E-volt speculation continued: it looks real!

the consumer who wants to move up can always pop on a 14-54, that's an excellent lens.

The kit lens on the 300D is hardly L quality, but the moment a 300D owner gets the serious photography bug, they replace the kit lens. Oly appears to be following the same route - low price to get it sold, with an upgrade path. It's a bit of a marketing trick, but Canon sure put it to good use.

This is the prosumer market, where size and portability are much greater factors. While the ZD's aren't a lot smaller than d-nikkors, they are more compact, and cover a wide range with fewer lenses. What is convenient to DSLR users is paramount to prosumers, and those ZD zooms that are sharp across their entire range begin to make a lot of sense, from this perspective.

More to the point, it appears that ZD lenses will fit a consumer camera that wasn't designed in haste as a response to someone else's foresight. Meeting this will take a bit more than just cramming a Nikkor mount onto an 8700.

It's exciting news for Oly enthusiasts, because success here means continued success for the E1's follow on.

Don't see it personally?

I like the idea if a rangefinder style viewfinder, so no pentaprism 'hump' , and as a by-product, chopping a LOT of cost out?

Tim

Olivier GALLEN said:

I looked closer at both images (from DPRG + japan), and noticed:

• the small flash element seems to be articulated, in order to rest

flat horizontal when closed. Nothing goes deeper into the camera.

• there is "something" between the 2 moving branches of the

articulated flash. The Hue (Color) is closer to the camera's body
rather than to the background's. You can also look at the japanese
picture to get a different version (different lightning + shadows).
This "something" is probably the viewfinder.

Now... pure speculation: There must be a reason for this strange
design. My guess is that you can remove this top-left (ugly) part,
to get a smaller & lighter body. That would remove the build-in
flash, the hot-shoe AND the Electronic ViewFinder. This smaller
set-up would rely on the LCD (articulated ?) for framing, etc...
This is not what I want to... (I would just have preferred a
8080-like with OVF), but it may make sense from the pictures...
(and to compete with Prosumer digicams).

What is your opinion ?

Olivier

Click to expand...

Tim the Grey said:

Small, interchangeable lenses, and in all probability, the 8MP CCD
from the 8080. Keeps R&D down, and is a nice hybrid for the top end
of the 'bulk' sales, where Oly are VERY strong already?

Click to expand...

surely not the same sensor as the 8080. I'm betting on a new 4/3 sensor from S or M.

Best
Joe

Joseph S. Wisniewski said:

The "compelling reason" is the need to take verticle pics. It's the
same reason that keeps JustRite, Custom Brackets, Jones,
Stroboframe, Newton, and RRS making "flip" brackets. As well as the
reason that makes Nikon, Canon, and Fuji build vertical grips with
duplicate shutter buttons and command wheels into their high end
DSLRs, and has Nikon, Canon, Oly, Sigma, Pentax, and Minolta making
add on vertical grips for their lower end DSLRs.

Click to expand...

Well, I shot handheld vertical with just the SLR body for years with OMs and Nikons, never needed a special release button. But now that I recall, vertical shooting on a tripod was a bit of a pain, and I still have my old stroboframe....

--
ODM
http://home.earthlink.net/~olddigiman/photography/old_digiman.htm

i like the 'removable top' theory better than the 'swivel' theory...not that i think either is anything more than speculation based on an unconfirmed photo...but hmmm, a removable top...interesting.

john

Olivier GALLEN said:

I looked closer at both images (from DPRG + japan), and noticed:

• the small flash element seems to be articulated, in order to rest

flat horizontal when closed. Nothing goes deeper into the camera.

• there is "something" between the 2 moving branches of the

articulated flash. The Hue (Color) is closer to the camera's body
rather than to the background's. You can also look at the japanese
picture to get a different version (different lightning + shadows).
This "something" is probably the viewfinder.

Now... pure speculation: There must be a reason for this strange
design. My guess is that you can remove this top-left (ugly) part,
to get a smaller & lighter body. That would remove the build-in
flash, the hot-shoe AND the Electronic ViewFinder. This smaller
set-up would rely on the LCD (articulated ?) for framing, etc...
This is not what I want to... (I would just have preferred a
8080-like with OVF), but it may make sense from the pictures...
(and to compete with Prosumer digicams).

What is your opinion ?

Olivier

Click to expand...

Joseph Edward Forks said:

Joseph Edward Forks said:

Small, interchangeable lenses, and in all probability, the 8MP CCD
from the 8080. Keeps R&D down, and is a nice hybrid for the top end
of the 'bulk' sales, where Oly are VERY strong already?

Click to expand...

surely not the same sensor as the 8080. I'm betting on a new 4/3
sensor from S or M.

Best
Joe

Click to expand...

Would have to be - don't think that little sensor would work well with lenses designed for 4/3.

Oly has been nothing if not scrupulous about quality. While other companies tout the fuzzy compatibility of their old film lenses, users practically had to drag the OM adapter out of Oly, and only after warnings about less than great results.

TrapperJohn said:

TrapperJohn said:

TrapperJohn said:

of the 'bulk' sales, where Oly are VERY strong already?

Click to expand...

surely not the same sensor as the 8080. I'm betting on a new 4/3
sensor from S or M.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Hmmmmm, a crop factor for the 4/3 format? Why not, other manufacturers do it........

--
dgrogers

http://www.pbase.com/drog

is that the lens mount circle is approx. 2x the diameter of the sensor by definition of the standard? In that regard a 2/3 format sensor can not be used in (or rather fit the definition of) a 4/3 camera. Surely the Evolt will have a 22.5mm diagonal sensor:
http://www.four-thirds.org/en/about.html

Best
Joe

One of the main reasons for the new standard was to remove the crop factor from being a factor in digital slr's (i.e. lenses designed for the format). I guess you didn't get the irony.

Joseph Edward Forks said:

is that the lens mount circle is approx. 2x the diameter of the
sensor by definition of the standard? In that regard a 2/3 format
sensor can not be used in (or rather fit the definition of) a 4/3
camera. Surely the Evolt will have a 22.5mm diagonal sensor:
http://www.four-thirds.org/en/about.html

Best
Joe

Click to expand...

--
dgrogers

http://www.pbase.com/drog

no text

Amongst the few things that Olympus has told as about this camera are that it will be an SLR in 4/3 format, and "consumer priced".

SLR means it has an optical through the lens viewfinder, not a rangefinder, not an EVF (unless it has two viewfinders: why?)

Minolta eliminated the prism hump on their APS format SLR, so probably Olympus has done something similar, to make it "coat pocket" sized.

I think the real test will be if OMfan likes it.

Seriously, he is a harsh critic and the picture looks as though it is small enough and well built enough to address some of his concerns. It looks to be of much better build quality than the Canon 300D.

If the sensor quality is good and the ergonomics are great (I SO want a photo of the back and top) and he can use the OM series lenses with the current adapter, the Oly may turn a heretic into an evangelist.

OMfan, if you read this please promise to get your hands on one ASAP and tell us what you think after you have touched it.

I am wondering what the heck I will be doing.

Chances are I will be ready to buy into four-thirds at the end of this year.
Should I:

1) Stick with my 8080 until the E-3 comes out next year
2) Pick up a "cheap" E-1 assuming the E-300 & 20D induce a price drop.
3) Pick up E-300 Body + DZuiko quality lens and upgrade to E-3 eventually

Choices, choices, choices....

I love it.

Are their any forum members speculating that the e-300 would be a good backup/alternate body for their current kit? I wonder what the body-onl price would be and if Oly will sell it that way.

i haven't had the time to read though this or the other e300 thread...but, it is possible that this will have an evf instead of ovf??...the right side of the pop up flash seems to be in the middle of the light path of the ovf

BJL said:

Sine the "E-volt" thread is the first in this forum for along time
to hit 150 without being mostly troll wars, I do not want to let it
die!

So I note the post
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1022&message=10201873
from Jorgen Begfors, who says he is a journalist and has seen the
new Olympus stuff but is under an NDA until September 27.

My conclusion from his comments, and the apparent efforts from
Olymus to supress display of the image, is that the e-Volt image is
real, and that the body does not swivel.

Click to expand...

--
-pat

David Bourke said:

I don't know about you, but I find separate control wheels for
aperture and shutter speed a must for quick exposure manipulation.
I believe the current crop of DSLR's all have this--even minolta's
A2 has it. I am surprised not to see it on the e-300.

Click to expand...

Control wheel could be on the back behind/beneath the mode dial- like on sony V3.

I have quite a few digital cameras so I don't need a "backup" -- but if this new camera is bringing something new and useful to the party, I'd get one in a heartbeat. After all, I already have more than one 4/3 lens.

Could be that the new Oly will make more sense than the "old" E-1. I'd certainly wait to see the E-300 specs before deciding.

And yes, I'm sure Oly will offer a body-only price for those of us who already have 4/3 glass.

GWBell said:

I am wondering what the heck I will be doing.

Chances are I will be ready to buy into four-thirds at the end of
this year.
Should I:

1) Stick with my 8080 until the E-3 comes out next year
2) Pick up a "cheap" E-1 assuming the E-300 & 20D induce a price drop.
3) Pick up E-300 Body + DZuiko quality lens and upgrade to E-3
eventually

Choices, choices, choices....

I love it.

Are their any forum members speculating that the e-300 would be a
good backup/alternate body for their current kit? I wonder what
the body-onl price would be and if Oly will sell it that way.

Click to expand...

--



http://www.pbase.com/davek/

Olivier GALLEN said:

• there is "something" between the 2 moving branches of the

articulated flash. The Hue (Color) is closer to the camera's body
rather than to the background's. You can also look at the japanese
picture to get a different version (different lightning + shadows).
This "something" is probably the viewfinder.

Click to expand...

The "something" looks more like a sensor window - for WB, flash sensor - highly doubt a "rangefinder" in what is a SLR product range.

GWBell said:

I am wondering what the heck I will be doing.

Chances are I will be ready to buy into four-thirds at the end of
this year.
Should I:

1) Stick with my 8080 until the E-3 comes out next year
2) Pick up a "cheap" E-1 assuming the E-300 & 20D induce a price drop.
3) Pick up E-300 Body + DZuiko quality lens and upgrade to E-3
eventually

Choices, choices, choices....

I love it.

Are their any forum members speculating that the e-300 would be a
good backup/alternate body for their current kit? I wonder what
the body-onl price would be and if Oly will sell it that way.

Click to expand...

It may make a good backup for a grab and run camera, when you don't want the full kit. On the other hand I have a bunch of Minolta AF glass and the D7 with its AS might be a good compliment to the E-1 for me. For you the E-1 body is a fine piece of equipment compared to the E300 & 8080. Since I have the E-1, I can sort of look over my shoulder to see what's coming along and still be clicking away. It will be fun to see what all this new stuff really amounts to.
--
Bob Ross
http://www.pbase.com/rossrtx

The lack of a pentaprism hump certainly doesnt mean an EVF - check out the Pentax EL2000 or the Minolta Vectis S1 or the Olympus PEN FT - no "humps" on them and all are inetrchangeable lens SLR designs.

I think any attempt to go EVF and interchangeable lens would require an EVF that is a qualitative jump ahead of anything we've seen.

An SLR has to work in indoor ambient light and be able to track moving subjects during sequence shooting - all current EVFs fail miserably in these two situations.

I thought EVF and live preview on the LCD, when I saw the first pics.

Then I learned, that TTL-OVF coud be placed into the body without having the pentaprism stand out (In German we call it Dachkant-Prisma- roof-edge prism)- Minolta did it 10 years ago with the Vectia(spelling???).

Locking up the mirror or not- a live preview sensor would be completely different from an dSLR sensor, that stays dark, is exposed by the shutter, and is dark for transfer again- no way to combine the best of two worlds.

And there are no microphone slots on the front part- no movies with sound, no movies at all, no live preview- just a dSLR as samll as possible, without losing ergonomics.
The grip part is thiner then the left part of the camera- why?

Maybe because the lens needs a dsitance from the sensor- to make it as thin and light as possible? And the internal mirrors/prisms have to be somewhere?

Ugly- well maybe, though it looks not too bad to me- I doubt that Oly would shave it to a size, that would be possible, but would not fit noone's hands any more- even smaller asian hands.
The E-10/20 without lipo was to small for my pranks-with Lipo it was perfect.

The E-1 while small did not have me wish for the grip- fits just right even to my big hands.

The thingy here- oh well tiny and slim, but the right hand grip looks usable- sad that there are no buttons for my pointer and middle finger- and no aperture step down either?