Our good source Simon wrote this a while back: “End of January PEN-F will be officially announced. But PEN-F is the components “tester” for EM-1 II. You will See 3 very New Featues in Pen F.” He also said focus on PEN-F will be faster than on other MFT cameras. Now I hope he will read this post and give us some insights on the new features!
So far the only known specs are:
PEN-f announce datę: 27.01
Sensor: 20mpix
Two kit lens: 14-42ez and 17mm 1,8
New EVF
Price of kits 1497-1797Euro
Follow the live blogging of the event here on 43rumors on January 27 at 5-6am London time!
112 Responses
What’s with the bottom part on the grip? Possibly Arcas-Swiss compatible?
Seems like an add on grip like the original OMD EM5
Yes, just like it is on the ECG-2 Camera Grip for the E-M5 II (except that also has an ‘L’ attachment for portrait work).
https://shop.olympus.eu/products_images/prod_2359/h_2000023590005_21927_0.png
Also shown here. http://www.olympus.com.au/getattachment/Products/Interchangeable-Lens-Cameras/Olympus-OM-D/OM-D-E-M5-Mark-II/Accessories/Other-Accessories/ECG-2-Metal-External-Camera-Grip/000058190.jpg.aspx?maxsidesize=920
I love the teasing phase on 43rumors prior to major announcements. Sometimes I almost wish the product is never released so this can go on forever.
I’ll happily play:
1. A new technology to enhance AF, maybe akin to Pana’s DFD (which basically uses CA to determine distance).
2. A refinement of sensor shifting high-res imaging.
3. A global shutter of some sort (Olympus has been talking about it quite a lot).
Other features based on sensor movement are possible, such as rotation to adjust for astro photography and level the horizon, tilt to manipulate DOF, movement along the z axis to focus foreign lenses etc. Having the necessary hardware on their hands, Olympus should really look into those possibilities.
Nice list. No gimmicks. Question is, are the three new features Olympus firsts, or firsts for Olympus? Since they are admitting a claim of 30% AF speed increase, and they already have dual fast from E-M1, is wouldn’t be a great surprise for OSPDAF to skip past DFD. At least it would give Panasonic something to criticize, again. Stacked BSI sensor would be nice. Could deliver global shutter and a bump to 24 megapixels without loss of 3200 ISO clarity. And if we could get the right heatsink and firmwares, the same sensor could give us a home run on 4K video. The higher resolution EVF would not be a new feature, but an improvement. If the camera is an E-M1.MkII beta tester, will the latter ship with a version roll-up called v2.0?
You turn me positive on that 20MP sensor. But if this is a plain common sensor without sth new techwise then I will have my concerns about m43. Still I’d prefer 16MPs that excel in every aspect, since 16MPs really are enough for 300dpi A3 prints what would cover 99% of all needs. I want one good IQ camera not a camera that is average in every aspect.
At this point, I don’t know of any crummy 16 megapixel sensors. Compared to D7000, the E-M5 sensor output is virtually identical. The standout is the Fuji XTrans because it gives a little more ISO, but is otherwise difficult to process because of diagonal RAW format. That, and the lenses are bigger, a bit more expensive and more difficult to carry in quantity. And yes, there is a pragmatic view of sufficiency for even larger paper sizes. I am in no hurry to upgrade camera. I can buy a few more lenses and wait a year or two.
Amen to sufficiency. Alas, most of the western world does not comply with this idea anymore.
Indeed. Haha. There is an observable preference for delusional and ill-informed if not also calcified opinion.
Previous Olympus cameras have been stylish, so one new feature is the ugliness factor that tests the market for the upcoming EM-1 II. Let’s hope nobody buys this one so Olympus goes back to making stylish cameras.
Yeah it’s not pretty but certainly quite stylish to me (depending on what kind of style and this is no doubt a rangefinder)
I think it looks stylish too, without the “Frankenstein” grip at least!
Oly cams look good in hand never on paper. The ugliest frankenstein cam was the leaked E-M1 pics unbelievable someone would by such a puzzle until I bought one… 🙂
Exactly! It is wrong to criticise the look of a camera from a low resolution, poor quality image that this is, which is what happened with the E-M1 & I certainly ordered one but didn’t buy it at the time when it was ready for delivery/pick up, because a bushfire nearby had burnt a few hundred homes (185 totally destroyed), but I did buy six months later (& at a cheaper price too). Unfortunately it took at least double that time to rebuild those homes (for those that stayed). Another fire up the Mountains was also a possible threat if it had got into the Gross Valley sufficiently to the east & didn’t leave me feeling good at adding more possessions to what I already had that could be at risk.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-17/remembering-the-blue-mountains-bushfires-one-year-on/5819100
Correction to spelling; that should be Grose Valley.
This one looks pretty functional.
Functional means Stylish in my book
Some flock of birds told me that one of the new features isn’t going to be half decent video…
Stacked hi-res snaps from 4K-video?
I’ve heard that:
1/ the sensor will be vertically oriented.
2/ The high resolution mode process will take less than 1/60 so it will be possible to shoot high resolution pic without tripod
3/ There will be some feature on sensor that no other camera maker has it today.
4/ the max shutter speed witll be very high
5/ the flash synch will go up from 1/250
6/ the EVF will be the best on the market as for today
7/ autofocus improved 30 percent
8/ new accesories that will be shared with future EM1 mark 2
I find it hard to believe the sensor is vertical. The position of the AF assist lamp will render it useless in such a scenario. Additionally, the mountable grip would likely be vertical too. If the sensor were square though…
care to explain why the lamp would be useless?
Because when your left hand supports the lens in vertical orientation the lamp gets obscured.
My guess is that Olympus will use a new stacked Sony sensor. By using the same stacked technology as the a7R II and RX100IV the readout will be pushed a lot. This means you will get a silent “gobal shutter” and high FPS with 20MP. This will be one of the new features.
2/ is highly dubious. The rest we either read here before, is nothing revolutionary, or weak speculation.
Faster focus? Sure? As for the new features, some will by happy some will say gimmicks. It’s hard to satisfy everyone.
What’s new?
Face detection was considered cheesy when first introduced, but is actually very helpful for most.
B&W and Colors.
I see. Thanks.
Is B&W any different to the existing monotone?
Yes.
Maybe the bayer filter can be somehow “turned off” to provide native monochrome.
And it has Art filters on that front dial too! 🙂 A ‘NEW’ mode dial system?
A new CPU as well perhaps?
Ah O, I see you’re back to tease us a little more. 🙂
You’re sooo right about it not being easy satisfying everyone (especially some of the whingers here).
Thanks for hints anyhow. Cheers.
Maybe it has been noticed already, but it looks like the Pen F is the first prize in the Olympus global imaging contest and spectators lottery, there is a shaded out image in their website here http://gopc.olympus-imaging.com/
It is not much but judging by the dial on the front it is definitely the Pen F.
Petapixel pulled this quote from Mirrorless Rumors:
“They specifically developed the camera after the Fuji X-E/PRO success,” Mirrorless Rumors writes. “It’s their bet to ‘revive’ the somehow weak PEN sales. But I am yet not sure if Olympus is too late in the game now. It really depends on price and features of the new cameras.”
Just like I said in the previous post, it’s a blatant Rip-off of the X-E2, down to the Arca-Swiss optional grip.
The only people I see buying this camera are die-hard Olympus users. This camera is going to flop, question is, how hard. What reviewer is going to say this camera is great, aside from Robin Wong (who works for Olympus) and Steve Huff (who’ll say it’s the best camera ever, for a paid trip to Hawaii)?
No wonder I said it looks Dope. It looks just like my XE2… LOL!
The potential market for this consists of
* “Advanced” m4/3 users who seek a second, small camera
* DSLR users who seek a second, small system for general purpose
* Aging male fashionistas who seek a fashion accessory that can take still pictures.
I like second camera question. While dependent on first camera choice, you would assume a system camera and many lenses for that role. If true, would your second camera be another system camera and a few smaller lenses, or would you opt for a fixed lens camera like an LX100 or RX100? One more alternative might be to relegate your E-M10 to second fiddle and permanently mount the 20mm f1.7 to it when the E.M1.MkII surfaces.
1 & 3 in my case. Oh, and an expedition photographer who loves the idea of this as a second/third body. In passing, even by internet forum standards, the signal:noise ratio on this thread is astonishingly poor.
Olympus E-P1 announced June 2009
Fuji X E1 announced Sep 2009
Fuji are obsessed with reacting to Olympus innovation, not the reverse.
Whoops! X E1 – 2012
You can edit your posts.
Not if you post as a guest
I think the quotation can be disregarded because it is dismissive. Who inside Olympus would admit to following a Fuji pattern? Sounds like negative guesswork to me.
And the corrupt will lead the Blind….
The new Pen is honoring its own ancestor, w modern ingredients:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/44/189877831_e6268b803e.jpg
So, you bought an XE2 because it looks good to you, and are criticizing Olly and predicting a flop for “copying” a standard design? Good thing I know you’re a troll, otherwise I’d be a bit confused. This is a rectangular box with a lens mount, kind of like your “special” camera and a zillion others….
So, you’re saying that the X-E2 owes its heritage to Olympus?
I could swear that the person running 43rumors also started mirrorlessrumors. It has similar spelling errors.
Too bad your XE2 pics look like ass!
Sounds like it was written by a Fuji fanboy. Too bad your XE2 pics look like butt
To be honest I welcome an X-E2 copycat from Olympus: at least it will be a finished and well working camera, with no stupid features like the waxy skin at high ISOs and still hesitant AF. Not to mention many other issues, for example having to dig into the menu to activate/deactivate face detection, etc. I’m talking from experience, coming from Fuji X from X100, X-Pro1 and X-E2 and the switching to Olympus because fed up of all the quirks I had to work around of. And with Oly I found mature, finished and high performance cameras. I love Fuji X, but I bet the new Pen F will eat the X-E2 and X-E2s for breakfast performance-wise, and will have a lot less quirky problems still!
I stopped reading your comment when you said you switched to Olympus after dealing with Fuji’s interface. Sorry, I have zero tolerance for B.S…
Sounds like your opinion is straight up BS too because Olympus has featured the Super control panel in their cameras since forever, or have you not used an Olympus m4/3 camera in your life ? the only time in my life I ever needed to go into a menu in an Olympus camera was to switch the SCP on, that was on the PL1 a long time ago, now it comes switched on by default so all this tired BS about Olympus menu interface being hell has long been proved false, it’s as ridiculous as people still complaining about slow AF in their cameras because their first 2 generations of cameras were slow as a glacier. Just switch to the SCP and then you have everything at literally your fingertips, you can either use the touch screen or the dials to change pretty much any parameter in a blink. Menus ? what are those ?
…yet you’re so full of it.
Are you drunk? Or need a new glasses? They are very different and the Fuji is an ugly thing. And bigger.
If it’s a copy of Fuji (and not their own Olympus Pen F, after which it is named and styled…), did they also remove the IBIS, make the AF five times slower, and smear vaseline on the sensor?
Here you go!
http://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/take_test.php?idRegTest=3885
The fact that Olympus came to late to the game with an EVF equipped PEN doesn’t automatically make it a fuji knock off, Fuji wasn’t the first with a brick shaped camera with EVF either, as a matter of fact Fuji also doesn’t have a legacy film camera line like Olympus does with the classic PEN cameras to explicitly call back to design-wise.
If having an EVF is all that’s needed to be called a copy then the X-pro would be a copy of the NEX 7, and the GX cameras a copy of the XE-1 and so on…The EVF doesn’t make the whole retro RF styling by itself, and in that regard the E-P1 was first before any of those cameras, Olympus just was unimaginably imbecile for waiting so many years to give people what they wanted (after the G1 having an EVF everyone thought Olympus would respond with an EVF inside the E-P2 but we only got the VF-2, and then they refuse to answers consumers until just now, how many years has it been ?)
Of all the buyers of this camera -and I won’t do any prophecies- my feeling is that very few will have Fuji comparison in mind: they want it or they don’t, they can afford it or they don’t and that’s mostly it.
I like many here am already invested in m43 lenses. When I shop m43 gear, I don’t wonder if I switched to a new lens mount. I hardly take a glance at other’s displays, only because it’s all right there in my face. Yet, I don’t think I qualify as a diehard fan.
3 new features are:
20mp sensor
New evf
aaaaand something like that new focus.
Faster is not so needed butbetter tracking sure.
I still dont see the revolution in features that would make this worth so much.
Well that would be disappointing. :>
Why do they persist with that design of strap/body lugs!
Why does the left eyelet look so different from the right one? The left one looks bigger and stand apart from the body in a another angle than the right one.
And where is the shutter? Is it this little button between the two wheels?
if they’ve done the same as the E-PL7 the shutter button will probably be in the middle of the front wheel on the top plate? Or for something more radical, how about one in the middle of the front plate dial? 😀
Please?
–Handheld High Res? We know it’ll be coming, maybe not this time. But one can always hope..
–Global shutter? That’s a luxury item.
–Maybe either 3 or 5-axis IBIS + 4K? –that’d be a first for M43 and leapfrog Pany!
(how about all three? Will pre-order then!)
I agree. Not holding breath. I think “hand held” high res is a misnomer anyway. You ought to use a tripod for ultra-sharp resolutions, one shot OR shifted. While I would like the stacked BSI chip that could also provide global shutter. I don’t take pictures of moving fan blades. I’d want the chip for retention of low noise characteristic at say 24 megapixels. I think all 4K takes is a heat sink, firmware and a fast SD. Firmware seems the issue. We got lotsa heat sinks and fast SD cards.
4K would be really nice, and a feature thats clearly missing in Olympus’ lineup. Maybe they got some encoding and signal processing help from Sony, and they can do proper 4K from full-sensor-readout.
That computer generated pics look always pretty awful! Lets wait for a real picture, to talk about how it looks.
Anyone noticed that rangefinder like “hole” in the right upper corner? Doesn’t look like a AF light to me…
Any suggestions?
Yes, my suggestion is, due to it not being a computer generated image but just a poor quality, low resolution photo of the real thing (or of a computer generated image perhaps) is that it is exactly the same as other AF Assist LEDs, is round with a surrounding black ring, done just because they could (as part of the styling).
The two new features I’m awaiting for the e-m1 II to deliver are:
-global shutter
-better c-af
You shouldn’t hold your breath waiting. What stills camera right now has a global shutter?
There’s always a first one and Olympus is known for introducing new tech before other companies (lcd screen, IBIS, sensor cleaning, keystone, Hi-Res,etc)
At probably 4 times the cost of the current sensor, I wouldn’t bet on a global shutter-equipped sensor in an economically-priced stills body with meager video capabilities.
“There’s always a first one and Olympus is known for introducing new tech”
Not in sensors, as they do not have sensor development, always using sensors from others.
The global shutter rumor was also the first that I thought of. I think it would fit well to the price and look of the camera.
“The two new features I’m awaiting for the e-m1 II to deliver are:
-global shutter”
IMX269 does not have it. But electronic shutter could be about 17% faster (if the new CPU is up to the new sensor), so rolling shutter artifacts with it could be this much smaller.
“-better c-af”
Faster readout of IMX269 (about 30% faster readout of 1 line) combined with a new processor (which hopefully supports this faster readout speed) should provide faster AF in good light with lenses with powerful enough motors.
Whether or not it is going to be better in low light is to be seen, as the pixels are about 20% smaller, so unless Olympus uses some higher-level pixel aggregation in their new OSPDAF implementation, low-light AF is going to be slightly worse.
Guys check the updated gif on the contest winning price, already teasing the new pen.
received information today that the winners date will be push forward to january 27, the day of pen f release.
“We are writing to inform you that the announcement of winners for both the photo contest and the Viewers’ Raffle has been pulled forward from February 2016 to January 27, 2016. Please visit the contest website again on that date to see the winning photos.
However, you may want to visit the site before that, as a little bit more has been revealed about the Grand Prize…”
http://gopc.olympus-imaging.com/
As in this image http://gopc.olympus-imaging.com/common/images/mainImg04.jpg the fron dial seem to choose between color an art, the other 2 options are not visible
Nah it says Colon. The new feature is a colon scope function to inspect and calculate Mr.Allcaps’s butthurt. The other one is Fart not art, in order to simulate Mr.AllCaps whining about Olympus
RLMAO
Sending out one of these ?
Is that an Olympus supository? That is JUST what mr allcraps needs! Perfect!
Nice call!
How about – on the right “Art” and “Scene” (as in current models) and on the left “Color” and “Mono”…?
yeahh was thinking the same, but why change it to a front dial, and the letters next to art seem to be the same lenght, while the other next to color seem to be the same lenght as color word.
Well lets see if they update it or show more info in the meantime these are the gifs, so it shows some importance to this front dial, and the old “F” logo
!!!
Funny, but I always thought the big gothic ‘F’ was incredibly tacky.
It’s inclusion would be even worse that the ugly little shiny script ‘L’ on Panasonic cameras.
Thank the Gods for electrical tape!
Looks like HDR to the left of Color.
There are many other functions worthy of a dedicated dial than this sort of drivel.
Drive Mode? Focus Mode? Shutter Speed? ISO?
Something that might actually get regular use instead of the sort of gimmicky dross that’s used a few times, then quickly forgotten.
Nice work Pauilinho!
Looks like it. That front dial is pretty unique:
A frame from the gif: http://i.imgur.com/gx0oQxR.gif
iam still wondering the “F” it must mean something, maybe “fast”?
“PEN-F info by Simon: It will have three new features.”
Yes, & he said that back on the 29th Dec (2015). 🙂
So. What’s your point? (He knew about the camera then, and has not told us any more).
Can someone explain what are benefits from 4/3 “vertically oriented sensor”? Sounds strange to me.
And could new Pan L have square sensor?
The “vertically oriented sensor” could have 3/4 the noise? j/k
well we dont know if it will have a vertical sensor, back in the film day, the vertical not only would give a portait orientation from the get go, but would make your roll twice as long, since he used half the original frame, similar to a super 8, in digitall i see no purpose, unless there were two side by side 😛 shifting to give that handheld hi-res, but this is me just wondering
Well thank God that Simon hasn’t started a “Simon says hands on heads” routine, or i’ll drop my camera 😉 What a time to be alive! (though no Moon Pie)
The want is strong. I never thought I’d like little details such as the intergrated arca swiss plate so much, but I do.
3 New Features (my guess):
Besides the new/improved sensor, image processor, EVF, LCD, AF and recent E-M1/E-M5II firmware upgrades:
1) New Shutter Mechanism or other solution to address/eliminate shutter shock
2( Flash Sync speed faster than 1/250 (plus new flash(es))
3) 4K Video
One can only dream. (Yes, that’s my selfish feature wish list)
In terms of features I wish Oly would take the next step forwards and introduce full sensor tilt shift, the tech is already there, Key stone feature was nice but actual sensor T&S would be ground breaking, the whole rooster of m4/3 lenses would suddenly become T&S lenses, imagine that. IQ-wise I’m not expecting anything new, I was planning to hold onto my GX7 until organic sensors would arrive but I’ve come to terms with the fact that we’re not getting any revolutionary sensors anytime soon. I’m just happy Olympus finally got their head out of their rear and put an danm EVF into their PEN range, I’ve been waiting for this day since the E-P2 was released, better late than never I guess. The GX8 was such a letdown both in terms of size and layout that this really comes as a godsend for me, I lve my GX7 but I’ve always missed the Olympus interface (WHAT? no I’m not talking about menus, I’m talking about the SCP, touch screen and dial combo). Having said that, I will REALLY miss the Tilt-able EVF form the GX series, I hope they copy Pany but so far it doesn’t look like it can move. Hopefully it doesn’t stick that much on the back.
Interesting. With the IBIS, the sensor is already articulated, so it’s not unthinkable.
It would require oversized sensor, which is a cool feature anyways.
Would obviously work for tilting, but I am not sure about the shift effect at all. It’s the front part of the lens which shift agains’t the image circle. On the other hand, If you shift the sensor, the read-out drags on the sensor, but not the visual effect.
There is a whole host of features to be gained from sensor movement. High-res stitching is only the tip of the iceberg. Tilt is an excellent idea because it can compensate for perceived disadvantages m4/3 may have compared to larger and smaller formats as far as DOF is concerned. However, any progress in this direction would be reserved for the E-M1 replacement.
Well, this PEN is a test bench for the next EM1, so, of all the cameras to test those features, this is the one.
Sounds to me like we’re about to get the EM1 MKII internals. Now that makes sense. See how the crowd reacts and tweek it before you drop the EM1 successor with a few additional features. I bet the flash sync speed will be 500 and 4k. I hope it has phase and contrast AF. Shaping up to be really exciting!
3 new components (features?):
1) new (for Olympus) sensor (IMX269)
2) new EVF
3) New TruePic VIII
Well, maybe I am wrong and they don’t components features, then:
1) 4k
2) Handheld multishot high-res
3) New ART filter 🙂
PS. And BTW, Art position on the front dial?
They don’t component features. Their cameras always have a “new” sensor even if IQ is the same. Features can be gimmicks though and that art dial is worrisome.
Aside from that, it’s anyone’s guess what other features it has. I think 4k is more likely than hi-res hand held though.