Olympus future direction

[Kym]

This is not a bad summary http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_4..._other_factors

[TOM]

JM, i see where you're coming from, but if we are going to look at it from that perspective, then why use a small format camera like a Canon or a Nikon, why not use medium format? Cost aside, there are advantages of the Oly (and similar) that bring it up to, and surpass the SFDSLR's in image quality, one being the ability to mount better lenses than you can on the Canon/Nikon. Stepehn Huff has posted some fairly good examples of his D3 vs his EP1, with some suprising results.

But it comes back to how we judge image quality, and rarely does sharpness, resolution, or colour rendition have a lot to do with a great image, so it often comes down to catching that fleeting moment, or capturing the mood or creating a mood. There is a lot to be said by being inconspicuous, unintimidating, getting your clients to relax, to be able to capture those moments in their most natural state. This is what has made Leica cameras so popular over the years, and I think the Leica M9 is probably the best all round digital camera one can buy, that aims to shoot in this way. Pity it's out of my price range, but the EP1 is a pretty good compromise. It certainly has it's limitations, but those limitations don't bother me, for shooting what I generally like to shoot. I will not stop using the D3, for certain jobs, but after much consideration, I will bring along my EP1 to a wedding next weekend and sneak a few shots in the church with the B&W art filter!

[JM Tran]

JM, i see where you're coming from, but if we are going to look at it from that perspective, then why use a small format camera like a Canon or a Nikon, why not use medium format? Cost aside, there are advantages of the Oly (and similar) that bring it up to, and surpass the SFDSLR's in image quality, one being the ability to mount better lenses than you can on the Canon/Nikon. Stepehn Huff has posted some fairly good examples of his D3 vs his EP1, with some suprising results.

But it comes back to how we judge image quality, and rarely does sharpness, resolution, or colour rendition have a lot to do with a great image, so it often comes down to catching that fleeting moment, or capturing the mood or creating a mood. There is a lot to be said by being inconspicuous, unintimidating, getting your clients to relax, to be able to capture those moments in their most natural state. This is what has made Leica cameras so popular over the years, and I think the Leica M9 is probably the best all round digital camera one can buy, that aims to shoot in this way. Pity it's out of my price range, but the EP1 is a pretty good compromise. It certainly has it's limitations, but those limitations don't bother me, for shooting what I generally like to shoot. I will not stop using the D3, for certain jobs, but after much consideration, I will bring along my EP1 to a wedding next weekend and sneak a few shots in the church with the B&W art filter!

I have already been using the B/W art filter for wedding shoots and travel projects in last two months

But lets not compare a MF camera and bring that into the equation, its not really rational anymore. Bottom line of my statements is - a 4/3 sensor has weight and size advantages but that is being challenged by other makers, with superior ISO performance too. So for Olympus to persevere with it for god knows how much longer, will only be detrimental to their loyal users who will consider a shift onto other brands for an all round performance.

[TOM]

i think Olympus have confirmed that they are finishing up the 4/3rds system in favour of the M4/3rds, and now that companies like Voigtlander Cosina have started to produce the M4/3rds lenses, it seems as though they think it will be viable. Certainly the new Voiglander 0.95/25mm lens is exciting, and negates the need for high ISO in a lot of situations. And fast lenses like that can be made cheaply with a smaller sensor system. And these lenses will probably be the key to the systems success or failure. As you say, with cameras like the Leica X1, the new Sony's, with APS-C sized sensors, and a similar size to the EP1, there is no shortage of competitors.