Maitani: The inventor and deisgner of the OM line.

I am still collecting pieces about the next Panasonic and Olympus announcements. As I told you last week I got rumors about two Olympus semi professional cameras. Now I got an indication about the possibly next Olympus announcement. It could be in early January! And this would fit perfectly with the next big show which is the CES event in Las Vegas. There are only two info I can share with some reliability (FT4) for now:
1) There will be semi pro stuff.
2) There will be new Cameras And Lenses!

Message to sources:
As usual I ask sources and readers to have some patience. For sources: Don’t be afraid if I don’t post a rumor you sent. I usually try to double check rumors. As you can imagine I also get wrong or fake rumors too. Would be fine if you can use some kind of fake name so that I can recognize you whenever you send me new messages. You may create a fake gmail account to send me anonymous info at 43rumors@gmail.com. Or use contact form you see on the right sidebar. Thanks!

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P.S.: We had many OM Film Cameras designed by Maitani. Here is the chronological ordered list of all OM film cameras ever made by Olympus. Click on the names to see them on eBay (ordered by first announced camera): [shoplink 28221 ebay]M-1[/shoplink], [shoplink 28222 ebay]OM-1[/shoplink], [shoplink 28223 ebay]OM-1 MD[/shoplink], [shoplink 28224 ebay]OM-1N[/shoplink], [shoplink 28225 ebay]OM-2[/shoplink], [shoplink 28226 ebay]OM-2N[/shoplink], [shoplink 28227 ebay]OM-2S/SP[/shoplink], [shoplink 28228 ebay]OM-3[/shoplink], [shoplink 28229 ebay]OM-3Ti[/shoplink], [shoplink 28230 ebay]OM-4[/shoplink], [shoplink 28231 ebay]OM-4T/Ti black and chrome[/shoplink], [shoplink 28232 ebay]OM-10[/shoplink], [shoplink 28233 ebay]OM-20 (OM-G)[/shoplink], [shoplink 28234 ebay]OM-30(OM-F)[/shoplink], [shoplink 28235 ebay]OM-40 (OM-PC)[/shoplink], [shoplink 28236 ebay]OM-77AF (OM-707)[/shoplink], [shoplink 28237 ebay]OM-88 (OM-101)[/shoplink], [shoplink 28238 ebay]OM-2000[/shoplink].

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Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct

The GX2 design patent?

I am working on the next bunch of rumors and all I can say for now is that it is very likely that we will see up to three new Micro Four Thirds cameras within the next 4-5 months. As you know one of them should be the new Panasonic GX2 that is rumored to arrive before the end of the year. Not a surprise seeing that the GX1 ($469 with lens at A.) costs less than the GF5 with the same lens. The new GX2 should have the same GH3 sensor, and a new design (built-in EVF?).

The real challenge right now are the two other new MFT cameras that are supposed to arrive from Olympus! These are scheduled for a release in early 2013. And both are rumored to be different from the cameras we have seen until now and both are made for the enthusiast amateur or semi pro photographer. I am working to get some double-triple feedback from other sources and I will give you some reliable news as soon as I can! Stay tuned!

P.S.: Successor coming or not…the GX1 sells well at that low price according to Amazon ranking (Click here).

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For sources: Sources can send me anonymous info at 43rumors@gmail.com (create a fake gmail account) or via contact form you see on the right sidebar. Thanks!

For readers: Don’t miss any news. Join our group on facebook and follow our tweets.

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Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct

[shoplink 17163][/shoplink] Image on top: The current [shoplink 17163]Olympus E-5[/shoplink].

Just got that short info from a 43urmors reader that had a private talk with an Olympus manager. The manager told him the E-5 successor will be announced in about one year. It will feature a new generation sensor (also not the same of the current [shoplink 29074]Olympus E-M5[/shoplink]). He also added that they are working on a prototype with larger sensor size. he didn’t specify the exact size.

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For sources: Sources can send me anonymous info at 43rumors@gmail.com (create a fake gmail account) or via contact form you see on the right sidebar. Thanks!

For readers: Don’t miss any news. Join our group on facebook and follow our tweets.

—

Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct

Image on top: The Panasonic AG-AF100

NoFilmSchool (Click here) reported that B&H erroneously stated the AF100 was discontinued. And they also say: “We did, however, hear a bit about a new camera they were calling the 4K VariCam. While details were limited, it will definitely sport a 4K Super 35mm sensor and feature a version of the newly developed AVC Ultra 4:4:4 codec. Though this isn’t a direct replacement to the camera that just got axed, it’s in the realm of possibility that we could see a version of this camera eventually finding its way down to the price of the AF100.”

That camera could be announced in April right before the NAB show in Las Vegas.

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For sources: Sources can send me anonymous info at 43rumors@gmail.com (create a fake gmail account) or via contact form you see on the right sidebar. Thanks!

For readers: Don’t miss any news. Join our group on facebook and follow our tweets.

—

Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct

I got an anonymous mail from a hacker. Be aware that I don’t know yet if what he tells me is correct or not but I hope other hackers or sources can confirm or deny this.

Here is the text I got. Be aware that he is not a native English speaker:

“After a long investigation I can say the OM-D EM5 can be hacked (with Olympus Studio and the Bin version of a OM-D EM5 Firmware that is only available somewhere here http://dl01.olympus-imaging.com/OLYMPUS_MASTER/FIRMWARES/).
How the update firmware work on OM-D. First the update firmware check the revision of your camera and check the firmware (last firmware, don’t update, new firmware, update)
if the update firmware find that your camera don’t have the last firmware, the update firmware take the last firmware revision in here http://dl01.olympus-imaging.com/OLYMPUS_MASTER/FIRMWARES/
We call that a silence update. You can easily hack the OM-D EM5 if you have the bin one, as you know many dev in the past was doing some decrypt olympus firmware work

First – We need the firmware.BIN it would be more easier this way
Second – you can use Olympus Studios or SDK to push the OM-D into the service and debugger mode that let you to work on it
Third – we can after really exploit the OM-D EM5 capabilities

Just to keep you informed. The debugger mode is available. The OM-D has a clean HDMI 4:2:2 ! but locked by Olympus. I saw that the OM-D have also a locked focus peaking functionality (beta feature revision probably, they should add on the next firmware revision not sure about it). For the rest… the OM-D is clearly more powerful than the GH2 and maybe the GH3, that the image processor can calc more information. For example the OM-D can easily support a 1080p120p ! i wonder why they blocked the OM-D to 30p…

But for know, you really need to find the firmware.Bin OM-D (it’s more easier) than using USB programming (on my way, it was a fully success and also need to be more experimented) but i expect to modify the firmware.BIN directly and not programming in fly.”

I ask the anonymous hacker to send me more details about the project at 43rumors@gmail.com. We may can help you to go one with the hack project!

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Refurbished E-M5 is also back via Cameta:
Silver Olympus E-M5 for $849 at Cameta (Click here).
Black Olympus E-M5 with 12-42mm lens for $949 at [shoplink 34210 ebay]Cametaacutions (Click here)[/shoplink] and Cameta (Click here).
Silver Olympus E-M5 with 12-50mm lens for $1149 at [shoplink 34211 ebay]Cametaacutions (Click here)[/shoplink] and Cameta (Click here).
Black Olympus E-M5 with 12-50mm lens for $1149 at [shoplink 34211 ebay]Cametaacutions (Click here)[/shoplink] and Cameta (Click here).

Sometimes patents can be very…funny. The last one found by Egami (translation here) shows how Olympus wants to improve the AF performance by having a different height of the micro lenses. It’s a bot hard for me to get into the details of the patent without having an appropriate translation. But it sounds like this technique can give you a sort of phase detection alike performance.