The new cameras :
E-410 : The biggest draw for me with this cute little bugger is that it makes the "ultimate high resolution holiday camera". Just attached a 11-22mm (or the new 12-60mm) to this cute little thing and the family can go on a holiday without having to lug heavier weight. I would say this is a "true 4/3 camera".
E-510 : The function that everyone has talked about : Image Stabilisation. Whether it really works, for some reasons, Oly does not produce crap in the past and I hope they do not disappoint. But personally, this is a downside for me, as more "special function" to a camera means more chances of it breaking down. And if it does not come with an extended battery/vertical grip, I am pretty sure there is no chance of me buying one of these. It is one of those "neither here nor there" models. Good for those who wants a professional-level performance camera but not willing to fork out the extra $ for the pro-range.
New lenses : The faster focusing range of lenses is a draw for the sports photographer. But as it is, for the last three years, I have lived and loved the older High Grade ZDs and they have served me well. Most likely I will buy a lens or two out of sheer vanity (
anyone interested in my now rarely used 14-54mm, it is going for $500), but the 8mm, 11-22mm, 50 Macro, 50-200mm are not going to be replaced anytime soon. They are workhorses and since I do not shoot sports, they are more than suffice for my needs. But for those who are buying new gear, congrats on these new "high performance" lenses.
The new Pro "batman" body : I can only hope that it will reach the production line soon for there is one with my name on it. (2nd release, debugged model please... I am not an early adoption type). And I seriously, seriously, hope that the shutter will be as quiet as the E-1 or else it will really break my heart. And I am pretty sure about Olympus taking their own sweet time with developing this new model because they are concerned with :
- Offering the same, if not better performance than the E-1.
- Bells and whistles thrown in like the new swivel screen, if ever. And faster connectivity with computers for tethered shooting. Professional need functions.
- Even better than prosumer level live view?
- Superb image quality with the largest sensor that finance department will allow. (I am thinking R&D wants to throw in this new sensor and finance dept going "That will eat into our profit or it will be too expensive a camera body for marketing to sell!")
- Attention to details as this is after all, replacing the flagship model.
2x TC : What I have been waiting for. But let's see how that holds up against the older 1.4 TC.
And my thoughts once again goes back to the Platinum range : Is Olympus going to replace some models in the Platinum line or merely adding the 14-35mm f2.0 to fill in the gap? These great glass are simply too heavy for runaround use though the image quality are simply awesome. Only the more expensive Leicas can give them a run for the money. I can only hope to see some new primes, which is very unlikely as the demand falls for them.
Special note : The prism sizes of the new camera bodies seem to be a little bigger than before, and I hope that this will greatly help when using third party focusing screens (think split prism screens like Katz). We simply need more light in there.
Well, 2007 is proving to be an exciting year for Olympus users/fans. I don't think Nikon and Canon has offered any new optical improvements in their "glassware" and so, I don't think I am about to change camps yet. I am waiting to see how the fast performance lenses will do for Olympus.
