Rumors from others: Tomorrow Pentax announcement, Leica gmakes mirrorless and new NEX delayed.
Before to go on with more new Olympus rumors I want to remindert you what’s going on with the competition:
1) Tomorrow Pentax will announce the new NC-1 mirrorless system with small 1:2.33 inch sensor. You can follow the announcement live on MirrorlessRumors (Click here) at 13:00 Tokyo time! The camera is very tiny almost like the old film Auto 110 system (Click here ot see that on ebay). It’s very important for you to know that Pentax will launch a second “k-system” in autumn (with APS-C) sensor. It’s very likely that they will use the current Sony NEX sensors.
2) Leica will announce a mirrorless system at Photokina 2012. It will use a built-in EVF instead of a rangefinder sytem a là Leica M9 (Click here to see that camera). There are no specs now, but I guess it will be a very expensive system 
3) Sony delayed the new NEX Pro and lens announcement form July to late August. Pity that Sony doesn’t offer any decent lens for their NEX users!
4) Samsung will announce the NX-200 and NX-20 with 18 Megapixel sensor in July. And there will be also a nice 85mm f/1.4 lens (Source: MirrorlessRumors.com)
As you cansee, there is nothing to come from Canon and Nikon. They don’t want to cannibalize their entry level DSLR market. But how long can they play that game?
frank
2 years ago |I checked out the NEX lenses last week and there really are no nice lenses in that lineup. What a shame. And most lenses are about 10 times the camera size, except for one pancakethat is only f2.8. For the rest they work with wide and tele adapters, not nice at all.
Alice
2 years ago |Anyone agree that this pentax leak is the worse Leaked camera of 2011? IT IS HIDEOUS!
Even if they didn’t mean to leak it, still who would think of such design?
This camera is a laughing stock.
Practically a PS sized sensor with interchangeable lens. No point (no pun intended). Just stick to point and shoot.
Li Sun
2 years ago |What’s the point of this pentax joke?
Rachnaroch
2 years ago |I don’t know, but I have an idea: compacts are almost dead. Smartphones will eat them from the bottom sooner or later (and mirror-less ILCs from the top!), so the only small cameras that will survive must be those with special features, from superzooms to retro style and controls, to advanced features (LX5, XZ-1, P7000…) to, well, interchangeable lenses?
Looking at that tiny 28-80 zoom, that Pentax camera would have almost the same specs as my current compact, including the maximun apertures (well, in fact the Pentax lens is faster at the long end) for a little more space and weight, yet with a really big difference: I can replace the lens. So maybe this Pentax won’t replace my GH2 (or my future EP3/EPL3), but when the time comes to replace my current compact, I guess I will give it a chance.
Maybe that’s the point of this Pentax system (just like the rumored Nikon), but only time will tell.
Li Sun
2 years ago |I don’t buy the idea anyway. XZ-1 is more attractive in every aspect to me.
sneye
2 years ago |It’s a neat solution for glass addicts. The lenses must all be priced at under $150.
Rachnaroch
2 years ago |Well, you don’t. But you don’t amount to 100% of the world population. And not every product must be designed to suit you, as many here think (and rage whenever a new camera don’t have this or that that they think is a must).
It’s just another proposition -and a very different one- and only time will tell how good or bad it does. By the people in this blog anything but THEIR imaginary perfect camera is fail.
dumbo
2 years ago |+1
i love how often people here think anything they dont like will fail, it cracks me up every time.
jules
2 years ago |“By the people in this blog anything but THEIR imaginary perfect camera is fail.”
LMAO!!!!
+1
tylorrc
2 years ago |4) Samsung will announce the NEX-200 and NEX-20 with 18 Megapixel sensor in July
typo, it should be NX-200 and NX-20
Agrivar
2 years ago |Might as well get an XZ-1 or LX-5 instead of the Pentax!!
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |I’d get a GF3 and use my 20mm on it, before ever buying another compact camera.
That Pentax is one butt ugly camera! Is that glitter on the body?
sneye
2 years ago |The delay of the “NEX Pro” may be due to the Zeiss 24/1.7 not being that great. We shall see.
Mike
2 years ago |First I had no idea what the sense of the Pentax camera should be. But now, if it is really small with a 47mm/1,9 I find it somehow cool. I can’t explain it…
Al
2 years ago |Why not? Join the party.
anentropic
2 years ago |poseurs?
I don’t see the point of this camera. If you want something as compact as possible surely you don’t want the hassle of interchangeable lenses. Especially when something like the XZ-1 gives you a faster longer zoom built-in.
Peter F.
2 years ago |Plust the XZ-1 has a bigger sensor.
DonTom
2 years ago |The Leica rumor is interesting. I bet it will be a high spec’d m43 camera, matching a Panasonic model. Why would Leica develop their own system given their partnership with Panasonic? Big deal is that there will be more PL lenses to go with it!
sneye
2 years ago |Leica is not interested in smaller-than-APS-C sensors. I would bet it’s a fullframe system. They have plenty of time.
Li Sun
2 years ago |That makes good sense! Possibly the leica version of rumored m43 verion of L1.
Tobias W.
2 years ago |Yes, the timeframe fits. I could imagine that Leica will rebrand and redesign the Pro model in the GF series that Panasonic is talking about for later this year.
A Leica option with MFT mount would be awesome.
NiKo
2 years ago |Yuk. This Pentax thing is probably targeted at hipsters’ bags but definitely not to me. For the records DoF at f/1.9 on a 1/2″33 cropped sensor (crop factor = 5.62) is eq. to what you get at f/10.5 on a 35mm, so forget about these lovely blurry backgrounds. No mention of DR, ISO and so on.
The rumor about an upcoming Pentax APS-C mirrorless alternative is interesting though. I just hope they won’t take the high-MP path like Samsung or Sony.
Last, the Leica rumor is awesome news, but will be pricey for sure — as always.
SxMW
2 years ago |A quick search on the web says Photokina 2012 isn’t for another 15 months! Between Oly, Panny, Sony, Pentax, Ricoh, Samsung, etc…, there will probably be another 15+ mirrorless bodies released by then. They are going to have their work cut out for them…
frosti7
2 years ago |according to sonyalpharumors: the nex-7 would be 24mpx with crazy ISO performance…it looks like the ISO range goes from 100 up to 102.400 ISO”
also, it may feature 3mpx OLED EVF (the a77 slt gonna have one)
Now, could someone pretty please explain to me how the hell olympus is going to fight this with a 3-year old “TWEAKED” sensor with lighter AA?,
i’m feeling that the gap between pana/sony sensors is just gets bigger (and not smaller, as i have predicted 2 years ago):
with such spec difference…i’m tempted to say “f**k lens selection”
heck…if the nex-7 would be so good+ the new peaking AF feature just makes it too tempting to put old rangefinder super tiny MF lens on it
Peter F.
2 years ago |Yup, Oly should just get the Sony 16mp sensor and use just the middle of it for the smaller optical circle required for Oly lenses. Bet that would be close to 12mp… But maybe my math is wrong.
Just seems to me (and to your point!) that if Sony can stuff 24 good mp onto a sensor, then Oly should be able to get 12 good mp on theirs!!!
Peter F.
Do
2 years ago |With the 24mp aps-c sensor you would even have a 15-16 mpix mft area. Also,you could advertise special image formats like a 3:1 panaorama mode which would be interesting with wide angle lenses…but on the other hand, marketing-wise you would have the problem that it would be taken as the offical acknowledgement that aps-c cameras are superior.
frosti7
2 years ago |Peter,Do your both right!
sounds excellent solution, i dont belive it’ll be a marketing problem, because only few people will know about the origin of the chip…the rest of the people dont care as long as they are getting a good product
cbr09
2 years ago |Yes – quite agree – and the 1:1 ratio would use almost all of the sensor height. There would be an advantage for digital image stabilisation in that you could use the pixels just out of normal field of view.
Only two downsides would be 1) cost (perhaps not too bad if volumes high enough) and 2) size (which may be a problem when you are trying to do IBIS – especially for the smaller model variants).
Seems like an ideal solution for a OM style Exxx and Exx replacement camera which would be bigger anyway.
Inge-M
2 years ago |Have you look piture of E-5 and NEX-5 side by side on ISO 6400,
E-5 also 3 year old sensor.
If Sony blow up to ISO 102400 so whatever!
cL
2 years ago |By squeezing 24MP into an APS-C sensor, they’re deteriorate the IQ to be below that of a m4/3. Remember 16MP APS-C = 12MP 4/3 sensor in term of pixel density. 24MP is clearly close to advanced P&S level of performance. Sony is clearly using consumer’s confusion about bigger sensor MUST equal better performance, when performance (if we’re talking about light sensitivity) is actually determined by pixel density…. It is double-edge sword however.
Bigger sensor definitely has its advantage (it can use bigger lenses, which can be both good and bad thing), but it’ll be washed away by that amount of pixels in other areas.
Bill
2 years ago |The Sony 18-200 is much better than any long zoom mft lens. Image stabilization alone is far superior, especially for video. The image quality is superior to the 14-140 and yet it has to support a larger image sensor! Sony is way ahead in this regard.
I’d like to see a faster than f2 pacake at 35mm, as that’s clearly missing from the lineup.
But the claim that there are no decent NEX lenses is just a flat out lie and sounds like sour grapes. The 16 mm and18-55 are quite good as well, the latter being a bit better than the 14-45 on MFT.
The two systems have different tradeoffs, but no need to lie.
frosti7
2 years ago |18-200 is a flawed lens,
it is H U G E, completly giant, its not intended for nex cameras as much as for the nex-vg10 video camera…
id take the 14-140 over the sony any day…(which is much closer to NEX in IQ then u make it ought to be, but your right about the OIS)
WT21
2 years ago |I tried the 18-200 Sony lens when I had a NEX. Focus hunted far more than my Oly 14-150. Basically, it wouldn’t catch focus on the long end, and would rack all the way back and forth. No thanks.
I’ve just sold the 16 and the 18-55. The 18-55 is not a better lens than the m43 lenses. The sensor is better, but not the lens. The 16 wasn’t bad, as there’s no equivalent currently in m43 land. I also had the fisheye attachment, which wasn’t optically good, but was reasonable and fun to use with the kids.
My biggest reason for selling NEX — no new, good lenses, just more bodies. m43 is about to have fast, native AF for 25/1.4 and 50/1.8, two lenses I’ve been waiting for. m43 lens line-up is lightyears ahead of NEX (oh, and who wants a 30mm macro??)
JeremyT
2 years ago |I’m intrigued by that Pentax system; it certainly looks pretty!
Angry Olympus Owner
2 years ago |lol
Li Sun
2 years ago |even better in pink…
Dummy00001
2 years ago |Glamour. Panache. Flair.
Target audience: “ooh! shiny!” type of people.
Milos Janata
2 years ago |It could be if they made front lens side silver too. Now it looks terrible and cheap…
Pablo
2 years ago |frosti7, you’re my man.
i have the peaking FW already in my nex, and the focusing takes almost no time on the hi def lcd now already. without thinking about the future pro nex :> I don’t have to enlarge the focus area (eventhough I can do it with one dedicated button) and I don’t have to use my LCD magnifier anymore.
had the ep1 with 20/1.7 in my hands yesterday with legacy glass, just to give it sentimentally, a go again. and NO WAY I would be using that brick with awkward MF with my voigtlanders, zuikos or rokkors.
and to hell with that m4/3 lens selection, when the sensor lags behind SO MUCH.
so I can say again, hooray to the A77,(A65) and the comming NEX7! there is now way I would be looking into the possibility of some funny new camera, with a “tweaked” E5 sensor, which is past year’s technology.
pabloisanidiot
2 years ago |Keep focusing that legacy glass on a body with no IS and no viewfinder.
Pablo
2 years ago |iz you talkin about your mom?
Pablo
2 years ago |When m4/3 comes with lenses that are 28/1.9 ; 35/1.2 ; 50/1.1 ; 58/1.2 ; 85/1.4 ; 135/2
AND ARE NOT MADE FROM CARBON PLASTIC MATERIALS, BUT REAL, SILICIUM GLASS INSTEAD and without digital corrections, I guess, then you can open your speakerhole and call them plastic toys of yours by the name LENS. Until then, keep shooting with that soulless crap, but don’t pretend you’re working with real glass.
I don’t care you don’t see, what that plastic does to the light, I’m just sad, you think a < 200gram optical system made of plastic and full of digital corrections is able to capture the light and color mood of the moment.
You think Leica stuff is made of the same materials as m4/3 optics? Strange I never heard of soul, spirit, character or magic in regards with m4/3 optics…
kesztió
2 years ago |Forget any m43 lenses w/o digital corrections.
Digital correction is a smart thing – as keeps optics reasonably small without compromising the final result’s quality. In fact it’s one of the forte points of mirroless systems…
lol-Pablo
2 years ago |Sony Nex with two lens! Give me a break..
MaxElmar
2 years ago |Sorry. Gotta say it. Man, that is one ugly camera. With a beady little eye.
ArKersaint
2 years ago |@ Pablo who obviously seeks for answers : I believe everybody here has understood your message :
Sony is best and others are obsolete due to sensor
Sony is best and others are obsolete due to sensor
Sony is best and others are obsolete due to sensor
Sony is best and others are obsolete due to sensor
Sony is best and others are obsolete due to sensor
Sony is best and others are obsolete due to sensor
Sony is best and others are obsolete due to sensor
All right Pablo, now please be so kind to understand that this nice site has been created for the mFT community which strongly supports David against Goliath and most of all apreciates real NEWS, not your boring litany !
By the way, let me take the opportunity to congratulate once more Admin forv all the fantastic work achieved, especially durig these epic last weeks : I believe we are all living a piece of history
With best regards
ijack
2 years ago |+100
Maley
2 years ago |+1
Fish
2 years ago |+1
I am getting tired of these rants. I would be tempted to say Pablo is employed by Sony to disrupt the comments here – except he does Sony no favors at all by insisting that the only way to get good results from NEX is to use 40 year-old lenses that were made for a different format. That just reinforces what people are saying about Sony lenses doesn’t it?
In my opinion, the mark of a good camera company is good lenses. And despite your obsession with “silicium glass”, neither you nor Sony have anything to teach Olympus when it comes to that subject. You may think you possess some knowledge or secret of what it takes to produce good lenses, but Olympus is one of the companies that helped write the book on that subject… so give it a rest.
MikeS
2 years ago |+1
Some constructive criticism would be fine, but all we see from that guy is flagrant antagonism, and it’s gotten old.
A troll by any other name…
Li Sun
2 years ago |I think you guys are scaring Pablo away.
Anonymous
2 years ago |Hi to all! It’s my 1st time to comment but I’ve been a lurker here for almost 2 yrs.
@Pablo, like Arkersaint said, this is a MFT community, we visit here regularly to get excited by the latest rumours that Admin had worked on hardly. Why do you keep on staying here repeatingly bashing on FT format as if the NEX are the holy grail of the modern camera. Even my 10yr old nephew can take good photos using my pen1 or his fujifilm p&s when used properly. I choose my MFT cam when I need portability & IQ, I use my DSLR on other critical things. But I am quite sure that a right photographer can produce stunning result using any type or any format camera. Just mu opinion
Anonymous
2 years ago |Hi to all! It’s my 1st time to comment but I’ve been a lurker here for almost 2 yrs.
@Pablo, like Arkersaint said, this is a MFT community, we visit here regularly to get excited by the latest rumours that Admin had worked on hardly. Why do you keep on staying here repeatingly bashing on FT format as if the NEX are the holy grail of the modern camera. Even my 10yr old nephew can take good photos using my pen1 or his fujifilm p&s when used properly. I choose my MFT cam when I need portability & IQ, I use my DSLR on other critical things. But I am quite sure that a right photographer can produce stunning result using any type or any format camera. Just mu opinion
MK
2 years ago |so back to the article – why is this not rated? i think this is a smokescreen. i guess i wont be waiting long at this point. could pentax be so stupid as to release a whole new system based on a 1/2.33 sensor?
Li Sun
2 years ago |Because this is not (m)ft rumor at all.
Brod1er
2 years ago |Pablo is hilarious! I can’t figure whether his ambition is to be disruptive or whether he is just hopelessly misguided- enigmatic indeed. It’s a shame he seems to have given up on his attempts to convince us that NEX prints are 3D and that a 25mm mft lens is wide angle. I think we should all club together and buy him one of these new Pentax 1/2.33 cameras (ideally fitted with a plastic toy lens) in recognition of his great posts
Tobias W.
2 years ago |http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/leica_to_launch_compact_system_camera_at_photokina_2012_news_308248.html
Leica’s system will not be MFT based or compatible. They’ll use a bigger sensor. Read the interview.
I will still get the E-P3. If this will be introduced at Photokina 2012, GA will be in early 2013. Still a long time.
ha
2 years ago |“Leica’s system will not be MFT based or compatible. They’ll use a bigger sensor. Read the interview.”
Why not. As other suggested you can use the inner part of an APS sensor with MFT (Leica branded) lenses. And if you build an electronic M adapter reading the lens signature you can have use M lenses on full APS area with good IBIS support.
sam
2 years ago |The new Leica sounds very interesting, hoping for something in M size with all mod cons. Are bigger than 135 sized sensors cheaper to produce now or still limited by wafer size at fabrication?
I’m waiting to see what happens with the GH3 and the L1 style Panasonic cameras if they both have the same specifications then my money will go on the rangefinder version. Must have decent EVF. Just read the press release from the L1, it sounds perfect, update the technology and I’ll buy one.
The new 25mm 1.4 looks very interesting too although I’m looking for a really good wider angle prime before buying that.
cL
2 years ago |It sounds very interesting indeed. It’s about time to have a mirrorless camera with built-in EVF.
ronnbot
2 years ago |After reading that, I have even more questions.
If it is going to have an APS-C sensor as the CEO says, will it then replace the X1, or will it be sold beside the X1 as the interchangeable lens version? Since X1 already costs $2000, this will cost how much?
Will Leica then make a new mount (+ new lenses) or will they use the M-Mount? If the M-Mount, why not use a sensor bigger than APS-C. Heck, why not simply add an EVF to the M9 and call it M9-E?
If Leica is not gonna go all out (M9-E), seems to me it is more logical for Leica to do what they normally do: rebadge/tweak a Panasonic camera, like the upcoming GF pro, package it with the 25/1.4 (and Lightroom as usual) and call it a day.
cL
2 years ago |+1
If they make a camera that can use M mount, that will seriously make me drool (not that I can afford it).
gg
2 years ago |The NC-1 is a great idea that separates it from current compacts. When was the last time you thought changing lenses was FUN? It would work very well as a fashion toy/accessory, along the lines of the Pentax NB1000 Lego cam. Depending on the price it could be quite interesting.
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |Every time I change lenses it’s fun!
You don’t like changing lenses?
ronnbot
2 years ago |Being able to change lens IS fun and gives you many possibilities. In this case, you may be able to adapt some 1″, 2/3″, or 1/2″ c-mount/cctv lenses.
ronnbot
2 years ago |Am I the only one excited about Pentax’s other mirrorless, the APS-C “K-System”?
If it has the innards of the K-5 (has the same or better sensor, IBIS, etc. but minus the mirror) in a solid body with nice controls (again like the K-5 but in a rangefinder like form factor), then we are talking. And we know how well Pentax can make primes.
frosti7
2 years ago |i never owned a pentax – but it seems that they were the most enthusiast company about “pancakes” lens which they used on their dslrs…so combine such a company with a CSC body with the latest sony sensors and you have a match made in heaven!
this is not “exiting” – this is the MOST exiting rumor i’ve heard in a long time…
MaxElmar
2 years ago |Count me as VERY interested. Pentax is a real camera/optical company with a history photographic equipment good enough that they have no need to buy European cachet from Leica or Zeiss. They could really nail it from the get go, if they tried.
Bobak
2 years ago |Ok, break up the hate-fest…lol.
Anyways I’ve been wondering about backlit CMOS image sensor technology. Are the benefits noticeable? I know its a fairly new technology but never had the chance to try one out. Seems like only done on p&s cameras.
Is it possible to integrate this tech into MFTs? APS-Cs? Interesting…
ronnbot
2 years ago |In a comparison test (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q210grouptravelzoom/page13.asp), the back-illuminated 1/2.3″, 10.1MP CMOS helped the HX5 get better low-light performance.
Most likely the NC-1 will have the higher MP version of that same sensor.
Back-illuminated sensor was first available to consumers (from Sony) just 2 years ago; probably still too complicated/expensive to make larger versions. Then there’s the higher possibility of damaging the exposed photosensitive layer of the back-illuminated sensor in interchangeable lens cameras.
Bobak
2 years ago |Thanks for the info ronnbot!! maybe we can get them in the future!
Ace
2 years ago |Here are some images:
http://wkoopmans.ca/notebook/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/untitled.jpg
http://wkoopmans.ca/notebook/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/untitled2.jpg