Olympus does it again with the super sexy new E-P5!
As reported on rumor sites over the past week or so, the new Olympus E-P5 which is the successor to the E-P3 will be arriving soon. The new sexy looking E-P camera now has a 16MP sensor, a tilt LCD, built-in WiFi, 5-Axis IS and a 1/8000s top shutter speed. Basically it looks like it could be an E-M5 in a PEN body. Some will appreciate this as the PEN style is slim, sleek and sexy where the E-M5 design is like a micro vintage SLR. I will of course write more on this as news develops because as many of you know, I love the PEN series as much as the E-M5 🙂
I find the design to be nicer looking but…why did Olympus omit the built-in EVF this time? They had a chance to include it here and make a killer addition to their lineup. Maybe they thought it would be too similar to the E-M5, which is still their flagship camera for Micro 4/3. They also want to sell the external EVF so I guess that was their plan. My prediction? This camera and the 17 1.8 will make for a fantastic and FAST street machine as each new PEN just gets better and faster and each model has less compromises than the previous model.
I admit though, the camera looks sweet and I am excited to put it through its paces with some of the best Oly glass as soon as it hits. I expect it to perform similar to the E-M5. We shall see!
Pictures are from mobile01.com
body alone is 1000$, a lot of hay for that toy, no lens, no evf. With a 17/1.8 it is close to 1500$.
So why would one want this over a NEX or a Fuji EX1. Oh yes, it has 1/8000, and since we need that speed every day, it makes it the camera to opt for. I am interested in a camera of this style and look, but still can not decide, the perfect camera one wants, one has probably to build it oneself. I look towards a Ricoh GR for the moment, it seems to be the pocket gear i seek for.
I’m wondering if any of these companies are going to release their technical marvel, I only really see one company breaking molds..
accountants dont get desire, hence no evf built in.
without desire sales falter
when sales falter accountants try the next money spinner
still without desire
I love that look, but why can’t they give all those cameras any EVF, that gadget is now so well developed that any integration in those cameras poses no bigger problem. Who cares about a cm higher, you can’t put it in your pocket anyway.
This will probably be my first ILC; I’ve only had an Oly 5050z (fantastic for its time) and currently the Panny FZ150 (too big body, too small sensor). Since the best camera is the one I take with me, this one seems like a good start. I’m more worried about lack of weather proofing than the EVF. But if I invest in mft lenses, I’ll probably get something OM-D-like later.
While I’m sure this is an excellent camera, I can’t see owning it and the E-M5.
Sexy! I want to take it to dinner and a movie!
I don’t mean to be impolite but I can’t help wondering how much she weighs. 😀
Wow! Thats the black oly 17mm f1.8? Limited edition? If same price as the silver copy, will get the black version.
Looks like a slightly more advanced PL5 or an EM5 without EFV. Not that keen on it’s look and wonder how much of a market there is for this. Hopefully they have done their research. I do wish Olympus would make it easier to understand their model range. OMD-E5, EP5, PL-5. What?! I am waiting for the OMG-X-E1s (it’s a cross between a Fuji and an Oly!)
It is gorgeous, and I am glad Olympus continues their Pen series. I own an old film pen and I also have an EP-1, which was my first “real” digital camera, and with the 12mm it still is an amazing camera, even with its limitations : sensor, high iso. I moved to Fuji x-pro when I upgraded, but I never could love (and rely on) it the way I did with the Pen.
Once again companies will try to bone us with these overpriced add-ons. Why add an EVF when Olympus can charge an extra $150+ for it. Same as the X2… or the RX1. Kinda like leica’s $900 handgrip. I’m sure the price will justify the lack of EVF. Hopefully.
Hi Steve. I’m just wondering why they didn’t think about sporting an hybrid viewfinder such as Fuji did on the X-Pro1. If it was only a matter of money, why not selling an external flash instead? IMHO, as the world goes around on point-and-shoot beautiful things, like sophisticated mobile phones with multi-megapixel sensors, they just want to ride that tiger.
My thinking is that yes, that might make for a bit of a Fuji challenger (apart from sensor size)… but the downside (for Olympus) would be that it would almost certainly make for an even stronger OM-D challenger.
I like the way the Olympus Pen’s look, but I never bought one. I did, however, buy the OM-D E-M5 and absolutely love it for the AF speed and 5-axis stabilization. I even love the small and squishy buttons and the mis-placed on/off switch. But I dislike their menu system; even after getting everything set the way I wanted to and using the quick settings, the menu was still too dense.
If Olympus can re-work their menus, I’d love them even more than I already do. The E-P5 looks great, so I am eagerly anticipating the rumoured update on the OM-D E-M5.
I really dislike the look of that camera. I know everyone loves it but man….I just don’t want to own that thing. 🙂
Steve, I think Olympus will keep the E-Px line without built-in EVF. On one side it give more differentiation from OMD and on the other I think the camera follow a bit different philosophy. There are many users who simply do not want/use EVF, just the LCD. It keeps the size and price down too. I actually like that Olympus came with a very particular design with the E-P1 and (more-less) stayed with it. And new EVF is coming out soon – with 2.4 Mpix.
Looking great and the top shutter speed will be useful with fast glass. Had it an EVF (like theFuji XE-1) where they put the flash I could not resist.
Dear Steve, I was about to buy the E-M5 and I saw this link of yours! Do you think I should wait and see what is up with this new Olympus? What’s your expectations quality and price wise? Do you think it’s coming out in the next month or so? Thanks a bunch!
I wish the E-M5 had a 8000ths shutter speed! With a base ISO of 200 it makes it hard to use fast lenses wide open outside without an ND filter.
for an e-p3 owner and a few of m43 lenses, I have a hard time choosing between this and x100s..
X100s for sure!
The X100S is a beauty, but sometimes 35mm just isn’t wide enough.
I guess 28mm (using the wide angle adapter) isn’t bad though. The adapter looks a little big but I guess the price you pay to retain image quality.
Owning an old ep-1 and fuji x-pro + xe1, I am not so sure I would switch. Firstly, because of the lenses you already own. Secondly, because while the Fuji sensor can be great (mixed light, night, city), I also find it sometimes very problematic with landscapes with lots of green, in snow, and a blue cast in dark areas. You can recognize the Fuji color signature, but sometimes this makes me also tired. And for me the Olympus Pens have a much better built quality than the whole Fuji X line.
WUT? fuji signature can tire you out? i embrace the pics is see. always 🙂
Looks gorgeous and the perfect street combo with the 17mm f1.8, but like you Steve such a shame that they didn’t include the EVF 🙁
I’m surprised that people, including Steve, still don’t get what has been said many times: PENs don’t have EVF included and they never will. OMD has and will have. OMD is a line of cameras not a model.
Looks good. Including a built-in tiltable flash (the one on OM-D is stupid and does not tilt) is a big plus. Including focus peaking is a big plus. Imporoved 5-axis IS would be amazing, because the one on OM-D you literally can handhold for seconds at time.
Now minuses from my perspective:
16X9 display. Not everyone is in moving making. Om-D has a proper 4X3 display so photographs look normal on it. 16X9 display means for photographers, you have essentially a 2.5 inches display.
did not include phase AF points on sensor. Why not? Everyone else in mirrorless world (other than Canon M) has done so. Olympus has a problem with AF tracking and this would have helped. With that in mind 5fps vs 9fps is irrelevant since continuous AF does not work good on Olympuses anyway.
Overall I am sure it will be a fantastic camera…. until the new OM-D announcement in August/September
actually the EOS M has phase detection on the sensor, but its slower than a turtle, probably a corporate decision for a castrated camera…
interesting perspective based off a rumor, but what usage scenario would a built in flash be important if low light isn’t an issue?
The scenario when more light is needed on the subject, perhaps? Imagine you are shooting someone in a dark doorway with a sunlit background. Or you want your subject well lit and not the background. Available light is usually best but there are always exceptions where flash is helpful.