Olympus plans to make the first “Lens-Camera-Drone” it’s basically a Micro Four Thirds mount module with integrated sensor where you can attach the rotor on top. There are no info yet if that idea will ever make it into a real mass product. But so far the specs of the module are mentioned by Olympus itself:
– Android ios
– 16 megapixel sensor. No info if it’s E-M1 (with PDAF) or E-M5 (without PDAF) alike.
– Connected by WiFi
– takes both stills and videos
– Optical / digital zoom, configurable for various shooting parameters
– Save Allowed still images in RAW or JPEG format
– Micro Four Thirds mount
This could become the smallest drone ever made? Not sure yet that thing can fly really well 🙂 There are other parts that have to be added to make it fly properly!
Source: opc.olympus-imaging.com/tools/#opc
Real world Images of the Olympus “Lens-Camera” can be found on my previous post here: 43rumors.com/olympus-displays-first-rounded-lens-cameras-and-sony-qx-clones/
38 Responses
Looks like it more suitable for a detective or private investigator rather than a photographer .
Maybe it’s time for me to pick up some books to be a private investigator.
Oh, come on, the propeller is just intended to symbolize ANY user-designed accessory: motion-tracking gimbal, robot, specialized mount, etc…
haha, indeed.
Hmmm I don’t think they wanna launch anything like that… It’s just an example diagram of “what you could do” with their concept: use the camera module, add your own soft (or hack the original one), add your own accessories (a propeller here) and build something new…
Only one rotor ??? It’s very cartoon like, but in real world, the camera will spin and won’t fly. You need either too rotor spinning in opposite direction, or a tail with a rotor 🙂 But it’s a fun concept.
Great moves Olympus by allowing hackers to improve on their lousy video.
CANCEL: wrong post.
haha I think it is a simplified drawing!
“This could become the smallest drone ever made?” what? do you know how small some drones are? and why should it be smaller than a standard drone that can carry a gopro? please think a little bit before you write.
Yes, it’s simplified all right. A single rotor would not be stable. At a minimum you’d need two stacked props rotating opposite directions (and a way to tilt the rotor stack). I have one drone that’s three prop, with two props one direction, one the other, and one prop angled to counter rotation. It could probably lift the m4/3 open camera as specified.
I suspect Olympus is trying to tell us what they see as uses for a lensor-type camera. Such things should be small enough to put on most drones people are using for imaging, such as the DJI Phantoms. But “drone” is a pretty narrow of the world. Someone at Olympus needs to spend some time dreaming up all the possible uses for a remote camera (nanny camera, drone, security, front door, helmet, and so on).
The problem right now is that we’re getting finished cameras with fixed features/control in the remote cameras (e.g. GoPro, Contour, etc.). The whole premise behind this particular initiative at Olympus is what I’ve been calling Communicating/Programmable for a decade now. We’ve needed it for more than a decade, we still don’t really have it. I think this initiative is interesting because it might be the first to deliver on what we have really wanted all along.
Yes, on my limited knowledge of these devices it would have to be multiple rotor, both for stability and lifting power.
I think the communicating/programmable camera idea has a lot of potential though. Especially if they make it weather resistant. I could for instance have a lot of applications in what might be broadly called conservation or field science.
I think that balloon Olympus is floating here is to appeal to the burgeoning Maker community to come up with uses for the OPC (Open Platform Camera), rather than having all of the ideas come from in-house.
Yes, and I’m fine with that, though they could just simply say that outright ;~).
Except those ain’t drones but normal radio controlled planes. A drone is “intelligent” and can fly by itself by specifications.
A radio controlled quadcopter with auto-hover or auto-landing when remote control signal is lost isn’t a drone.
Wake me up when it has tracking and automatic obstacle avoidance.
You are going to get plenty of sleep.
They have implemented that for potential buyers already.
Once they add ALL other objects they won’t be able to keep it on the shelves.
Instead of a RTH Function it will have Fly-Far-and-Fast, they will make more $ that way.
Given the recent incident near Heathrow airport, they’ll probably be banned before this is marketed
While the propeller is one example of an accessory, as Thom and others have noted having a small wireless camera with a broad lens selection could be very interesting indeed.
i think this opens up a whole new way of shooting……for newbies like me who wants to go into drone photography. To my knowledge, the current drones with real still camera are way too expensive..at least for me. I hope with Olympus coming in, the prices for these type drones will be affordable.
yes i already imagining, buying a nocticron, add such module on it, it flies away and never comes back again.
I’ll abduct your drone and land it on amalric’s head.
Haha yeah, point taken. it would require me to have a tremendous amount of confidence in the drone in order to mount nice and light m43 lens, let alone the Nocticorn. Furthermore, I’m terribly fearful of Fulcrum Lever the Kidnapper.
Yay, the EM5 Mark2 can fly!!!!!!!!!!
Ha. Ha. Ha.
Thats the funniest thing anyone has said on this site EVER lol !!!
The one rotor thing is probably a reference to the “takecopter”, from a popular japanese animation called “doraemon”. Had to chuckle to see a discussion on one rotor drones.
Looks like an April 1st story.
m43 is becoming a joke.
How does a lens mount become a joke?
M4/3 walked… Rolled in the bar…..
This camera with SDK would be good in industrial and security applications. Current security cameras are not as good as they need to be in some applications. I remember seeing some thing about mft cameras for industry in the past.
I think Olympus is looking for any emerging market for mft. This will allow them to let many others develop many markets for them with very little cost.
As far as a drone it will have to be bigger then a phantom or the same size. It will need better video then any current. Olympus camera to be of any use in my opinion. For industrial and security use a selection of sensors not necessary what we want as photographers would be nice.
I love 43rumors for the news and rumours… but sometimes it’s a bit naive what is made into news items. Surely that propeller is merely an illustration of [your accessory goes here].
Understandable that the firms try to explore new areas. The traditional camera market is shrinking month to month.
Amazing how ignorant many commenters are about open platform projects. If you don’t understand something, don’t comment, because it just makes you look quite bad. This is a diagram of the process, not a finished project. Seriously. . .
Exactly, as the propeller is there just to sample a possibilities to attach this to remote controlled aircrafts (most of those are not drones, that are automatically flying aircrafts with autopilot to do complex navigation’s and routes with capability to shoot as programmed).
I was about to buy the Sony module once until it stroke its not so good after all as the idea to build one. This Olympus one seems much better without SDK alone.
Idea inspired by a propellor hat.
What Sony should have done, but didn’t do. I hope Olympus makes this work.
If DJI can put this on their Inspire drone it will be a winner!