Been shooting with the OM-D E-M5 for a couple of days now and I find composing with the LCD very enjoyable. Especially with the control dials, touch to focus and SCP.

And I say this coming from years of shooting with Nikon DSLRs.

I wonder what improvements Olympus makes to the PENs this year. E-M5 sensor? Better IBIS? Better control dial schemes?

I would trade down if I stop using the EVF by the time the new PENs are shipping. Don't have the need for weather sealing.

They could improve the digital PENS & leave a gap in peformance to the OMD simply by putting the GX1 sensor in a new line of digital PENS...

I would love for Olympus to put that OMD sensor into the Pen series bodies, that would be reason for me to upgrade from the EPL 1.

If the new Pen line-up will be $100-$200 less of the EM5+12-50mm, the OMD will just cannibalize the potential buyers of the Pen line-up.

It will be a more compelling reason if the Pens will be $300 cheaper than the EM5.

Honestly, I don't mind if Olympus retains the EP3, shove in the EM5 sensor and 5-axis IBIS, and call it the EP5. :)

EP3 is still by far the best-looking camera ever made by Olympus.

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OLYMPUS PEN EPL1
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 45mm F1.8
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm F4.0-5.6
LUMIX G 14mm F2.5 ASPH
LUMIX G 20mm F1.7 ASPH
CANON D10

I agree, anxious to see its next iteration though.

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Nikon D600, 24-85VR, 70-300VR, P7700, SB-700.

From an older interview of some high standing Olympus official (don't remember who and too lazy to search right now ):

"It's technically feasible to have an integrated EVF in future Pens"

(or something to that effect).

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Good point. There would have to be some differentiation between the PEN and OMD in terms of price. Otherwise the only people who will be buying new expensive PEN will be upgraders from old models who already have the VF2/3 finders

Speaking of price differences, I have to admit total ignorance to "ancient" Olympus History, concerning pricing.

So, when both the original Pen and the OM line were around, what was the pricing policy back then?

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They did not exist concurrently. The last film Olympus Pen with interchangeable lenses was made in 1970. The OM-1 was released in 1972. The Pen was one of the more successful half-frame format systems, but it did not compete very successfully with full 135 format systems, largely due to the complications in processing the film.

Mind you the imaging area of a half-frame Pen is still twice that of a m4/3 camera.

DH

I wasn't aware of that; was under the impression that they existed concurrently for some years... Thanks for clarifying this!

I guess the real question is, how is Olympus going to diversify the EP and the EM lines in the future. The way I see it, the highest end current Pen has to remain visibly below the lowest end current OM; meaning in "almost" all departments: performance, features, price. I leave IQ out of the equation, because this is the trickiest decision of all. Should Olympus under-design the next Pen to score lower in IQ than the EM5?

Also Pens and OMs have to differentiate in style/format/usability too, IMHO.

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