In the year 2009, the Olympus E-P1 came out, leading everyone to realize a brand new type of camera that could be created. Smaller lenses, smaller everything. Ever since then however, both Olympus and Panasonic have not been able to release a single camera that has had the same kind of impact as the E-P1 did. Even more so, every single time another brand (Sony) innovates, and releases a camera such as the NEX-7, there is absolutely no response from both Olympus and Panasonic.

Why do you think that these two brands are having such a hard time keeping up, especially after starting the whole thing?

From a business standpoint it is difficult to match each and every new announcement from multiple manufacturers. I think that Olympus and Panasonic are doing a good job of developing new products that deepen the lines and make the format a good choice for consumers at all levels. The original EP-1 made a huge impact because it was such a radical departure from the previous course of camera manufacturers. I also think that there are also some biases that exist in many of the publications that tend to ignore many of the advances in the format while drooling over each and everything from Canon and Nikon. The very fact that Sony and others are following with their own versions says that the micro four thirds systems are successful or the other guys would be ignoring them.

I feel the same... I was extremely excited with the EP3 coming out especially with it's touch screen 35 point AF and 2 mechanical dials but NEX seems much better with 3 dials, touch screen, aps-c sensor, and EVF!!!

The only thing I'm still waiting on to buy it is reading the reviews on the camera and its quality. I'm also worried the lense selection is rather small.

With prices like these though... might as well wait for the new Canon 7D to come out in feb.

Yeah, I don't really see the problem ... are you joking?
Only thing missing is even better high iso performance ... but that will come in time ... to those who wait!

Not sure I agree;

Olympus just brought out the E-P3 with the fastest autofocus of any interchangeable lens camera.  That's pretty impressive for such a compact system, and both oly and pana are bringing out some pretty amazing prime lenses this year.  I've just got the panaleica 25mm f1.4, which is a fantastic lens - better than the canon or nikon 50mm f1.4 primes (i've owned both) and by all accounts the oly 45mm is an amazing lens too (have it on pre-order), so I think they're both making good progress.

There's always the clamor for more MP, higher ISO, etc, but all the oly and pana offerings are pretty good.  I don't think I want more than 12MP - there's no real need for it, and just makes the files slower to work with.   

I would have liked to have seen better ISO performance of the E-P3.  It has noise even at base ISO and gets pretty bad above 800 and shocking above 1600.  If they could improve the performance by a stop or two I can't think of anything else I'd change about by E-P3.

My D700 was perfect sensor-wise IMO.  I was 100% happy with the 12MP and ISO performance.  If the E-P3 could have got to that point (ok, it's 1/4 the size, but  it's 2 years on from the D700 launch) it'd have said it was the perfect camera.

Edit:
Oh, actually there is one other thing;  When I bought my G12 I thought the articulated LCD was a bit of a gimmick, but I quickly changed my mind once I started using it, and now I miss it - it's great being able to brace the camera at chest level with elbows into waist - made up for not having a proper view finder as it gave a different way not to have to hold the camera all wobbly at arms length.  I guess I just  need to by an EVF to make up for that, but I read somewhere there's a new one on the way, so I'll wait a bit on that.

Great to hear other opinions here, keep them coming!

Same camera with a slightly different body,,, how can anyone here even remotely call that advancing. Oh i am sorry the P3 can focus a little faster.

That is rehashing a mediocre product. They have made no technilogical advances period.

P1, 2, 3 and pl1 and all variations... its all the same camera with only tiny variations in the physical body.

They didnt even attempt to fix the unusable iso from 800 upward. (Shooting raw and using adobe raw to reduce noise is the ticket)

Some one please explain how olympus is keeping up with the competition.

Atleast panasonic and sony advanced their cameras. But only slightly.

Olympus can start by giving it a real viewfinder that works for all lenses, fix the horrid iso, give the body a REAL grip so you can actually hold on to it and just in general make a better camera.... but they cant... they just change the body and say oh look,,, its a new and better camera.

When you look at a product and can find no real reason to upgrade.... well, need i say more.

I somehow agree to v_lestat's comments. All the Pens are very similar; to less-enthusiastic users than those posting here, there may be no apparent change or improvement at all. Most people are still mainly driven by pixel number and size of the camera - the former shall be huge, the latter either small ("handy") or huge, too (a "real" camera, ya know?).

In the big electronics shops, the guys usually crowd around those "real" cameras, i.e. DSLRs and impressive zoom lenses 10-800mm/f0.95. Some nerds try and grope Panasonic's GH2 & Co., but the Pens are mostly ignored.

From a technical point of view, the E-P3 is really a nice improvement. From the marketing perspective, Olympus is doing a lousy job (just my two cents). I am a good example: I would have never even considered the E-P1 in the first place. The missing EVF was simply not acceptable to me. Instead, the (at this time) brand-new GH2 really attracted my attention. Why? It simply looked like a small, but still "real" camera; just like my DSLR. I wasn't looking for another compact camera (which I considered the E-P1 to be, just from the look of it).

Only later, after reading numerous reviews and opinions, I started to have think about the Pen. Main reason, however, was the price difference; the E-P1 was simply much cheaper (50%) compared to the GH2.

In my opinion, there are far too many Pen models. In addition, I think the E-P2 should have been the real E-P1, as the E-P1 was not only missing an EVF, but also the option of attaching an external one. The E-P3 would have been a good E-P2 in case of a better sensor. To me, not the frequency of Olympus releasing new cameras is the problem, but the step size is. So they are probably not too quick, but too slow, as a new model simply has not enough stunning and visible features.

Z.

Im going trough dejavu here, is this a re-post?
anyway, its hard to see whos ahead in the endless race of camera tech, and while sony did deliver on the pixels (resolution itself is yet to be seen) theyre still behind on lenses. Panny is yet to release the GF pro and when the x lenses get released with whatever camera they come with (panny has been working forever on that filterless foveon like sensor) sony fans will probably think that they are behind.

Besides, apart from 1/3-1/2 a stop in noise control (at the cost of resolution no less), I dont think the best from M4/3s is behind at all.

You mention f/2.0 zooms, I think C/N/P/S all do f/2.8 as their FAST zooms as their tyical offerings... f/2. Where expect Olympus and few 4/3 SHQ lenses....

I think many want f/2 because the DOV will be as f/4 on FF lens on a FF camera.. So, I can understand that part... BUT, it is still f/2 in light gathering as far as the lens optics... Different size sensors will change that a bit as far HOW fast the sensor will gather light....larger sensors will react faster because of the larger photosites....So, m4/3 may not catch up there.

But, f/2 requires a lot of optical excellence in design and glass choices to reduce flair, and other natural lens errors as the element gets bigger... SO, I'd Expect f/2.8 as fast Zoom offering in PRO Zooms, to keep Retail with-in reach...

I don't they are behind curve, it is still a fairly new system camera, and many of the newer camera's have evolved quite nicely... and the Body/Sensor must be up to par first, before great and fast Zoom lenses are added to the mix...I think this is the 1st year that P/O has a body to warrant some great glass development.

I'm still trying to figure out what is the curve.  The entire point of m43 is smaller and lighter without sacrificing image quality.  Sure, Sony and Samsung are first to market APS-C sensors with 20MP+, which is great.  But, I won't be surprised to see a Panasonic 20MP this winter 2012.  My only want/need for more MP is to shoot wide and crop, which most average users will never even think of doing.  We still haven't seen raw image samples from Sony or Samsung yet.  Clean high ISO is another one of those nice to have features, but most will never take advantage of it.  How often do you go touristing around in the dark where you need high ISO? 

I think Sony and Samsung have a much more difficult battle with being "too big for a compact".  The a77 evf instead of optical vf should be an interesting experiment to see what the market wants.  If the NEX7 wins over the a77, then the DSLR is dead.  There will always be a need for full frame sensor just like there is a need for medium format and large format, but for the average travelling photog m43 is the best option today imho.  I love walking up next to your typical tourist with too big camera and lens, and pop off my 17mm to put on the 40-150mm just to show off.  They always give me that look like "yeah, my camera is old, I need to upgrade to one of those little ones when the economy gets better".

I'm not sure mft is behind anyone's curve. The GH2 is a hell of a camera, it arguably does a lot of things better than any of the aps-c competition. Olympus is consolidating a pretty lively niche market and still makes a first rate DSLR. Canikon have the advantage of a big selection of high quality optics, Sony has to contend with that too. I think cameras with mirrors are a dead end and just as Panasonic and Sony are the two biggest competitors in video they will eventually displace Canikon. I think Panasonic's next generation sensor will answer all the Sony challenges and probably introduce some innovations of their own.

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I think Panasonic's next generation sensor will answer all the Sony challenges and probably introduce some innovations of their own.

Agreed, the never ending race makes users think someone is always behind

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