43 Rumors

The 4K camera from Astrodesign with the Panasonic 14-140mm lens.

Olympus Global (Click here) announced that Astrodesign, Kenko and Tamron joined the Micro Four Thirds group! Here is the company description:
ASTRODESIGN, Inc.
A Japanese company established in 1977 that designs and develops professional video equipment and measurement/analysis-related equipment. Well known for developing the world’s first programmable signal generator and the Ultra HDTV image processor devices used at Expo 2005 Aichi, Japan.
ASTRODESIGN, Inc. Website
http://www.astrodesign.co.jp/english/
Editor’s note: It’s the very first time I hear about that company. And I am really wondering what kind of m43 related product they could release!!!
Kenko Tokina Co., Ltd.
A Japanese company established in 1957 that designs and develops a wide variety of photographic supplies and optical products. It is Japan’s largest manufacturer/seller of lens filters.
Kenko Tokina Co., Ltd. Website
http://www.kenkoglobal.com/
Editor’s note: Kenko has experience in camera and lens manufacturing. They made the KF-1N (Click here to see it on eBay) which is F-mount camera. And they make well known adapters and extensions tube (mostly for Canon and Nikon).
Tamron Co., Ltd.
A Japanese company established in 1950 that designs and develops interchangeable SLR camera lenses, lens units for surveillance, as well as ultra-precision optical components based on the integration of advanced optical, electronic and precision machinery engineering technologies.
Tamron Co., Ltd. Website
http://www.tamron.co.jp/en/
Editor’s note: That’s certainly the biggest new entry. And it’s interesting to notice that they already did lenses for the OM system in the past (Click here to see them on eBay).

I’d love it if Tamron would make m4/3 lenses, Sigma has been disappointing so far

Tamron seems to be the biggest welcomed, at least for me. M43 misses the “really cheap but still decent quality” category lenses. Even the excellent value Oly 1.8/45 could be cheaper – or brighter at the current price tag.

I don’t think further investment in a virtually obsolete system would be a smart idea.

I hope tamron will make true m43 lenses, espacially designed for m43 and not stupid adaptations like sigma that nobody want to buy…

Hurray!

For Astrodesign, they build 4K camera with m4/3 mount. http://www.astrodesign.co.jp/english/product/ah-4413_ap-4414_am-4412

Good news!

For Tamron and Kenko this move is clear – lenses, teleconverters, adapters, filters… More choises for us.

The Astrodesign is more interesting: after a short surfing I found, that they make 4K/2K videosystems, monitors, 3D-videoequipment… We’ll have to make some wild quesses…