Our friends over at Digicaminfo (Click here) do report that the GF5 will be announced in Japan on April 5 and start shipping on April 26. There will be four different colors. ON the other side the new G5 will not be announced the same day of the GF5. It will arrive later (very likely in May).

As usual please be aware that this is a rumor from an external source. I will soon give you info from my sources. One thing is sure, there is a lot of new stuff coming from Panasonic! If you have some info about the upcoming announcement and you want to share them sue the contact form on the right sidebar. You can avoid to send me your name and email address. Just send the message anonymously…Thanks!

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My two cent. If you need a GF camera you may go for the current GF2 and GF3 cameras. There are many deals in many countries on the two cameras. Plus the GF2 is hackable and the GF3 will be hackable soon!
Panasonic GF3 search links: [shopcountry 23109].
Panasonic GF2 search links: [shopcountry 17361].

Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct

The GF5 will soon be announced and the good news is that it unlike so many times before we will not have to wait a long time until it ships out from the fab. Trusted sources told me that it will be delivered to Asian stores in late April and in European and US stores a couple of weeks later.

I am still not sure when the other new m43 camera will ship, the G5. But all I have been told by other good sources is that the other G5 picture is definitely real:

75mm f/1.8 and 60mm f/2.8 macro lenses.

Like Panasonic also Olympus is showing new m43 prototype lenses without to share an exact information about their release. Good that we have our own sources saying that both lenses, the 75mm f/1.8 and the weather sealed 60mm f/2.8 macro will start to be sold in early Summer. That’s about the same time when the Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 X and 35-100mm f/2.8 X lenses will be finally start to be sold too!

Other new Panasonic and Olympus m43 lenses will be announced at Photokina. And I don’t know if you still remember this but also Schneider promised to announce their first Micro Four Thirds lenses at Photokina. They have a long history of C-mount, FD, SL and M42 mount lenses. Here are some of them:
[shoplink 27395 ebay]Xenon 16mm f/1.2 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27387 ebay]Xenon 25mm f/0.95 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27389 ebay]Curtagon 35mm f/2.8 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27391 ebay]Componon 50mm f/1.4 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27390 ebay]Xenon 50mm f/1.9 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27394 ebay]Xenar 50mm f/2.8 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27388 ebay]Xenar 75mm f/3.5 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27392 ebay]Xenotar 80mm f/2.8 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27393 ebay]Xenar 180mm f/2.8 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].

Nice lenses I would like to see for m43 mount too!

The Japanese website Egami (Click here) found a new Olympus patent describing different variations of a new 150mm f/2.8 macro lens. There are actually two different versions. One shorter lens for the m43 system and a longer lens for the Four Thirds system. Both are described as high quality optics. The only similar lens currently on market is the Sigma 150mm lens (here at Amazon).

One more thing: I am currently sorting out your lens suggestions for the m43 system and will soon publish the poll.

The same source that sent me the real GF5 pictures sent me also that G5 picture. This looks quite a bit different from the [shoplink 22077]Panasonic G3[/shoplink]. So much more….rounded :)

Hope to get the real pics soon!

The mysterious Asian source from nPhoto just sent me the pictures of the white and black Panasonic GF5. The new revised grip makes the GF5 looks better than the [shoplink 23109 ebay]Panasonic GF3[/shoplink]. The source was also so kind to inform me that the high ISO noise-level is as same as the [shoplink 29815 ebay]Canon 7D[/shoplink] and [shoplink 29816 ebay]60D[/shoplink]. It’s nice to know you can get that kind of performance on a camera that fits in your pocket :)

Here is the picture of the black GF5:

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P.S.: Also the G5 will arrive along the GF5. Announcements soon (I am still checking for the right announcement date and hour).