At least that’s what an Olympus official says according to this post @ photorumors.com. Could this be true? Could they really abandon the SLR concept from their digital lineup? If that should be true, it would certainly be a very bold move, and it would remain to be seen if the users will accept it.

But here are some thoughts on why this just isn’t such a good idea:

• There E-system has a substantial lineup of cameras and lenses
• The E-system DSLR are already as small as a DSLR can get, and even as small as most mirrorless system cameras are right now
• DSLR users do not buy a GH1 or E-P2 for a very good reason – much faster AF(*), and a bright “real-world” viewfinder(**)

*) Although said Olympus official says AF speed will be substantially improved in the future, it remains to be seen if it CDAF can ever be as fast as phase-detection AF.

**) Although there are, at least from my point of view, more reasons to choose a high-res EVF over an SLR’s OVF, but I guess that’s a matter of taste and philosophy.

I also started a discussion thread on this topic at the dpreview Micro Four Thirds Talk forum here, so let’s see what others think about this matter.

UPDATE: Here’s the original post by AmateurPhotographer with the full interview.

UPDATE 2: Olympus felt the need to clarify this matter. In fact, they will not abandon their Four Thirds lineup, but it’s possible that they will let go of the “reflex” part, making their DSLRs effective DSLs. Read the official statement here.