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.
–
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:

New E-PL3 review (E-PL3 coming on September 3). Olympus 45mm lens image samples (Shipment started at BHphoto). Leica 25mm in Stock.

[shoplink 23567][/shoplink]

E-PL3

ePhotozine (Click here) posted a new Olympus E-PL3 review: “The Olympus PEN E-PL3 is an excellent upgrade to the E-PL2, with extremely fast focusing, which was one of the big problems with the PEN series, especially if you’d used another faster Micro Four Thirds camera, but now Olympus are back in the game.” Read the full review to see all tests and image samples!
And Olympus Japan confirmed the E-Pl3 worldwide shipment starts on September the 3rd. You can click those links to see if the stores do have the E_PL3 available for preorder: [shopcountry 23567].

Olympus 45mm f/1.8

Robin Wong (Click here) wrote the second part of his field review with the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lens: “the details captured were simply amazing. Zooming in 100% reviewed tiniest amount of details and textures“
We have been told by BHphoto (Click here) that they already shpped the first stoock of those lenses to the customers. Click those links to search for the lens at [shopcountry 23577].

Panasonic Leica 25mm f/1.4

The new Leica is in Stock at Amazon US (Click here, overpriced!) and Amazon UK (normal price).

US deals reminder

You now can get the Olympus E-P2 with 17mm or with 14-42mm lens for $499 only at Amazon (Click here).
There is a $100 Instant saving on the E-PL1 at BHphoto (Click here). It runs until September 3.
At the same time there is a $50 Instant rebate on the E-PL2 too, at BHphoto (Click here).
The Panasonic GH2 with 14-140mm lens is in Stock for $1439 at Amazon (Click here).
The Panasonic 100-300mm price dropped to $499 at Amazon (Click here).

US deals summary (E-P2, E-PL1, E-PL2, and lenses)

Cameras:
That’s thw way it goes with digital stuff. The [shoplink 23568]E-P3[/shoplink] has been announced and you now can get the Olympus E-P2 with 17mm or with 14-42mm lens sells for $499 only at Amazon (Click here).
There is a $100 Instant saving on the E-PL1 at BHphoto (Click here). It runs until September 3.
At the same time there is a $50 Instant rebate on the E-PL2 too, at BHphoto (Click here).
The Panasonic GH2 with 14-140mm lens is in Stock for $1439 at Amazon (Click here).

Lenses:
The Panasonic 100-300mm price dropped to $499 at Amazon (Click here).
The only Panasonic-Leica 25mm f/1.4 m43 lens you can get right now is at Amazon (Click here). But it’s damn expensive!

REMINDER: Those are the direct search links to all the new Pana/Oly stuff:
Panasonic G3 search page at [shopcountry 22077].
Panasonic GF3 search page at [shopcountry 23109].
Panasonic-Leica 25mm f/1.4 search page at [shopcountry 23110].
Olympus E-P3 search page at [shopcountry 23568].
Olympus 12mm f/2.0 search page at [shopcountry 23576].
Olympus 45mm f/1.8 page at [shopcountry 23577].

The Olympus 45mm with superb performance (says DSLRmagazine)! + latest Olympusmarket deals.


Image on top by courtesy of DSLRmagazine.

There is a new and this time very detailed and complete review of the new Olympus 45mm lens at DSLRmagazine (Click here to read the google english translation). You can see all graph and test on their page. In short, this lens is a surprise! For 300 Euro you get a lot!
1) Resolution: The lens is surprisingly sharp! It has almost the same sharpness in the center and at the border of the image and actually there is almost no quality loss when shooting at f/1.8 aperture compared to the maximum quality aperture which DSLRmagazine found to be at f/4.0
2) Vignetting (light loss in the corners): At maximum aperture is less than 10%. That’s a very good result.
3) Distortion: There is no :)

Interesting_1: The same lens performs better on the E-P3 comapred to the E-PL1. This confirms there is a different sensor-processor design!
Interesting_2: The results for the distortion, resolution, chromatic aberrations and vignetting are not improved in the JPEG respect to RAW, which speaks for a good optical quality inherent in this small, lightweight, useful and friendly target.

Now take time to read the full review at DSLRmagazine! Right now you can preorder the lens at Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), J&R (Click here) and in Europe at Amazon Deutschland (Click here).

Thanks V.Sama and M.San Fruits for the nice review!

Something different: Those are the refurbished Micro Four Thirds camera auctions ending at [shoplink 22691 ebay]Olympusmarket[/shoplink] today. Click on the names to see the auction:

Olympus E-P1

[shoplink 24945 ebay]E-P1 with kit 17mm pancake[/shoplink] [shoplink 24946 ebay]E-P1 with kit 17mm pancake and 14-42mm lens[/shoplink]

Olympus E-P2

[shoplink 24949 ebay]E-P2 with kit lens[/shoplink]

Olympus E-PL1

[shoplink 24944 ebay]E-PL1 with kit lens[/shoplink] [shoplink 24947 ebay]E-PL1 with double kit lens[/shoplink] [shoplink 24950 ebay]E-PL1 with double kit lens[/shoplink] [shoplink 24951 ebay]E-PL1 with kit lens[/shoplink] [shoplink 24952 ebay]E-PL1 with kit lens[/shoplink] [shoplink 24953 ebay]E-PL1 with 14-150mm lens[/shoplink]

Weird finding: Olympus O camera

[shoplink 24922 ebay][/shoplink]

Want to make a break from usual m43 news. While I was searching for a rangefinder camera I found a camera made by Olympus that I never saw before. It is the [shoplink 24922 ebay]Olympus O-camera (Click here to see it on eBay)[/shoplink]. It is an aluminum bodied very compact 35mm camera. It has a (detachable) strobe unit and a limited edition (only 20,000 units were made). I searched for some reviews but didn’t find anything. As I said, it’s completely unrelated to today’s world but the camera is so “different” that I was wondering if there was something that could appeal users today. It is a limited edition camera, has an aluminum body (which I do like) and a “circle-square design”. At least it would standout from other cameras in any store :)
[shoplink 24922 ebay]Olympus O is sold for $399 on eBay[/shoplink].

P.S: Today I am in the “found something new and weird” mood. Feel free to send me some links to other nice “different” cameras! :)

UPDATE: Bruce and Nigel sent us the name of another strange camera: The [shoplink 24925 ebay]Olympus Ecru (here on eBay)[/shoplink].

First Olympus E-PL3 cameras in Stock at BHphoto and Amazon Germany and France!

The new Olympus E-PL3 (repeat E-PL3 not E-P3) is in Stock at BHphoto (Click here), Amazon Deutschland (Click here) and Amazon France (Click here). It will be in Stock at Amazon UK on August 31. It is the very first time I see the camera in Stock in Europe and US. Feel free to comment this post with more shop links if you find it elsewhere!

REMINDER: Those are the direct search links to all the new Pana/Oly stuff:
Panasonic G3 search page at [shopcountry 22077].
Panasonic GF3 search page at [shopcountry 23109].
Panasonic-Leica 25mm f/1.4 search page at [shopcountry 23110].
Olympus E-P3 search page at [shopcountry 23568].
Olympus 12mm f/2.0 search page at [shopcountry 23576].
Olympus 45mm f/1.8 page at [shopcountry 23577].

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