Oh My Goodness (digital OM)

The Leica M9 proves that a camera doesn't have to have auto-everything to be succesful and sell. The Leica M9 is riding a wave because it is the only game in town. (Beautiful construction, quality, "brass 'n glass" legacy). Whether the market could support two Leica M style camera systems remains to be seen. To me a digital OM4 with aperture priority and a fistful of new smart primes and zooms would be a smart move for a small company like Olympus...

But naw - I'm dreaming.
 
My uncle, whos brothers friend is delivering pizza to Olympus Creative Team HQ told me last week that Olympus have mock-ups of FF OM-D1 with new line of Zuikos: 21/2, 28/2, 35/2, 50/1.2 and 85/2. There are also rumors about few long tele lenses launched before Olympics. With MSRP circa 5000$ (body only) they hope to steal 10% of pro dlrs sales from CaNikon this year.

😀
 
The 4/3 sensor is just a bit smaller than APS-C. People confuse the crop factor, based on the sensor diagonal, with the actual area of the sensor. So far 4/3 sensors have been behind for reasons not having as much to do with area...they are just not cutting edge. The Pany G3 gets good reports in terms of ISO. I think if the 16 megapixel sony wonder sensor in the D7000, K5, Nex 5n, etc, were scaled down to the 4/3 size, you'd see almost no real-world difference in terms of noise.

I shot an E-5 for a while and some of that stuff got published. I also had work from an E-p1 published, too. They are very capable cameras.

To compete, however, Oly really needs a new sensor. The 12 megapixel one they've been using for the entire Pen line is a nice sensor, but nowhere near as capable as the 16 mp Sony one--or the sensor in the G3 for that matter.
 
dreilly said:
To compete, however, Oly really needs a new sensor. The 12 megapixel one they've been using for the entire Pen line is a nice sensor, but nowhere near as capable as the 16 mp Sony one--or the sensor in the G3 for that matter.
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Lettuce beef real-tea, it's a bit of a stretch to call that 12mp livemos sensor 'nice'. It was pretty average when it came out, and they're still using it years later. Sensors like the one in the new canon g1x look like they're simply lightyears ahead!
 
It will be interesting to see how physically like an OM this camera is and what sort of effort they make with the viewfinder. You can make a digicam look like a block of cheese if you want, so if turns out to be merely more of the same with a stylish makeover, Olympus will have shot themselves in the foot IMO.

And I would seriously doubt that the shutter speed dial will be behind the lens ... as per 'real' OM!
 
dreilly said:
The 4/3 sensor is just a bit smaller than APS-C.
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Actually, it is significantly smaller:
550px-Sensor_sizes_overlaid_inside_-_updated.svg.png
 
I thought the spirit of the OM was it's size, weight, technology and most importantly feel. how you get good feel with a bunch of buttons and a touch screen is beyond me.

I think it may be the weatherproof metal bodied camera to go with the new weatherproof kit lens just announced.
 
Kosta: Exactly. A digital OM would have controls for on/off, ISO, shutter speed, aperture, EV compensation, and (maybe) highlight/shadow reading. That's it. And no screen. Real photographers don't need no frikkin' screen.
 
If BMW had released the new Mini with a carburetted engine, points ignition, drum rear brakes and a four speed gearbox do you think it would have turned into the success story that it is?
 
zuiko85 said:
A digital OM is when I can unclip my film back from my OM-1 and clip on a digital back with the power supply and electronics fitting on the bottom about the same size and weight as a motor winder.

That is a 'digital OM' and will be available about the same time I flap my arms and fly to the moon!
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That is something I thought of too. Dang it; start flapping those arms. 😀
 
For those who want a full frame digital OM, I doubt it will happen. I have an E-510 and spent a lot of time on some Olympus sites and the OLY DSLR forum at dpreview. If Olympus pays any attention to its customers, then it knows the ones that have come on board with the advent DSLRs are anal (sorry, no better word for it) when it comes to weight. They complains about mere grams. They will gripe and move on to Panasonic.

A full frame body means larger lenses, and these people want have any of it. Add an ounce of weight to their kit and they scream you are breaking their backs. I just picked up my OM2 with Vivitar 70-210mm f3.5. I had my E-510 with the 40-150mm in my hands a few hours ago. Yeah there is a weight difference, but it's no big deal. I am not in as good a shape as I should be, but would gladly carry the OM2/70-210 all day (and I've done it lots of times).
 
Olympus OM-1D?

Olympus OM-1D?

Intrigued. I was in the market for compact digital camera with interchangeable lenses that could adopt my OM lens collection, and didn't find the one that would satisfy me.
I was looking for at least NEX level of IQ/high ISO performance and old OM-style ergonomics.
Interesting if they are going to keep shutter speed ring around lens mount and advance lever :>
 
Spyro said:
If instead of all that you guys are happy with anything, no matter how oddball, as long as it looks like an OM and has analog controls, then what can I say... I must have missed something very important that happened to the collective photography subconscious over the last decade or so.
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I'm not *happy* with anything less than a digital *full-frame* OM-D.
I'm not *happy* with EVF unless if it provides me with a view that is as big as that on my OM-1.
I'm not *happy* with buttons and menus, I want manual shutter ring on the lens mount, and a mode dial or two for ISO and White balance.

But I will probably buy a digital OM camera just like I bought a digital Pen.
Why? because those are made to honor Mr. Maitani, by people who wants to keep his excellent vision alive for us, customers.

And just as importantly, those are darn good cameras capable of producing darn good pictures.

People who dismisses m4/3rd as a quality system most likely are chasing rainbows, and I bid them much success in their endeavors. I know what "good enough" means for me personally.
 
I'd rather like them to make a 35 eqv. with f/2 that doesn't suck in sharpness .. does not need to be a pan cake really
 
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