Should Olympus Produce a FF Camera Line?

[lam]

"Past performance is not an guarantee of future success"

All of the blah blah about Sony not supporting technologies and whatever is unfounded, when's the last time Sony made a full-frame mirror less camera?

More so, if Olympus made an sizable effort to create the OM-1 body in size, shape, handling with a FF sensor and even if it was an EVF--I think it would work favorably well.. even with starting with just ONE lens (50/1.8).. or, hell, make it OM mount so it works with the OM lenses!?!? What a idea! :bang:

 

[Godfrey]

Fujifilm??

Fuji is creating new lenses tailored to their sensors, but it's not a complete system to toe up against the Olympus, Nikon or Canon offerings.

Of course, it can meet many people's needs even as limited as it is.

G

 

[Jack Conrad]

Sony acquired $645,000,000 in Olympus shares in 2012.

Sony and Olympus said they want to "enhance their competitiveness" in compact digital cameras. Olympus will provide technologies like camera lenses and mirror cells to Sony, while Olympus will have access to Sony image sensors.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2410314,00.asp

 

[jsrockit]

Fuji is creating new lenses tailored to their sensors, but it's not a complete system to toe up against the Olympus, Nikon or Canon offerings.

See I don't include Olympus in with Nikon and Canon. Outside of long lenses, say 300mm plus, what does Olympus have over Fuji in lenses?

 

[Godfrey]

See I don't include Olympus in with Nikon and Canon. Outside of long lenses, say 300mm plus, what does Olympus have over Fuji in lenses?

FourThirds and Micro-FourThirds lens mount has over 30 excellent, compatible lenses from Olympus, Panasonic, Sigma, and Voigtlander to choose from, from ultra compact consumer grade to long pro-grade telephotos. See the following charts for details:

http://four-thirds.org/en/microft/lens_chart.html

and

http://four-thirds.org/en/fourthirds/lens_chart.html

G

 

[gustavoAvila]

Personally, I would not be interested in an Olympus full frame camera. (I prefer small cameras and lenses.)

Regardless of my personal biases, it is possible that a full frame camera could give Olympus a more profitable (?) product to "up-sell" to their fan base.

However, given Olympus's recent near-death experience, the 4/3's system disaster and ongoing negative cash flow (at the camera division), Olympus management is probably EXTREMELY conservative these days. And if this is not enough, we also need to consider that the full-frame market is small and occupied by established players.

If Olympus does release a new system, it will likely be in collaboration with another partner, and more importantly, have to bring something new and innovative to the market. Another "me-too" product will just "crash-and-burn".

 

[mh2000]

It would be a huge risk for a camera manufacturer that is barely hanging on. Their digital Pen line is doing well, and they should concentrate on keeping it popular and state of the art. However, if they did, AND used it to make a real digital OM, I would have to look very closely at it. Nikon's Df is the model for this type of camera, but it would need to use a mount that would be compatible with OM-Zuiko lenses. While the Df is priced beyond what I would pay for it, I would pay that much for a digital OM.

ps, OM-D EM-5 or whatever need not apply.

pps,
AAargggg! You HAD to bring that up didn't you! (I one of the group you mention.)

Sorry Chris!!! 🙂

 

[gavinlg]

FourThirds and Micro-FourThirds lens mount has over 30 excellent, compatible lenses from Olympus, Panasonic, Sigma, and Voigtlander to choose from, from ultra compact consumer grade to long pro-grade telephotos. See the following charts for details:

http://four-thirds.org/en/microft/lens_chart.html

and

http://four-thirds.org/en/fourthirds/lens_chart.html

G

Remember Fuji X has fujinon, Zeiss, Samyang and can mount any other manual focus lens mount as well.

Olympus has heaps of crap slow lenses that are only marginally different from each other.
To be fair they do have a few microphone and macro attachments that fuji don't have.

 

[Roger Hicks]

What's in it for Olympus?

Cheers,

R.

 

[mh2000]

Remember Fuji X has fujinon, Zeiss, Samyang and can mount any other manual focus lens mount as well.

Olympus has heaps of crap slow lenses that are only marginally different from each other.
To be fair they do have a few microphone and macro attachments that fuji don't have.

huh???

Oly 12/2, 17/1.8, 45/1.8 and 75/1.8 are all "crap slow lenses?"

How are they only, "marginally different from each other?"

They do rely on the Pan/Leica 25/1.4 to round out the set of traditional primes, but still...

Guess I'm missing something.

 

[kuzano]

Very simply stated.....

Very simply stated.....

My answer is "NO FRAKKING WAY!"

No elaboration or explanation needed.

 

[Godfrey]

huh???

Oly 12/2, 17/1.8, 45/1.8 and 75/1.8 are all "crap slow lenses?"

How are they only, "marginally different from each other?"

They do rely on the Pan/Leica 25/1.4 to round out the set of traditional primes, but still...

Guess I'm missing something.

Never mind the FT high-grade and super-high-grade lenses, both zoom and prime, spanning a focal length range from 7mm to 300mm. All with max apertures from f/2 to f/4. The only f/2 zoom (ZD 14-35mm f/2 ED) in the industry.

I don't think you're missing anything, Mark ... 🙂

 

[gavinlg]

huh???

Oly 12/2, 17/1.8, 45/1.8 and 75/1.8 are all "crap slow lenses?"

How are they only, "marginally different from each other?"

They do rely on the Pan/Leica 25/1.4 to round out the set of traditional primes, but still...

Guess I'm missing something.

You really wanna do this? Ok. Here are the multitude of crap slow lenses:

4 x Olympus 14-42mm-ish lenses
4 x panasonic 14-42mm-ish lenses
3 x panasonic 40-150mm-ish lenses
2 x olympus 40-140mm lenses

So all in all 13 lenses churned out one after the other that are all slow crap zooms. Olympus doesn't even have a 50mm equivalent. And those primes aren't really fast enough to make up for the deficiencies of the small sensor. The 17mm f1.8 has a tiny little front element. They could have easily gone faster.

Never mind the FT high-grade and super-high-grade lenses, both zoom and prime, spanning a focal length range from 7mm to 300mm. All with max apertures from f/2 to f/4. The only f/2 zoom (ZD 14-35mm f/2 ED) in the industry.

I don't think you're missing anything, Mark ... 🙂

All are huge and focus quite badly on m4.3 bodies.

 

[Godfrey]

You really wanna do this? Ok. Here are the multitude of crap slow lenses:

4 x Olympus 14-42mm-ish lenses
4 x panasonic 14-42mm-ish lenses
3 x panasonic 40-150mm-ish lenses
2 x olympus 40-140mm lenses

So all in all 13 lenses churned out one after the other that are all slow crap zooms. Olympus doesn't even have a 50mm equivalent. And those primes aren't really fast enough to make up for the deficiencies of the small sensor. The 17mm f1.8 has a tiny little front element. They could have easily gone faster.

Just because they're slow doesn't make them crap. Just because they're zooms doesn't make them crap. I understand they're not to your taste. They are 13 out of the nearly 60 lenses available in FT and mFT mount, vs the Fuji's total of nine from Fuji, three from Sigma, and a couple from Samyang.

All are huge and focus quite badly on m4.3 bodies.

They focus beautifully on all mFT bodies using the focusing ring. They autofocus beautifully on the E-M1. Yes, they are large.

Oh yes, it was the mFT cameras that started all the vogue of adapting other systems "legacy" lenses in the first place. None of them autofocus either, you know. 🙂

G

 

[gavinlg]

Just because they're slow doesn't make them crap. Just because they're zooms doesn't make them crap. I understand they're not to your taste. They are 13 out of the nearly 60 lenses available in FT and mFT mount, vs the Fuji's total of nine from Fuji, three from Sigma, and a couple from Samyang.

It is definitely true, the slow zooms are not my to my liking personally 🙂

If you look at them as full lens systems, m4/3 is definitely more complete, if not for a bit of filler lens re-releases with different casings.
If you only look at fast AF primes, Fuji and m4/3 are even steven IMO.

 

[jarski]

Oh yes, it was the mFT cameras that started all the vogue of adapting other systems "legacy" lenses in the first place. ...

well that was bare necessity other than anything else, since there weren't alternatives. I doubt many old lens fans use these bodies anymore for their full frame glass.

 

[jsrockit]

FourThirds and Micro-FourThirds lens mount has over 30 excellent, compatible lenses from Olympus, Panasonic, Sigma, and Voigtlander to choose from, from ultra compact consumer grade to long pro-grade telephotos. See the following charts for details:

http://four-thirds.org/en/microft/lens_chart.html

and

http://four-thirds.org/en/fourthirds/lens_chart.html

G

Right, and how many do Canon and Nikon have?

 

[DNG]

well that was bare necessity other than anything else, since there weren't alternatives. I doubt many old lens fans use these bodies anymore for their full frame glass.

Your kidding.... right?

I have MORE m4/3 and Nex and Fuji users on MirrorlessCameras.net that use "Adapted" FF lenses on these bodies alone
or with the new Speed Boosters, than native AF lenses. Despite the availability of Native AF lenses available.

 

[DNG]

Right, and how many do Canon and Nikon have?

Well, give Oly/Pany/Fuji and maybe Sony 30 years to build their system lenses... then let's talk

 

[jsrockit]

Well, give Oly/Pany/Fuji and maybe Sony 30 years to build their system lenses... then let's talk

True, very true. But let's remember that Olympus and Fujifilm have been making cameras for 30 years plus.