Camera Labs

Olympus has already stated that the EM-5 is not their pro m4/3 model, so....

I would assume that the eventual replacement for the regular 4/3 will come about in the following way:

1. Olympus will introduce an EM-50 which will replace the E-30 for enthusiasts - essentially a cut-down EM-5 without weather sealing and fewer control points.

2. The EP-3 line will inherit the new sensor and be the 'prosumer PEN' while the EM-1 line will continue for P&S upgraders as a stripped-down body. The E-PL line will be discontinued.

3. Olympus will introduce and E-7 with much hype leading to disappointment with much of the guts of the E-M5. This will require minimal R&D as they'll keep the same E-5 body/chassis. This will be the final curtain of the 4/3 line.

4. They will then introduce a "pro" EM-7 (with the same senor, but *tweeked* - lol) which will have improvements for AF with regular 4/3 lenses. This model will also have some form of electronic focus peaking.

Including the E-5, Olympus now produce 5 bodies. I believe the 5 bodies in production this time next year will be:
-Pen E-M2
-Pen E-P5
-OMD EM-50
-OMD EM-5
-E-7

Meanwhile, Panasonic will have introduced their latest generation 4/3 chip via the GH3 and Olympus users will be lamenting the old-tech of their 16mp chips as Olympus recycle the technology in *tweeked* form into their bodies for the next 4 years

As for lenses, Once the two Olly primes and the two Panny fast zooms are released this year, I don't see how more lenses will be needed to be released (aside from updates / mark II lenses). For those in need of fast zooms, the current 4/3 line-up has excellent examples which when coupled with improved AF on m4/3 and the addition of a grip will prove sufficient.

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/53061745@N02/

Panasonic G3: 9-18mm, 14mm, 20mm, 45mm

No E-P4 and E-PL4? You think they would skip a number to P5? I know 4 is a "bad luck" number in the far east, but is it significant enough to skip?

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

Being Asian, I dont remember hearing that 4 is bad luck lol.

I have a belief that Olympus kinda has a good thing going for it at the moment. I really want the resurrected PEN and the resurrected OM line to continue and be sucessfull because they sure need that competitive edge that they used to have in the past.

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1) Olympus OM1 [Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8]
2) Pentax MZ-60 [Sigma 28-90 & 100-300]
3) Canon 7D [EF-S 15-85 & 70-200mm f/4 IS]

Leo's Flickr Page

The number 4 can be pronounced like "death" so is considered unlucky in at the least Chinese and Japanese cultures. I'm not sure about the intensity of the belief though. Maybe they don't go as far as, in parts of the West, not having a 13th floor in buildings, or 13th row in aircraft seats. It doesn't seem to have stopped Nikon doing a D4 for example.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

There was no Panasonic LX4...

So a lot later now and no E-P5, but an E-PL5 instead. For the rest we will have to wait and see, but I think an E-7 is becoming less likely.
O... and you got the sensor wrong

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Olympus E-500, 12-60, 40-150, 70-300