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OM-D Should Have Come out 2 Years Ago

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Landscapephoto99

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I think OM-D will be a nice camera, good addition to micro 4 3rds, a weatherproof GX1 with IBIS. But having said that, it is another case of Olympus being a day late and a dollar short. Give or take some bells and whistles, there seems to be nothing in OM-D that could not have been done two years ago. Why so long?

What is their market niche? Sony is consumer electronics, users can be assured of getting the latest bells and whistles. Panasonic is clearly video, no one does it quite like them in a neat package like the GH2. Penetax is the outdoors, rugged system for those who value craftsmanship in their equipment. CaNikon, well no need to go into detail on their brand loyal fans. Olympus????
 
Jpeg Color
Lenses
Value for money

Those have always been the selling points I've seen every time I've looked at Olympus (and I'm up to 7) versus the competition.

Only the XZ-1 was more expensive, but it was worth it.

1.3 MP (can't remember the number)
C-3030 (3MP)
C-7070 (7 MP)
E520
XZ-1
EPL1 (tried m4/3. Liked but decided to get a better body)
EPM1 (to replace a GF2 which I didn't like as well and also the e520)
 
Maybe no standout feature, but rather the overall package they out together - image quality, usability, lenses, build, size, features, price (in the case of my Olympus, the Pen Mini).

I guess we should say, let's wait and see what the OM-D is. But yeah, you're probably right.
 
Landscapephoto99 said:
I think OM-D will be a nice camera, good addition to micro 4 3rds, a weatherproof GX1 with IBIS. But having said that, it is another case of Olympus being a day late and a dollar short. Give or take some bells and whistles, there seems to be nothing in OM-D that could not have been done two years ago. Why so long?
Click to expand...
Two years ago:
  • 16MP sensor wasn't available
  • Olympus didn't know how to do fast CDAF
  • No weatherproof lenses were available
  • m4/3 was still in its infancy and figuring out a direction was difficult
  • Would have been a tough sell at the $1000+ pricepoint with no established user base
Landscapephoto99 said:
What is their market niche? Sony is consumer electronics, users can be assured of getting the latest bells and whistles. Panasonic is clearly video, no one does it quite like them in a neat package like the GH2. Penetax is the outdoors, rugged system for those who value craftsmanship in their equipment. CaNikon, well no need to go into detail on their brand loyal fans. Olympus????
Click to expand...
Good question. Style? I think the E-P3 is one of the handsomest cameras available, and if the OM-D is styled like the old OM 20 then it will be a beautiful camera too. JPEG quality straight out of the camera is a big draw for some people. Then there's this new weatherproofing that could carve out an outdoor niche for them similar to Pentax but in a much smaller and lighter package.

Over the years Olympus have shown themselves to be a very innovative company not afraid of taking risks. We'll see if they've come up with anything particularly new and exciting in the OM-D soon enough.
 
Looks count. Even if the OM-D isn't cutting edge, if it's at least competitive and it looks good, people will buy it. It's not all about the technical stats. Photography is still an art form and you don't really want to be out there shooting with a computer. You (I) want a camera with some heart and sole.

SF Photo Gal aka Queer Chick
Canon 1DsIII & 5DII/Panasonic GH1-GF1-LX3
 
SF Photo Gal said:
Looks count. Even if the OM-D isn't cutting edge, if it's at least competitive and it looks good, people will buy it. It's not all about the technical stats. Photography is still an art form and you don't really want to be out there shooting with a computer.
Click to expand...
SF Photo Gal said:
You (I) want a camera with some heart and sole.
Click to expand...
You hit the nail on the head. My feelings exactly!

Thanks!

--
Maria
 
Same thoughts here.

:)
Marla said:
SF Photo Gal said:
Looks count. Even if the OM-D isn't cutting edge, if it's at least competitive and it looks good, people will buy it. It's not all about the technical stats. Photography is still an art form and you don't really want to be out there shooting with a computer.
Click to expand...
Marla said:
You (I) want a camera with some heart and sole.
Click to expand...
You hit the nail on the head. My feelings exactly!

Thanks!

--
Maria
Click to expand...
 
SF Photo Gal said:
Looks count. Even if the OM-D isn't cutting edge, if it's at least competitive and it looks good, people will buy it. It's not all about the technical stats. Photography is still an art form and you don't really want to be out there shooting with a computer. You (I) want a camera with some heart and sole.

SF Photo Gal aka Queer Chick
Canon 1DsIII & 5DII/Panasonic GH1-GF1-LX3
Click to expand...
Dover sole? Well, I don't quite see how a fish would help, but I guess if that's what you really want... err... no, I'm still not seeing it...

Joe
 
Olympus made the mistake with 4/3 of coming out with a pro camera first.

This time, Olympus did things right and worked on the technology in consumer cams first.

The OM-D is revolutionary not because it contains some crazy new technology that didn't exist before yesterday, but because they have improved every area of the camera. Better AF, better viewfinder, better SENSOR, better IBIS, weather sealed. This is the first Olympus camera that a PRO using the Canon 7D would like at and think, "this OM-D is BETTER than my 7D".
 
Joe Pineapples said:
SF Photo Gal said:
Looks count. Even if the OM-D isn't cutting edge, if it's at least competitive and it looks good, people will buy it. It's not all about the technical stats. Photography is still an art form and you don't really want to be out there shooting with a computer. You (I) want a camera with some heart and sole.

SF Photo Gal aka Queer Chick
Canon 1DsIII & 5DII/Panasonic GH1-GF1-LX3
Click to expand...
Dover sole? Well, I don't quite see how a fish would help, but I guess if that's what you really want... err... no, I'm still not seeing it...

Joe
Click to expand...
OK, got me on that one, "soul," my bad. I hate speel chick wen it changes the spellin.

SF Photo Gal aka Queer Chick
Canon 1DsIII & 5DII/Panasonic GH1-GF1-LX3
 
sigala1 said:
Olympus made the mistake with 4/3 of coming out with a pro camera first.

This time, Olympus did things right and worked on the technology in consumer cams first.

The OM-D is revolutionary not because it contains some crazy new technology that didn't exist before yesterday, but because they have improved every area of the camera. Better AF, better viewfinder, better SENSOR, better IBIS, weather sealed. This is the first Olympus camera that a PRO using the Canon 7D would like at and think, "this OM-D is BETTER than my 7D".
Click to expand...
4/3's was a horrible idea. It never really provided significant weight savings. I don't m4/3 would not have been possible back then because EVF technology wasn't quite up to par back then.

But let's get realistic. I don't think professional users are going to abandon their investment in Canon or Nikon glass for the OMD if it is just as good. It will have to be significantly better, which at the current state of the m4/3 sensor art and a 1.44 EVF, isn't likely. A 7D is a pretty formidable camera. I've seriously considered selling one of my FF cameras to buy one.

SF Photo Gal aka Queer Chick
Canon 1DsIII & 5DII/Panasonic GH1-GF1-LX3
 
sigala1 said:
Olympus made the mistake with 4/3 of coming out with a pro camera first.

This time, Olympus did things right and worked on the technology in consumer cams first.

The OM-D is revolutionary not because it contains some crazy new technology that didn't exist before yesterday, but because they have improved every area of the camera. Better AF, better viewfinder, better SENSOR, better IBIS, weather sealed. This is the first Olympus camera that a PRO using the Canon 7D would like at and think, "this OM-D is BETTER than my 7D".
Click to expand...
That's a lot of opinions based on a camera that only exist as a rumor at the moment. Wait till you actually see and get to use the camera (or at least wait for some in-depth reviews) before making just blatant statements.
 
Olympus built a base of loyal customers who bought into their relatively affordable bodies. They use the affordable-ish bodies to work out the system's major flaws. That done, they release a credible upgrade with pro qualities and customers who have been wondering whether to keep or sell their big bodies have a tempting place to park their serious-gear money. I would drool like crazy over an Olympus GH2 (price depending of course) if I had not just bought the Panasonic version a month ago.
 
Fujifilm used the x100 as a testing ground and these limitations didn't stop them.
Yohan Pamudji said:
Two years ago:
  • 16MP sensor wasn't available
  • Olympus Fujifilm didn't know how to do fast CDAF
  • No weatherproof lenses were available (ok will give you that)
  • m4/3 Fujifilm was still in its infancy and figuring out a direction was difficult
  • Would have been a tough sell at the $1000+ pricepoint with no established user base
Click to expand...
 
sigala1 said:
This is the first Olympus camera that a PRO using the Canon 7D would like at and think, "this OM-D is BETTER than my 7D".
Click to expand...
But the pro who shoots a 7D either also has a FF camera or knows that one is available if needed. No matter how good the OM-D is, that is as good as it gets for m4/3. Also, I don't think the pros will be envious of the m4/3 lens lineup--there are some great SHG 4/3 lenses, but I don't think the m4/3 lenses are at that level...

That said, I think the OM-D will be a good camera, one that I wish Olympus had produced a year earlier. I hope it is a big seller for Olympus...

Cheers, Keith
--
http://www.kotay.net/keith/photo/photo.shtml
 
SF Photo Gal said:
Looks count. Even if the OM-D isn't cutting edge, if it's at least competitive and it looks good, people will buy it. It's not all about the technical stats. Photography is still an art form and you don't really want to be out there shooting with a computer. You (I) want a camera with some heart and sole.

SF Photo Gal aka Queer Chick
Canon 1DsIII & 5DII/Panasonic GH1-GF1-LX3
Click to expand...
You said it for me...

A little bit of soul goes along way while out with the camera. It helps you (me) be creative..

--
Larry Lynch
Mystic, Connecticut

'If we ever forget that we're one nation under GOD, then we will be a nation gone under.'
-Ronald Reagan

In all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane.
Oscar Wilde
 
You are 100% correct. While they're at it, in 2012 they should come out with technology that's available three years in the future. Man, I should be the CEO! This sh*t is easy.
 
Photohobbyfun said:
sigala1 said:
Olympus made the mistake with 4/3 of coming out with a pro camera first.

This time, Olympus did things right and worked on the technology in consumer cams first.

The OM-D is revolutionary not because it contains some crazy new technology that didn't exist before yesterday, but because they have improved every area of the camera. Better AF, better viewfinder, better SENSOR, better IBIS, weather sealed. This is the first Olympus camera that a PRO using the Canon 7D would like at and think, "this OM-D is BETTER than my 7D".
Click to expand...
That's a lot of opinions based on a camera that only exist as a rumor at the moment. Wait till you actually see and get to use the camera (or at least wait for some in-depth reviews) before making just blatant statements.
Click to expand...
Obviously some people don't appreciate ironic humor with just a dash of legitimate optimism.
 
UnderDriven said:
sigala1 said:
This is the first Olympus camera that a PRO using the Canon 7D would like at and think, "this OM-D is BETTER than my 7D".
Click to expand...
But the pro who shoots a 7D either also has a FF camera or knows that one is available if needed. No matter how good the OM-D is, that is as good as it gets for m4/3.
Click to expand...
Nothing prevents a pro from owning an OM-D plus a full frame DSLR.
UnderDriven said:
Also, I don't think the pros will be envious of the m4/3 lens lineup--there are some great SHG 4/3 lenses, but I don't think the m4/3 lenses are at that level...
Click to expand...
Anyone using APS-C DSLRs should envy the 25mm f/1.4 and the 45mm f/1.8. There's really nothing better for crop sensor cameras. The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is known to have all sorts of focusing problems, while the 25mm f/1.4 for m43 just focuses perfectly on the subject's eye. I mean, that's great stuff. Same for the 45mm. There's no better camera for portraits unless you go to full frame and can manual focus.
 
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