CSBC
News Editor
Reged: 24/11/2006
Posts: 821
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AP News
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El Sid
Going potty
Reged: 14/04/2003
Posts: 9463
Loc: Sussex-by-the-Sea
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So Olympus still haven't gotten over their obsession with making cameras too small to use comfortably?...
Does it still use the same size sensor as 4/3rds or is it yet smaller......in which case, and bearing in mind the awful noise issue with compacts, what's the point?
I have a suspicion that it could end up being the digital equivalent of 110 format film. Smaller and more compact but ultimately doesn't deliver the goods quality wise...
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Nigel
Completely BSRIPN 
ElSid Gallery
A camera in the hand is better than one in the cupboard........
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Benchista
Wich Tyler
Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 37849
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
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It's the same size sensor. They've whipped out reflex viewing, and basically come up with the format quite a few of us have been suggesting - making a virtue of the smaller size of the 4/3 sensor rather than trying to compete head-on with larger sensors. Too small to be used? IMHO they've never done that. What this should allow is a camera broadly the size of a Canon G9 with a decent-sized sensor and interchangeable lenses - sounds pretty tasty to me. I'll even get bigger pockets to keep one in! 
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Nick
www.nbrphoto.com
Light and Shade II - the new blog
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chromatin
journeyman
Reged: 26/06/2008
Posts: 92
Loc: NE Lincs
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A new 'rangefinder' equivalent?
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My Flickr Photostream
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Benchista
Wich Tyler
Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 37849
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
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Basically, yes, albeit with live view AF rather than rangefinder focusing.
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Nick
www.nbrphoto.com
Light and Shade II - the new blog
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beejaybee
Marvin
Reged: 18/07/2007
Posts: 4967
Loc: Really Here In Name Only
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Quote:
Basically, yes, albeit with live view AF rather than rangefinder focusing.
And throwing away telecentricity
I'm all in favour of compacts with "large" sensors, but I want a proper viewfinder, not an electronic type - unless the EVF has at least twice the resolution (four times the pixel count) of the sensor - it's not possible to focus precisely otherwise, and the compromise of a partial blowup is not simply convenient, except for landscapes and still life.
This is an interesting concept, but I don't think it's for me.
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Lost_In_France
member
Reged: 27/03/2007
Posts: 101
Loc: Lake Annecy, Haute Savoie
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Quote:
And throwing away telecentricity
Not necessarily. The new lenses being designed for the new cameras are smaller (by 6mm in diameter) so telecentricity should be preserved.
Agree with you however on the lack of a proper viewfinder. That said, I'm really quite looking forward to the new offerings and could well be in the market for this! 
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Mark
"War is like an ageing actress; always more dangerous, always less photogenic." (Robert Capa)
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RogerMac
Hotshoe Shuffler
Reged: 25/03/2007
Posts: 497
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Quote:
And throwing away telecentricity
Not throwing it away - even if the new lenses do not use it all "full 4/3" lenses will still have it.
Personally I would buy one today if it was in the shops.
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sjaszczak
A Real Gentleman
Reged: 08/06/2005
Posts: 1122
Loc: York
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"Recognising future growth in the digital SLR market the firms aim to win over compact camera users who find DSLRS 'big, heavy and difficult to operate'"
Sorry, but I think this is an incredibly foolish pursuit. I can't see how a compact user is going to be impressed by this... if they're serious about wanting something more highly specified and more fleixble in terms of the lens offerings then they'd get a DSLR (even if it is a four thirds model)...it's going to be small and fiddly to use.
Compact camera users who don't want to go for a DSLR generally, in my experience, look towards the bridge market...Olympus should be investing money there instead of in poorly thought out technology that's never going to catch on.
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Steve
My Flickr
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Lost_In_France
member
Reged: 27/03/2007
Posts: 101
Loc: Lake Annecy, Haute Savoie
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Quote:
Compact camera users who don't want to go for a DSLR generally, in my experience, look towards the bridge market...Olympus should be investing money there instead of in poorly thought out technology that's never going to catch on.
I am in the market looking for a "compact sized" digital camera to complement my film based OM1n. I have looked at bridge cameras and have found them too large and with ridiculous 20x zoom lenses that would need a very sturdy tripod to stop them wobbling all over the place. The likes of the Canon G9, whilst very tempting, has too small a zoom range for me personally.
IMHO opinion I think that Oly/Panny may well have a winner on their hands and I very much expect the other majors to follow suit. To have a compact sized body with a sensor considerably larger than all compacts/bridges currently available, coupled with a range of what should be quality lenses from ultra-wide to super-telephoto (according to Panasonic's own website) is just what I am looking for.
Each to their own I suppose...
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Mark
"War is like an ageing actress; always more dangerous, always less photogenic." (Robert Capa)
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El Sid
Going potty
Reged: 14/04/2003
Posts: 9463
Loc: Sussex-by-the-Sea
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Quote:
It's the same size sensor. They've whipped out reflex viewing, and basically come up with the format quite a few of us have been suggesting...
Sounds almost close to the 4/3rds compact I think they should be making...
Quote:
Too small to be used? IMHO they've never done that.
But then I had an OM1n an IMHO it was too damn small to use comfortably........
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Nigel
Completely BSRIPN
ElSid Gallery
A camera in the hand is better than one in the cupboard........
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FujiSigmaNolta
I can pan!
Reged: 21/06/2005
Posts: 1489
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AP forum prepare for future newbie questions such as "What is a viewfinder?" or "Why does my friend have to peek through a whole on top of his camera all the time?"
On the other hand, it may turn out a bit better than the 110 format as suggested here. They are keeping essentially the same size sensor only on a smaller body.
I am in fact very curious, but I won't expect it to live up to an APS-C DSLR. It could become my super lightweight on the move kit I have to say. Every now and then I leave the house with only an EeePC,Dimage A1 or Fujifilm S20pro and card reader. Having a smaller camera 4/3rds sensor will definately deliver better quality than a compact with the added bonus of interchangeable lenses.
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Regards,
Luis
My Flickr mess
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ACS
For Whom the Bell Trolls...
Reged: 04/09/2007
Posts: 50
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Maybe it'll never catch on?
Still, we said that about the first small film SLRs (OM1), dust removing sensors (all oly DSLRs), live view (E330 I think), and small digital SLRs (E4**). Some of us are old enough to have said it about the ultra compact, no mirror box, 4:3 ratio, interchangeable lens Pen FT of 1963. And how very wrong we all were...
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Ken_Moffat
member
Reged: 01/11/2006
Posts: 154
Loc: Motherwell
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Quote:
sounds pretty tasty to me.
Couldn't agree more and look forward to it.
Could Olympus have changed the direction of camera development?
What if it had come from Germany, had a red dot on it and was called something like M10?
What would be the thought on it then?
I think the reaction would different.
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LargeFormat
old hand
Reged: 24/10/2006
Posts: 1179
Loc: Buckinghamshire and Cumbria
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I just don't get this thing about Olys being too small to use. When someone produces a full frame dSLR the same size as my OM2s I'll be at the front of the queue. If it comes soon enough I might even get it into the 2012 olympics.
Oly has made its name on producing smaller cameras so the micro 4/3 seems to have a certain logic. However, one could follow the same principles with an APSc and end up with something of fairly similar size.
In my opinion the whole thing rests or falls on how good they can make the viewfinder. Surely that's why one buys a dSLR.
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ACS
For Whom the Bell Trolls...
Reged: 04/09/2007
Posts: 50
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Take a look at this:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3131/2734255573_78717b86f6_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/2735088558_21bc33eaf5_o.jpg
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huwevans
Old Hand
Reged: 05/08/2000
Posts: 15456
Loc: Dorset, UK
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Quote:
In my opinion the whole thing rests or falls on how good they can make the viewfinder. Surely that's why one buys a dSLR.
Plus other things like speed of operation - focussing, shutter response, and so on. The reflex mirror system of SLRs leant itself very well to fast autofocus, enabling phase-detection AF to be implemented in a quite straighforward way. Non-reflex digital cameras have generally been stuck with slow contrast-measurement AF, which has let them down somewhat when considered as back-up cameras to SLR systems for enthusiasts and professionals alike. I'll be very interested to see what Oly/Panasonic do with the focussing - the reported slow AF and frozen monitor of Sigma's DP1 effectively killed off any lingering interest I had in it.
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Huw Evans.
  
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FujiSigmaNolta
I can pan!
Reged: 21/06/2005
Posts: 1489
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Quote:
Take a look at this:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3131/2734255573_78717b86f6_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/2735088558_21bc33eaf5_o.jpg
If that is yours, I would make sure I have a patent on it. I am not saying that people in this forum would snatch your idea, but visitors may. The reason why I say this is that it reminded me so much of something I have done about 3-4 years ago which I have sent to a manufacturer, received a letter saying that would pass it on to R&D, they ended up using an idea in my proposal/plans and I never saw a penny nor even a camera. A "poor man's" copyright (which is mailing yourself a copy of the stuff at same time you send a copy to them) is not enough, you gotta have it patented. I would avoid showing any ideas in any forums whatsoever to avoid disappointments.
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Regards,
Luis
My Flickr mess
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Rugby_Nut
member
Reged: 08/07/2008
Posts: 181
Loc: High Wycombe, Bucks
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On the contrary Steve. I think it's the 'bridge' market that Oly and Panasonic are aiming at. Compact camera's are 90%+ of world camera sales. If they can entice even a small percentage of people to upgrade to a micro-dslr then I guess that represents a lot of sales.
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Chris
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ACS
For Whom the Bell Trolls...
Reged: 04/09/2007
Posts: 50
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Quote:
If that is yours
In my dreams, in my dreams... Sorry to hear of your experience, corporate greed got the better of them clearly.
They're from http://www.flickr.com/photos/ross_tt/, I just searched flickr. Notice anything about the sensor on theses pics?
I imagine its a speculative proposal. But the guy's published it.
And I'd like a green one, please :-)
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