---- What sort of technical innovation did the viewfinder involve?
It will be instantly clear to users of the E-Series to date. The view through the viewfinder and the feeling when the focus is right have improved enormously.
With Four-Thirds, the field of view is narrow because the screen is small, and we were often asked if this was a problem with the system. Spurred on by the Lens Design Division, however, we improved it to create a field of vision that is second to none and allows a view that is more than adequate for confirming the shot is in focus.
I believe we have found a solution to the viewfinder issue. In terms of function, color quality, display within the field of view and almost everything else, we have reached a level that is in no way to inferior to anything offered by our competitors.
One of the biggest changes was the pentagonal roof prism (pentaprism). We changed the material in an attempt to achieve a larger magnification. We reviewed the design of the viewfinder magnification system and have tried to realize a better view while increasing the magnification.
The viewfinder must be able to rotate the inverted image inside it so that it is upright. To secure enough space for this, we worked closely together with the people in charge of mechanisms on the shape of the prism and the manner in which it is positioned. With the E-3, the 11 AF focusing points are indicated on the superimposed display within the viewfinder, a feature that was realized through close cooperation between our optical and mechanics teams. To the best of my knowledge, this is currently the only case where light for illuminating the superimposed display comes in via the prism. It's a solution that we arrived at after thinking long and hard about how to work within the constraints that we must raise the viewfinder's magnification while illuminating the wide area covered by 11 distance-measuring data points.
---- Is the prism special?
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Large, high-precision glass pentaprism realizes a large, easy to view optical viewfinder.
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View through the viewfinder, which offers a much wider field of view Conventional viewfinder - 0.96 magnification
E-3 viewfinder - 1.15 magnification (approx. 20% improvement in diagonal-length ratio)
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Compared with anything up to now, the prism angles are quite different. For optimal results in terms of both magnification and space, we selected a prism with a higher refractive index than normal prisms (though it was also more expensive).
It's always better if the camera is smaller overall, but where viewfinder size is concerned, we wanted to eradicate the image that has persisted to date. We wanted to exceed the size of the screen found on normal high-end cameras, even if it was only by a small margin.
In this case, any attempt to secure high performance functions in the newly designed AF unit would require space and increase the overall height of the camera body. And since we were also trying to raise the viewfinder's magnification, getting the layout right was really difficult. Since we wanted to incorporate good designs from different divisions, we had a hard time dealing with competing demands for space. Everything was newly designed, from the AF to the prism and the mirror box. As with the E-410 and the E-510, we attempted to save space by installing the prism at an angle.
As the E-3 constitutes a new platform, we developed various elements and we intend to make use of many of the E-3's units and functions in new models that we launch in the future.
---- Won't this change attitudes towards Four-Thirds?
Of course. I'm sure this was true of the E-1, too, but users choose Olympus cameras because they have strict preferences. I suspect many people have the impression that Olympus SLRs are light and compact but appeal to enthusiasts. I'm of course happy about that, but we'd like a wider range of people to recognize their excellence. We want them to enjoy this high-end model. We thought long and hard about individual functions and structural elements: generally speaking, people find a viewfinder that's located towards the center of the body more appealing; an internal flash is essential; users will be happier if switches and buttons are easier to use and with a layout that looks like this...
One thing we should remember is that professional photographer use cameras made by several manufacturers.
That's why we don't want Olympus alone to have a special image. We want people to use Four-Thirds in the same way and get to understand its good points. Since we're all on the same playing field, we have to fight it out head to head with competitors' products. One major goal for this model is to persuade people to recognize its superiority and use it.
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