Olympus OM-D E-M5 |
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Olympus OM-D E-M5
Press Release: 2012-02-07
Olympus Imaging Corporation is pleased to announce the introduction of the OLYMPUS OM-D, a new generation system camera compliant with the Micro Four Thirds System standard, scheduled for release in late March 2012.
Main Features
Compact, lightweight body in the tradition of the famous OM Series: Made of magnesium alloy and enhanced with the same dust-/splash-proof capability already proven with the E-5 camera
16.05-megapixel new Live MOS Sensor and TruePic VI image processing engine for high image quality and high sensitivity
Electronic viewfinder with high image quality and high functionality that enables real-time checking of various shooting conditions
World's first*1 5-axis image stabilization to compensate for camera shake of any kind during both still photo and movie shooting
World's fastest*2 FAST AF autofocusing system plus 3D tracking for improved moving object tracking performance
Forty years ago, in 1972, Olympus introduced the world to one of the most revolutionary cameras ever devised - the OLYMPUS M-1. Smaller and lighter by far than any other contemporary 35mm SLR camera, this camera was the first in a series that would become one of the most beloved lines of cameras in the world. Renamed the OLYMPUS OM-1 in 1973, this unique and innovative camera gave its name to the OM Series of system SLR cameras, evolving and maturing over the years through the OM-2 and OM-10, culminating with the OM-3Ti in 1994. Throughout this period, the OM Series maintained the compact size, light weight and originality that had made it a legend among camera buffs the world over.
The just-announced new generation system camera, the OLYMPUS OM-D, picks up where the original OM series left off. Like the popular PEN Series models, the OLYMPUS OM-D features a compact, lightweight design that's fully compliant with the Micro Four Thirds System standard. But whereas the PEN Series inherited the convenience, simplicity, and high image quality offered by the PEN Series in the film age, the OLYMPUS OM-D has inherited the tradition of a true system SLR from the OM Series. The OLYMPUS OM-D is designed for serious camera buffs who want to make full use of interchangeable lenses and shoot photographic masterpieces by looking into the viewfinder, without having to worry about the weather or environmental conditions. Sand, sun, sleet, or snow, the OLYMPUS OM-D is a camera that's ready to go.
From the outside, this camera looks very much like you would expect an SLR to look, yet like the original OM series, its compact body exudes a feeling of compressed power, while its magnesium-alloy cabinet provides a solid, reliable casing with maximum rigidity. The top of the camera is also made of magnesium alloy, while the bottom is made of aluminum, reinforcing the sense of quality and durability. In addition to its rugged design and high reliability, this camera emphasizes the feeling of traditional quality and classic good looks that will make camera buffs eager to own and possess it.
The body employs shields extensively and has a dust-/splash-proof construction capable of standing up to the rigors of the toughest environments including heavy rain and blowing sand. When the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ lens is used, the body and lens form an integrated dust- and splash-proof unit that is extremely reliable. In addition, a dust-/splash-proof mount adapter will be made available at the same time as the camera to allow utilization of all twelve dust-/splash-proof lenses made for the Four Thirds System standard.
The refined image quality of the OLYMPUS OM-D is made possible by the new Live MOS Sensor with 16.05 megapixels and the TruePic VI image processing engine. The excellent noise reduction capability enables still image shooting sensitivity as high as ISO25600. The dynamic range has been expanded for more faithful reproduction of a wide brightness range. With its high resolution and excellent color reproduction, the OLYMPUS OM-D offers the highest image quality currently available among Olympus digital cameras.
A well-designed electronic viewfinder with high 1.44M-dot definition and advanced optics is built into the camera body to ensure a stable view under any conditions. The ability to adjust brightness and color tones via on-screen simulations is one of the big advantages of electronic viewfinders. In addition, the OLYMPUS OM-D also features ingenious tweaks to the camera's operability that make it extraordinarily intuitive and easy to use, enabling the user to concentrate on the composition without having to take their eye away from the viewfinder.
Olympus's built-in image stabilization has also been further refined. The previous system used a 2-axis compensation mechanism to deal with the two kinds of rotary movement: yaw and pitch. The OLYMPUS OM-D incorporates the world's first 5-axis image stabilization mechanism that can deal with five kinds of motion including horizontal shift, vertical shift and rotary motion, in addition to yaw and pitch.
As a result, this new system can correct the kinds of blur that were difficult to correct with the previous built-in image stabilization, such as blurring of the viewfinder image or blurring during movie shooting. This technology has been made possible only by Olympus's ongoing efforts to further refine and improve the built-in image stabilization.
The FAST AF system that made the OLYMPUS PEN E-P3 the world's fastest autofocusing camera has been further refined, setting a new benchmark for the industry once again. Olympus has also solved the problem of moving object tracking capability with a newly developed 3D Tracking AF system. Now, quick and accurate focusing is possible with any subject, whether it's standing still or burning down the track.
The OLYMPUS OM-D is a new type of digital interchangeable-lens system camera that meets the requirements of long-time SLR users, while utilizing many of the same systems as the PEN Series.
Other Features
9 fps fast sequential shooting
Evolved Art Filters
- New Art Filter "Key Line"
- New variations "Cross Process II" and "Dramatic Tone II"
3.0-inch swivel-type OLED monitor, capacitive touchscreen panel with fast response
Advanced movie functions
- Full-HD (MOV) movie recording function
- New movie effects
Dust-/splash-proof compact external flash provided as standard
One-push digital teleconverter function
Two-dial system including the Main dial and Sub dial
3D photography function
Reliable, proven Dust Reduction System
Live View image updating at preset intervals during bulb shooting
Main Feature Details
1. Compact, lightweight body in the tradition of the famous OM Series: Made of magnesium alloy and enhanced with the same dust-/splash-proof capability already proven with the E-5 camera
Compact, lightweight, rugged body
The design of the OLYMPUS OM-D takes its inspiration from models in the original "OM one-digit" Series - the OM-1 through the OM-4. The cabinet is made of a magnesium alloy, which gives the camera body a high degree of rigidity. The pentaprism section at the top of the camera body is made of the same magnesium alloy, which, along with the bottom made of aluminum, further enhances the aura of high quality and durability that surrounds this camera. The two dials including the Mode and Main dials are made of a metallic material with a fine-grained texture that assures reliable handling and smooth operability. In addition to its rugged design and high reliability, this camera emphasizes the feeling of traditional quality and classic good looks that will instill pride of ownership in any camera buff.
Dust-/splash-proof construction
The Four Thirds System flagship camera, the OLYMPUS E-5, has been widely praised by professional photographers not just for its outstanding, best-in-class picture quality, but also for the rugged design and dust- and splash-proofing that makes this camera such a reliable tool. Like the E-5, the OLYMPUS OM-D employs shields extensively and has a dust-/splash-proof construction tough enough to stand up to severe environmental conditions, including heavy rain and blowing sand. When used in combination with the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ lens, body and lens become an integrated dust- and splash-proof camera system that offers excellent reliability.
System accessories with dust-/splash-proof constructions
The HLD-6 Power Battery Holder and the MMF-3 Mount Adapter announced together with the camera also have dust-/splash-proof constructions. The line of ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses compliant with the Four Thirds System standard includes twelve dust-/splash-proof lenses in the SHG(Super High Grade)and HG (High Grade) Series. When one of these lenses is mounted on the OLYMPUS OM-D by means of the MMF-3 adapter, the lens can manifest uniquely high image quality under any weather and environmental conditions.
2. 16.05-megapixel new Live MOS Sensor and TruePic VI image processing engine for high image quality and high sensitivity
New 16.05-megapixel Live MOS Sensor with halved noise compared to the previous model
The new camera incorporates a new High-Speed Live MOS Sensor with 16.05 megapixels. This sensor not only boasts high resolution, but also features image quality improvement with significantly less noise than the previous sensor. The dynamic range has also been expanded to provide superb gradation reproduction across a wider range of brightness.
The sensor also features a high data read speed, which supports full-HD (1920 x 1080) movie recording and the high autofocusing speed of the FAST AF system.
New TruePic VI image processing engine
The new camera incorporates TruePic VI, a new image processing engine first introduced on the E-P3. This engine improves image-processing quality and reduces processing time.
(1)Advanced image processing
Fine Detail Processing and Real-Color Technology
The Fine Detail Processing technology first introduced on Olympus's digital SLR flagship, the E-5, that eliminates moire and pseudo-colors to dramatically enhance the sense of high resolution. The previous design attempted to reduce moire and pseudo-colors by means of a low-pass filter placed in front of the image sensor. The downside of this technique was a loss of resolution. Now, with the TruePic VI engine, the moire and color-moire can be virtually eliminated in the engine itself, so we were able to attenuate the function of the low-pass filter. The result is a dramatic improvement in the resolution feeling.
The Real-Color Technology is used to reproduce previously hard-to-reproduce colors such as emerald green. The reproduction of colors with high saturation is especially improved.
Advanced Gradation Auto with improved backlight compensation capability
The SAT (Shadow Adjustment Technology) improves gradations in dark areas when the gradation auto function is activated (during the manual setting, iAUTO, etc.). Its performance has been improved to optimally control the brightness of highlight and shadow areas even in high-contrast scenes such as backlit subjects, thereby preventing whitening and black painting (overexposure and underexposure) and rendering a natural image close to what is seen with the naked eye.
(2)Improved processing speed
Major reduction in Live View return time after release improves response in continuous shooting
As previous image processing engines were designed assuming the use of an optical viewfinder, a single image-processing core was used to process the recorded images and the Live View images sequentially. As a result, this system was unable to output the Live View image to the rear-panel monitor or electronic viewfinder until recording of the captured image had completed. The new TruePic VI engine, on the other hand, uses independent image-processing cores for the recorded images and Live View images, improving response in continuous shooting by a huge margin.
3. Electronic viewfinder with high image quality and high functionality that enables real-time checking of various shooting conditions
Focus your vision by looking into the viewfinder
The OLYMPUS OM-D is the first Olympus interchangeable lens type camera to incorporate a 1.44-M dot high-definition electronic viewfinder, which features a 100% field of view and max. 1.15X magnification as well as an eye point of 18 mm. The display time lag is very short, achieving high traceability that compares favorably to an optical viewfinder.
The performance of the electronic viewfinder is not determined solely by the number of dots on the LCD. This viewfinder has a sufficient pupil diameter thanks to a unique optical design, allowing the image to be viewed clearly from the center to the periphery with little or no vignetting produced by fine movement of the eye positioning.
The camera has an eye sensor and can switch the activation of the rear-panel monitor and electronic viewfinder automatically. Information including shutter speed is displayed at the bottom of the field to avoid interfering with the framing operation.*
A dedicated eyecup is optionally available to attach to the viewfinder.
* The image and display on the viewfinder screen can be selected from three types. The magnification varies depending on the selected type.
EVF Creative Control enables the user to concentrate on the image composition
The ability to check the effects of various corrections and Art Filters is one of the advantages of an electronic viewfinder not available with an optical viewfinder. The EVF Creative Control is a new interface that exploits this capability to the max. It allows the user to concentrate on composing the image without taking their eye away from the viewfinder.
This function divides the image brightness into the highlight brightness and shadow brightness, and adjusts them separately using two dials. The adjusted results can naturally be checked against the actual brightness in the viewfinder image, but can also be checked using a tone curve displayed on the viewfinder screen.
After completing brightness adjustment, the user can also control white balance, magnification and aspect ratio using the Fn buttons and dials, and do it all without having to take their eye off the viewfinder.
4. World's first 5-axis image stabilization to compensate for camera shake of any kind during both still photo and movie shooting
5-axis image stabilization
The already-proven built-in image stabilization (IS) has made great technical progress. The previous mechanism compensated for camera shake by dealing with two kinds of rotary movement: the yaw and the pitch. However, camera shake is actually caused by five different kinds of motion: horizontal shift, vertical shift and rotary motion (rolling), as well as the yaw and pitch. The OLYMPUS OM-D incorporates the world's first IS mechanism that is able to correct for all five types of motion that cause image blurs.
Horizontal and vertical shifts become more problematic when the shooting magnification is larger. Correction of blurs caused by these two factors exerts important effects on macro shooting. In principle, the rotary motion (rolling) blur cannot be corrected if the IS mechanism is built into the lens. The world' first 5-axis IS mechanism of the OLYMPUS OM-D demonstrates that incorporation of the IS mechanism in the camera body is most appropriate for interchangeable-lens cameras in the digital era.
Traditional 2-axis image stabilization New 5-axis image stabilization
Traditional 2-axis image stabilization New 5-axis image stabilization
Stabilization of image on the viewfinder screen
The OLYMPUS OM-D also lets the user check the IS effect on the viewfinder screen, a facility not available with previous built-in IS mechanisms. The mechanism is switched on by a half-press of the shutter button so that blurs due to camera shake during framing can also be corrected.
This not only makes framing easier, but also improves AF accuracy.
MSC-IS enabling image stabilization during movie recording
The new camera also inherits from previous models the multi-motion IS with wide frequency-band compatibility designed to compensate for camera shake caused by breathing or walking.
In addition, while the previous design switched the IS mechanism to the electronic system for movie recording, the OLYMPUS OM-D is capable of using the built-in IS mechanism even in movie recording. As a result, the traditional built-in image stabilization has evolved to the MSC (Movie & Still Compatible) system applicable to both movies and still pictures.
5. World's fastest* FAST AF autofocusing system plus 3D tracking for improved moving object tracking performance
World's fastest* FAST AF system
For the OLYMPUS PEN E-P3, Olympus adopted the FAST (Frequency Acceleration Sensor Technology) AF system, resulting in an S-AF (Single AF) speed that exceeded that of a traditional SLR camera based on the phase-difference detection system. The FAST AF system drives the Live MOS Sensor at 120 fps, which is twice the previous speed, obtaining the video signal required for AF sooner, while the speed of the AF computation that generates the contrast signal from the video signal and determines the degree of focusing has also been improved. A total review of the AF system, including increasing the speed of communications for controlling the lens action, adopting the MSC (Movie & Still Compatible) system for AF speed increase and noise reduction in the lens, and increasing the response speed from the shutter release to the AF system activation, has been made. So fast, in fact, that the new OLYMPUS OM-D has surpassed the world record previously held by the PEN E-P3.
* As of February 8, 2012. Among interchangeable lens digital cameras on the market. The time from the moment the OLYMPUS OM-D E-M5 combined with the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ that is set to a focal length of 35mm (70mm: 35mm camera equivalent) and focused at the infinite position starts autofocusing on a subject at a distance of 1 meter until it focuses on it and starts exposure. According to Olympus's in-house test conditions.
3D tracking AF with enhanced moving object tracking performance
The goal of the previous tracking AF system was to track a subject moving mainly in the plane defined by the X- and Y-axes. As a result, tracking was delayed when the subject moved in the depthwise (Z-axis) direction. The new 3D tracking AF system performs AF tracking in all three dimensions, following the subject through the X-, Y- and Z-axes to dramatically improve tracking performance and accuracy. When the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ is mounted, sequential shooting of 4.2 fps is possible with continuous AF tracking.
35-point AF sensor with the group area selection capability
The number of focus selection areas is 35. The size of each target has been reduced slightly so fine, pinpoint AF is possible across a wider area. When it is necessary to capture a fast-moving subject accurately, the group area AF is available, which selects an area composed of 3 x 3 points from the 35 points.
Full-time AF
The full-time AF keeps the image focused even when the release button is not pressed. As this allows the camera to be in permanently focus, autofocusing can be obtained by simply pointing the camera to the subject in a shorter period than activating the S-AF by half-press of the shutter release button.
Improved AF accuracy under low light
The new Live MOS Sensor features the accuracy of AF in low brightness. The AF in dark scenes is supported by an AF illuminator with a range of about 3 meters.
Other Feature Details
9 fps fast sequential shooting
The maximum sequential shooting speed is 9 fps. Even when AF tracking is used, the maximum speed is still as high as 4.2 fps*.
* When the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ is mounted on the OLYMPUS OM-D.
Evolved Art Filters
- New Art Filter "Ligne Claire"
Key Line
This is new filter that makes the picture look more like an illustration by enhancing the edge lines. Two variations, I and II, are available according to the strength of the effects.
Normal Shooting "Key Line" Shooting
Normal Shooting "Key Line" Shooting
Pop Art
This filter enhances colors and expresses a bright, joyful atmosphere with a pop art style.
Soft Focus
This filter expresses an ethereal atmosphere with a soft tone, producing a beautiful image with fantasy-like style.
Pale & Light Color
This camera encloses the reality in front of the camera in flat, gently lighted, floating serenely in its own world, as if recalling an old memory of a landscape.
Light Tone
This filter renders both the highlights and shadows more softly to express an atmosphere like the one obtained by lighting the subject in a studio.
Grainy Film
This filter recreates the strong presence and dramatic atmosphere proper to a monochrome picture with rough grains, making the subject impressive in a style that emphasizes the theme of the picture.
Pin Hole
This filter reduces the peripheral brightness like a photo shot with a toy camera and finishes the picture in a style featuring unique color tones.
Diorama
This filter turns the real world in front of the camera into a world of toys. A rapid variation in the focus confuses the feeling of distance and the enhanced color development creates a surreal miniature world.
Cross Process
This filter reproduces an unrealistic or unstable atmosphere with unexpected color development like that produced when a positive film is developed in the negative film process with digital processing.
Gentle Sepia
This filter accentuates the soft expression overall with shadows and muted contrast, producing a graceful, old-fashioned image with a quiet atmosphere.
Dramatic Tone
This filter provides a daily landscape with a dramatic impression. It applies local changes in contrast to the image to represent the real space in a fictitious style by creating unrealistic tones of light and darkness.
- New variations "Cross Process II" and "Dramatic Tone II"
"Cross Process II" enhances the magenta compared to "Cross Process". "Dramatic Tone II" provides a monochrome finish while maintaining the effects of "Dramatic Tone".
Cross Process I Cross Process II
Cross Process I
Cross Process II
Dramatic Tone I Dramatic Tone II
Dramatic Tone I Dramatic Tone II
* During movie recording using an Art Filter, the frame rate, the use of audio recording and the use of Art Effects are determined depending on the type of the Art Filter.
- Art Filter Bracketing for recording multiple Art Filter images with a single shot
This function generates multiple pictures with different Art Filters with a single shot, enabling the user to experiment with several different photographic effects. In addition to the Art Filters, this function can also be used to select multiple picture modes including Vivid, Natural, Flat and Portrait.
- 3D Art Filters in combination with the new "3D photo" scene mode*
Art Filters can also be applied to the "3D photo" scene mode to expand the pleasure of Art Filters in the world of 3D.
* The Starlight effect cannot be applied.
Dust-/splash-proof compact external flash provided as standard
The FL-LM2 Electronic Flash featuring a compact design and the same dust-/splash-proof construction as the camera body is provided as a standard accessory in the package.
The FL-LM2 has a guide number of 10 (ISO200-m) and is compatible with wireless flash control.
FL-LM2 Electronic Flash (in the Package) FL-LM2 Electronic Flash on "OLYMPUS OM-D"
FL-LM2 Electronic Flash (in the Package) FL-LM2 Electronic Flash on "OLYMPUS OM-D"
3.0-inch swivel-type OLED monitor, capacitive touchscreen panel with fast response
The 3.0-inch OLED (organic EL) display (aspect ratio: 3:2) used as the rear-panel monitor can display video data equivalent to VGA (approx. 920,000 dots) using a special layout of 610,000 dots. With the ability to reproduce tight black and vivid color reproduction, this display provides a wide angle of view, rich color expression and high resolution, all of which are sure to enhance the joy of photography. With two color tone options of "VIVID" and "NATURAL" that can be selected from the monitor setup menu, the user can take advantage of the properties of the OLED for a vivid picture, or reproduce a tone similar to the LCD display used on PC monitors.
The rear-panel monitor can be swiveled by max. 80? upward or max. 50? downward, which is powerful in shooting from both high and low angles.
The monitor has a capacitive-type touchscreen with high response speed enabling intuitive, light-hearted operation.
Advanced movie functions
- Full-HD (MOV) movie recording function
The full-HD movie adopts the MOV format (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264) because of high PC affinity that can facilitate viewing and editing on a PC. Recording of movies in the traditional AVI (Motion JPEG) format is also available. The audio is recorded in linear PCM in both cases.
*1 With the MOV format, the file capacity is limited at about 4 GB, which corresponds to recording time of about 29 minutes with both full-HD and HD movies.
*2 With the AVI format, the file capacity is limited at about 2 GB, which corresponds to recording time of about 7 minutes with an HD movie and about 14 minutes with an SD movie.
New movie effects
Two echo effects including the One-shot echo and Multi-echo can be added to the movies.
One-shot echo Multi-echo
One-shot echo Multi-echo
One-push digital teleconverter function
The one-push digital teleconverter enables simple shooting of telephoto pictures by doubling the image size with digital processing. This function can be allocated to an Fn button for shooting a 2X close-up picture with a one-push operation. When this function is used in combination with the optional M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6R lens, a super-telephoto equivalent to 600mm of 35mm cameras can be shot easily. The output image is a high-quality image with an original number of pixels provided by the excellent image supplementation performance of the new TruePic VI image processing engine.
Two-dial system including the Mode dial and Main dial
The functions to be allocated to the two dials and the allocation methods can be selected from a wide variety.
3D photography function
In the "3D photo" scene mode, the user can record a 3D file (MPO format) by shooting the first image and then sliding the camera horizontally following the displayed guide. The recorded file can be played as a powerful 3D picture on a 3D-compatible PC or TV. The 3D lens released from other manufacturer can also be used with the camera.
Reliable, proven Dust Reduction System
If dirt or dust that penetrate the body during lens replacement attaches to the low-pass filter or image sensor, the particles captured in the image may spoil the pictures. This problem is particularly serious with the mirrorless camera because the image sensor is not covered behind the shutter screen. Olympus has attached great importance to the dust reduction as an issue unavoidable for interchangeable lens type digital SLRs since the beginning of development, and eventually succeeded in solving it. When the camera is turned ON, the SSWF (Super-Sonic Wave Filter) installed in front of the image sensor is activated to remove the dist attached to the image sensor by generating supersonic vibrations. The system exhibits sure removal performance by means of supersonic vibrations flipping away the dust that would not be dropped by simply shaking the image sensor up and down as well as fine dirt that is attached by an intermolecular force and unable to be eliminated by removing static electricity.
Live View image updating at preset intervals during bulb shooting
This function updates the Live View image on the rear-panel monitor at preset intervals during bulb shooting.
Shortview:
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Olympus OM-D E-M5 |
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| Sensor: | 16,1 MPix (4/3'' Live MOS) |
ISO: | 200-25600 | |
| Shutter: | 1/4000-60s | Cont.: | 9(3,5 IS) frames/s | |
| Monitor: | 3 inch (610.000) | Liveview: | Ja | |
| Memory: | SD(HC,XC), UHS-I-kompatibel | Since: | - | |
All Specifications: Olympus OM-D E-M5 |
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