Miquel Àngel Garcia, manager of Olympus Spain (Image courtesy Quesabesde).

I am really surprised to read a clear statement like that! Miquel Àngel Garcia just said in an interview at Quesabesde (translation here) that the E-5 successor will be a hybrid FT and MFT model capable of using both lens ranges with their full potential! So there will be no “Normal” Four Thirds E-7 but rather a native Micro Four Thirds cameras with a 100% compatible  FT solution. He didn’t specify if there will be a sort of integrated or external adapter or a modular approach. The camera is definitely coming in late 2013 (he said!). Miguel didn’t unveil the name and the specs. He says that this is a camera for “those who want the feel of an SLR and at the same time take advantage of a small system“.

In summary:
1) no “classic” Four Thirds E-7 coming! You should expect a hybrid high end MFT camera with full FT support.
2) That camera is coming in late 2013
3) Development started back in 2009 and the camera cannot be compared to anything Olympus released before that.

UPDATE: Also DSLRmagazine (translation here) got a confirmation from Olympus(!) that the info about a hybrid MFT and FT camera is correct!!! They also added that the project name started back in 2009 is “Kasei”. And a selcted and secret group of 13 members worked on the project!

Sounds amazing!

Now let me enlarge the discussion to some key features I think that camera should have:
1) Full compatible AF for any MFT and FT lens. This means have phase detection AF…likely on sensor like the latest Sony NEX-5r and Sony NEX-6 cameras
2) I am still one of these guys in that like to use optical viewfinders. E camera aimed for both FT and MFT users should in my dreamworld have a hybrid EVF and OVF solution like (and if possible better) the Fuji X PRO 1.
3) A pro camera has to feel like a pro camera. So it shouldn’t be too small.
4) The FT component of the cameras should be detachable. A modern version of the [shoplink 31778 ebay]Leica Visoflex (here on eBay)[/shoplink].

What are yout thoughts? Comment your posts with your suggestions and I may start a poll on this soon…

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Olympus E-5 at [shopcountry 17163].
Leica Visoflex auctions on Slidoo.

ImrpessJapan interviewed Mr.Ogawa from Olympus. He confirmed that partnership between Sony and Olympus will focus on compact cameras, on the medical area and lens technology. There is definitely no plan to merge Olympus and Sony systems in one.

The magazine also made a prediction for the year to come:
– E-5 successor is coming
– A premium compact MFT
– large sensor camera from Olympus

I am pretty sure the first two points are correct. But really don’t think Olympus will make a larger sensor camera. It would mean go APS-C (Nex?) or even Full Frame. What may be possible is that Olympus makes some lenses for the NEX system (which is highly needed  more than cameras).

What are your thought about a “larger sensor camera”?

Image courtesy: Quesabesde.

Panasonic manager Michiharu Uematsu had a press conference in Barcelona and there is an interesting report at Quesabesde (translation here). The main topic was the present and future of high end compact cameras with fixed lens.

Umeatsu compared the Panasonic LX7 versus the Sony RX100. He claims that the larger size advantage of the RX100 sensor is overridden by the lower brightness of the RX100 zoom. At the wide end the image quality of the LX7 and RX100 are equal while the LX7 tops the RX100 on the tele end. That said Uematsu also talked about a possible future fixed lens camera with larger Four Thirds sensor. He said that it would have to be smaller than the [shoplink 26836]GX1[/shoplink], feature a fixed and bright f/1.7 or f/2.0 lens and price could be around 700 Euro. But Uematsu does n0t know if there would be a high demand for a model like that.

So guess what…let us help Panasonic! Here is the poll:

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Let’s see if you like that camera or not!

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LX7 price check at: [shopcountry 34271].
Gariz LX7 case on [shoplink 34270 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].