David, What an odd comment to make! GH3, etc m43rds are not only over priced but also getting to be bigger and heavier. It seems to me that big chunk of the preorder folks are buying a set (and not a system) which makes the EM1+the zoom as more on par with the high end point and shoot cameras out there.
Comparison to the old D700 is hilarious. Are there any comparable lens ranges, flashes and other accessories available in the m43rds- pro or amateur?
I find no comparisons hilarious, and there are a few paradoxes out there. Here's one:
The only current Nikon model that has features comparable to the E-M1 is the D4 (megapixels, fps, buffer size, general functionality). The D4 is probably vastly superior when it comes to AF and high ISO, but it's three times as expensive, weighs twice as much, doesn't have articulated LCD, doesn't have IBIS etc. Now, try to buy a pro quality 600mm eqv. to each of those cameras. The Nikkor 600mm f/4 is $9,800 and 5 kg, the Zuiko 300mm f/2.8 is $7,000 and 3.3 kg. Ultra WA zoom? A comparison between the Panasonic 7-14 and the Nikkor 14-24 looks even worse.
Obviously, one can do things with the Nikon setup that can't be done with the Olympus, but that goes the other way as well. With the current economic climate for photographers, the choice would have been simple. The Olympus setup will almost always be good enough, and it's half the price and half the weight or thereabout. Still, it will probably take time before most established pros see this, but the up-and-coming will, enabling them to travel lighter, getting shots the others can't and still charge less.
When, in a couple of years, there's an E-M2 with even better high ISO and AF-C available plus even more pro level lenses at different lengths, this will look even worse for Canikon. Traditional DSLR technology is very mature, and apart from more megapixels and the ability to shoot in coal mines without flash, most improvements end up in the "nice to have" category.
m4/3 on the other hand didn't even exist until 5 years ago (G1 was launched 12 September 2008) and has developed from a nice hobby outfit to professional photo and video cameras with lenses to match in record time.
If I had any brain at all and wasn't so caught up in "old-machine-nostalgia", I would dump all my Nikon gear tomorrow and go all m4/3. Image and video qualities are good enough by a mile or more, and ergonomics are vastly superior.