Mirrorless DSLR's?

[JoeDif]

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.u...n_two_years_probably_news_295133.html?aff=rss


Is Olympus going to be the exception or the norm?

I may be old school but I like to compose through an OVF so being an Oly user I find this sad news.

 

[boBQuincy]

Almost everyone who is moving up from a P&S is already used to composing on a LCD screen while those with superzoom cameras have become accustomed to electronic viewfinders. I find an optical viewfinder to be a necessity, there is no better way to track a fast moving object or to see the subtleties of a polarizing filter. It seems Olympus may be managed by those who are looking for the next hot thing but are not photographers.

I really had hopes for u4/3 but lack of an optical viewfinder is pretty much a deal breaker for me.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm going to keep an open mind about it.

Olympus (since 1919) has always been innovative. Along the way many have scoffed - but then copied their designs.

I'm going to trust they know what they're doing. It may not be what people are "used to", but it may be "the way of the future".

IIR in some of my readings about micro 4/3, their market research showed that many people never use an optical viewfinder. (But for those who want to, they do make one as an accessory.)

I think it will be interesting to see what they come up with.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It seems Olympus may be managed by those who are looking for the next hot thing but are not photographers.

Yoshihisa Maitani

Who was Yoshihisa Maitani, and why does he still matter?

 

[Groucho]

I figured that this was inevitable. Olympus has had a difficult time distinguishing themselves in the DSLR arena and have always been fighting the negative perception of the smaller, 4:3 aspect sensor. (The aspect ratio is seeming more and more like a questionable choice as you really can't even find a 4:3 display device anymore!) The m4/3rds stuff, especially the Pen, has been getting much more attention than their regular DSLRs. It's only natural that they'll want to pursue that.

I love my optical viewfinders but I can certainly believe that EVFs will advance to the point where they make a compelling alternative to optical. There are certainly advantages - you can overlay any info you want, get a live histogram, brighten dark scenes, zoom for manual focus assistance, etc... who knows, maybe in 5-10 years, optical viewfinders will be where film is now?

I recall one of the newish or announced cameras that has an 800x600 EVF - that is awfully high resolution for such a small screen!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I love my optical viewfinders but I can certainly believe that EVFs will advance to the point where they make a compelling alternative to optical. There are certainly advantages - you can overlay any info you want, get a live histogram, brighten dark scenes, zoom for manual focus assistance, etc... who knows, maybe in 5-10 years, optical viewfinders will be where film is now?

I agree. I was thinking about this today. Do you think that, especially with the advent of IS, the advantage of using an optical viewfinder for the purpose of "steadying the camera" will, in the future, really become "old school"? Hard to imagine now, but look where we were just 10 - 12 years ago compared to today.

I love the feel of my Olympus dSLR. It wasn't what I originally intended to buy, but the size and feel (among other features) were what sold me. I hope, *if* this comes to fruition, that they continue to offer something for us who love using a dSLR and love the brand.

 

[Code]

I love the feel of my Olympus dSLR. It wasn't what I originally intended to buy, but the size and feel was what sold me. I hope, *if* this comes to fruition, that they continue to offer something for us who love using a dSLR and love the brand.

Unfortunately, it seems that they plan to ditch OVFs completely. They say that the 4/3 system will continue to be supported, but (my speculation) it really sounds like the lion's share of their development effort is headed to micro-4/3. (I worry that Sony might go down the same road eventually now that they've announced that their mirrorless stuff is coming)

 

[JoeDif]

Unfortunately, it seems that they plan to ditch OVFs completely. They say that the 4/3 system will continue to be supported, but (my speculation) it really sounds like the lion's share of their development effort is headed to micro-4/3. (I worry that Sony might go down the same road eventually now that they've announced that their mirrorless stuff is coming)

I agree. M4/3 is their bread and butter now so that is where their R & D seems to be centered. My feeling is if a new 4/3 body isn't out by year end then the 4/3 system as we know it will be dead.

I believe Olympus is the only manufacturer that doesn't have a DSLR body with video capabilities.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I just spent an hour or so perusing the DPR Oly Forums.

Lots of interesting thoughts there - as usual.

For one thing, nobody even knows who this guy is (or whether he still has a job).

Regardless, "his opinion", FWIW

Pelkowski moved to reassure AP readers that the full Four Thirds system would continue to exist.

Additionally,

still lots of holdouts for the OVF...

... while others have no use for it, and feel this is the way all technology is headed.

So who knows. Time will tell.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

(I worry that Sony might go down the same road eventually now that they've announced that their mirrorless stuff is coming)

Looks like most manufacturers are considering Mirrorless technology:

Canon: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=31178118

Nikon: http://fourthirdsnews.com/news/43rumours/nikon-mirrorless-system-versus-microfourthirds

Pentax: http://k-rumors.com/k3-is-pentax-working-on-a-mirrorless-camera-system/

Sony: http://sonyalpharumors.com/sr4-talking-with-some-of-my-sources-about-sony-mirrorless-system/

Samsung: http://macro-photography-blog.com/2...-nx10-mirrorless-interchangeable-lens-camera/

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I think that EVFs are the future, but not the present. They offer tremendous advantages - eliminating bulky mirror and pentaprisms, the ability to magnify and contrast enhance to aid in manual focus, the ability to superimpose histograms and zebra strips to aid with exposure, and the ability to add other visual cues like horizon lines or face recognition boxes. The problem is that they are pitifully low in resolution and not great in other areas like dynamic range. For now, you will see them take over where eliminating size is important. They'll also start to become popular on camera/video hybrids that emphasize video. They won't totally dethrone OVFs for cameras until they improve significantly from where they are today.

 

[JoeDif]

This was posted on the Olympus Facebook fan page - not sure if it is an official response or not.

"The Amateur Photographer article resulting from an interview at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) trade show has inaccuracies. Rich Pelkowski and the journalist were having a conversation about what is technologically possible. While it is possible from a technology standpoint, Olympus is committed to both the Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds standards. In the future, you will continue to see new cameras based on both standards."

 

[Pea-n-Me]

An "official response" from Olympus was what the DPR folks figured, as this article really stemmed from what was likely an unofficial conversation from a marketing representative during a trade show.

Olympus must have been when said article infuriated Olympus/FT users worldwide, who not only were BS to hear of something of this magnitude in such a manner, but further all FT purchases on hold until this mess was clarified.

It'll make for some interesting reading over the coming weeks anyway.

Poor Mr Pelowski. I don't think I'd want to be him right now.

 

[DBL101]

Another issue would be the position of the camera in relation to your personal space and the people around you. If I'm in a crowd (at a game, concert, play, parade, etc.) with a camera to my face I'm only slightly in the way of my neighbors. If I'm holding it out in front of me to see the screen, I'm infringing a lot more. Along the same lines, the light of the screen would be a problem while taking pictures in a dark crowd. Taking pictures from the audience at a child's dance recital, for instance, I would have a bright screen visible that would bother those around me. That is why I always have the auto-review turned off in those instances. On the plus side, however, we would lose the noise the mirror makes.