those for whom the E-3 is clearly out-matched by its competition---in terms of what these users need/want---and those for whom the E-3 is a really solid and capable camera.
for that former group, i think the question posed by at least one poster above is pretty trenchant: why the brand loyalty? those other cameras that are better are already out there, supposedly, so why not make that move now, instead of waiting around for a new camera from Oly that in all likelihood will not be a satisfying solution to you? if it's the lenses, well, it's time to figure out if that's enough reason to be satisfied with a lesser body or not, and go from there. it's not like there aren't good lenses made by Nikon or Canon. the lens issue over in those camps is mostly wildly differing quality across the lines, not the unavailability of good glass.
i am in the latter group. the sole "problem" i have with the E-3 is the banding issue at 1600---an iso i've used exactly twice, and that for family type shots where i was too damn lazy to fool with the flash, onboard or my terrific Metz. otherwise, for me the E-3's strengths, especially its robustness, is the key determinant, along with its DR extending into the shadows. and i'm also someone who really LOVES the size and heft of the camera, and its ergonomics. as nice as the Nikon D300/300s and D700 are as cameras----they just do not fit in my hands as well. and as far as their better high iso performance goes---yeah, no question it's better, but it's still not good enough for my typical shooting, which needs lowest possible iso within reason. so it's a moot point to me whether their iso 6400 is as good as Oly's iso 1600, that famous 2 stop advantage. call me when their iso 6400 looks like iso 200. 8Furthermore* , a lot of this is based on web viewing differences, not printing differences, and for me the print is the ultimate object of photography---not true for many others, of course. and in printing so much of all this difference---except the banding, a real problem (but one that besets other makes as well...)---doesn't show in the prints.
and the mp count isn't a big deal to me either. i get a bump up with 14mp, but not one that's going to make me run out and upgrade. if i'm going to slam some real cash down for a serious upgrade to what i can get from my E-3 and the lenses i have now, it's going to be the Sony A900 and a couple of CZ WA lenses. i'd be buying a significant boost to mp, possibly the best DR, certainly at that price, and spectacular performance from those 2 CZ WA's, as evidenced by the samples i've seen, in a tight body that feels good in my hands.
so, for me, i'd only really want to see some tweaks to the E-3: get rid of the banding problem, cleaner iso 800, maybe a fiddle with the DR, maybe a bump up on mp (as long as it didn't mess anything else up), a different way of doing wireless, and i'd love the onboard flash to be able to rotate a bit for bounce---all in essentially the same body! and at roughly the same price point. i'd buy that (if i had the money...).
