He may have been a little conservative about the improvements brought by the E-5 over the E-3 but he did conclude that he will eventually get an E-5 and that speaks volumes. Rather than an under-estimation of the E-5 I think it is more a case of how much he values previous E-System bodies. Also, he places himself firmly in the court of us diehards who will continue with the system well into the future even if no more DSLRs are forthcomming.
+1 with Zuiko. I thought this was an excellent piece.
An interesting read but his conclusions are certainly a little depressing. I am very unlikely to purchase an E-5 for reasons of cost and my preference for a smaller camera body which gives comparable results. The E-P2 gets close to doing that for me !
However, I look forward to all or most of the improvements found in the E-5 being included in an E-P3 (which I hope will be slightly larger than the current Pen series and will include a dust proof and splash proof body similar to the E-3 and E-5).
An interesting read but his conclusions are certainly a little depressing.
Indeed, but whoever buys an E-5 now does so with a full understanding on where they stand.
I have decided to get one because based on the current range of Zuiko lenses and the technical quality the E-5 gives you now, I can see myself using it for many years to come, just like I used my E-10 until it gave up the ghost.
With computers, electronic instruments, digital cameras... you need to buy according to the use you get from them now as there will always be something better and cheaper down the line.
And from an investment perspective, nothing will hold its value forever. When I look at how much I spent on E-10, all attachment lenses (inc the 300), winder, FL-40, accessories, etc. then the current resale value is pityful.
A good and balanced review even if a little on the 'glass half empty' side.
I can understand Brian's frustration to some degree, he obviously appreciates the system as a whole with a passion like many of us do here.
And he is quite correct that it is the system as whole that really does deliver the goods. It is just a shame that Olympus have been unable to sell the idea to the mass market of D-SLR users (for one reason or another).