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(FT3) There will be no direct E-M5 replacement.

From what I heard til now the new OMD camera will NOT(!) replace the current E-M5. The new OMD will be placed in a different “league” than the current OMD. It will be released in early September. The E-M5 is still selling very well and will not be taken off production.

Drop me a message if you find some more bits about the new OMD camera!

P.S.: The E-M5 just got an up to $150 discount at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here). And in Europe a new set of ref. cameras has been listed at [shoplink 22691 ebay]Olympusmarket[/shoplink].

—

For sources: Sources can send me anonymous info at 43rumors@gmail.com (create a fake gmail account) or via contact form you see on the right sidebar. Thanks!
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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

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113 Responses

  1. New OMD camera not to replace EM5 ?
    So is successor for E5 ?
    Let me guess .
    Hmm… Likely the one above EM5 called OMD Pro .
    If true , This is great but I hope Oly don’t make it too big . A bit bigger than EM5 is just nice .

    1. In order to give the “Pro” OMD decent ergonomics, it MUST be bigger than the current OMD, which has pretty awful handling… unless you drop an extra $300 for the external grip. Not a great design solution. If it were G5/G6 sized, NOT GH3 sized, it could be quite good.

      Let’s hope Oly does the right thing!!!

      1. I find the handling of the OMD to be just fine, personally. The grip is actually an excellent solution for providing a user the option of minimal size and weight or enhanced grip solutions, particularly for extended shooting.

        The only detractor, and where I agree with you, is that the cost of the grip is perhaps a bit much, given most people would only want half the package.

        1. The grip is expensive and must be detached to access card and battery. That, is very unhandy in my opinion. The OMD must be handleable without attaching the grip i.e. bigger. That does not mean GH3 size of course!

          If you want a smaller camera one of PENs is your choice : ) The OMD should be the bigger in the Olympus line-up.

          1. You are wrong about the card. It is on the opposite side, sir. The card can be replaced just fine with the grip attached. I know because I own both the OMD and Oly grip, and just came home from a shoot and the SD card I just (easily) removed is downloading as I type this.

          2. Me too: just came home from a walk/shoot and removed the card leaving the half grip attached. If you use the full grip, you can store the battery in it and there’s no need to remove it when you need to change it.
            Me I only use half of it, I have a spare battery in my pocket and it takes less than a minute to change it.
            I agree the whole thing is too expensive though, and I wish there would have been the possibility to buy only half grip instead of the combo.

          3. Do you actually own the grip? If not, why make such statements? My black OM-D has had the complete grip attached since I bought it about one year ago; it has never been removed. Cards and batteries are easily accessible. I think that it’s great, and don’t mind having paid extra for it.

            Despite the desires of some to have Oly include a grip with the new camera, there are others who may not want to pay the higher price (for something they may not use) that would be necessitated.

          4. the wheel on the vertical grip died on mine already, less than a year, 300$ down the drain

          5. Less then a year ago.. now we know you are a moron, but is it so bad that you haven’t figured out this concept of warrantee? Or are you just writing your usual crap..

      2. Maybe a bigger body(but smaller then GH3) with most controls oversized plus a HLD6n version with a fat landscape grip would be sufficient for the PRO, maybe also less accent on some retro details to make it a more streamlined OM in hammered black textured paint finish in the same quality as the E-1?

      3. > In order to give the “Pro” OMD decent ergonomics, it MUST be bigger than the current OMD

        Speaking as a broken record: only if you have large hands…

      4. I agree with Mr. Reeee
        As a compromise camera – small and fiddly without the grip but not pocketable, and heavier than the GH3 with it, the EM5 has not appealed to me in concept or in the store. A new bigger pro camera might be a competitor for the G6 and even the GH3 but with a better sensor than the former.

        1. It nicely fits the pockets of a typical coat with a pancake mounted. Yes it does and I am one of the many who uses this a lot.

          1. Am glad you can. With the hump and other protrusions, I would not want to slip it in and out of my pocket. the GF1 works fine.

      5. Uh no, the handling of the e-m5 WITHOUT grip is quite fine.

        For large lenses the grip is a nice add-on but the fact that it can be easily removed so the camera with pancake prime just fits a coat pocket, 45mm in the other one, and no bag needed, muggers none the wiser.

        Put on the grip for long sessions, and you have in effect 2 different cameras but unlike buying a pen or such for the small camera you now have one with the exact same user interface, which helps people who actually use their camera a lot.

        So it is way more flexible, and actually the ideal solution.

        Not for you? Good thing there is a g6 and gh3

  2. Well, I am happy to wait and see. As long as it has dual AF that works in PDAF as well as a decent DSLR, it will be a winner, and will probably end up in my camera bag. I’m happy to carry a body a little bigger than an E-M5 (GH3 size is OK for me), given the compact nature of most m43 lenses currently, and the fact that longer fast lenses will need a bigger body to balance them.

      1. To read all pixels at once, not in sequence like almost all CMOS sensors. Usefull in video – prevents yello effect.

        1. That’s not only useful for video but for shooting pitures, too. No more shutter shock and so, longer exposure times will be possible without needing an IS, it allows for amazing FPS rates – and due tio the high readut speed it will improve the CDAF’s C-AF-performance significantly. A global shutter for big-sensor cameeras would represent a major breakthrough.

    1. This may be a GH3 competitor with dual memory card slot. Don’t see any other way they can go. Bet is it will also have 18 megapixels.

    2. It will really be nice if Oly and Pana can collaborate a bit more to standardise batteries and EVF, bring more flashes, and have lense corrections that work across brands. More synergies please!

  3. Interesting what league? Cheaper or more expensive?

    While Panasonic reduces segmentation, narrowing the lineup to big and small, Olympus makes new ones.

  4. My predictions:
    OMD Pro, More expensive than EM5, full 4/3 support, good C-AF, size of EM5 with first section of the battery grip.

    EP6, minor improvements to EP5, built in viewfinder, weatherproof, slightly increased price.

    EP Lite goes slightly upscale, keeps removable viewfinder, slight increase in price.

    EP Mini gets even smaller, slight decrease in process.

    Source: W.A.G.

    1. I don’t think an EP6 will be weatherproof because the EP5 isn’t, which is a shame. I think only the OM-D line will be. Just a hunch.

    2. That would mean the EM-5 doesn’t get a successor. I gues it’s dependant on the success of the GXx and all the other rangefinder style cameras. At one point, Oly might have to follow. Still risky though to abandon a highly successful camera.

  5. If i´t has a even better sensor than EM-5, Canikon class C-AF + tracking and works perfect with both my m4/3 and 4/3 lenses I don´t care if it´s twice as expensive as the EM-5. Bring it on Oly.

      1. I’m hoping for much the same. One thing about Olympus: they don’t usually bring new features to market until they are well sorted.

        The only reason to go PDAF is to increase focusing speed on moving subjects (predictive AF). If a dual AF system isn’t significantly better than a CDAF system, why would Olly bother? If it isn’t as good or better than competing DSLR’s, why would they bother? Forget 4/3’s, this is about bodies for the new wave of lenses, the fast telephotos so many have been begging for. The lens engineers at Olympus have been holding off for far too long.

        Two years ago, very few folk would have bought an Olly m43 body for video……now plenty are, because of the innovative IBIS in the E-M5. Olympus also brought us dust reduction…both the 5-axis IBIS and the dust reduction systems worked perfectly straight out the gate. They don’t seem to like doing imperfect solutions, which is probably why we’ve had to wait so long for dual AF.
        If Olly can introduce a Pro O-MD with useable PDAF, and announce say a 55-200mm/2.8 m43 lens along with it, why wouldn’t birders and motorsports enthusiasts flock to that? And where the birders go, the soccer Moms eventually follow, especially if it avoids back strain.

  6. The next OM-D might be a risky bet, nor fish nor fowl is the way I interpret it. By comparison the E-M5 is a magical combination that happens only every ten years, so a bread winner.

    Olympus proved that it can master all the aspect of mirrorless at once, and even now the competition has nothing similar. It is also an endearing camera, in the sense that it works as a natural extention of arm and eye, with a record miniaturisation.

    If the next OM-D is the hybrid it will have to put together conflicting aspects of 4/3 and m4/3, the different size of the lenses, and their different technologies. It might also sell v. little if the price is high, and most are not prepared to pay it for the ‘privilege’ of mounting 4/3 lenses.

    it might also be a kludge, in that the old lenses will focus a bit better, but nowhere near what the E-M5 does with native lenses.

    Oly has different paths ahead, and probably faces some radical decisions to return to profit, but certainly the E-M5 is the one model it doesn’t need to kill for minor improvements.

    One related question is if Oly needs to increase the Mpx count or if it considers that the system has attained its sweet spot. Oly faces a similar dilemma: 24 Mpx were simply too much.

    1. You are right about the E-M5 being that special camera. I see it being replaced next year. Maybe the replacement being announced at CP+ in January 2014.

      Now there are two upcoming cameras the OMD-series and an E-series. So the leaks and rumors can be mixed up between these two upcoming cameras.

      Dave

    2. “Olympus proved that it can master all the aspect of mirrorless at once, and even now the competition has nothing similar.”

      You don’t consider ergonomics, video and sound recording as aspects of mirrorless cameras? Well, neither does Fujifilm, now that I think about it.

    3. OM-D is Olympus’ D90 – that model that just gets it right. And will continue to be made long after it has been ‘replaced’ becuase it sells well.

    4. > and most are not prepared to pay it for the ‘privilege’ of mounting 4/3 lenses

      The 43 line does have a few lenses I want, but I find them rather overpriced for how well they would perform (speed, image quality, handling, size) relative to the µ43 zooms.

      At the same time, I know there are people with a decent 43 lens collection waiting for a sensor update, so I’m willing to “share” the mount. Solidarity! 🙂 So, note to Olympus, which they will ignore: feel free to try the “hybrid”, but don’t use it as an excuse to charge more. Phase-detect, on the other hand, I know many of us would welcome and pay for.

      1. I have a Zuiko 150/2.0 and a 50/2.0 and there is no m4/3 zoom that comes even close to them in image quality. I also have 3 (12-50, 40-150 and 75-300) m4/3 zoom lenses and they are good, but as I said, not even close to my 4/3 primes.

  7. pretty smart. as long as they’re making money on this, why replace it? it’s a good package and as it goes cheaper, more people will be able to afford it.

    1. Replace it with an updated version, because their inability to update flagship models quick enough was one of the biggest reasons they fell behind and 4/3 failed.

  8. Let’s compare to Panasonic

    GF = PEN EPx
    G/GH = OMD EMx
    GX = ???

    The OMD will be the Olympus equivalent of GX.

    1. I think that is a little off.

      GF – EPM
      GX1 – EP
      GH – OMD
      G – EPL dont really match up in style, features, but similar place in the line up

      Rumors will change this. Omd pro would compete with gh3, freeing em5 to compete with g6. Gx2 with tilt evf would carve out its own spot, maybe also compete with em5.

      If you want to add nex to the mix, from top to bottom i think the competition is nex 3,5,7,6. The market categories are not as well defined as dslrs, though small canon and cheaper ff are changing categories there.

  9. The title of this post should probably be “The new OMD will not replace the EM-5”. If the EM-5 gets a successor is another question.

    I’m very curious about the so-called dual mount that’s supposed to come with the new OMD.

    1. The dual mount camera might be a feature of the upcoming E-series camera. Just remember two new cameras are coming later this year. The are an OMD-series camera and E-Series camera. Then again the OMD-Pro might get the dual mount. Rumors and leaks easily could be confusion with two new cameras being released.

  10. As the current EM5 lacked of Pro feeling .
    Olympus might smell it & this might be it .
    An OMD Pro is on it’s way .
    A strong signal to Pana in a do or die game .

    1. Pana doesn’t want to go “pro” like Oly does. Pana focuses on high-end video for its best camera, while Oly wants to integrate 43s and benefit from its lenses. Two different goals, and “pro” isn’t the market where the most profit is anyway.

      1. Having a foot in the pro market doesn’t mean that you’ll make most of your benefits directly from that market. It just shows that the brand is able to satisfy pros (quality, features, longevity, etc.) and reassures enthousiast amateurs or “day to day shooters” who can’t buy high end products, but need to trust a brand. It’s a matter of credibility sort of.

    2. “A strong signal to Pana in a do or die game .”

      I don’t recall Panasonic borrowing MILLIONS from a rival camera company to stay afloat. Now THAT’S do-or-die!

  11. I always expected the next OMD is going to be the one above the E-M5. The reasons are:
    1. A the poster in the Olympus booth at CP+ earlier this year listed the three new icl cameras planned for this year. The list named the E-P5 by model name and then OMD and E-series, which are not model names.
    2. A year ago during and interview an Olympus official stated that the the E-M5 is the middle model in the OMD series and that there will be cameras above and below the E.M5.
    3. In an interview at CP+ an Olympus official mention that a camera is planned that will be slightly bigger than the E-M5 to improve user ability.
    4. Rumors and leaks of the upcoming OMD places it above the E-M5.
    5. Leaks of how Olympus is planning on releasing new telephoto lenses.

    My guess is that the upcoming OMD camera will be the the so called OMD-Pro. It will be slightly bigger than the E-M5, but smaller than the GH3. A version on the patented 12-40 will be the kit lens. It will be either the straight f2.8 or the 2.8-4.0. Also a companion lens like a 40-125 f2.8 or 2.8-40 will be announced.

    I don’t expect the true E-M5 replacement until Spring 2014. Most likely announced at CP+ late in January 2014.

    Dave

      1. I totally agree about the OMD camera below the E-M5. I was just stating what an Olympus official stated during an interview.

      2. remove the weather sealing
        drop to 2-axis IBIS
        fix the back LCD
        … you have a ‘cheaper’ to make entry OMD

        dropping the price point on the OMD by having a lower model would probably sell VERY well!

      3. I agree Narretz. Surely in a multi-model OM-D model line-up, the “entry-level” must begin where the top-level Pen leaves off. That could be, for exampl, Pen specs plus integrated EVF and whether-sealing.

        Panasonic appears to be moving to a much clearer line-up:
        very small (cheapest)
        small DSLR size (mid-level)
        range-finder style (mid-level)
        medium DSLR size (higher end)

        1. I mostly agree, but based on the rumors it seems likely that the first “rangefinder style” model with built-in EVF will be more of a high-end camera in performance and price.

      4. Since they seem unwilling to put an EVF on the Pen line, there definitely is room for a cheaper OM-D with no weather sealing and a plastic body.

      5. @dCap – Olympus seem to be reducing manufacturing costs by sharing the same components. Models with less features such as bodies with or without weather-sealing may not necessarily be cheaper to produce.

        The “cripple” tactic is one used by canikon for years and results in a range of cameras that suit no one except the people that choose by brand name and the number of coins in their pocket.

        Olympus may be better off smoothing their manufacturing lines by standardizing features such as weather-sealing and sensor, and distinguishing the models by targeting specific markets.

        How many more E-P5 would sell if it had weather-sealing compared to the cost of adding it as a feature? It’s a street shooter oriented camera that is left in the bag when it rains!

  12. They should at least release a firmware update, that way the EM5 will at least be equal to the E-P5 and not an orphaned model beneath-but-not-quite the E-P5 and new OMD

    1. Yes they should. The E-P5 and the E-M5 shares the same processor and sensor so a firmware update should be possible.

        1. But at least the OM-D (E-M5) is the right one to take into the cave, in damp locations. 😉

          I do hope some of the improvements (of the E-P5) that can be updated by firmware, will be done after the PEN E-P5 is on the market, especially if they intend to keep selling that model (E-M5) till a replacement might come next year. New AF algorithms in the E-P5 is the first, but I have doubts about the rest & I’m not sure they will add that either, but we can live in hope.

  13. We know that the sensor will have PDAF, the question is: will they manage to put PDAF on sensor AND increse the IQ compared to E-M5 ?? Second question: how fast will be PDAF and how good will it be in low light ? I can’t wait to see this new cam !! Maybe in 2 years I could buy one with a 12-60 f2.8-4 and sell the pany 12-35 which is good but less versatile (shorter range and no “macro”)

    1. JF: “We know that the sensor will have PDAF…”
      Do we? I really pray that they don’t got his way. The E-M5 was/is the first MILC that features a usable C-AF, with all those trying to sachieve this goal with on sensor PDAF having faltetered big style, to date. In adition, it features an S-AF that is vclearly faster than the one of all thoise on-sensor PDAF cameras. So why in heaven should they go a way that doesn’t look exactly promising, currently?
      But we will soon find out, won’t we?

      1. Actually, the Nikon 1 remains the only MILC to have decent AF-C performance and acheives it with on-sensor PDAF. The E-M5 may suck a little less than other CDAF implementations at AF-C, but it still is unusable for anyone moving faster than a walk.

        1. Well, in consideration of the fact that I have been using the E-M5 for shooting running dogs (even sighthounds) for more than a year, now, I have to massively contradict, here.
          Meanwhile I still am waiting for the Nikon-1 action series with blurred background. To me, this allegedly good C-AF performance is just marketing bubble until someone proves the opposite. In the end, this proves that the Nikon marketing ist clearly better than Oly’s – but nothing else.

  14. If so, they are probably going to update firmware on e-m5. Pekka mentions a june update in the comments section of part two of his e-p5 hands on …

  15. Personally, I would like to see Olympus create a reduced-size E-1. Name it the E-M1 (M for mirrorless) and aim it squarely at the hybrid market. A market that I believe is the future of capturing devices.

    Olympus: form follows function.

  16. I think it’s about the price tag. Now E-P5 have the same price tag with E-M5, so the new E-M6(?) would be more expensive.

  17. I meant Sony’s NEX 7 24 Mpx which I read, ended up in not resolving more that their 16 Mpx sensor.

    Do you believe that m4/3 has reached the upper limit? That might explain also why the E-M5 will get a longer lease of life.

    And if we are getting into a technological barrier, Olympus might consider cooperation with Sony towards a FF mirrorless system.

  18. I just wish they would make it easier to access Bracketing and Double Exposure through a button or the SCP. How about getting rid of PREVIEW, anyone actually use that? Any others no one uses?

  19. I think the megapixel wars has reached a standstill. Cameras are so bloody good that if you ain’t doubling the pixel count you ain’t adding much(double pixel is only 50% more pixels on either axis) so concentrate on dynamic range and noise: but again you need significant improvement to add real world kudos. So this brings us to where film cameras were, where you change bodies to meet functional demands and once you do that you create different streams rather than upgrading a specific model.
    The E-P5 has blocked any real addition of the OM-D down market (several have already labelled it as OM-D lite in anything but price) which leaves options for a dual mount model to bridge OM-D and E series, and one with stronger video capability upmarket.

    So I can see the OM-D staying around for another couple of years at least with firmware upgrades (as with the Canon 7D which remains a very good camera 4 years on) improving things like noise management, AF, buffer management etc.
    These people who complain that we aren’t getting quantum jumps in performance with each generation are the sort who just like to whine about things.

  20. I’m pretty sure the E-M5 will be directly replaced, only not this year. Perhaps around March 2014. Olympus cannot afford dropping this class of camera, which is a sweet spot of size, features and price.

    The next model may be a “spiritual” flagship, an incarnation of everything Olympus envisioned m4/3 to be. Like a true flagship it will be something to aspire to, i.e. flawlessly executed and tremendously expensive ($1700?). I believe it will be a very slow seller (due to price, not desirability), but Olympus needs it to manifest its pride and technological superiority over competition. Things may become more interesting when the new technology begins to trickle down the lineup, which shouldn’t take more than six months.

  21. The one thing I would ask from Olympus if there is an upcoming Firm Ware upgrade (which would probably include Olympus implementation of Focus Peaking), is that that feature will have the ability to be switched it off.

  22. I really hope it’s aimed at the video market and uses the new Aptina 4K 14 MP sensor.
    If it had dual SC/SD slot and dedicated headphone and audio inputs withphysical audio dials for
    gain control /limiters and highpass filters it would really be a competitor to the BlackMagic Pocket Camera
    and even the Blackmagic Cinema Camera.

    Add in the wireless features of the Pen EP-5 and global shutter and maybe some form of electronic ND’s
    and it would be a killer run and gun / documentary camera.

    If Olympus is seriously about the digital cinema market I hope they get the recording options
    right and offer both Raw and compressed/lossless recording options in 2K and 4K.
    Blackmagic’s Pocket Camera offers both DNG and Pro Res, if Olympus offers different variation
    of these they could corner this market.
    This is my wish, time will tell !
    One thing is sure if this Aptina Sensor lives up to the hype it could be a game changer.

    1. I will be very much surprised if Olympus releases a video market leader in the near future. While it is true the new IBIS has turned some heads, it was designed for stills photography just like any other feature. I don’t know whether it’s a traditionalist sense of pride or an agreement with Panasonic, but Olympus has been quite reluctant to adopt and develop video capabilities in its cameras (just like Fuji and Leica).

      1. What is sad is that it seems that there is no room anymore in the US for photojournalists. Even in France where tradition is firmer, they seem to be confused with artists.

        So who should be the target of the OM-D? Remember that when the Japanese stole the market from the West they were aiming at Leica substitutes, more efficient ones, and thus the dSLR was born, in the 1960s.

        Now the clock has come full turn. Who should a superior camera be aimed at? For Studio work I think that FF has still the advantage, but hat to design for travel and the street? This is where small mirrorless shines.

  23. I need a second (great) body for my work, I can’t wait to see this new Olympus Spirit expressed in a camera.

  24. I am really hoping for a fully-articulated screen a la E-5–it does so much more than a strictly tilting screen. Admin, any rumors on that?

    I would also like to have a better system for exposure bracketing than the Em5. The G5 bracketing is very good. You can easily select it from the drive button, make changes in the bracketing without diving into the menu system, and take a series with one shutter press at max fps to reduce hdr ghosting. The only addition I would like is more 3 shot options, such as 2 ev and 3 ev apart. You can get the same exposures now with 5 shot options, but you will end up with 2 unneeded shots.

    1. BTW, I’m talking about my wish list for the new omd if that wasn’t clear. Also would really like to see a 12-60 comparable to the FT version.

  25. The OMD is a winner that deserves to live a little longer. However there is a new generation of even better sensors on its way. When cameras with the improved sensor technology stats shipping, Oly needs update the OMD. (2014)

  26. I thought there were rumors of a Pro and a lower end OMD? Given the EP-5 specs, it makes you wonder what they could do to make it relatively low end.

    Would they drop off weather sealing? They couldn’t drop off the internal EVF because that would just completely confuse the differentiation in the lines.

    A low-end OMD if released in the the next 12 months would presumably still bring everything that the EP-5 has. That sounds like a direct successor to the E-M5 – a low effort successor, but a successor nonetheless.

  27. Before working out whether the new camera is a ‘successor’ to the EM-5 you need to think about what makes the OM-D distinctive as a model. I would say the 5-axis IBIS the inbuilt viewfinder and tilt screen (maybe the retro styling could be included but there you could soften the lines and still call it an OM-D) – if you have those then whatever else you build in could be a direct successor the EM-5 (which would be phased out) or it could run in parallel with the EM-5. So how do Olympus see their product oines developing?
    For example you could have an OM-D EM-xx line for cameras with higher spec video (like the Panasonic GHx) and EM-x line for people more interested in stills (like the Panasonic Gx range).
    If you continue this analogy the new E-PL5 would be the equivalent of the GX1.

    In a way I wonder if Olympus made things difficult for themselves by having such a fantastic sensor and IBIS in their first model instead of developing their product lines gradually? But a nice problem to have!

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