Olympus E-P3 and XZ-1 discounted. XZ-2 coming soon? And LX-6 too?
Although not a Micro Four Thirds camera the XZ-1 is one of those nice products you look to before to jump the m43 system. The camera is compact, has an incredible zoom lens and unlike the m43 cameras is super pocket-able. The price dropped below the $400 mark at Amazon (Click here). And the Panasonic LX5 is even cheaper (Click here to see it at Amazon). I heard that there will be very soon a new successor for both cameras. I guess it’s a matter of days only!
Micro Four Thirds deals:
The black Olympus E-P3 is now in Stock for $749 only at Amazon (Click here).
The super nice 12mm f/2.0 gets less expensive and now costs $743 at Amazon (Click here).
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Mark Olwick
5 months ago |The XZ-1 is super pocketable? Have you actually had one? It would have to be a very big pocket. I fit it into a large cargo pants pocket, but it doesn’t fit in a regular pants pocket like, say, a Canon S95.
spam
5 months ago |Agree, the XZ-1 isn’t that small, or light.
TheEye
5 months ago |Is that a camera in your pocket or are you just very happy today? :p
I would never put any camera in my pants pocket.
Mike
5 months ago |I’ll third that notion. Here’s to hoping that the XZ-2 will be just a little smaller.
TheEye
5 months ago |I have normal, adult male hands and don’t want a camera that I have to hold with my fingertips (like those camera joshi).
OMOLYMPUS
5 months ago |@Admin
XZ-2 for January?
Henrik
5 months ago |I kinda wish there were. I have the XZ-1 and although I like the picture quality I dont fancy the video one so much. An XZ-2 with upgraded video and the same or better stills would be nice. Also I hope it wont be bigger than the current XZ-1.
Jesper
5 months ago |EP3 discountined?!
Dinko
5 months ago |Yeah… That title might need to be rewritten
come on pana
5 months ago |Admin,
do you have any idea if it is ccd or cmos sensor? by a source ?
Camaman
5 months ago |Discontinued… Really?!
I have reservations of buying such a product now… And my girl is pretty keen on a retro ILC camera… :-/
James70094
5 months ago |It’s discounted, as in reduced, not discontinued.
Vromopodarix
5 months ago |I think admin meant discounted
mclarenf3
5 months ago |Not a u4/3 product, but definitely one many of us are interested in.
For example, even with all of my u4/3 (and 4/3) gear, when I go out for the New Years Eve party this year, it’ll be (only) my XZ-1 that I’ll be taking with me. It’s really small and compact enough to slip into my suit jacket pocket.
Anonymous
5 months ago |E-P3 is due for upgrade with a new sensor. I’m betting on E-P4 announcement in January. We are on 6 month refresh cycle now due to stiff competition.
Schadenfreude
5 months ago |-Hmmm, 6 months for their flagship?
-Rather introducing an Olympus additional model a la DMC-GX1.
KendallCo
5 months ago |Seems odd that they would launch an XZ-2 while going to the trouble of a silver XZ-1 with new lens cap which is known to be launching in January 2012.
Dummy00001
5 months ago |robin wong posted part 1 (macro) of his 12-50 review.
http://robinwong.blogspot.com/2011/12/olympus-mzuiko-12-50mm-f35-63-review.html?m=1
Jesper
5 months ago |Thanks for sharing, but admin has already posted this.
Danonino
5 months ago |Well the LX6 better have a m43 sensor inside. Or else I´ll skip it.
admin
5 months ago |The sensor is bigger, but not as big as m43.
Henrik
5 months ago |Will the XZ-2 use the same sensor as the new LX6? Will it still be the same size (the body)?
. Just give us your thought about a release of the XZ-2.
Schadenfreude
5 months ago |-Bigger?
Yes, the LX5 sensor is a multi-aspect one, while the XZ-1 isn’t.
Presume the same scenario valid for the LX6 & XZ-2.
Don’t expect the evolution increases the sensor size to increase from 1/1.63″ to 2/3″. Only Fujifilm experiments with the 2/3″, the penalty is severe, the benefit is marginal.
daninino
5 months ago |Oh i forgot, NO F*****G 10MEGAPIXEL!!! Give me at least 14mp. Thankyou!
michael
5 months ago |“NO F*****G 10MEGAPIXEL!!! Give me at least 14mp.”
On a sensor this small? Please learn something about cameras before your next post – it’ll save you some embarrassment.
Schadenfreude
5 months ago |+1
Schadenfreude
5 months ago |Respect! -Use a decent language, don’t shout, leave the keyboard alone until sobering up.
Mike
5 months ago |I’ll take 10MP if it means sharp, and not smeared like so many 14MP point and shoots.
safaridon
5 months ago |Admin – What happened to a new m4/3 model in early 2012 with inbody EVF or was that from Oly rather than Pany?
LOT
5 months ago |+1
safaridon
5 months ago |Is it possible the new LX6 will use the same larger 1″ sensor that Nikon is using in the I series?
Schadenfreude
5 months ago |No, 1″ sensor is too close to Micro Four Thirds.
Even doubt the benefit of going from 1/1.63″ to 1/1.5″ (2/3″).
The educated guess is staying with the current 1/1.63″.
Keeping the sensor sizes to a few parts reduces the cost, therefore expect only 1/2.3″, 1/1.63″ and MFT sizes from Panasonic and Olympus.
Gekopaca
5 months ago |What’s that f***g rumor admin?
It really seems an advertising!
Are you paid by the firmz?
Please keep serious line!!!
Olympan
5 months ago |If ur not happy here, pls move on to another website. Better yet make ur website without any advertisement. Let’s see how long you’ll last. What the hell you meant by “please keep serious lIne?”. Can’t speak proper English eh.
Jesper
5 months ago |Signficant pricedrops can sometime mean something is on the way. This website was originally a personal blog with author’s own speculations and thought.
So cut the craps you are shouting out loud with, damn these internet trolls nowaday, who think everyone else has to do the job for them, in a way they want, without having to contribute anything themselves.
DonParrot
5 months ago |Hope the XZ-2 will offer the possibility to switch off the noise reduction. Should this be the case, I certainly will add it to my gear. But I definitely won’t buy a compact camera that forces me to shoot RAWs, als leaves and branches look awful even at base ISO.
Nav
4 months ago |Forces you to shoot in RAW? Not really, you have a choice to shoot in RAW or JPEG as you wish…
ljmac
5 months ago |After seeing how big the Nikon 1 lenses turned out to be – and how slow the 12-50 turned out to be – I’m starting to think that the 2/3rds sensor size may be the sweet spot between lens size and performance. With current sensor technology and a bright zoom lens, it may be able to equal the light gathering capability of current micro 4/3rds, but still be pocketable. Indeed, the samples I’ve seen from the Fuji X10 suggest this might well be the case. So an XZ-2 with a 2/3rds sensor (assuming the lens is comparable to the one on the XZ-1) could really be a winner.
Schadenfreude
5 months ago |“So an XZ-2 with a 2/3rds sensor (assuming the lens is comparable to the one on the XZ-1) could really be a winner.”
Well, it’s most likely a paradox. Remember the Olympus E-10 & E-20 used the 2/3″ sensor, and those cameras were far from pocketable!
The XZ-1 is pocketable with a lens that is a gem. How many are willing to trade lens performance for a slightly larger sensor size? Not many, since we already have the alternatives in DMC-GF3 & PM-1!
Berneck
5 months ago |Is it just me? I need an E-P4 or GX2 that’s truly the next step forward, with a viewfinder!!!! That’s all I want, and I’ll be happy! I promise!
Luke
5 months ago |You are not alone. The E-P3 fixed A LOT, but the extra $200 for a decent external viewfinder that is kinda big and dorky is kind of a kick in the nuts after paying $900 for an updated E-P1. And the Gx1 is really just an uglier gf1 with the G3 sensor. Innovation isn’t expected every 6 months, but every 2 or 3 years it would be nice to really see something new.
stickytape
5 months ago |Either they are unable to think ahead, or they were hoping to roll out their technology slowly. Now that Sony has upped the ante, they better pick up their game. I really wanted an E-P3, but considering how much it costs in comparison to the NEX-5N, I’m leaning towards getting the Sony day after day. If Olympus or Panasonic can bring out a camera that compares to the NEX-7 but is cheaper, I just might reconsider, but they don’t really have much going for them at the moment apart from a better lens line-up.
Berneck
5 months ago |I completely agree. The NEX-7 is exactly what I have been waiting for. However, m43 has the better lens line up. It’s only a matter of time before that changes. I love the m43 format. It’s the perfect balance in size and performance, but m43 really needs a true NEX-7 competing camera to keep me with them. If they achieve that soon, they’ll have a hit on their hands, and I’ll be first in line!
Dana
5 months ago |The NEX lens lineup frankly isn’t great. I’ll take flexibility over megapixels.
infinity jr.
5 months ago |Yes, bring back the 2/3″ sensors. This should be the new standard for high-end compacts. Fuji is leading the charge. I bet there will be at least 3 more 2/3″ sensor compacts in the next 2 months.
Schadenfreude
5 months ago |-Canon G12 successor?
-Nikon P7100 successor?
Although Nikon has their new “1 System”, they won’t let Canon have their G-series unchallenged.
Remembering the once so popular prosumer segment were using the 2/3″ sensor, but all vanished rapidly. Fujifilm has a substantial advantage here with their EXR sensor, that neither Panasonic, Sony or Canon can currently match. Therefore expect no competition at 2/3″ sensor size, while Fuijifilm is the king of the hill here.
Oitszek
5 months ago |Would be nice to see a new olympus camera instead of the ep1 for the seventh time
Jason
5 months ago |Rumors are saying that the Samsung EX1 successor has a 2/3″ CMOS sensor with on-body EVF and the body size is similar to the EX1
Dana
5 months ago |It would be nice to see a quality camera with specs good enough for years to come instead of this horrific race to the heat death of consumer cams. You can’t just bring out a new camera every six months, rendering the last camera worthless and still in stock.
user XZ-1
5 months ago |XZ-1 is nice camera, with fast zoom, but sensor is not as good as lens. Moreover, engine for jpg is worse than in competition, and soft for RAW from Olympus is bad (Lightroom gives much better results). There is a lot of place for upgrade XZ-1. Films, sensor, JPGs, small grip, additonal functions (HDR, good panorama like in Sony), faster AF like in PENs, swivel OLED…).
Nav
4 months ago |good summing up…
Miroslav
5 months ago |Nice to see sensors in compacts getting bigger. I still think it’s possible to make a pocketable compact with 4/3 sensor and 3x zoom – just make that 14-42 X collapse into body; and a reasonably sized compact with 4/3 sensor and 10x fixed zoom – take Oly 14-150, shorten its range a bit (say, 15-150), put a part of it in body, make the lens collapsible and you’ll get something close to today’s superzooms.
lorenzino
5 months ago |It’s definitively possible, as there were FF compacts in film times. I can understand why Nikon, Soy or Canon do not like the idea of small super cameras with top IQ, but I fail to see why minor players like Oly or Fuji have not beaten that path in the digital world, yet…
Sol Rhoad
5 months ago |This really answered my downside, thank you!
anger management commonly
2 months ago |I just could not go away your website prior to suggesting that I actually loved the usual information a person provide to your guests? Is going to be back incessantly to investigate cross-check new posts