The google translated text (note: models should be “model”…singular)
–
Olympus Japan (Google translation here) sent out an official invitation for a touch and try session with the new “Flasgship camera” and lenses. It will take place on Friday September 13 in Tokyo. The E-M1 and 12-40mm announcement is expected to be made a couple of days earlier (September 10-11).
By the way, there is a chance that one or even two more products will be announced. I am working on it to get the details….stay tuned on 43rumors!
P.S.: Don’t forget to join the “secret” competition at Damianmcgillicuddy.com.
120 Responses
Letest flagship models ??? (Multiple) ???
Yep, E-1, E-3 and E-5.
Is an OM-D flagship, so them also say in the early leake video.
It’s translation issue.
No imply there are multiple flagship cameras in Japanese
Thank you, Yoda.
That’ll be the E-7! Curious that E Series is still mentioned. Maybe no need to sell up and move on after all?
Yes that seems to suggest at least 4 cameras across the 4 different series of cameras. Plus it says ‘flagship models’… interesting.
I go for sure, keep a chair free for me Olympus. I just need to tune my old ford fiesta up and I’ll be there in time. Anybody knows how many miles there are from Oklahoma to Tokio?
Definitely more sea than land miles. 😉
A lot of wet ones. 😉
Tokyo isn’t in USA.
WTF? Are you sure? I thought it was on this side of the border… Anybody knows if I can get in Canada just with my driving license?
Tokio is in Texas.
I’m betting there is a restaurant called Tokio somewhere near Oklahoma City. Getting to Tokyo is another matter.
….the mystery deepens but it all sounds good 🙂
Friday 13th? This must be an Omen… 😉
Friday the 13th is only a “western” world thing.
Now if it were the 4th, that would be an omen in Japan.
Spoilsport! 😉
one or two more products? hmmm wifi enabled flash? maybe 40-150mm lens so E-M1 can also have double zoom kit?
Is the Touch & Try of Camera Joshi also allowed? 🙂
Some would prefer them to those phallic cameras…
You should schedule an appointment with me.
I doubt he swings your way, but nice try.
I can supply the Thorazine .
Hey, we read this, too…
And the potheads in Japan-a,
use rice papers
when they smoke Marihuana
😉
We say “marifana”. 😀
Oh, cool. In Korean, when I was a kid, it was daemacho. I suppose it could mean “big macho”. 🙂 Don’t know what they call it now.
Touch and try:
“OM-D Series, PEN Series, E Series…”
E Series in that list?
They surely cannot intend to exhibit the 2010 E-5, can they?
If not, does this indicate an E-7 after all?
Yes i think so too.
Then whats the em1 for?
Not, only also for FT camera, anyway an typical OM-D Pro.
Good!
I want that shadows&highlights curve control.
25mm 1.8 macro lens would be a nice surprise
It’s not only for new stuff. These events are intended for the general public. The idea is to display as wide an array of products as possible to showcase the power of the brand. It makes sense to put on display a few E-5s and large telephoto lenses. They tend to leave a lasting impression.
“It makes sense to put on display a few E-5s and large telephoto lenses. They tend to leave a lasting impression.”
Yes, I can see the point, but it kinda contradicts Olympus’s current camera design philosophy with m4/3, being small and portable. And then, instead of showcasing that advantage, put up something entirely different and much bigger to impress the audience? That will only be justified if they also have an updated DSLR on display, to go with the native 4/3 Zuiko gems.
I somehow doubt there is a new E series DSLR, but you never know with Olympus. If this miracle happens, an E-530 or even E-40 would make slightly more sense than a full fledged E-7.
A hugely expensive E-7 would be the only option open to them assuming they wanted to make any money the market for FT is insignificant and folk with $1000,s of dollars worth of high end high price FT glass, are not waiting for a low end body.Have you ever seen how small the VF are on those cameras possible the worst ever put in any dslr camera from any maker
The e-xxx bodies had a small finder indeed, the one on the e-30 however is a lot better, actually it is identical to the one in the e-1, but somewhat smaller then the one in the e-3/5
At those prices, aside from the lens, they just put themselves in a very niche category. That’s not going to cut it in the States.
Most people will see that price and get something else instead. In B&H for example, Olympus shares the same booth with Panasonic and Fuji, so you have that, as well as the DSLR element.
Guess we’ll see…
200mm f2.8 or f3.5 macro please.
I am hoping for a 9 or 10 mm prime.
What not an10mm F2 build so 12mm F2.
A 8 or 9 built like the 12/2.0 would be nice.
where are the first sample pics (full size) made with the new lens? 😉
Flag sh#it camera 🙂
what a quick witted and intelligent chap full frame is , one can only marvel
Yes, his sense of humour is really full-frame 😉
do Full Frame photograpers prefer full frame women ?
I guess so. The bigger the better is their slogan.
And guess what, they (Full frame women) have a bigger sensor too. 😉
You sound threatened.
This amuses me greatly.
Indeed. Don’t need a degree in psychology to see the anxiety here.
FF-only lovers screaming in panic at what is slowly approaching to take away that wonderful feeling of huuuugeness (a handful of square mm, but still) they identify with. APS-C was always kept at bay by Canikon, but Oly doesn’t care about that.
I say: bring us more FF fanboy angst! (We m43 users are so insecure, you know. lol)
Well I mean really… say if I owned, and was happy with a full frame camera, why the hell would I spend a single minute in some other format’s user forum?
Would I not just be out taking pictures of eyelashes with my precious millimeter thin DOF? Oh how grand life would be!
But no, instead this dork probably spent many thousands on FF as a substitute for a girlfriend, has found it lacking, and so now has to come belittle others to feel better about his pathetic excuse of a life.
Harsh but fair! How many m43 users here ever go on ff forums? (Unless you also own in ff)
FOUL FRAME
I have always asked why not simply put the new sensor and stabilization into the E-520?
@admin Wouldn’t the other two new products be battery grip and waterproof housing?
Another lens besides the 12-40mm would be welcome. Pana and Oly have been slow to release new lenses lately, focusing mainly on updates. If there’s another lens, I hope it’s a focal length that we don’t have already. Wide prime hint hint. But it’s probably a 25mm 1.8.
Some 4/3 ers still don’t get that the point of mirrorless is not only doing away with the mirrorbox, but also having half the Distance to Flange, which allows for smaller lenses, at least in the wide range.
O. C. doing away with an OVF, eliminates the need to chimp, and can convey all useful information for proper exposure in the EVF.
Finally not being constrained by the movement of the mirror, allows incrase of fps, electronic shutter, and of course ultrafast AF.
Oly know well all this, therefore I would be vastly surprised that if backwards compatibility with 4/3 lenses is good enough they allow an E-7.
Why would one want to buy for good money half a camera? There must be a limit, even to nostalgia.
+1
“Some 4/3 ers still don’t get that the point of mirrorless is not only doing away with the mirrorbox, but also having half the Distance to Flange […]”
It’s impossible for the “4/3 ers” because double flange distance was one of the main features of the FourThirds, allowing for the edge to edge sharpness. New lens designs (as employed by m43) allow to compensate for that with halved flange back distance, but still literally all m43 lenses perform slightly (or not so slightly) worse than their 43 brethren. I personally am fine with that, but some surely might find that objectionable.
“”It’s impossible for the “4/3 ers” because double flange distance was one of the main features of the FourThirds, allowing for the edge to edge sharpness””
The edge to edge sharpness comes from the ease of designing lenses for a much smaller sensor ,helped by the 4×3 ratio which cuts out using 8-10% of the extreme edge of the image circle compared to 3×2 ratio sensors, then FT fans typically compare to larger format lenses at the same nominal aperture rather than at the same effective aperture.
Then you have the fact that the best FT lenses are as large and heavy and expensive as FF options. So small sensor, 4×3 crop, disproportionately large heavy and expensive lenses aid by the fans ability to ignore accurate comparisons jib done
You forgot that Olympus made their 4/3 lenses telecentric or near telecentric. The exit pupil of 4/3 lenses are oversized compared to the sensor. That’s why they are big. If you make a telecentric lens for FF it’s exit pupil would have been around 3 inches in diameter. The technology that was available when 4/3 was designed gave problems with light falloff in the corners on a FF sensor. That was the problem Olympus tried to solve when they designed the 4/3 system.
Yes, exactly. In fact the lesser distance to flange makes things more difficult for wides, but doesn’t change much resolution for teles.
You can still find some telecentric lenses in native m4/3, but the trend has been to take in to play FW correction.
However in wides there is still a resolution drop at the edges. BTW the problem is there, and probably worse for mirrorless FF, Both Leica and Sony had to add microlenses.
You should really check S. Huff’s ‘strange comparisons’ to get familiar with the differences. m4/3 fares rather well, actually.
However those large and expensive lenses allow a 43rds user to get within 1 stop of a FF camera. 1 stop is basically negligible in most scenarios… However for a lot of people the difference in price between a 300mm f2.8 and a 150mm f2, or a 90-250 f2.8 and a 500mm f4 (prime not even zoom) or a 300mm f2.8 or a 600mm f4 etc.
One stop sacrificed for a price and weight saving for those who care.
m43rds now has a set of lovely primes, and make no attempt to close any gap, even with APSC lenses, so you now have a 2 stop diff. minimum with a FF system, which to close, you have to buy a FF system 🙂
> However those large and expensive lenses allow a 43rds user to get within 1 stop of a FF > > > camera. 1 stop is basically negligible in most scenarios… However for a lot of people the > > > difference in price between a 300mm f2.8 and a 150mm f2, or a 90-250 f2.8 and a 500mm f4 > > > (prime not even zoom) or a 300mm f2.8 or a 600mm f4 etc.
I’m sorry, but your math may be wrong:
Canon 24-70mm/2.8 L II weight:805g price:1800€
Olympus 14-35/2.0 weight:915g price:2193€
Canon 70-200mm 2.8 L II weight:1490g price:1989€
Olympus 35-100/2.0 weight:1650g price:2199€
with MFT you loose two stops, but in a far smaller package and to a smaller price
Nice discussion, thanks everybody.
> Canon 24-70mm/2.8 L II weight:805g price:1800€
> Olympus 14-35/2.0 weight:915g price:2193€
actually both are $2299
> Canon 70-200mm 2.8 L II weight:1490g price:1989€
> Olympus 35-100/2.0 weight:1650g price:2199€
actually both are $2499
Prices at B&H.
Oly lenses are indeed marginally larger and heavier, but one stop faster. On an E-M1 the package becomes very competitive, while being smaller and lighter overall.
The only advantage of mFT is its size if you are keen enough to carry SHG glass not to mention pay for it why not go FF with better AF [i will eat my hat if the e-m1 is as good at C-AF or tracking as top DSLR cameras],better DR, higher resolution,better high ISO , and a huge catalog of native AF lenses available
because most of the time I do not need the shg glass, and love the oly primes, and the pan-leica 25mm. For the rare but important occasions that I do want a longer distance then the SHG is perfect; for the size and weight, can you really get any other lens in FF that matches the IQ of the 150mm f2? ( or adding on the TCec14 or ec20)
I feel misunderstood. SHG is equal in price at least by B&H. Size and weight is the same in practice.
Second, you will likely eat that hat and be made to swallow (user Anonymous always makes the boldest claims!).
Third, 4/3 + m43 lenses + being able to mount legacy SLR (loving my Speedbooster for Nikon) *AND* RF glass is already beyond any comparison with DSLR systems. State-of-the-art EVF and focus peaking make this complete. NO CAMERA compares with the E-M1 in this respect.
Finally, anybody who shoots FF knows about DR (I also use a Fuji S5), high iso and superior resolution. So yeah, I know. Can’t wait for the King, halelujah! 🙂
All benefits I want…
Now, if they can match the quality and durability of the standard 4/3 lenses.
I personally agree, but my partner will not use anything with an EVF – the EVF causes her eyestrain so she has to stick with a traditional viewfinder
Using the rear LCD display would be another option. Just sayin’ 😉
Would the other item be the adapter for the new em1 to house ft lens, maybe, I hope they don’t make an e-7 . I am sold on the new omd em1 for sure.
there is no new adapter for the EM-1; the leaked engaged video showed clearly it was an MMF-3. No new adapter is needed, because the sensor has been adapted to include PDAF, to give the increased AF performance needed 🙂 happy days! Pick up a cheap MMF-3 copy like the Voltrox – i have just done this as want to use it on my OMD for the next few months till the EM1 becomes available!
I believe the MMF-3, although sealed, is a plastic one. So making an MMF-4 in full metal for sturdiness and handling of the bigger SHG Zuikos is a good idea, to comply w/ the quality of the camera body and the lenses themselves. IOW no weak link anymore. Keep in mind that the MMF-3 is also attached to a micro mount only, so maximum strength for a 3kg+ lens is imperative.
the voltrox I bought is metal, but not sealed, but it is a very tight fit – changing in a hurry is not going to happen! But I suspect too that that means it is pretty waterpoof, and as good as it gets for sturdiness (like you side the m43 mount is probably the weakest link)
MMF-3 is metal, not plastic. Except the O-ring of course.
A bit of a distraction, but on the “leaked” images of the OM-1, has anyone any idea what the raised “button” is for, which is located in the centre of the circular P A S M etc. mode dial on the top of the camera? The OM-D does not have this…..
Methinks maybe an additional programmable Function button? DOF?. Button backight on/off? Wi-Fi on/off?
Dial lock button.
It’s a dial lock. You have to depress it to rotate the dial.
Back in late January at CP+ in the Olympus booth there was a large poster showing the cameras coming this year. It mentioned E-P5 by name and then OMD-series and E-series. I really don’t think a new E-series camera makes sense but it is Olympus we are talking about. 🙂
what kind of revolt would take place, if the OMD EM-6 comes out next year with a new gen sensor, surpassing that of the em1’s tweaked 2 year old sensor ? for $500 less ????
wouldnt it be nice if the sensor of the EM1 were ‘swappable’, so that a new sensor could be installed at a later time ?
“…surpassing that of the em1′s tweaked 2 year old sensor…”
The E-M1 sensor is not the same as the one in the E-M5. This one is PDAF-enabled, and as such has to be different pr. design. It’s still 16 mpx though, but I’d wager it is another sensor from ground up. That said, the IQ might not be that much different though, as the PDAF pixels might subtract from those building the picture. But if the PDAF pixels come in addition to those 16 mpx RGB-pixels, the resulting IQ will probably be slightly better than the E-M5, provided this sensor is a more recent design.
that’s my big issue at the moment. if i dont have any 4/3 lenses, then should i wait for the next EM5 ?.. Maybe a tweaked EM5 sensor which is set up for 4/3 and with only a ‘slight’ increase in quality, is not really what i’m looking for..
of course we’ll have to wait for the tests. Frankly for me, I imagine the next gen of sensor will have less noise and more DR (although physics states that the smaller sensors will never be noise free like their big brothers, due to the fact that the ‘light buckets’ are too close together…
I remember that computer chip makers said that chip speeds would hit a brick wall because the physical distance between circuits (?) are limited by technology.. and then they found new technology to make the circuits smaller… or to stack them.. or make them organic…etc… but it may take years for that to happen in sensors… i could wait .. but i’m really itching to get sucked into this m4/3rd market before it goes the way of the BetaMax
Stephen – depends on what you like to shoot! I looooove my EM5, the lenses for m43 for wide angle through to the glorious 75mm and even the 35-100mm are truly superb!! The m43 current failure is for all things sport and wildlife. The 100-300mm is a pile of turd (cheap though); I end of using my 35-100mm and cropping – not a great solution. So the real solution is to use the epic 4/3rds glass; 50-250mm or the 150mm f2 (+ec 14, and ec20 tc) I have picked these all up second hand on ebay in the last week and cant wait to try them!
4/3 would be the smart thing to do, but the glass is larger and heavier. If i used those lenses then i would REALLY be guilty for dumping my d7000. 95% of my shooting is static street or landscape.. continuous autofocus is not an issue.. size and weight of the camera/lens is what i’m primarily looking at…
and dont tell me to buy a point and shoot.. i currently use a Nikon p510 with that yucky EVF and so-so dynamic range..
i’ve till this point stayed away from APC mirrorless like the Sonys due to the size of the lenses…
thanks for the reply !
if 95% of your shooting is static street or landscape then surely you could use primes which are not so large even for APS.If you don’t mind manual focus { pretty easy job with wide angle}there are many excellent small options.I use mFT for travel and lightweight FF for landscape and studio,I am interested in the Nex 7 replacement hopefully it will have a bit higher MP count, the next Nex plus the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 would make a perfect reasonable sized kit fo0r a lot of my shooting.I have seen some excellent results from my friends D7100+ 18-35mm kit.Out and about I typically shoot in the 28-50mm zone so this lens is ideal , it is a bit large but when I consider it replaces a 28mm,35mm and 50mm at a fast aperture and its size is fine.A lot of the FT glass is very large and heavy
I love my omd for everything except wildlife and sport (do I will be getting EM1 as soon as it is available) I am not expecting a big increase in IQ but you never know! For landscape and street, the 12mm f2 is a beautiful lense! The 45mm is cheap and great for portraits! I use the 17mm for social stuff and walk around primarily because 35mm equiv just suits me. I also have the 12-35mm which I love as my main walk around camera.
The omd em-5 is truly an awesome camera – and you will see price drops once the em1 is produced – or buy one second hand and spend the money on glass!
@stephen If you’re not immediately needing to make a change, wait. Within a couple of weeks we will have answers to some of the questions about the EM-1, its sensor etc. Within a month or 2 we should have all the answers, including comparative tests. If you can be patient, you will in a short time have the information you need to make a good decision. Be careful of information gained from the forums though, so much of it is speculative, based upon somebody else’s wants or desires. It is fun to read, but take it all with a grain of salt. The real facts will be available soon.
My opinion though is that the EM1 will be a good step above the EP5 overall, with minor incremental improvements in image quality. But we could be surprised with a new sensor that makes a more substantial difference. (there were rumors as to such but not quite believable at the time.) Lens wise, unless you are seriously into sports and wildlife, the current lens lineup from Olympus and Panasonic have all the bases covered for most types of work, with more higher quality optics to come.
Completely agree with this, with addition if great second hand 4/3rds lenses for wildlife and sport 🙂
An PDAF patent so Olympus have from two years ago can the be sam sensor, the Olympus do is only use micro lens by difference focus, so the is only an tweaking by CDAF but the give right info to AF on lens by only PDAF too.
“An PDAF patent so Olympus have from two years ago can the be same sensor…”
I strongly doubt that.
PDAF pixels require a totally different design, circuitry and processing pipeline, hence emdedding them in the sensor will require a different tech, physics and production. Such pixels does not exist in the E-M5 sensor at all, and tweaking a regular Bayer RGB pixel for PDAF just cannot be done. Therefore the E-M1 sensor will be a new one.
Which I suspect will also benefit plain CDAF-based m4/3 optics as well, as PDAF may be utilized for supporting/determine the initial focusing (direction and coarse amount), before CDAF finishes it off w/ finer and final adjustments. IOW, the same method as used for native 4/3 lenses. But m4/3 focusing will be quicker anyhow I suspect, due to the fact of less optical elemnts in motion (smaller lenses), and focus motors natively optimized for CDAF in the first place.
I think here is the patent,
http://www.43rumors.com/new-olympus-patent-to-improve-af/
Great find indeed.
I am pretty sure the E-M6 will have a next generation sensor.
Me too. It is simply too important to have such a CAF enhancing feature. Contrary to many I find that it is the only missing feature in any coming model. The old ergos I can take easily, although I would love an Oly version of the GX7.
Also consider the backwards compatibility: even if you are not interested, it is a huge advantage that Panny won’t have. So yes, I assume E-M6 would have it too.
Touch and try the models… hehe….
/I’m so mature
Nice one…… Flight to Tokio, booked! 😉
I’m sold on the idea of an em1+mmf3 with excellent pdaf/cdaf as a light weight pro body for my 43 lenses and as a larger rugged body for my m43 lenses.
I’m not so interested anymore in a camera the size and weight of an e5 and if Olympus were to bring one out I personally wouldn’t give it a second look if it were larger and heavier than an e1 or pentax k5. There’s no need for that kind of mass when one can add a battery grip to a k5 sized camera when you need to use SHG zuikos.
What would be interesting is an e7 around a pentax k5 size and weight that does af equally as well as a 7d or 70d with all the latest tech. People have different needs and all this may be subjective at the end of the day but for me Olympus can differentiate itself with smaller and better rather than something that will have to compete with canikon on there terms.
You want a small lightweight camera to mount huge heavy FT lenses wise move lol
Every time a FFanatic posts a comment like this, you can be certain that they have never actually used any big glass and that they wouldn’t know how to handle it if they had the opportunity.
i cant believe all this bickering between full framers and m 4/3 people..
Of course FF is way ahead of m4/3.. but the m4/3rd group buys in because their priority is portability rather than quality of image… i have a d7000.. i would be happier with a d600 than an em-5.. but i want a smaller camera.. and i will most likely be more than pleased with the images it produces…
Interesting that full framers comes to an 4/3 m4/3 site with their bickering. Show me an full frame site where the opposite is true! I’m 100% shure that you can’t find any.
I’m afraid this is one of us µ43 people being mean to 43 people, which makes no sense to me, as a person who uses Leica R tele lenses on an E-PM1…
(What can I say? I like looking ridiculous and unbalanced. Hasn’t everyone noticed?)
To clarify, I’m referring to Anonymous’s comment…
Anonymous sure posts a lot of things, eh? 🙂
Minions without name
Teardrops fill the dusty frame
135 still sighs!
To be honest , I tend to agree with the point about the large SHG lenses the logic is pretty sound.If I was going to pay £1907 for the FT 35-100 which is £330 more than the Nikon 70-200VR2 as well as being heavier and longer !.I would opt for using FF as you have all the image quality advantages with no worthwhile weightgain .mFT is perfect for me I do not want to carry that kind of weight I just do not see any logic in these lenses for mFT.
http://www.camerapricebuster.com/Olympus/Olympus-SLR-Lenses/Olympus-ZUIKO-DIGITAL-ED-35-100mm-1%3A2.0-Lens
http://www.camerapricebuster.com/Nikon/Nikon-FX-Lenses/Nikon-AF-S-70-200mm-f2.8G-ED-VR-II-Lens
Bogus. Those lenses are similar across systems.
Therefore: if the E-M1 is the camera for you, there is NO REASON to also have a FF body on the side. “Reason” as in “dictated by rational thinking”.
On a personal note: what will become of my one FF body when the E-M1 arrives? I can only hope my (yet to buy) D600 will be competitive, but
the D600’s *TINY* AF sensor area
is probably
NO MATCH
for the King.
(Big image sensors have teeny weeny AF areas. This is called irony.)
E-M1:
Missing Flash, Panorama Stitching & 12-60mm Lens!!!!!!
Give it pls to us & let us decide if we use it & not you!
The GX7 is for you.
A huge amount of speculation in all directions, which can be fun at times, I admit. Many of the directions are contradictory, though, so some of the comments are getting rather too intense one way or the other 🙂 We really have to wait about two weeks then start looking at the reviews, particularly the hands-on ones from photographers with experience, such as Robin Wong.
The trend market says that people prefer DSLR over mirrorless design, it is possible a new E-series, in my opinon.
It will be a sh#t can’t be use for sports maybe for asian Chics to take pics if cats and puddles old geriatric guy can’t hold a camera I use the omd for cycling but do not compare at all with my ff canons
I know a much better name for you, which can also be abbreviated to FF
Full Fail
How dismal must your life be, to come here ragging on another format? What is the point? What do you think you’re achieving exactly?
Why aren’t you off taking pics of your tiny penis in glorious FF detail? I mean that IS why you have a big camera, is it not?
FOUL FRAME
^_^
True that shity camera can’t be used fir sports oh yes shure for chees
Man, live is tough! Hanging on the ropes getting pounded silly.
“I love the smell of FF angst in the morning.” — prospective E-M1 buyer, August 2013
Put those Full Frame shoulders and muscles of yours to good use, shove those huge FF lenses and bodies in that wheelbarrow and roll out of here cause from what I see, your lame and immature comments are getting very stale around here and the people here have been too patient with you.