First, the older news – or is it actually news? It’s still got rumor status, but I believe chances are good it’s going to happen. According to several recent posts at 43rumors.com, Olympus is going to develop a new modular camera, not unlike the Maitani concept from the sixties:

If Olympus are actually developing a modular camera, and if they’re doing it right, it would have different modules for:

• Mount, mirror and shutter, offering to adapt either Four Thirds, Micro Four Thirds or OM lenses (maybe even Pen F lenses)
• Viewfinder, either optical (for mount modules with mirror) or electronical (for mount modules without mirror)
• Different backs with different sensors, layouts and displays – maybe entry-, advanced- and pro-level.

The more recent rumor is that Pentax might be either developing a Micro Four Thirds system themselves, or licensing their lenses to Micro Four Thirds. Someone on the e-p1.net forums posted three patent drawings of Pentax lenses with a 21.6mm image circle – the same as Micro Four Thirds. The three lenses are:

• 17mm f/2.8
• 17mm f/2.0
• 14mm f/2.8

Nothing really interesting (except maybe for the 17/2), but promising nonetheless.