A couple of years ago Olympus said that 12 Megapixels were enough and there was no need to increase the Megapixel number on the Micro Four Thirds sensor. I tend to agree with them but I would have been happy to see some sort of new “version” of the current über-used 12 MPX sensor. Now according to two trusted sources and a new source (Thanks!) Olympus choose a 16 megapixel sensor for their upcoming new digital OM-D camera. I have been told that the sensor has been “tweaked” by Olympus to get a a super EVF performance. The new electronic viewfinder is really the most advanced new technology of the camera. The sources didn’t tell me if the 16 Megapixel sensor is basically the same as the one used for the [shoplink 22077]G3[/shoplink] and [shoplink 26836]GX1[/shoplink] but I guess the answer is yes.

Message to sources: I always try to double check rumors before to post them. As you can imagine I get many false rumors and I don’t want to make a mess. A particular thanks goes to the new source that send me the name and the specs of the camera. I am double checking it and will post them soon on 43rumors! I have some question to all of you:
1) Will Olympus announce “something else” along the camera? Like lenses and adapters…
2) Can you tell me more about the new EVF?

Thanks!

P.S.: Hope to get some GH3 specs soon too ;)

And this is going ot be the name of the future”Oh My Goodness” camera :) Olympus registered the name “Olympus OM-D” on January 3 (Source: trademark.markify). The”D” is for “digital”. And that camera will be the follow up of the last of all OM cameras, the [shoplink 28238 ebay]OM-2000 (film camera)[/shoplink]. The camera will be announced arounf February 8th.

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

Did you read the text on the image on top? It has been taken from the back page of next week’s Amateur Photographer magazine. And Olympus higligted the letters “O” and “M” :) You can see a full size image of the back page here: http://minus.com/mxvrbfbS1#1.

The digital [shoplink 28222 ebay]OM styled[/shoplink] m43 camera is going to be announced the second week of February! Don’t miss to visit 43rumors the next days. I will post any rumors I can get, and hopefully we can find an image too! Meanwhile look at all those nice OM cameras. The system just became 40 years old :)

As you know Olympus officially stated that they are seeking for a “friendly investor to make a minority investment and help revive its business after a $1.7 billion accounting scandal erupted in October“. And according to sources from Reuters: “South Korea’s Samsung Electronics is open to forging an alliance with Japan’s troubled Olympus CorpSouth Korea’s Samsung Electronics is open to forging an alliance with Japan’s troubled Olympus Corp“. Also the “Private equity firm TPG Capital is willing to invest about $1 billion in Japan’s” (Source: Reuters).

Samsung expressly said that they don’t want to acquire Olympus but build a partnership with it. This to me sounds not bad at all. It would allow Olympus to remain independent and to gain potentially terrific partner. Samsung can deliver OLED and Viewfinder technology, sensor fabrication and more. And Samsung is desperately in need to revive their camera business! NX sales are terrible bad and they even had to delay the NX20 (there was price drop) launch to avoid another flop. Samsung could join the m43 coalition with Olympus, and probably develop new (fullframe?) systems for the future. What do you think?

P.S.: I think Samsung cameras are not that bad and the lins lineup is quite good. See the full NX stuff here: [shopcountry 28258].