I think that the OM-4T is fine just as it is. I would like to have aperature
information in the viewfinder but it seems that I intuitively know what it is
(usually). I would like autobracketing because I do that quite a bit. A
super feature would be to edge imprint exposure information. It's just that
the price point is too high for retail purchases from stores. So I continue
to troll pawn shops and used camera sections of stores and the used classified
(which is called the Recycler in So. Calif. but costs $1.60).
P*ent*x has come out with a new autofocus 645. Looking at the features, and
the viewfinder displays, it seems that they have used one chip for all of
their cameras, from the lowly ZX-M manual focus to the P645N autofocus. They
use the same auto focus system Safox V or something. It seems that they have
a committment to continueing in silver emulsion photography with different
systems integrated from P6X7 to 35mm systems and have spread out the cost of
this technology over several types of cameras.
Olympus, on the other hand, seems to have wavered. They do have the
technology to bring out the next "autofocus OM" but their business plan seems
to have led them elsewhere. Their dilemma is that to come out with another
manual focus camera is probably not cost effective. The OM 4T is pretty much
near perfection in my opinion. You have to be different to succeed in the
marketplace (I'm not in sales). Another autofocus system would be a me-too
system. Nikon seems to have the high technology (and high cost) end sewed up.
Pentax just swooped in with the compact basic autofocus ZX-5n. Now Olympus
did try something "different" with the IS-2 & 3, & IS-10. I don't know what
the sales figures are.
In closing, I think the new OM-5 will have to be autofocus. And it will have
to be something special--I don't know what because I have no vision (if I did
I would be a visionary). Olympus (and Leica) have the manual focus niche
market to themselves I think. But a niche market won't pay for the R&D
necessary to sell lots of cameras to pay for the R&D. If I walk into a well-
stocked camera store and ask "What is the best camera?"; they might well
respond N*kon F-5 [read: the proportionate mark-up is the highest($2500 for
the body)]. After I balk, they back down to N90, N70, N50, F4, FM2, FE10,
FM, etc. My point (I'm sort of fuzzy-I've had this cold/flu for 7 days) is
that you have to sell an integrated system and one part supports the other.
My hope is that Olympus will borrow the chips out of the IS-10 or whatever
(they shoudl be debugged by now) and restart their committment to 35mm
cameras.
So, Tomoko, I'm sorry that I don't have a list of features for you. I hope I
have suggested a direction however.
Warren Kato
wkato@xxxxxxx
(a sometime lurker)
##################################################################
# This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List
# To receive the Olympus Digest send mail to: listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
# with subscribe olympus-digest in the message body.
#
# To unsubscribe from the current list send a message to
# listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with unsubscribe olympus in the message body.
#
# For questions email: owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
##################################################################
|