Samsung have announced a micro four-thirds-like system

[bousozoku]

They're supposedly not copying Olympus and Panasonic. Could it be the other way round?

http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/ne...hybrid_digital_camera_system_news_266738.html

 

[drakon09]

Well, it's just a matter of time for the electronics giants, i.e. Panasonic, Samsung and Sony to attempt to carve out a new market segment - it'll be difficult to convert the pros out of CaNikon. Sony, in particular, has committed tremendous resources to the camera business over the last couple of years, but has only managed to jostle in among the smaller players, i.e. Pentax, Olympus.

It wouldn't be surprising to see Sony joining in the fray soon - the three big boys are huge, either one of them are probably bigger than Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Olympus combined. Given that Sony and Panasonic have traditionally been very strong in the digital compact segment, taking the next step to create an interchangeable-lens compact is natural - they've gotten their feet wet in the SLR business, thanks to Olympus, Pentax and Konica-Minolta.

So know-how is not an issue and combining it with deep pockets for R & D, they just may dominate the consumer, the largest and most profitable, segment. In my personal view, the primarily camera-business players such as Nikon and Pentax, may be in for a tough time - Canon and Olympus still have their office automation and wafer fabrication business, and medical imaging business to fall back on respectively. But of course, they'll suffer nonetheless.

 

[Mikefellh]

I would have thought there was already a message or two about this here...I guess I'm on too many forums.

If Samsung had really been the first to initiate this idea, how come they are so far behind Olympus & Panasonic?

 

[egnaro]

I would have thought there was already a message or two about this here...I guess I'm on too many forums.

If Samsung had really been the first to initiate this idea, how come they are so far behind Olympus & Panasonic?

Becuz Olympus Pana work harder then Samsung? :dunno:

 

[bousozoku]

...
Sony, in particular, has committed tremendous resources to the camera business over the last couple of years, but has only managed to jostle in among the smaller players, i.e. Pentax, Olympus.
...

I'm surprised that Sony hasn't dumped their SLR business already. K-M had such a reputation for mediocrity and that seems to be Sony's main product these days, though they've improved on what K-M was doing. I think they're selling fewer SLR-related items in the U.S.A. than K-M was.

I could imagine that Sony will join Panasonic and Samsung, just to save face but almost no one here will care. Samsung is hot now and Panasonic have come a long way toward replacing Sony here.

 

[drakon09]

I'm surprised that Sony hasn't dumped their SLR business already. K-M had such a reputation for mediocrity and that seems to be Sony's main product these days, though they've improved on what K-M was doing. I think they're selling fewer SLR-related items in the U.S.A. than K-M was.

I could imagine that Sony will join Panasonic and Samsung, just to save face but almost no one here will care. Samsung is hot now and Panasonic have come a long way toward replacing Sony here.

But I wouldn't discount Sony though - they have a history of bouncing back from flops e.g. Betamax, MiniDisc. They are tenacious, to say the least, and have shown that they're not afraid to put their money where their mouth is.

 

[bousozoku]

But I wouldn't discount Sony though - they have a history of bouncing back from flops e.g. Betamax, MiniDisc. They are tenacious, to say the least, and have shown that they're not afraid to put their money where their mouth is.

Don't forget L-cassette. I was ready to buy into that. Betamax wasn't really a flop and is probably still being used commercially, in digital format. Apple's Firewire was considered a flop, too, but it's in most upscale equipment.

I know not to count them out, and they're expected to release the 35mm frame body maybe next week, so that should be interesting since it has 24 MP.

I just hope that Olympus/Panasonic and whoever else actually prove that they're thinking ahead or this is all for naught.

 

[gooseberry]

If Samsung had really been the first to initiate this idea, how come they are so far behind Olympus & Panasonic?

Based on what was announced by Panasonic/Olympus and Samsung - how can you come to the conclusion that Samsung is so far behind ?

Olympus and Panasonic announced that "they will work jointly toward commercial production of significantly lighter and more compact interchangeable lens type digital camera systems". They didn't say that they had developed any products yet or even any prototypes or when these would come to market.

If you look at Samsung's announcement http://www.amateurphotographer.co.u...tal_camera_system_on_the_way_news_266661.html
They say that they're currently working on this new system and that they'd have products by 2010.

Neither announcement (actually I'd call both of the pre-announcements) has shown any prototype lenses or cameras yet - the Pannasonic/Olympus have shown some prototype mounts and some nice diagrams while Samsung say they have prototypes without showing any (but at least they gave a date of when they expect to have products)

By Panasonic/Olympus pre-announcing first - you could say either Panasonic/Olympus want to be first and maybe they don't have much of a head start (which is true since Samsung is also working on something), so they pre-announced first to prevent someone else from stealing their thunder by pre-announcing before them, or they are behind in releasing a product and pre-announce to get marketing mind share.

Anyway, I hear there are going to be 3 or 4 large sensor compacts fairly soon. Competition is good.

 

[drakon09]

One of which should be the Sigma DP-1 update.

 

[denizenx]

Samsung.. who's making their lenses? It sounds like Sigma and Sigma mount, Foveon or not...
Think the lens vendor bit will affect the show.

 

[Mikefellh]

Based on what was announced by Panasonic/Olympus and Samsung - how can you come to the conclusion that Samsung is so far behind ?

Neither announcement (actually I'd call both of the pre-announcements) has shown any prototype lenses or cameras yet - the Pannasonic/Olympus have shown some prototype mounts and some nice diagrams

No, Oly & Pany are holding most of that to their chest until Photokina. While the announcement itself didn't show anything, Olympus has already shown the adapter and one of the lenses to show how small it is compared to the current lenses.

As well, those who do reviews have already tried the working m43 prototypes, although they can't say anything yet due to NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements)...a few have let things slip, and it's by what they say Panasonic should have a body selling before the end of the year, Oly is further behind in terms of bodies, but they will have some lenses ready.

At Photokina Panasonic will have the working prototype while Oly will have mock ups of their planned body.

You can't base things on official announcements alone, although I draw the line at computer generated images.

 

[bousozoku]

Samsung.. who's making their lenses? It sounds like Sigma and Sigma mount, Foveon or not...
Think the lens vendor bit will affect the show.

Think Pentax since Samsung is already using Pentax equipment. Isn't Schneider making most of their lenses?

 

[microcosm]

Think Pentax since Samsung is already using Pentax equipment. Isn't Schneider making most of their lenses?

You are absolutely right... the lenses on the Samsung are not bad at all...