43rumors.com has posted the news of Epson’s breakthrough new EVF technology which may provide almost as good as optical viewfinder experience.

This is great news potentially for users wanting a nice EVF on their Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras assuming Panasonic is not likely to share its class leading EVF technology as found on their GH-1 with Olympus.

Perhaps we will see this on the Olympus E-P2 when it is released – probably March 2010.

I still can’t see dSLR’s doing away with their reflex mirrors any time soon as contrast detect AF has not quite reached the speed of high end dSLR AF for sports, although this new technology may be the impetus for the creation of some interesting cameras.

For instance , perhaps Olympus may make a mirror-less thinner Four Thirds camera which will allow an adapter for use of MFT lenses, and an adapter for Four Thirds lenses. The main reason would be a more stable and ergonomic camera (than MFT bodies) without mirror vibrations and noise for longer telephoto Four Thirds lenses, but one which could use more compact MFT lenses.

I am not sure of the market demand for such a hybrid camera, but perhaps when the promised firmware upgrades to the Four Thirds ZD 12-60mm and 50-200mm SWD lenses which provide fast contrast detect AF eventuate then such a camera may have its place.

You would then have a EVF as good as if not better than the Panasonic GH-1, a thinner, shorter, lighter body than current Four Thirds bodies, and with full in-body image stabilisation and movie mode capability of the E-P1, and a stronger, bigger lens mount of the Four Thirds which will give you more confidence in mounting a giant 90-250mm f/2.8 lens.

Such an EVF may find its way into dSLRs optimised for video as using video on current dSLRs via the fixed LCD screen is not ergonomic, and can be very difficult, particular as one usually needs to manually focus them.