I suppose we'll have to see what we're missing, mainly because we don't really know if Olympus USA has an alternative in mind. For example, I'd been led to expect them to introduce two models, one prosumer and one pro, both with live preview. The E-400 lacks live preview. I'd also been led to expect at least 10MP with each new model, which does apply to the E-400. What the E-400 does have, which I hadn't expected for North America, is a very neat, compact and light package.
This leads to the other question: how risky is it to buy a model that isn't supported by the regional importer? My view is that it's too risky, based on my experiences of needing Olympus warranty support. Mind you, I am not certain if it is impossible to get warranty support with a European model.
Forums
Is this model for sale only in Japan? If so, the camera manufacturers generally have a model for home consumption to get the bugs out prior going world wide.
It's kind of like a public beta test (that the beta testers have to pay for).
No, Dave, though that's a natural expectation. It's for Europe only, at least for now. Sorry I didn't include the announcement: http://www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/dslr_E-400.htm
You'll see that it's cute as can be.
At Photokina I am expecting an announcement of a 10MP E-500 replacement with live preview. I'll find out how good my sources are!
This appears to be the first Web review:
http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2006/11/24/Olympus-E-400/p1
I don't know how truly "trustworthy" this source is, although generally it's obviously best to wait for several reviews, especially in reputable magazines. As an omen of the future of the Four Thirds cameras, any new release is fairly important, and so far so good. We'll see.
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