It was only about a week ago that I was talking about the upcoming Lumix DMC-G1 Micro Four Thirds (MFT) camera. If you recall I was saying that whilst the concept was defined by both Olympus and Panasonic, that Panasonic had gotten the jump on their competitor by announcing specification and release details for the imminently arriving DMC-G1. Well, whilst that remains true, Olympus have shown that they aren’t exactly out of the competition just yet.
Although no confirmed specifications, price or release date have been made public yet, this stunning little camera is causing quite a stir due to its retro-chic appearance.
Information in a press release from Olympus tells us that this new model will form a part of the E-system range and is designed to be a mid-level camera for the newly initiated and the ‘old hand’ alike, whilst remaining true to the MFT concept; a small body containing a large sensor (18×13.5mm) for use with compatible, inter-changeable lenses. Olympus maintain that "In terms of quality and performance, however, there is nothing mid-level about this model. It will inherit all the outstanding features of the E-3 such as the high-speed autofocus system using an 11-point full twin-cross sensor and the built-in image stabilization mechanism with a correction effect of up to 5 EV steps."
The as-yet-unnamed concept camera was unveiled at Olympus’s booth at Photokina this year, and takes cues from the classic ‘Rangefinder’ series.
Release dates quoted in the press release state ‘first quarter of 2009’ though it must be stressed that this is a concept model and appearance, and release dates may be subject to change. So don’t go reaching for that credit card just yet. If the form remains the same, and the specs live up to expectation this is one MFT camera that I can see doing VERY well indeed, despite my reservations about the size of the market for the concept as a whole.
Is this the sexiest digital camera you’ve ever seen?
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