Olympus announces plans for Micro Four Thirds cameraAlmost two months ago, Olympus and Panasonic introduced the Micro Four Thirds Standard, a new imaging system built on the current Four Thirds Standard that Olympus is employing for its dSLRs. However, it was Panasonic, not Olympus, which first unveiled a camera to use the new format and we wondered if Olympus was lagging behind.
 The Pen-F camera. Will Olympus' new Micro Four Thirds camera look similar? The Japanese firm said the mockup of its first Micro Four Thirds camera will be seen at Photokina, an imaging tradeshow taking place from 23 to 28 September in Cologne, Germany. Olympus was unable to provide any more details about this camera except to say that it is currently in development. The product name, launch date and estimated retail price were not available at press time. Shutterbugs are speculating that this new shooter will sport the same style as the company's Pen-series of rangefinder cameras that were popular in the 1960s and 1970s. As snappers utilizing the new system don't have mirrors to reflect light or optical viewfinders, it is theoretically possible to design the new product without being restricted to traditional blueprints. If Olympus does engineer its new snapper to look like its heritage cameras, it may fuel a new design trend for imaging products.  The E-series dSLR that Olympus plans to announce in first quarter of 2009. Keeping in mind that current Four Thirds lenses can be used on a Micro Four Thirds camera body via an adapter, Olympus will have a wide range of optics available for the new camera system when it is launched. This will also give Olympus an edge over Panasonic which currently has only a small handful of lenses made for the Four Thirds system. While the Japanese firm is not looking to replace dSLRs, we expect Micro Four Thirds cameras to give budget dSLRs a tough fight as both systems have similar target audiences--current point-and-shoot users looking to upgrade to a more sophisticated system without the bulk and weight of the big guns. Samsung has also expressed interest in this field and has stated that it will unveil an interchangeable lens system camera using an APS-C-sized sensor by 2010. Expect the competition to really heat up then.
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