With the big news last week of Olympus’s tiny digital “Pen” camera, THE E-P1 it seems that some of the forums have quite a few excited photographers waiting for this little lean mean machine (say that 20 times fast)! I mean, this little Olympus looks like a perfect digital for many of us! It’s small, it’s sleek, it appears to be well built, and its a micro 4/3 sensor camera. That means it is an interchangeable lens camera and should have DSLR quality (well, 4/3 quality). It will be the size of a compact with the power of a 4/3 DSLR and retro looks thrown in for free! Sounds pretty good! Oh, and of course HD video!

It does have its drawbacks though. For me, I will be skipping this one for a few reasons. Mainly, I am NOT a fan of the 4/3 sensors these days. It is basically a 2X crop camera, and in these days of low noise, high dynamic range FULL FRAME sensor cameras this little Oly will not compete IQ wise with many DSLRs out today. But it is probably not supposed to.

I feel this E-P1 is more of a replacement for a compact like the D-Lux 4 or Canon G10. I mean, it will be $799 WITH a kit 14-42 zoom lens so its just a little more expensive than the Leica D-Lux 4. It’s just about as small as a compact but with a larger sensor. Actually, for the price it should be a GREAT bang for the buck camera. So for hobbyists, teens, enthusiasts and even the soccer moms who stumble into best buy (cuteness factor) Olympus will probably have a hit on their hands with this one. A true grand slam.

For guys like me who LOVE great color, robust files, detail, shallow depth of field and good dynamic range the E-P1 will fall short. Also, the kit lens for the E-P1 is a slow 3.5-5.6. No way to get any cool shallow depth of field effects with that lens. Also, no low light indoor shots without flash. But for $799, it is still a great buy, and it does indeed have a larger sensor than most compacts, except for the Sigma DP2, but that cam is low resolution and slow as an 18 year old poodle though its image quality is great (I’ll wait for the DP3).

But back to the Olympus...it’s the 4/3 format, and while it is a bit flawed IMO I feel Oly will have success with this little dynamo.  The design, the concept and the features with the lower price point spells and smells of SUCCESS. When it hits the stores in July we will really get to see its performance and I will have one for review soon myself so it should be fun.

As I have already stated, there are many good things about the E-P1 and I am guessing the image quality will actually be better than the flagship E3! One good thing about this Olympus digital PEN is that I am betting other manufacturers will follow this trend of smaller bodies, bigger sensors. Namely Leica and Panasonic. I have ZERO inside info, but I have a few predictions and it will be interesting to see if these actually come true. So, just for fun...

Prediction 1 - End of this 2009, start of 2010. Leica will release a small camera that will look like a mini M8 in many ways. I will guess that it will be bigger than the Oly and have an EVF viewfinder, and it will be the TRUE “Son Of The M8” AF, with the Leica looks AND the adapter to use M lenses. Think Panasonic G1 but a MUCH nicer looking and better quality camera. Again, this is JUST A GUESS and prediction. I have no inside info at all! Price? Hmmm, lets say $2499 Name? Digilux 4 with looks of the digilux 2 but refined.

Prediction 2 - The Leica M9. Here it goes...FULL FRAME, 16-18MP, ISO up to 5000 but still not as clean as D700/5D, improved LCD, external ISO button/dial, same styling and look of the current M8.2 but with much faster processing and even better image quality. Some rumors have come out last week about a possible M9 where Stefan Daniel at Leica said they may be working on an IR/UV filter solution IN the camera. Hmmmm. When? Sooner than you think. My guess is we will hear about this camera by Feb/March 2010, maybe sooner. Maybe by January 2010 or even maybe in 2009 :) Price...$6495 with M8.2 dropping to $4495.

Prediction 3 - The S2 will be released this year and I am guessing the quality will be spectacular but the price will keep it out of most enthusiasts hands. This is why Leica will release a small version of the camera coming in at a much lower price point. They discontinued the R line but what if the rumored R10 becomes the S1 or S3 with an adapter to use old R glass? A mini S2 would be sweet and would put the technology in the hands of more people with a lower price point. So my guess here is a Leica S1, full frame sensor, 20-24MP, AF and superb quality - $8000-$9995. I could be WAY off here as it has been said they will release an EVF R type camera. I am guessing the EVF will be the one mentioned in prediction #1 :)

Prediction 4 - What about a D-Lux 4 replacement? My guess is Leica will wait a while here. Panasonic makes the D-Lux 4 so when we see the Panny LX4 we will know the D-lux 5 is around the corner. BUT what if the next D-Lux camera is like the Oly Digital Pen? Small as a D-lux 4 but the ability to use the small micro 4/3 lenses. It is possible but who knows? The C-Lux line would evolve into more of the old D-Lux line if this happens.

Again, these are all just my silly PREDICTIONS. I wanted to see if I am even close as I strongly feel Leica has a few surprises of its sleeve over the next year or so.  But a line of of a Digilux 4 that can use M lenses, the M8.2 at a lower price point, a FF M9, and a new smaller S type camera? That would be a killer line up for Leica but who knows what will happen?

Nikon and Canon? That one is easy! They will continue as always with new models every 6 months to a year! Ha...Maybe a Nikon D800 24 MP monster? Only time will tell, but I am really hoping waiting for the M9 FF (not that I could afford it or anything) as it will be exciting to use our Leica glass in a FF format again!

Until next time!

Steve

BTW, my Canon G10 review is coming this week! How did it compare to the Leica D-Lux 4? HINT: It didn't. :)

Oh, and here is the lowdown on the new Oly E-P1 digital PEN. You can order it NOW from B&H using THIS link! They will ship it the day it arrives!

The Olympus E-P1 marks the formal introduction of the Olympus Micro Four Thirds (4/3) camera system in the form of a high-quality, sub-compact digital camera. Designed around a 12.3-megapixel (17.3 x 13mm) Live MOS imaging sensor, the E-P1 enables pro-quality still and video imaging abilities in a small, unassuming package. Along with a new line of compact M.Zuiko Digital lenses, the new system is compatible with all existing 4/3-format fixed-prime and zoom lenses from 7mm through 800mm (114° to 1.5° AOV).

Clad in ergonomically-designed stainless-steel body panels, the Olympus E-P1 takes many design queues from the Olympus Pen F, a popular half-frame SLR that made its initial debut in 1959. But unlike the original Pen F, the E-P1 has the ability to produce vividly-detailed still photographs and HD video with stereo sound, both of which can be enhanced post-capture using the E-P1's advanced in-camera retouching and audio dubbing tools.

Essentially a 4/3-format DSLR minus the prism and mirror housing (hence the smaller body size), images can be composed and edited using the E-P1's 3" HyperCrystal LCD, which features anti-reflective coatings on its surface to enable Live viewing of 100% of the image area under the brightest of lighting conditions. When shooting in manual focus, a 5x magnification of the center of the frame pops up as a focusing aid each time you adjust the focusing ring. (This magnification can be can be manually increased up to 10x)

This kit includes a compact 14-42mm M.Zuiko Digital zoom lens, which with an angle-of-view of 74-28.5 degrees, is an equivalent to a 28-85mm lens on a full-frame DSLR.

Other features found on the Olympus E-P1 include Dust Reduction technology, in-camera Image Stabilization, which enables low-light hand-held shooting with all 4/3-system lenses, advanced shooting modes, and creative post-capture editing tools.

Compact Design with Pro-system Capabilities

The Olympus E-P1 combines the casual, easy-to-use persona of a pocket-size point-and-shoot camera with the imaging capabilities of a pro-level DSLR. As an extension of Olympus' proven 4/3 imaging system, the E-P1 can shoot casual stills and video as well as complex imagery with equal ease and precision

• High-Definition Stills and Video

The Olympus E-P1 enables high-definition capture of still and video images while maintaining full auto-focus functionality and image stabilization with all 4/3-format optics. And unlike video-enabled DSLRs, the Olympus E-P1 maintains full AF in video mode

• 12.3 MP 4/3-Format Live MOS Sensor

The E-P1 utilizes the same 12.3-megapixel Live MOS imaging sensor used in Olympus' 4/3-format DSLRs. Measuring 17.3 x 13mm, this sensor is half the size of 'full-frame' DSLR sensors (2x crop factor), but far larger than comparably-sized digital cameras, all of which lack the option of lens interchangeability

• Compatible with all 4/3-System Lenses

Aside from the physically smaller M.Zuiko Digital lenses, the Olympus E-P1 is also compatible with all FourThird-format lenses, which enables you to take advantage of one of the widest angle-of-view (AOV) selections available today (114° to 1.5° AOV, or 14 to 800mm)

• Live View Mode

Live View enables real-time viewing of your still and video images as you compose and capture them.

• Advanced, Pro-Quality Autofocus & Metering System

The camera's 11-point Imager AF autofocusing system ensures quick and accurate focusing under all lighting conditions. For equally accurate metering, the Olympus E-P1 utilizes a 324 segment ESP metering system. There's also the option of selecting Spot or Center-weighted metering as desired

• In-Body Image Stabilization

An in-camera stabilization system allows for up to 4-stops EV of movement compensation with all 4/3 and Micro-4/3 format lenses

• Dust Reduction

Olympus' Dust Reduction, which runs an ultrasonic cleaning cycle each time you power up the camera, helps keep dust particles out of the image path

• Advanced Shooting and Post-Capture Editing Modes

Advanced shooting modes, including ePortrait for optimized portrait photography, iAUTO for decision-free shooting under most common shooting conditions, Shadow Adjustment Technology (SAT) for optimizing highlight and shadow details, and Art Filters (Soft Focus, Pale & Light Color, Light Tone, Grainy Film, and Pin Hole) are easily employed as needed. Other post-capture editing features include sound dubbing (in stereo) for still and video images

• High-Quality Stereo PCM Audio

You can record video with linear, non-compressed sound, as well as add sound to images post-capture

• Manual Focus Assist

When shooting in Manual Focus mode (MF) a 5x close-up of the center of the image is superimposed into a box at the center of the screen to aid in fine focusing. This magnification can be increased up to 10x magnification