It's official, it is goin to be a digital Pen

[ishpop]

http://asia.olympus-imaging.com/products/dslr/special/pen50th/pen_ee/

Or at least the foreshadowing seems to imply this.
🙂

 

[Leigh Youdale]

Looks like it - remains to be seen what the feature set and specification is - but there's space on that 'teaser' for the next announcement on June 15th and then one more!

 

[wray]

If that new Pen comes with an optical viewfinder then it might just be my next camera purchase!

 

[pbhome]

Olympus PEN was my first camera. My dad liked it so much, he bought two of them. 🙂

I hope the new m4/3 is something similar to the PEN.

-Pat

 

[wlewisiii]

I guess I'm not sure why this is a surprise... Oly has foundered over the past several decades and will be gone soon. This attempt to associate thier digital products with with one of their few past successes is only a simple desperate stab at survival. Pen & OM will soon be a simple memory, fading quickly...

Sorry,

William

 

[gavinlg]

I guess I'm not sure why this is a surprise... Oly has foundered over the past several decades and will be gone soon. This attempt to associate thier digital products with with one of their few past successes is only a simple desperate stab at survival. Pen & OM will soon be a simple memory, fading quickly...

Sorry,

William

Olympus is one of the most innovative camera companies out there, and they've never followed the canon/nikon crowd, they've always done their own thing. this extends back to the OM and pen days, when nikon and canon were busting out their mammoth pro SLRs and selling heaps of them, olympus was quietly selling and perfecting their smaller, easier to handle jewel like OMs and Pens.

Now, if there is one thing the digital market lacks 100 times over, it's a tiny camera with jewel like ergonomics and ultra high quality interchangeable lenses and a large sensor with high image quality. In the market at the moment you either buy a mammoth DSLR or a crappy quality point and shoot.

The m4/3rds digital pen will be exactly what a LOT of people are wanting.

Olympus is actually doing very well financially, and even though the canon nikon fans wouldn't let you know it, there are a lot of dedicated E-system users, including me (shared with the Canon EOS system). There are a lot reasons why the E-system is so good - the superb lenses, the superb ergonomics, the small size, the weather sealing, the leading technologies olympus puts on their cameras before anyone else (live view, dust shaker, IS, articulated LCD etc etc).

I'll eat my hat (not really, i don't even own a hat) if the new m4/3rds camera doesn't sell like hotcakes. I'm already saving to buy one, and I know a lot of people on this forum are.

Sorry,
Gavin

 

[gavinlg]

If that new Pen comes with an optical viewfinder then it might just be my next camera purchase!

Exactly how do you propose the camera has an optical viewfinder without an optical mirror?

Part of the reason why they've been able to make the camera form so much smaller, yet keeping the big sensor, is because they've done away with the mirror which is the key "ingredient" in an optical VF.

So no, it won't have an OVF. I'd bet the first model they bring out has no VF at all, just the screen on the back and a centralized hot shoe for external VFs.

 

[Al Kaplan]

A mirror is the key thing in an SLR. The original Pen models had a simple reverse telescope finder; positive element for an eyepiece, negative element in front. Simple direct view, no moving parts. The Pen F cameras were SLR's with a side swinging mirror and a porroflex instead of a pentaprism.

 

[FrozenInTime]

Exactly how do you propose the camera has an optical viewfinder without an optical mirror?

Part of the reason why they've been able to make the camera form so much smaller, yet keeping the big sensor, is because they've done away with the mirror which is the key "ingredient" in an optical VF.

After 1,051 posts, I'm surprised think you are confusing a reflex view finder to a direct vision optical viewfinder. i.e. SLR vs rangefinder or scale focus camera.
( some OVF examples here http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/looking_forward.htm)

The hope of many here is than the olympus µ4/3 will have either a direct vision OVF and a rear LCD or a EVF and rear LCD.

My dream camera would have a Leica M like optical viewfinder but with the ability to project bright lines onto this from a LCD.
It would obviously drop the optical rangefinder, but instead would have the ability to electronically shutter the optical input and project a live view EVF image and magnified EVF image.

 

[Larky]

As long as they don't make it out of plastic, make it too 'new' looking (i.e. rounded plastic) and stick an optical VF on it (mounted to the hot plate, in other words a round piece of glass) it could be great.

But, it could have the typical shutter lag, beeps, portrait mode, landscape mode, dragon mode, alien holiday mode, poorly done touch screen controls like Sony do (only Apple are allowed touch screen controls) and crazy 85 thousand point keep everything in focus largest aperture is f900 nonsense on it. In which case I'd rather eat fdigital's hat with him.

When will somebody release a digital Leica, for less than £1000?

 

[majid]

It's official, it is going to be a digital Pen

Except the Pen was a half-frame camera. Four-thirds (and M4/3) is really quarter-frame, i.e. 110 film equivalent, with all the professional quality we've come to expect from 110 film...

It's doubtful it can compete with the Sigma DP2 or the future Samsung APS-C compact on image quality, specially in low-light.

 

[Avotius]

I had a look at olympus's e system stuff the other day....I sure hope to hell this new m4/3 whatever it will be called wont be priced like the e system stuff! Awfully expensive over on the e system side...but then again a lot of those interesting expensive lenses are a good stop faster then their nikon/canon equivalents

 

[ishpop]

The only digital camera I own is the E1. For about 7 years now. I haven't felt the need to replace it as it is essentially a perfect DSLR, for me. This M4/3 is the first time I have been intrigued by what Oly does. Maybe my second digital cam ever. 🙂

 

[ishpop]

It's doubtful it can compete with the Sigma DP2 or the future Samsung APS-C compact on image quality, specially in low-light.

We will see. At the end of the day it's the photographer making the photographs. So "image quality", outside of science labs, becomes a matter of finesse. I look forward to Oly's effort to make an enjoyable machine for me to take pictures with.

 

[dee]

The Pen-ultimate Olympus ?
I would love a little Digi-Pen which is simple and works well

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Maybe they'll do a 50th Anniversary limited addition with red sharkskin and limited to 1,000 units.

If they are making a mass-market camera, it will be another little expensive p&s with the Pen name on it. If they are aiming it at us, it will be another little very expensive p&s with the Pen name on it. But it's a great marketing idea. 😉

 

[Photon42]

So they present a 50 anniv. half frame film camera? I don't actually see any specific relation to digital in their ad, but maybe I'm overlooking something.

Olympus hasn't stopped disappointing me in the digital age. Their 4/3 cameras are not really smaller than the rest, no compact fix focus lenses etc. I feel a lot of sympathy for the manufacturer, though. More than once I was really close to buy an OM2.

I really hope we won't see a m4/3 camera with just an LCD on the back.

Cheers
Ivo

 

[Leigh Youdale]

How's That Again?

How's That Again?

Except the Pen was a half-frame camera. Four-thirds (and M4/3) is really quarter-frame, i.e. 110 film equivalent, with all the professional quality we've come to expect from 110 film...

It's doubtful it can compete with the Sigma DP2 or the future Samsung APS-C compact on image quality, specially in low-light.

I think your comparison is a little unfair.
The G10 has a sensor of approximately 43 square mm.
The Micro 4/3rds sensor is about 225 square mm.
The Sigma Foveon sensor is 286 square mm or 27% larger.
The APS-C sensor is about 330 -370 square mm, depending on manufacturer.

So what actual basis do you have for making a statement implying that the m43 sensor is going to lack quality of image and be comparable to a 110 film format from 40 years ago? Current reviews of the G10 with its tiny sensor and >14 MP available rate it very highly.
You must have knowledge that is hidden from the rest of the photographic world.

 

[gavinlg]

After 1,051 posts, I'm surprised think you are confusing a reflex view finder to a direct vision optical viewfinder. i.e. SLR vs rangefinder or scale focus camera.

The hope of many here is than the olympus µ4/3 will have either a direct vision OVF and a rear LCD or a EVF and rear LCD.

I'm fully aware that you don't need a mirror to have an optical viewfinder, but obviously you haven't yet considered the fact that this is an interchangeable lens camera that is meant to be a smaller replacement for a DSLR, and thus will have lenses ranging from 14mm equiv wide to 600mm equiv long, plus many variable focal length lenses (zooms).

Now, if you will, please explain to me how a fixed optical "direct vision" VF will be able to be used with both a 14mm lens and a 600mm lens, and all the focal lengths in between, let alone how it will be able to be used accurately.

 

[gavinlg]

But, it could have the typical shutter lag, beeps, portrait mode, landscape mode, dragon mode, alien holiday mode, poorly done touch screen controls like Sony do (only Apple are allowed touch screen controls) and crazy 85 thousand point keep everything in focus largest aperture is f900 nonsense on it. In which case I'd rather eat fdigital's hat with him.

FYI olympus have previously stated that there will be no touch screen controls on any of their cameras in the near future as it's a clumsy technology for photographic purchases.