 17/1.8 will likely push the price up to $1200, at which point, I think they should also bundle a viewfinder. But this is all speculation. We’ll find out the real deal (forgive the pun) in a couple of weeks.
Superstitious or not, the E-P4 will not be released. IIRC, the E-P3’s high ISO capabilities were questioned even before it was released, seeing as many found it lacking in comparison with other cameras at the time. I really wanted the E-P3 but I felt it was too expensive compared to the E-PL3.
Miffed
8 hours ago | Reply
” Most current generation sensor cameras from m4/3 to 135 FF will deliver a good to very good ISO 3200. I don’t need to go higher than that.”
That is a matter of opinion in bright light when you are using the high ISO for to maintain a fast shutterspeed then the results are OK.In murky low light situations { the time when you need high ISO the most }I find the high ISO at 1600 or above on mFT very poor, you are left with the unpleasant choice of horribly noisy or NR mush. If your output is 500pix web snapshots maybe but for real usage it is unacceptable to me. Truth be told even the best FF the D4 isn’t quite there yet.
That was actually my statement, BTW. Miffed was quoting my previous post.
I was going to mention about using high ISO to enable faster shutter speeds, but I can’t get to typing everything that comes to mind in a blog post. I still maintain, though, that most larger and current generation sensored cameras (2012 onwards) do good enough up to ISO 3200. Granted, m4/3 still produces quite a lot of noise above ISO 1600 (but do so other cameras, even APS-C and 135 FF ones). Especially if one is a noise conscious/averse person as I am, you will definitely notice it. But shooting RAW, making some adjustments and cleaning up with a third party denoiser can result in a usable image, and will do fine for a decent print. Note: I’m speaking here from an enthusiast/hobbyist’s perspective, not as a professional, so take that into regard. What I’m content with may not be good enough for someone else.
I don’t believe we should expect sensor technology to save us in every situation, as is the expectation of many. We should know our camera’s limitations and work within and around its constraints. Either that, or get another camera that may/will do better.
Adding wifi and other useless crap, but still no talk of built EVF or quality zooms? Trumped again yesterday with the release of the Fuji 55-200 zoom lens. Let’s do some quick calculations:
EM5 with quality zooms (only Panasonic) = minimum $3100
X-E1 with 18-55 & 55-200 zoom = $1700.
Seeing the shallow DOF that the longer fuji zoom can produce, Fuji is now a formidable competitor. Whilst Fuji looks to release a 56mm F1.2 early next year and upgrade body software, both M43 companies cannot even listen to customers and provide a RF styled body, and in Olympus’s case quality zooms as well.
Sure, longer lens can provide more shallow DOF, but also flattens perspective. If shallow DOF is all you want, then thats fine, but perspective is a kinda relevant part of composition, so it means you are comparing apples and oranges.
Oh, and while at it.. stick the Oly 50-200/2.8-3.5 and a 4/3 to m4/3 adapter on your m4/3 camera, and you can get an even more shallow DOF. Sure, AF will be somewhat crappy, but that just makes it more comparable to the Fuji alternative!
No, I’m not saying that that 55-200 is bad, I have no idea if its good or bad, it does sound like a nicely useful range on an APS-C sized sensor with a slightly faster then average aperture. I’m merely pointing out that using ‘shallow DOF’ as an argument with total disregard of other aspects of composition suggests that you may not understand that much about photography.
@Solar….. I agree with you. I was doing the same sums yesterday. I don’t think I found as good a price on the Fuji combo, but still… Fuji is really competitive. I’ll be passing through Singapore in June, with enough allocated cash to buy the Fuji with both zooms. And m43 doesn’t offer a body that appeals to me as much as the XE-1.
Why haven’t Olly got it? Surely they heard the noise when the X100 was released!
1, Pana lens is 2.8 constant over the range (35 – 100).
2, If DOF is your main concern, why not go FF?
3, You are making the assumption that everyone wants less DOF. Many others and I don’t care about that.
shallow dof is the new cliche. The web is now filled with images that have no context.
Don’t compare f/4.8 zoom to f/2.8 Pana. It is MUCH closer to Oly 40-150.
The guy has a working relationship with Olympus, so you should expect him to say it’s great. For me, if this camera does not have 5 axis IBIS it is an instant FAIL. Olympus will be trying to charge as much, if not more for this camera than the EM5- yet it will have no EVF, no weathersealing, etc. I’m sure it will be a beautiful camera but given the price I doubt it will sell well- if Wifi is important look to the new Samsungs, which will be a far more seamless integration of it than what Olympus will come out with- probably.
For me, the only significant trump card Oly has over the competition is the 5 axis IS. It’s HUGE. I’d probably jump to APS if Pentax or Sony would make their IBIS competitive. Now that Sony owns part of Olympus maybe they will.
sony doesnt really need olympus for floating ibis, they already make consumer camcorders with floating ibis at best buy
This time I think that Olympus got it finally right. Instead of their marketing guys spreading that the camera will be a revolution and then let us all down, this time they went the other way around: They’re selling us that the E-P5 will be just an E-P3 with the sensor already in the lower end PEN models, + WIFI.
But the day of the announcement they will surprise us with:
– And integrated EVF (rangefinder style) of an unseen quality up until now.
– All new sensor with integrated PhD AF sensors that will make 4/3 lenses perform at their full potential (and provide good AF-C with any lens).
– A new high quality kit lens: 12-45mm f/2.8, weather sealed.
– High quality, weather sealed body
– Electronic first curtain shutter to avoid the Shutter Shock Syndrome
– Improved 5-axis IBIS thanks to faster processor
– Much improved video specs and better codec, more framerates, etc…
– Multishot effects like HDR, Panorama, Night handheld shot, etc…
– And of course, WI-FI
And finally the some months ago promised (FT5) PEN revolution will be a reality.
Bravo Olympus!!!!
“But the day of the announcement they will surprise us with….”
Are you dreaming or under the effects of ‘wacky backy’? unless of course you know something that the rest of us don’t.
That was probably a poor attempt at being sarcastic. Olympus marketing guys do a “great” job in this site at creating big expectations 6 months before the cameras are announced, when no one can buy them. However, once they are announced and available for buying, a big disappointment seems to run on enthusiasts minds. Not a good strategy for selling cameras.
The PEN line was hailed to be completely revolutionized some months ago (that was a FT5 rumor, from trusted sources AKA marketing guys). Then the two lower end PENs were announced and they were the same as the previous generation with the upgraded sensor, basically. However, after they said that the E-Px line was the one that would be completely changed. It would die and be reborn in a whole new package. So everyone expected a NEX-6 and E-X1 competitor from Olympus (finally!). But now that the day is coming we get to know that it is an E-P3 with the new sensor (already in the lower end PENs) and WI-FI. And they even showed a teaser covered with that blue silky cloth in some show for this!
They really need to change the strategy. Don’t create expectations that you can’t meet, or they’ll bite you back with disappointment and lack of enthusiasm to buy the products. Even if they are actually good.
The 5 axis IBIS is probably the only thing from your list that will make it. It’s not likely to replace the lower end OM-D model (currently E-M5), even when the higher end OM-D model is released.
What does technically superior mean? Surely he cant mean wifi. A built in nd or 1/8000 shutter would be superior.
5 axis ibis needs the hump to be implemented, remember? And a evf is a loooong stretch to say the least. It was already confirmed its not gonna be there yet people keep hoping for it and probably the same people are gonna whine come release day.
Lol it is a rumor for god’s sake.
an ft5 rumor, and whats your point anyway?
IBIS does not need any hump, its EVF right on top of the body, then accessory port, then hot shoe. Just look at E-M5 if you claim you own one.
That was something posted on this very site, the 5 axis sensor is on the fake slr hump. Google it before commenting
I know most people here post without half a search so here you go, I searched for you
http://www.pekkapotka.com/journal/2012/2/8/olympus-om-d-e-m5-hands-on-preview.html
For what it’s worth, the photo on pekkapotka demonstrates that the IBIS unit is located behind the lens mount and is indeed contained within the main body of the E-M5. The front elevation of the camera shows that there is sufficient space between the top of the lens mount and the top plate such that the IBIS unit does not need to extend beyond the top plate.
That said, the hump of the E-M5 actually extends into the body of the camera, which is why it looks like the IBIS unit extends into the base of the hump.
Not to mention the red outline is poorly drawn and does not really correspond to the lines in the photo.
And before anyone accuses me of being anonymous, I wrote the above comment.
My bet is that the video specs will be greatly increased over the omd and epl5
I am sure Olympus have realised the market potential in a pen that can do video as good as a gh2 etc…
How many people actually shoot video? I’ve always been under the impression that consumers just expect 1080p capability but they don’t really know much about video beyond that.
I was firmly in the “who needs video camp?”” until I got the GH2 , gradually thanks to both the excellent video quality and the more practical video ergonomics . I slowly became interested in video to the extent that, I specifically ignored the E-M5 despite its otherwise very good feature set and opted for the GH3. I think like a lot of areas video was not the most popular area due to poor quality and difficulty in achieving good results. In large part I feel the high ISO argument is the same the main reason why it is not used by many people is down to the terrible quality of high ISO which is now gradually improving, though with mFT we are still a long way from it being truly good. Imagine the possibilities when tomorrows ISO 6400 is as good as today’s 400 ISO it may take a while but high ISO performance is moving on at a pace.
Perhaps the WiFi is part of the new viewfinder solution – the rumour reported says WiFi control and so perhaps also remote display – if fast WiFi speeds (which might use too much power to be possible) you could have a viewer on your smartphone – effectively a removable LCD – and the new viewfinder could also be WiFi and removable so you can use it attached or remotely as you wish. This would allow them to have a fixed LCD which makes the camera more robust and smaller – frees up the accessory port for flash – and if the viewfinder could be attached like the old XA flash you could make a sort of range-finder arrangement.
All speculation, of course – the reality will probably be a new iteration on the VF3 and a simpler WiFi control system with a picture that lags too much for moving subjects.
I don’t understand the point of remote display. It doesn’t seem like a useful function for everyday shooting. It might be useful if you’re trying to take a picture over a crowd, or somewhere that you cannot reach, but other than these uncommon situations, it has limited usability.
As for the above technology substituting the tilt/rotatable screen, that too seems unlikely. As a user, I would much rather just handle the camera than have to hold my phone in the other hand as well.
IMO, Wi-Fi is just a gimmick that most users won’t use at this point. How many will connect the camera to a tablet to view the photo they have just taken, let alone use the tablet as a remote control? Perhaps if you’re working in a studio, but Olympus’ vision for the PEN series has always been an upgrade for the P&S user. Unless the camera can upload straight to the Internet, Wi-Fi just doesn’t seem very useful to me. The other option, of course, is a hands-free Google Glass-like EVF solution that is voice-activated, but I don’t see that happening in the near future.
Olympus is better off focusing their energies on features that users actually want.
I use the remote functions and WiFi features of my GH3 often, the remote shooting works well with shy animals and birds. I shoot in RAW + JPEG I transfer the JPEGS to my IPAD edit them in snapseed and upload them to Flickr , very useful when on holiday or otherwise away from a PC.
I think maybe 1% of the buyers of EP5 will ever use (as opposed to play with after purchase and forget) the “WiFi control capability”. Why it is there? You need a tripod for that (and if you can bring that, you can bring something bigger that EP5), it rapidly discharges the small batterie of both the camera and the mobile device, and it simply not as smooth and simple as good physical controls.
The development cost them a lot of money though, and will cost more in support. What, they have nowhere to spend their money? How about integrating flash? GPS from TG-1? Weather-sealed 11-60/2.8 and 50-150/2.8? On-sensor PDAF? Auto CA correction in JPEGs?
Apart from social networks and thethering the viewing use I see of Wi Fi is a wearable device a’ la Google. Unfortunately it is said to cost more than 1000 $, so for now it seems a nonstarter.
However in the future, since Oly seems uninteresting in having a built in EVF in the E-Px it seems the only viable solution to preserve the original FF of the Pen.
So much that they issued a recent patent about a wearable EVF.