Not Panasonic and Olympus only but also TrueSense Imaging (ex-Kodak) is very busy on the Four Thirds sensor development front. EosHD reports that they just unveiled a new 4K Micro Four Thirds sized CMOS sensor.

These are the specs:
– 18.8mm x 14.1mm in size for a 4/3″ optical format
– global shutter for stills and a rolling shutter for video.
– 10bit 4K video at up to 120fps.
– Dynamic range is 72 db (11 stops) in rolling shutter mode but this drops to just 55 db in global shutter mode.

TrueSense imaging makes the sensor for Ikonoskop and Digital Bolex cameras. Don’t think Olympus or Panasonic will use the sensor. But I am pretty sure Panasonic will make a 4K FT sensor soon.

news found via EosHD.

For a short moment Olympus displayed a mysterious “OM-D E-FZ1” camera name. It now has been removed. I don’t think this is a real name of a future camera. More likely this was a mistake…I guess :)

UPDATE: A source just told me that this was the internal code name of the E-M1!

Photoplus Expo in New York

Yep, I can now confirm via multiple trusted sources that Olympus will have one more product announcement in October! And there is definitely a High End Compact Camera. And I mean really High End…not a new XZ camera :) The announcement should take place right before the Photoplus show in New York City. I have no specs yet, but I will get them soon :)

There are plenty of competitors in that market:
– The [shoplink 41706 eBay]Fuji X100S (here one Bay)[/shoplink] with the superb hybrid viewfinder and unique sensor.
– The [shoplink 41707 eBay]Ricoh GR (here one Bay)[/shoplink] which is the smallest and also the cheapest
– The [shoplink 41708 eBay]Nikon Coolpix A (here one Bay)[/shoplink] fixed prime lens.
– The [shoplink 41709 eBay]Canon PowerShot G1 X (here one Bay)[/shoplink] fixed zoom lens.

It will be hard for Olympus to make something unique…or not?

Note: The High End fixed lens market is still growing and it makes sense for Olympus to join the battle. As reported via Personal-View in Europe the “More advanced fixed-lens cameras are also doing well. These are cameras with larger image sensors, which registered a sales increase of around 7%. Selling at steadily high prices of around EUR450.“

The E-M1 is selling that well that Amazon issued a High Demand warning (Click here to read it). Same warning applies for the new 12-40mm PRO lens too (Click here). The E-M1 is a great camera but according to ThePhoBlographer Olympus can’t rest on this success

“It only seems like a matter of time until Sony wipes the floor with the rest of the industry and releases a full frame mirrorless camera. And with that said, the mirrorless interchangeable lens camera world will experience the same shift that the DSLR world took where everyone always complained about the smaller sensors in Olympus cameras.
Olympus surely seems like they’ve got quite the uphill battle to face with their photography division. And somehow or another, they’re going to need to innovate and create something that no one else has that is extremely marketable–and it will need to be a hit with the mass market.”

Now, I am really not a fan of MFT vs FF sensor discussions. It’s like saying a big car is always better than a smaller car. You cannot compare two cameras by considering as only factor the sensor size. And to be honest when seeing prints you hardly see any difference!
It’s true that Sony will soon announce a mirrorless FF camera. But it will cost 2.5 times the E-M1 and I doubt it will give you the same kind of mature usability and durability. That said the High End market is the most profitable. And maybe that’s one of the few reasons why Olympus could/should make a FF Macro Four thrids system :)

Preorders in US and Europe (Click on the store name to read price and specs):
Dedicated page at Amazon.
Olympus E-M1 body at Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto, Amazon DE (via DL), Amazon UK (via DL), WexUK, Topshot FI, CameraWorldUK.
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO Lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, AmazonDE (viaDL).
Olympus E-M1 with 12-40mm Lens kit at Amazon DE (via DL), WexUK and CameraWorldUK, Amazon UK (via DL).
Olympus E-M1 with 12-50mm Lens kit at Amazon DE (via DL), WexUK, CameraWorldUK, Amazon UK (via DL).
Olympus EP-13 Eyecup for E-M1 at Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus HLD-7 Battery Grip for E-M1 at Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus LC-62D Metal Front Lens Cap for 12-40mm at Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus LH-66 Lens Hood for 12-40mm at Adorama and BHphoto.

The great E-M1 hands-on by TheCameraStoreTV team!

–

For a short moment Ming Thein created some buzz by writing: “I’ve been assured this isn’t dead, and an E-7 is in the works“. But after checking with journalists and Olympus insiders I can now confirm with a 100% certainty that today’s launch of the new Olympus E-M1 marks the end of the Four Thirds line. DC.watch unveiled that Olympus did indeed create an E-7 prototype but then decided that the E-m1 was good enough and the E-7 no more needed. They also write that Olympus officially said that Micro Four Thirds and Four Thirds now merged into one system. This means:

1) There will be no new Four Thirds camera or lens anymore. The [shoplink 17163]Olympus E-5[/shoplink] was the last FT product ever launched by Olympus

2) FT Lenses and the [shoplink 17163]Olympus E-5[/shoplink] will remain into production until demand drops.

It’s a somewhat sad day knowing that Four Thirds died. But this is it. The E-M1 sets a new future for Olympus. Only Time will tell if that is the right path for Olympus!

Preorders in US and Europe (Click on the store name to read price and specs):
Dedicated page at Amazon.
Olympus E-M1 body at Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto, Amazon DE (via DL), WexUK, Topshot Finland, Namencolor Spain, CameraWorldUK.
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO Lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, AmazonDE (viaDL).
Olympus E-M1 with 12-40mm Lens kit at Amazon DE (via DL), WexUK and CameraWorldUK.
Olympus E-M1 with 12-50mm Lens kit at Amazon DE (via DL), WexUK, CameraWorldUK.
Olympus EP-13 Eyecup for E-M1 at Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus HLD-7 Battery Grip for E-M1 at Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus LC-62D Metal Front Lens Cap for 12-40mm at Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus LH-66 Lens Hood for 12-40mm at Adorama and BHphoto.

Some more bits before the news gets official at 5am London time:

– The E-M1 has adaptive sharpening optimization (works for every Olympus MFT and FT lens)
– Continuous AF is better than in any other MFT camera and matches the best DSLR performance
– EVF automatically adjusts the brightness
– The E-M1 is more weathersealed than the [shoplink 17163 ebay]Olympus E-5[/shoplink] – 12-40mm PRO lens has better performance than the 12-60mm FT lens.
– Olympus will offer a PRO Service package for  E-M1 owners (for example access to a hotline number)
First image samples by Ming Thein on Flicr (part one and part two).