Sp-350

[DevonDiver]

I've got an Olympus housing for SP-350....along with 48mm macro and wide angle wet lenses, warm water (red) and temperate water (purple) filters...and a big red filter for the wide angle.

Happy to sell as a package, for the right price, but I would have to ship from the Philippines.

 

[slowhands]

Isn't the canon s90/s95 or G11/G12 the most likely replacement?
I've never shot a 350, I was in the previous generation of olympus with C4000 and such.
I just purchased a S95 and will probably house it in the ikelite.

Some of us are Olympus diehards. But you're right, they don't have a low end product like the SP-350 with the features we need. The camera makers don't seem to get that we need manual control, RAW, good custom white balance in a modern body. All the current Olympus offerings left these basic features out in favor of useless modes.

The midrange E-PL1 is about the only satisfactory offering, and it's not as cheap. I've migrated to Canon also in this space, but my old Olympus cams keep on running, so... I use them too.

 

[tc_rain]

Isn't the canon s90/s95 or G11/G12 the most likely replacement?
I've never shot a 350, I was in the previous generation of olympus with C4000 and such.
I just purchased a S95 and will probably house it in the ikelite.

I think I see the G12 in my future.

 

[fairybasslet]

I didn't even know Canon was up to the 12. Last I heard about was the 11. They are great little cameras, that's for sure.

 

[chris196]

Some of us are Olympus diehards. But you're right, they don't have a low end product like the SP-350 with the features we need. The camera makers don't seem to get that we need manual control, RAW, good custom white balance in a modern body. All the current Olympus offerings left these basic features out in favor of useless modes.

The midrange E-PL1 is about the only satisfactory offering, and it's not as cheap. I've migrated to Canon also in this space, but my old Olympus cams keep on running, so... I use them too.

I definitely have a soft spot for olympus because, in my mind, they opened up the world of affordable underwater photography with the pt-010. Remember that housing, it fit about 8 different cameras.
The new 4/3 camera with the housing is a very attractive setup and I thought long and hard over that versus the S95. In the end I wanted the small profile of the S95.
With the advent of the new 4/3 system it's probably even less likely they will produce a prosumer camera in the spirit of the C4040, C5050, SP350, etc.
But they might. There's no denying the success of the G9/10/11 & S90/95 & LX3/5. They might try for a piece of that market. Oly dominated that market in the early 00's but then abadoned it.

 

[tc_rain]

I didn't even know Canon was up to the 12. Last I heard about was the 11. They are great little cameras, that's for sure.

Canon releases PowerShot G12 premium compact: Digital Photography Review

 

[gert7to3]

Don't overlook Nikon, the P-7000 is just being introduced. They (oddly) never seemed as astute about mid level cameras. Especially considering their history with Nikonos. I migrated from a SP-350 to a P-6000. The tests I saw had better macro images vs Canon offerings.

I am currently considering a topside camera. The EPL-1 or a Panasonic G2. Keeping the idea of a housing one of these for the future.

 

[slowhands]

I definitely have a soft spot for olympus because, in my mind, they opened up the world of affordable underwater photography with the pt-010. Remember that housing, it fit about 8 different cameras....
With the advent of the new 4/3 system it's probably even less likely they will produce a prosumer camera in the spirit of the C4040, C5050, SP350, etc.
But they might. There's no denying the success of the G9/10/11 & S90/95 & LX3/5. They might try for a piece of that market. Oly dominated that market in the early 00's but then abadoned it.

The exit from that market coincided with an economic downturn. Oly had to lay off 4000 employees at the time, and cut product lines. There were some quality issues with the C5050 (CCD from Sony), C5060 (mode dial), and the PT-020 housing. The C7070 and C8080 lasted only 6 months or so, then went down with the whole division.

With the 4/3 family, they have their own turf. Panasonic is a strong second source for credibility of the line. The micro 4/3 lenses cost more than comparable 4/3 lenses, so Olympus has strong profits from a near monopoly. That's what businesses love. As long as they keep innovating, they can stay ahead and keep prices high.

It would be tough to enter the mature semipro compact market now, because there are already 3 strong players (Canon, Nikon, Panasonic). No doubt some Olympus diehards would buy, but that space is already crowded. I hope it happens, but I doubt that it will.