New X lenses to be in Stock on October 13. New firmware coming. 25p support for GH2?
It is a beauty of a lens. Isn’t it? The silver 14-42mm X lens!
Preorders and availability
The two new X lenses will start worldwide shipment on October 13. And looking at Panasonic (not so reliable) history this means it will hit European and American stores in November. Preorders are only available at Amazon US but please drop me a mail or comment this post if you find more stores accepting preorders! Thanks!
Black 14-42mm X lens is available for preorder at Amazon (Click here).
Silver 14-42mm X lens is available for preorder at Amazon (Click here).
Black 45-175mm X lens is available for preorder at Amazon (Click here).
Silver 45-175mm X lens is available for preorder at Amazon (Click here).
Black GF3 with 14-42mm X lens at Amazon (Click here).
Red GF3 with 14-42mm X lens at Amazon (Click here).
White GF3 with 14-42mm X lens at Amazon (Click here).
Firmware update
Panasonic announced a new firmware update program for the digital interchangeable lens system cameras DMC-G3, DMC-GF3 and DMC-GF2 of LUMIX G Micro System (Source: Panasonic.net). Those are the new features:
- Display of the local length
When you zoom, the focal distance is displayed and you can confirm the zoom position.
- Step zoom
When you operate the zoom, the zoom will stop at positions corresponding to predetermined distances.
- Zoom resume
When you switch the power switch [ON], the zoom positions when you last switched [OFF] are automatically restored.
- Zoom ring operation
This may only be selected when a power zoom-compatible lens with a zoom lever and zoom ring is attached. The operations controlled by the zoom ring are disabled to prevent accidental operation.
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P.S.: Please note that the electric zoom will work on the GH1, G1 and GF1 too!
Firmware update for GH2 will bring 25p support?
ePhotozine (Click here) had a talk with Mr Uetmasu (product developer from Panasonic Japan). And he said that “A firmware update may be coming for the GH2 to add support for 25p, and additional improvements in video abilities.”
P.S.: Click on thumbnails to see the full size image:
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Recent comments
Comment from AdriZ: Why not both ?...
Comment from Ivo: what is the difference between 24p and 2...
Comment from oluv: unfortunately i am not a lens designer, ...
Comment from FD: Focal length display! This is something ...
Bob B.
9 months ago |…and support for GF1, will be coming when ?!?!?!?!?!
This lens, the 14-42mm is the coolest looking one of all of the new x lenses..definitely!
The silver in the 45-175mm is almost ugly..but I like the beast …that is the one that I pre-ordered.
spam
9 months ago |GF1 is supported, along with all other m4/3 models, the firmware updates are for the new features.
A_less
9 months ago |Yes… but why not make a firmware for all bodies? Why? Is that so complicated?
Are all the people happy with their G1, G2, GH1, GF1 not worth the hassle? I looks like it.
Is the some guy who just bought one of these bodies in Europe (look at all the active links in the camera database of 43rumors) happy with the situation?
Jonathan
9 months ago |which new features are you referring to that won’t work on the gf1?
Bob B.
9 months ago |Yes…specifically…what are we talking about here??? What features won’t work…just the super fast focus…???? or is there something else?
Bob B.
9 months ago |Oh..I see…without the software fix…The GF1 etc…miss out on the Display Focal Length, Step Zoom, Zoom Resume, and Zoom Ring Operation (whatever that is?). I can certainly live without these features…but it is really not cool of Panasonic to NOT support cameras that were being sold less than a year ago…in a family of new cameras that is less than two years old. Panasonic …if you read this… support the people who support you. Give the firmware update and brand support to the whole system… It is to your benefit to do so. Show us your commitment to the Lumix MFT format. It will make us all want to buy more product.
broxibear
9 months ago |Nice looking lenses, but why spoil it with all that text ?
AdriZ
9 months ago |All agree !
They start to remove text on camera bodies (like on the G3) but now they have to “work” in order to do the same with lens…
deniz
9 months ago |yeah too much text. makes it look cheap
carpandean
9 months ago |For those questioning whether you could put filters on the 14-42mm, the question can be put to rest now. You can definitely see the 37mm threads on the 3/4 (angled) views.
Jesse
9 months ago |Additional improvements to the GH2′s video functionality? Very cool.
Nico Foto
9 months ago |+1, looking forward for 25p support!
jim
9 months ago |be niceer to see 50+60p
oluv
9 months ago |i love the new 14-42, i love the looks and i love the size, but why why didn’t panasonic apply the same technique for the 45-175. the 45-175 could probably retract in the same way as the 14-42. according to the diagram there is enough free space inside, of course in such a case the manual zoom-ring and focus-ring would have to be compromised.
here a simple simulation how it could look like, probably not much bigger than the 25mm leica. this together with the x14-42 would be a very compakt travel set:
http://datenkeule.de/dl.php?file=file131437988745-175.jpg
Esa Tuunanen
9 months ago |Ever heard about thing colled as conservation of mass?
Tele zoom lenses have longer concentric barrels holding and moving lens elements during zooming and focusing and they have to be quite precise to keep elements in correct position so just where do you think those could collapse?
Remember that these aren’t any bellows lenses.
Gravityloss
9 months ago |That’s a good point Esa, although some courteousness wouldn’t be bad… Anyway, a three barrel telescoping design would struggle with enough structural overhang for not wobbling.
Still quite large compressions could be possible if good materials and very tight tolerances were used.
I took the liberty of modifying your excellent illustration, oluv!
http://i52.tinypic.com/1z723j6.jpg
oluv
9 months ago |unfortunately i am not a lens designer, but your illustration looks sensible to me. with some “will” i am sure a more compact design would be possible. even if it cost quite a bit more, than a non collapsible design, i think there would be a market for such a lens!
Bob B.
9 months ago |Hey….The 45-175 is WAY smaller that the 45-200mm…remember it is internally focusing…so it stays the size that it is…It is also smaller in diameter…much lighter AND it looks a hell of a lot sharper with better contrast than the 45-200mm……ALL for a relatively small increase in price…what’s not to like….BRAVO for a job well done, I say!!!!!!
safaridon
9 months ago |I really like your depiction and would probably get it if they made one, but I love to zoom manually and you heard all the moaning over the lack of focus and zoom rings for the 14-42 where less changing of focal length is involved and the larger lens elements would possibly consume more battery power to move.
Bob B.
9 months ago |The cool thing is…you can just buy a manual zoom!!!! LOL!
babbit
9 months ago |It would have been cool if the lens also included an automatic lens cover like what typical point and shoots have.
AdriZ
9 months ago |+1 !
They already “achieve” a first step in reducing the cap… (like Olympus ones)
Bob B.
9 months ago |I would rather be able to put a filter on the lens then have something so superfluous as an automatic lens cover…….
AdriZ
9 months ago |Why not both ?
henrik
9 months ago |+1
Renato M.
9 months ago |I was between G3 and NEX-5n but I think I’ll go with the NEX-5n because the G3 don’t have full manual controls over video, they could make it available via firmware update too, couldn’t they? Of course, I also liked the fact that the NEX-5n already has AVCHD 2.0.
But I’m looking forward for the GH3, I’ll go with the NEX-5n for now because I need a camera now and I can’t wait until the GH3. Also because I’ll have to buy something that is available until September, that’s my only window for buying.
I think it can be an interesting duo the NEX-5n give me more bokeh if I want, the GH3 will have more controls and I expect better video quality, the NEX-5n is smaller and more portable, only with the pancake, of course, I can use my old manual Nikon lenses with both cameras, as long I have the adapter. The GH3 will have these new X lenses that are good for video. It can be a versatile combo cameras.
spam
9 months ago |Of course they could have added manual control over video to G3, but they want you to buy GH2 for that.
Renato M.
9 months ago |I know that, but I think that there are other things that makes the GH2 better, they already took the ext mic input, for example. The lack of video control is not a wise way to differentiate.
spam
9 months ago |You do get exposure compensation, and while I agree that I’d like to see all GH2 features in G3 I can also see that Panasonic have to strip out something to differentiate the cameras. G3 video mode is still OK compared to many dSLRs with AF that works. You can always add something like a Zoom for better audio, but the lower bitrate is something that can’t (or at least wont) be fixed. But why not get a GH2 if video is that important? GH2 is as good or better than G3 on everything except price and size (if small is your goal).
Kount Michula
9 months ago |Any word on how many zoom speeds will be available in video mode? I would love to see up to five variable speed settings including a super slow zoom. If that be the case, I’d get interested in a hurry.
Zaph
9 months ago |I believe I read that only the slowest speed is available in video mode.
Steve
9 months ago |Looks like a lot of flexibility will be coming with Firmware version 1.1
http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/popup/pressrelease/x_lens.html
Display of the local length
When you zoom, the focal distance is displayed and you can confirm the zoom position.
Step zoom
When you operate the zoom, the zoom will stop at positions corresponding to predetermined distances.
Zoom resume
When you switch the power switch [ON], the zoom positions when you last switched [OFF] are automatically restored.
Selectable zoom speed
Users can select the speed of electric-powered zooming.
James
9 months ago |I’m keen on knowing more about the GH2 firmware update. Hope it’s not too long before we get more details. AVCHD 2.0 would be a nice addition to keep it up-to-date.
Techfreak
9 months ago |Admin, your link to the black 45-175 is wrong – it is pointing to 14-42, though image is 45-175 there.
Techfreak
9 months ago |Same for silver 14-42 – it is link to 45-175, though the image there is 14-42
Peter Thomson
9 months ago |Any possibility that the firmware updates will bring the older models up to date on things like noise processing or Picture in Picture for focus previewing?
Mr. Reeee
9 months ago |PLEASE, let’s hope so!
FULL-screen touch focus.
Customizable QMenu.
I wouldn’t mind seeing those and some of the other GF2/3 interface elements activated in the GH2 in addition to some of the video-centric features mentioned elsewhere.
Ivo
9 months ago |Please 60p for GH2
Aaron Fown
9 months ago |60p for GH2 might be asking a lot, but it would go a long way towards making the GH2 toe to toe competitive with the Sony cameras on spec while they gear up for the GH3, which might take a while.
Mr. Reeee
9 months ago |Vitaly activated 60p with his GH2 hack.
Ivo
9 months ago |I think the hack is only 720/60p not 1080/60p
Nathan Cowlishaw
9 months ago |I think I’ll stick with my 20mm F1.7 lens. I’m perfectly happy with the “professional” results i get with it. Other than that, I’d like to see the equivalent of a 75-200mm F2.8 lens for Micro 4/3! It’d be interesting to see whether Sigma will come out with anything!?
Gravityloss
9 months ago |200 mm / 2.8 = 71 mm. Over 7 cm aperture. APS-C 200 mm in M43 would mean 150 mm. Aperture would have to be the same 7 cm for equal light gathering power, meaning f 2.1. With f 2.8 it would be 54 mm aperture. It’d be large even as a prime but not necessarily super huge perhaps. I think you’d start losing m43 advantages at that point but hey, it’d complete the system nevertheless.
Ivo
9 months ago |I think only 720/60p not 1080/60p
Brian
9 months ago |Great comeback by Panasonic, but is it enough to stop the Sony mirror-less news…probably not.
I really hope Olympus was holding out to announce their Pen Pro and will announce it sometime this year. The NEX 7 announcement from Sony is some serious competition for the m43rd market. I opted to skip the 3rd Gen Pens because of the sensor looking like it was a previous gen, no matter what others say, it was still 12MP. I bought the Oly SZ-30MR and even that has 16MP, HD recording and 3D recording. I hope the new Pen Pro can match or beat what that little camera can do.
Jon
9 months ago |What’s with all the GF1 users complain about not being able to use the new 14-42? All I hear are GF1 users nagging how Panasonic keeps dumbing down the GF line and yet you want to use an electronic zoom lens without an actual zoom ring? Stop complaining people!
cairn
9 months ago |Is it possible to add zoom button on the body of the future camera? That will be nice because my hand will hold the camera tightly.
Mr. Reeee
9 months ago |Please don’t tempt them to remove even more external photographic controls from their cameras for something like that.
It makes sense to have lens-specific controls so that ANY M4/3 camera can use the lens.
THyl
9 months ago |What about xvYCC/x.v,Color gamut for video? Presently trying to find out whether the GH2 can already record in this mode, but the lack of results shows me that the chances are small. So, please, that would be a great addition!
isaac
9 months ago |SO…Panasonic G2?
Bu
9 months ago |I will wait for the fast 12-35
Henrik
9 months ago |QUOTE: It is a beauty of a lens. Isn’t it?
–
It ain’t.
It looks like the advertisement pane on a dairy truck.
Pedro Almeida
9 months ago |I hope this isn’t just Panasonic trying to prevent the hack with a new firmware. Unfortunately given Panasonic’s track record, I wouldn’t recommend aplying the new firmware when it’s available, tempting as it may be, until we have more information from the hacking community.
FD
9 months ago |Focal length display! This is something all cameras should have IMHO. Most if not all zoom lenses have an optimum aperture that varies depending on focal length so by knowing where the zoom is you can tell if you need to stop down a click or two for optimum sharpness!
Ivo
9 months ago |what is the difference between 24p and 25p??