Alert : EM5 Mk3 Release this year - it’s (well nearly) official

[ac12]

I might view Sync IS like PDAF.
Why is PDAF only in the EM1 cameras? People on this and similar EM5-mk3 threads have been screaming for PDAF on the mk3.
So it might be for Sync IS.
I am not familiar with the Panasonic line to make a comparison, but The GX85 has their version of Sync IS. And that is a sub $1k camera.

https://shop.panasonic.com/cameras-...terchangeable-lens-ilc-cameras/DMC-GX85K.html​

So I can see Olympus being pushed to put OIS in some of the consumer lenses, just to have Sync IS on the EM5 in a non-pro lens, to complete with Panasonic. Granted that will add to the cost of making the lens, and raise the selling price.

According to the Olympus site, the EM5-mk2 has Sync IS, when paired to an Olympus lens with OIS (only 2, so far). So the camera is just waiting for the lens.
The EM10 has 5-axis stabilization, but not Sync IS.

I see value in putting OIS in the current 75-300. Even with IBIS, a 300mm lens (a 12x lens), is a long lens to stabilize, and every extra bit of stabilization will help.
Maybe even with the next version of the 12-200.

Paradoxically, the slower consumer lenses would benefit more from Sync IS, because they are slower than the faster pro lenses.

 

[swifty]

7. Please Oly, give us a new mid-range kit lens. The 12-50EZ underwhelmed in 2012, it's time for something new in the same basic range. How about a non-EZ weather-sealed 12-50 f3.5-4.5...

A sealed 12-50 f/4 IS (or similar) would be nice since Panasonic has a 12-60 f/2.8-4.
To differentiate they could make it smaller, include the semi-macro feature of the old 12-50 or go just a little wider eg. 11-50 f/4 IS.
That would make a nice alternative kit lens for all Olympus models.

 

[mawz]

A sealed 12-50 f/4 IS (or similar) would be nice since Panasonic has a 12-60 f/2.8-4.
To differentiate they could make it smaller, include the semi-macro feature of the old 12-50 or go just a little wider eg. 11-50 f/4 IS.
That would make a nice alternative kit lens for all Olympus models.

I actually want something comparable to the cheaper Panasonic 12-60, not the PL.12-60 (which is priced directly against the 12-40)

IE a real mid-range kit lens. Oly doesn't offer anything really competent between the 12-40/2.8 and the 14-42EZ (I've owned the 12-50 and aside from the excellent performance in Macro mode, it underwhelmed significantly, I actually liked the 14-42 more as it's smaller, cheaper and every bit as good optically)

Right now Oly brackets the 12-60 f2.8-4 with the 12-40/2.8 and the 12-100/4, they don't really need another high-end do-everything lens. Panasonic provides 2 good low/mid kits (their 14-42 and 12-32), a solid mid-range (12-60) and 2 high-end options (the PL12-60 and the 12-35X).

Oly needs something in the mid-range. I actually like the 12-50 range and the weather sealing is a must, I just want better optics (comparable to the old ZD14-54, which was similarly priced & positioned in the 4/3rds lineup and was what I actually replaced my 12-50 with on my E-M5.1) and maybe a bit of a speed boost (f3.5-4.5 would be great, I don't see a fixed aperture as a requirement at this pricepoint).

 

[swifty]

I actually want something comparable to the cheaper Panasonic 12-60, not the PL.12-60 (which is priced directly against the 12-40)

IE a real mid-range kit lens. Oly doesn't offer anything really competent between the 12-40/2.8 and the 14-42EZ (I've owned the 12-50 and aside from the excellent performance in Macro mode, it underwhelmed significantly, I actually liked the 14-42 more as it's smaller, cheaper and every bit as good optically)

Right now Oly brackets the 12-60 f2.8-4 with the 12-40/2.8 and the 12-100/4, they don't really need another high-end do-everything lens. Panasonic provides 2 good low/mid kits (their 14-42 and 12-32), a solid mid-range (12-60) and 2 high-end options (the PL12-60 and the 12-35X).

Oly needs something in the mid-range. I actually like the 12-50 range and the weather sealing is a must, I just want better optics (comparable to the old ZD14-54, which was similarly priced & positioned in the 4/3rds lineup and was what I actually replaced my 12-50 with on my E-M5.1) and maybe a bit of a speed boost (f3.5-4.5 would be great, I don't see a fixed aperture as a requirement at this pricepoint).

Wouldn't a sealed 12-50 f/4 IS be somewhere between a 12-60 f/2.8-4 (or 12-40 f/2.8) and a 14-42EZ, especially without the Leica branding?
Maybe the 11mm is too much to ask but the semi-macro mode is just a carry over feature. So the improvements over the old 12-50 would really just be constant f/4 and IS for sync IS with Olympus bodies.
Maybe a bit improved optics too.

 

[mawz]

Wouldn't a sealed 12-50 f/4 IS be somewhere between a 12-60 f/2.8-4 (or 12-40 f/2.8) and a 14-42EZ, especially without the Leica branding?
Maybe the 11mm is too much to ask but the semi-macro mode is just a carry over feature. So the improvements over the old 12-50 would really just be constant f/4 and IS for sync IS with Olympus bodies.
Maybe a bit improved optics too.

If it really came in between the two in pricing, then yes. But I have little expectation that we'd see both fixed aperture and an upgrade of the 12-50's thoroughly mediocre optics at a reasonable price, and the optics are the real issue with the 12-50.

If Oly came out with a new 12-50 of the exact same specs as the current one, but actually good performance outside of Macro mode, I'd be all over it. The current 12-50 simply doesn't perform on par with comparable lenses from other manufacturers (and I'm thinking lenses like Nikon's 16-85VR or Panasonic's 12-60 f3.5-5.6, not class leaders like Fuji's 18-55 or Nikon's 16-80E)

 

[ac12]

I actually want something comparable to the cheaper Panasonic 12-60, not the PL.12-60 (which is priced directly against the 12-40)

IE a real mid-range kit lens. Oly doesn't offer anything really competent between the 12-40/2.8 and the 14-42EZ (I've owned the 12-50 and aside from the excellent performance in Macro mode, it underwhelmed significantly, I actually liked the 14-42 more as it's smaller, cheaper and every bit as good optically)

Right now Oly brackets the 12-60 f2.8-4 with the 12-40/2.8 and the 12-100/4, they don't really need another high-end do-everything lens. Panasonic provides 2 good low/mid kits (their 14-42 and 12-32), a solid mid-range (12-60) and 2 high-end options (the PL12-60 and the 12-35X).

Oly needs something in the mid-range. I actually like the 12-50 range and the weather sealing is a must, I just want better optics (comparable to the old ZD14-54, which was similarly priced & positioned in the 4/3rds lineup and was what I actually replaced my 12-50 with on my E-M5.1) and maybe a bit of a speed boost (f3.5-4.5 would be great, I don't see a fixed aperture as a requirement at this pricepoint).

I got the Panasonic-Lumix 12-60 as my GP lens, because Olympus did not have a comparable lens.
Turned out that the Panasonic lens has the best zoom ring of all my micro 4/3 lenses, light and easy to turn.

 

[FrayAdjacent]

Olympus better not make this a milquetoast upgrade... I just watched a couple videos about the Sony RX100 VII, and holy crap, that's an amazing little point-and-shoot camera. The E-M5 MkIII has some really stiff competition, even from cameras like that Sony, at least when it comes to functionality like the badass autofocus tracking.

I'm prepared to be underwhelmed... but I'm still hopeful (almost like I was before Game of Thrones season 8!)

 

[Sniksekk]

@FrayAdjacent we all remember season 8 and how good that was.
Let’s hope mk3, ain’t no “s08”.

 

[rezatravilla]

@FrayAdjacent we all remember season 8 and how good that was.
Let’s hope mk3, ain’t no “s08”.

Season 8? the boy who always seat while everybody tried to take the Iron Throne, in the end is the winner. So.....that boy is Pentax maybe....i dunno, Pentax seems to be quite lately, not joining the mirrorless war.

 

[mawz]

Season 8? the boy who always seat while everybody tried to take the Iron Throne, in the end is the winner. So.....that boy is Pentax maybe....i dunno, Pentax seems to be quite lately, not joining the mirrorless war.

Pentax has managed to fail twice at Mirrorless already, three times if you count Ricoh's attempt alongside the K-01 and Q series.

 

[FrayAdjacent]

@FrayAdjacent we all remember season 8 and how good that was.
Let’s hope mk3, ain’t no “s08”.

Crossing my fingers. The MkIII has a lot of competition. Please please please Olympus, don't "mail it in" like the GoT writers did!

 

[agentlossing]

Crossing my fingers. The MkIII has a lot of competition. Please please please Olympus, don't "mail it in" like the GoT writers did!

I'm with you there. I am ready for something with improvements over my GX85, and if Olympus really looks to stay "in the game" with something besides pro-level EM1X style stuff, they need to make something compelling here. If the rumor of more plastic in the build is true, then (despite really preferring metal) I am interesting in the prospect of a good price point.

No opinion on GoT, I've stayed mercifully away from the whole show.

 

[FrayAdjacent]

No opinion on GoT, I've stayed mercifully away from the whole show.

Probably best, it was great, but ended up like the Titanic - not the successful movie, the unsuccessful boat. (those at the helm wanted to rush to the end and it crashed and sank)


I read a rumor earlier today about the body being probably more lightweight materials. I'm OK with that as long as performance and the feature set are good. Also the announcement/release may not be until late September or even early October. I hope it ends up being worth the wait! (otherwise there's the Sony A6400, the upcoming Canon M50 MkII, and plenty of competition)

 

[rezatravilla]

I read a rumor earlier today about the body being probably more lightweight materials. I'm OK with that as long as performance and the feature set are good.

Also have better coating for the silver version

 

[Aristophanes]

I concur that the battery life with the 12-100 on my Pen F (same battery as the E-M1) is shorter than the battery life with the 12-100 on my E-M1 II. Luckily, my usage of the Pen F is not as demanding as using the E-M1 II, so not as noticeable.

The design of the 12-100 has a very large, long throw focussing element that certainly chews battery life along with the additional stabilization. It’s a power hungry lens, as a few videographers have similarly noted.

Olympus is likely not losing design sleep over battery backwards compatibility. They are likely losing sleep over overall mass and form of their cameras compared to EOS R and Nikon Zs, with price point, and especially with video performance (the Zs about to get firmware ProRes updates at 10-bits), but especially with the PDAF and AF-C game being upped, like extremely accurate eye-AF and tracking,

With the consumer end tanking, gone are the days when a manufacturer could “cripple” a model to create price points. So the great PDAF differentiator is done, as between the EM1 and EM5. Same for video and AF improvements. Video is especially quirky because is is the lower end market that is demanding some of the 4k spec minimum standards.

The nice thing for m43 is a good chunk of the mid-range video market is investing in the sensor format, like BlackMagic. The bad thing is that makes m43 in the world of a minimum video standard at any price point. We might see a surprise with the EM5.3 on this front.

 

[pdk42]

The leaks seem to have dried up. If an Aug launch was likely (as some rumours have said), then I'd have expected the leaks to increase not decrease (think about the E-M1x - we had photos of reviewers with the camera weeks before the unveiling). I suspect it's at least Sept now. I wonder how many copies of the E-M5ii they are selling at the moment? I'm guessing that sales of what should be the bread-and-butter mid-range model have been stagnant for a year now, maybe longer. I'm amazed at how long the mk iii is taking to come to fruition.

 

[Michael Meissner]

The leaks seem to have dried up. If an Aug launch was likely (as some rumours have said), then I'd have expected the leaks to increase not decrease (think about the E-M1x - we had photos of reviewers with the camera weeks before the unveiling). I suspect it's at least Sept now. I wonder how many copies of the E-M5ii they are selling at the moment? I'm guessing that sales of what should be the bread-and-butter mid-range model have been stagnant for a year now, maybe longer. I'm amazed at how long the mk iii is taking to come to fruition.

Or possibly the leaks have dried up because in the northern hemisphere, it is summer time, and many people are on vacation. I would imagine in later August and/or early September, the leak machine may start up again.

I did look for photography trade shows where such an announcement might be made, and there seem to be few shows that might be a venue to announce a new camera:

• IFA in Berlin, September 6-11
• IBC in Amsterdaam, September 12-17
• GITEX in Dubai, October 6-10
• CEATEC in Tokyo, October 10-15
• Photo Plus Expo in New York, October 24-26

 

[Lcrunyon]

The leaks/rumors haven't totally dried up...

(FT5) E-M5III will be able to charge via USB. Olympus 150-400mm PRO lens to be announced in Winter…

 

[rloewy]

The leaks seem to have dried up. If an Aug launch was likely (as some rumours have said), then I'd have expected the leaks to increase not decrease (think about the E-M1x - we had photos of reviewers with the camera weeks before the unveiling). I suspect it's at least Sept now. I wonder how many copies of the E-M5ii they are selling at the moment? I'm guessing that sales of what should be the bread-and-butter mid-range model have been stagnant for a year now, maybe longer. I'm amazed at how long the mk iii is taking to come to fruition.

They said they are moving production to new facilities, that's the holdup - not that surprised it takes a while.

 

[pake]

The leaks seem to have dried up. If an Aug launch was likely (as some rumours have said), then I'd have expected the leaks to increase not decrease (think about the E-M1x - we had photos of reviewers with the camera weeks before the unveiling). I suspect it's at least Sept now. I wonder how many copies of the E-M5ii they are selling at the moment? I'm guessing that sales of what should be the bread-and-butter mid-range model have been stagnant for a year now, maybe longer. I'm amazed at how long the mk iii is taking to come to fruition.

The announcement has been delayed till late September/October.