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Olympus Micro Four Thirds camera resembles 1959 'Pen' news - Amateur Photographer - news, camera reviews, lens reviews, camera equipment guides, photography courses, competitions, photography forums

 

This might be of interest to some. Still just a rumour at the moment, but an Oly micro4/3rds camera is officially only "weeks" away according to the Olympus website.

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Olympus Micro Four Thirds camera resembles 1959 'Pen' news - Amateur Photographer - news, camera reviews, lens reviews, camera equipment guides, photography courses, competitions, photography forums

 

This might be of interest to some. Still just a rumour at the moment, but an Oly micro4/3rds camera is officially only "weeks" away according to the Olympus website.

 

I attended a camera show at my local leica dealer here in North Wales about 2 weeks ago. I spoke with 2 people on the Olympus stand there and made further enquiries following on from my visit to Focus on Imaging in February.

 

Product information was embargoed in May so I could not glean too much. It will be a compact style Micro 4/3 camera (they said definitely nothing like the Panasonic G1) and it will be a PREMIUM product (their phrase).

 

With Panasonic launching adapters for R and M lenses this development could be interesting.

 

However, will it have the same problem with the angle of light hitting the sensor that Leica overcame with the microlenses on the M8 sensor?

 

Finally I was told to watch for an announcement Mid-June.

 

 

Ian

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ive heard from a few sources that there are 2 models

one black, one silver and black

 

they may not be released together

 

when asked what it looks like, theyre saying, 'think Leica'

expected date is June 15-16

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The design illustrations shown by Olympus at the time of the Micro 4/3 announcement certainly didn't look anything like the G1, but they didn't look much like the Pen either.

 

The Four Thirds sensor is smaller than the M8's of course, and much was made of the compatibility of the lens/sensor combination in the development of the new system. There are issues with using the wider M lenses on the G1 though, so I suspect that those same issues would arise if adaptors were used to mount M lenses on the Olympus.

 

An email I received from Olympus this morning mentions "a few weeks" and the Olympus UK website Olympus - Cameras says" summer 2009" for Micro 4/3rds, so I suppose mid-June onwards would fit.

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I still wonder if Leica have any further interest in the FourThirds/Panasonic tie-up. Panasonic hinted a while back that they did, I seem to remember, but I don't recall Leica themselves saying anything recently.

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I still wonder if Leica have any further interest in the FourThirds/Panasonic tie-up. Panasonic hinted a while back that they did, I seem to remember, but I don't recall Leica themselves saying anything recently.

 

My son has a G1, and it seems very nice, would be even nicer with 17 or 25 mm f/2.5 Summarit D lenses! :rolleyes:

 

Gerry

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My son has a G1, and it seems very nice, would be even nicer with 17 or 25 mm f/2.5 Summarit D lenses!

 

Gerry,

 

I discovered that there are quite a few excellent 25mm third party lenses with apertures from 0.95 upwards. There is a good choice of excellent 35mm cine lenses in Arri mount, and even some C-Mount lenses that can used with adapters on the G1.

 

Being in the photo world we are not used to explore motion picture optics. They do not fit Leica bodies, but do very well on mFT. I have a 25mm/2.0 Kinoptik, a Schneider 25mm/1.5 Xenon and a 26mm/1.1 Kern Macro Switar, all of them excellent, each with its own character. I know we are in a Leica forum, but let us not be blind to the outside world, given that Leica does not offer lenses for the mFT standard. Leica R lenses work very well on mFT, too.

 

Here some examples with the Kinoptik , with the Macro Switar and with the Xenon.

Here some with the 18mm/2.3 Cooke Speed Panchro .

 

Cheers

Peter

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Gerry,

 

I discovered that there are quite a few excellent 25mm third party lenses with apertures from 0.95 upwards. There is a good choice of excellent 35mm cine lenses in Arri mount, and even some C-Mount lenses that can used with adapters on the G1.

 

Being in the photo world we are not used to explore motion picture optics. They do not fit Leica bodies, but do very well on mFT. I have a 25mm/2.0 Kinoptik, a Schneider 25mm/1.5 Xenon and a 26mm/1.1 Kern Macro Switar, all of them excellent, each with its own character. I know we are in a Leica forum, but let us not be blind to the outside world, given that Leica does not offer lenses for the mFT standard. Leica R lenses work very well on mFT, too.

 

Here some examples with the Kinoptik , with the Macro Switar and with the Xenon.

Here some with the 18mm/2.3 Cooke Speed Panchro .

 

Cheers

Peter

 

Peter, thanks for that, I hadn't really considered motion picture lenses, presumably they are for 16mm film? I have done quite a bit of 16mm over the years with Pathe, Bolex and Arri but dont have any of my own stuff. Do they have enough back focus to avoid the corner problems there apparently are with wide angle Leica/ Voigtlander lenses?

Really, I have this dream that Leica will get enthusiastic about it, and make lenses like the 25/1.4 Summilux D for micto four thirds, complete with the auto diaphragm and autofocus so that they are easily used, otherwise there are always the fixed focal length lenses which seem to be coming from Panasonic (20mm f/1.7 promised) and Olympus.

 

Best Wishes, Gerry

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Peter, thanks for that, I hadn't really considered motion picture lenses, presumably they are for 16mm film?
Gerry,

 

There are a few 16mm MP (motion picture) lenses with focal length 25mm or longer that cover the G1 sensor. 35mm MP lenses cover the whole sensor. The Kinoptik and Speed Panchro I mentioned are 35mm motion picture lenses in Arri mount, the Xenon and Switar are 16mm motion picture lenses, the first in Arri mount, the Switar in C-Mount

 

Do they have enough back focus to avoid the corner problems there apparently are with wide angle Leica/ Voigtlander lenses?
. The 35mm MP lenses have no problems, some of the 16mm MP work fine, others not. The problem is not so much the back focus, but by the micro lenses of the M8 that are not present in the G1 sensor, so WA lenses of 28mm FL of less built for the M8 do tend to smear in the corners on the G1. M lenses of 35mm or longer FL are usually fine.

 

Really, I have this dream that Leica will get enthusiastic about it, and make lenses like the 25/1.4 Summilux D for micto four thirds, complete with the auto diaphragm and autofocus
Let's dream

Best Wishes,

Peter

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Now that is interesting, a kind of Dlux 4 with interchangeble lenses. What is even more interesting is how Olympus plans to position the camera. Above the DLux-4 (probably, I don't recognize the P&S, Panasonic?), but under the MP :eek::confused::D

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I wouldn't know, my Japanese is not too hot :D It looks like a good competitor for the Panasonic/Leica Dlux4 line to me, as it is the same concept with a lens mount added.

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See this thread from 12 days ago......the forum search function comes in handy;):): Perhaps the mods could merge these threads?

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-forum/87467-oly-pen-m4-3rds-rumour-closest.html.

 

An Olympus Micro 4/3rds compact is official, it's being launched in Europe "this time next week" according to an email update I received today. Updates available from their website.

 

The "Pen" likeness is only a rumour at the moment, but a strong one. See Amateur Photographer magazine/website for more information.

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http://43rumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/e-p1.png

 

http://43rumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/ep1.jpg

 

These are also doing the rounds, on Fourthirds-User.com and other sites. Park Cameras (Burgess Hill, West Sussex) are advertising an Olympus "Special Event" on 2nd July.

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