What do you really want from the new OMS camera?

[Mazdaman]

Not sure how much of this rumour will become reality but here goes

https://www.43rumors.com/ft4-more-om-1-specs-2-stops-improvement-new-battery-new-artificial-intelligence/

[blackfox]

I’m not even gonna mention it yet to scared 🤫🤫🤫

[wanderer]

The battery comment is disappointing although it is said to be compatible with the BLH-1. Does that mean you can have 2 different batteries in the body, an insert to make the new battery fit the old EM1-X?
I have 11 BLH-1s ( I know ridiculous but......) and I've no wish to find them unemployed or unemplyable.

[Miketoll]

I suspect that like the new battery for my ancient Canon 7D MkII which was backward compatible the new battery will be physically identical and just fit without adapters but have a greater capacity. Win win.

[Box Brownie]

I think I am allowed to say that we (this site) will be covering this in a lot of detail as soon as we are allowed to (early next Tuesday). Beyond that, I'm rather restricted on what I can say...

Ian

Is it likely that you have booked Mark Thackara to add his insights once the announcement removes any NDA & bar to posting???

[Ian]

No, but Mark might not be the best person to invite...

[RedRobin]

The mention of the word 'flagship' surely indicates that it is likely to be an E-M1X mkII body because the E-M1X is definitely the current Olympus flagship. If so, it could well have an improved m4/3 size sensor with better ISO noise performance which currently is not good until you post-process RAW files.

My only criticism of the E-M1X is the poor noise performance and I shoot several hundred, sometimes more, RAW images every single week and so I know what I am talking about - I rarely shoot above ISO 1000 because of it and I often shoot literally from dawn til dusk all year round.

[MJ224]

Whilst the EM1X is HEAVY, the button layout spacing is much easier to use IMHO. I love my little Em1 mk3, but always (extremely often) move the focus point by accidentally catching the joystick when pressing the AEL button for back button focusing. So I would hope for a slightly larger body, maybe not EM!x size, or of course better button location...

[Miketoll]

I must admit that I too have problems with catching the joystick and accidentally moving the focus point but I think simple economics demand a smaller camera than the EM-1X so they get plenty of sales.

[Ray99]

Well I hope they make a grip for it then. :-)

[Miketoll]

Global shutter anyone? I think there is a fair chance of that so that like the Nikon Z9 we will see them drop the mechanical shutter. No viewfinder blackout too.

[wornish]

Very interesting video (bit long) that talks about sensors and the IMX472 in particular and compares it with the existing one used by Oly in the EM1mk3 and EM1X.

If as the rumour site is suggesting the new camera does use the IMX472 there will be a significant improvement in many areas. The video was recorded last May and the guy didn't think OLY would go for it, but who knows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXFnTBK_ryU

The relevant section starts about 30 mins in.

[Ian]

Almost a hundred voters!

[Invicta]

My guess, and I have no inside info, is that the new OM System camera will use the latest Sony IMX472 stacked CMOS sensor. The problem I see for OM Digital Solutions is which camera to release first.

1) An update to the E-M1X, if this camera is not updated to a new sensor the high-end users are going to feel left out and may switch brands

2) An update to the E-M1. A stacked sensor will improve auto-focusing and video jello effect reduction. If this camera is not updated the volume of sales will be low.

So can OM Digital Solutions bring two new cameras to market at the same time? I think that would be a first?

[Walti]

I have the feeling that the 1x was a one off camera and the next camera will replace both the x and the 1.

So the next camera could well be an amalgam of the two in the body plus grip format.

When the new chip was announced for the 1iii the claim was it was more than twice as capable as its predecessor- ergo the replacement for the X doesn’t need the larger form factor.

So maybe a new even more powerful chip along with a new sensor is their way forwards?

[MargaretR]

Personally I’d like them to catch up with Canikon capabilities for in-camera multiple exposures, which is an area in which Oly is absymally lacking.

[blackfox]

Let’s not get to carried away with wish lists , when I got the mkiii over the mkii ..I convinced myself the built in n.d would be handy ,as was the starry skies . To date several months later I still just shoot my normal stuff .. I might just as well have kept the mkii the only real improvement to date is the grip is still stuck solid

[wornish]

The starry skies focus mode makes a huge difference to my star photos. I think the Pixel 6 phone is the only other product that does that.
Surely it depends on what your use case is.

[blackfox]

Trouble is it gets dark we draw the curtains and settle down for the night Dave . Even missed the good aurora boreilis last week

[Ian]

Venus was really bright at sunrise this morning! Mars was close by too.

[timboo]

I really hope the priority has not shifted towards video and efforts have been prioritised in areas as indicated by the current voting trend.

[Box Brownie]

The mention of the word 'flagship' surely indicates that it is likely to be an E-M1X mkII body because the E-M1X is definitely the current Olympus flagship. If so, it could well have an improved m4/3 size sensor with better ISO noise performance which currently is not good until you post-process RAW files.

My only criticism of the E-M1X is the poor noise performance and I shoot several hundred, sometimes more, RAW images every single week and so I know what I am talking about - I rarely shoot above ISO 1000 because of it and I often shoot literally from dawn til dusk all year round.

Until we see the new camera.......it is all moot.

Having said that I do recall one mention during similar talk about the M1X that it was in effect a development platform, as such I hope that whether or not the new body is plumper version of the Mk3, that the M1X is not left in the doldrums and will continue to receive whatever firmware improvements can be done to 'wring' the best out its potential as possible.

I am aware that with modern manufacturing that new products can come to market much quicker than even 10 years ago.....................but I also surmise that Olympus quite likely had this new body on the drawing board and potentially in early prototype form, thus OM-DS inherited this early work and possibly the same approach to the future of the M1X form factor.

In common with many, I am looking forward to exactly what the new body will look like and its specifications. Whether I am likely to ever be able to justify the expense of buying one will remain to be seen.................though since getting the M1X my Mk3 has rarely been out...................so maybe a solution should the numbers 'work out'

[Mazdaman]

Apparently this is the latest spec leak for the wow camera from M4/3 rumours website who knows until next week if this is factual

https://www.scribd.com/document/5579...1-Camera-Specs

[blackfox]

Ian knows but he’s not saying 🤭🤭🤭

[pdk42]

Those specs sound very believable. Looks like an EM1.3 with the following variations:

- BSI stacked sensor (faster readout - 120 fps)
- 5.7Mp OLED viewfinder (with apparently 1.48x mag - that would be sensational if true)
- Some additional movie modes

That’s all very nice, but it doesn’t sound all that “Wow” to me. In particular, the HDR modes look identical to what we have now and there are no mentions of any new “computational” tricks.

Well, not long to wait now I guess.

[Grumpy Hec]

Those specs sound very believable. Looks like an EM1.3 with the following variations:

- BSI stacked sensor (faster readout - 120 fps)
- 5.7Mp OLED viewfinder (with apparently 1.48x mag - that would be sensational if true)
- Some additional movie modes

That’s all very nice, but it doesn’t sound all that “Wow” to me. In particular, the HDR modes look identical to what we have now and there are no mentions of any new “computational” tricks.

Well, not long to wait now I guess.

I agree. If this is genuine it seems to me that for purely still shooters it is not really Wow. Yes the sensor could bring improvements in picture quality, which is what it is all about after all, but outside of that it looks like a good viewfinder upgrade and sorted the card slots with not much else that interests me. It feels like an evolved EM1 iii to iv, much like the ii to iii changes.

It could all be a tease of course and there is more to be revealed. We will see in due course.

Hec

[Ian]

Those specs sound very believable. Looks like an EM1.3 with the following variations:

- BSI stacked sensor (faster readout - 120 fps)
- 5.7Mp OLED viewfinder (with apparently 1.48x mag - that would be sensational if true)
- Some additional movie modes

That’s all very nice, but it doesn’t sound all that “Wow” to me. In particular, the HDR modes look identical to what we have now and there are no mentions of any new “computational” tricks.

Well, not long to wait now I guess.

All I can say is that a bunch of specifications, even if correct, doesn't really tell a complete story.

Ian

[pdk42]

Yes, I totally agree Ian. The EM1.3 isn’t much on paper over the EM1.2, but it’s still a worthwhile upgrade. But, that’s true only as an upgrade for a committed Olympian - it won’t attract new users to the system.