Here are the first pictures of the upcoming new Olympus E-P3 with 12mm f/2.0 lens attached! As you see the E-P3 is very similar to the [shoplink 14830 ebay]Olympus E-P2[/shoplink]. The main difference is the new built-in flash. We have been told the 12mm lens has a focus ring you can pull in a different position to allow manual focusing. Once pulled the focus ring on manual position you will see the distance scale! Cool!!! And as you see the new 12mm f/2.0 lens has almost the length of the [shoplink 14794 ebay]Panasonic 45mm macro[/shoplink].
Those are the full E-P3 specs:
– It has the new Olympus “tweaked” 12 Megapixel Sensor
– Truepic VI engine (two processor in one)
– ISO 100 to 12.800
– 1080i 60frs AVCHD or JPEG video
– 35 point autofocus
– OLED touch Display (610k resolution). Sounds like it is almost the same screen used for the [shoplink 19904 ebay]Olympus XZ-1[/shoplink].
– pop up live guide
– dual dials
– fastest AF to date for any mirrorless cam (and I have been told that it is considerably faster that the [shoplink 16254 ebay]Panasonic GH2[/shoplink]!).
– updated art filters
– effects to combine with art filters (like starlight)
– 3D still images
– built-in Eye-Fi support for controlling the Eye-Fi cards ([shoplink 23437 ebay]Click here to see the cards on eBay[/shoplink])
– Interchangeable grip. I have been told there are two different grips you can buy (and more will come after).
– Design changes: The top dial is now placed instead of the ON/OFF button of the E-P2. To make room for the built-in flash. There is a video recording button over the AEL button.
224 Responses
OMG!! it looks awesome
OMG!! Where were you 2 years ago? This is the EP-1 with minor cosmetics.
+1
Damn. I was hoping for a more drastic styling change.
Part of me was hoping for a new style but part of me likes it. Its like an E-PL2 merged with the E-P2 and with all the rumored improvements I think it could be a winner. There havent been too many complaints about the look of the E-P1/2 line just about the performance and IQ etc. If thats fixed then thats great.
Hopefully the E-PM1 and E-PL3 will be styled differently.
Difficult to tell from this, but it looks like the metallic finish has gone..? Bit of a shame if so, as I loved that look. Stereo mic on the top! Exposure dial too. Looks cramped to hold at the back though. I wonder if the settings will remain the same or the scroll wheel is easily knocked..?
That lens is looking pretty sweet though!
Olympus certainly has no interest wasting money on industrial design. I bet the guy who designed the original PEN is chained in a small dark room, slaving away, having seen nothing made since 1967. 😉
+1 for you, Mr. I really laughed about your comment. That design sure ain’t new or modern in any way…
fantastic attempt , it looks sexy as hell
but olympus can eat shit until they put a built in electronic viewfinder on their god damn cameras.
That’s the truth!
+1
Either you have vision like one of the X-Men Thom or you’ve seen this combo in the metal. Plastic. Whatever.
‘Fess up now…
OMG! Look at the ring closest to the body?! Looks like aperture settings..
If that is an aperture ring, and if that aperture ring can somehow be used to control aperture settings on my Nikon G lenses then I might not be able to resist.
That could be a depth of field scale.
It’s neither. It’s just writing on the lens. The DOF/focus scale is on the frontmost ring.
About lenses – is that an Oly lens or an adapted lens?
It seems to have an aperature ring toward the front with 22, 11, 5.6 etc or it could be focus distance scale.
I hope its an Oly lens like the 12/2 or 45/1.8. Any thoughts?
They look like DOF markings, numbers run from both sides like:
22 11 5.6 | 5.6 11 22
It could just be an adapted legacy lens. Look at the top view – I wonder if thats an adapter and then an old lens. I hope not!! Anyone out there recognise that lens?
However the lens seems silver/metal finish and it matches the ring at the lens mount so I doubt it would be an adapted lens – i havent seen many silver adapters.
Oops. Just read admin’s post that it is the 12mm f2. Sorry.
“DOF markings” +1. From the first photo, I see that you are correct. The mirrored 11’s on both sides are clearly visible. Good catch!
Yes, the front ring has DOF/focus markings on it. But now someone needs to tell me how they were calculated ;~)
http://www.fineart-photography.com/dofScale.html
Had the same question. This site cleared the mark.
I think you didn’t get him. He obviously knows what a DOF scale is and how to use it. He is asking a very technical question -one that only he and a few others care about though- about the method Olympus may have used to calculate the scale: circle of confusion, hyperfocals, Zeiss formula (c = d / 1730), etc.
The problem is that you maybe didn’t know he’s an ‘expert’ and he sometimes talks as if everyone else was ‘expert’ too. He’s here because he miss the traffic from DPReview but his comments are always welcome.
Sorry about my post, didn’t think about that. and no offence Thom
I don’t miss “traffic from dpreview.” If you think I post on forums to get site traffic, you are wrong. No place I’ve posted on has ever generated more than a single digit percentage of bythom site traffic. Moreover, I’m not overly interested in site traffic quantity.
As to why I’m not on dpreview but am here, it has to do with the administrators of the sites ;~). One actually talks to me, the other removes posts at whim without notice.
I think they’ve contracted out their moderating tasks to outsiders. And there’s virtually no moderating at all on weekends and holidays now. Any organization that evolves and grows like DPR has is probably going to see the ‘level of service’ change in this way IMO.
are you sure its the 12/2 ?
It has an aparture ring? Well if it is, im more then excited! 😀
if it is i hope it has “func” ability like the one on samsung lenss
really?? have you tried the i-func on samsung? one word… “awful”
no i havent, but i dont see how an extra function can be awfull.
btw if what you say is true then it is also logical to say that a manual-aperture ring is as awfull as an i-function
it’s not that logical cuz there are lots of differences between weird ifn button and the sexiest manual aparture ring.
no, a manual aperture ring is different than i-func. A better logical comparison would be i-func is like touch screen. Please try it in a shop, you’ll see what I’m talking about. Or even go look at the samsung demo.
http://www.samsungimaging.com/campaign/nx100_show/#i-fn
Cycling through the i-func drove me nuts…
yap, I can NOT agree if someone says ‘the ifn button is really comfortable and convenient in use’.
I think it will be cool when I adjust something in touch panel or any kind of setting buttons.
And there you have my next camera and my next lens.
I don’t understand why they put a flash in it a left the tilt LCD for the EPL3, for me it makes more sense the other way around (of course, they could have put both!). I never use those tiny flashes that only give me harsh cold artificial results (I prefer a big bounce flash or none at all) and I’d have some use for the tilt LCD, but hey, nothing is perfect. Maybe for the EP5 we can have all.
Flash is there to trigger other flash, and for fill. Anything is better than the awful fl14 that I constantly have to mess with on my ep2. That thing is no better than a pop up, and maybe worse.
And it doesn’t bounce which is why that flash ‘doesn’t exit’ for me 🙂
Oh and you are right about the remote flash control. That would be useful for some people no doubt. I will stick to my FL36 until something better though.
I consider it good for when you just need a little extra light and don’t want to carry around a big flash on top. For pro use I will use my fl50, but this will be a good enough option for just carting around town and taking casual pics. If you up the iso and reduce the intensity then it can be used to a nice subtle effect.
I think the epl1 flash did bounce if you held it a certain way. Maybe this one will too.
I still want an ep3 with an eve and a pop up flash like my e5. Of course then it would be quite a bit larger.
well i think i got it!
When you pull the “manual focus ring” out, there will be a distance scale visible!
WOW!!! I’m getting more excited everyday. Looks like I’ll be broke in the coming months… Thanks a lot Admin!
And once again here:
I dont like the gip. It seems like its “coming out of the body”, no more such a clean design like the E-P1/2 had! 🙁
And my reply here Thomas !
When I first heard that there were changeable grips I was concerned it might look odd – as you say it does sit out from the body a bit. But i will reserve my judgement when I see clearer pics. This might be case of where the looks of a camera have to be compromised a little in order to offer the option of a replaceable bigger grip which would be welcomed by alot of users of bigger lenses. I dont mind that.
+1
+1
Attack of the fashionistas!
I care how it performs or how feels in my hand no how it looks in a mirror.
well, no fashionista, but it really is important to me, yes.
I love the simple, clean design of the E-P1.
I think it’s silly to say design doesn’t matter on cameras. Do you care what your car looks like? Why? Aerodynamics aside, styling doesn’t make a car perform any better. Cameras, phones, or any other gadget is no different.
Aside from high iso performance the main thing I dislike about my G1 is the way it looks. If it looked like an LC1 chances I are wouldn’t be too concerned with upgrading, but as it is I feel nothing when I look at it. A camera is a tool to create art and record memories and I prefer mine to be styled in a manor that makes me feel connected to it. Silly? Perhaps, but it is what it is.
maybe the body looks clean when you use no grip.
Finally, a built in flash 🙂
Now that they have raised the top of the camera plate to package in a flash
– tell me that they couldnt just delete the flash, design the body a bit bigger (wider and taller) and the LCD a bit smaller; and then they could SURELY fit in an EVF in that top corner. Plenty of room.
Come on Olympus you know you want to !!!!!!!!!
Call it the E-RC35
Probably keeping that “feature” for the Pro.
So they kept the ridiculously tiny control wheel on the rear panel… I definitely suspect they don’t read reviews as quite everybody on earth have been seen bashing it. Hopefully it has the other wheel on the top right corner, which is rather handy — plus the probable touch-screen or so called.
Other than that, it looks much like the pl2, but as I like its design it’s okay. The 12mm looks okay and the push-pull thing to get manual focus is interesting. I think that means that the lens can make the body switch to manual focusing mode, which is nice. I wish an aperture ring would take the same path though.
Last, the tiny flash makes me sad as I’m sure a built-in EVF could have been sitting there.
Can’t wait for the reviews, now — but I’m much likely to wait for the Pro-Pen — and by the time it’ll arrive, I’ll have saved enough pennies to get one comfortably I guess 😉
Admin, Do you know if the viewfinder will be included with the kit? I hope they bundle it or at least keep the basic kit price down to a reasonable amount. ANy intel?
I loved the EPL2 in black that I held. I’m assuming this will come in real black (not the EP2 chocolate black), so that’s what I’m shooting for, unless they have a stainless one like the EP1, which I liked.
I really liked the dial on the left of the EP1, under a cowling, but I understand why they moved it (for the flash) and that should be OK. I was really hoping for a “C” mode, so you could program a street shooter mode, and flick to it on the dial 🙁
Looks like they might have a programmable button on the top in the back now?? (next to the word “OK”) and it looks like there is a committed MF assist button ala EPL series. That’s good news.
Above all, though, if the AF is truly improved, and if the sensor is at least a little better, then that’s my next camera. I was assuming I’d sell my EP1 for it, but think I’ll have to keep both.
I do want to see the mini camera, though. Maybe I end up with two bodies. The mini with a 17mm lens would be killer compact.
I don’t think I need a 12mm prime, but that lens looks to die for. I hope Oly starts doing a whole series of primes like that!
I like the black E-PL2 or the stainless E-P1. I would be happy if the E-P3 came in those options. If that is the 12mm f2 lens then I hope it comes in black as well as a stainless chrome finish. If I get a black E-P3 body then I would like to keep all my lenses black. Small thing I know!!
I think black lenses suit all body colors, whereas silver/chrome lenses only suit silver and maybe white bodies.
I’ve seen both black and white variations so far. They both have chrome bands on them (hard to tell in this shot, but look between the top plate and main body).
Mmm… Chrome band… just like the EP1 and EP2?
In the teaser, it looks like there’s a chrome band on the bottom as well.
Methinks that Mr. Hogan knows more than he’s letting on. Has Olympus finally figured out who lives just down the road from Olympus USA?
Thats what i was thinking too. Maybe they should be giving Thom some cameras to evaluate and he could starting doing some Olympus stuff on his site as well as Nikon.
No, they haven’t.
Boxie boxie what is sleeping inside of you? 🙂
What do you think, how big is possible improvement in DR for tweaked sensor – 0,5 stop better? Even more? We’ll know it soon (finally).
Seriously looks like a offspring of ep 2 and epl2.
Not as ‘sexy’ as expected. Looks taller and less wide than epx series.
Have interest in the grip and whether it implies the 43 lens are useable now.
And for the new OLY lens what will this mean to panasonic compatibility??
Picture lie, the is very like E-P1/2, only height there flash is.
Thank you Yoda…
Inge-M its great to have you posting on this site. Even though English is not your first language and the translator does produce some funny lines – thats ok. Dont worry about it.
Inge-M is cool!
🙂
It would also be nice if they offered a battery grip with this model. We can always wish, I guess. :/
Looks good to me. Glad to see they made the hotshoe a bit more flush with the body. I always thought the hotshot on the E-P1/2 stuck up way too high.
As far as the12mm; it simply looks perfect. Nice work Olympus!
I like 12mm F2 very well, very nice.
Looks more like an E-PL2.
The grip is detachable via screw on the side.
Curious to see what the other grips look like.
Probably expensive like hell like the little plastic screw on grip for the OM-4/3. Oh well, some aftermarket maker might jump on that.
But still no simple PCsocket. I don’t like triggering strobe via the built in flash. Under 1/250 the flash shows up in close-up situation and ruines the shot.
We need the PCsocket when using the EVF at the same time.
That is my only problem at this point is the lack of ability for me to fire pocket wizards and see the nice eve that I have. It renders it useless at this point. That’s a huge design issue at this point because using and evf helps steady a shot, compose in bright sunlight, etc. I have to be able to remotely and wirelessly trigger strobes for this to be useful in any situation other than casual.
Maybe that’s what Olympus wants though. That way I have to maintain two systems.
Use a hot shot to PC socket adaptor. I use Elinchrom’s Skyport or whatever it’s called in the hot shoe.
edit: oh, you use an EVF – I guess you’re SOL 🙁
WHITE! I was just dreaming that. However IF the lens is the 12/2 how much are they going to charge for the kit? 1200 bucks?
Dream camera: lot of buttons, OLED (with focus and shoot?).
Keep in mind that with OLED, need for EVF is really less.
But I agree that if they had replaced the flash with EVF, it would have been the perfect camera at – what – 1500 $$$?
Oly is really getting the new design, Panny be damned this time.
If the new sensor and Truepic deliver quick AF and best IQ, we have a serious camera and a serious lens under a fancy dress.
How smart!
if that price better get X100
I cannot consider a live view only camera without at least tilting (but better tilting and swiveling) LCD a really serious one.
Too bad for you.
3,5″ AMOLED?
Screen is the 3.5″, look very big out for my.
3 inch!
I cheer for Olympus, they are doing so many things right at the moment.
But I worry about the sensor performance — does Olympus have the kind of expertise to cook up a competitive sensor (so suddenly)? Even mighty Samsung is lagging behind in this respect. Well we’ll see.
Its a question of hiring the right people. And keep in mind that they’ve probably been working on this since the “12MP is enough” ideology became company writ.
just WOW! I really love it allready. even the lens looks like an stainless steal awesomeness. Finally my hipster fashionister friends can join the world of digital photography 😉
but I really hope this pictures weren’t taken by another E-P3
– unreliable Focus
– very unsharp corners
– poor low-ISO performance
– and the colors are a tiny bit under-saturated
😉
I is safe, a CANIKON camera i think 😀
Yeah, why the can’t anyone take decent spy photos in 2011? These photos are junk. Even the worst cell phones take color photos! I think these are made crappy on purpose.
You think those pix aren’t a “leak” directly from Olympus?
Perhaps the photos were taken with a current EP-whatever’s slow auto-focus and IBIS not properly adjusted. 😉
I think that someone at a marketing office with an Android took these shots when no one was looking and he/she was so nervous that their hand was shaking.
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Picture is shot in a glass mortar, easy i think. 😉
it’s been taken using the new blurry/shaky art filter :p
😀
The photos look like they might have been taken on the floor hiding under a desk (from a very shaky phone by a very nervous operator). 😉 😀
Looks good! Will look GREAT in black. Like my E-PL2. That 12/2 looks like the real deal. Will they make them in colors to match the camera?
Personally I hope they stick with the shiny 50’s look for the HG lenses. It really appeals to the hipster in me.
Another ugly design from Olympus. Looks like they just took the ep2 and grafted on extra stuff. Plus I’m assuming like the ep2, it’s another plastic camera.
Nothing Plasticky about the EP1/2. Build is more solid than most DSLRs…
+1
Ep2 is really solid.
Except for the tacky, superfluous “decorative” chrome strip on the back. Yuck.
Actually the E-Ps while not being solid metal, have great build quality when compared to entry level DSLRs from the big two, which feel like your holding one of those hollow plastic animals you could make at the zoo some years back for $1.
looks pretty good to me!
Hmmmm, looks like an E-PL2 obviously. Slightly boring but it works.
I wonder why you would need an interchangeable grip? I wonder if all the pissed off 4/3 guys are about to get a pleasant surprise? Maybe it’s just changeable for people with big hands…but…who knows?
I think I’ll make my own grip out of sugru.
Rob, I have a feeling you’re asking the right questions. Why on earth would Olympus optimize a sensor for AF performance? Never heard of it before (except for those Fuji compacts).
It was a major criticism of the system. If they really have got it down to .1 then there’s no way for the competition to dramatically improve on it.
The cameras were already impressive to people moving up from p&s. Now they’ve removed a major hurdle to people coming down from DSLRs.
As for the grip, let’s not build everyone’s hopes up eh? We’ll get lynched.
Hopes? What hopes? It’s Olympus after all. They always manage to spoil everything at the last moment 😉
No no, the time go good safe……maybe 😀
very nice!
but ehh.. why make pictures of that bad quality?
At the first unsharp view it doesn’t look as noble as the E-P1. I hope they keep the metal finish. The top looked better in the older models, but thats ok, now we have a flash which can function (hopefully) as master.
I optically don’t like that the frame of the grip protrudes from the body, but as it surfes the interchangable grip feature it is also welcome.
I really hope that the grip accessories will have modest prices, not like all other mFT gimmicks.
I want in in silver. Than it will look similar to the E-P1 and I avoid questions from my friends alá “again a new camera”. Also my lethercase should fit 🙂
edit: and yeah, there is the focus assist light 🙂
ooh! then they wouldn’t seem like SPY photos! (official Olympus ‘leaked’ spy shots).
Where is the AEL AFL button ?
I liked the original mockup more. Kit will probably be featured on lifestyles of the rich and famous while I cry myself to sleep.
The markings on the back ring look to me like nothing more than nomenclature (serial # etc.) and since it appears that what you all are interpreting as the “DOF scale” is on the opposite side of the knurled ring from what appears to be the “footage scale,” I don’t know how it can be anything other that a very imprecise guide.
I think the whole thing is just a deliberately leaked tease aimed to get people salivating — there’s a REASON the photos are blurred precisely enough to suggest but not reveal the details. It looks as if the strategy is working…
+1
I think it’s a leak too. If you left me with the camera for 30 secs with just my iPhone and a bag on my head I would get better pics than THAT.
And video.
🙂
Rob, Inquiring minds need to know… Are you really Superman?
I’ll answer that when I get out of this phone booth…
Why wouldn’t they give it a control ring like the XZ-1? It’s a great system.
+1
Yeah, the XZ1 control ring is a nice feature. It feels like something from a real camera. 😉
I wonder what it would be like to use with some lens adaptors (Nikon, Pentax) that are kind of long.
Because it will be overlapped by lens. Even with Panny 20mm attached there is no space to squeeze control ring.
Probably because it has a fixed lens & this is interchangable 😉 & would add too much space for the lens mount. Look how flush the mounts are on the other PENs. Maybe a similar idea could have been implemented but with this design (of the E-P3), one handed operation is mostly possible (with prime AF lenses).
There seems to be a function button, can you set up AEL-AFL on that? A camera without this is useless… 🙁
Guaranteed you can set it up that way.
But the XZ-1 doesn’t have one and if you look at the pics the guy at SeriousCompacts took in his review, you’ll see it’s a LONG way off useless.
Agreed. Everybody got their panties in a knot about the missing AEL button on the XZ-1 only to realize it’s a spectacular compact. While the reviewers mention it, the fact that the focus is great, and that the exposure is great, and that the photos are fantastic kinda overshadowed the “no AEL button” whines.
More than likely you can assign that feature on the pens to a fn button. There sure are alot of buttons on this thing for having touch screen too!
Yes there are plenty of buttons & hopefully the touch screen can be custom tailored too.
Almost forgot about the damn touchscreen. At least no button at all is missing so it Can’t be a ‘bad’ thing, but i do wonder if the touch is gonna be useful at all, in actual use. Probably will, when getting used to.
Oly must be working on a new accesoire to take the place of that grip.
I forsee a remote buddy that attaches to the side instead of the grip.
I can see the adds with girls at party…. My style, your style… Pen style.
Blech… Or 10 colour pack to coordinate with your outfit. Wouldn’t surprise me if they did, after they did that bluetooth thingy.
By having the grip removable, it opens up a lot of possibilities in that area. I hope they plan for a battery grip as well (even if it isn’t supplied just yet). I don’t know where the battery is loaded in this model, but if it is similar to the E620, then the grip could be done similarly. Again, I guess this is just wishful thinking & the grip will only be available for a Pro PEN model.
can’t wait to see what this sensor is going to produce. i’m very happy that they decided to stick with 12MPs, as the sensor is already disadvantaged against larger-sensored products, and for the vast majority of people, 12MP is overkill for small prints and web publishing (the largest chunk of the output pie).
please come in silver! please oh please oh please!
Wow.. thanks admin :). I think I cant say if I like this camera right away from the pictures or not.. but i’m really excited over the feature improvements. Just some concerns over the layout of the controls.. very right hand heavy. . and never thought a tiny flash was compulsory on the E-P3.. and white?.. I think i’ll go back to my E-P1 and give it some TLC.
looks great, about what i was expecting,
admin, any hints for a full black e-p3? looks slightly ‘glossy piano’ finish, very nice, in black it coulde be a winner..
i suppose the e-pl3 will be styled a little more radically different
but i want the e-p3.. please full black at launch
Maybe it needs to be white to help with the sensor cooling to maintain exceptably low noise in the sensor. 😉
Biggest question I have now is the price of all of this. Almost like a new system being released.
Will the touch screen allow pinch to zoom on review? Swipe to go to next picture, etc?
Apple just had their multitouch patent upheld. So probably not
Admin,
Have you received any input on autofocus improvements using these cams and existing Olympus and Panasonic m43 lenses? Is there any improvement at all?
Admin, please confirm AF assist is included, not listed in the specs but understand it’s there (appears so from the photo).
Any news on the VF-3? Very curious about size, resolution and price. Also, as another commenter mentioned, heard anything on whether it will be offered bundled in a kit?
The lens looks like it materialized off a dream. I’m speechless.
😀 😀 😉
indeed 🙂 and if it’s great performer “like” they say it is I see much more people kewling soon 😛
What a beauty.
Now, a pretty camera and lens is one thing, but let’s not all forget that a camera is a tool, not a fashion statement.
I don’t even care if it’s just a teeny bit better than the E-P2, that already is a fantastic camera.
Someone wrote something about bad build quality on the cheaper Nikon and Canon dslr modells.. I agree, but I dont really care about the build quality, its image-quality I want. And I know in my guts that there wont be any significant improvement on image quality with this new “tweaked” 12mp sensor..
Wow, the glass is definitely half empty. I would wait and see whats going on before jumping off the bridge.
Build quality matters if you want to keep using a device for more than a couple of years. Especially if you have teenagers and mischievous cats around ;-).
What people call “build quality” is actually PERCEIVED build quality – and it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with actual build quality, reliability, or the camera’s ability to withstand abuse. My E-PL1 survived a motorcycle crash with less damage than my bike or my wrist, and also see here: http://asia.cnet.com/crave/canon-eos-350d-survived-1km-drop-62109605.htm
Say more, by plastic so build material, so build quality. 😉
What? If you mean plastic = bad, I’d like to remind you that they make good guns and airplanes and orbital rockets out of that stuff, and those take much more of a beating in a normal day than any camera does during it’s entire lifetime.
Precisely, and fly by wind.
Yes that’s a long fall…
“But if you look closer, you’ll realize that the dSLR is covered in what seems like peat or bog which probably softened the fall of the camera. The Sony, however, looks clean and could have hit a hard surface”.
Yes, the lens, if the 12/2, is a witness to the seriousness of intent. With a matching resolution if might leave Leica and other brands speechless.
Great times.
If the high end camera matches this lens in design it would be the last camera I will ever buy.
Ha, ha, don’t kid yourself…
🙂
A focus ring with a physical clutch mechanism?
If this is true it would mean this lens does not focus by wire. I wonder if this sets the path for the next HG lenses.
Well, Olympus says it’s the first of a series.
Maybe you can shift gear to, (hight or low) fast or slow also. 😉
Funny! 😀 😀
A sigma 105 macro uses that design, but don’t forget that the ZD12-60 lens uses mechanically linked focus adjustment on it. To have the ability to change to MF on the lens would be very welcome after the focus by wire lenses with changes done from the body only (the exception being the ZD70-300 4/3s lens which is probably because Sigma was involved in that lens).
Oh, that lens is gorgeus! Reminds me of OM Zuikos but this is more glam 😀
It really reminds me of older lenses, before everything was painted black (queue Rolling Stones). I think that Olympus has been thinking along the same lines as Fuji, only they are mining a deeper past.
Yes if the come in black.
+1
I’d like a black version as well. Paint it black 🙂 !.
FINALLY ……this MFT-thing is starting to get interesting!!!!!!!
So much for “huge” fast wide lens. Where are now all those who were telling that it’s going to balance poorly with m4/3 bodies? Hopefully, P&O will make even faster wides.
BTW, touchscreen on a retro body – funny. I don’t like the shape with this grip. Hopefully, it’ll be prettier with other ones.
P.S. notice the AF assist lamp – finally!
Miroslav@ Lens is ca. 45mm long.
Yeah, but it looks very good on cca 40mm deep E-P3. It would look good on GF3 and GH2 as well. Some people expected Canon 24mm F1.4 size, but could not realize this is the lens for four times smaller sensor.
Don’t get me wrong, if it is as good as admin’s sources say, I’m going to buy it surely (unless Panasonic makes faster wide). And it’ll be one of the lenses that makes this system so good.
Really, this is just an E-PL2 clone with more buttons, and i dont like the hump just for almost useless flash. c’mon, better give that small hotshoe flash than this, although its a nice camera besides this white color. One thing i dont get is how come same company produced this sleek design and get off their way with a lot of things that folowed later exept original PEN F and OM series http://www.flickr.com/photos/draganche/5540082350/in/photostream
I think all other stuff is really good featurewise its probably best PEN camera. I hope its metal body and no more than 700e kit. If its more, if i feel a need ill replace this with canon 600d. Dont look at me, ill be back if they offer more rigid body.
I don’t think you have ever used RC flash control from one of the DSLR bodies & realise just how useful it is. Since the E520 & E420, all DSLRs have had it & it makes multiflash set ups much easier with a very effective way of controlling all the flashes by adjusting the levels on the camera body. If it didn’t have this feature, then it would be another function that would keep me using my DSLR or I could get the E-PL2 if I needed a small body (since they will be clearing out at a cheaper price).
Price?
Looks we’ll have fun in a couple of days!!! 🙂
I suddenly notice, the layout of e-p3 is actually very similar to gf1.
the lens looks like it has a built-in hood
At first I thought the same, but it seems it is a screw-in hood.
The lens diameter looks small. Quite a bit smaller than the Panasonic 20/1.7, for instance (I have it on an E-P1 in front of me). I wonder if the new focusing mechanism is more compact than the old one.
Andreas, is the Olympus 45/1.8 a definite for late June announcement or is the timing still unconfirmed ?
OK…
Tell me one thing, how come, that the pictures are so blurred and of low quality. If someone is given this camera for testing or just has a chance to see it for a short while, why the hell aren’t they able to make a normal quality picture???
I ain’t going to mention the N_X word, but anyway…
1. No tilt or swiwel -able LCD.
2. Still no EVF.
3. LO-RES LCD, but with touch operation that nobody wanted.
4. Did you notice, how many stupid buttons are on the top side of the body, JUST AROUND THE SHUTTER BUTTON, so you can accidentally push also something else than the shutter?>
5. Stupid in-body flash, that is of no use for serious shooting, when the body has a normal flash hot-shoe, and that makes the body bigger and the buttons crowded on the other side.
Geee, I sound like a troll again :>
Now you can only hope, the sensor will be SIGNIFICANTLY better…
… so it hopefully manages to reach the performance of the 1.5year old, 300 euro N_X :> At least for a few months… Until the A77 and the N_X7 come
:>>>>>
Andreas, please do something about this guy.
Uuuu. Now you want censorship.
You’re really great, guys. I am an Olympus owner/user too. And I have the same right as you, hopelesly positive and uncritical fanboys, to my opinion.
And btw. there were a lot of people in this thread before me that criticized the “tweaked” sensor, the absence of a movable LCD or the pop-up flash. Nobody gave a s**t about them. But when I write my remarks, anybody opens their mouth and call me an idiot or a hater.
I think this camera body looks stupid and very NON-PROGRESSIVE for a third generation of the new PEN. EP1 had great style. EPL1 was plastic crap. EPL2 was repaired plastic crap, and this “piece of art” is like someone said, only the product of EP1 and EPL2 mating together.
However, nothing interesting. Just a lot to repair by an EP4.
It will surely be expensive as hell with picture quality leaving a lot to wish for. But its your choice if you burn money for something without signifficant progress.
@Pablo<- I thought that Oly fanboys must be tolerant(they must be if use Pens), but they are just undemanding.
Milos you said it really nice.
Undemanding is the word :>>
Mr. Reeee’s “teder” fits too :>
They really get satisfied with yesterday’s design and performance so easy…
Sun is up, watta beautifull day.
Pablo, while I agree with some of your opinions, just try to be a little less caustic. It’s not constructive and actually counterproductive.
You can see from the reactions you get that some of the Oly fanbois are bit, shall we say, “tender”.
@Milos good one 🙂
Anyone confused by multiple “stupid” buttons on top might be stupid themselves.
Even my grandma can push the shutter button when I hand her the cam and say “push THIS button.”
Nobody wanted touchscreen or flash? Wrong again.
Built-in flash of no “serious” use? Maybe only stupid people (and/or NEX users) haven’t heard of wireless trigger.
Maybe NEX owners have button envy, or lens envy, or AF speed envy. Who knows.
You’re right, it’s my money, to spend as I please, so STFU.
Not sure if it’s possible on WordPress, but maybe a downvoting/hiding system like they use on Youtube? That would solve the problem and avoid censorship.
They probably shot the pix with a Sony.
🙂
I think they use sony nex to capture the pic lol
Please do tell how leaked (see: unofficial) shots of a new product would have any relevance to the product itself??
No one claimed the photo taken was created with the leaked item itself.
Pablo, your concerns as to 1 and 5 seem mostly met by the rumored E-PL3…..but like they say here in the States “haters gonna hate”. lol.
Maybe i can, the camera is in a “GLASS MONTAR” and picture is shot by phonecamera. 😉
@Pablo: I love this guy. I’m also torn between Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, and…never mind Canon and Nikon. I’m still waiting for A77 and NEX 7.
yes :> nevermind Canikon :>>
Yeah, I think the flash would be better suited to the E-PL3 and the swivel screen to the E-P3. Probably some miscommunication between the marketing and engineering departments, considering how similar the names are lol
I’ve given up on having an EVF in the smaller Olympus bodies. If they do design one with an EVF, it will probably have a hump like the Panny G/GH series.
I think touch has its uses, as long as it is integrated well and designed with ease of use in mind.
And I agree with the location of those buttons around the shutter button…they could have depressed the buttons into the body of the camera, although that gap between the two smaller buttons may just be enough to press the shutter without accidentally activating the other two. Won’t know until you try it in-store.
Still, I think I can live with the EP-3 in its current state. I wonder how Olympus makes decisions regarding features. They should be asking those who actually care rather than people off the street who only use their cameras casually.
My biggest criticism of the E-P1/2 is the lack of an internal flash. I sometimes miss the option to use a remote flash.
Did you buy your camera before the E-PL1 came out?
I find built-in flashes of limited use
Pablo…
This is a controlled leak. They don’t want us to see the whole thing yet. It’s blurry where it needs to be blurry. All of the things you mention would be nice but then you are talking a substantially bigger body.
I don’t think you are a troll at all. You are demanding of your eqwuipment like I am as a pro photographer. The problem with this whole concept, while being the future, it isn’t as good as what we currently have with DSLR’s. They are still catching up.
What you really want is a good DSLR like the E5 with a new sensor. That has everything you are mentioning plus weathersealing.
I look at these cameras as walkabouts. I hope eventually they can fill every need we have, but they are not there yet.
This word “tweaked” still bothers me. I’ve never seen “tweaked” and “sensor” together lead to anything good.
Stunning…. Just simply stunning…. I can see that the 22mm will be on my shopping list… Will have to wait to see what the EPl-3 is like tooo…
It is very exciting to see the system go pro spec…. What a beautiful lens…
I hope that 22mm is a typo, otherwise you need to seriously rethink that 2×12 calculation.
(beautiful lens tho, yes very much, and very surprising in the digital age) 🙂
That 12mm f2 m.Zuiko Digital looks like a lens designed for rangefinder camera (Zeiss, Leica) – very compact, high-end quality and it has AF motor inside. Now, let’s hope the new PEN sensor is state-of-the-art technology as the glass. Looking forward to rumored 45mm f1.8 even more. Cheers 43rumors ;).
More ? Why ? Because of the ‘angle’ ? It’ll be standard built quality for $300 tho =). I’m more of a wide-angle person, and even more so with good and pretty built quality. At least more often than ‘portraits’. Shooting portraits all day/week/month gets boring really soon. The 45/1.8 doesn’t really get me excited with all the ‘legacy’ 50/1.4 lenses around already. Try finding a 12/2 (24equivelent) for a APS-C or even full-frame SLR… yea, there isn’t one.
What is that hole to the left of the “Olympus” lettering in the front of the camera for?
IR port or AF light assist?
AF assist light
That can is IR-port or AF light, but also for use RM-1.
Either stop using google as a translator or stop writing nonsense.
Cut Inge-M. some slack. I never know exactly what he/she is saying, but it’s always funny to me.
I like the classic look, although camera “style” low on my priority list.
I have a feeling it might be an IR remote sensor too as it looks dark enough to be that, with the flash being used as focus assist.
You mean at use RM-1 by “IR-port”?
Looks sexy, but white E-P3 is meh…
For some reason white (pearl glossy type) are very popular in Asia.
It will probably come in black and silver, so I’d get that one rather than the glossy white one.
It’s a 3.5″ screen too.
Just compare it to a 3″ one in E-P2.
Size difference is evident.
http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/imageBank/g/GF1vsEP2-EP2rear.jpg
Admin says 3″
Use your eyes.
It’s not only wider, but it’s taller as well.
Unless E-P3 is significantly smaller than the E-P1/2 (thus 3″ LCD appearing bigger than it actually is), this is a larger LCD.
Yes, I’ve used my eyes & also compaired it to a screen on an E520 which is stuck on the external face of the camera casing & this has been done the same too whereas the E-P2 it’s mounted from the inside of the camera casing. The outer part of the dark screen is just the mounting border & I can just make out the darker edge on this E-P3 too. Sorry, but I’m sure 3″ will be adequate. 😉
Probably just like the GF1, the entire “glass surface” is not the actuall LCD screen.
Wanna bet?
I can’t wait to see some sample images taken from this camera.
I only liked Maitani’s craftsmanship, not his company, now I know that, thanks to 43rumors.com.
Sayonara olympus, I’ll miss your blues and greens.
Sayonara yusuke. 🙁 :/
Wow, it’s looking really sweet! I’m going to be tempted to buy this thing; hopefully it’s not too expensive!
I like how it looks because I like the E-P1/2. I find that most companies change styling for the sake of change and eventually work their way into something stupid. A soap bar form factor has somewhat limited options. I have the VF-2 so the built in viewfinder is a not issue. To be honest, I only use the VF2 with vintage MF lenses.
ADMIN, I now have trouble with the length of the page. Must OK too many times the ‘long script’ warning.
Just a last question, important for legacy 4/3 owners.
Is the Predictive part of the AF, just an algorithm, or is it physically implemented on sensor?
Ciao, grazie di tutto.
PDAF on sensor like in Fuji? A narrow band of pixels working as a rangefinder…
If the latter people with legacy Oly 4/3 lenses will have a chance. Battery grip (?) also could help.
The pictures were made with the awesome Pentax Q :p
lets hope if the screen is like the xz-1’s, then they have removed the green tint
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1008&message=38673272
Now I´ve made the jump back to film. Thankyou and goodbye 43rumors.
I’ve made the jump back to painting with watercolors. This makes even more fun. For serious!
Now I’ve made the jump back to 1955!
Real men ™ paint with blood of the animals they’ve caught with their bare hands and then eaten raw. Watercolours are for hipsters.
danonino you have a point here, 1000 euros can buy a lot of film and developer, it’s also a choice of philosophy and slower approach, and film still outperforms digital imo for so many applications.
the camera looks ok, but IMO everything stays or falls with the sensor, if the sensor is in the E-5 league only, an old design with limited DR and shadow noise,the system will fail.
if the sensor is a huge step up, in DR, and hi iso, it will be a big hit, those small metal AF lenses remind me of th glorious Contax g system.
also a pity that the first bright high-end lens they announce is a wide-angle, not that i don’t like wide-angle, but F2 on a wideangle is less important than a bright mid-tele lens imo. they should announce super bright 35 and 85 (ideally 1.4 lenses..) asap in they same looks as the 12/2, but i will stop complaining now,
i will pre-order the E-P3 + 12 as soon as the orders are open..
Cheers for olympus and the m4/3 system.. a words for pablo, since so many insufficient that u have mention for oly ep3 maybe is true, but dont forget that there is no perfect camera in the world, even for me i can state down plenty disadvantages for n-x or other brand. So stop Insult the ep3 anymore. and be positive with the m4/3 system and the olympus.. Cheers
Why do you take so personal what others think about a damn camera? It’s childish, really, it’s just a piece of plastic and electronics, no need to be so serious about it. As I said in many posts, this EP3 and that 12mm f/2 are going to be my next purchases, something I had decided some time ago, yet I agree with most of what Pablo says. And you know? I don’t give I … well, that. I’ll just enjoy my next camera even if not perfect and even if I know that Olympus is in serious danger if they don’t take wise marketing decisions in the next few years because the competition have better cards right now, including Panasonic of course. Enjoy your Olympus, don’t be a fanboy.
The EP3 looks so much like the EPL2, it has flash too. I wonder how’s the coming EPL3 looking..