(FT5) Small G3 update (good and bad news)
I have a good news and a bad news. The good news is that we received new confirmations from other sources that the G3 is the next camera Panasonic will release. And the improvements the G3 will bring over the G2 will be major than the improvements the G2 has on the G1.
The bad news is a no-surprise. Although the Panasonic G3 could be announced soon (February-March?) we were told that the camera will be available in Stock only months later! Seeing that in US the GH2 is still continuously out of Stock this sounds again a little bit frustrating.
P.S.: Panasonic GH2 US shop checks -> Amazon US, Adorama, BHphoto
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Comment from Billy: I think G3 maybe use the Multi Layer ima...
Comment from safaridon: The more I look at this with multi colo...- Comment from safaridon: Admin - Curious what is the relavence of...
- Comment from safaridon: What is even more significant to me is w...
Graf von Zahl
2 years ago |12 or 14 mp?
gapless sensor design?
electronic shutter?
more specs please
admin
2 years ago |As soon as I can Graf von Zahl
Nille
2 years ago |Der heisst doch Graf Zahl, nicht Graf von Zahl, oder?
naturfokussiert
2 years ago |Hmm, in my opinion the G2 was fine to go through the year 2011. Better work on new lenses than releasing on body after another. Remembers me of the Sony DSLRs with all the confusing updates.
In generell Panasonic only needs 4 body-lines:
Entry small: GF2
advanced small: GPx
Entry “big”: G2
advanced “big” GH2
And I don’t understand Panasonics strategy of anouncing and actually selling their products. When the new cameras hit the market, they are allready “old”, because they were anounced half a year ago…
Olympus does better, the new EPL2 will be avaiable soon I hope.
safaridon
2 years ago |The missing one here for now is the GPx that was supposed to come early 2011? Actually Pany is producing the cameras to market within 2 months of announcement in Japan is not here and Panys delay is certainly no worse than that of Fuji with their X100?
With the G3 coming between the G2 and GH2 models it seems the improvements will make that model more like a smaller cousin to the GH2 with equal capabilities? This makes it much more likely that the G3 will have a sensor with special features ie the electronic shutter?
safaridon
2 years ago |At first I was a bit surprised at the timing but looking back at DPR I see the G2 was actually announced early March 2010 so this is just one year time for the typical annual upgrade.
However the previous rumor said this model would be above the G2 which would be retained. This to me would imply the new sensor indeed aside from the speculated 14 mp size will have some quite special features and as hinted by posters new gapless sensor and maybe even electronic shutter which would make keeping the G2 in the lineup as separate model reasonable as otherwise would simply replace it?
My disappointed is not in any delay in the G3 but what happened to the rangefinder GF3 that was to be the upgrade for the GF1 if this is to be Panys next m4/3 camera? Any why then the premature announcements of GF1s retirement? Any new news admin?
marsupial2go
2 years ago |And this week’s new Panasonic body is…..
Panny is truly blowing themselves outta the sky with announcements of products that never get delivered. By the time anything is in stock, it’ll be too late; the Canon 5DM3 will be out and available.
david
2 years ago |“Oh waiter, what’s the body du jour?”
tgutgu
2 years ago |Huh? There are no GH2 delivery problems in Germany, that’s for sure. The GH2 was available around 1.5 months after the Caon EOS 60D, not really that bad.
To me the Pansonic product line and update philosophy is far better than the one of Olympus. Panasonic always puts innovation in each model and tries to deliver state of the art features.
Not so Olympus. The EPL-2 is the first m4/3 camera from this vendor to have a 460K LCD. Up to now we only had very small incremental releases from Olympus and they are still not there, were Panasonic is. It took them more than a year to “engineer” the EPL-2? Just to put a 460K LCD in it? Come on!
We wait since summer 2009 (release of EP-1) for a body from Olympus, which has:
* a large build-in EVF
* a tiltable screen
* decent performance
* good user interface
So who does not deliver?
The release of the G3 has nothing to do with a supposed Canon 5DM3. The competitor of the 5DM3 is already on the market and readily available. It is called Panasonic Lumix GH2.
Godot
2 years ago |Huh? Did I miss something? Did Panasonic announce another body?
mat
2 years ago |As for timing, that’s not an update but confirmation of business as usual these days.
Ulli
2 years ago |Panassonic, like some other camera manufactures, just follow the PC route; new available technology means new updated products, no matter if its just a couple of months since the last release
Boss
2 years ago |It’s nice to offer all these options, but when will a pro body be available from Olympus/Panasonic? These cameras are great, but the lack of a good viewfinder and pro features keeps me attached to my DSLR…
Wife
2 years ago |tech is probably not there yet for m43rds to replace dslr. will probably take a few years to miniaturize everything. if it were easy, every manufacturer would have small pro digital cameras by now.
hd72
2 years ago |In what way is the viewfinder on the GH1/GH2 not good?
dCap
2 years ago |Panasonic seem to be expanding the G/GH line but not able to meet the demand, it would be interesting to see the actual numbers. Is the supply really low? Or is the demand really high?
Wife
2 years ago |given that the G2 didn’t do that well in japan (especially if it were announced in march 2010 as someone stated above and probably came out a few months later), it makes sense for panny to move ahead and get the G3 out. And if nothing else, it keeps them in the news/rumor unlike olympus that goes way too long (relatively) without any news.
Only 1.5% market share in 2010:
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://bcnranking.jp/news/1012/101228_18981.html
pdc
2 years ago |It seems that stocking of new camera/camcorder products lags announcement by about 4-6 months, and that product version life cycle is about a year – this seems to hold true across the industry. However, increasing competition seems to be accelerating the number of product offerings, as manufacturers jockey to catch interest and as new market niches get identified. A G3 announcement 5-6 months after the GH2 announcement, and G3 stocking replacement of the G2 after a year seems true to form. Expect the G3 to start shipping in May! In the meantime, get a GH2 and start shooting some decent video. Now, if only the modular digital camera concept could become a reality, and we could upgrade the sensor/CPU module every year …….
Wife
2 years ago |you’re kidding me, right?
“In the meantime, get a GH2 and start shooting some decent video”
heck, i’m on so many wait lists, it’s sad.
safaridon
2 years ago |What is even more significant to me is why inspite of the great technological improvements the GH1 and GH2 have not done better? I think the use of an 3 year old body has something to do with it needs something fresh. From the rumor the G2 is not replaced but G3 slotted between it and GH2 which seems very surprising, why a model likely with capabilities very close to GH2?
Actually when you compare G2 sales in Japan relative to all but a half dozen top selling DSLRs they are not doing bad just a step behind the new Sony A55& A33 and second only to GF series in Pany’s 10% share of market.
My guess and hope it is an entirely new fresh body shape looking much like a LC1 but with EVF bump in the middle which quickly would replace both the G2 and GH2 body shape. That may be one reason Pany has not ramped up sales and availability of the GH2 to make room for this body while the GH3 will be in this body next fall with electronic shutter?
frosti7
2 years ago |Its good news and no news
safaridon
2 years ago |Admin – Whatever happened to those FT3 and FT4 rumors we used to get to give us a better idea what may be coming or let us make our own conclusions from them? Maybe more risk of not being right but then less chance of someone releasing the information before you. As it is you do a remarkable job getting these rumors and news out to us when you may be working on other projects anywhere in the world. Good job.
So far you have given us plenty of hints to keep us in suspension without letting the cat out of the bag so to speak. For starters you have told us it will not be in rangefinder body style and the G3 body designation tells us this much if correct. The G1 dslr shape body is now over three years old and overdue for a complete change to boost sales. My hopes were for a smaller digital OM but then I would expect a different model number like GS1? Since there is no news of a rangefinder GF3 I guess maybe Pany was combining these two models into one?
You have also hinted the G3 will be more of a change of the G1 to G2 which is primarily the addition of video so must be some special feature of this new sensor and its capabilities? To make such a statement means you know what is coming! That leads to speculation that it will be the introduction of the electronic global shutter which Pany planned to impliment but had reported possible delays of implimentation to overcome IQ problems? Again why would Pany not put such a novel feature into an all new more attractive body as after all it needs no large mechanical shutter?
While the release of the GF2 seems to be Panys answer to the NEXs and EPLs while maybe the G3 intended as answer to the A55. Still with all the public clamoring for a couple of years for a rangefinder model with EVF I am dumbfounded with the GF1 discontinued if Pany would not produce that model before a G3 so hoping you have some more news of the GF3 or pro m4/3 for us?
admin
2 years ago |Hi Safaridon!
The reason I am not publishing the very few things I know is that I need that information to be sure that the other rumros I receive from other sources are correct. I will publish the info as soon as I can! The G3 is not the GF3. So don’t expect the G3 having any rangefinder design. Anyway I have still to receive the specs from the camera. The trusted sources gave me “general info” only
CRB
2 years ago |Can you at least tell us if DR will improve with the new sensor?thanks
safaridon
2 years ago |Wouldn’t you assume that would be the case to a certain extent because of likely new 3 core processor increased DR by one to over 9 in GF2 compared to GF1 according to last review I saw linked in 43rumors and GH2 sensor also increase DR.
Duarte Bruno
2 years ago |Bonjour Messieurs!
The Panasonic body du jour c’est le G3.
If Monsieur is looking for Olympus, Monsieur should book a table at El Bulli as you’ll get served there before.
(Let’s see who figures the irony… LOL)
J3PP3
2 years ago |Really hope this is the highend “Photographing” camera from Panasonic. Didn’t buy the GH2 because of the boost-up video capabilities which i don’t need.
Brod1er
2 years ago |One possibility is that the G3 will be given most of the gh2 features to make way for the new gh3. I think the gh3 will bring in the global shutter and will be moved up Market probably with significantly revised body to differentiate it more from the G cameras. Just my guess.
Miroslav
2 years ago |“the gh3 will bring in the global shutter”
Agree. No way a mainstream model will be given such breakthrough innovation. Unless Panasonic didn’t do it properly ( like Sony with SLT video mode ) and want to test it before releasing a final version.
panasonic
2 years ago |Very curious about what is panasonic direction for future. sony have set they will be superior to others among APS-c camera. they will change the world with new segment. Look like they will send a strongest ever APS-C camera to stand long (like D90) and move the engineering resources focus into FF development. i like the plan, this is right thing to do.
panasonic which is pretty fast and short cycle released upcoming camera ~< a year. with that, might affect the time constraint to develop a good camera. I hope future new camera from panny will succeed and accept by consumer, which is a breakthrough technologies camera!
wow, soon i will have more selection *G3, GH2,60D,*600D, ^Nex7, ^A77,
thomas ashley
2 years ago |Given that the G2 has a touchscreen and powerful processor I’m rather disappointed that Panasonic are already (rumoured to be) ready to bring out the G3 rather than adding interesting new functions to the G2 firmware that make further use of these features.
safaridon
2 years ago |Admin – Curious what is the relavence of this G3 rumor to your earlier Dec 21 FT5 Rumor that Panasonic will announce the new 25 f/1.4 in February and it will be the kit lens of a new MFT camera?
My hunch that would be a LC1 style body with EVF hump in the middle which would be a good body match for both the 25/f1.4 and 12-50/f2.5-3.3 lenses to be announced soon?
safaridon
2 years ago |The more I look at this with multi color options the G3 is simply the replacement of the G2 in that same body but with new sensor will have capabilities similar to GH2 and improved IQ features. Makes sense from manufacturing standpoint as only need one body instead of two only would drop the sterio mikes but still option to add one. The G2 body with lower EVF hump looks better than GH2 higher hump.
Billy
2 years ago |I think G3 maybe use the Multi Layer image sensor(similar Foveon X3 CMOS ),
This sensor to give publicity to last year.