Photokina 2012 – It may be the best ever!

129 Comments

1. Just come back from Photokina, was like a kid let loose in a sweetshop! Like Markus above I saw and handled the X-E1 would buy as it’s a great price but I love the OVF of my X100 🙁 The OMD handles like a dream and as for the Leica’s! What a stand I mean hall they have, and the new M is so versatile. Took some sample shots on the Monochrom, would almost sell a kidney for one of those!

2. A little late to the party, but Steve, isn’t one of the joys of the X-Pro1 the optical VF? I too am interested in the X-E1, but most experienced shooters I know of find the VF of the X-Pro1, in spite of the lower res EVF, better because of the OVF.

   Also, the X-E1 really doesn’t have “the same great build of the X-Pro1” as the LCD is not as high resolution and it’s smaller. I’m more than certain I won’t be finding any $700 X-Pro1’s on Ebay anytime soon.

3. Look forward to finally meeting you on Monday evening!

4. “I will have a full report up on Tuesday with my hands on thoughts of all of the new Sony products, prices, etc. I can’t say anything else until then about anything but when I do…all of my hands on thoughts will be up. ”

   It’s almost 7pm EST Steve, eagerly awaiting your Sony products thoughts

   • I can not post my report until 9PM west coast time, so 5 more hours to go. It’s 4PM by me 🙂

5. RX100 APS-C for $650 so the FF RX1 should be $2800? That better be one heck of a lens.

   • I am not saying that RX1 is ‘cheap’ but jut compare it to new NEX-7 plus the Zeiss lens – it makes about €1900 in Germany (and probably a bit less in US) – so compared to that $2800 is more, but not insanely more.

     Looking forward to hear from Steve about what Sony has up to it’s sleeves.

6. Hi Steve, its actually where art thou, not where art though. 🙂

7. Going to Photokina for the first time next week and frankly can’t wait, looks like I picked a good year for my first visit!

8. Cant wait for Photokina to come

9. I can see why it’s priced that high; FF sensor + tiny body + f/2 lens. I think it would sell in volume at $1,995, but $2,700 is a bit high. Probably give it a year and it will be under $2k. Sony should be applauded for what they’ve done though, they are shaking up the photography world in a big way recently.

10. Steve, PLEASE beg Sony to release the RX1 at $2399 or less. I committed $2000 in pre-orders for Fuji’s X-E1 and lenses/accessories, but I am will to move that money plus $399 more after I sell some gear for the RX1. I ponied up $650 for the Rx100 and felt it was worth it way before I ever received it. Even if the RX1 performs as great as the Rx100, $2799 is just too much. This is coming from a loyal Sony fan too. I still have a Nex-7 and a57 and the previously mentioned RX100. The a99, nex-5r, and nex-6 aren’t exciting to me. Fuji is about to eat their lunch with the X-E1. Please Sony, don’t break my heart!

    • Let’s assume all of this is legit..think about it. How much would an M9 and 35 cron cost you? $9500 with a lesser sensor. I will have a full report up on Tuesday with my hands on thoughts of all of the new Sony products, prices, etc. I can’t say anything else until then about anything but when I do…all of my hands on thoughts will be up. 🙂

      • I definitely see that point of view, but the Red Dot holds its own magic. Leica is unique. I can’t blame Sony for charging what the market may bear, but I will have to sit out the first round. I just feel Sony could have delivered a knock out blow with slightly lower pricing. As is, a competitor is going to claim a hefty chunk of my change that could have been Sonys.
        Can’t wait to read your thoughts Steve. I pre-ordered my X-E1 through your Amazon link! Keep up the great work.

        • A Nikon D800 (Click here) with 35mm f/2.0 Nikon lens would cost you a total of $3350. A Canon 5DmarkII with 35mm f/2.0 lens almost $3800.

          • and imagine a Sony with the quality that is better than these two. That would be amazing wouldn’t it?

          • Ok, a reflex+ 35mm f/2 is a bit more expensive… BUT the RX1 is nothing but a “point and shoot” camera with a 24×36 sensor without viewfinder (no EVF or OVF) and a fixed lens and so on !… So what’s the point to compare ?? totaly different kind of tools here….

      • If Leica is setting the pricing standard for mirrorless we will all go broke. :p

    • Jessy, if this product is successfully received in the market, Sony might introduce an interchangeable version next year. It might be better to wait and enjoy your existing camera or by the very least wait until reviews come out.

11. I think it is a misstake pricing it $2799 (RX1), I would have concider buying it if not so pricey. :-/

    • Here’s some leaked pics of the RX1…

      http://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/sony-rx1-is-a-full-frame-mirrorless-camera-with-fixed-zeiss-lens/

12. I think Steve is talking about Sony rx1 full frame compact. 35mm fixed lens.

    • Sony RX1 camera leaks with full-frame sensor in compact body.

      http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/09/sony-rx1-camera-leaks-with-full-frame-sensor-in-compact-body/

13. http://www.photoprice.ca/leaks/
    Too bad it’s not interchangeable. Still pretty impressive. Looks about the size of a nex 5 +sigma 30.

14. I hope the SONY NEX tweet wasnt a big fake. Sadly it is starting to look like one. Steve should better come up with a clarification now. Otherwise his reputation will take a bad hit… I guarantee you.

    • I never made ANY tweet on a NEX camera…I said I saw new Sony stuff and one left me drooling. Never said it was a NEX 🙂

      • the FF with Zeiss 35mm f2 ???? 🙂

15. I think Steve got in trouble as his tweet has been changed.

16. Steve,

    It is Saturday on the West Coast. Surely a hint at the new Sony product would be interesting! Anything?

    • Yes, more info please!

    • Pro NEX coming to be announced this Wednesday:

      http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-hot-surprise-super-secret-nex-camera-to-be-announced-on-september-12th/

17. Fotokina is big hoopla, but there’s nothing for sale:-). You do not need to go, because the news will reach the minute it is announced. I went twice but will refrain from going this time.

18. Dear Steve – amazon is not blowing away the Nexus. The Nexus is more versatile, does not have ads on the HomeScreen and has an in-built GPS. Okay. Unless you go top model Fire with LTE – but than again I’d rather wait for the rumored 7″ ipad.

    The amazon tablets sure are nice if you do not mind being tight to the amazon content. It is even worse than apple is. If I had to choose it would be the Nexus.

    • I agree with you. I have a “new” iPad and a nexus 7. The nexus is the best tablet I’ve used compared to an iPad. I’ve used, and returned, a galaxy 10.1, a galaxy 7 version 2, and an original kindle fire. None of those compared to the iPad at all. The nexus is almost as good as an iPad, it’s the only non apple tablet that I’ve kept.

      • Thanks for your info..I stand corrected as you guys are right. The Nexus appears to be the best of the rest.

        • My research said so, too, so I have one coming Monday. Anyone have Android photo app suggestions?

19. So a FF Nex is being announced on Wednesday 😉

20. Wow! It is surprising to know that there will be a surprise from Sony at the Photokina. I expect that it is an NEX 8 or NEX 9. I’m all together excited about it.

21. Hey Steve, Are you actually going to Photokina?

    • You’re kidding? Or do not you read what Steve has responded to similar questions?

    • Read the text und you will know.

22. Steve just wants SAR to pick up one of his rumors! 🙂

    • And they did…awesome! I hope you got a kick out of that Steve, I did 😉

23. Olympus needs to go back to some sort of a hybrid or optical viewfinder like their old film pens. They need to stop wishy-washing around and make a flagship semi pro pen camera and get it over with instead of wasting money and years with needless cameras like the om-d, which looks like a dslr but is not, is exactly like a digital pen but is shaped to look like a dslr. they are starting to become the Minolta of the digital word. Heres another 43 camera you dont need or want, oh wait we’ll abandon that line and create something we should have made to begin with. Here are 3 pens but wait, heres the om-d, so no pen with built in evf for you! Olympus had already made a camera like the mo-d, it was called the e420 an it came with an optical viewfinder as well! go figure that, when everything a company does ends up where they started, you get a sense that they truly have no clue or new ideas. Olympus needs to build something users want instead of making things they think users want. truth is, I have seen more people on the street Leica m9’s ( and thats a 7 grand camera) than anyone using a m43 system with expenive high grade lenses. That says alot about why Oly and Panny cant get a decent portion of the camera market. Wake up Olympus, most people dont think your lenses ( good or bad) are worth over 5 hundred. You gotta be a big boy to charge big boy prices, dont dilude yourselves into thinking otherwise, it won’t happen.

    • I appreciate you’re opinions, but judging by people like Steve and tons of other reviewers/bloggers/enthusiasts out there who are using the OMD and the better m4/3 lenses I would disagree with your assumptions. I certainly don’t like words being put into my mouth, maybe you don’t see the point of the OMD or m4/3, but I certainly do! And I’m sure many others do as well…

      • I work in the camera industry and the customers I see are not Steve or any of the ones here. So I speak from my “experience”. I’m sure there are people who buy those lenses, and maybe they are all HERE on this site but not the streets I walk on, and it’s a big metropolitan street. I see no point about the om-d because it is just anothe rm43 camera shaped like a dslr. That’s ALL. unless you can show me one thing that makes it different from any other m43 camera , my judgement on it stands. The om d has the SAME sensor “m43” as any other m43 camera. The om d has the SAME mount as any other m43 camera. The om d takes all the SAME lenses any other m43 camera. So essentially, the omd is the SAME as the rest. just because a sheep wear a wolf’s clothing doesn’t make it a wolf. It may fool one or two people, but it still does not make it a wolf.

        • I was suckered into the OM-D thing, but didn’t actually get one in the end when the X-Pro 1 was announced. For the most part I agree with you, if you compare for yourself the E-P3 side-by-side with the OM-D, it’s pretty obvious all you have is basically an E-P3 wrapped up differently. The MAJOR difference is that is has a built in EVF, not the hideous glaring ugly wart of a thing you have to add to the E-P3 if you want that capability. For a lot of people to have it all wrapped up in a neat (and nice looking) package makes a big difference – myself included if I had stuck with M43.

          Being the same doesn’t always make it a bad thing – you can still use all the same M43 lenses you’ve invested in – Oly are making some beauties at the moment, and people are prepared to spend big money on good lenses no matter where they come from.

          Had Oly come out with something completely different there would have been a lot less people buying it because they would have to start their lens collection from zero, and it’s the lenses not the bodies that cost the most, keep their value, and make the most difference.

          • Matt, you are one of the few here who do have common sense. The om-d does have an EVF but that should have been in the ep3, Olympus had 3 tries to get that right and they chose not to. You are right that being the same isn’t a bad thing, but not when the camera now costs like 1400 and now ep3 users are left stranded. Being in the business, companies like Olympus do not understand that most of my customers do not want to spend 1400 on any olympus, preferring Canon or Nikon. I don’t blame them, as the most imposrtant feature they value is their money and investment.They may spend that amount in Japan, but not over here.

            I get reps from the camera companies on a weekly basis who ask me what sells and what does not. I give them an ojective guesstimation on what sells and maybe why or why not. And i will say that panny and oly do not have enough camera clout or presence for everyday consumers to be forking out good money for their stuff. It’s a fact I see everyday. I see a few m43 cameras but none with high end lenses on them, i see a few m9’s and i see alot of Canons and Nikons and Sony’s with big expensive lenses on them. This is what the real world is using now. It’s a fact that Olympus and others have to learn. Olympus does not have the big boy status and being as such, they should not be charging big boy prices.That is what helped kill 43. Take yourself to be a consumer looking to get a camera for the 1st time. 800 before tax is no small change for most people. Would someone want to get a Canon with OVF for 800 or a ep3 which is smaller but has no EVf of any kind, and for the same price? One can see why Olympus is failing.

            For any fanboy here on this site who thinks that all I’am doing is bashing Olympus or Panny, I’am just the messenger. I tell it like it is from what I SEE on a daily basis. If most of my customers demand an om-d than that’s what they would be buying. Truth is, I get customers ask me about cameras we don’t stock now and then but only ONCE, yes, ONCE did I get someone come and ask me if we carry the om-d camera. Oherwise its Nikon, Canon, Sony for the most part. In the camera business it’s about what the customer wants and money. I’m not going to sit there and give a camera lesson about how good 5 axis is when they guy is ready to shell out 1500 on a Canon or Nikon. I’m not going to sit there and try to talk that person who wants a pink PS camera about how she should buy a camera with more dynamic range.It’s not about me, customers buy and vote with their pocket books, it’s also about my time and money. Don’t blame the messenger for the message, blame the “cause” of the message to begin with. I tell this to all the reps I see every week and I’ll say it to everyone here…It doesn’t matter how good a camera is or how many features it has, in the end, if no one is buying it, then NO ONE IS BUYING IT. THERE IS A REASON WHY.Figure out why consumers won’t buy it and address the real issues,whether it be price or whatever, instead of coming up with more gimmicks and trickery and dilusional hopes. People aren’t stupid, they can shop around, they can compare, they almost always with their wallets…like it or not.

          • Nomad, you say “..Truth is, I get customers ask me about cameras we don’t stock now and then but only ONCE, yes, ONCE did I get someone come and ask me if we carry the om-d camera. Oherwise its Nikon, Canon, Sony for the most part..”

            I don’t know where your camera shop is, and shops in different locations get asked different questions, and sell different items, depending on their clientele.

            I’ve worked in camera retail: in Kingston, Surbiton, Trafalgar Square and Oxford Street ..that is, in London suburbs and in Central London.

            In Trafalgar Square – right in the very heart of tourist London – people wanted point-&-shoots. No-one asked for a high-end camera (an SLR + lenses) in this busiest tourist spot in London ..they came to get a quick P&S because they’d left their camera behind, or it wasn’t working, or they’d only just thought of taking some shots.

            In Oxford Street – big, main low-to-upmarket shopping street with cafés and big department stores – no-one wanted a P&S; they all came for expensive SLRs, and, not so often, SLR lenses. Some were tourists, some were Londoners.

            Out in the suburbs, people would ask for accessories: 2x converters, adaptors to fit a lens to a different body, for instance. They wanted camera bags, filters, mid-size cameras with built-in zooms, even developing chemicals.

            What people want – and buy – depends ..in my own retail experience.. on WHICH kind of customers they are: quick grab-a-shot point-&-shooters, or contemplative, thinkative hobbyists, and the type of customer you get depends on WHERE the shop is situated!

            So one man’s idea of what customers in his shop want may be quite different from what customers in some other shop want.

            Some shops get customers from just their own locality, some shops get customers from a broad catchment area ..who drive there specially because of the variety of the stock, new and secondhand, primary (cameras) and secondary (filters, remote releases, tripods and bean bags) )and the advice that’s available.

            Many shops sell online only, so customers never walk through the door, they just click on web pages.

            Some sell many more Canons and Nikons than any other brand. Some sell quirkier items well, like independent (Zeiss. Voigtländer) lenses, and like Sony and Fuji slip-in-your-pocket compacts instead of big SLRs. Some sell more interchangeable-lens compacts. Some sell flashguns; some never sell a single flashgun.

            What sells in one shop is not necessarily indicative of what all customers want, but just what customers of that shop want. Maybe you don’t sell many Olympus m4/3s. I know shops which sell out of them as fast as they can get them in stock!

            In some shops, it depends on what they’re “pushing” that week: many’s the time a manager says “We’re selling Pentax this week; if they ask for Canon or Nikon, sell Pentax”. That’s because – as you say – “it’s business” ..and if the shop gets a better wholesale deal on Pentax for a month, they’re gonna shift Pentaxes and buy some more to boost their profit.

            Maybe Olympus doesn’t have enough marketing clout to shift as many boxes as other brands ..but that doesn’t mean that people don’t want the cameras or that there isn’t the demand. There may be more profit that month from selling Canon, so why sell Olympus?

            And what happens in one shop doesn’t necessarily define the overall profile of camera sales everywhere.

            I’m probably teaching my grandfather to suck eggs ..but we need to be clear about this: shops, as you say, are in business to make money, not to hand-hold their customers ..though B&H in New York, and others, seem to do well doing both.

            But the reason why some brands don’t sell as well as others (cars, cameras, caravans, dishcloths) – in particular locations – may have as much to do with the wholesale/retail profit structure of the merchandisers, as with the desirability factor seen by potential customers.

          • It depends on where the shop is located? HA! I’m sure they sell alot of om-d’s in a city called Olympusland. If I had a customer who wanted to spend 2 grand i’d have a hard time sleeping if I were to convince him or her to spend their money on an Olympus.

            Oh and You like BH, photo I get that from your numerous paragraphs of blah blahing, I have no idea still about what your rambling about.You MUST REALLY NOT know business, I get the feeling you think theirs alot of profits to made in the business.Hey, NEWS FLASH pal, what makes money is the accesories, yes accesories.If there is alot of money to be made from cameras, it sure as hell aint the vendors. So please, keep being a customer, you’re no good at understanding business.

          • It makes me sad that no one is buying it, because I think you are wrong about m43. This summer I went out to look for a compact camera (interchangeable lens or not) to complement my DSLR. I want to use it in two scenarios:

            1) As small as possible with a good pancake lens, as a camera that is always with me.
            2) For ski photography in combination with a tele lens, because my DSLR setup is too much of a pain to carry together with all my avy gear.

            Thus, I have decided upon the following criteria:

            – It needs a removable viewfinder. In bright conditions (skiing) I want the option to take a viewfinder out of my bag and attach it.
            – It needs a compact tele lens. If the tele lens is as large as a DSLR lens I might as well take a DSLR which I already own.
            – It needs a great compact pancake lens.

            Fuji has no tele lenses.
            NEX only has enormous tele lenses.
            EOS M has no tele lenses and no viewfinder.
            G1X, RX100 etc.. have no tele.
            OM-D cannot remove the viewfinder.

            In the end the Olympus PEN fit all these criteria and I was able to pick up an E-P2 for $260. The Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 and Olympus 40-150mm were inexpensive and work very well.

            Sure, I would never give up my Nikon DSLR, but the PEN works great for situations where I don’t want to carry my Nikon, and that is exactly what a compact system should be. The selection of compact lenses on m43 is exceptional. Maybe this doesn’t appeal to beginners, but it does appeal to people who know what they are doing!!

          • Good for you, you found Olympus to fit your needs, should I pat you on your bum and praise you? And get this, the eos m will still OUTSELL the pens.
            PS, the ep 2’s AF is as slow as a dead rodent…you forgot to put that on your list.LOL

        • for someone who ‘works in the camera industry’ you don’t seem to have much knowledge of the subject. for starters, the omd is (so far) the only m43 camera to use a sony sensor.

          • It’s obvious you don’t work in the camera industry because MANY consumers don’t even know that the 5d or Leica m9 is full frame. MANY consumers don’t even know or care that PS cameras have a tiny image sensor than dslr’s. MANY consumers don’t even know or care about what a rangefiner is compared to an slr. I know what I’m talking about dude, and yes MOST of my customers don’t know or could care less if Sony or Elmo made the sensor. One doesn’t need to be an optical engineer to be a camera consumer, all they need is MONEY…and as a person in that business, all I care about is if they have MONEY to buy the stuff, I’m not going to waste my time giving my customers a camera industry history lesson when all they want to do is give me money to buy a camera cause it’s full frame or cause it’s small and cute. It’s called “business”

          • I guess to you all cameras must be alike, because the OM-D shares very little mechanically with the PEN series. I’m not crazy about retro styling, but it seems to be working for Olympus. The OM-D looks to be doing well (from sales ratings), so why shouldn’t Olympus keep it going forward? Oh, I see, it’s all about what you want, a pro PEN. As long as the OM-D keeps your dream camera out of your hands, it’s bad.

            I think their strategy makes sense, PEN at the low end and people who want small and simple, OM-D for serious enthusiasts and maybe pros. Few companies have so clearly made that distinction, but it does work.

          • Uh, yeah, I do actually think all cameras are alike. Maybe it’s because they’re all…CAMERAS?
            And I don’t really care if Olympus makes a pro pen or not, They don’t sell enough to warrant any real concern of mine. It’s not about what I want, it’s about making money. That’s why they make cameras, not because Olympus is concrned about your photographic venture, it’s about money. Hey believe me, if Olympus goes bankrupt becuase of sub par products or they get into more of their money groping scandals I really really could care less.One less multi billion dollar company aint gonna stop the earth from spinning. I just calls it like I sees it, if people who don’t have experience in selling cameras has an issue with that, then bite me.

            As for olympus going forward, not sure what you mean by that, I guess abandoning one line for another is going forward to you. Let’s see what you say when they abandon m43 in the future, when people realize, oh hey, you know that camera Canon mande, the eosm, the one we all laguhed about but now has a shite load better high iso quality than our m43 will ever be able to get.Let’s see what Olympuis does when even PS cameras with aps c sensors make m43 quality look like cell cameras.

          • Canon can be a force if they want to be, but their current effort is half-hearted. The mount may succeed, but only with better technology and pricing. Olympus doesn’t seem to be abandoning the PEN line, just not pushing it up into OM-D territory right now. That’s just good marketing, creating distinct identities for their two lines. Panasonic should be taking notes. Their products are all over the place.

          • Canon now actually has 2 serious camera lines. The one is eos slr, the other is now the eosm mirroless. Panasonic has one line, with different looking cameras in different shapes but all share the same foundation. That is not two lines but rather one line masking as two. It doesn’t matter what Panasonic makes, so long as the foundation has a m43 mount and m43 sensor, it is essentially the same thing. When Panny makes dslrs than I’ll say they have two camera lines. For now, a sheep is a sheep now matter what kind of clothes you put over them.

        • The OMD has to be one of the most hyped cameras in recent years. I tested it next to the Panasonic GX-1with the Lumix 12-35 2.8, and it was really hard to see any difference in IQ when shooting RAW. So the extra money goes to the design and art filters, as far as I can see. Is it worth it? If people are willing to pay the asking price, I suppose it is – to them.

          • According to Dpreview’s own charts and samples, the OM-D has a larger dynamic range and better ISO performance than the vaunted APS-C Nex-7. Additionally, Nomad you must either be slow or willfully ignorant to not realize that it has a sensor that no other micro 4/3 camera currently have, an in body Five-axis that no other camera in the world has and has a weather-sealed body unlike any other mirrorless camera. If you’re going to talk about hanging with “experts”, first try not to be an idiot.

          • Woooooooo…it has 5 axis, RUN FOR THE HILLS, MOMMA, THE WORLD IS GONNA CHANGE! Oh wait, it has more dynamic range, oooooooooh soooooooo NEW! I never heard of dynamic range before. Listen fanboy, my CUSTOMERS DON’T give a shiny shite about 5 axis this or dynamic that. Most my customers could care less as long as the camera is the color and shape they like. Unlike you I never claimed to be an “expert” I sell cameras, it is business, something you clearly do not understand. By the way, most normal people who use cameras don’t the amount of time you obviously do reading about useless camera facts. Enjoy your wonderful 5 axis photos, and your dynamic rnge photos, Im sure the Louvre will be calling.. when you work in camera retail then tell me how much of an expert you are, otherwise, try not to be such a dolt.

          • If you don’t understand the importance of dynamic range then you are terrible camera salesman :-/

          • I understand the importance of selling cameras and what my customers want…and believe it or not, unlike you most of my customers don’t care for or know about dynamic range. Most of my customers ( thank god) don;t go on forums and talk about how much dynamic range they got in a photo or how many shades of grey they got from PP and then continue to slap each others bums to celebrate. The real funny thing is, despite most camera customers being “noobs”, they actually do something alot of camera nerds don’t do, which is to go out and shoot pics without being a know it all gear snob.

            But hey, if a customer comes into a store who want’s nothing but the best dynamic range, they can have whatever they want as long as they got the cash. They can even buy the ceiling fans for all I care. That doesn’t stop me from saying that most customers are camera noobs and will buy Canon or Nikon, it’s a FACT. The BEST camera in the world is no good if it does NOT SELL, is it? Olympus and Panasonic are doing themselves no good if they don’t address their real problems. People vote with what they buy, I just count the votes, that’s all.Hey, don’t hate the messenger, hate the camera game.Don’t blame me, blame Olympus for not doing enough.

        • Nomad, and Carl (above),

          I like a 28-300mm range (or 24-200mm), so my normal compact lens+camera choice was the Panny GX-1 with a Panny 14-140mm. But the Panasonic 14-140mm is a big, heavy beast with its built-in stabilisation mechanism, and weighs 480grams (1lb 1oz) – whereas the Oly 14-150mm lens (with stabilisation in the Oly OM-D body) weighs only 276g (that’s 9.75 oz) ..so it’s almost half the weight of the similar Panny lens (..with a slightly wider aperture, and it appears a good bit sharper – though that may have something to do with the internal picture processing within the OM-D).

          So now, instead of a Canon 5D MkII+Canon 28-300mm (total weight 3kilograms / 6lb). I carry an OM-D+Oly 14-150mm (total weight only 730grams / 1lb 9.75oz).

          Maybe no-one “walks the streets” with an OM-D because they’re busy making better use of them: maybe they’re taking them on holiday, to waterfalls, jungles, safaris, using them indoors, and at fairgrounds, at weddings, on paid jobs.

          The OM-D (or EM-5, or whatever) has excellent stabilisation which is perfect for Full-HD hi-def video. It’s an exquisitely-great all-rounder – I use mine with a 14-150mm Oly lens, a 7-14mm Panny lens, and a “Walimex” (also sold under other brand names) 7.5mm semi-fisheye, which squeezes in about an extra 25% more than the rectilinear 7mm end of the 7-14mm zoom. (Then I “unsqueeze” it with Image Trends’ “Fisheye-Hemi” program.)

          The OM-D, Nomad, isn’t just “..the SAME as the rest..” ..because (a) the stabilisation can be “fine-tune”-matched to any manual lens (8mm to 1000mm), (b) the tilting rear monitor makes it usable as a discreet waist-level TLR, (c) it has separate highlight & shadow adjustments “fine-tunable” in the viewfinder before the shot, (d) it gives quick and easy manual adjustment of aperture, shutter speed, over/under exposure adjustment, as well as easy-access magnification for critical focusing, (e) it has multiple metering options, (f) ISO up to 25600 ..and many other features which make it fairly comparable to the 5DMkII ..except that it has a smaller sensor (so less detail and post-shot cropping and less shallow depth-of-field).

          Testing it “..next to the Panasonic GX-1with the Lumix 12-35 2.8..”, Carl, would not, I think, show a fraction of the enhanced capabilities of the OM-D.

          “..It may fool one or two people..” as you say, Nomad, and I’m happy to have been “fooled”, because it really is a wolf – even if you don’t think so.

          • David: What I said about the comparison was that I could hardly see any difference in RAW IQ. The OMD’s cleaner JPGs has a lot to do with heavy noise reduction/loss of detail. If you are happy with your OMD, that’s great. I’m sure the stabilization system works very well, and that is something I would love to have on my Panny GX-1. Being a full time photographer, M43 will never be my main gear anyway, but I think it’s great for travels, hiking etc.
            What has impressed me the most over the past year, however, would certainly be the RAW files from my X100. They are so clean and flexible it really is amazing. Therefore I have ordered the new X-E1. I expect it to replace my Nikon D700 on quite a few assignments.
            That’s the great thing these days, we can all find something to our liking and to suit our requirements 🙂

          • Agreed.

          • ” No one walks arond the streets with an om-d cause maybe they’re taking them on holiday, to waterfalls, jungles etc” SERIOUSLY. REALLY, David? Is that the best rationale you got on why not many folks buy the om-d? LOL.

            Working in the industry, I hear from other vendors, I know what sells and what does not. Believe me, the om-d’s you probably bought aint enough to keep that line in production. I’m dealing with everyday facts, you’re dealing with delusional hopes and what YOU think sold. I look at what is sold, talk to my competitor friends and talk about what sells and what did not, you base your oppinions on personal speculation, I look at what my customers have bought..big difference my friend. business is about numbers, the numbers don’t lie.I pay attention to numbers because if I don’t, I go out of business.I could care less about what 15 fans of the om-d think.

            Second, just because the om-d has 5 axis this and that, a tilting screen, blah blah, doesnt make it any different than the other pens. A car with 3 doors is still a CAR. Let’s not get fussy over semantics, shall we?
            And if the junlges and weddings and holidays are where the om-d is found then maybe i need glasses as everytime i go on holiday or to a wedding or a junlge , all I ever see is Canon Nikon Canon Nikon Canon Nikon…or do my eyes decieve me? But hey, forget about facts, let’s just talk about how many Olympus om-d’s were sold to…YOU. LOL

          • Dear David,
            does that Image Trends’ “Fisheye-Hemi” plug-in also works in Lightroom 4 ?
            Thanks,
            Kris

          • Sorry: I didn’t see your message there for a few days, Kris..

            Their website http://www.imagetrendsinc.com/products/specpage_hemi.asp#hemi_lens says that it works with:

            Adobe Photoshop 7.0 and higher versions
            Apple Aperture 2.1 and higher versions
            Photoshop Elements 2 and higher versions
            PaintShop Pro 7 and higher versions

            And with “Windows 7, Vista, XP, NT, 2000 and Apple Macintosh OS X and above”

            No mention of Lightroom, but why don’t you email them and ask?

            Image Trends, Incorporated
            Building One, Suite 450
            6300 Bridgepoint Parkway
            Austin, TX 78730
            USA
            Phone: 512-637-7300
            Fax: 512-637-7324
            E-mail: “support (insert an @ sign here) imagetrendsinc.com”
            Technical Support (fastest response) on this web-page:
            http://www.imagetrendsinc.com/ITIASP/support/Plugins/support.aspx

            P.S: If you ever want to know anything about any product, then, as my pal Lennart says, “Google is your friend”.

    • What a rambling, nonsensical post. The OM-D is their flagship, semi-pro mirrorless. The EP-3 used to be their flagship. The OM-D is a newer, higher-end product.

      The OM-D looks nothing like an average DSLR, but does look like a digital pen. I mean, really? Compare: http://camerasize.com/compact/#289,192,290,31,ha,f

      The OM-D is smaller than the e420, and the m4/3 lenses are significantly smaller than 4/3 lenses. They aren’t “the same thing”.

      You can be upset at the perceived lack of support for 4/3rds, but that doesn’t make the m4/3 products any less desirable or highly performing.

      As far as the price of lenses is concerned, if you can tell me where I can find the $899.99 75mm 1.8 Olympus m4/3 lens in stock, please let me know, so I can go buy one.

      • “..please let me know, so I can go buy one..”

        Well, there was one which had – supposedly – just come in at Sunrise on Tottenham Court Rd a couple of days ago, but it wasn’t for sale as it was already ordered for someone else. But the spiel in the shop was “order it now and you can have it in two or three days”.

        ..But that’s here in London: phone +44 (0)207 323 5441 if you’re really desperate..

      • It looks nothing like the average dslr. What, REALLY? You mean the prism like hump, the buttons, the fact that it has an lcd screen and a viewfinder doesn’t make it look like a dslr? Well, I guess the om-d is a CAR then. You should be a lawyer, you’re great with semantics.

        The omd is smaller than the e420…ooooh, how observant you are. And the m43 lenses are significantly smaller than 43. Define significant. it’s alot less than you think.

        News flash, Olympus believed in their 43 line so much they abandoned it, just like the film pens, just like the slr om line. And another news flash for ya, they like the m43 line so much they’ll abandon that as well and go for a aps-c sensor someday…you just wait and see. History always repeaes itself when people fail to learn from it.

        As for the 899.99 olympus lens. Oh wow, what a bargain. What everyday customer of mine wants to invest in Nikon or Canon glass for that amount, have their value hold up better in the future when they can go out and buy a 899.99 Olympus lens? I guess there’s no resession in the world and we are all living in a planet made out of candy and pop.Get some SENSE, will ya?

        • I’m confused. You say the camera isn’t selling but for the last 3 months it has been sold out at all the major camera stores. What as conundrum that is.

          It sucks because it looks like a DSLR? It’s like half the size of one though and a lot easier to carry around. Seems like there is some value there.

          I’m wondering if Olympus stole your parking spot or hit on your girlfriend because you seem mad at them for something that every camera company does. Build different cameras in their lineup around the same technology.

          • Friend, it’s sold out but the question is ..HOW MUCH? How MUCH was there stock to begin with in the stores? HOW MUCH is actually sold compared to other cameras. HOW MUCH stock is actually made by the camera company? HOW MUCH is the om-d ASKED for? Just because the last 3 shoe flavored icecream cones are sold out doesn’t make it a success.

            YOU said it SUCKS cause it looks like a dslr. I said it’s no different than any other m43 camera.the m43 strategy has serious holes, namely with pricing, amongst other things. It’s not all rosey in m43 land, now that Canon is in on the action as well.Olympus had time, but they wasted alot of that time, I saw that from behind my counter years ago…that’s all I’m saying.The truth hurts but the truth is what you need for business…successful business that is. LOL

            You can also bet that the dainty eos m is gonna out sell the om-d by a big big big margin. That’s what counts my friend, it’s not personal…its business. Most cameras sold are Ps cameras and entry level dslrs and some mirrorless like Sony and soon to be eos m. It’s just facts, I lose no sleep over it. Why all the crying from so many people here? It’s almost liek people on this site have a “relationship” with their cameras or something. Eye roll.

            The camera is just a product, a tool…that’s all. Jesus, if I had a buck everytime I read about how someone here loves their camera, I wouldn’t have to work anymore. It’s just a tool, not a toy, not a piece of jewelry, not a center piece for a conversation over english tea and biscuits. Camera sales people sell cameras, photo people should remember the photos they took or the experiences those photos remind them of..not how lovely their camera was and how much of a friend it was to them…gawd.

            I don’t understand why so many ppl tip toe around here with such PC comments about cameras and other things. It’s a camera, if anyone is offended because someone else doesn’t think the camera their using is ” all that” then I must say that they have more serious issues to worry about than photgraphy. Dessesion is not a bad thing sometimes. Neither is what the painter Francis Bacon called “the brutality of FACT” Now that the eosm is on board, olympus better make something that’s not just another” hey look at me, I’m a camera without a mirror and i can change lenses” camera, because they can’t use that anymore, now that Fuji,Sony, Canon, nikon, Leica,Pentax,Richo, Samsung are all mirroless playersIn the end, the loser will be m43 users, as olympus will go on to another camera line. Maybe they can call it Fatso 43 the next time.LOL

24. Whatever happened to the prime lenses Schneider Kreuznach was rumoured to be producing for the M4/3 system? Maybe they will be announced…

25. Full Frame Sony NEX? http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-sony-nex-goes-full-frame/

    • SQUARE nex!

26. If I had to venture a guess, it would be a 50mm f1.0 or f.95 E-mount Zeiss lens…. with OSS.

27. The XE-1 looks exciting, and if is cracking, I’ll snag it to back up my XPro-1. However, I’ll have to see if I keep both. Should firmware or the new lens motors fail to speed up the XPro-1, or if AF is all hype (I doubt it…, but really hope that the XPro-1 can acheive similar faster AF, given its price tag)….

    • Ashwin – I finally went down to Precision in Austin today and took the X-Pro out for a spin around the building with my SD card. Wow, everything I heard about the lens (35/1.4) and sensor combination was as advertised. How are you making out with the handling though? You seem like a “thoughtful” shooter that contemplates many of your shots in advance. Maybe it suits that shooting style fine?

      Personally, I found it to be a bit aggravating (worse even than my X100 was).

      I really, really want to support the direction Fuji is going but unless the XE-1 or the X-Pro firmware make a sea change, I don’t think I can. Fingers crossed that they get it right this time. That OLED EVF should be a step in the right direction, especially if it doesn’t lock during focus.

28. Well said… 😉

29. Steve! You are killing me with this Sony tease. I know a lot of your readers are more Leica/Fuji or even Olympus/Panny people but for me the whole Sony platform just works, from the still awesome A900 with Zeiss glass, down to the NEX cameras and then into my pocket with the RX100. Don’t call me a fanboy – I have a cabinet full of Contax, Fuji, Ricoh, Minolta and Leica film gear – but I am really stoked for the A99 and now this big surprise you are hinting at.

    Thanks, I think…

30. I can’t wait to read some hands-on reports about the NEX-5n.

31. I thought I read a rumor about a new Pro OM-D. Any information about that?

    • I heard the same rumor but nothing has really stuck..so not sure.

32. STEVE!!!! fuji just released a new firmware for the x pro 1 that fixes the autofocus! I think you might fall back in love with the camera if you check it out!

    • It will bout on Sep 18th and I hope to test the camera once again with this new FW. Thanks!

33. Excited to see what happens with Sony but my two questions are ( I know you can’t answer)

    1) Will they finally release a mirrorless in a bigger body, more professional body (Nex cameras are too small for my big clumsy hands)?

    2) Are they still working off the same sensor as with the current Nex’s where everything is tilted towards a yellow hue? Guess thats not so much the sensor but how they process the sensor information since other cameras use Sony sensors and do not have that issue.

    • My NEX-5N does not have a “yellow hue”.

      Under tungsten light, the auto white balance tends to under-correct, but that is clearly a design decision, because users expect pictures taken in warm light to have a warm balance. (And it helps with effective speed.)

      Under daylight, the colour balance is fine, and likewise when using custom WB.

      • I’m just telling you my experience with the Nex7. I shouldn’t have said yellow but after my experience thats all I think about. About 2 weeks after I bought a Nex I shot with it under very challenging conditions (middle of the desert – 110 degrees) and the color tones were just awful. I switched back and forth between Auto and Daylight a few times, even doing a custom WB to try and remedy the situation but the final results were really difficult to work with . I spent hours on one image trying to balance colors and it was miserable. I can show you examples if you want to see.

34. BTW Steve- Are you going to be attending the PhotoKina shindig?

    I would love to go, but costs prevent me.

35. Steve, will you be going to Photokina?

    • No my Photo Cruise will be going on all that week so I can not make the event. Wish I could.

36. Walking round Olympics Paralympics
    i notice Security respond much more positively to pink, purple, white cameras.
    Black cameras perk up Seciruty’s eyes.

    • That’s ridiculous. I shot the Olympics with a D4 70-200 2.8 and barely got a raised eyebrow. Consider who is security. Green jackets are volunteers who know as much about security as you or I. Purple shirts are LOCOG volunteers and are not security but “public assistance” and venue staff. Real security is 1) not visible 2) military doing the bag checks 3) armed police. How in the world did they respond more positively? Comments like that are just inane. “Black cameras perk up Security’s eyes”. Really? Sorry but I am sick and tired of folks beating the security, police, photo thing to death. Don’t look guilty, look like you know what you are doing and do not irritate security and you’ll have no issues.

      • What a knee Jerk statement

        Securtiy is police (not G4).
        Police are not saints.
        The locals know full well how the police are.
        The police could learn a lot from professionalism and friendliness of the army volunteering at the games.

        There are exceptions and those police people have been nice.

        As for everyone else helping out at olympics they been marveloous.

        • Aaaand i have videos of police (security) smiling at me just a few as most are just well …

          In contrast evert army person &. games makers have been lovely : i have videos of those too.

      • Just today has been revealed by PM Cameron in official investigation Police covered up and tried to blame the 96 fans who were crushed to death in Hillsborough football match 1989.

        This is how the Police are in UK.
        This is the police security outside Olympic stadium.

        Locals know full well how the police are.

37. Unannounced Sony that hasn’t been rumored yet… Hmm… Let me guess… An “affordable digital MF solution” to trounce the D800. That would be my WILD guess.

    • So a third mount for a company that can’t supply lenses for the two they have?

38. This picture is most likely the best picture I have seen all year. It looks like that guy is wearing a dog mask to go in partner look with the dog to his right! It might be stupid, but I’m seriously LMAO right now.

    Regarding the Photokina: The Leica X2 already features a Sony sensor. Just ask Sony for a slightly bigger 1.3x crop sensor, put a Sony EVF right in it and add an M mount. Maybe extend the M mount specification to add electronic communication of EXIF data (lens, aperture) for future lenses. Then price that at <5000€ and watch me sell my soul for one! … Come to think of it, I could just buy a NEX-7 instead. I don't know, but I'm really excited about Leica's announcement! Even though I could probably never afford it anyway …

    The only thing I'm wishing to see from Olympus is focus peaking on the OMD. I don't care about Pens or anything else. Just FOCUS PEAKING!

    • “..This picture is most likely the best picture I have seen all year..” ..it’s an Erwitt photo ..from twelve years ago. He photographs dogs, besides other things/people..

      http://www.elliotterwitt.com/lang/index.html

      It’s Leica promoting their tie-up with Magnum.

39. I’m not so sure I want to see the new M10 announced because I am still not ready for an existence of depression, poverty, sadness, and unbridled envy of anyone who gets one before I do. I also want to like my M9 a little longer without the sudden cloud of doom that comes over most of us when we are forced to live vicariously through the lucky few that are always ahead of the line. Leica, nooooooooooooo! Don’t do it! I can’t afford the therapy.

40. The camera should capture the color, not wear it.

41. Who would even notice if the latest PEN is colorful? The cheaper PENs already have browns, pinks, and blues, just like the Panasonic and Nikon competitors. For people upgrading from the p&s world, a few colors are what they expect. I even kind of liked some of them in sober brown. And Nikon’s J1 red finish is gorgeous, if silly on a camera.

42. What, no Pentax? 🙂

    • I have no idea what is up their sleeve though I have heard some full frame rumblings from those who are involved with Pentax. But nothing I can report with any kind of certainty.

      • 645 mirrorless will take the sails out of sony fullframe mirrorless!

        • 645 mirrorless would be AWSOME, but I expect price close to 645D and size can NOT be really small with sensor this large. Still – I would love to see that happen.

    • For sure (leaked pictures):

      – K-5 II and K-5 IIs (this one without AA filter) with new AF (Safox X instead of Safox IX, rumoured to encompass 21 sensors of which 9 cross sensors, including a f/2.8 very precise sensor)
      – Q10
      – K-mount DA 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 SDM (re-badged Tamron PZD)
      – Q-mount 15-45mm f/2.8 (equ. 85-250mm)
      – 645 mount DFA 645 90mm f/2.8 macro

      Rumoured

      – K-3 (high end, 24 Mpixels APS-C sensor)
      – K-300 (entry level, 16 Mpixels sensor)
      – DA 560mm f/5.6
      – may be 645D II with 50 Mpixels sensor (could also be announced at CP+ early next year).

43. GH3 is the most interesting for me. The first credible attempt at a professional body to sway the more serious dslr users. I love my micro four thirds cameras (olympus and Panasonic) but the handling, all round capability and build of my 5d mk ii or any mid to high level dslr is in a different league to them and Panasonics move with the g5 and gh2 to build seriousbut smaller dslrs is important as a lot of people are very happy with their dslrs but would like their kit to be smaller and lighter.

44. Very much looking forward to the new “X” kit from Fuji. The X-E1 is already on pre-order from me, and looking forward to getting my hands on it at Photokina. My X100 is going up for sale soon! I reckon it will be a great smaller companion to the X-Pro 1. Here’s hoping the new firmware is as good as they say it is too!

    P.S. Yes, Steve you made a mistake (unforgivable!)…. Photokina is every 2 years and you will now be punished with lots of comments on the subject!

    • I also ordered the X-E1 and now have to pre-order this new thing from Sony, which has NOT leaked and NO ONE is expecting. I just drooled all over it when Sony was here but they took it with them. 😉

      • Look forward to that one! I had the Sony NEX kit until I got into the Fuji ‘X’ gear so still have a bit of a soft spot for the NEX cameras, even though they are a bit more like an electronic toy than a camera I still like them!

        Glad something hasn’t leaked – all too common now – I think it’s much nicer to get these things by waiting for the official announcement and then going “wow”, rather than know what’s coming up already.

      • Medium format square sensor camera!!!

        I like leaks, that way I can off load my gears ahead of time.

      • Maybe I can buy the one you drooled on for a discount. I’m very impressed with Sony’s ability to deliver great IQ and unsurpassed feature sets for reasonable prices.

        I’m going to guess it isn’t the rumored ff camera, because that wouldn’t be a complete surprise. So I say it’s an NEX-7R with the wi-fi and apps and such. The NEX-7 could use some rejuvenation to justify costing more than the OM-D and get people talking about it again. Without an upgrade the NEX-6 will be stepping on its heels, even passing it with the wi-fi and apps. Besides, the NEX-7 is due for the annual Sony update.

        But what could make you drool, beyond those goodies? Super high res VF and a very high res WhiteMagic back display? On-sensor pdaf? That’s sounds droolworthy, especially with a couple of new lenses.

        Given how great phone displays have gotten I’ve been surprised camera displays haven’t improved. At the very least all the Sony NEX models should have the great display from the RX100.

      • Wow, what a great street photo with the dogs, I reckon that photographer is going to make it big one day! 😉

      • Steve, I know you’re under NDA, but I guess it’s not just FF NEX video cam which is coming, is it? 😉

45. You forgot Panasonic’s GH3, that is expected to be the best hybrid camera (stiil&video) ever made!

    • I am aware of the GH3 but I was not a fan of the GH2 so not really excited about it, especially after seeing other things that are lined up for Photokina. I’m telling you…this year is gonna be huge! I will review the GH3 though as I am intrigues and am guessing it will be fantastic.

      • I loved the GH2.. with a CV 40 2.0 manual focus lens it was great.

        I’m looking forward to the GH-3, but it seems to be headed into the video realm- so that’s why I’m ordering the OM-D in black.

        Thirty three years ago, I saw my first Black OM camera in Germany (at Army PX) and I’m FINALLY getting a black one!

46. OLYMPUS OM is awesome. I have a PEN EMP 1. My SONY RX100 smokes as does the HXV10 as does my Canon G10. The PEN needs to include a viewfinder and flash. by the time you load this camera up with a zoom you are over a thousand.
    Once a camera manufacturer gets into colors i think it takes away from the credibility of the product. Almost a rainbow of desperation to get noticed. Olympus needs to drop the prices, offer more of the basic options people expect and get in to some CANON like marketing. Olympus is still in my mind superior to them but they have done an excellent job branding the product Like everything it is personal preference and yes I contradicted myself!

47. Photokina is every two years.

    • No.

      • Oh yes…next wil lbe in September 2014.
        😉

        • Advising everyone to wait till 2014, there will be cooler stuff 😀

48. Fuji xe1… What a beauty. Lol

49. I’m excited to see what Leica has to offer. I’m hoping the Leica ME (or whatever it is called) will be more of a scaled down M10 than a scaled down M9 though.

    I’ll be dissapointed if it’s 1.5 or 1.6 crop. 1.33x or larger please

50. what about Panasonic?

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