Rumors!!1!

4/3s addicts I have tantalizing news. It is 99% sure that Olympus will launch a "very high end" camera first qtr '19. Nobody has any information on specs so speculation is running wild.

In '16 & '17 Oly patented 7 very fast prime lenses TO COVER FULL FRAME SENSORS. This of course caused a lot of speculation. I spoke to a recently retired upper management type from the tech division and he isn't impressed with the idea of a full frame Olympus. Why launch a while new product line that flies in the face of company philosophy for, in his words, no technological or image quality gain?

He off handedly tossed out that Oly wouldn't crawl into that box when everything they've done since 1974 has been outside the conventional camera box. Think about a square sensor slightly larger than the 17.3 mm long 4/3 dimension, say 17.5 or 18 mm with 50 mpxl. Now think of using a fn button to switch from horizontal to vertical instead of turning the camera. How about shooting 50-100 mpxl images by shifting the sensor a whole pixel in 8 directions, combining the images and doing it hand held?

He said the philosophy is to build a 4/3 lens collection and upgrade bodies. Oly has dedicated a lot of R&D to optics to that end developing a line of f1.2 weatherproof prime lenses.

Finally be confided that there is a new super tele zoom to be announced soon, 150-400mm. He would not confirm or deny my supposition that it would be weatherproof with in lens IS that works with the in body IS, be f 5.6-6.3 and compatible with the 1.4 converter already available. Priced to compete with the Panasonic 100-400.