Olympus Provide “The Solution”

#1 nick in japan

How about a real thin, compact, CMOS 16X9 aspect , Image Stabilized, 24-240mm, 3" swiveling LED, powered with AA batteries, that has NO noise??...NO?.. Am I close?? No? Didn't think so!!!

12:43 pm - Sunday, January 22, 2006

#2 Zoltan Arva-Toth

Methinks it is going to be the world's first interchangeable-lens camera with live histogram and full-colour live preview provided on a tilt-swivel monitor. (Fuji's S3 Pro has a live preview but it's black and white, limited to 30 seconds and offers no live histogram, if I'm correct. Also, the back panel monitor of the S3 Pro doesn't swivel.)

I guess the new camera will use an improved, low-consumption FourThirds size sensor and will be compatible with all 20 or so FourThirds lenses announced so far. As to whether it will be an EVF camera or one with a true optical TTL finder and a reflex mirror that can be locked up for the occasions on which you will want to use the tilt-swivel monitor (such as shooting from above a wall or taking macros as suggested by the teasers), we shall see. It is also possible that it will use a beam-splitting prism a la E-10/E-20.

Noise-wise I would not expect a breakthrough but if it is going to be on a par with the R1, then it shall be an attractive solution for prosumer owners wanting to trade up but refusing to lose the ability of composing on the TFT monitor and checking exposure pre capture. Size-wise it will probably have similar dimensions as the E-300 or the E-500, though it is not entirely impossible that it will be even smaller (whether that's welcome or not will depend on the ergonomics).

1:09 pm - Sunday, January 22, 2006

#3 nick in japan

Methinks you are probably pretty close Zoltan! Thankfully Olympus didn't name it the "Final Solution"!!!!!

1:18 pm - Sunday, January 22, 2006

#4 Josh

Either a DSLR with live preview and swivel LCD as above. Or a digital rangefinder with swivel screen. Or how about a detachable screen?

1:31 pm - Sunday, January 22, 2006

#5 Zoltan Arva-Toth

You are right Nick, that would have been very tasteless. Like when Siemens came out with a gas stove named Zyklon! They had to withdraw it even from the German market in the wake of wide-spread protests, or so I've heard.

1:33 pm - Sunday, January 22, 2006

#6 GARY POGODA

I think this will be the perfect camera (for my wife, and just in time for
her birthday).

1:40 pm - Sunday, January 22, 2006

#7 nick in japan

I hate to mention this Gary, but I have been hearing alot of good things about that Kodak, and, right now the quality of the image is not challenged. The hype I'm hearing is about the panoramic lacing that is another breakthrough. Before making a decision, double check.
Thanks for the PTP update, I'm gonna call it a day, did you get the smiles I sent via Mark?

1:58 pm - Sunday, January 22, 2006

#8 alan Halfhill

A veesion of the e-300 as a CLE (Changeable Lens Electonic) instead of a DSLR in 4/3rds mount.

5:01 pm - Sunday, January 22, 2006

#9 Adrian

Olympus seems to have succeeded in building up the tension for Jan 26th, now they'd better deliver

"leaks" or "rumours" ?

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1022&message=16828164&changemode=1

Cheers,
A.

9:42 pm - Sunday, January 22, 2006

#10 GARY POGODA

Nick, if the Kodak is good now, it'll still be good on January 26th, when
Olympus makes its announcement. But I'm not counting on either. I've
already decided on the HP photo printer, and that was on January 19th
which makes this a record 3 days I have not changed my mind.

So, I have the printer, the loan of my Dad's Canon G3, and for security,
I booked 4 nights / 5 days in Lake Tahoe. One could do a lot worse.

(I received your email from Mark, but did not download the attachment.)

10:19 pm - Sunday, January 22, 2006

#11 nick in japan

Gary... I need your comments on my ads! Please download the few pictures and one GIF file. I am about to do another series on Olympus, all in fun. Thanks!

11:34 pm - Sunday, January 22, 2006

#12 GARY POGODA

Sorry, Nick, I wish I could help.

5:48 am - Monday, January 23, 2006

#13 Zoltan Arva-Toth

So it is here now. When it came to light that the new camera does indeed have a true optical TTL viewfinder and live preview, I thought "yippie, the best of both worlds!" But when I read Mr Phil ASkey's preview, saying the brightness of the live view was not representative of the final shot, the effect of any exposure compensation applied was ignored, white balance was not applied to the live view, I became much less enthusiastic about this camera. These shortcomings, along with the conspicuous lack of any mention of a live histogram overlay, make me think Olympus had a great idea but screwed it up. This camera misses the point it was created for in the first place.

10:36 am - Thursday, January 26, 2006

#14 nick in japan

Good observations Zoltan! Live preview has to show the work in progress!!

12:41 pm - Thursday, January 26, 2006