After the big splash of the Fuji X Pro1 - it will be a commercial success I'm sure, bit slow AF @ 1700$ and no manual focus assistance for a camera taking M mount lenses is a splash in my book - Olympus as some leaks and we hear of a digital OM all over the Internet.
What is an OM originally ?
About a decade after Nikon and Canon created a range of SLRs (all the Fs for Nikon and the likes of the A1 for Canon), Olympus launched the OM1, followed by many more, as a directly competing line up of SLR cameras. This was good stuff (long story short). Getting one these days wouldn't cost you much, and with the proper film and a negative scanner, you'd be able to do some pretty cool work.
What about the OMD?
So far features of the OM D are pure speculation, but 43rumors has that list:
Of course it's missing sensor size. Electronic viewfinder? Really? Well let's wait and see, should be fully announced by the 8th of February.
What is an OM originally ?
About a decade after Nikon and Canon created a range of SLRs (all the Fs for Nikon and the likes of the A1 for Canon), Olympus launched the OM1, followed by many more, as a directly competing line up of SLR cameras. This was good stuff (long story short). Getting one these days wouldn't cost you much, and with the proper film and a negative scanner, you'd be able to do some pretty cool work.
What about the OMD?
Surfing the trend of "let's use our historical line up names and add a bit of vintage to sell very expensive compacts", Olympus is on the edge of announcing a digital OM.
Now let's cut the crap from the beginning: unless they make it with a SLR viewfinder and a proper sensor (I'm not even daring to hope for full frame), the only thing from the OM will be the name.
Fuji has really opened a market niche with the X line up (Fujifilm X100
, X Pro1). Those products, even if far from perfect (slow AF, poor ergonomics) are indeed something to the landscape: some of do us want premium compact with terrific built quality.
, X Pro1). Those products, even if far from perfect (slow AF, poor ergonomics) are indeed something to the landscape: some of do us want premium compact with terrific built quality.
Unfortunately, prices for those cameras are ridiculously high and unjustified. At 1200$, the Fujifilm X100
offers only 35mm and slow operation. It is excellent image quality wise, but not enough. The X Pro 1 has some major flaws (to be updated once I have one in my hands) and costs really too much (1700$ body only).
offers only 35mm and slow operation. It is excellent image quality wise, but not enough. The X Pro 1 has some major flaws (to be updated once I have one in my hands) and costs really too much (1700$ body only).
Most of all, Fuji is alone in that segment, Leica not having launch anything in that field recently. I welcome a new player in that niche !
So far features of the OM D are pure speculation, but 43rumors has that list:
- "Camera has a classic OM design
- It has a magnesium body
- It is weathers sealed
- weight 373 g (body only).
- 16 megapixel sensor optimized for High Dynamic Range
- 200 up to 25.600 ISO
- Built-in electronic viewfinder 1.44 million dots (positioned in the center of the body liek the old OM optical viewfinders and same resolution as the external VF-2 viewfinder (Click here to see on Amazon).
- 610.000 pixel OLED swivel 3 inch screen.
- Five-axis image stabilizer in body.
- FAST AF and 3D tracking
- Comes in Balck or Silver.
- Price: Around $1.100 in USA or 1.000 Euro in Europe."
Oh. My. Dog. I wish this leads to a decent compact body some day, I have and 30+ year old OM-1 with 4 lenses and right now, since the body's shutter has failed a few times in a couple of years, I'm gonna retire it and set up a small camera museum at home with all my Olympus gear.
ReplyDeleteAnd OMD *might* rescue these lenses out some day... but I doubt it, because I already have Nikon's equivalents for all of them (24, 35, 50, 100) and 3 good FX bodies (D700, F90X, FM-2n) so... I'm afraid Olympus will be late for this one. I wanted that body 5 years ago :D
You should have asked to Nicolas to let you borrow his OM-1, it's a niece piece of a camera!
ReplyDeleteCheers
JH