My Dream PEN (as of now…)

NO, this is NOT a digital camera, neither is it the upcoming E-P3. This is my Olympus RC film rangefinder. I just hope Olympus will remember they ever made so many FAST and legendary lenses in history and why should they stop doing it? The other collectibles are the Olympus 35SP: 40/1.7 and the Olympus 35RD: 40/1.7.

Since the announcement of the Fuji X100 which made so many photographers drool for it (including me), I started thinking what I would like the next PEN to be. This is my wish list:

1. To have the dials on the E-P1/2

2. MUST have “auto-rotate” feature

3. 3-inch high resolution LCD with 360 degree tilt and swivel capability

4. Back LCD display to show filename, ISO, S, A, WB, Quality, format, date and time all at once. I like the way the NEX’s display shows the necessary info. I find the E-PL1’s display of pixel dimensions, in-camera sequence number unnecessary and the fonts too big.

5. Same MF assist system like the NEX (half-press shutter to exit magnification)

6. Useable ISO6400

7. AF infra red assist beam option

8. Full HD Video

9. Weather-proof body as an option (E-P3 tough?)

10. NEW collapsible kit zoom lens: m-zuiko 12-42mm F3.3-4.5 msc internal focusing type

11. External electronic viewfinder VF-2 can still be separate as I would like to keep the body small

12. Better AF capability in lowlight

13. 5 frames per sec

14. Lens hood bundled

15. Additional hook by the side with option to strap camera sideways

16. Additional accessory: leather hand strap

I think I am expecting reasonable improvements to the current PENs available which Olympus is well capable of producing. Personally, I am willing to pay MYR2500 (USD800) for a normal body and MYR3500 (USD1133) for a weather-proof body bundled with the NEW kit lens with hood. (well, the new kit lens can have a weather-proof version). I do hope the price of the VF-2 can be reduced to MYR800 (USD260).

This is the list of lenses I hope Olympus will produce other than the new kit lens I hope for mentioned above:

1. mzd 17/1.8 msc (effective 35mm great for street-shooting)

2. mzd 50/1.8 msc (effective 100mm great for portraits and candids)

3. mzd 30/2.8 macro msc (effective 60mm great for close distance macro)

My first preference setup (since I ‘m not a hardcore macro guy) will be E-P3 with 12-42/3.3-4.5, 17/1.8, 50/1.8, 9-18(spare), if necessary 75-300(for safari). The kit zoom will be able to do general macro which is good enough for me.

All the above is just my dream. My fingers are always crossed as to what Olympus will produce next. Being a lover of Olympus’s Jpegs, I do hope for the best in the development of Olympus.