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Re: [OM] Keeping OM alive

Subject: Re: [OM] Keeping OM alive
From: "Paul D. Farrar" <farrar@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 14 Jun 1998 22:13:52 -0500
At 05:08 PM 6/14/98 PDT, Andy wrote:
>Paul wrote:
>
>>It's a lot
>>less expensive than what they are going to have to spend on digital. 
>>If they are going to stay in the digital marketplace, they are going 
>>to have to develop a whole new line of digital SLRs and autofocus 
>>lenses at some point, because, as that market develops, they won't >be 
>able to slide by with IS-style cameras.
>>
>
>...and will these SLRs and lenses be OM compatible??? Once digital 

I don't think so. The image chips are usually smaller than than a 35mm
frame, so the lenses would likely have shorter focal lengths and smaller
image circles than OM lenses. If chips like the Loral one (about 30mm
square, and 4M pixels, I think) get reasonable, it's possible that the
lenses would also work with 35mm film, but I don't think they'll be manual
focus OM lenses. In a few years, we should see a new interchangeable lens
digital SLR system from Olympus, if they want to stay in the digital game.
They are the #1 company for amateur digital, the last I heard, but a
complete zero in professional. When what are today $10-20,000 professional
cameras become available as $1-2,000 advanced amateur cameras, Olympus will
have to play or drop back to digital P&S only.

>technology is up to taking advantage of the resolution of a Zuiko lens, 
>might there be a digital upgrade of the OM system? Now that'd be a way 
>to keep Olympus committed to OM.  APS SLRs with 35mm lens compatibility 
>would be another (I think N*k*n might have done something like this?)

I think that market is closed to non-autofocus.

>
>Regards
>
>Andy


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