Will the GX1 have or nor a built-in viewfinder like the one described in the Panasonic United States Patent Application 20100060771?

Important update: Two sources quickly answered me that the rumor from Digicam-info about the GX1 coming next week is NOT correct. I ask these anonymous sources if they can also tell me if the rest from the rumor is correct or wrong (GF1 design and no built-in viewfinder info).

What did Digicam-info say? According to their sources the GX1 will be announced next week the October 25. And they also say the GX1 will NOT have a built-in viewfinder and that the design is very close to the [shoplink 14828 ebay]Panasonic GF1[/shoplink].

As I said, my sources said the release date is not correct, let’s also hope they will tell me that it is not an exact copy of the GF1. I would be very disappointed if the only GX1 new feature would be a slightly improved sensor. I hope that there will be more than just that coming form Panasonic!

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

Another fake GX1 design that looks like the [shoplink 23692 ebay]Panasonic L1 (See that cam on eBay)[/shoplink]. Source: Yahoo Via: E-P1.net.

According to one of our sources the [shoplink 14828]Panasonic GF1[/shoplink] successor will be named “Panasonic GX1” and be the first line of a new kind of camera. And the good news is that will be announced in one month (around mid November). It will have a new sensor, a new design and probably the most intriguing news I got is about a sort of new designed viewfinder (I should receive some details soon). All I can say for now is that we are now entering a new “rumor” period thanks to Panasonic. I hope to get more news about the GX1 as soon as we go closer to the announcement! Stay tuned!

All I know for sure (That’s FT5) is that the new amazing [shoplink 25104]Panasonic 14-42mm X lens[/shoplink] will be the kit lens of the GX1.

Links to mentioned cameras/lenses:
Panasonic GF1: [shopcountry 14828] Panasonic L1: [shoplink 23692 ebay]eBay[/shoplink] Panasonic 14-42mm X lens: [shopcountry 25104]

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

Almost one year ago a well known source told me that there is some Olympus technology behind the [shoplink 19929 ebay]Fuji X100[/shoplink]. Olympus and Fuji are long time friends and working close on some projects. But as of today neither Fuji made a Four Thirds camera nor joined the Micro Four Thirds system. But what I got in these days is a real surprise, and it’s coming from one of our very top source! According to them Olympus will launch a “sort of Fuji X100” competitor. The sources didn’t unveil us when Olympus will make the announcement but they are all sure it’s coming for real! There are two big questions I have to find an answer:
1) Does it have a fixed lens design or will it use m43 lenses?
2) If the lens is fixed, will the sensor be APS-C?
3) Will it have a hybrid viewfinder?

I hope you sources can send me the answer soon :)
Thanks!

Links to the Fuji X100: [shopcountry 19929].

The 18-175mm lens design

The japanese blog Egami (Click here to read the google translation) found a new Panasonic patent that describes the 18-175mm f/3.5-5.6 m43 lens. The patent has been filled in March 2010. If the google translation tool didn’t mislead me than this should be a new X lens (motorized zoom). There are also charts showing the aberration, distortion, astigmatism and coma performance. The lens is weak at the very wide angle. That lens will be a perfect cheap travel lens.

In summary those are the rumored lenses that are on Panasonic’s roadmap:
7-14mm X lens (rumor)
12-35mm fast X lens (confirmed by Panasonic)
16mm f/1.4 (patent from Panasonic)
18-175mm f/3.5-5.6 X lens (patent from Panasonic)
35-100mm fast X lens (confirmed by Panasonic)
New 40 or 45mm pancake X lens (rumor)

The new 45-175mm X lens is in Stock in some stores. Check these links to see where you can get it: [shopcountry 25103].

And now just for fun:

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The imaginary GF1 successor from Blog.Livedoor based on the current [shoplink 23692 ebay]Panasonic L1 (See that cam on eBay)[/shoplink] design.

I am now almost pretty sure that the new GF1 successor will be pretty soon in November/December. The “bad” news is that I just heard from a couple of sources that the camera will be available in Spring only! So like it happened for the GH2 and the Leica 25mm lens we will have to wait for a very ling time before to get our hands on the new Panasonic camera. I am not sure that is a smart “strategy”. It gives plenty of time for the competition to adjust their product specs and prices and + many potential buyers will get upset with the long waiting and delays.

The second rumor I got from one single source is that the new GF1 successor will get a “tweaked” [shoplink 16254]GH2[/shoplink] sensor. I don’t know yet what we should imagine with the word “tweaked” :(

One more thing: We know Panasonic is using two new names for upcoming products, the GF7 and GX1. I don’t know if the GF1 successor will be called GF7 or GX1 yet.

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

This is not a Micro Four Thirds related news but I think it’s worth the rumor to be posted here.

Techradar (Click here) interviewed Yoshiyuki Inoue (Panasonic Senior Engineering Planner): “he said that although the LX3 had been very successful, its replacement the LX5 had not sold as well as Panasonic had hoped.” And to appeal enthusiast photographers “one aspect that is being given serious consideration for the camera that replaces the LX5 is increasing the size of the sensor, Panasonic’s Mr Uematsu even joked that it could have a 1in sensor like the new Nikon V1.”

The real question should be if there will be ever a sort of [shoplink 19929]Fuji X100[/shoplink] camera with Micro Four Thirds sensor. That would be something interesting!