Sorry guys for the confusion but now I am 100% sure about it: The new OMD camera coming in January is also the E-M5 successor. The confusion started because two of my sources have been told the E-M5 will still remain on sale for 2014. This lead us to believe that the new OMD camera will not replace the E-m5. As I learned tonight after a short discussion with trusted sources is that the new OMD will indeed be the E-M5 successor. But the original E-M5 camera will remain in production and available for sales even after the successor announcement.
Also confirmed: it has the same E-M5 sensor with E-M1 imaging processor.
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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
129 Responses
Will probably also add the new wifi tech from the E-M1 as well
”new OMD will indeed be the E-M5 successor. But the original E-M5 camera will remain in production and available for sales even after the successor announcement.”
That makes no sense! is it because he new OMD will be even more expensive?
You can at this moment buy brand new Olympus E-P3 and the successor E-P5, E-PL3 and successor E-PL5, E-PM1 and successor E-PM2. Panasonic does the same with their line ups so nothing strange with this approach.
Surely this is because Old ‘un-sold’ stock is still hanging around. Not because Olympus and Panasonic are still producing older camera models today!!
You could be wrong. I know that the E-PL1 was produced even when the E-PL3 was already in store.
Wow! Doesn’t seem to make any sense really. Surely the profit margins on those products will be much lower as the price falls steadily, while their continued availability will also take away sales of the latest products with the highest margins? Not that I’m an expert in these things. . .
But, seeing that the EM5 has already turned a large profit in its cycle, anything at this point is gravy. Let us not forget that a camera is largely an entry into a system, hooking buyers so that they become invested. A year from now, or two, three, this buyer will likely buy a new camera body and a few lenses along the way.
What I will be more interested in, seeing that this will essentially be an EM5 with wifi and a new processor (if rumors are accurate, which seem logical) is who will be willing to pay a premium for the new camera? This is where the discounting will really come into play and will set the EM5’s price at just the right spot to not entirely poach the replacement, but still make money. I’d also assume that many of the components will be carried over, manufacturing costs shouldn’t stray too far from the EM5 line, yet we’ll see a bump in cost. Call it the early adopter fee, or just premium for current tech, but it does also illustrate to us that they can sell these cameras for a lower cost, but adjust to as high a point as they can to maximize profit. No foul there, every company does it, but we need to ask ourselves if we will justify the premium, knowing that in 6 months to a year, this new model, which has essentially the same components as far as IQ goes, will also be discounted.
With any new model that really pushes tech forward, like the EM5 did with a new sensor, sealing, IBIS, etc, I feel the price is pretty justified, or at the very least, debatable. When that tech has been developed, while R&D costs have been recouped, placing essentially the same exact tech in a new set of clothes and charging a premium while really only adding a few common bells and whistles is where I feel these companies start to get a little greedy. But, again, it’s not an uncommon thing, and just the way the ball rolls.
Hmm yeah it is a little odd. Sounds like not necessarily a “successor” as it is replacing it in the line? In some ways it will be improved, in others it won’t ie plastic body. Perhaps there will be only two choices in the OM-D line? I wonder if this will be a plastic version of the E-M1.
The E-M5 has a magnesium body.
Most of the older models that are listed as available on the manufacturers’ websites, are probably not in production anymore, but they are still available because there are large quantities in stock.
However, new models aren’t always discontinued as soon as their successors are released. For example, when Canon updates their Rebel line, the older model usually takes a lower slot in the line-up, becoming a sort of budget alternative to the new model. The exception was when the Rebel T5i (700D) was released. The T4i (650D) was discontinued, because the differences between the two models were only cosmetical, and the even older T3i (600D) was kept in the line-up instead. Canon actually manufactures both models, so it’s not just that they have remaining stock of the old model.
Most likely, Olympus intend to do something similar, i.e. offer the original E-M5 as a cheaper alternative for those who want an OM-D at a more affordable price.
So, price cuts on the E-M5 coming soon?
Pointless question of the day award for you! Wear it proudly!
This may actually be a smart question, it could be exactly the way olympus is thinking about sales and prices of em5/1 and this ‘successor’.
In Finland they already sell it for 600 Euros, so I guess we can expect a reduction from 900 Euro to 600 Euro in the Euro zone.
Lowest so far I’ve seen is 549EUR.
Finnland is memeber of EU since 1995. So we already have a E-M5 price drop.
Ok, I should have wrote “also in the rest of the Euro zone”
Video specs? PAL support?
Second Pointless question.
So because you don’t care it’s pointless to the entire world?
It doesn’t have PAL now ?
Doesn’t seem right…..they’ve given themeselves little to no time to make any substantial or significant progress over the previous em5.
Same body and chassis as em5, em1 evf, latest trupic 7,
Little to no video improvement because em5 sensor wasn’t designed for 4k or even GH3 video quality.
Is Olympus buying time for another year till some killer Sony sensor tech will be ready by simply releasing a highly refined em5 mk2?
It seems that they’ll have a “2 models” strategy: a prosumer flagship (EM1), and an average consumer model (EM5). IMO they needed to re-align the release schedule to put the top level model on the market before the average one. Hence this EM5 succesor can’t be ahead of the EM1 and will probably not show any superior feature over the EM1: so I agree we’ll have to wait for the next release cycle (1 or 2 years?) to see something “new” on EM1’s successor (4k? Better EVF? Truepic VIII? New sensor?).
The E-M5 is still a great camera, I agree that it’s successor should be mildly updated (video, evf, shutter and processor) and called a mark II or E-M5N. Put that at the original E-M5 price point of $1000 and drop the current E-M5 to $650.
Then.. Bring in E-P7 with EVF to compete with GX7 at about $800. Keep E-P5 and E-PL5 but drop price point to $600 and $500. Later on the E-PL7 replaces both. E-PM7 to replace E-PM2 and compete with GM1.
Oly, give me a job! (B.E./BSc 2014 USYD)
A couple of weeks ago I was trying to decide whether to buy the GX7 or EM5 when they were both selling for $900 with the kit lens. It was a very close call but I decided to go with the GX7 for the electronic shutter, focus peaking and wifi even though I really liked the weather sealing and better IBIS on the EM-5. If it was available I probably would have bought this camera instead. The lack of an updated EM-5 cost Olympus a sale.
Small incremental improvements are needed to keep up with the competition. They do not have to be so impressive that owners of the current model will upgrade to make business sense.
IMO, they really need to get that price down. $900 would be too high, if this is truly entry level. I liked the idea of a three camera progression between low, mid and pro, but now it sounds like that’s not the case. I think it would be a mistake if this is what actually happens…
It sounds more like a 3-tiered OM-D line IS the case; The E-M1 is at the top, new E-M5 in the middle, old E-M5 at the bottom.
To speculate on the future of the line:
When third gen E-M5 comes out it takes the middle spot, second gen moves to the bottom, first gen falls of the list.
Do E-M5 owner need a camera with same sensor and E-M1 processor?
I think most ‘normal’ people don’t buy every version of a camera every year. Not the weirdos on here that make up a tiny fraction of the market.
It’s probably mostly aimed at people who don’t already an E-Mx camera.
ISO100, 1/8000s, wifi, more positive feeling buttons, new higher res EVF etc lots of nice new things the new one can have with the same sensor.
Probably not. But refreshed/improved camera will be a magnet for new users, since it will have all new tricks of the day, which are now almost mandatory to compete on the market (WiFi, probably better EVF, focus peaking… you name it). And it will be NEW, which is also a magnet for small hipsters, which live deep inside in many of us…
The only reason I could see to replace the E-M5 at this time would be if somebody needs better af.
The minimum spec this E-M5 replacement will need to sell are:
– The same EVF as the E-M1
– The same 1/8000 sec
– 3.5mm audio input
Otherwise, people will just get the E-M1 or stay with the E-M5.
“- The same EVF as the E-M1”
1.4Mpix is fine.
“- The same 1/8000 sec”
Few people need that. For crazies who shoot bright sunlight @ f/1.8, there are ND filters.
“- 3.5mm audio input”
Very few consumers shoot their videos with external mics. And this camera is in the consumer segment, not pro.
To sell it, it needs to be reasonably light (not like E-M1), weather-sealed (otherwise there are too many competitors for $500 or lower), have working autofocus (including C-AF with tracking because most people these days go for a real camera only when their smartphone or an old P&S cannot shoot their child’s sports) AND BE REASONABLY PRICED (and not trying to ask $1100-$1300 with lens when k-30 or Canon with lens can be had for $500).
I disagree. The EVF on the E-M5 works fine but I didn’t enjoy using due to its poor resolution (and bad colour). An updated EVF would be very welcome.
And the 1/8000th shutter (or even electronic) would be awesome too. Although it might not be a necessity for the crazies who enjoy owning ND filters for each different sized lens and swapping them every time they enter or exit a building.
The advise I got from several videographer is not to trust sound from *any* cameras, except at best as a crutch for synchronizing in the mix. You want great sound, never mind the 3.5cm jack, get a zoom h1 or something similar. Great video is lots of work anyways.
I strongly disagree. I used to own an EM-5, but never used the viewfinder because I found it uncomfortable. Resolution was decent, but it was like staring into a hole with a mini TV on the other side. I ended up switching to an E-P5 with VF4, and the difference between the two viewfinders is like night and day. The VF4 is the first electronic viewfinder I’ve ever used that approximates the experience you get with a high quality optical viewfinder.
That’s not to say that EM-5 viewfinder is unusuable–I used it myself when I had no other choice (e.g., bright sunlight)–but the new viewfinder makes a huge difference in user experience.
I lost track of who I’m disagreeing with, but the EM5 was a smash on these pages a year ago. Today it is every bit as good. In fact, it was so good, and at such an attractive size/weight ratio, that I can see no reason to shell out another $1200 for any new model until something breaks.
One faster shutter speed step, etc etc? If any of those were deal killers I would never have bought it. The viewfinder works just fine and I won’t whine and moan about it. I’ve taken it hiking in tropical downpours in Costa Rica and for multi-day trips in driving rain and wind along Hadrian’s Wall, and the little thing did not miss a beat.
The trouble with hitting a home run is that tiny incremental changes don’t make me reach for my wallet.
$1300? I’d just keep the EM5 and put that money toward a Sony A7… certainly not an EM1- the latter being a very nice axe but only micro 4/3 with an eating disorder since it’s the same size as the 135 format sony.
Could you discuss over that rumor again, and change back to: lower end o-md. I like that more than the earlier update of the e-m5 rumor 😉
Don’t think it’s for existing EM5 users. Maybe more for new users with added features over the current EM5, like WiFi and better ergonomics.
Well, the Fv-4,, 1/8000 shutter speed, the new processor, Wi-fi functions, color creator and focus peaking are surely good improvements.
Not a leap forward over E-m5, but i sure many E-m5 users will be tempted by the new camera.
Oh yes, focus peaking! I doubt there will be a 1/8000 though. Anyway, will be skipping this coming model. Just too bad my EM5 doesn’t have wifi and focus peaking…
Exciting.
Please give us better video specc: Pal, 24p and a better codec…
+1000
+1
Now that makes sense. Trying to issue a camera below 2 year old one does not.
great.. oly is still destroying camera value with it´s fast product cycle.
a year ago the e-m5 wouls have cost me 1500 euro.
now i can get it for less then 800 euro. and in february i guess i will only pay 500 euro for it
people who buy olympus gear in the first yeara could just burn the money…..
In Germany the o-md was price stable for over a year, before it got a first price drop. after that the price is still the same in the most shops. That’s quite good for an electronic article…
If you want stable prices, you should buy lenses-there is almost no price drop even after years. It’s quite smart to do so, because you can use the lenses later on the discounted bodies… 😉
Cameras are not intended to be investment assets. These are commodity electronic devices, no company is owes a consumer value retention on a camera.
A great attitude, should be a disclaimer on every ad.
You will lose money if you buy this product. If you like this product, you can buy it for half price a year from now. Love us if we don’t drop the price in under a year.
Since people have infinite cash year after year, this shouldn’t be an issue. No wonder the camera industry is doing so well, cash flooding into it.
Because they can take the passive-aggressive approach: Hey, it’s your fault, Senor Customer: You trusted us.
This is no different from any other electronic product, tablets..PC…cell phones..usb drives
They always get better and the old products are cheaper, if they did not get better they could not compete with the other companies that do improve year after year. The only exception to this is Leica.
In many third world countries (in mine at least) you often only have access to electronics from 2 or 3 generations back and for DOUBLE the price of its original release in US or EU b4 all the later discounts!!
“people who buy olympus gear in the first yeara could just burn the money”
Rather, they have a yeara (whatever that may be) of pictures.
Dammit! This means no new sensor in E-M5 body for two years. I can’t wait that long to replace my E-M5 and I definitely can’t justify myself paying ~1000 EUR for a bigger EVF and better IBIS (wifi, 1/8000s etc aren’t that important).
Poor move, Olympus. Why not wait 6-12 months and release it with a new, better sensor?
Why do you need a new sensor? E-M5 sensor is still good enough and will be good enough for the next few years to make excellent pictures. Anyway, with the current sensor technology there will not be much improvement in future, maybe a few %, for more improvement we have to wait until new sensor technology will be available maybe in 2, 3 years.
Now it makes perfect sense. Sony was talking about organic technology (or whatever it will be) to come out late 2015/early 2016 > the time we will see the new E-M1, the E-M5 III more precisely.
I love my E-M5 but the three things that would make it a perfect camera for me are
1) Bigger, faster, better EVF
2) IBIS from E-M1
3) Better sensor = cleaner images (less noise)
There is no point in paying 1000€ for some minor(IMO) upgrades.
ps. Why wouldn’t I want a better sensor with cleaner images?
OK, 4 things:
4) Better video (25fps, better codec, higher bitrate)
In the last two years, the Sensors didn’t made any progress in still image quality that could be noticed in real life, and that’s true for MFT as well as for APS-C and FF. The industry is focusing on sensor readout speed and the implementation of Phase detection and 4k video at the moment.
I hope it isn’t a downgtrade from E-M5 anywhere…
Olympus will have the same problem as Nikon, Canon, etc., – confused customers. For example, Nikon are still selling D5100, D5200 and D5300 – basically all the same camera. With falling sales in the overall industry there is a build-up of superceded models
So there is hope for 5 axis IBIS and even weather sealing. Still worrying about the banding issues with my beloved 20mm that were solved with the new sensor in the E-M1 but is existent in all cameras with the old sensor. Unfortunately, the E-M1 is too expensive for me, and i don’t need all their features. So I hope they found a solution to fix it.
Sorry, your runout correction is incorrect. The new OM-D that will be announced in Jan does not replace the E-M5.
Then it would be good if you could elaborate. Tell us more!!!
So it´s only a minor upgrade? Sad, because it will cost at least what the E-M5 cost at it´s release.
What about PDAF points, will the camera have them or not? That’s the main question if you ask me. And of course price.
I hope in video specifications that can compete with Panasonic this time…
This is disappointing. The only reason to wait was to get the EM-1 PDAF compatibility in and EM-5 sized body… I guess we’re back to the same sensor for 3 generation mentality.
We can only assume that a EM-1 PDAF system cannot be fit into the body size of the EM-5 or that it cannot be fit into the price point they’re shooting for. Either way it is a disappointment.
Part of me pushes for the EM-1 but then another part of me says, “why pay for an EM-1 when a few dollars more can get you a Sony A7?”
“why pay for an EM-1 when a few dollars more can get you a Sony A7?”
If you have $ for native FE lenses why not? 🙂
They can totally have 2 line of OMD models one that compatible with 43 and one without. I don’t get why do you want PDAF in the EM5 line when you have the EM1 just came out 3 month ago
PDAF is not only for 43 lens support.
C-AF that actually works is also depending on PDAF. There are many micro 43 lenses that would benefit from PDAF and, as a consequence, better C-AF. (most notably tele lenses).
I was extremely frustrated when I tried to take (comparatively very simple) birds-in-flight pictures with the e-m5 and the 100-300 lens from Panasonic. Thats a totally un-usable tool for the job.
+1 Exactly
use able C-AF is the killer feature in the EM-1 compared to the prior mirror-less cameras. Is it as good as a top end DSLR? no, but it is good enough.
Any future OM-D camera needs to have this. The rangefinder-esque pen line can live without it but as long as you want to position the OM-D as a serious DSLR alternative you need to include the best AF you can get to silence the long standing AF complaints against mirror-less.
So no big improvement on IQ, sensor is about the same as E-M5…will wait for the successor of the successor 😀
I feel like in a few years time we will have a new camera with every firmware update….
Still waiting if Olympus will have a firmware for focus peaking in EM5… Looks like it won’t be coming…
YESSS 🙂
I hope they add a sufficient amount of new feature to help me justify an upgrade from my current E-M5!
I don’t see much improvement to be had in the “new” EM-5.
They can probably add a few of the additional features from the E-PL5/E-PM2 like persistent small focus point, assigning mysets to the mode dial, but really these are bugs/oversights that should have been fixed via firmware on the current EM-5.
There is not much worth upgrading for just an improved image processor, 1/8000, and hopefully new EVF.
Really other than the improved IBIS and subjective improved ergonomics, unless you use 4/3 lenses there is no real point to buy the EM-1 over the current EM-5 either.
I just got an E-PL5 for my second body when shooting with primes and video “b” cam.
I would switch to Panasonic if they had some sort of IBIS for video. I love the GX7/GM1 combo, but they are too expensive for now.
I would definitely upgrade my EM-5 if Olympus upped their video specs.
M43 keeps digging and digging and digging and digging and digging their own grave. After al those years ago of releasing their medium quality EM5 they are now bringing the small old tiny not so good sensor in a new probably overpriced body on the market. This is going to be a big big flop. Its the same story with the EM1. No improvements on picture and video quality while the competition is way in front and above them. Hello Sony, Fuji, Samsung, Canon, Nikon etc……
LOL. Some people don’t get it. Of course, most new APS-C sensors are going to be “better” than the so-called tiny m43 sensor. Just like most new full-frame sensors are going to be “better” than APS-C. However, how much better does anyone need? I argue 95% of people don’t need anything more than what most m43 cameras offer. The rest is ego or ignorance. The E-M1 runs circles around any similarly priced dSLR, and in most cases anything twice the price, AND in a much smaller package. That’s what m43 is all about.
Mr. Market disagrees with you. And Mr. Market disagrees that he is the one with ego and ignorance.
The good ship Olympus will hit an iceberg and sink with all hands, confident in their own superiority, because they did not heed Mr. Market.
To my way of thinking, the FF DSLR, and the APS-C DSLR will be kept alive in North America through marketing while the rest of the world abandons APS-C first, and then FF DSLRs leaving FF mirrorless and m4/3rds to battle it out. Yes, interesting times.
troll.
Hi Shenkie. I thought you already owned a Nikon and Fuji – isn’t that how you conducted your never-published test on how poorly m4/3 compares?
Micro Four Thirds: successfully digging its own grave since 2008!
I don’t see the point in a development “partnership” with Sony if a 2 yr old sensor will continue to be used in this camera. That will be disappointing if true.
Well, I just sold my EPL5 to get the EM1, and kept the EM5 for primes and portability. The battery compatibility is the point for me, quality of both are on par, the real benefit of EM1 is the better tracking AF, better than the DSLR priced at the same level.
Yeah, I like the fact that the batteries are the same. A slick move would be if they made a single higher capacity battery, and made it available for every camera they make for the next five years or so. That would set them apart from the competition. It may be somewhat of a gimmick, but people do notice those things….
For an almost 2 year old camera, the E-M5 is impressively up-to-date, no reason to upgrade for happy E-M5 owners.
Guys, no offense, but the Sony A7 is the E-M5 successor.
I don’t know what kind of miracle you are expecting from an E-M6, but other than introducing the minor improvements of the E-P5 / E-M1, there is not much to improve about this already quite perfect camera.
Not sure if Sony has a new sensor ready for the E-M6, but sensor updates are only incremental anyway.
The Sony is not the successor, yet. Too high priced, and not versatile enough, yet. I can’t deny that Sony did something impressive. However, any zoom lens is going to be the problem on that camera. It’s still going to be odd looking like the NEX. I can’t imagine what a 12-40 2.8 would look like on the A7. That’s where m43 is better. People keep forgetting that that is the advantage m43 has, as well as more reach in the lenses. And, the performance and build of my E-M1 wipes the floor with the Sony, for $500 less.
Anyway, the “miracle” that I am looking for is an E-M5 with some slight improvements, in a much cheaper body. The only improvements I think are needed are built-in flash, wi-fi, improved focus tracking and more solid buttons. That’s it. Then, the real miracle would be to price it around $600, and dare I say, $550. If they could pull that off, Canon and Nikon may actually start to get nervous.
Yes that would be a miracle indeed: I think Olympus can’t reach the production and sales volume of Nikon/Canon (especially on USA & European markets) so they don’t profit from the economies of scales as much to be able to put out a competing low/mid-end OMD body @ $600. So I guess it will be $1000 or so. I hope I’m wrong though.
Maybe the fact that the next OMD will be able to use the great catalogue of m43 lenses, and the A7… well…
Intervelometer, peaking, wifi, HDR, in a compact E-M5 body is welcome.
People have many reasons to buy a camera, most of the mirorless today are more than enough for most of the photographers, so they better invest in marketing, size, and look and feel,,,avalbelity and presentation in stores are also very important … I shoot with gx1 and it’s more then enough for most of the market … Functions like WiFi GPS and cool outside applications are more important IMHO then sensor important… But that’s only me.
This news made my day!
“The new OMD entry level camera is the E-M5 successor!”
If it’s E-M5 successor, then it can’t be entry level.
Yeah, that’s why I’m not so sure I believe this rumor. It really can’t be both, unless as some speculate, the E-M5 goes away, and you just have an entry level and pro level. Sort of like the GH and G series. However, it would be a mistake in my opinion. I hate to use Canon as an example, but there is a reason they outsell everybody. They have a full progression of cameras, from the entry level up to the pro level. I think Olympus needs a full progression. Entry, mid, pro. I don’t think it’s confusing at all. In fact, I think people would understand it more.
I hope that their intention is not to somehow work the Pen line in between, and sort of make the E-P5 the successor. THAT would truly be confusing. That being said, the Pens need viewfinders and advanced features (on body controls) and a similar progression. Entry, mid, high-end.
I think it’s quite simple; they mean entry-level for the OM-D line, not entry-level as in E-PM2. When the E-M1 was released, E-M5 became the lower, entry-level in that line, and its successor will therefore also be an entry-level OM-D.
Compare with Canon 6D and Nikon D600. They are often referred to as entry-level FF cameras, even though they have build quality and features comparable to enthusiast-level APS-C DSLRs (70D, D7100). But since there are no true entry-level models (comparable to the Canon Rebels) below them in the FF line-up, they become the entry-level for that line-up.
Personally I don’t see how well a new E-M3(?) would sell with an E-M1 just above it, an E-M5 below it, and the E-P5 probably in the same price range. It’s not like Canon/Nikon where their pro and consumer lines are thousands of dollars apart. In Oly’s case, I would probably just buy the E-M5 when the price drops.
If the new camera come with EM5 body + E-P5 new features + VF4 intergrated and Zuiko 12-40mm f2.8-4 weather sealed for 1299$ kit then I’m in.that’s all i need…
woohoo
maybe the em5 will drop to a price i can afford!
Its already damn low u can get a refurbished with 2 years guarantee from a reseller for less than 700€. Used ones are even going for less than 600 €.
the only what concerns me is price …but I doubt it is below 1000EUR
2 years is a good refreshing cycle for an advanced mirrorless camera considering Olympus will use existing E-M5 and E-M1 technology for their new product. If it will have a price (body) between 1000-1200$ it will be a bestseller just like the E-M5.
http://photobyandrei.wordpress.com/
Will Olympus come with a rangefinder style camere like the GX7 in the next year?
There’s no doubt that Sony has introduced a discontinuity it you take mirrorless as a whole. It broke the 24 Mpx barrier and it is predicted to break the 36 Mpx as well.
So it’s decision time for both Fuji and m4/3: are they going to compete with a small sensor, or go FF35? Sony indeed might force prices down, just by selling mediocre zooms to the entry level, and keep selling primes not more expensive than Fuji’s.
Olympus is even more tempted since it will be selling technology to Sony – IBIS and lenses? Today it takes just a few months to get together a mount and a format, with the right industrial partnerships.
So the advice that I give to mysels and to others is to make the minimal investment in one single format is to sit and wait, or better go shoot. It pays wonderfully. Waters will be clearer by the Photokina, and there’s not great IQ to be earned in the meanwhile by any current gear.
Cosmetic differences yes, but nothing to ditch a system for another, which is always the costly decision.
Fuji already said they wouldn’t go FF.
If Oly went FF, I’d buy that cam!
which lenses oly do for sony?
That ship has already sailed. If people are going to pay $2000-$3000 for a 135 format camera, they’re going to buy a Nikon or a Canon. Possibly a Sony if compelling.
Fuji tried to go directly against the big guys and failed. Olympus tried to come out with a competing format against the big guys- big boy 4/3- and failed.
They learned their lesson. So they carved out a new niche for themselves, called it ‘mirrorless,’ and tried to convince everyone of their unique benefits.
They got tired of having their heads handed to them. Their shareholders won’t allow it.
I think this is a wise philosophy. I’ll hang on to the m4/3 bodies and lenses I have, and enjoy the heck out of them. But I will not buy another m4/3 market. I think Sony hit the inflection point, but I’ll wait and see how the dust settles another 24-36 months before buying again in this format.
Why would Fuji go 35? It already has an almost full system (minus super-tele and tilt/shift) which is very popular with pros (6 months ago I watched a professional videographer in one of the major European concert halls complement his video shoot with stills taken with a Fuji x-pro1. In the meantime, photojournalists are also discovering the joys of going m4/3 (which is now that 4/3 lenses can be brought back to action also an almost complete system, minus tilt/shift) and traveling light (*** well, almost light, since 4/3 lenses are anything but), while professional videographers (and cinematographers), who have already invested in expensive zeiss, schneider, cooke etc cinema glass, are choosing the black magic as their own personal camera (trust me on that!) – soon they may be choosing the new 4k Panasonic. On the other hand, I seriously doubt that FF Canikon users will migrate to Sony anytime soon – why would they throw their expensive glass out of the window? (owners of M mount glass however will be probably tempted to do so). So, the real battleground, it seems to me, is the APS-DSLR market. Their advantage over mirrorless is withering away, now that the autofocus of mirrorless cameras is improving (and the prices of entry or medium models are falling), and (with the exception of Pentax) they have always been a poor relative of their FF cousins, in terms of native glass.
But, in practical terms, your advice is as sound as it gets; actually, I am tempted to go one up: Videographers may safely invest in lenses. For stills, a (discounted) EM5, or PL5 (particularly the two-lens combo), or PM2, or, even better a miniscule GM1 plus a Sigma 60 2.8 (which no one will ever regret possessing, even as a second system) seem to be the best investment right now, for those who have not committed to any system yet. The rest can wait for a little while.
The fuji lenses are very nice indeed – especially their speed of lens making.
How the hell does this go from the ‘entry level’ OMD, to the EM5’s successor?
To me upgraded sensor is the main reason to upgrade and I don’t buy the “good enough” argument so many people are giving. Yes the current sensor is capable of great pictures as long as it is used within a certain range but ask your self how many more good enough pictures could you take if you had a lower noise/ higher iso sensor? IBIS is great but doesn’t help with moving subjects… with a fast enough sensor IBIS is not even needed! The current sensor is fairly noisy even at base iso and while some people don’t seem to mind to me the biggest killer of image quality is not lack of sharpness or even a little noise but “noise reduction” which the current sensor relies on heavily at anything above iso 800.
Nice to see these incremental refinements but I am hoping for some “new sensor” rumors!
Even at 100% I’m not seeing a big enough image quality improvement of the EM-1 over the EM-5.
GH3, GX7, EM-1, EM-5 …they’re all in the same ball park image wise.
Functionality wise –
The menus on the EM5 need tidying up as well as adding 25p to video.
For video enthusiasts, it would be a slam dunk to get 25p/50p in an 5 axis stabilised body.
It would tempt me even more if the EM-5 successor or whatever is coming in Jan had a simple AF/MF switch like Panasonic cameras. Then just add a mic input and headphone jack and you’ve knocked them all off the stage.
I hope it uses the same battery and battery grip as the E-M5.
Why wouldn’t it?
I would buy it if it had two additional programmable buttons (or the E-P5/E-M1’s nifty little lever)
There are lots of reasons to buy the EM1 over the EM5 for me:
PDAF with my 43rds lenses
better CAF with my m43rds lenses
mic input
colour creator,
wifi & remote control
focus peaking
improved VF
improved IBIS
etc.
However an EM6 with the processing of the EM1… maybe not so tempting. Having said that the EM5 has kept me happy for nearly 2 years now!!
thats sensor is just a joke get real camera
In these days I’m using Em5 and Em1 together at concerts. The difference between the two cameras is obvious once you hold them in your hands and use them.
Compared to Em1, Em5 (without grip) feels like a cute toy when talking about handling and overall tactile feeling.
The biggest difference is how the two sensors deal with noise: while on Em1 I leave noise reduction turned off, on Em5 I need to leave it turned on.
Perhaps it’s true that at higher ISOs Em5 sensor is better, but I prefer that of Em1, where noise is more grainy and can give a nice contrast to pictures.
To those asking if an upgrade from Em5 is needed, I’d say no, at least if you don’t need a second body or if you don’t really like Em1 grip/size.
and then have to spend houursssssss in PP doing noise reduction to make files barlely usefull
Why do you show your ignorance? I never denoise photos. Never. It’s more easy to see me adding some grain to simulate 400 ASA TMax film.
I say ignorance because you clearly don’t know how to use a PP tool to denoise images.
Really, I just lost 3 minutes of time to answer to a fool that will never learn anything.
I wonder how much the new EM will be. EM5 is already discounted to 800 and it probably won’t drop again.
So just an incremental evolution, a tactical me-too movement:
EM5 market positioning is incompatible with worst EVF and less features (wi-fi, focus peaking, 8000 shutter) than EP5 or GX7.
That’s what we gonna see, and also all the advantages of EM1 processor like better IBIS and, better noise processing?
All M43 camera’s are entry level camera’s.
What I meant is that main decision will be about sensor, and within m4/3 we might be near limits to growth.
So stay there or jump format. Samples say that Fuji deals still well with Sony, and m4/3 too, but I guess, as mentioned, the hidden noise at base ISO doesn’t go away unless masked v.well.
So either you stop at some point, or you jump format – and pay the consequences. I don’t see yet the free lunch.
Absolutely
E-M6 and 12-40 here I come. Hope it will be available before April …