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:

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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

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].

This years NABshow will be held in mid-April. It’s the  largest international digital event for audio, video, film, broadcast and communication. And it’s very likely that Panasonic will show a new successor of the [shoplink 16841]AG-AF101[/shoplink] Micro Four Thirds camcorder. And there is a first “prediction” coming via Philip Johnston from HDwarrior: “The AF301 a direct poke at Canon C300 will have 10bit, 4:2:2 processing as seen on the HPX250 and will swap over to P2 giving us AVC Intra, I don’t see Panasonic going away from micro Four Thirds as they have invested far too much development on lenses. I hope we see a far better viewfinder and far higher resolution on version two (1000 lines +).”

P.S.: Search links for the current AG-AF100 at [shopcountry 16841].

Finally new rumors are coming in and the next two months will bring us may new Micro Four Thirds lenses (and a camera too?). Let’s make a short recap of what we heard these last weeks:

There will be soon a new Olympus zoom lens that starts with 12mm and has no constant aperture. It coule be a m43 re-edition of the current [shoplink 23681 ebay]Four Thirds 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 lens (here on ebay)[/shoplink]. Then we will have two or three new Panasonic X lenses. The two weather sealed 12-35mm and 35-100mm f/2.8 (or faster?) lenses for $1.000-$1500. There is also a rumor saying there could be a third X lens, a new 35mm f/2.4 macro pancake X lens. If we have weather sealed lenses than a weather sealed camera should also follow soon.

And now the question. If all rumors turn out to be correct. Than what is THE one product you are would be interested to buy?

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If you have some rumors to share feel free to send me an anonymous message by using the contact form on the right sidebar. You can also send me an email at 43rumors@gmail.com. Thanks!

A source that gave me once a correct “rumor” just told me that he found an image of a new Panasonic 35mm f/2.4 X macro lens! It will cost LESS than the current Pansonic-Leica 45mm f/2.8 macro ([shoplink 14794 ebay]Current price is 700 dollars/Euro on eBay[/shoplink]). The 35mm is not a Leica branded lens. I have no direct contact to the source but if he is reading the message feel free to send me the image you found ont he web at 43rumors@gmail.com. You can also use “anonymous” tools like wetransfer.com or imageshack.us. Thanks!!!

P.S.: other sources can confirm that the lens really exists???
Links to the current Panasonic macro: [shopcountry 14794].

For our readers:

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UPDATE: Google translation tool made a mess because the questions were made in nrowegian and the answers are written in swedish (what the heck?). Thanks to all readers sending me the correct info!

We are receiving more and more bits about the upcoming Panasonic 12-35mm and 35-100mm X lenses. We know they will have a constant aperture (f/2.8 or faster), we know the lenses are weather sealed. The info get’s a backup by Mac Berggen, a Norwegian Panasonic product specialist He revealed at akam.no:
1) “The new lenses will definitely be the best thing we ever did“…”the best performance of all Pany lenses”
2) “The aperture will be great“.
3) “The price will be high“. UPDATE: The price will be lower than the 70-200mm f/2.8 zooms from the competition. Note: Canon ([shoplink 27104 ebay]Click here to check that price on eBay[/shoplink]) and Nikon ([shoplink 27105 ebay]Click here to check that price on eBay[/shoplink]). He susggests the price could be around 10.000 Norwegian Krone which is 1.300 Euro ($1700).

Thanks Davey for sending me this.

A year ago 43rumors posted a lens poll asking our readers which new lens you would like to see for the Micro Four Thirds system. One of the most requested lenses was the 12-60mm zoom. It should remark the characteristics of the [shoplink 23681 ebay]Olympus Four Thirds 12-60mm f/2.8-4[/shoplink] zoom you see pictured on top of this post. And it sounds like your dream might become true soon!

Rumors from top sources (FT5!) are saying that Olympus will announce a new lens in December. It’s a zoom lens that at the wide end starts with 12mm and doesn’t have a constant aperture. There is no 100% reliable info yet about the exact focal length at the tele end but I guess it’s the new 12-60mm you were expecting for! A nice toy right in time for Christmas sales! Nice move Oly.

I hope to get some info about the exact specs and price soon. The current Four Thirds version costs around 900 dollars/Euro on [shoplink 23681 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

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