(FT2) Ghost hauntings: New Olympus modular camera spotted
One of our readers (E.O.) had a “strange” experience:
“I could swear I saw a prototype Olympus modular at the Decatur Arts Festival near Atlanta this weekend. An Asian gentleman was walking around, a good distance from the edge of the crowd, shooting photos with what looked like an
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{?>Olympus E1 with a battery grip. I went up to talk 4/3, but when I got closer, I saw what looked like a removable square module for the lens mount that would slide in and out from the top. There was a definite groove around the bottom and sides of the lens mount. The only markings were OLYMPUS above the lens mount. When I came up and said “Is that the new Olympus?”, he looked shocked, covered the camera with his arm, and literally ran away. ????? Maybe I just startled him, but it was a very bizarre camera. Maybe we will see at Photokina.”
It is not the first time 43rumors has received such kind of rumors. And we know you should take it with a grain of salt. In a second email E.O. sent me some more informations:
“I did not get that good a look at the camera, since once I approached him, he covered it and ran off. I did not see him remove a module, but as best I could see, it looked like the whole lens mount would slide in from the top. There was a distinct line below and to the sides of the lens mount, but not on top, so I would guess they slide in from the top. Perhaps that would allow a choice between EVF and Optical? The camera itself looked like a combination of an E1 and $loc = $_SESSION['geoip'];
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{ $sel = "1"; ?>E 300
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{ $sel = "1"; ?>E 300
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{ $sel = "1"; ?>E 300
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{?>E 300 with a battery grip. It looked like he was using a 12-60
I don’t know why an Oly prototype would end up at an art festival in Atlanta, but it was definitely a strange camera.”
Do you have some rumors? Contact me at 43rumors@gmail.com (I will keep you anonymous of course!)
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Comment from taryn: I have been using Oly since 2007ish (e50...- Comment from Olympus and Panasonic rumors » Blog Archive » The Atlanta rumor could be true? The new “E-system” is coming at Photokina.: [...] true? The new “E-system̶...
Comment from misu: when I was little my brother used to tak...
Comment from kmanche: Catastrophile, that story is brilliant. ...
Jimson
2 years ago |Wasn’t there a similar story recently about a sighting of some new Panasonic G/GF/GH camera? Japanese dude taking pics with a mystery cam runs off when asked about it…
I’d love to see a new pro 4/3 body in the immediate term, but am not about to hold my breath. It’ll happen when it happens, and not a moment sooner…
arthur
2 years ago |if i saw a prototype camera, i would act as a paparazzi, taking foto´s of it, instead of walking to that guy !!
i don´t believe a single word
JOkee
2 years ago |what a joke/ i won’t buy it. lol
Winder
2 years ago |Is Olympus not smart enough to either mask the name on the body or just do not put a name on it. If it is modular how hard would it be to produce some nameless modules?
Why is it camera sightings are like UFO sightings? The witness (who is always a camera expert) never has a good camera with them and they always fail to get a picture of the mystery camera.
Rob-L
2 years ago |I don’t buy it. Not the part about a modular system, just this guy E.O.’s story. He’s either trying to stir things up or his parents never gave him enough attention as a kid.
ok2go
2 years ago |This is a hoax.
I was at the Decatur arts festival both days and there was no sign of this prototype. The closest thing was a 5D+battery grip with black tape over the “Canon”. There were Nikon, Sony, Canon and Olympus dSLRs in the crowd, and I was the only one with an E-1.
The Decatur arts festival is also hardly a good event for photo ops.
Russ
2 years ago |Let’s say that the sighting is true. It still doesn’t mean much because manufacturers field test prototypes all the time, which is no guarantee that it will be produced. That said, I do find it suspicious that the manufacturers name was on it.
admin
2 years ago |Hi Russ!
That’s exactly what I thought. Hmm…
Nathan
2 years ago |If it was a super-secret pre-release camera, why would it be in the USA since Olympus is a Japanese company? Why would it have brand labeling? Why would it be out in public so far from its scheduled announcement? Why would the photographer run away instead of just putting the camera in its bag? Why Decatur, GA and not someplace more photogenic than an arts festival? Even a black sharpie marker can obscure the brand labeling on a camera, and gaffer’s tape, carefully applied, can pretty much obscure the whole thing. The whole story doesn’t make a bit of sense. Why take a secret camera into a crowd? If you’re testing it, why not take it places where the public isn’t going to be? Wouldn’t one expect photographers to be present at an arts festival and to immediately spot an unfamiliar camera?
Once spotted, why run? Why not say the camera is an old demo unit from 2004? Why deliberately tantalize the one who caught you by running off? It seems disinformation with a bland story would be more effective at keeping a secret than dashing off and practically screaming “TELL EVERYONE YOU SAW ME!”
If it IS an evaluation prototype or prerelease field test, why use a grip? Doesn’t that make it even larger and more likely to be spotted?
All in all, I think that IF Olympus had given some photographers demo copies for engineering feedback, it would have been months ago, on an NDA, and to be used in-studio only. With the 4G iPhone fiasco so clear in our memories, why would any corporation make the same mistake so quickly?
I’m calling BS here, obviously.
Catastrophile
2 years ago |i do agree with the skeptics and the story reminds me of a joke: a mother was walking hungry with her daughter when they saw a tree with some fruits on the top, the mother asked her daughter to climb the tree without letting anybody see her underwear, she noticed that some passer-by’s gathered while the daughter was climbing the tree. and when the daughter came back the mother asked: did you let them see your underwear? the daughter replied: do you think i’m naive?! i took it off beforehand.
if a camera tester behave in this way, then he is much like this daughter in following the instructions he got from Oly literally in a most stupid way.
Charles
2 years ago |When you see someone with such a camera you should take as much photos as you can, then go closer and closer taking as much photos as it is possible… until the person will not run away. Then you can have something really great to show.
kmanche
2 years ago |Catastrophile, that story is brilliant. It started off like an old folk tale, but ended with an unexpected, modern twist. Brilliant.
I agree with everyone. Rumors are fun, but this kind of rumor activity is just stupid.
misu
2 years ago |when I was little my brother used to take me to a park that was on our way from school to show me where the alien spaceship landed the night before. I was so afraid they might kidnap me and search my body with needles. now my dog likes that place for his needs.
Olympus and Panasonic rumors » Blog Archive » The Atlanta rumor could be true? The new “E-system” is coming at Photokina.
2 years ago |[...] true? The new “E-system” is coming at Photokina. June 8, 2010 Rumors Write a comment Few days ago we posted the email we received from one of our readers. He said that he saw the new Olympus camera [...]
taryn
2 years ago |I have been using Oly since 2007ish (e500) I’m at an e620 as I don’t want to spend the money on an E3 (no hd video, no low light assistant, 2x crop factor, etc)
I think OLY lost me anyway. I’m so angry about the lack of lenses and lack of decent features on the body, I just dont trust the system anymore. I can’t stick to a product line that is so far off from the 2 major lines and is delayed by leaps and bounds compared to the advancements of other products.
Why am i going to wait for them to figure out how to modular/full frame when I can pick up another camera and tons of lenses (in my actual price range).
I’m sorry Oly, but you have disappointed me far too much ;(
The nikon d700 is on my shopping list now.
It’s true, they can’t even give this stuff away anymore.