Featured Forum Post: 'Dear Panasonic, what are you going to do?'

[broadway]

SRS in in the UK put 4 black up on ebay on Friday, so far they have sold one. People aren't as excited about the black :)

[addieleman]

Originally Posted by xdayv

I'm currently resisting the E-M5, for how long, I don't know.

Same here .

[troll]

Originally Posted by Livnius

Panasonic need to learn from this. Style sells. IBIS sells. In built EVF sells.

Panasonic needs to learn that in-built EVF sells? Olympus haven't had a single camera with built-in EVF ever and when they finally released their first one after all these years it's suddenly Panasonic with all their G and GH cameras that needs to learn?

Although I do prefer Olympus cameras myself, I think Olympus users in general are very prone to ******ism, there's something up with Olympus' brainwashing techniques because all this hype about OM-D is just ridiculous.

Both Olympus and Panasonic produce decent cameras and lenses. Panasonic's line of cameras is a little better in my opinion cause they've got 4 types of cameras: "super compact cameras" (GF), the "advanced compact cameras" (GX), the "DSLR-like" photo cameras (G) and "DSLR-like cameras with advanced video options" (GH), while Olympus has had only 2 types of cameras basically, smaller PENs with little control and larger PENs with more control dials. Now with OM-D Olympus finally got closer to Panasonic's lineup. Panasonic also have better sensors in general (until Olympus is finally "allowed" to use modern chips, but then Panasonic will produce a new sensor and again Olympus will be using older chips).

With optics it's kind of a tie, although again Panasonic is a little bit ahead: 14, 20, 25, 45 are all good primes while Olympus has only 12 and 45 that are good. They try to catch up, just like they do with cameras, promising 60 and 75, but when those are released Panasonic will probably release their fast zooms and again Olympus is a step behind.

Anyway, it doesn't seem like Panasonic has any troubles as the thread title might suggest. They're doing just fine.

[songs2001]

Originally Posted by addieleman

Nope. I agree with the E-M5 part, but not with the E-P1 being a big splash. IM-not-so-HO the G1 was the first and biggest splash, being the first-ever mirrorless system camera coming to market, and doing a lot of things right like incorporating an excellent viewfinder and fast AF. Olympus' retro Pen styling was a marketing hit, however.

The EP1 was a way bigger splash. The G1 didn't have video recording and people were wondering what's the point of a M43 camera that was slightly smaller than the Olympus E420.

And the subsequent low end G10 was a failure. While future low end mirrorless cameras are copied from the EP1, the current mirrorless offering don't take much design cues from the G1.

[kinlau]

I would love to see a GX2 or whatever they call it with a built in EVF. A GH3 with 120/240fps hd video would hurt either.

[WT21]

Just some ideas:

• Left-eye EVF on a GX1-type body (out-Pen the Pens)?
• 20mm 1.7 mk ii
• More pancakes. How about a P17mm 2.0 the size of the 14mm
• A PL 17mm 1.4 -- bigger than a pancake, but lighter/cheaper than the CV lens
• Fast normal zoom
• 100mm macro

Fix some issues with their bodies:

• No IBIS (not sure if that one's easy to fix)
• inconsistent metering
• inconsistent white balance

The unattainable (at least, it'll require a break through)

• global shutter
• PDAF on the sensor ala Nikon 1, or some other way to get PDAF-like C-AF

When I was testing the G3 last fall, I would have been far more inclined to keep it if the WB and metering didn't force me to RAW and post. Most everything else was quite good.

[EP1-GF1]

Originally Posted by WT21

When I was testing the G3 last fall, I would have been far more inclined to keep it if the WB and metering didn't force me to RAW and post.

+1 - I think these are major flaws in Panasonic cameras. I just don't want to have to fix stuff like this later on from a $x00 camera.

Also the GH range needs to feel better in the hand. Not usability but feel. I pick up my GH1 and think "plastic toy", I pick up my E-P1 or 3 and think "camera".

[CUB]

In my opinion, Panasonic has made several significant errors of judgement and is now being punished for it. Even before the OM-D E-M5 was announced, Panasonic was already losing market share. The E-M5 will only make things worse for Panasonic.

1. Since the demise of the GF1, there is no Panasonic body that appeals to those who like simple, traditional controls. Instead, there are complex features and an even more complex user interface. This alienates a small but very significant sector of the market.

2. The Power Zoom (PZ X) lenses have not brought the expected sales. The 45-175mm PZ is too close in terms of performance to the optically excellent and much cheaper 45-200mm. The 14-42mm PZ has significant sample variation and even the best examples are optically no better than the much cheaper 14-42mm kit zoom. The 14-42mm PZ's only virtue is its compact size.

3. The much anticipated 12-35mm f/2.8 and 35-100mm f/2.8 X lenses are a very long time coming.

4. Panasonic's JPEG settings need much tweaking to even approach the quality of Olympus's JPEGs straight out of the camera. Several years on, there can be no excuse for this.

5. While Panasonic doesn't seem to know what market it is aiming at, Olympus already has a well established user base from both OM and 4/3 system users.

In summary, I think Panasonic has lost its way and needs a new focus. Specifically, Panasonic needs to identify its target markets and develop products that appeal to those potential customers. I don't see any sign of this happening - yet.

However, I am very happy with my G3 and I see absolutely no need to spent much more money on an Olympus OM-D E-M5 for no gain in image quality.

[Just Jim]

Panasonic should borrow leica geo's DMC II sensor and modify it for personal cameras. Maybe in like 5 years, but man that thing captures all light spectrums. Imagine the fun of built in infrared, or any other nonvisible spectrum.

[p.h]

Originally Posted by CUB

Panasonic needs to identify its target markets and develop products that appeal to those potential customers.
.................................................. ....................
However, I am very happy with my G3

I can't reconcile those two statements.
Panasonic have identified you as a potential customer and developed a product that appeals to you.
You say they haven't done this, then put yourself forward as evidence that they have