Oly tied w Nikon?

sderdiarian wrote:

I agree, the E-M5 best meets the spirit of innovation in the DPR poll.

What made it transformational to me was combining features like 5-axis IS, a high quality EVF, touch/tilt OLED screen, fast and accurate AF,Olympus colors and a no-excuses Sony sensor in a small yet high quality weathersealed body. This, combined with an ever-growing range of small/light/fast primes, has been a game changer.

The individual features are impressive in their own right, but combined in one camera and system they become transformational. The D800, while a tour de force in its class, was as you noted "predictable and expected".

I also haven't before seen the anticipation and excitement generated by the E-M5's launch, which had this forum running 3 pages of posts in a 24 hour period for weeks leading up to and following its release in the marketplace. Clearly this mighty mite was a camera that finally put together many photographer's wish list of features in one body at an affordable price.

The thought of Olympus designers and engineers quietly working away on its design and production in the shadow of one of the greatest corporate scandals of our day and the very real threat to their very jobs makes its success all the more admirable.

Given all of the above, and DPR's intro to this poll...

"This year saw a lot of innovation and movement at the top of the ranges of biggest camera manufacturers, making it a fantastic year for photo enthusiasts and reviewers alike... So at the end of an incredibly busy year we want to know which cameras stood out for you."

...I believe the E-M5 and those who designed it are highly deserving of the laurels.

It's currently leading in the poll 22.9% to 22.2% over the D800. Hope the lead holds up.

Oh, and my second vote would go to the Fuji X-E1, the X-Pro1's more manageably sized offspring. Two smaller camera groups doing some pretty special things.