We already know the new camera series name is “OM-D”. And the first camera name will be “Olympus E-M5“!

About the sensor:
Olympus marketing guys cleary say that the 16.1 Megapixel sensor has an “Expanded Dynamic Range“. But from what I have been told it looks like the E-M5 uses the same [shoplink 26836]GX1 sensor[/shoplink]. I am not 100% sure yet but it looks like all the video quality and image quality improvement are coming via TruPic VI engine, a weak AA filter and probably a better circuitry around the sensor (faster readout for example).

UPDATE: Next week you will hear BIG words form Olympus marketing about the image quality improvement, but I don’t know yet if those words are on par with the expectetions you and I have. Sources are telling em that there is a visible JPEG quality improvement. But I don’t know if the “expanded dynamic range” marketing statement from Olympus is justified.

UPDATE: Probably my biggest “not so good news” is that the viewfinder has the same specs as the VF-2. It’s not a bad viewfinder but Olympus Manager Mr. Ogawa. told Impressjapan (Click here to download the pdf of the magazine) that Olympus new camera will empathize a new viewfinder technology. So I was hoping to see this on the E-M5.

Blog.Livedoor stitched together the three leaked images to create the OM-D alike image (it’s NOT a real image of the real camera. Also the camera name is just their guess!).

Olympus OM-D, between hype and reality.
While some good sources tell me that the camera has a high dynamic range, superb video quality, much faster AF than the [shoplink 23568]Olympus E-P3[/shoplink] and and a possible two stop JPEG noise performance issue we still have to remain with our feet o earth. I haven’t seen any image sample yet and I have no info about who made the Olympus sensor and how the supposed image quality increase has been achieved. But finally I got at least one new “fact”. I have been told the the OM-D can shoot 9fps! The current best m43 camera of the class, the [shoplink 16254]Panasonic GH2[/shoplink] shoots 5fps. A trusted source also told me that it has a buffer of “max. 11 or 17 frames on sequential shooting depending on the mode (H/L, both in RAW).” And considering that this is a 16 megapixel sensor that’s quite a good performance!

The camera will be announced next week on February 8th. Only than we can be 100% sure if the Olympus sensor has some new major technology or if it’s just a “tweaked” Panasonic sensor. All sources and rumors lead us to believe that this will not be a remake of the [shoplink 23568]Olympus E-P3[/shoplink] marketing hype, when Olympus said that this is a “tweaked” sensor and in reality the image quality improvement turned out be very minimal. Let’s hope the best guys!

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Personal notice: I am very busy until late Thursday night. I have to work on a frozen lake for two days and the terrible Burian will bring temperatures down at -15/20 grad Celsius. So expect some delay in comment moderation and email response.

This is the next small piece of image leak I got from the famous anonymous source that already sent me the other two pics. For the first time you see the built-in viewfinder from the front which has exactly the same design of the (optical) [shoplink 28230 ebay]OM-4[/shoplink] viewfinder. You can also see that the name of the camera starts with “E-…”. The source masked the name :)

About these leaks: Believe it or not, it’s not me making those small leaks, and I don’t think it’s an official Olympus strategy to send me this. All I know is that the source definitely reads your comments and I hope he cans end me more pics soon (like for example from the back of the camera).

Reminder: You can follow the February 8th Olympus announcement on this website! And we are on facebook and twitter too!

To help you to compare the OM camera design with the leaked images here is the full list of OM film cameras:
[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]

And here is a collage with the two other (already posted) image leaks:

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 [shoplink 28231 ebay]OM4-TI (here on eBay)[/shoplink] is the one that looks very close to the OM-D

A new source (Thanks!) had the chance to test the new OM-D camera. He says “the 12800 ISO performance looks similar to the [shoplink 23568]E-P3’s[/shoplink] 3200 ISO”! Please take that rumor with a grain of salt because this is a subjective impression that needs to be verified with a real test. But if his “impression” is correct than this is a huge news! A two stop improvement is something almost unbelievable. All I know for sure form my top sources is that ISO goes up to 25.600. I hope my other sources can confirm or deny that rumor soon. The same new source said: “The effect of the stabilization can be seen though the new viewfinder in the OM-D“.

UPDATE: The sources just sent me some more bits: “The 12800 ISO comparison was with on JPEG, obviously, there is no RAW support. But interesting, there was no noticeable colour & chroma noise in the shadows, colour noise was very noticeable with the E-P3 at 3200.“. I guess he is reading your comments so feel free to write your questions!

In summary: (FT5) 16 Megapixel sensor with High Dynamic Range and super video quality and TruePic VI engine. It looks similar to [shoplink 28231 ebay]OM4-TI (here on eBay)[/shoplink] (FT3) 2 stop better noise performance than current PEN cameras. Sound all good for now!

One more thing: The final camera name starts with the usual “E” letter. The “OM-D” is the new camera line name like it is with the “PEN”.

Message to one of my best sources: Is it possible to have one more piece of image of the OM-D?

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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

While I am still not sure if the GH3 is going to be announced soon or not I am getting more reliable rumors about another Panasonic camera. According to two new sources the [shoplink 23109]GF3[/shoplink] has now been discontinued and the new GF7(?) could be announced in February-March. The GF3 has been announced in June 2011 so it’s not even 8 months old! You will argue that this is not possible but the GF3 has been announced exactly eight months only after the [shoplink 17361]GF2[/shoplink] release.

If the rumor is true than this will be a new chapter of the “miniaturization” war. But honestly, don’t know how much smaller you can get! What would you cut from the GF3? :) What’s true is that the GF2 is selling much better than the GF3 at Amazon (Click here to see the ranking). Maybe Panasonic cam up with a new idea to appeal the GF series.

Here is the current GF3: [shopcountry 23109].

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

UPDATE_3: I now got 100% sure info about that rumor:

The administrator of Lense.fr (Thanks!) said that this is an image of the Olympus invitation for the OM-D announcement on February 8th! The invitation text has been removed to protect the source. While the teaser is 100% real (believe me!) this piece of image is from the [shoplink 28231 ebay]OM-4T/Ti black and chrome (Click here to see that cam on ebay)[/shoplink] and not from the new OM-D! I saw the tetx and it says that a new product will be announced on Feb 8th. In summary: Olympus is sending invitation with an old OM image on it :)  At Olympus Global (Click here) you can see the source of that image.

P.S.: Thanks anonymous source for your help on this ;)

P.P.S.: Sorry for the multiple updates but I am currently in a meeting with lawyers and updating the post via iPhone (yep not so funny!).

[shoplink 16254][/shoplink] The current best m43 camera for video, the [shoplink 16254]Panasonic GH2[/shoplink]. Will soon lose the primacy?

A couple of days ago a source told me that the new OM-D camera will have a better video quality than the current best of the m43 class, the [shoplink 16254]Panasonic GH2[/shoplink]. I worked with other sources to check if that statement is true or rather exaggerated or completely false. But they all confirm the same, the new Olympus camera beats hands-down the GH2. One of the aspects Olympus worked hard id the reducing of the “jello effect”. Keep in mind that this is a rumors site and I rely on info received by others and that I have no way to check it out if it’s true. But those sources have been proved to be correct in the past so that let’s me (and you) hope for the best when the D-day comes on February 8th!

Sensor troubles: If the sources are telling me all the time that the image quality has been improved, that it has a greater dynamic range, that it has better video quality than the GH2…than I am really having BIG troubles that the 16 megapixel sensor is the same of the [shoplink 26836]Panasonic GX1[/shoplink].

Stay tuned on 43rumors!

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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