> IS is well and alive at Olympus and in fact in the labs, it is available
> in
> at least three different design prototype platforms. Olympus will release
> IS
> extremely soon.
That't the good news.
we are constantly debating
> over the necessity of IS from a true photographic sense because we have
> pro
> users who tell us that they don't need them
And that;s the bad. It's not utility, but competetive pressure. As to the
influence of pros, I remember an article in a photo magazine in the
seventies by Keppler or someone like him. The gist was, if pros were left to
things, we would never have had a Nikon F, but we would stilll be shooting
with SP's. The profitable market is the advanced amateur market, doctors,
etc. They have the money to get the new tech off the ground.
> Another very strong issue at Olympus is that IS draws power very badly
> particularly for the in-lens design types
My wife has a 80-400 VR nikkor that she has used extensively in Africa. On
the last trip, she started with a lightly used set of lithium batteries in
an N80, and came home with them still good, after about 70 rolls. Generally,
it was set on continous. I've not seen battery use as a problem.
>
> I consider it to be a potentially fatal competetive error, perhaps even
> more
>> than the lack of the E-x.
I stand by that judgement.
>
> IS will make its way with the brand new E-xx and very unlikely to be seen
> in
> the E-3 or even the E-2. Olympus maintains a very pure stand on this
> issue.
I feel that it is both a competetive issue, and is quite utilitarian. A 2 to
three stop gain in hand-holdability is always more valuable than a change in
ISO, due to noise. The sensor with equal noise at 100 and 800 is a long way
from here.
>I assume part of the attraction of the Leica zoom for the new Panason*c
>is the IS.
>
>Moose
It is for me. As mentioned earlier, I am about at the time that I feel it's
right to get a digital slr, both technically and financially. My current
hope is that the new EEE body will be good, and the PanaLeica lens will be
available without the body.
Perhaps it's because I can't imagine an earthly use for live view, but I see
IS as important, and live view a niche product.
I do hope that there is a way to get a 12mp sensor in 4/3 size with low
noise at 800iso. Don't see it happening, but I still hope.
I've always thought that Olympus is a company with phenominal R&D, but weak
marketing. Although there was the problem with AF, the level of pro support
in the US was abysmal. that's where Canon got the leap over Nikon. It gave
them the visibility that got the affluent amateur interested. White lenses
to reflect heat? More likely to draw attention. Canon has been superior at
marketing for at least 30 years.
I still have hopes for Photokina...
Bill Pearce
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