New Zeiss Cine and anamorphic lenses coming in 2012.

All filmakers will be happy to know that Zeiss announced the launch of plenty of new lenses in 2012. Chritian Bannert from Zeiss released an interview at FDtimes (Click here to download the pdf). That is what is coming:

1) In 2012, Carl Zeiss will add wider and longer focal lengths to their existing line of Compact Prime CP.2 lenses. The current ZEISS Compact Prime Lens set consists of 9 lenses.
2) Zeiss will also introduce a line of very compact and lightweight zoom lenses to complement the CP family.
3) Christian said, “We have the technological benefit that we believe can produce anamorphic lenses the likes of which no one has been able to do before. Our new anamorphic lenses will be on the market very soon. We would like to announce 2:1 anamorphic lenses next year, at NAB 2012, and show real products at IBC 2012.” The lenses will not be 1.3x squeeze—representatives at Carl Zeiss feel the real anamorphic look comes with 2x squeeze. Christian Bannert concluded, “This will be a complete family of anamorphic lenses, with all the focal lengths needed to shoot a movie. As experts in photographic lenses for more than 120 years, we know the specs and hurdles. We can offer something unique to the market. It will be really revolutionary.

 

P.S.: The Zeiss CP.2 primes on [shoplink 15756 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

Dec 12: Q&A session about the GX1 at Imaging Resource!

[shoplink 26836][/shoplink] You really don’t have to miss that! Imaging Resource (Click here) is hosting a live Q&A on the GX1. The Q&A itself will take place on the 12th at noon EST hete:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/GX1/GX1A.HTM#live-qa
Prepare your questions!!!!

And DCresource (Click here) posted the final GX1 review: “While the Lumix DMC-GX1 isn’t a big leap over the now the two year-old DMC-GF1, it doesn’t really have to be, as the GF1 was a very solid product“.


P.S.: The GX1 is already in Stock in Asia at Digitalrev (PAL version). It should arrive in Europe and USA by end of December: [shopcountry 26836].

GH2 slowly getting out of Stock? GF3 super deal (now camera almost for free!).

Before to talk about the GH2. There is a new GF3 + double lens deal at Adorama (Click here). Yesterday they sold the kit for $537, today they sell it for $499! The 14-42mm and 14mm pancake alone do cost $462 only when bought separately. The GF3 is almost for free now :)

GH2 and GH3
I still don’t have any confirmation that the GH3 is coming within the next 2-3 months. All I can say is that there will be a Panasonic announcement in January. Meanwhile the GH2 is slowly running out of Stock. And EosHD got an email from a reader saying that the GH2 is “end of line“. But as I told you months ago I suspect that in January we will see new GH2X kits with the new 14-42mm, 12-35mm and 35-100mm X lenses. And indeed there is no more GH2+14-42mm lens kit at Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here) and there are “only” 18 GH2-14-140mm kits left at Amazon (Click here). The price drops in USA have been massive but in Europe there was only a small price drop, but as long as I know Europe has never seen big price drop before a new camera announcement (they usually come AFTER).

One more thing: Here is the long list of today’s Amazon Deals (Click here to check it out).

(FT4) Olympus announcement on December 14. Lens has powerzoom!

Finally I got the news! The new Olympus high quality zoom lens will be announced on December 14! That’s Wednesday next week! Ironically that is also the last day Olympus has to present their financial results to avoid the delisting from Tokyo Exchange.

That’s all I know about the announcement: There will be a new zoom lens which has super-high-speed-AF, it has with powerzoom (it’s a video-lens!), it starts with 12mm and has NO constant aperture, it’s similar but equal to the [shoplink 23681 ebay]Olympus Four Thirds 12-60mm f/2.8-4[/shoplink], and has a high optical quality. I hope to get more info about the specs and price soon. But it sounds like this could become a “cheaper” alternative of the Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 (or brighter) zoom that will be announced in January.

On Wednesday (6-7 am London time) you can follow the announcement live on 43rumors.

P.S.: Don’t forget to join the Facebook 43rumors fanpage (Click here).

 

(FT5) New Olympus lens is “similar” to the Four Thirds 12-60mm zoom. Coming before Christmas?

[shoplink 23681 ebay][/shoplink]

I am still not sure WHEN Olympus will announce the new lens but I a sure it will be soon and probably before Christmas!  Two sources told me that the new m43 lens is very “similar” to the  [shoplink 23681 ebay]Olympus Four Thirds 12-60mm f/2.8-4[/shoplink] zoom you see pictured on top of this post. But there will be differences. My guess is that it will have a different aperture. A trusted source told me that it is a High Quality lens with super fast autofocus like the [shoplink 23576]Olympus 12mm f/2.0[/shoplink].

One more thing. There will be NO new camera announcement yet, but I have been told we don’t have to wait too long… :)

Stay tuned!

Reminder -> 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

(FT4) First Schneider Kreuznach Micro Four Thirds lenses coming at Photokina 2012!


A source just sent me the first info about the future Schneider Kreuznach Micro Four Thirds lenses. Schneider will offer a “range of lenses for the MFT-System starting Photokina 2012. Details will be announced in the first half of 2012“. Thanks to the anonymous source for sending me this! Keep us up to date with your “rumors” ;)

So we don’t know yet what kind of lenses they will announce but it is good to hear that they will offer a “range of lenses” suggesting that there will be many of them! I don’t know if these lenses will be mainly “cine lenses” like the one offered by Zeiss or more “photographic lenses”. Schneider has a long history of high quality lenses for Large and Medium format cameras. Currently Schneider isn’t making many lenses for the “pure” digital photography system. There are only two for Canon/Nikon/Sony:
[shoplink 27385 ebay]PC TS Super-Angulon 50mm f/2.8 Lens (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27386 ebay]PC TS Super Angulon 90mm f/4.5 Lens (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].

But Schneider also made many C-mount, FD, SL and M42 mount lenses in the past. 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].

I am sure Schneider completely new designed and high quality lenses. But just to make them know in what kind of lens you would prefer:

What of the current C-mount lenses would you love to see in native MFT version? (3 votes max)

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

—-

In February 4 Schneider announced their membership of the m43 standard. And that was the press release:

SCHNEIDER KREUZNACH now a member of the Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group
BAD KREUZNACH, 4 February 2011. Schneider-Kreuznach has joined the “Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group” – a consortium of companies with the objective of improving the possibilities and quality of compact digital cameras. Developed by Olympus and Panasonic, “Micro Four Thirds” is a standard for lens mounts that is tailored to digital system cameras. “This standard has great potential. It simplifies and improves the options for compact digital cameras and offers an excellent opportunity for the industry as a whole, as well as for us as a lens manufacturer. We are working intensively on a corresponding series of lenses,” says Dr. Josef Staub, CEO of the Schneider Group.
The standard defines the sensor size, the lens mount together with the communication protocol, the aspect ratio and the flange back distance, as well as the optical requirements for production and construction. The industry standard has been developed deliberately without taking into account conventional lenses, cameras or sensor sizes. In this way, compatibility problems with older components are avoided as is the need to compromise when designing new components.
The forum standard policy means that any member company can make and distribute accessories for the system that meet the standard. It is therefore possible to combine components from different manufacturers.

Download the press release from Schneider (.pdf)

Reminder -> 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

Olympus lens patent (8mm f/3.5 fisheye that will never come’)

The japanese blog Egami (Click here) found a couple of new lens patents. There is no surprise. These are the lenses:
8mm  f/3.5 fisheye
10mm f/2.8
12mm f/1.8
12mm f/2.0
12mm f/2.8

It’s easy to guess that the 10-12mm lenses are just different variant of the current [shoplink 23576]Olympus 12mm f/2.0 lens. And if you look back at the early 2011 Olympis roadmap it contained an 8mm fisheye lens. But I doubt this lens will come any time soon. We already have a Panasonic 8mm fisheye and a super tiny and nice [shoplink 25325 ebay]Samyang 7.5mm f/3.5 (Click here to get them on eBay)[/shoplink] and an almost unknown Madoka 180 degree fisheye.

—-LInks:
The Olympus 12mm f/2.0 at [shopcountry 23576].
The Panasonic lens costs around 600-700 dollars/Euro and is available at [shopcountry 14820].
The Black Samyang 7.5mm lens is available on [shoplink 25325 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
The Silver Samyang 7.5mm lens is available on [shoplink 25326 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].