43 Rumors

The Olympus 45mm f/1.8 got tested by the team from DxOmark (Click here): “We have here another very fine and impressive lens, and one that is fully capable of holding its own against APS-C cameras and also against certain full-frame models. The results are convincing: in terms of image quality, these micro 4/3 modules are a clear success. Olympus certainly appears to have risen to the challenge of combining compactness with quality!”
DxO really loves m43 lenses
The Olympus 45mm f/1.8 is a nice and relatively cheap lens: Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.

Something else: The Fuji X PRO 1 is shipping in Japan and it already reached a “cheater value” of $2,699.99 on eBay (Click here). I will mark the price and see what the cheater price on the Olympus E-M5 will be….I think it will go close to the X PRo 1.

P.S: Fotommundus (Click here) has the new Sigma 30mm lens for Micro Four Thirds in Stock!

There is a whole new Spring in the air as far as Oly are concerned.

They are silencing critic after critic.

Good luck to the team who has normaly been on the harder side of the field.

I bought both the 45 f1.8 and the 12 F2.0. they are both very nice lenses (although I would have preferred a 10 instead of a 12). the 45 is standout value though with the 12 being expensive enough to almost send me to the panny WA zoom … the weight and bulk (or significant lack thereof) in the prime making the decision for me. one thing I wish they had done with the 45 is give it the push-me-pull-you focus ring that appears on the 12. it is lovely to use but on the 12 only really of limited use (DoF not really being an issue, unless you’re using it close up and wide open, which it is good for in street situations … something I wasn’t expecting at this FL). Apparant quality on both is superb and I’m enjoying them immensely

Admin, I was at Map Camera in Shinjuku, Tokyo yesterday when the X-Pro1 was released. I had no idea it was going to be released yesterday, I was there to reserve my E-M5!

Anyway the amount of middle aged photo geeks in the store (of which I am one myself) was pretty crazy. There were those picking up their preorders and some other picking up those few cameras whose preorders were canceled. I also wandered by Labi and Yodobashi in Shinjuku – they were all sold out except for some lenses.

I did play with Map’s demo unit a bit – the hybrid EVF is fantastic but I don’t like the feel of the camera at all (and I was a fan of the old MF film Fujis). I’m sure it shoots great, though not enough to swing me off from m4/3.

The M.Zuiko 12mm and 45mm primes are impressive. I still have the Panasonic Leica 45mm F2.8 but I used to own the M.Zuiko 45mm F1.8 as well. The M.Zuiko is beautifully compact with a large aperture. Technically it also has a very good image quality, although I feel that the Leica branded lens has more character. Colors and micro contrast seem better with the Leica branded lens although that’s of course subjective.

In the end I sold the M.Zuiko, partly because I liked the images from the Leica better. But also because I switched to the NEX system for which I’m now using the equally good, stabilized 50mm (75mm FF equivalent) F1.8 prime. I’ll hold onto the Leica 45/2.8 and a couple of other MFT lenses for now until I see what new features and technology the GH3 brings to the table.

Zone focusing is basically impractical at longer focal lengths. Unless you use a laser distance meter.

Why? The X-Pro 1 is a super camera. “Better” than the M9 in most aspects.

At the moment it is impossible to say it is better than the M9 in most respects as it is not in the shops. Another problem with Fuji though at the moment is quality control and the lack of it. They have one model that has the orbs effect which a software upgrade has not solved and another model with software issues and sticking aperture blades. This does not look good for the X-Pro as you have to wonder what problems will that have? It might be third time lucky but for the amount of money it cost you want to be a little bit more than lucky.