If the Olympus Pen F Mk II Ever Comes Out, This is What I Want

compact cameras Olympus Pen F

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I really, really do hope that Olympus is considering making another high end Pen F camera. They tend to say that those cameras don’t work for them. But Nikon said the same thing about the Df. Then we got the Nikon ZFc, that’s proving to have a lot of hype. Nikon learned from their mistakes, for the most part. So why can’t Olympus? With that said, I’m still holding out hope for an Olympus Pen F Mk II. I’d love to see one.

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Hope for a New Pen F? OM System 20mm f1.4 Review

Over what seemed to be an AOL 9.0 internet connection, the folks at OM Digital solutions briefed the press on the new OM-System 20mm f1.4. Typically, I’m respectful and sit through the entire thing. But I knew that as soon as I saw the lens that I didn’t need to sit, though. My eyes brightened. The nostalgia of the early mirrorless camera era coursed through me. Could it really be? Is the new OM Digital solutions company really going to find a way to diversify its portfolio again? Rendering the visual equivalent of a 40mm f2.8 on a Micro Four Thirds sensor, the OM System 20mm f1.4 is a fantastic lens. And quite honestly, it’s probably one of my favorite lenses to be released this year.

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The Olympus Pen F Is Really Affordable if You Buy It Used

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The Olympus Pen F is a highly coveted camera that had a few unfortunate problems. Regardless, it’s still incredibly popular and awesome. Olympus gave this camera some of the best black and white rendering I’ve seen. They’ve told us it was been inspired by some Kodak film emulsions, but we were never clear on whether or not it was T-MAX or Tri-X. It also wasn’t weather sealed and didn’t have a joystick. But that means it’s nearly perfect for a manual focus lens. You can pair it with a Voigtlander 17.5mm f0.95 lens and thoroughly enjoy using it all day. It’s hard to find brand new because there are so many issues with components right now. But you can get it in used condition for a good price right now. If you’ve wanted one for a while, I’d recommend acting fast before second-hand market prices shoot back up.

A Laser Artist Gave My Cameras a Refreshing Look

As photographers, we are immersed in a world of creativity,  expression, and individuality. Our craft is one that we pursue to create something that evokes emotion and thought, insight, and so much more. And as we continue on our journey as artists, because that is what I believe we are, we find that outside of the actual art itself, there is little in the way of individuality and expression when it comes to our equipment. Sure, some of the more adventurous among us may venture into the world of film if we only shoot digital, and some of us may start adapting vintage glass to use on our digital cameras. However, at the end of the day, we are still left with equipment that looks like every other photographer’s gear. But what if you get bored of the same black box with the same familiar lens attached?

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Does Panasonic Have Big Plans for Rangefinder-Style Cameras?

The Panasonic GX10 is apparently in the works and will go head to head with other Rangefinder-style cameras.

We’re suckers for Rangefinders. In fact, a lot of photographers love the look and feel of these cameras. They remind us of days gone by, and honestly, they’re a nice break from the normal, often quite boring DSLR-style cameras on the market. Panasonic has made a few Rangefinder-style cameras in the past. However, it’s been a while since we’ve been excited about one. This could be about to change, though. Panasonic has been making noise about a GX10. Could Panasonic beat OM Digital Solutions to market with a new Micro Four Thirds Rangefinder camera? Let’s talk about this after the break.

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Get Excited, the Pen F II Might Be Made! Here’s What We’d Love to See

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The Olympus Pen F will go down as one of the best compact Mirrorless cameras of all time. It’s gorgeous retro design, the capable 20-megapixel sensor, and the way it rendered black and white images made it a stand out performer. However, it had one fatal flaw. Water to the Olympus Pen F was like Kryptonite to Superman. The lack of weather sealing was a deal-breaker to many. However, there is a chance that this weakness will be fixed. According to one Olympus manager, the Pen F II is being considered. We and so many others would love that. Here’s what we’d love to see in the Pen F II.

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How the Olympus Pen F Stole This Photographer’s Heart

I had to catch my breath when I looked at the photos.

I remember when I was introduced to the Olympus Pen F before it was officially announced. The Olympus PR reps sold the black and white photo rendition to me very hard. So I shot RAW+JPEG with it just in case. But as the trip went on, all I cared about were the stunning black and white photos. As the Editor in Chief of a photography blog, it’s my job to test products how they’re meant to be used. Tech publications won’t usually do that. But this was the first time I saw even the editors of tech publications be surprised by the image quality. Paired with the beautiful Voigtlander 17mm f0.95 lens, it felt nearly impossible to take a bad photo with the Olympus Pen F.

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The Classic Look: 3 Cameras That Capture Black and White Beautifully

Better black and white images start in the camera, and these three deliver some of the best that we’ve seen.

“Black and white creates a strange dreamscape that color never can,” is a quote by photographer Jack Antaonoff. And if you’re smitten with black and white photography, you know this to be true. Even the process of thinking in black and white is an entirely different one that engages your brain like no other. There are super pricey black and white cameras out there that are especially designed for it. And then some cameras shoot both color and black and white. Except that with their black and white simulations, it seems like there’s just an extra layer of charm. So we went through our Reviews Index to scour for a few cameras that we positively adore for their black and white simulations, which begs the question: why do you need these cameras? Well, you don’t. But photography as a hobby is all about passion and adoration. And what better way to fuel your passion than with a camera that does black and white, right?

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Someone Stuffed a New Olympus Pen into a Vintage Pen F Body

If you‘ve ever wanted a beautifully retro-styled Olympus Pen mirrorless camera, it can’t get any more retro than this!

With the steady popularity of retro-styled digital cameras, we can assume that camera companies will continue to draw inspiration from classic designs and iconic models. However, it’s also reasonable to expect that these modern takes on the classics can only go as far. So, if you have a specific vintage camera that you hope would see a digital version, your best bet is often a third-party digital back (although it will most likely look a little unwieldy and clunky). Unless, you have the guts, patience, and talent for tinkering and making your own — or you’re an Olympus fan and would be willing to settle for a vintage Olympus Pen F combined with a digital PEN E-PM1!

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All I Want Is a New Olympus Pen F Camera with the Best JPEGs Around

compact cameras Olympus Pen F

While I’m sure the Olympus OMD EM5 Mk III is a great camera, I really just wanted a new Pen F.

Earlier today, Olympus announced their new OMD EM5 Mk III camera with a fair amount of new tech, along with some recycled tech derived from their higher-end cameras. Some will deny Olympus and Micro Four Thirds their rights to the camera market, but I’d disagree. They’re often tied with Fujifilm for having some of the best ergonomics, and I think the way to approach shooting them is completely different. The way you think about a Leica M or the Leica SL’s use in a different wavelength than other camera makers is how you should think with Olympus. While our entire industry embraces the philosophy of shooting in RAW and editing later, I’ve gone against that philosophy for a while. I opt to get it right in-camera as much as possible as we shouldn’t be using post-production as a crutch. To that end, embracing the unique tech inside of Olympus cameras is worthwhile. All of this could have been better emphasized with a beautiful, revamped Olympus Pen F camera.

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Olympus Finally Brings Profoto AirTTL Support For Their High End Cameras

It’s been really long overdue, but high end Olympus camera users will finally be getting Profoto AirTTL radio strobe support. Years ago, Olympus announced their initiative to create a professional style of mirrorless camera with the original OMD EM5. Then the OMD EM1 came out and the Mk II versions for each of those cameras–and it was still missing a fantastic off-camera flash option that had full integration into the Olympus system. But today, that changes with Profoto now coming on board to offer support for their AirTTL flashes. To that end, Profoto is releasing the new Profoto Air Remote TTL-O.

All this support comes with a brand new firmware update for the Olympus OMD EM1 Mk II, Olympus OMD EM5 Mk II and the Olympus Pen-F.

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Review: Olympus Pen F

If you were to make me pick between Fujifilm and Olympus, I’d probably go with Fujifilm–but the Olympus Pen F is the one camera that has so far completely caught my heart this year. Ergonomically speaking and from a design aspect, it is the absolute most beautiful digital camera that anyone has ever created to this point–trumping even what Leica can do.

It’s a first for the camera company in many ways. The Olympus Pen F the first camera positioned strictly at the high end enthusiast, the first camera with a megapixel count of more than 16MP on the sensor, the first digital Pen camera with a built-in viewfinder, and in some ways it’s the first digital Pen camera to make you sit there and say, “Uhhh, what?”

The cause of this confusion is the price point. It’s fairly high; though a good argument can be made for it being fair.

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First Impressions: Olympus Pen F

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Olympus Pen F product images (9 of 9)ISO 4001-160 sec

Years ago, Olympus brought out the Olympus OMD series of cameras which were aesthetically and ergonomically perfect at the start. The OMD series grew and the Pen series continued to evolve alongside it. But today, Olympus is announcing yet another Pen camera–but this a camera designed to live alongside the other Pen cameras. It’s called the Olympus Pen F. The nomenclature is a direct callback to the the company’s history of creating half-frame cameras back in the film days. But instead of this camera being targeted at the families and the everyday consumer that the original Pen was, the Pen F is being targeted at the street photographer, the artist, and the photographer who appreciates fine aesthetics.

As a lover of rangefinder style camera bodies, Olympus has sold me already–yet as of my writing this posting I’ve only spent a couple of hours with the camera here in Austin, Texas where they’ve flown in many prominent journalists in the photo industry.

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