Olympus UK launched a photo competition and one of the prizes is “the soon to be announced latest high-end compact from Olympus“. We already know what it is. The Stylus 1 that will be announced on October 29 and feature a 1:1.7 inch sensor and 24-300mm zoom.
This could be the last announcement from the year for Olympus. Both, Olympus and Panasonic are likely going to announce more new products in January. And I expect some great new stuff by then!
45 Responses
There is an error in the article: “The Stylus 1 that will be announced on August 29”
I think that’s October 29!
Would somebody be upset on me If I considered this thing a kitch?
I agree with you.
I agree, no buy
Kitsch has three attributes: non-original, sentimental and mass produced. So you’re right.
Absolutely! but you forgot the 4th element…
It’s just plain tacky.
Compare that design to the GM1… NO contest!
Not a fan of Olympus design either, but other people like it. GM1 and GX7 for me.
1st Prize Winner in a butt-ugly contest. Still, it might prove interesting……..to Stevie Wonder.
And any news about the high end compact with 4/3 sensor? I wish Oly would make one to compete with the Fuji X100s. Or a very pocketable one without EVF to compete with the Ricoh GR or Coolpix A. Or even one to compete with the Canon G1X (with a zoom).
I think there is a market for big sensor cameras without interchangeable lenses. The biggest sales of DSLRs have always been low end ones with kit zooms, and those customers didn’t even bother to buy other lenses. Many people want good quality, but they don’t want to change lenses.
+1
24-300 is same as 12-150 MFT ?
yes
Thank you. do we know aperture à 24mmm?
Except that it is not an MFT sensor – so why would it matter?
Nothing.. i’m just asking what was the zoom range in MFT equivalent, that’s all…
Are there any rumors about new Pens (PL7 and P6) for 2014? The next OMD is coming at the end of 2014?
The replacement for the E-M5 will be announced next year that’s for sure.
I thought OMD-EM5 successor is expected begining 2014 .mmmmhhh
Maybe it´s an e´high-end camera, but for sure it is not a compact camera. DOA – dead on arrival. I even sold my XZ-2 because it is everything, but not compact.
It was announced 2 months ago. I ebayed mine off already.
Successor of the E-M5 will only appear in 2-3 years :
“Wann kommt ein Nachfolgemodell oder Upgrade zur E-M5? Könnte Olympus nicht ein Softwareupgrade für Geld anbieten?
Ein E-M5 Nachfolger wird es erst in 2-3 Jahren geben. Ein Upgrade wird es nicht geben. Es entspricht nicht der Philosophie von Olympus Softwareupgrades für Geld anzubieten.”
Translation :
Q : When will a successor or an upgrade of the E-M5 show up ? Could Olympus offer a paying software upgrade for the E-M5 ?
A : A successor of the E-M5 will only appear in 2-3 years. There will be no software upgrading. It doesn’t correspond to Olympus philosophy to offer paying software upgrades.
PS : Keep in mind that there may be some language communication issues : Toshiyuki Terada from what I have got through YouTube interviews isn’t very fluent in English and this interview is reported by a German speaker.. So there may be some interpretation glitches (and for full disclosure, this translation from German to English is made by a French speaker..).
If you read German, the whole report published by SystemKamera.de is there :
http://www.systemkamera-forum.de/blog/2013/10/olympus-om-d-e-m1-fragestunde-terada-fotomax/
But when the E-M5 was issued, Olympus told that the OM-D was a new line of cameras and that there would be both a higher end model and a lower end one.
So it is quit probable that we will see a lower end E-M model before getting an E-M5 successor.
Add to that the fact that the E-M5 is already a very good camera which doesn’t really need much improvement.
Your translation was quite good-from the German point of view 😉
And I think you conclusion as well- I talked 15minutes with Mr. terada on one of this promo events. And from what I understand the next om-d will be the lower model. He explained that the Olympus politic is to have a high end model first, and come up with a lower/cheaper model with integrated Vf later, as a second body, or for those people who doesn’t need the pro features of the e-m1.
I bet it’s a non weathersealed, old ibis om-d, in an updated bodyshape, closer to the pen5, then the e-m5. And if they price it below 900euro it will be a good seller. 😉
Thank you for your translation. It’s good information.
What’s with the ugly square shape around the lens?
It’s a petal shaped integrated hood/cap 😉
I’m not sure about this. IMHO, I think that Olympus is diluting the OMD brand with this design.
My thoughts as well.
What cannot they make this with M4/3 mount then we can add C Mount lenses.
No way I’m going to get it even for someone .
Not really appeal to my taste , definitely prefer GM1 over this . Sorry , Olympus , you get it wrong this time .
This is very exciting. Depending on aperture it might be my first Oly in a very long time.
Panny GM1 vs Oly Stylus 1 analysis.
GM1 looks like nothing, but has everything including sizable sensor and flash (except hot shoe and flip screen).
Stylus 1 has nothing (1/1.7″ sensor), but looks like it has everything (hot shoe and flip screen) but misses flash.
Unless the Oly dials give surprising control, and that lens is surprisingly strong, and pricing is <$400, I don't see Stylus 1 selling well.
I also agree the Stylus 1 look dilutes the E-M5 brand.
Panny seems to have the better approach here — maximizing MFT strengths against Sony RX1/10/100.
I also like what Sony has done with their A3000 — crappy camera that looks like a dSLR! (Sony is diluting the sSLR image). Very tricky.
So Panny and Sony seems to have fixed targets for their cameras. What's Oly's target for the Stylus 1?
XZ cameras have IBIS, a fast lens, and a nice dial ring (around the lens)… the “small” SH50 even has 5 axis IBIS on its 24x zoom (24-600 equiv). We can guess this new stylus will probably have IBIS (2 or 5-axis) and a fast zoom (rumored to be constant 2.8). Add an integrated EVF and you get a nice and versatile high end compact (I can’t imagine a 24-300 m43 being as compact and cost less, but this stylus isn’t aimed to compete in that category anyway).
they are not direct competitors, – it’s just that they are introduced around the same time. ( just like em1 and gx7 – it seems like pana and oly do it on purpose? trying to steal each others thunder without going head to head directly – polite rivalry?)
anyways –
if you have a compact camera and want to get something better (which is unavoidable), you have different options, depending on your idea of better:
– smaller? go for smartphone
– bigger sensor ? go for MFT (or other) – eg. GM1
– more zoom range? go for bridge/superzoom – eg. Stylus1
– more of everything? gor for a DSLR
there is no “this is better than that” or “this camera is dead on arrival” just because it doesn’t appeal to me personally. I’m surprised so many people take these camera business so personally, when they’re really mass produced consumer goods.
might be interested if the stylus 1 has weatherproofing, and who knows hidden flash, which would be handy…. All depends how big it realy is and how good that lens/sensor combo is.
The E-M5jr doesn’t look that compact to me.
Different looks same old tiny sensor yawn.
Whether it is kitch or not, is not really interesting from a usability point of view.
In my view, the XZ-1 was a beauty — prettier than the XZ-2, and, of course, much prettier than the new camera pictured here. The GM1 looks nice — in a similar category as the XZ-1.
I used the XZ-1 with VF-2, and liked it a lot. The new Stylus 1 is like an XZ-n with built-in EVF, which I like. The XZ-1 always was in danger of having the VF-2 knocked off. Also, the Stylus 1 seems to be quite compact even with a 24-300 zoom. If the lens is fast, e.g. 2.8, that would be good. Or even better if it would be 1.8-something.
I have to say that when I moved from the XZ-1 to the PEN E-P3, that was a solid improvement in image quality. Likewise, the step up to the E-M5 gave a similar improvement in image quality! (Noise level, white balance, etc.)
So — the GM1 is a beauty. But would I buy it? Most likely not. Although the kit lens is relatively small and perhaps of good quality, it is relatively slow. So slow that the large sensor looses quite a bit of its advantage compared to the RX100 (crop factors 2 vs 2.7). But you can change the lens on the GM1??!! Yes, but to me the GM1 seems small and difficult to operate, even more so with a lens larger then the kit zoom, with too little gain in usefulness compared to e.g. my E-M5.
So for me, I don’t feel like picking up the card for neither the Stylus 1 nor the GM1. I don’t think the readers here are the main target for Stylus 1 anyway. But it seems like a few of you will buy the GM1, which is good for business, I guess.
One irony is that when it finally goes on sale, it might be nearly the same price as the actual E-M5.
could it be a compact m43 like the gm1 with ibis?
Huh? Does anyone really think 1/1.7″ is a large sensor? Maybe it’s the 6 inch tall man who thinks 1/2.3″ is full frame…
This new camera is a welcome treat in the “compact&bridge market” and i already know that 1/1.7 sensor is able to deliver perfect image quality ( i’ve already used Canon G10 & G15 & tried the Coolpix P7700…). Olympus & Sony will be ahead of the latest non innovative and recycling Canon & Nikon compact products (G15-G16 / Coolpix P7700-P7800) that are not appealing anymore in front of the Sony RX10 and Olympus Stylus 1. These 2 bodies seems to be very well built (we still lack information about the Stylus 1 in the meantime)with essential features such as decent EVF,titling screens and interesting zoom ranges that Canikon are unable to offer so far !…
I’ll have to make a choice between the 2 products as a backup camera and forget my loyalty to Canon G powershoot products for the first time !
1/1.7 in sensor ? RX10 destroys this thing easily, unless this thing is priced in the crappy cam range.
As far as ultimate image quality, yes, the RX10 will smoke the Stylus, but in most all of the other categories, there is the potential for the opposite. We’ll just have to wait and see.
So they made fusion of XZ1/2 + EVF + Auto lense sap and E-M5 styling.
Personally I’m not impressed