Hi All,I've been some time away from this forum and other information sources. Cause i'm looking for an E-5 and was looking for a camera-bag i entered the forum again. What i notice is that is see a lot of messages of discontinue from Four Thirds product. That doesn't make me that happy, but i can not find any official announcements about it. Could you please give me some links to information about the future where Olympus Four Thirds is going?I also noticed that prices for the 12-60SWD and 50-200SWD went up (did i miss something here?) for those companies who are still selling Olympus DSLR stuff. Luckily i've them already. Normally i would expect it to go down to get rid of it ASAP. (i would like an 90-250 F2.8 for EUR 100,00Even when the E-5 is going the last one (snif snif) i'm thinking about ordering one in the coming future, because i've some nice lenses already and i would prefer the extra stop win in low light situations. I'm certainly not looking for the micro Four Thirds stuff.Anyhow, if you've some official or near to official links with information please post them, so i get an clear idea of whats going on.Thank you.

The only place I've heard about 4/3 format DSLR coming to an end is on forums like this one and on rumor websites. Olympus hasn't said that. Rather they acknowledge that m4/3 can't do what a DSLR can do and they will continue to make and sell DSLRs until a mirrorless body can meet or exceed the capabilities of a DSLR.Camera makers just don't reveal what's coming before it's released. We're not going to hear about future DSLR bodies from Olympus until they are ready to market it. -- Dave No thought exists without an image. Socrates http://whaleshark.smugmug.com

http://www.megapixel.co.il/english/archive/14631"We see the mirrorless system as the future of digital photography. In 5-10 years reflex cameras will be a niche or will not be there at all. So we believe that PEN in the long run will also be in the professional market – but that will take maybe 2-3 years."Notice also on slide #8: "The E5 fills the pro gap until the "Pen Pro" becomes available in a couple of years." This is a pretty clear indication that they intend to stop making DSLR's altogether eventually.

LavenderLily16wrote:http://www.megapixel.co.il/english/archive/14631"We see the mirrorless system as the future of digital photography. In 5-10 years reflex cameras will be a niche or will not be there at all. So we believe that PEN in the long run will also be in the professional market – but that will take maybe 2-3 years."Notice also on slide #8: "The E5 fills the pro gap until the "Pen Pro" becomes available in a couple of years." This is a pretty clear indication that they intend to stop making DSLR's altogether eventually.They absolutely intend to. But unless they answer the mail on some key points...their DSLR line still has an audience, therefore, still has a future. When I see the slow pace of development on certain key fronts...I'm pretty confident that e-5 won't be the last e-series dslr they make. Frankly...I'd love for them to prove me wrong.

ArnoBrinkmanwrote:Hi All,I've been some time away from this forum and other information sources. Cause i'm looking for an E-5 and was looking for a camera-bag i entered the forum again. What i notice is that is see a lot of messages of discontinue from Four Thirds product. That doesn't make me that happy, but i can not find any official announcements about it. Could you please give me some links to information about the future where Olympus Four Thirds is going?I also noticed that prices for the 12-60SWD and 50-200SWD went up (did i miss something here?) for those companies who are still selling Olympus DSLR stuff. Luckily i've them already. Normally i would expect it to go down to get rid of it ASAP. (i would like an 90-250 F2.8 for EUR 100,00Even when the E-5 is going the last one (snif snif) i'm thinking about ordering one in the coming future, because i've some nice lenses already and i would prefer the extra stop win in low light situations. I'm certainly not looking for the micro Four Thirds stuff.Anyhow, if you've some official or near to official links with information please post them, so i get an clear idea of whats going on.Thank you.The future for 4/3 is:E-5 and possible replacement for it down the lineE-## (replacement or upgrade for E-30) which was mentioned as possible by Olympus..E-### cameras are discontinued. Most retailers list them as discontinued. Some re-furbished 620 were available, but those have dried up.At the time of E-5 release, Olympus said that the up-grade path fopr the E-### series was M4/3.You should be "good to go" with an E-5, as Olympus is still making and selling lenses for 4/3, but havve said that they are not developing any NEW 4/3 lenses at this time, in order to concentrate on supplying the needed depth of coverage for M4/3.The E-5 is a great camera if the photos Im seeing on the forum are any example of what it does.. If you are satisfied with the line-up of 4/3 lenses as they now exist, you shouldn't hesitate.There are rumors in the rumor mills about almost anything you might wish to see, but most of them are probably made from "whole cloth" and as usual are the wishful thinking of photographic wannabees. -- Larry Lynch Mystic, ConnecticutIn all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane. Oscar Wilde

Yes, they have said that. But they did not say that there will be no 4/3 body. Imagine a 4/3 mirrorless cam with 10 fr/sec, or with electronic shutter 30 fr/sec, heavy enough with good grip for the bigger lenses, EVF as good as the OVF now.... Let come that E11!

Well guys, the good thing in forums like this is the possibility to stress out feelings, rumors and so on without any extra penalty (LOL). I'm also a Oly owner and the only feature I really regret on my body (now old e420) is the lack of IS. Apart from it, I love my few lenses (14-42, 18-180 and 70-300), the menus, functionality, etc. Even investing recently on another system (Canon 600D), I still want to keep shooting on Olys as no other camera gives me the same colors. I just talked to a friend who will let his EPL1 with me over this next weekend. That will be my first effective experience shooting on M43s + 43s lens & adapter. Let's see how accurate the feedback from other users really match the results or not (slow AF, etc). Again, as there's no penalty to speculate on the future of Oly, I never read anything official regarding the 43s system will be discontinued. I guess not as it'd be a very bad joke as the E5 is still less than one year old. The only thing I got from a salesman around my place late in 2010 is that Oly will keep launching compact bodies in 2011 (read M43s) to regain focus and traction again on mid-size bodies (E-50?) on 2012 and onwards. If they stop relying only on Panny's sensors, it will be definitely a huge improvement by itself. I think one of the reasons Oly's still struggling to fulfill us is the requirement to be subjected to Panny's priorities, hence holding Oly to step ahead. That's my two cents!

Thank you, this is the kind of information where i'm interested in.

What Oly probably means: 4/3 might come to an end when m4/3 is as good as 4/3: What Oly says : see http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1022&message=38529661

From Olympus last official announcement:E-5 is very successful and we plan a long life cycle for this product.And again, we will stop our SLR business only in case we will be able to provide similar qualities in MFT.”I hope this gives you the answer you were looking for.Source:http://www.43rumors.com/olympus-official-statement-about-the-missing-e-5-in-european-olympus-stores/