[shoplink 23568][/shoplink] Image on top: The [shoplink 23568]Olympus E-P3[/shoplink]

In an interview with Techradar (Click here) Olympus Japan’s Toshiyuki Terada said: “Looking at product lifespan, I think the next issue will be a new PEN.”

That isn’t really a surprise as we all expect new PEN cameras before the end of the year. I take the chance to remind Olympus that we don’t need many new cameras and more redundant products. Think easy, a new entry level cheap PEN and a a more advanced PEN are more than enough. In short…a new E-Pm2 and an E-P5 (having the tilting LCD of the [shoplink 23567]E-PL3[/shoplink]). My two cent: A new 12 Megapixel sensor based on the current [shoplink 29074]Olympus E-M5[/shoplink] sensor technology would be amazing!

Links to the current PEN and OM camera list:
Olympus E-M5 [shopcountry 29074].
Olympus E-P3 [shopcountry 23568].
Olympus E-PL3 [shopcountry 23567].
Olympus E-PM1 [shopcountry 23565].

Something else: Tsutomu Omori, managing director of Olympus India has been found death (suicide). My condolences to the family and to Olympus. More info at Indiatimes.

The Russian website Onfoto (Click here) published a new interview with Toshiyuki Terada (Product Planning, Olympus Imaging Corporation, Japan). Some interesting bits:
1.) A built-in viewfinder is not exclusive for the OM-D line. Future PEN camera can have built-in viewfinder maintaining the current form factor. Personal note: I guess this means that PEN can have a sort of rangefinder styled viewfinder like the Sony NEX-7 or even better, like the Fuji X PRO 1.
2.) The E-M5 cannot be considered like a professional camera because “Reliability for E-5 is much higher than the OM-D.” and “I can not tell you how many shots will slide OM-D, whereas for the E-5, we guarantee that at least 150,000.”
3.) When asked if the sensor is from Panasonic he answered: “We do not disclose any information about the sensor manufacturer. Maybe so, and otherwise. We do not say yes or no.”
4.) The E-M5 LCD rotates in only one axis to keep a compact size.
5.) About the Four Thirds adapter: “this is one of the essential areas that we explore and study“.
6.) About future Four Thirds products: “We already have started studying a successor of  [shoplink 17163]Olympus E-5[/shoplink].”
7.) Olympus sees no difference between using 12bit or 14bit RAW files.

Summary: PEN with built viewifnder is posisble, E-7 will arrive sooner or later, and a professioanl OM-D is also veyr likely to be developed. That’s a great plan or not? Question:

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More E-M5 bits: Image samples at Lydogbilde (Click here). Olympus E-M5 preoders search(!) links at [shopcountry 29074].

Something else: Tsutomu Omori, managing director of Olympus India has been found death (suicide). My condolences to the family and to Olympus. More info at Indiatimes.

Some reader is complaining why I don’t post Four Thirds rumors. The truth is that in three years on 43rumors there was only one Four Thirds product announcement (the [shoplink 17163]Olympus E-5[/shoplink]). So there wasn’t really a lot to work on that front. Of course I talk with my sources about the future of Four Thirds and I want to give you my modest view on the future of the Four Thirds system. Like it or not, ALL sources I have are telling me the same things:

1) The future is Micro Four Thirds, not Four Thirds. Olympus itself is promoting their m43 system when getting in touch with big stores and retailers. There is almost no effort to promote and sell the Four Thirds stuff.

2) Olympus new Four Thirds lens release keeps getting postponed without to set a precise time table. An example is the long announced and never released 100mm Zuiko lens. P.S.: The last three years only [shoplink 28695 ebay]Samyang (Click here)[/shoplink] released some nice lenses for the Four Thirds system.

3) Olympus goal is to merge the Four Thirds system within the Micro Four Thirds system. That means Olympus is trying to bring full support of Four Thirds lenses on Micro Four Thirds cameras. In concrete they are working to have super fast AF when using 43 lenses on m43 cameras. A solution could come by the use of a special adapter with built-in mirror and prism system (with phase detection AF). P.S.: Something similar (with the translucent mirror) has been done by Sony with the [shoplink 29290]LAEA2 adapter[/shoplink].

In Summary, you shouldn’t be worried for your Four Thirds lenses. I know from top sources Olympus is working on making them fully compatible with the m43 system. But the release of a new E-7 camera now depends from how fast Olympus engineers can realize a professional m43 camera. If all works fine, we can may expect a sort of E-M7 professional camera at Photokina. But that’s just a speculation for now…