As you all know on February 8th Olympus will announce a new line of Micro Four Thirds cameras with the name “OM-D“.The image above is actually the very first image that shows a detail of the camera. This looks super well built with high quality finishes. I hope to get more details/pictures of the rest soon.
Summary of all rumors:
This will be the first digital camera of the prestigious OM series that this year will become 40 years old. The first film camera was the [shoplink 28221 ebay]M-1[/shoplink] (launched in 1972) that was than renamed [shoplink 28222 ebay]OM-1[/shoplink] because Leica put some pressure on Olympus to change the name (to not confuse it with the Leica M-series). A couple of days ago Olympus launched an advertising campaign on Amateur Photographer last page (Click here to see it:http://minus.com/mxvrbfbS1#1). As you see the letter “O” and “M” are in bold! After that we discovered that Olympus registered the “OM-D” name at trademark.markify and the german patent institution (Click here). A Hong Kong invitiation from Olympus said the camera will be announced on February 8th. There is also a “coming soon” message on Olympus website.
I am pretty confident that those will be the specs (expect minor changes only):
– Camera has a classic OM design
– It has a magnesium body
– It is weathers sealed
– weight 373 g (body only).
– 16 megapixel sensor optimized for High Dynamic Range
– 200 up to 25.600 ISO
– Built-in electronic viewfinder 1.44 million dots (positioned in the center of the body like the old OM optical viewfinders and same resolution as the external VF-2 viewfinder (Click here to see on Amazon).
– 610.000 pixel OLED tilting 3 inch screen.
– Five-axis image stabilizer in body.
– FAST AF and 3D tracking
– Comes in Black or Silver.
– Price: Around $1.100 in USA or 1.000 Euro in Europe.
As usual follow 43rumors to not miss any OM related news and rumor. You can follow the February 8th Olympus announcement on this website!
P.S.: We are on facebook and twitter too!
Here are all the past Olympus OM film cameras:
[shoplink 28221 ebay]M-1[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28222 ebay]OM-1[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28223 ebay]OM-1 MD[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28224 ebay]OM-1N[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28225 ebay]OM-2[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28226 ebay]OM-2N[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28227 ebay]OM-2S/SP[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28228 ebay]OM-3[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28229 ebay]OM-3Ti[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28230 ebay]OM-4[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28231 ebay]OM-4T/Ti black and chrome[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28232 ebay]OM-10[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28233 ebay]OM-20 (OM-G)[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28234 ebay]OM-30(OM-F)[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28235 ebay]OM-40 (OM-PC)[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28236 ebay]OM-77AF (OM-707)[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28237 ebay]OM-88 (OM-101)[/shoplink]
[shoplink 28238 ebay]OM-2000[/shoplink]
Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct
348 Responses
What a great shot!!!!!!!!!! Keep searching!
Looks great. Can’t wait to see the rest. Are we sure this is m4/3s and not 4/3s?
Cool! Lööking fwd to this!
I see dials 🙂
Looks wonderful!
Looks very interesting!
♥ 🙂
What’s the big deal! Another piece of crap from Minolta marketed with rumors so you will too much for it.
The end of the camera is very OM-1 shaped and a nice shutter release you can squeeze gently like an OM-1. Build as you say looks very nice from this photo.The dials look very good in the way they would work. Very interesting.
Looks very promising….
w00t, but totally unexcited by this pic. red movie recording button, SRSLY?
I actually rather hope this being a fake to be honest :/
Hey now, I need that button. It has been invaluable to me to be able to use video and photos off the same cam.
Agreed. Amazing, it’s amazing how even this tiny little cropped photo can say so much. This is going to be one sexy little camera.
You misspelled your name.
Buurrrrnnnn 😉
Cameras with red dots sell for a lot of money. 🙂
Seriously, if a red dot bothers you you can put a sticker over it. No someone who did on the red dot rangefinder camera.
“w00t, but totally unexcited by this pic. red movie recording button, SRSLY?”
I agree.
Red? Seriously RED? I was so hoping for a BLUE button!
😉
Just kidding!
Great work! I like shiny black, I like Programable Function Buttons (implied by fn2), and nig strap lugs. 🙂 What is that rear-ward curved curved lever behind the red button? Interesting!
Anyway, I’m staring at the calendar (Feb 8) and my bank account……….
The “lever” looks like a thumb rest. Very nice feature 🙂
I want a lever actuated wind-up generator, so it can operate w/out batteries, like my OM-1!
This is a good idea!! Like that flash light that operate without batteries.
It’s a grip for your thumb.
A thumb rest!
Those strap lugs can get in the way when you try to steady your camera against a wall for example. Otherwise very nice 🙂
Your hand holding the camera will get in the way first.
Never rely on basic technique when you have IBIS! 😉
I will now faint.
I want to see more!! I would be great if they also offered an underwater housing for it as well!
Just wondering what happened to the “revolutionary hybrid optical/eletronic viewfinder” that the very first rumours about this(?) camera suggested…?
I not sure if it was optical electronic or what but there were rum ours, that the real new technology was in the viewer and it was revolutionary. If it only refreshed a couple of time faster or something, just a bit better then the V2. So I wonder to.
I don’t know, but that doesn’t look very OM like to me…
It looks very OM-1. It’s the shape of the end of the body. Oversized shutter release. You can see the influence in the shape and design ideas.
OM just means:
– viewfinder in the middle (with hump)
– a few dials and buttons
Hmmmm, this looks VERY intriguing!
Inspired by OM doesn’t mean that it’s an exact copy.
Thank goodness
I haven’t owned an Olympus since the E10-went Canon both APSc and FF for many years and now in addition m4/3 but Panny since Dec 2008 with 3 bodies. I’ve been looking at NEX (and will continue to) but the new Oly could make it interesting enough to put it into the mix for an upgrade down the road in next year or so. I’m in no hurry since the G3 is serving nicely but I’m interested in what Oly comes out with in this camera. In truth the retro doesn’t interest me at all though, just the specs and ergonomics.
I have the GH-2s and would look at the GH-3 when it is released as well.
Specs and ergonomics- two key things for me as well! 🙂
If you are interested in ergonomics then the retro part is of interest to you because that is what the OM-1 was good with.
Oh, I will buy it even if the performance is on par with the GH-2 (Excellent!) as a show of support for Olympus! 😉
Gripless retro brick isn’t ergonomic.
I’ve handled that brick style SLR long enough.
I have a feeling it will between this and the Fuji X-Pro 1 for me.
Okay, must admit it, now I’m getting really excited! A 16MP sensor optimized for DR, Olympus processing/colors, OM-style magnesium weather-sealed body, built-in VF2 (or better), Five-axis IBIS (better than E-5?), FAST AF and 3D tracking, and an affordable price.
I feel like we may at last have found our way out of the wilderness, finally a high quality successor to the E-xxx line.
Keep the info and pics coming, Admin. Great job!
I really hope that high dynamic range is built into the sensor not just a HDR jpeg setting which I’m sure will make it in.
Metal controls? Nice touch Olympus ;). Fingers crossed for breakthrough sensor. Those fantastic m4/3 primes would really deserve it.
It’s a fairly long stretch of the top plate we see (including both wheels). I wonder if there really is room for a central hump then. Or maybe the lens axis is far off-center, like on the E-1?
Don’t you find your blindness hampers your photography? The pic is not even showing one third of the top plate. Look at the strap lugs to get a sense of the scale.
outstanding
im going crazy… i want one please help me resist temptation…
I knew I shouldnt have worn makeup…
i love the finish!!!
I wish the PASM dial includes the Mysets (instead of iauto, art, etc).
admin, anything about 43 support? pdaf in particular.
Yeah, am also really hoping for 43 support. Hope to be able to use my wonderful 43 glass easily. fingers crossed.
Don’t love the record button placement and am wondering about the nature of that shutter release. What is the dial-like disc below it? Hope the hump on this sucker isn’t too big.
The more I look at this I can’t help but think it’s going to have a retro look, but with programmable dials like the NEX-7. The best of both worlds?!!! Thoughts?
Any guess as to what the icon on the Fn.2 button is? Kind of looks like the back of the Nikon V1 http://4.s.img-dpreview.com/files/articles/6600156832/250_4x3/rearcontrols1.jpg?v=1314
I really hope Olympus don’t put the stupid ‘motion clip with still and cheesy music’ feature that Nikon did with the V1 into this Pen.
Gonna be hard enough to deal with some of the Art Filters but at least you can turn them off. Hopefully a custom menu will be added so I can only add the features to it that I want and skip on the ones I don’t.
Button looks like a histogram.
i think this icon looks like graduation settings.
like graduation curve. maybe built-in Photoshop? SCNR :-). Interesting anyway
Admin: Do you know if this is the price for body only or with the kit lens?
I think body only!
Jigsaw puzzle. I hope you don’t mind…
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/267/olympusomd5copy.jpg/
Cool. Now I get the impression even more that the lens axis is far off-center to the left.
Cool, Excited
Thanks, P! good stitching!
🙂
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/38/olympusomd5copy2.jpg/
great job so far 🙂 we want more!
very nice!
hmm but why iso 200?
Yeah I don’t lke that. It suggests teh sensor is optimized for high iso photography rather than high res sharp low iso opportunities.
Does it support 1080p/60 AVCHD 2.0 ?
So, als nächstes dann bitte nen komplettes Bild!
Diesen Antrag möchte ich befürworten! 😉
Well, there goes my hope to see a dial around the lens mount.
Looks like they have two on top already.
Shutter speed, exposure compensation dial… and aperture dial around the lens mount!! That’d be sweet!
Aber sowas von!!!
Admin,
You are the man! This is one of the sites that automatically opens whenever I open my browser. I love the mu43 camera system and I love your website. As a former E-PL1 and E-PL2 user and a current GH2, I can’t wait to see what Olympus will bring us. Hopefully you can get more teasers for us. Thank you once again!
Danke, merci, and grazie!
Joe Gunawan | fotosiamo.com
@ Admin, Jan 17 you wrote the weight will be 425 (not 373). Which is correct?
The other rumors came from Digicaminfo (external source). The same soruce from the pictures gave me the correct weight.
Maybe one number is with battery and the other one without?
425-373=52. A BLS-1 weighs 46 grams. Close enough?
Could it be that the top surface of the right wheel is somewhat photoshopped? That the lettering is blacked out? Looks unnatural on my monitor.
The image is surely computer generated, like most PR images of new products these days
So far so good… Can’t wait to see more. And it’s coming out on my birthday, so hey.
oh..oh..now I see..this is like a strip tease….
so..should I be saying Oh My Goodness???? LOL!
Does look as if they are going with the “assignable knobs” concept a la NEX-7, rather than dedicated permanently marked knobs a la Fuji. Possibly more confusing but also more customizable.
I’m one of those who scoffed at the wild talk of “revolutionary” features, but this really is starting to look like a practical, useful camera.
Hey, Admin, any signals on how it will handle wireless TTL flash? That’s the only major feature (other than in-body stabilization) that Olympus has and Panasonic doesn’t… might be worth adding an Olympus body just to get this capability.
Any E-System DLSR had customisable dials, just as the PENs have. Why should they change that? Another advantage is that you can assign 1/3 stop, 1/2 stop or full stop increments to a dial-click and you’re not bound to the setting a fixed Fuji-dial allows…
Thank goodness it has a shutter release button. I was really hoping for one of those!
The icon next to the Fn button looks similar to the tone control one of my E-PL3 – that would be clever, because it’s an alternative to EV correction and might even have to do with extended Dynamic Range.
As Marylin said it’s hard to resist temptation – I keep telling myself that I don’t need such a (heavy) camera 🙂
In this clever striptease/controlled leak it’s funny to see that they don’t give out the marks on the main dial and they don’t show if there is one with the shutter speeds.
The VF must be the ultimate secret. Because if combined with an optical path it might have to do with precise MF and/or PDAF sensors.
So keep the stuff coming…
Promising… seems like Olympus designers really put some thought in this. I did miss the oversized front dial from my E-1, this seems to be just as good…
Agree, way better than Canon-ish design of E-3 and E-5. 😉
Oh Lord won’t you buy me an OM-D 🙂
^^Hehe!
I’m pretty sure that ‘5 axis’ really means ”’5 stops’ which is still fine with me.
The top isn’t terribly OM like, IMHO, but that’s ok, tech moves on, and yesterday’s interface is inadequate for today’s cameras.
OM-D5 seems like an obvious attempt to show a direct continuation of the OM line, which I find somewhat amusing.
Regardless, this may be the camera that gets me more serious about digital, as it sounds like it will hit most of my check boxes.
Hot or not, one finds it difficult to take news seriously when there are so many typos.
Perhaps you could volunteer your time to be the proof-reader for the site, ? Admin has a day job, English is his fifth language and he needs some help. 🙂
+1
+1
+1000
No, I think they really mean “5 axis” — compensation for linear movement along all three axes, plus compensation for twisting movement on two axes (I will guess they don’t compensate for yaw as that’s something you might be doing intentionally.)
sexy! controls everywhere
That top section looks beauuuuuuuuutiful. Thanks for the info.
Regards
Looks interesting. Can’t wait to see what the sensor is like – if it’s good, then it’ll probably be in the E-7 later.
Yes i hope so.
One thing: if you extrapolate the dial to the right in the image it looks like it would cover at least half the “OLYMPUS” logo. So if the logo is centered as on the OMs then the dial would be right where you would expect the “hump”, which has me wondering if the viewfinder is not centered after all.
Or have the lens axis far to the left, like on the E-1. That’s my impression too.
Sorry, duplicate.
Any chance the very same source hands in a full… or even multiple images ?
Just asking because the suspense is killing me… 😀
This is getting more and more interesting …
Hopefully, the aperture adjust dial has more resistance than the E420 did, which really made it feel cheap to me.
I came.
Actually, now that I see the image posted on DPreview which is from here, it says OM not OLYMPUS (for some reason the image stops at the O on 43rumors, maybe due to my browser?) so nix that non-centered speculation. 🙂
more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more pleeeeeease. OMg, can’t wait any more. Want that. Now!
AWESOME! Let’s give olympus some credit. Finally no silver buttons. Black and nice dials. I know cameras are rated for picture quality, but looks like I’ll buy this one for the feel and usability of the camera. Well done Olympus! Very excited for the coming news. I’m glad I bought my wife the GH2 for video, but if the GH3 (or GHX3)has build quality like this, I may be torn.
I will buy it. If the sensor really does what I hear…
Admin,
In the end, I think that the sensor will make or break the success of this camera.
I hope Oly can pull it off!
I think the camera can be a success anyway. But the sensor performance will elevate the camera from good and successful (e.g. in EP-3 terms) to really good and extremely successful (like Fuji X100 successful). Maybe it is for stills in m43 what the GH-2 is for video.
Agreed. All of this hype is just fluff if the sensor isn’t something groundbreaking.
GH3 no ibis, I think I am going to get the oly
If the main dials are programmable a’ la NEX this is not going to be aa retro camera at all, in a good way.
Thinking about the X Pro 1 I was already considering that I shoot so rarely in shutter priority that a full blown wheel is wasted on me.
In fact these controls were born in film before auto exposure, and were left there in case you were not satisified with it, which is hardly the case now.
If there is a 3d dial as leaked before – on the other side of the hump? Because I concur that the hump might not be dead in the center.
Not sure why they have a tick box up there, but otherwise, yes please!
It’s usually meant to be able to select multiple photos while in photo view mode. When in photo view mode, the record button won’t be assigned to recording but to selecting images.
That’s my stab at it anyway.
Oh–looks good!!!!!!!!!!!!
i hope the hump is dead center -where it belongs: center humps are better for telephoto work. If all those specs are true then Im gonna start saving now.
btw… I don’t think the dial would pose a problem for a centered (or rather almost centered) hump.
Just look at the OM-1.
http://www.thecamerasite.net/01_SLR_Cameras/Images/Olympus-OM-1t.jpg
Or am I missing something here ?
Well, the OM-1 is a centimeter wider.
So its gonna have at least 2 FN buttons….
Exciting news… cant wait for more pics… and specs..
Very hot picture !! 😀
Thank you Admin for all the good work on providing these for us and for those contributing the info and photos. I don’t know how you manage it as 43rumors seems like more than a full time job in itself.
Looking at this top view I am amazed just how similar the control layout is to that of the Lumix GX1? Just maybe there is a little more co-operation between Oly and Pany then they admit as each provides various parts to each other? So just maybe they will share a new improved sensor also with Oly sharing the EPSON EVF? My guess is that Pany may have a very similar weathersealed model in the works soon to be released either the GH3 or GX2? The Oly one will have IBIS while the Pany one will have lens OIS. Oly had only recently come out with a complete line of PENs so this OM-D so soon afterwards is quite a surprise even if a more revolutionary model was rumored for some time. Closer cooperation between Oly and Pany is essential for them to meet the challenges being mounted on either side by others like the Nikon 1s, Nexs, and Fuji.
My guess is this Oly OM-D will be very attractive to many with its high grade all metal body with new IBIS, swivel screen, and OM shape as compared to larger plastic look alike DSLRs with smaller darker viewfinders.
It’s actually not that similar. The OM-D has apparently two dials, one of them with shutter release, a movie button and an fn2 button.
The GX-1 has one dial (with on/ off switch), a shutter release, a movie button, and an iAuto (cringe) button.
Is this a real product shot?
Why aren’t there any labels on the wheels? Photoshopped out to protect the source?
Pure calculated leak.
It keeps us junkies coming back for more, hour after hour!! 🙂
testing the
strikethroughtag…Wow! It does look high quality. If the image quality matches my expectation, this may indeed be my next camera. I hope Oly finds a solution to the problem of extending native support to 4/3 lenses! That would be sweet!
Love the dial. I can stand my ep-3 dial on the back I was hoping to have one on the front 🙂
Hold on to your butts, these are going to be some interesting weeks!
On the 17th January, it was supposed to weight 425 gr. Which is right ?
A variangle lcd ? what is that ? same as the E-Pl3 or same as the G3 ?
425 g is with the Li-ion battery + memory card, 373 g is without them.
The 3-inch OLED is a tilting touchscreen.
That might be an image of the product, but it does not look like a photograph. Looks more like a 3D render. Bet my left kidney(well used) its generated.
Ah humans. The shiny has captured you!
Your evolution from rodents is again proving to be your doom!
LOL.
Magpies in my case.
It seems kinda nice visually (I’m a fan of the modern tech look, I have no time for 70s styling), wait until I see the whole thing of course. One thing I don’t get though is this trend of having the screen at a lower res than the VF. OK I rarely use my GH2 VF at all so I’m biased, but as the screen is used to playback shots too, it’s pretty important to have high res there too. For me it’s the wrong way ’round – but then I’m not an Olympus man (except I have one of their PCM recorders which is great for off-camera audio).
Just wondering, on my GH2 the screen is also lower res than the EVF…
The rumored EVF is the same, but the LCD of E-P3 and rumored OM-D’s res is twice as much as the ultra-low res GH2.
It’s pentile amoled though, so the dots is only 1/3 more with the RGBG patern rather than RGB. AMOLED also gives much more saturation, contrast and the black is a lot darker just like how superior samsung phones’ LCD compared to other phones'(oly use samsung LCD). Not to mention how power efficient it is.
The superiority of Samsung’s AMOLED is just marketing talk. The technology is still behind LED LCD in turns of color accuracy and power efficiency. Trust me, when you see AMOLED on an iPhone, that’s when the technology is ready and most kinks are out.
Agreed. I just feel uncomfortable whenever people praise the screen on the Galaxy SII. I mean, it is a contrasty display, and it is not pentile, but that’s all. Colours are inaccurate and everything is just oversaturated. The pentile HD SAMOLED on the Galaxy Nexus is in my opinion the best AMOLED screen out there, but still the colours are not super accurate.
Oh you’re one of those iPhone people.
Listen, when Sony, Samsung and almost every other panel producing company is switching towards some form of LED (no LED-LCD type display) then you know that some change is occurring. Just because Apple decides to be late to the party and claim that they are the first doesn’t mean a thing.
Claims of AMOLED being sharper, more punchy and providing more realistic colors are true and they are more power efficient than their S-LCD (LED-LCD) counterparts. Had Samsung still been one of the iPhone’s main suppliers you could bet yourself that the AMOLED technology would’ve been in the iPhone 4S instead of the same tired out display that was released in the iPhone 4 (made by LG).
Truth is when other top-phone producing companies such as Motorola, LG, HTC, etc. decide to adopt the technology and when you see most of the products in CES come out speaking about new OLED based technology, well the market at that point is speaking for itself.
i must claim that i am seriously considering buying a galaxy nexus precisely because it has a screen better than that on the iphone. amoled dominating the market is just a matter of time. but what i tried to say was just a plain fact: amoled on mobile devices are generally less accurate in terms of reproducing real life colours. it maybe simply because people at sammy knew nothing about colour tunning. i mean, look at the gs2 display for god’s sake, the white is almost pale green from what i recall, especially if you compare it with a piece of white paper under sunlight. well if there is such thing as a Colorvision Spyder for mobile devices then you will know what i am talking about.
the market is only good at telling you whether people like the technology but it cannot justify colour accuracy. afterall colour is physical phenomenon and it is not eye-catching at all.
anyway, back to the topic, i am very pleased with my ep3’s oled touchscreen. nice viewing angle, sharp and crisp. it is good to see it on the om as well. damn the specs and that leaked pic looked so tempting 🙁
Actually the resolutions are hard to compare like that. My G3 has a 1.44 million *dots* EVF, and 460000 *pixels* for the LCD. The LCD is a traditional panel with alternating RGB pattern. The EVF uses something called LCOS, though. There are actually 480000 dots that are lit one after the other with a R, G and B LED. The review article here says that while on paper the EVF is equivalent to 480000 RGB pixels, because of persistence of vision it probably could be doubled.
I bought the G3 (other than say a E-P3) mainly because of the full time EVF. So I perfer it to be “better”.
A more complete explanation (with pictures) is here – http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/DMCG3/DMCG3VIEWFINDER.HTM
;-P
Looking forward to seeing’ this wee beastie in a few weeks.
Now seeing the first detail of the new OM-D …it may be that this …
http://photorumors.com/2012/01/18/is-this-the-olympus-om-d/
is actually the camera.
Take a good look at the area around the shutter button and the edge detail.
🙂
That is a rendering made by japanese friends 🙂
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/38/olympusomd5copy2.jpg/
Here you go..How are we doing admin? 🙂
Nice collage. Don’t know if it will look like that!
It’s just a stitching of the E-P3 and the OM-1, no render.
Sorry, this was a coment on Andy’s image a couple of posts above.
Yes. I suck at photoshop. 😛
Yeah, you posted it here earlier in the week.
I posted a link to here.
The dial around the shutter button is bigger in this image than in that silver mockup. The OM-D logo (or, what looks like the OM-D logo) is also where the AF illuminator is on the mockup.
And that handgrip is too un-integrated to be real.
they should offer the grip as an option like with the new Fuji.
Hopefully the grip won’t be the hideous kludge, with the big exposed screw, like the EP3. That’s just plain bad design.
What would it have taken to design some sort of concealed mount for the grip?
What would be nice is a battery grip that can include a grip for landscape too (being an “L” shape add on battery grip). That would make it much more stable for using larger lenses & be less reliant on the thumb grip (especially as I suffer arthritis there) & then the fingers can take most of the load.
I agree about the grip. I do not get all the fuss about the design of the EP3. Its underwhelming.
Come on, the shutter button on the black camera protrudes from the front of the body. The photorumors picture doesn’t.
Not the same at all…
I don’t know what you are looking at, but there is a certain amount of protrusion under the front wheel (of which the shutter button is in the middle of) to allow easy access to the wheel. I am very pleased to see the two wheels positioned similarly to the high end DSLRs & am looking forward to seeing the rest of the camera & how well it handles all the lenses from m4/3’s to all the 4/3’s range plus it’s IQ in all aspects.
Looks good so far!
Not too classical. = I like it.
I agree. It looks like a modern design that was inspired by the classics vs something like the Fuji X100, X10 which seem like a retro design that was just updated to be more modern.
Who photoshopped OM in there?
No one http://photorumors.com/2012/01/20/first-picture-of-the-upcoming-olympus-om-d-camera/
Tell us a bit about the image quality…:)
Normally it’s p or c, but I will hint to the possibility of both p & c. We will have to wait and see… It’s not very long now. And I imagine something else will be leaked tomorrow morning. Depends on how soon you want to go to print 🙂
regs image quality. We can expect an improvement in the already brilliant jpegs that we are used to with the ep3 and e5, and even better raw samples.
I am very excited and cannot wait until the 8th.
That’s really good news! Thanks!
Interesting dialog…
Feels like ‘Terminator’ may be one of the sources. Unfortunately, his answer is somewhat enigmatic… not sure what ‘p or c’ means?
Also the statement saying ‘and even better raw samples’ makes me think that MOST of the improvements are in the post-processing and not the sensor itself. Sounds to me like an evolutionary improvement in sensor tech (ala G3 sensor).
What’s p & c?
p—-Phase
c—-contrast
—–just guessing here
I was wondering about Panasonic or Cannon, as supplier of the sensor.
Both Panasonic and Canon as a supplier? Not likely, it is only one sensor, both means collaboration, which is unheard of.
Like phase and contrast focusing (good guess, G)?
His ‘hint’ may be very good news in regards to using 43 lenses and predictive focus. That would truly be a big step towards making this camera a PRO camera.
Admin, will you tell us what p and c stand for?
yes, the p&c focusing may make sense. The new “5d” sensor shift may be the clue for that (and probably also for the “3D tracking”). Moving the sensor back and forward and checking focus is probably much faster than using the focus motor of the lens.
love that idea no matter how unlikely it is. Imagine focusing your manual lens as close as you can and then back/forward moving sensor doing the rest.
Yes, that would be amazing!
Point, Click?
pork & chicken 🙂 ?
Better JPEGS? Don’t want to sound pessimistic, but I guess what will make or break it is Raw performance. We’ve seen enough tweaks by now, what the system needs is real better dynamic range, not a gimmick – not saying it IS a gimmick, but given EP-3 expectations pre launch and the reality of the final product, i guess the whole community is a bit skeptical at this point…
And, given that this is a high end weathersealed body, one wonders where are the weathersealed lenses! We have a zoom already, but not that fast, so I guess we should expect a bit more in that department?
🙂
No weather sealed lenses? The OM-D might be compatible with 4/3 lenses.
Here’s hoping & with a weather sealed adapter, be just fine taking photos out in the rain just like the E5 can.
Look at the angle of OM. It’s not in the same plane as the panel onto which it has been pasted.
I’ve noticed that too, the OM lettering has incorrect perspective, but the body shape seems to be well rendered.
A rendering, or a tilt shift-lens, don’t need ‘correct’ perspectives.
Gdgt are already listing it as a product online: http://gdgt.com/olympus/om-d5/
Have a look under specs…
Copied from here 🙂
The only place to look 😉
I hope you dont mind ‘A’ (admin)
Ive ported these images to 1022 in DPR, I cant make any direct link to 43rumors.com b/se I think I would be pinged for it but attributed the images to your site. Its good that you put the addy on the image
you are getting a huge response
keep up the great work
and remember, ‘keep to the code’
no problem! I will keep to the code 😉
OM-D5 ? why 5 ?
All the X-names were used up! 😉
To be on a par with E5?
To follow on from OM-4 ??
It’ll be better than Nikon D4 :).
Good point.
An interesting excerpt from an interview with Maitani-san, published in the Japanese book “All About Olympus”, 2001:
***************
OM-5 … ?
At the end of the interview, we asked Maitani about the “OM-5”.
“Please understand that the OM-5 will not come out soon. As you know, our investments are mainly oriented to digital cameras today. But demands are always changing. If desired by the people, it may come out some day.”
**********
From the excellent OM historical site, om2n.com
I always thought of a camera as a tool to take great pictures with. I understand spending more for full frame, but when it comes to smaller sensors you can take wonderful pictures for a reduced price.
With the OM-D, if it’s really around $1100, it’s hard to justify spending that much more over say a G3, where the image quality is certainly more than good enough for my purposes for years to come (I mean, an original digital rebel is good enough qualitiy for most people, too!).
But now that I own and holding an OM-1n and OM-2n… if holding an OM-D is anything like holding an OM-1, it could tip me over into spending 2x the price.
Something small with a big viewfinder (please be a big viewfinder!) that oozes solidity and looks classic. If only it were full frame.
If it was FF the camera and the lenses would be HUGE? I think you may be on the wrong website?
Not necessarily. OM-mount lenses are tiny.
It’ll happen. It’ll just take several years to get there.
I believe FF digital will be possibly smaller in the future too.
I think you may have read his post wrong.
Price seems low for an alloy wheater sealed body 3inch oled tilt screen high res evf ibis fast tracking 3D AF and classical look (you can breath now 🙂
But that’s good specifications.
I agree with your outlook on the price……but it all depends on the sensor..if it is a tweaked G3 sensor…I will happily stay with my GX1 & G3.
Agree with that Bob.
I like that the weight has dropped some from the original specs too. If the sensor is genuinely good, and a step up from the G3 sensor, then I may get one of these after the dust settles.
It would be a better back up camera for my Fuji XPro1. Otherwise, GX1 around mid year…
Looking good
I may be wrong, but I don’t see any reason why the one who sent this picture could have not send one of the complete camera unless… this is a clever marketing campaign by Olympus itself 🙂
Which I like a lot, by the way
Woodford’s revenge: he’s the leak! 😛
“this is a clever marketing campaign by Olympus itself”
You don’t say 🙂
More like regular marketing, it’s not clever anymore 😛
I like it 🙂
I’m thinking just the same. Either that or admin here is feeding it to us in small chunks to have the “storm” raging for a longer period.
Goffen
The FN2 button looks a bit odd to me. Is it a stacked button, i.e., 2 buttons in one? Press the inner portion for one function, press both the inner button and outer ring for a second? Or is that raised area around the central portion just there so it’s easier to differentiate the button by feel?
I noticed this too. Maybe it’s just for tactile feedback? Or a two stage button, like the shutter button? But for what?
I would think it is to help identify with touch and feel.
so i guess there is also a fn1 button ?
Of course its marketing, they all think they’re apple now don’t you know?
Like ^^
how you managed to increase the dynamic range on the sensor 🙂
Thats the million dollar question…
$1100 🙂
They got their hands on the G3 sensor, that’s how. 🙂
+1. lol 🙂
They took a some from P and some from C and now they have the best of both ;).
Dear Admin,
Any info on how they use the extra 3 image stabilization axes. (Do they actively move sensor in and out along the line of sight to determine which way to initially drive lens focus motor?)
You mean AF on all lens, so at FT lens but maybe also OM lens to.
I have no idea what you’re trying to say, but at least you aren’t mentioning fockus this time. 😀
Yes fockus and pockus on OM lens LOL 😀
up/down, left/right, rotate, tilt back/front, tilt left/right. Just missing front/back movement. Or shift in the 3 dimension of space, plus time and hyperspace, stopping movement before it happens, that 5 axis too 😉
Nah, that’s Lytro territory :).
Well, have to say, I bought a pen mini 4 months ago, and it is all the camera I need and more….. But the new Olympus has me thinking about saving for the end of March. Silent shutter and 1080p will help make the decision for me.
Gonna be a long three weeks, waiting til 08 Feb.
Question: does the main dial look quite big? Too big for a PASM dial? So big it might be shutter speed? Personally, I hope not.
I sincerely hope they don’t waste a valuable dial for PASM.
Yup. No need if you have Aperture and Shutter Speed dials that can be set to Auto. That already gives you PASM based on their combination.
No touch screen ?
Real men don´t touch screens
-p-
Does the finn know something we don’t? He seems to get stuff from Olympus early. Let’s hope he’s not right.
Yes, we do. It’s good practice. 😉
“Real men don´t touch screens”
LOL.
one beautiful flop
That’s OK. You can flop off else where.
I had the EP3 on order and I guess it was my luck that stock is low at the moment, so now I cancelled and can wait for this beauty.
WE NEED MORE LEAKED PICS!!!
Oh dear … we have a leaked photo of the Om D5 but still no info on some kind of proper compatiblity to 4\3 lenses ANY NEWS ?
It’s magnesium alloy body. You guys are getting very close…
So help us with the senor! Who’s gonna make it?
Who made the Fuji sensor? 😉
Sony, naturally!
Toshiba?
Kodak did….as a farewell gift they managed to shine one more time with their excellent sensors
Bingo.
This is going to be a very sexy camera. I am a sucker for retro. My e-p1 begs to be picked up where as plastic cameras don’t have the same effect.
+1
it looks like black finish of E-P2 that i really liked the look of
also, what is that “ribbed for your pleasure” dial beneath the shutter button? dial for adjusting exposure/shutter/speed settings i guess?
i was all set to buy E-P3, but luckily i asked Oly product manager i know if i should buy it or wait, he said i should wait and that i wouldn’t be disappointed…it seems more and more that he was right
“ribbed for her pleasure…. EEEEEWWWWW!!!!” 😀
The 5th axis will stop the subject from moving. Out of Body IS. =)
all looks good so far…
these leaks(marketing) are designed to steal Fuji’s thunder
-just thinking it would be mad to have white balance option on one of the dials when you are in tricky light situations like restaurants, concerts and churches…
Olympus USA have just uploaded some Pen videos to YouTube, looks like they are ramping up their marketing 😀 (look like counter attack to Nikon1)
I am sorry. For the first time, Olympus are rumored to have made a cam with an integrated EVF. Why spoil that good news with digital Pen videos?
@Vivek
huh, news not spoiled, it’s all part of what’s going on in the Micro Four Third’s world and was added as a footnote to my comment (hardly top billing).
It is not you but Olympus have done this sort of things before with a curtain and that forgettable “Blentech” advert.
The EP and such video is not a good omen at all. 🙁
where to preorder ?
where to preorder ?
Panasonic better start leaking some info on the GH3 and give us some indication on when its coming. I am a GH1 owner eager to upgrade. I love the finish of the GX1 but I need to have an integrated view finder. This OM-D is tempting, particularly if I have to wait to the end of the year for GH3.
You have to make a decision at one point. If you know the OM-D and the GH3 specs, are you going to wait what the successors will be able to do? If Panasonic is not going to announce the GH3 around the CP+, then they will likely do it at Photokina. And why don’t you even wait until the OM-D is announced and you know what images look like? Calm down.
Sorry for the spam.
My 5 cent:
It will be a m43 camera, but they will release new OM and 43 adapters (weatherproof).
5-axis stabilization (shifting along lens axis) will be used for focus assist on MF-lenses, and to provide fast focus on 43 SWD-lenses.
It will be sex.
Well, I’m excited, and I’m a panny shooter (GH2)
I will remain enthusasicly optimistic, but I will wait until it is released to be really excited — Olympus fans have been disappointed before
Some 43rumours-users will be disappointed even if the camera beats the best FF-offerings, is lighter and smaller than the competition, comes with a pancake 2-2000mm f0.7 kit-lens and makes gold out of iron.
Well, some are THAT pessimistic. Others have the memories of the over hyped E-P3 sensor too fresh in their memories. I guess we should all be cautious…
Admin, tell us about the 2-2000mm f0.7 kit lens. Will it be waterproofed? 🙂
It’s so beautiful. I hope the specs match the finish.
(Although, truly, the E-P3 can take nice photos)
ISO starts at 200?
OLD SENSOR.
no. new 🙂
Hope you’re absolutely right!!!
Admin: Is this a 4/3rds version of the X trans sensor? Would this mean no AA in OM-D either?
I hope that will be the case because the stack of glass on the m4/3rds sensors is just too much. Nearly 5mm thick glass and all that projected mush as a result…
I think Fuji will keep that for themselves. And personally i prefer AA, it’s only noticeable at actual-size anyway.
Better be, for $1100 ! Hope it’s as good as the Canon G1X. 🙂
‘New’ as in ‘new’ kind of new, or new as in onympus tweaked kind of new?
I hope your dreams come true… the farm, the children and especially … the OM-D. 🙂
haha. good one.
no info on 43lens compatibility?
no info on sensor?
fishy fishy fishy
admin,
olympus said they are releasing a new line of products. That’s plural so will we see more than new product announcement?
Perhaps some more om related items like weather sealed lenses?
they said a “line” so they should be related.
perhaps the line they are referring to is a high end line of products targeted at the “enthusiast”?
The line can also be OM-D, and they will begin the line with one product: the OM-D5. It does not necessarily mean that they will introduce the new line with more than one product.
admin,
olympus said they are releasing a new line of products. That’s plural so will we see more than new product announcement?
Perhaps some more om related items like weather sealed lenses?
they said a “line” so they should be related.
perhaps the line they are referring to is a high end line of products targeted at the “enthusiast”? I hope the other products are more weather sealed lenses.
Thanks Oly ,.. Great job admin to post this news.
Hopefully the image quality is just like what rumors said; doesn”t matter old sensor or new sensor but if the camera itself deliver superb image quality as we expected , there will be no point for someone to complain.
As the matter of IMHO itself; lets everybody have their own taste in their opinion but , the most gladly things is the BUILD IN EVF , that a big step from Oly. And also the advantage of IBIS .
I believe this camera will cause a headache on Panasonic R&D. Compare to a toy camera GF2-3 & G3
probably the “pro” camera is weather sealed and has the built-in EVF and uses the new 12-50 as the kit lens.
and a mid-level camera with the same new technology (3D focusing, 16MP sensor, 5-axis IBIS) but without the EVF or the weather sealing, and with the existing 14-42mm II R kit lens.
You should compare the new OM-D to the GH2, to be fair. And since Panasonic has an emphasis on video, there is not really a big competition there. Although it would be nice if great image quality from Oly would force Pana to do more in that department.
SWEEEEEEET! Still interested!
Any word yet on a PDAF solution for 43 lenses?
(just to keep beating that drum…)
Drum?
That thing you’re beating is a dead horse.
You just THINK it’s a drum.
Pound on it long enough and it’ll turn into GLUE.
😉
Perhaps it is a dead horse but some of us are still interested in 43 glass, and it’s not as though it hasn’t been done by other companies.
I’ve still not traded in my E1 and E510 because the currently range of Pens didn’t offer enough improvement for the money… I calculated that I’d have to spend several hundred pounds just to get effectively the same equipment in m43 flavour, if this can focus 43 glass at close to native speed (by PDAF or another method) that definitely makes this a much more interesting proposition.
If you read further up in the comments, you’ll see that the admin is asking someone else (perhaps a source) about the image quality. The person’s response to the admin is that it normally is p (phase detect?) or c (contrast detect), but with this camera he’s hinting at both.
I wouldn’t declare it a dead horse yet.
nice connection, but why would the type of AF have an influence on image quality?
There is no real influence. All I’m saying is that the person responded to the admin’s questions with those statements (along with an answer to his original question). Those statements lead me to not give up on the idea of a Phase Detect and Contrast Detect AF system.
People will buy the camera regardless. So why split hairs and get apoplectic over unknown… or worse… fantasized features?
Oly’s PR department is doing a reasonable job trickling tidbits of info about the OM-D and building interest in it’s release.
We’ll know all about it soon enough.
P and C could also mean:
Panasonic and Canon. Another user here mentioned that they “took some from P and some from C and got the best of both” so I’m assuming that the puzzle behind this “P and C” could also be
Panasonic and Canon in terms of image quality. Taking the attributes of both – meaning, perhaps, the imaging detail of Canon but the contrast-AF system of the Panasonic mixed with their own tweaks.
Perhaps the low-light will be very acceptable in high ISO? Usable 12800 anyone?
yeah Mr ree … it could be a unicorn and the rainbow will be all over your face 😛
nice but the sensor is 4 times too small, i have connections to oly, but cannot tokk about id jet, en dii ai bubba
did you download the image from megaupload? be honest ^^
…I like this atmosphere. It’s like in a spy movie: noone knows who’s a source, Admin and his sources are communicating in secret codes via the comments, leaked images, lots of speculations, … Exciting times, I like it!
Retro is getting old
***CODED MESSAGE FOLLOWS***
The Tall Lady in Florence Lays All Soldiers. Half of Ireland’s Best Inspectors Shot. Maybe Old Duggar’s Used Logger’s Axes Responsibly. Bring Old Tigger Hazelnuts Shortly You’ll Set This Evening Moving Soon.
IOBOP
TTL FLASH, IBIS, MODULAR, BOTH SYSTEMS… IOBOP?
Modular ? 4/3 module & m4/3 module
As in Ricoh modular?
If base ISO is 200, it doesn’t look to be Panasonic 16MP sensor, since base ISO of those is 160.
This is quite an interesting development.
The pens have a base ISP of 200 yet it is a Panasonic sensor
Yes, but that’a a 12mp sensor with native iso 200, even on panasonic cameras.
Yes, but that’a a 12mp sensor with base iso 200, even on panasonic cameras.
I told you that 2 days ago
The E5 uses the Panasonic 12mp sensor and It does ISO 100.
No it doesn’t do.
Sensor can’t be run at lower than its native ISO which is 200 and image is just overexposed one stop which lifts shadow area signal level but at the cost of very easily and badly burned highlights.
That’s how it’s done in every Olympus using that sensor.
DxOMark’s sensitivity graph shows instantly what is actual base ISO because below that curve just flattens to horizontal.
Call Silvester Stallone. time to make a new spy movie. We have the plot. We have the actors. we have the OMD OMG!! 🙂 my 7-14mm ED lens is quiet excited about this cam! We’ll see…
Mr. Reee outflanked and outgunned.
Keep it coming! 🙂
Yeah, right.
It looks like Batman. I hope it will have video capability comparable to the GH2 — all these great new cameras are coming out, such as the new Fuji, but most of them aren’t really workable as video cams, which is most of what I need.
I have no doubt that this will be another exceptional camera from a maker who repeatedly issues exceptional cameras, though I am disheartened to hear that it won’t feature a 35mm sized sensor. Let’s hope the m4/3rds sensor they have designed in is exceptional! No matter how good the construction and styling, the litmus test will always be IQ and that will be judged with reference to the current crop of competitors which generally employ larger sensors.
… and those larger sensor based cameras will have larger lenses and bodies. =)
True but what’s your point? The original OM had served the same sized film frame as its competitors, but the body and lenses, as I remember, were relatively compact. It was the efficiency of the design that made it an instant classic. Are you saying Olympus couldn’t do that again?
why keep hoping for a full frame sensor? it’ll never happen from Olympus or Panasonic. simply way too much invested in 4/3 sensor technology and lenses. olympus doesn’t have the resources to launch multiple sensor technologies at once.
Well, it is true that I have hope in that department, but my message was mostly about how the new camera will be received, and judged, by the market at large.
Sensor optimized for DR starts at ISO 200? Sounds weird…
Interesting thumb rest is interesting.
This should have been the goal years ago in their 4/3 system. However, its nice to see Oly might finally be picking up, where they last left off…..
Couldn’t agree more. I always felt that 4/3rds needed to offer savings in size and weight in order to compensate owners for the small sacrifice they were making in sensor performance.
The smart money would have been on two lines – m4/3rds and a real neo-OM bearing a 35mm sensor. Maybe not possible now, but who knows.
This should have been the goal years ago in their 4/3rds system. However, its nice to see Olympus might finally be picking up, where they last left off…..
At last, a camera!
Olympus, what kept you? 🙂
Ditto
so far so good..
Everybody has been talking “more function, higher spec” but the original designer of the OM system cared only the final photograph which should reflect photographers’ image, no matter it was captured on a film or solid-state sensor. So, no need of “D” on it’s name. OM-5 can be assigned to a body with minimalist design (with small and fixed LCD screen on its back, and is operational even when the screen is malfunctioned) and OM-6 with high automation.
Of course I know Olympus will bankrupt when new cameras are like above. It’s just an old-fashioned Japanese OM-fan’s dream. Thanx.
Maybe this is the GH2 16mp sensor? The GH2 16mp sensor is optimized for video. The 12-50mmm weather sealed lens is also optimized for video with its power zoom.
Since Olympus is redesigning their IBIS, they could be optimizing for both video and the GH2 multi aspect sensor.
Yes maybe,
OM-D have a new build image stabilizastion in camera, so i hope them can use the big GH2 sensor on the new stabilizastion scaffold also.
GH2, 18MP?
Yep. GH2 has an 18MP multi-aspect ratio sensor.
GH2 have a multi aspect sensor, but the not use more than 16mpx in image.
Yes, the gh2 sensor is advertised as a 16mp sensor although technically it is 18mp. Could still be the same thing here.
why is the logo printed to the side? what does the center hump look like then?
Funny how such a small detail can give such an impression. It looks solid, nice dials and a thumb rest. Could very well be an old fashioned ‘user’ camera. That would be great as it wouldn’t be a camera that is going to be replaced every six months, but rather a camera one can keep for a few years. Would justify the price a bit more as well.
Will keep my eye on this one. It seems m4/3 is going to be a lot more interesting!
Engadget picked this up: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/20/olympus-om-d-digital-camera-leaked-image/#disqus_thread
Looks like one of Batman’s Gadget 🙂 Cant wait to see the whole thing!!
I vill think James Bond use OM-D in next Agent 007 movie.
His cohort used a NEX-5n (kit zoom + flash) in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Besides, SONY is a sponsor of the franchise.
I caught that, too, dug her…but didn’t buy Sony. 🙂
Olympus has a way of making things not backward compatible.
New line of products might mean that they again will release a new line of lenses compatible with new AF/5-axis IBIS. New line of 5X-lenses starting with 17mm/2.0 bundled with new OM-D1
We have 43 lenses, m43 lenses and to follow m43 5X-lenses.
All older lenses will work but be terrible slow.
MF focus assist won’t be peaking but oldskool prismwedge of some sort.
The main point is the compatibility with 4/3 lenses. If not, that means that E-system died with our hopes…
IMO, the only realistic hope is that AF with classic 43 lenses will be somewhat faster if the OM-D has an on sensor PD-AF system (like Nikon’s 1 cameras). You would still have to use the existing 43->m43 adapter though.
If there are really 2 wheels at the right side like on the photo, I think the EVF can´t be in the middle. The wing of the EVF would be near the middle of the rear wheel. Perhaps the EVF is more to the left side of the body. And i can´t imagine to comfortably handle the rear wheel if the EVF would be in the center..
B.t.w. the EVF of the good old E-1 was more on the left side too…
The new “Five-axis image stabilizer in body.” is usable in video recording?
If I look at this picture http://imageshack.us/f/38/olympusomd5copy2.jpg/ (and the one of this post), I can’t help thinking the second dial is photoshopped in place because:
1. It overlaps with the one around the shutter button and since the one around the shutter button is raised a bit above the topplate, it will need to ‘float’ a bit above the topplate. Of course it is possible but will look uggly.
2. The perspective of this dial is not right. I mean the ellipse is more round than the one in front and it should be a more stretched ellipse instead.
The first and second images were from different angles (and the grip is from some other source), which explains the photoshoppedness.
I hope Admin got the slightly larger version of the first picture and some more facts, and they weren’t lost in the depths of the internet.
If only $1,000 – I’m getting it…. I wonder how much with the 12-50 lens.
Considering the fact that this seems to be a studio illuminated (high res?) pro picture of the cam showing only a fraction of the body, my educated guess would be that this leak comes straight from the olympus marketing crew, giving us really a first quick look at the cam.
Nevertheless, build quality seems to be quite nice…