03-31-2009, 05:30 PM
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Executive Editor
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Olympus Announces the E-450 Compact DSLR
"Olympus has announced the E-450, an upgraded version of the E-420 compact DSLR. The new E-450 is essentially identical to the E-420 apart from the addition of 3 Art Filters, a new processor and an improved LCD display. Priced at £450 for the standard lens kit, it will start shipping from May 2009.It's perhaps a testament to how well specified the E-420 is that Olympus has clearly struggled for ways to improve it. For fear of treading on the toes of the recently announced E-620 (which itself stands uncomfortably close to the more expensive E-30), Olympus has engineered a model with the fewest changes over the existing version we've ever seen." 
I don't follow Olympus cameras very closely, but it's certainly a bit of a head scratcher that they'd release a camera so close in features to the previous version. I think Olympus is falling prey to the mentality that every camera maker has when it comes to point and shoot cameras: release new versions as quickly as you can, even if they only offer incremental improvements, because maybe it might win you market share.
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03-31-2009, 06:33 PM
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You mean Canon right? :P The only other manufacturer that is keeping up with Canon in terms of most number of models in the least time is Panasonic. Well, at least, it feels that way.
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03-31-2009, 08:23 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
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It doesn't cost them much. They can use almost all E420 parts, add the new processing engine, enhance the screen a bit, and add the Art Filters which they truly believe in. The E450 is the E420 that fits better in their lineup. I think keeping the E420 and E520 around, with the E450, E620, E30 and E3 lineup is a bit weird, but if they can recoup R&D money with that, it's all fine by me.
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03-31-2009, 11:07 PM
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Executive Editor
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng
You mean Canon right? :P The only other manufacturer that is keeping up with Canon in terms of most number of models in the least time is Panasonic. Well, at least, it feels that way.
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I think Nikon is just as bad with their P&S cameras. Same with Samsung - they announced a product then cancelled it while some reviewers were still working on their reviews. I wish P&S cameras followed a more logical, less-insane release cycle similar to DSLRs.
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04-01-2009, 02:26 AM
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Contributing Editor
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Hmm, I don't think about P&S when it comes to Nikons, so I guess those must've slipped under my conciousness.
I decided to pull out data from 2007 onwards from DPReview's Timeline section and used Excel to do a little number crunching. Here're the results showing the top 5:
Code:
Camera Make Total
Olympus 51
Canon 49
Nikon 47
Samsung 46
Sony 44
Heh, Panny's 6th, at 42.
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Baka. Soku. Zan. - The justice behind the dysORDer.
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04-01-2009, 04:10 AM
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Executive Editor
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng
Code:
Camera Make Total
Olympus 51
Canon 49
Nikon 47
Samsung 46
Sony 44
Heh, Panny's 6th, at 42. |
 All aboard the crazy train...that's a LOT of different models! It's just idiocy to have that many.
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04-01-2009, 07:19 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
I wish P&S cameras followed a more logical, less-insane release cycle similar to DSLRs.
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Why? Stating that there should be less models of P&S's is like stating there should be less choice in a Converse shoe store.
The targeted users of cameras like this don't upgrade. They buy, use it until it breaks, and then buy a new one. The attraction is not always image quality, but look, color, marketable specs. The cheap ranges of DSLRs follow the route of the P&S's : incremental upgrades, refreshed marketable specs, and there you go, ready for this years customers.
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04-01-2009, 06:41 PM
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Executive Editor
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Quote:
Originally Posted by marlof
Why? Stating that there should be less models of P&S's is like stating there should be less choice in a Converse shoe store.
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I've helped a few people buy P&S cameras lately, and all have found it to be an overwhelming experience because there are so many options- they usually opt for me to tell them what to buy.
I'm all for choice in products, but there should be natural and obvious segments between each camera; a clear delineation between different camera models from the same company. Go use Canon's compare tool over on powershot.com and compare the SD970 IS, the SD960IS, and the SD780 IS. They come up nearly identical.
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