Olympus trys to Calm our fears once more

After the slew of "what does like to produce products for 43rds and m43rds mean", and the reduction of production being the sign they will make one more body and annouce the end of the system (laughable)... Here we have Olympus saying, no holds barred they will continue to produce DSLRs....

Anyone read into that m43rds, anyone read into that a dead system? They will probably have a body between the 620 and e-30 and a body between the e-30 and e-5 for size reduction... Both will be considered potential upgrades for m43rds users who want to access HG lenses and Olympus will continue to work on the potential One Beautiful System

Enjoy, Olympus has been as direct as I can imagine them to be.

--
“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” -Ansel Adams
blog.alatchinphotography(dot)com

Source ?

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/02/13/Olympus-denies-ceasing-DSLR-production

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/02/13/Olympus-denies-ceasing-DSLR-production

God Bless,

Greg

www.imagismphotos.com

www.mccroskery.zenfolio.com

www.pbase.com/daddyo

God Bless,

Greg

www.imagismphotos.com

www.mccroskery.zenfolio.com

www.pbase.com/daddyo

This is a very wise move on the part of Olympus -- to clear the air and make a definitive statement on this issue.

The rumor mill is a dangerous thing:-)

God Bless,

Greg

www.imagismphotos.com

www.mccroskery.zenfolio.com

www.pbase.com/daddyo

Good comments. Thanks for the post. I actually missed that news on the home page today.

Some people understood from Toshi Terada's announcement 10 days ago (link below) that Olympus would aim for a smaller DSLR. We'll have to wait and see what he meant by " ... And also it needs to be the right size - the benefit of Micro Four Thirds and Four Thirds is compact size. ..."

For my use, I like the size and weight of the E-5. I can't see how they'd fit all of the easy access creative controls and a swivelling LCD on a smaller body that's as rugged and weather-proof as the E-5.

The Olympus announcement on 2/2/2013: http://www.dpreview.com/articles/7898773566/cp-2013-interview-with-olympus-toshi-terada

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Dave

Olympus has made miniaturization of cameras and lenses major priority from the days of the Pens and Pen F's. That was the quality of the OM that made it so revolutionary. And they essentially did it all over again - digitally - with the 400 series and the E- 620.

There is a good chance that such miniaturization is exactly what they are working on - in combination with the problem you have cited - in a successor to the E-5 (isn't it interesting, how often the E-620, which did indeed have almost everything the E-3 did, come up in this discussion.)

I think that you are in a minority in your championing of the E3/5 chassis. I have owned and used every Olympus DSLR except the E300 and the E-520. IMHO the E-1 is the most ergonomic camera they have produced, followed closely by the E-620 and the E-420. The E-3/5 bodyi simply too big and heavy, especially for those of us who like to carry and use at least two bodies and a reasonable assortment of lenses.

--
erichK
saskatoon, canada
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You've recognized the advantages Olympus has had with small cameras from the beginning.

My first DSLR was the E-3. The E-5 is the same size body with a larger LCD screen and one less button, the battery door release. I really like the rugged, weather-proof body of the E-3/E-5. The only other Olympus to have this is the E-1. Besides that, I have large hands with long fingers so I like a big grip.

We'll have to wait and see what Olympus actually offers.

I think the biggest size advantage Olympus DSLRs have is in the telephoto lenses.

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Dave

I wouldnt mind a smaller E-5/3 now mind you, not E620 size... But I can see the potential for a rethink. Maybe not as small as the E-620, as they m43rds for the absolute smallest, and not as big as an E-5/E-30... Think how many here lauded the Pentax size... Maybe that big?

To be honest I have had the E-300 and the E-3 and didnt mind either of them, I am a young man and I dont have the worry of weight (unless lugging equipment to an on-site shoot) but I do want the choice of an OVF / EVF, when I cant tell the difference (and we are close) I wont mind, but EVFs have their strengths, as do OVFs and I think, judging by everything Olympus has said, they understand that as well.

--
“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” -Ansel Adams
blog.alatchinphotography(dot)com

Especially here huh?! I look forward to a bit of peace here

--
“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” -Ansel Adams
blog.alatchinphotography(dot)com

but those of you who prefer to carry and use at least two bodies and a reasonable assortment of lenses are a small minority vs those who just want a normal sized camera that are comfortable to work with and do not carry 2 bodies and dozen lenses...

IMO the E-30 is the minimum size a new DSLR should be, and there needs to be a solid grip to go with it.

If you have used a ZD90-250mm or ZD300mm then you will understand the importance of having a substantial body on the end of those lenses.  If Oly gives us a small DSLR then they need to offer a really BIG pro grip to go with it.

If in your opinion ZD300 owners are in such a small minority that we don't count and that Oly should cater for the 'majority', you need to consider that the ZD is the Olympus Flagship lens and it truly is an optical gem, and Oly needs to support it with a decent sized body. To cut it out of consideration is just the start of a road down to the ordinary. And those special lenses will be just curiosities.

But with a proper pro 4/3 DSLR with a new sensor behind these lenses Oly shooters will not only out-reach the FF competition (we already do) they will have the IQ and high ISO performance as well to be stand-out alternatives to Canon and Nikon. Hey, if the new camera sells well Oly might just keep the 4/3 DSLR alive and one day we might even see a 400mm F/4 prime

Peter

A 400 f4 would be nice especially priced near a 35-100 or less. I just have this feeling that Olympus is going to surprise everyone like they did with the OMD and their new DSLR is going to be a hit.

--
"Don't Be Afraid To See What You See"
Darrell

Read this news story carefully:

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/02/13/Olympus-denies-ceasing-DSLR-production

It says two things:

• Olympus denies it is ceasing production of DSLRs
• Olympus lost $170 million last year on cameras and lenses

The first statement doesn't mean there will be any new 4/3 cameras or lenses. It just means that the E5 will continue in production as long as anyone wants to buy one. And I don't imagine they will sell very many more E5s since they can be had at bargain prices used, as E5 owners switch to other brands or OM-Ds. Are there really many people left who want to spend $1700 for a nice camera with 2008 sensor technology?
The second statement is the one that is the most troubling. If Olympus lost $170 million last year, then they lost that money selling P&S cameras and M4/3 cameras and lenses, because this is pretty much all they sell nowadays.
I don't think 4/3 has a future, no matter what hints, promises and assurances Olympus makes about 4/3. They are in no financial position to revive a line that was losing money. But now I'm starting to worry about how long M4/3 can last if the imaging division keeps losing that much money each year.

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Marty
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Olympus E-30
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Sony SLT-A55
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Marty, your glass is not half empty. It's not just empty, it's dry as a bone. Your pessimism is as deep as the well.

You have to read today's news along with Toshi Terada's statement from earlier this month. He's not talking about continuing the existing DSLRs. He's talking about new camera bodies.

The Olympus announcement on 2/2/2013: http://www.dpreview.com/articles/7898773566/cp-2013-interview-with-olympus-toshi-terada

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Dave

The renewed speculation about what Olympus is going to do with its camera division has almost certainly come about because of a presentation they gave to analysts at their results.

The slides show contains 2 bullet points on the imaging division

* Reduce personnel by 10% from March 2012

* Cut SG&A expenses 4bn YOY

There is then --> Further drastic reform is under review

The underlining is not mine it is Olympus's and it is the only planned action that is underlined in the presentation of the entire business.

And remember six months ago, Olympus was forecasting a profit for cameras and now it is forecasting a loss of 15% of sales. Anyway there is bound to be speculation about what 'drastic reform' of the business actually entails.

nice to see a clear statement

--
The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

From Oly statements mirrorless market-share is growing in US but it's not on fire. Obviously Oly will look to increase their sales as the mirrorless market-share grows.

Conjecture to say where the money is being lost. Has Oly made any announcements?

From what I see in London most tourists have mobiles and advanced compact cameras or a DSLR. I don't see many P&S basic cameras. I have seen a few people shooting with iPads though:) The global economy isn't booming that bubbles over. Price will be important to consumers and Pros going forward as the global squeeze continues on house-hold budgets and profit margins.

They need think out of the box make their advanced compacts and basic mirrorless and DSLRs able to stick photos/videos straight onto Facebook et. all. Add Full HD video recording. Consumers will care less about MPs are more about usability and convergence...