Breaking news: New Olympus flagship: OM-D E-M1 (updated)

[Thanks to Bert.]

Like many expected, Olympus has made a new flagship model. A real professional model, despite the E-M5, had been missing from the Micro Four Thirds line, and I think this will do them good. I think it will boost the public perception of the whole Olympus line, and will sell to serious photographers like hot Danes. (If they are not silly enough to price it over two grand. That would be dumb.)

It's not exactly pretty. But otherwise it seems like the dream cameras for pros/semipros. The faintly silly grip is a great way of making it bigger and more userfriendly without making it seem much bigger. (I think the newest Panasonic GH is too big.)  And it will use the outstandingly good lenses Olympus made for the Four Thirds line before Micro Four Thirds was invented. It uses dual autofocus modes to take advantage of both the newer and the older kinds of lenses, and should be very fast either way. 

They must have been working on this for… like four years. One always got the feeling that the em5 was not meant to be the flagship model. (I wonder if they will "do a Nikon" and name the next one E-M2, etc, or "do a Canon" and keep the E-M1 moniker for all eternity for the flagship?) (If the former, they'll have a problem in about 8 years.)

We have almost no data yet. Currently it seems like a strengthened E-M5, tougher, frost-safe, better to hold in tough conditions, and with strong remote control abilities via tablet. 

Next: Updated pictures per 24 August. Looks better, I think. Wonder why.
The lens is upcoming high-end lens in the popular type, fast, big, short zoom, wide to long-normal, expensive, top optics. I'm not interested in the short reach (80mm), but certain pros like them, I'm guessing photo journalism, who are close to people all day long.

I wonder if they will bring out a silver model? It doesn't really seem designed for it, somehow, doesn't have that straight-line metal-plate look. It would be a pity, I think the silver E-M5 is gorgeous. But of course how it works is primary.

The earlier E-M5. I think the black E-M1 looks cheap somehow next to it.