(FT4) VF-3 has 900.000 pixel resolution

I have been told that the upcoming VF-3 has less Pixels than the current VF-2. The VF-3 has 900.000 pixels while the  VF-2 has 1.400.000. The main advantage of the VF-3 is that it is much cheaper.

NO idea yet when Olympus will announce it!!!

(FT5) Olympus confirms: The VF-3 is coming! (with built-in flash!)

Our reader “Andi” made a nice finding! If you visit that german Olympus page (http://www.de.olympus.ch/consumer/208_manuals.cfm?prodID=E-P3_master) and download the E-P3 manual you can find something “unexpected” on page 120. You can see the picture of the new VF3 which has a builtin flash!

The question now is…why didn’t Olympus announce the VF-3 yet? I do hope it has at leats the same quality of the [shoplink 23839 ebay]VF-2[/shoplink] if not better! I have been told by my sources that the VF-3 is cheaper than the VF3! Check the current VF-2 price at [shopcountry 23839].

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) Panasonic is working on a lens with powerzoom!

The image on top shows a Micro Four Thirds camera prototype from Panasonic (Source: Egami). But what is also interesting is that zoom lens mockup. One of my very good sources told me that Panasonic is indeed working on a Micro Four Thirds zoom with motorized zoom. I am not sure how that will work but there will be  probbly a button on the lens to move the zoom. Maybe that new feature is the reaosn for the 12-50mm f/2.5 lens delay? We still hear that the lens will be announced in late 2011 early 2012. If true this would become the perfect lens for video shooters and will put Panasonic on the top of the HDSRL war against Sony and Canon! Imagine that the [shoplink 16254]GH2[/shoplink] or [shoplink 16841 ebay]AG-AF100[/shoplink] with the 12-50mm f/2.5 lens! Amazing or not?

The currently only optimized video lens is the [shoplink 14802 ebay]Panasonic 14-140mm[/shoplink] (but it has no powerzoom!). Check the lens price at [shopcountry 14802].

Check the links of the two best Panasonic videocameras:
– The GH2 at [shopcountry 16254].
– The AG-AF100 (101) at [shopcountry 16841].

Sony beats on time Panasonic and Olympus. Rangefinder styled camera coming!

Many readers here on 43rumors are waiting to see a rangefinder styled camera from Panasonic and Olympus. But Sony did it “right” and they will beat them on time with the new NEX-7 which should be announced in late August. How does it look for you? At least better than the current NEX cameras! The real problem for Sony is that they have no small lenses on their roadmap (That Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 is still way to large!). Read more at http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr4-hot-is-that-the-first-image-of-the-nex-7/

UPDATE: Keep in mind that Panasonic will announce a GF PRO camera this year (probaby in August too) which could have the rangefinder style of the [shoplink 21096 ebay]Panasonic L1 (Click here to see that camera on eBay)[/shoplink].

Rumors summary (GH3, VF-3, Nikon and Canon mirrorless)


Image on top is a Mockup of a Canon mirrorless camera. not a real camera!

There were many “mirrorless” rumors I posted last week on 43- and MirrorlessRumors. Some of them are very important and that’s why I am posting this recap because you might have missed them!

1) There is a picture of the next upcoming external Olympus viewfinder. And it looks like it has a sort of built-in flash too! (Click here to read more).

2) More Fuji and M43 rumors (Click here to read more)

3) Akira Watanabe talked about the future of Four Thirds (Click here to read more)

4) Surprise! Nikon could join the Pentax Q system by end of the year! (Click here to read more at MirrorlessRumors.com)

5) Canon confessed, they will go Mirrorless!!! (Click here to read more at MirrorlessRumors.com)

6) The Sony NEX-7 will have a built-in viewfinder (Click here to read more at SonyAlphaRumors.com)

7) The Panasonic GH3 will have electronic shutter (Click here to read more

As you see there is a lot of movement inside the Mirrorless world. I am curious to see what Canon will do but I bet they will “join” in mid-late 2012 only. The Sony NEX-7 could be a “bomb” with the new 24 Megapixel sensor but I don’t think they are going to make it right with the body-usability design. The big news here is Fuji. If they join the m43 system than it will be ahrd for everyone else (including Sony and Canon) to compete against them!!!

(FT3) Is that the new external viewfinder from Olympus?

As you might remember our sources said that Olympus had a new cheaper external EVF but than Olympus didn’t announce it along the new PEN cameras. We were all wondering what happened. Finally our reader “Felix” noticed something very interesting in one of the E-P3 commercials from Olympus (Click here to see the commercial on youtube). At the end of the video (00:58) you can see the new external viewfinder we talked about for weeks! It’s definitely NOT the current Olympus VF-2 ([shoplink 23839 ebay]Click here to see images of that viewfinder[/shoplink]). Hope Olympus will let us know more about it soon!

(FT2) More Fuji rumors…

As you know the Fujiguys announced that there would be some amazing new Fuji stuff in autumn. Yesterday Photorumors got an info from an unknown source saying that “The Fuji mirrorless system will be launched with a set of new [shoplink 23762 ebay]Fujinon lenses[/shoplink]. There might even be two different mirrorless version announced at the same time.” That’s probably coming from the same source that a couple of days ago said that Fuji would launch”some kind of a mirrorless solution with a sensor probably smaller than APS-C, something in the m4/3 range.” It’s a very long time that Fuji didn’t release any Fujinon Lens for a photo camera system ([shoplink 23762 ebay]Click here to see Fujinon Lenses on eBay[/shoplink]). And I would certainly welcome if those lenses would be made for the m43 system!

Please be careful with that rumor. I don’t know the source and I still didn’t hear anything from my trusted sources. The only thing I noticed is that the Fuji Guys are now following my tweets! Not enough to consider it a prove that they will join m43 soon but at leas I am happy they are reading us ;)

And click those links if you want to check price and availability of the X100: [shopcountry 19929].

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