Did I miss that?
Todays 'kit' lenses are in many ways superior to decades old pro lenses. But for many of us the specialty lenses and 'accessories' from decades past work just fine and it isn't worth the money to have to buy the latest greatest. Do they even make CPU Bellows?
So is the OM-D backwards compatible with my OM-1 lenses because that would be sweet. I think that would have at least been mentioned in an article about what is effectively a dSLR, and a retro styled dSLR at that.
What is it about cameras that brings out the nostalgia in us? Maybe it’s some kind of karmic twist that makes us crave designs that conjure memories in devices we use to capture memories, but when it comes to camera design of late, the more retro-looking the better. In fact, it seems the more classic the look, the more high-end the camera feels (case in point: the Fujifilm FinePix X100 and X-Pro1). Olympus was among the first to revive an iconic design from its past when it launched its PEN series of interchangeable lens compact (ILC) cameras and with today’s announcement of the Olympus OM-D E-M5, it has turned to the classic Olympus OM line of compact full-frame professional 35mm SLRs from the ’70s for inspiration.
Original Olympus OM-1 image courtesy of Olympus America
Like their film-based predecessors, the OM-D line is a step up from the PEN series, aimed squarely at advanced and professional photographers. Slightly larger than the top-of-the-line PEN E-P3, the new E-M5 is something of a cross between the E-P3 and Olympus’ E-5 digital SLR, borrowing features from both. For example, like the E-5, the new E-M5 sports a dust-and splash-proof body design, using a magnesium alloy body and a number of internal seals. The FL-LM2 electronic flash that will ship with the camera is dust- and splash-proof as well.
PEN series users have long been asking for an integrated electronic viewfinder (EVF), and the E-M5 essentially incorporates the PEN line’s VF-2 removable EVF accessory into the camera, featuring a 1.44 million-dot LCD with 100-percent field-of-view coverage and 1.15x maximum magnification. The EVF is located in a pyramid over the lens, positioning it perfectly where the film-based OM line’s pentaprism viewfinder would be. Not only does this allow the E-M5 to closely mimic the design of the original OM cameras, but it also provides a location for an accessory port above the EVF.
The E-M5 uses a new 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor (compared with the 12.3-megapixel sensors in the E-P3 and E-5) with a maximum ISO 25,600, and offers five-axis image stabilization that compensates for five kinds of movement (i.e., horizontal shift, vertical shift, rotary motion, yaw, and pitch). The in-body image stabilization also helps improve video recording stability as well.
The new camera also incorporates the Fast AF system introduced in the PEN line, but is even faster, currently claiming to be the world’s fastest autofocus (until the next competitor one-ups them anyway). The fast AF is improved in continuous AF speeds and 3D tracking performance as well, producing 4.2 fps sequential shooting with continuous autofocus.
Other key features include:
- Tilting 3.0-inch, 610,000-dot touch screen OLED
- Movie Effects (e.g., One Shot Echo, for a semi-transparent frame and Multi Echo, for a motion trail effect)
- Live Bulb (updates the OLED preview at pre-set intervals during long exposures)
- EVF Creative Control (produces a tone curve overlay on the viewfinder screen)
- 10 Art Filters, including the new Key Line, Cross Process II, and Dramatic Tone II
- Full HD 1080i movie recording
- Black or silver body options
The Olympus OM-D E-M5 is scheduled to ship in April for $999.99 (body only), $1,299.99 (with 12-50mm, f/3.5-6.3 lens), and $1,099.99 (with 14-42mm, f/3.5-5.6 lens, black body only)
Related stories on ZDNet:
- Olympus announces new top-of-the-line PEN E-P3 interchangeable lens compact camera
- Olympus announces E-5 midrange dSLR with tilt/swivel LCD and art filters
- Fujifilm announces March ship date for FinePix X100 high-end compact camera
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