As long as there have been DSLR cameras on the market the entry-level range was typically the first step into interchangeable lens digital cameras for many point-and-shoot users. Those days are slipping away now that micro four-thirds cameras are becoming popular and offering many of the benefits and features of a DSLR in a smaller package. Olympus is one of the more well known names in the DSLR market and the company has announced some big changes.

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Olympus' Toshiyuki Terada, a product manager for the SLR planning department, has stated that there will be no new entry-level DSLR cameras from Olympus. He said, "We do not have concrete plans to replace the E-620 and other recent SLRs. The entry level SLR class can be completely replaced by the Pen system in terms of performance." If no new entry-level DSLR cameras shocks you, Terada had an even more interesting prediction about the future of DSLR cameras of all types.

Olympus plans to extend the line of PEN cameras all the way from low-end models to the semi-professional photography market. Terada stated when asked if there will at some point be no DSLRs from Olympus, "In the future - yes. This is one of our goals but we do not know when this will happen. Until then, we will support the SLR segment because the E-3 users are Olympus's foundations."