What would you love to see at Photokina (but probably won't)

I would love to see Fuji's just announced 16mm f/1.4 made with a M43 mount. :-)

That should give me a high-performance AF 35mm equiv lens, which is still not available for M43 users.

I am getting more and more jealous as I look at the primes available to Fuji users. At this rate, Fuji X system of lenses is getting more attractive rapidly. I have never thought of switching to Fuji, but it is looking more and more likely, as Olympus and Panasonic fail to give us a decent set of wide primes.
Yeah but Fuji primes are expensive and just don't test any better than current Pana or Oly counterparts. Not to mention that aside from the XT1, every Fuji I pick up just makes me go 'meh', not to mention how slooooow they are (although from all reports, not as slow as the Leica T :P

You're right though, we do need some good m43 primes under 20mm. I'll probably end up with the Pana 20mm f1.7 soon, but I know I won't be as excited by it as I am my Oly 25 and 45.
 
Thom Hogan writes that one, and maybe up to 3 MFT cameras introduced at Photokina are likely to have 24MP sensors.
I think he actually said that one, and maybe up to 3 manufacturers (not m43 specifically, although this is implied) will up-res some models from 16mp to 24mp.

But ... Thom's only guessing.

S
 
I have no doubt that Sony will continue making more full-frame mirrorless bodies. They've been cranking out bodies much faster than lenses, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were another body or two released this year, maybe one that actually can record 4K to the memory card.

I liked the a7 when I tried it, and really like the controls. It has a dedicated EV dial on top that works all the time, even when shooting in M mode with auto ISO (unlike the Fuji xt1's EV dial.) I liked the AF and even liked how the manual focus worked automatically enlarging the image when you turned the focus dial.

I shoot mostly with zoom lenses, though, and it seems like the system doesn't have any constant f/2.8 zooms available, and even the dimmer zooms they do sell seem big and heavy and eliminate the size/weight advantages you'd expect in mirrorless. The lack of in-body stabilization and lack of stabilized lenses is another set-back in low light performance.

Just imagine, if you upgraded from micro 4/3 to a full-frame camera just to gain 2 stops through better high-ISO performance, but then you lost a stop or two due to having a slower zoom lens, and lost another stop or two through not having stabilization... you could end up back where you started in real-world low-light capability, at least while you had the zoom lens on it. With a brighter prime it would blow all the smaller formats out of the water in low light, but that's another story.
Haha, I know, I said it before and I'll say it again: the OMD-EM5, with it's 5-axis stabilization, is still one of the best low-light cameras out there including FF cameras. Only D800, A7s, and maybe 2-3 others would beat it.

As for the A7, however, I'm getting it for background blur, not low-light. I realize that it will approximately equal my PM2 with its 2-axis. My PM2 with the 28/2 and 50/1.7, since I can shoot ISO800, beats my friend's D700 with his 28-70/2.8 because he's losing a stop from the lens and about 2 stops from stabilization. As far as high ISO I'd say the D700 doesn't have more than a stop or so on m43s sensors as far as noise. That sensor is a bit dated.
You've prompted me to think of a non-m43 dream product for Photokina, namely Sony to finallly deliver on the full potential of its FF mirrorless line.

What I'd like to see is the launch of a new a7 model with the following features:

- 36MP sensor

- PDAF across pretty much the whole frame (as with the a6000)

- Five-axis IBIS, lifted from the E-M1 (Sony now part-owns Olympus so should have access to the technology)

Additionally it would be good to see a low light model with the same features but a 12MP sensor, and a proper lens system, including a lot more fast, high-quality primes and some less heavy but still good zooms.
 
a 150mm f5.6 macro...
 
But the long lenses are all pretty poor quality, and a teleconverter will make them worse. I think you need good long lenses first... please...
 
Will it be a 80 or 85mm lens (as the FF version) or will it have the same angle of view as the FF version and, consequently, be close to 42mm on a m4/3 camera?
 
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As long as you don't encounter the strange focusing foibles that I did on my EM-10, the Leica 15mm 1.7 is a pretty stellar lens. Even with its issues, I liked it better than the Oly 17 in terms of rendering.

But yeah, for the most part, m43's wide primes wider than 25mm either just don't perform that well for what you pay, or you pay alot for good performance (12mm f2. Great lens, but hot damn its almost as much as the 12-40).
 
Olympus EM-6 with all new imaging chip.

Olympus 17-35 mm F1.8 Zoom.

The zoom would probably be a better fit for the EM-1 but hey if Sigma can make a similar lens for Canon and Nikon crop systems why not one for MFT.
 
Yes! Something between the kit lenses and the uber 2.8's in size, weight and speed would be great.

And if they need to compromise to keep the weight and size down, then bring down the zoom range to 12-40 or 14-50, while keeping that 2.8-4.0 f stop.
 
Thom Hogan writes that one, and maybe up to 3 MFT cameras introduced at Photokina are likely to have 24MP sensors.
I think he actually said that one, and maybe up to 3 manufacturers (not m43 specifically, although this is implied) will up-res some models from 16mp to 24mp.

But ... Thom's only guessing.
A move to 20+MP is overdue at this point. Even the 1" sensors are at 20MP. APS sensors have been at 24MP for a couple of years now (NEX-7). The lagard is MFT.
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My kit: E-P3, 12/2.0, 17/1.8, 45/1.8, 60/2.8 Macro, 7.5 Fisheye, 7-14, 12-35 f2.8, 14-42 IIR, 40-150 ED, 75-300 II
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But the long lenses are all pretty poor quality, and a teleconverter will make them worse. I think you need good long lenses first... please...
The better long lenses are coming. Plus, a quality 2x teleconveter mated to the Oly 75mm could make for a pretty awesome 150mm (300mm FF equivalent) telephoto solution. It would probably find its way into my kit.
 
Olympus EM-6 with all new imaging chip.
Might be coming!

Olympus 17-35 mm F1.8 Zoom.

The zoom would probably be a better fit for the EM-1 but hey if Sigma can make a similar lens for Canon and Nikon crop systems why not one for MFT.
It would be really nice. I would get one. Still is there a market for such a lens? Now I am using the 12-40/2.8 and when I need southing faster or less DOF I will use the 25/1.4.
 
As long as you don't encounter the strange focusing foibles that I did on my EM-10, the Leica 15mm 1.7 is a pretty stellar lens. Even with its issues, I liked it better than the Oly 17 in terms of rendering.

But yeah, for the most part, m43's wide primes wider than 25mm either just don't perform that well for what you pay, or you pay alot for good performance (12mm f2. Great lens, but hot damn its almost as much as the 12-40).
Well in September you may be able to pay a lot for performances that may be quite decent in the form of the vaporlens Schneider 14mm f2.

Unless its release is pushed back to 2018.
 
I do not know the engineering of these things but I was thinking that keeping the zoom limited between 17-35 mm they could go to a faster aperture f1.8 and still keep the lens a decent small size. A f1.8 mid range zoom would be extremely handy.
 
I do not know the engineering of these things but I was thinking that keeping the zoom limited between 17-35 mm they could go to a faster aperture f1.8 and still keep the lens a decent small size. A f1.8 mid range zoom would be extremely handy.
The Sigma 17-35mm f/1.8 is HUGE despite being designed specifically for APSC sized sensors. You could squeeze down the size a little bit for m4/3 because of the smaller image circle, but to get similar quality as the Sigma, you're probably still going to end up with a real monster relative to other m/43 lenses (alas).
 
55ed6e9e2e2b411ca94e5c333be9ae69.jpg



Here is a couple photos of the Sigma 18-35 f1.8. The MFT version would be even smaller. For sure a better fit for the EM-1 more so than say the EM-10 but that would be the purpose. A fast professional grade mid range zoom.





7cd7c67d75c34e60b7ee26c3460f0135.jpg
 
It also weighs 811 grams. I would love to have a trimmed down version for my EM5. I considered buying one and using it with my Metabones Speedbooster, but when I handled the sample in the store, it was just too heavy.
 
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I agree the Sigma 18-35 would be to heavy for my EM-5 . However the MFT version would be much smaller and with the EM-1 with grip would not be so bad. IMHO
 

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