Preorder the Olympus E-5! (+ first E-5 video)
Video Test – Olympus E-5 - from DSLR Magazine on Vimeo.
You can now preorder the Olympus E-5 at Amazon (Click here)
REMINDER: Those are the other current MicroFourThirs deals:
1) Lowest price ever: Panasonic 45-200mm f/4.0-5.6 for $258.99 at Amazon (Click here)
2) GF1 + 14-45mm lens and get the external Viewfinder for free at BHphoto ($708.99…click here!)
3) Panasonic G1 with 14-45mm Lens (Black) for $470 at Amazon (Click here)
4) Olympus 9-18mm f/4.0 -5.6 Lens for $591.99 at BHphoto (Click here)
5) Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 lens for $347.06 at Amazon (Click here)
6) Preorder the Olympus 75-300mm at BHphoto (Click here) and the Olympus 75-300mm again at BHphoto (Click here)
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Recent comments
Comment from ben mcmillen: I'm a fulltime wedding and portrait phot...
Comment from Dana Curtis Kincaid: I see some nice, used, Oly stuff in my f...- Comment from Dana Curtis Kincaid: Jefferson May
9 hrs, 42 mins ago
Olympu...
Comment from Jefferson May: Olympus should give an E-5 FOR FREE to e...
Tobias W.
2 years ago |I’d rather wait and let the price drop. Don’t pre-order. Send Olympus a message that this camera is too expensive for what they offer.
When it’s below Euro 1,500 I will consider it. But at Euro 1,800… no way!
iluvhatemail
2 years ago |Its definitely has some features that can compete with the 7d, but by the time canon and nikon release their new models soon, Olympus will yet again be behind which is disappointing. I dont find the pen sensors to be any good in low light, especially with video.
Eric
2 years ago |I’d be more worried about the Nikon D7000. Nikon Rumors just got a hold of photos of it and it looks great. It looks like Nikon has finally built a smaller DSLR with the same build quality they use in their D300/D700/D3. If the rumored specs are true then I can’t make a case at all for the $1700 E-5 over the new $1200 D7000 or the new $1200 Pentax K-5 unless you already own Olympus glass. And that’s who I really think the E-5 is for, current Olympus owners with aging or worn out E-3′s. There is no way in the world I’d recommend any 4/3′s DSLR to a friend now knowing that they may or may not be buying into a dying system. On top of that, both the D7000 and K5 pack bigger sensors into smaller bodies. I’m sure the E-5 is a fine camera, but I can’t think of any reason someone should switch brands for it.
mpgxsvcd
2 years ago |$1700 is a joke right? That price is just stupid for that camera. Do they actually expect people to buy this camera if they don’t already own a ton of 4/3s lenses? Are there that many people who already own a ton of 4/3s lenses?
MK
2 years ago |its not even like there is any balance… if the price were lower then I might understand the specs or if the specs were better I would understand the price but it is almost overwhelmingly a negative reaction to specs and price.
the people who are saying they will buy are most likely olympus plants or heavily invested already. that price is CRAZY for what they are offering. you can get a full frame for a few hundred more, not to mention a APC-S that is at least equivalent and arguably better specs for hundreds less.
lets see… the only way this makes sense is if you are already heavily invested with several zuiko lenses, etc. in which case, you basically have little option other than to stay with old models. i cannot surmise why a new buyer would want to invest in olympus given the fact that they gouge their consumers (I am a new buyer). and i mean it when i say gouge. no thank you, i will not participate in your ponzi scheme.
its not more camera for more money, it is the same camera for more money. how does that make sense?
kman
2 years ago |well said, MK. I am heavily invested. It’s difficult to envision new buyers going to Olympus to get the E5. That means trouble for me an every other 43rds customer.
And to all of those waiting for the price to reach a low enough price to justify the spec (which is $900 usd)… How long did we have to wait until the E3 was low enough to match it’s spec? Are you willing to way 2 more years?
jeff
2 years ago |ya you could switch systems and end up paying over 3000-5000 replacing a camera that would be marginally better and then glass that wont even compare to what you have on olympus though
that video was fantastic and proves olympus isnt messing around with quality
kman
2 years ago |Or, I could spend $1600 for a marginal upgrade, with no hopes of ever having anything better that what’s already been released…and then spend it all again when m43rds reaches it’s end.
Remember, 12 mp is all the Olympus will ever do… So, 5-10 years from now, they’s still be telling us that 12 mp is enough… Remember, Olympus actually said that 43rds and micro 43rds will only go up to 12mp… So, even if they come up with a body format that allows 43rds and m43rds to co-exist, 12mp is the max.
I can understand someone “using” a 12mp camera 3-5 years from now. But, I can’t envision someone seriously “buying” a 12mp camera 3-5 years from now, regardless of how good the image quality is. It’s nearly un-sellable today, especially at the price.
napalm
2 years ago |if you really need the MP then go full frame. oly has already said that in a press release 1.5 yrs ago
Mike
2 years ago |12mp, I know right? People who buy the D3 or D3s are just idiots.
Rob
2 years ago |pl1 $570, e-5 $1700???
Isn’t the e5 almost the same as the pl1? just in a clunkier body and without any included lens?
Shouldn’t it be cheaper than the pl1?
stonebat
2 years ago |epl1 with a kit zoom was $479 a week ago.
jeff
2 years ago |the epl1 wasnt constructed out of machined magnesium and weather sealed , also it doesnt have half the features of the e5
Jimson
2 years ago |I’m viewing on my iPhone, but I wasn’t impressed by the video. I couldn’t care less about the art filters. I want to see focus speed, tracking, and how the camera handles motion (rolling shutter). Forget the pre-orders, I’ll wait to see what the GH2 offers…
@ MK
Until now i’ve always felt that Oly offered their customers a lot of value for the money. Sadly the E-5 (or E-3 MK II as I call it) seems to be a departure from that, as well as their tradition of innovation. That’s unfortunate. I doubt these will fly off the shelves…
Jason
2 years ago |The video sample was pretty bad. Someone needs to should a better sample video so we can really see what it looks like. And I agree, the price is way to high. It should be a grand… (It will be soon though)
PF
2 years ago |I would hardly say that the sample video screams quality. The night shots are hazy, muddled, and show very little detail. The macro shots are difficult to evaluate with so much movement and zero depth of field. And the art filters, well, let’s hope they look better with stills that they do on video. Look up any GH1 or 5DmkII low light video on Vimeo to see that the E-5 is hopelessly outperformed in the video department.
clark
2 years ago |Value is exactly why I first bought into olympus. I agree it seems this is a shot in the gut to us all for having such faith the company to continue their path of innovation.
It’s disappointing to say the least.
Dana Curtis Kincaid
2 years ago |Ummm, and what rez was the video downsamplwd to for the web here? Whine whine whine.
This is why I was banned from the Four Thirds forum on DPReview… Because a lot if you yobs make me want to rip your livers out. Be polite be polite be polite.
CRB
2 years ago |LOL…i hope you have a good heart condition…wine, wine and wine…one glass of wine a day…good for your health….
Dana Curtis Kincaid
2 years ago |Mike
4 mins ago
12mp, I know right? People who buy the D3 or D3s are just idiots.
What good are more MP if your lenses won’t resolve with spit?! Ya Canon, I’m LOOKING AT YOU!
You get a lens the size of a German 88mm anti-aircraft cannon mounted to a bug-ugly slope-shouldered plastic-feeling POS (I suppose it makes a lot of fat white sports photogs feel great) that weighs way too much, and it lets you take great pix of overpriced sports heroes.
That’s the kind of photog I wanna be!
Bloody fraking hell.
Mike
2 years ago |Sorry, I was using sarcasm. The original poster seemed to ignore that the majority of Nikon bodies are 12mp (D3, D3s, D90, D300, D700), and the people who do use them are just fine with 12mp.
Dana Curtis Kincaid
2 years ago |PF- “I would hardly say that the sample video screams quality. The night shots are hazy, muddled, and show very little detail.”
AGAIN. What resolution are the videos you are watching downrezzed to for web viewing?! Do you even know how to tell?!
Dana Curtis Kincaid
2 years ago |Oh. And a 12MP D3S costs, looking at the Nikon web site, $5199.95.
Maybe the particular whiny lot of so__ing wa____s on here are just cheap. Maybe?
Maybe you shifters, the ones who say you’re switching to Canikon, just won yer local lottery?
Dana Curtis Kincaid
2 years ago |Erik: ” On top of that, both the D7000 and K5 pack bigger sensors into smaller bodies. I’m sure the E-5 is a fine camera, but I can’t think of any reason someone should switch brands for it.”
I like Pentax, I really do, but ummm… Don’t they have an installed and current user base of about fifty fan-bois right now? Do you want me to switch to K-mount? Errrr…
Eric
2 years ago |I have no idea how many users they have, but I do know the K-x was a pretty big success for them, and the K-7 also sold pretty well (I personally have two friends with them). However I do know if the K5 is using that new Sony 16mp EXMOR sensor then after they apply the image processing they used on the K-x then the IQ on the K5 is going to blow the IQ on the E-5 out of the water. And it will do it in a smaller and just as well built and weather sealed body for hundreds less. Like I said, I’m sure the E-5 is a fine camera….but it’s $1700 and the 4/3s system may or may not be here in a few years. Unless you are a current Olympus user I see no reason to get it over something like the K5 or the new D7000.
Bleu
2 years ago |Calm down Dana.
Dana Curtis Kincaid
2 years ago |Mike: I know. My comments were not directed at you but the so__ing w___erks.
I keep going back to this… Why don’t all people own Ferraris? I like my Suby WRX just fine, and girls like it too. Why do we all need sodding Canikons again? It’s like the photo-fraking Spanish god’s-da__ed Inquisition out here.
Dana Curtis Kincaid
2 years ago |Sorry guys, the so__ing wa__ers make me angry.
Kaiser Soze
2 years ago |I really have to see what this camera can do before I jump on the dissing Olympus band wagon. If the GH2 rumor specs are real, that seems much more like a contender for me. I wish Panasonic could figure out how to focus properly with Olympus glass.
Dana Curtis Kincaid
2 years ago |Kaiser – ” I wish Panasonic could figure out how to focus properly with Olympus glass.”
Is the focus off or just slow?
Dana Curtis Kincaid
2 years ago |Since I started with Pentax I’ve always had a soft spot for them, AND(!), buying Pentax would not mean having to go the evil Canikon route.
I’ll check Pentax out.
I really like my 12-60 though. Lovely lens. Would buy a more advanced Oly body just to keep the lens.
Intruder
2 years ago |Oly needs to drop the price to under $1,200USD, and update the video to 60FPS and add 16×9 aspect ratio and I’d buy at that price.
Steve H
2 years ago |I’m disappointed in this camera spec. I wanted to see better dynamic range, and I can’t really see it being better if they’re using the EPL-1 sensor. I wanted to see video… and they put in 720p? Seriously? Surely they could have found someway to implement 1080p H.264. I wanted to see better high ISO performance and less noise… maybe we’ll at least get that. I wanted to see wireless. Why not? Hell, it’s gotta be easy to implement. It’s in cell phones for God’s sake.
I have an E-3. They need to convince me to upgrade… I’d pay $1,000 MAX for this camera. No way in hell I’ll pay $1,700. I’ll stick with my E-3 until I see what they come out with next. Maybe I’ll get a GH2… All things being equal (i.e. prices), I sure as hell would rather spend the money on the GH2 than the E-5. Hell, the GH2 is probably going to be cheaper, even. I already have a rugged weather sealed camera (E-3, and I don’t need that very often, really), what I want is a camera with great low light capability, high DR, and 1080p video.
Daniel Werneck
2 years ago |Sorry, but Olympus does not want to grow the market. Can not she just have made such improvements in its high-end camera. I have the E-3 and a bunch of lenses. But I also have the Canon 1d MarkIIN, and really think seriously about migrating fully to the Canon. I sell everything and buy Olympus Canon 5D MarkII. And sadly it does not make a decent upgrade their equipment. 5 fps, 11 Points of Focus and ISO 6400 gets to be hilarious.! Poor Olympus, always running behind …
alex
2 years ago |I just wonder how many of gloom and disappear spreaders are acctualy canon (or other) marketing guys.
I know for sure that popular blogs and forums ale places for viral marketing…
Steve
2 years ago |I own an Olympus E-510 and E-620 along with various Olympus lenses. My sense, these are not viral postings, but from truly fed up Olympus 43′s owners tired of Olympus gift for always coming up short compared to the competition when it comes to their DSLR’s.
While I am very happy with both my cameras, I was hoping for a path to upgrade to a truly state of the art camera. Instead they release a “pro” camera so embarrasingly behind the times and at such an outrageous MSRP I wouldn’t consider touching it. Never mind the E3/E5 bloated body.
All the while I watch as Sony shakes things up with the a55 and Pentax hot on their heels with the K5. And Nikon’s about to release the D7000 replacement for the D90, which already had the best DR in its class. Incredibly frustrating.
My lenses keep me with Olympus, but their beginning to feel more like a manacle than anything more. I’m at a point where I’m ready to switch with my next DSLR purchase. As for mFT, nice toys, but where’s the HG and SHG equivalent lenses? A non-starter except as a second camera for me.
Eugene
2 years ago |+1000000
David
2 years ago |Normally, I might agree with you. But Olympus doesn’t need Canikon saboteurs this time. They are coming to a gunfight with a knife.
Dana Curtis Kincaid
2 years ago |“I just wonder how many of gloom and disappear spreaders are acctualy canon (or other) marketing guys.
I know for sure that popular blogs and forums ale places for viral marketing…@
They are also Republicans… That’s about the worst insult I can think of.
Neville
2 years ago |Well I am encouraged by the video. I was near decided to sell and shift, but looking at the video at 3200 and 6400 ISO that is a pretty huge improvement over the E620. I don’t know whether they have removed the noise post-prod, but I doubt it. The first night video is not as good as the exposure is set more for the lights than the rest. So the dark is underexposed, and we don’t know how far the light difference is. The second is less DR, but there is no noise that I can see. Due to down-sampling, and it has to be rather large due to the speed it came through at HD, we do not know what the shadow quality is like. I’m not interested in video, except occasionally, and I know what the resolution is at the moment of my E620, so it looks like I can get an improvement to usable 1600 at least rather than the 400 (just) I have now. I won’t buy it at this price, but will wait a year. The art filters, I never use them, the only one I have used is sunset, and I can get a result I like better now that my photography has improved. The rest, eg black and white, vignetting I actually prefer to use LR to do it, I can get a better result that way
To Dana, please don’t swear, I find boring and offensive, just keep to the facts
Neville
2 years ago |Dana,
I am not an American, so I really don’t know what Republicans are except they are politics. I was hoping you were going to give some reason why you were sure, but you take away any credence for what you have to say by your next sentence.
Dana Curtis Kincaid
2 years ago |Video looks fine (and that over a slow connection).
Dana Curtis Kincaid
2 years ago |“I am not an American, so I really don’t know what Republicans are except they are politics.”
It’s an insult, Neville, just leave it at that. Sheesh.
Marilyn
2 years ago |They can’t compared the E5 to 7D…. First things first 7D is now 1300 us with some retail outlet and do think e3 will gain control with a 1700us tag price lol
Jaw
2 years ago |Olympus just became my backup system. Hello nikon
Daniel Werneck
2 years ago |the money don’t is the question. The question is the upgrade of tecnology. If the Oly create a machine of 2,000 dollars but whith Iso 25.600 + 18 MP + 8 FPS I byu This! Of course. Some peolple think someone in cost. I look to the future. And the E-x is the the Top camera of the Olympus. And why the Oly create this camera???? I don’t buy it!!!!! Wake up Olympus!!!!!!!!!
CRB
2 years ago |For those interested if it is an improvement over the E-3(DR and noise):
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1000&message=36317850
Brandon
2 years ago |Dana is a classic troll. Just ignore.
People keep celebrating the glass as saving the system. Unfortunately the glass is a weak point. Less than SHG and you’re not boasting glass impressive enough to support the high cost of the camera, or able to compensate the compromises of the system. With SHG you detract several of the supposed principal advantages of 43: portability, weather sealing, and value. At least the IQ is the best available…er, was, just looking at Canikon’s latest it is clear they caught up. Sure no 2.0, but they have better than a stop advantage in both ISO and DOF, so who are we fooling?
I just wish the dream was ever a reality.
bob
2 years ago |@Brandon–regarding Olympus shortcomings –very well reasoned and written. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Dana Curtis Kincaid
2 years ago |“Dana is a classic troll. Just ignore.”
Hmmm… I support the Four Thirds system, I’ve had… An E-500, 510, 520, and two E-330s… And you are, or seem to be, a Cannonite.
Who is the troll, Brandon?
Brandon
2 years ago |Well I’m no Cannonite, and judging by my use of the derogatory term “canikon” you knew that. Regardless trolling has nothing to do with specific opinions or allegiances, and everything to do with tone and delivery. The contrast between our posts speaks for itself. And now I will follow my own advice, and ignore you.
Brandon
2 years ago |Hello! What have we here? NIKON 7000… not bad. Better in fact. Clearly. And for less.
I joined this forum originally in hopes the modular system would prove game-changing. Please let it be so. The enemy isn’t close, isn’t knocking on the door, it’s moved on having just trampled us. Will the revolution save Oly?
Jefferson May
2 years ago |Olympus should give an E-5 FOR FREE to everyone who owns at least 5 Oly glasses and an Oly body. That would compensate this a**rape partly.
Olympus, I wish you all the worst.
Dana Curtis Kincaid
2 years ago |Jefferson May
9 hrs, 42 mins ago
Olympus should give an E-5 FOR FREE to everyone who owns at least 5 Oly glasses and an Oly body. That would compensate this a**rape partly.
Olympus, I wish you all the worst.”
Ridiculous.
Dana Curtis Kincaid
2 years ago |I see some nice, used, Oly stuff in my future since y’all will be dumping your cameras immediately. Since the cameras are all immediately obsolete, I assume I can buy the hardware off you for a vewwy good price.
ben mcmillen
2 years ago |I’m a fulltime wedding and portrait photographer. While at this point I do feel kinda of locked in on the olympus line owning and e-3, 2 e-30′s, e-510 and all the swd lenses. So this upgrade is a needed upgrade for me. I’ve seen image samples that blow away my e-3 and e-30′s. Hefty price for arguably a small upgrade but I just pre-ordered 2 e-5′s at adorama. To me it’s worth the investment to get a cleaner higher iso range for the way I shoot. That said I’m still a happy olympus user. I’ve saved a lot of money not having to buy all the image stabilized lenses nikon and canon users need to fork out for the same quality lenses we have.