New Four Thirds Matching simulation features.

I am traveling from Tuscany to France today. Hope to not find any jam like I am used to find every time I am travelling across Europe! In the meanwhile you can have some fun by trying out the new updated version of the Four Thirds Matching simulation (Click here). You can now select the grip color of the new Olympus E-P3 and also add some other fancy accessory like the MAL-1 pictured on top.

Björn Utpott
10 months ago |While this is a fun diversion and useful way of checking the relative sizes on various MFT bodies, the site is still not up to date. Both new Olympus primes (12/2.0 and 45/1.8) as well as the Panasonic Leica 25/1.4 are missing. The E-PL3 and E-PM1 also have not been added.
SteveO
10 months ago |Yes, it’s the E-PL3 I really want to see with various lenses attached.
This site provides a very useful tool for comparing several FT/mFT body and lens combinations; simply open it in a few tabs, one for each camera, and then click between them. Make sure to use the feature providing different angles of view of the cameras; the top view is particularly informative regarding lens/body size.
And for those considering reuse of their FT lenses on an mFT body, it helps to show which fit the form reasonably well.
I also appreciate being able to see the evolution from my E-620 to mFT’s, particularly the G3 which matches so many of its features in a smaller body. Again, love to see the E-PL3 in this regard as well.
Miroslav
10 months ago |Yes, they’re painfully slow. By the time new camera or lens shows up on matching simulation, you can find combination you’re wondering about on many websites. BTW, they’re much faster for Olympus products than for Panasonic.
Otherwise, a very useful tool, I like the site, I’d just like to have new stuff shown on the day of announcement.
Kalli
10 months ago |Well, at least this gives me a way to see the G3 with the 20mm lens. Still, either I’m stupid or there’s no way to get a larger view of the results. Printing to PDF proved disappointing, too.
Ulli
10 months ago |@Admin do you ever have a stop at Schiphol airport during your traveling? just curious as i work there
SteveO
10 months ago |On the Chase Jarvis site’s “Olympus is Talking Shit About Your Camera Phone” thread, if you haven’t read it you might take a look.
Starts with mostly Olympus bashers who clearly know nothing about their current Pen line (or the quality of their DSLR’s), then cooler heads prevail regarding both Olympus and the “quality” of most cellphone photography. Several references to a generation of lost childhood photography due to the poor quality images taken on cellphones by relatives.
A good snapshot (sorry!) of the state of mind of some iPhone users as well, who come across as pretty defensive about their photographic capabilities. This guerrilla ad seems to have exposed a raw nerve in this regard.
The ultimate irony is the bashing of Olympus, a niche company fighting its own guerrilla product campaign against the entrenched Canikon DSLR empire, by some iPhone users apparently envisioning themselves as gifted “guerrilla” artists while using technology produced by an industry giant.
You go, you rebels you!
SteveO
10 months ago |Posted to the wrong article, knew this would happen sooner or later!
marcc
10 months ago |Here’s my real EP3 with the 17 pancake and VF-1, if you’re interested.
http://www.marccocchio.com/2011/07/olympus-ep3-with-vf1.html
Byty
10 months ago |What is this 2 lights on the hot shoe about?
Where to buy?!?
Michael Meissner
10 months ago |The two light thing is the Olympus MAL-1. It will only work on Olympus Pen cameras with the accessory port (i.e. no Panasonic, no E-P1). It plugs into the accessory port for power. I imagine you can get it at any Olympus distributor. B&H for instance carries it for $60.
As far as I remember, there are now 4 accessories that use the accessory port: 1) Electronic Viewfinder (VF-2, and soon VF-3); 2) External microphone (SEMA-1); 3) Macro light above (MAL-1); 4) Bluetooth adapter for sharing photos with bluetooth devices like cellphones (PenPal, note this needs version 2 of the accessory port, starting with the E-PL2).
kris
10 months ago |Really useful tool. Can it also simulate a Sony sensor inside the E-P3?
cL
10 months ago |The new m4/3 Oly 40-150mm R lens looks surprisingly good on a m4/3 camera with a proper grip, such as Panny GH2 or even on the new G3 (which has thinner body and smaller grip). The hood/lens combination reminds me of the nice Zuiko 50-200mm SWD but without the tripod mount, which is a terrible omission. 40-150mm on a non-IBS body such as Panny’s bodies probably needs a tripod on the telephoto end a lot. As a frequent telephoto shooter, I think my current E-620 and 50-200mm combination is a good balance.
Nice to have this tool and now I see why the silver body and lenses are not such an attractive offer. The combination you can do with them are rather limited. I think Panny G1/GH1 red is better….
The new Oly E-P3 does look very good with legacy OM mount Zuiko 24mm f/2, which is not that cheap nowadays…. Zeiss Biogon is another good combo on Pens, though that one is not that affordable either. Better use the native Leica….
cL
10 months ago |Forgot to mention, I noticed there is no accessory port on the new Panny GF3! I think if I were to get a compact camera, LX5 and XZ-1 are on higher list than GF3…. I personally touched a G3 in store and I am quite happy with the size balance (thought it’s out of battery juice, so I can’t test it). Given my shooting style, though, I am better off staying with regular 4/3. Wouldn’t it be great if there is an E-50? I found myself looking at Leica Digilux 3 on eBay lately… (I know it’s a 7.5 megapixel camera).
Bizzarrini
10 months ago |Ok admin, you found a way to make the PEN cam’s look hideous! It’s just like medusa, and then that color combo…OMG!
Milos Janata
10 months ago |Next version will be in a fur animal coat :]