Finally I can give you some positive news about Olympus. Koji Miyate, Senior Exectuvie Managin Officer from Olympus toke action in defense of Olympus employees. He created the website olympusgrassroots.com and wrote the following text:
“To All Olympus Employees,
I cannot sit by passively and witness the demise of a company that I love. My perspective outside the company affords an objective view of the depth of the crisis that Olympus faces. It also offers a glimpse of the very real potential for overcoming the present adversity. Please join me in expressing your support for concrete measures to revitalize the company that we all love.
Koji Miyata
koji@olympusgrassroots.com
Former Senior Executive Managing Officer, Olympus Corporation
Former President, Olympus Medical Systems Corporation”

I wish all Olympus emplyees the best and I am sure Olympus has the chance to recover from the crisis!

More Olympus “fee scandal” news:
The Shareholders Foundation is collecting info about Olympus (pr-usa.net).
Corporate Japan Rocked by Scandal at Olympus (New York Times).
Falsche Bilanzen bei Olympus (Spiegel.de).

Darkness Seeker from Andrew Reid on Vimeo.

Vitaly released the new PTool 3.63d for hacked GH2 cameras. You can find the official news at personal-view (Click here). The coolest new features are the ability to remove the ISO 3.200 limit for video recording and the new time lapse feature. The video on top made by Andrew Reid from EosHD is the first video showing the (astonishing!) video quality at 12.800 ISO.

The video below shows the new MJPEG variable frame rate feature. The video has been taken at 2fps!

GH2 first Timelapser test from Mark Nicholson on Vimeo.

That’s why I love the GH2 we have at work. I can always expect some nice new features! Hope Panasonic realizes the value of Vitalys work! Sooner or later you have to create an appropriate API to allow everyone to customize the camera software!

GH2 in Stock status and price check: [shopcountry 16254].

Olympus announced a silver version of the popular Olympus XZ-1. The more interetsing news is that it has a new lens cap which opens automatically when you POwer on the camera. The XZ-1 will ship in December.

XZ-1 price check: [shopcountry 19904].

One more thing: The price of the white XZ-1 dropped down to $399 at Amazon (Click here).

The new SLR Magic Hyperprime 12mm f/1.6 has now been officially announced. As you see the “Noktor” name is gone and so the not so nice green ring you always saw on the lens (now it’s black).

PRESS RELEASE
NEW: THE SLR Magic HyperPrime 12mm F1.6
SLR Magic expands its micro four thirds lineup with new ultra wide angle lens

Hong Kong, China (November 11, 2011)  – SLR Magic expands the micro four thirds lens lineup with the new SLR Magic HyperPrime 12mm F1.6 ultra wide angle lens. With this latest addition, the portfolio of lenses for the micro four thirds system is now comprised of five focal lengths. The world’s fastest lens in this focal length, the SLR Magic HyperPrime 12mm F1.6 will be available in November 2011.
The field of view of this new HyperPrime Lens corresponds to a 24mm lens in 35mm format and this ultra fast wide angle of view opens up many new creative composition opportunities, particularly in the fields of interior, architectural and landscape cinematography and photography. Additionally, an ultra fast max aperture of F1.6 makes the SLR Magic HyperPrime 12mm F1.6 ideal for available-light photography.
We place our highest priority in the development of all HyperPrime lenses to fulfill the demands of professional cinematographers and photographers. The design and build of the SLR Magic HyperPrime 12mm F1.6 is solid and reliable.
The SLR Magic HyperPrime 12mm F1.6 will be available from authorized SLR Magic dealers end November 2011.

Technical Data of the SLR Magic HyperPrime 12mm F1.6
Lens Type: Ultra Fast wide-angle lens with three Tantalum glass elements to ensure superior cinematic performance.
Compatible Cameras: All micro four thirds mount cameras
Optical Design: 12 elements in 10 groups
Distance Settings: Distance range: 0.15m to ∞, combined scale meter/feet
Aperture: Manually controlled diaphragm, 12 aperture blades (circular), Lowest value 11
Bayonet: micro four thirds
Filter Mount: internal thread for SLR Magic 58/77 RING (optional) lens hood for 77mm filter; filter mount does not rotate.
Lens Hood: SLR Magic 58/77 RING (optional)
Surface Finish: Black anodized
Dimensions:
Length to bayonet mount: approx. 73/81mm (approx. 2.87 /3.18in) (without/with lens hood)
Largest diameter: approx. 60/79mm (approx. 2.36 / 3.11in) (without/with lens hood)
Weight: approx. 330g (approx. 11.64oz)

Andrew Chan
Product Manager

List of all lens reviews
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2011/10/20/the-slr-magic-12mm-f1-6-hyperprime-lens-review-for-micro-43-by-steve-huff/
http://www.thephoblographer.com/2011/10/09/review-slr-magic-noktor-12mm-f1-6-for-micro-four-thirds/
http://bertstephani.com/2011/10/05/rso-first-impressions-noktor-hyperprime-12mm-1-6/
http://bertstephani.com/2011/11/07/rso-slr-magic-12mm-1-6-hyperprime/
http://www.beeldlab.nl/new-noktor-hyperprime-12mm-1-6/
http://www.eoshd.com/content/4435/slr-magic-noktor-12mm-f1-6-gh2
http://web.me.com/deepravine/Don_Ravine,_Photographer/A_Deeper_Perspective/Entries/2011/10/13_SLR_Magic_Noktor’s_new_HyperPrime_12mm_f1.6_micro_four_thirds_lensPart_One%3A_First_Impressions.html
http://theeditman.com/blogg/2011/11/03/NewLensSLRMagicHyperprime1216.aspx
http://implausibleblog.com/2011/11/04/slr-magic-12mm-f1-6/
http://3d-kraft.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=105:slrmagic-hyperprime-12mm-f1-6review&catid=40:camerasandlenses&Itemid=2

Video test by Adam Troup from Scotland
http://vimeo.com/31696376

Video test by Bob Gundu from Canada:
http://vimeo.com/30872948

Video test by Seb farges from France:
Video comparison with Olympus 12mm f2: http://vimeo.com/30233622
Day Test: http://vimeo.com/30097165 Night test : http://vimeo.com/30165718

Other SLRmagic lenses for Micro Four Thirds:
SLR Magic 12-36×50 ED Straight Spotting Scope lens (w/ hand grip) is now available on [shoplink 25887 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
SLR magic 11mm f/1.4 lens you can preorder on [shoplink 22154 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
Toy Lens 26mm f/1.4 lens on [shoplink 18603 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
SLR Magic 35mm f/1.7 MC lens on [shoplink 14881 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

Believe me, I really live in the middle of the nowhere on a high placed town in the alps. And even the local magazine posted the “Olympus scandal” news on the first page. That negative publicity is going around all over the world. And more negative media reports are coming out every day. Olympus delayed once again the release of the financial report and is facing the possibility of being delisted at the Tokyo Exchange (Source: Bloomberg). And ex-Olympus officials face prison if fraud can be proved (Source: Bloomberg).

Is that kind of news affecting current camera sales? I asked a couple of dealers what they are experiencing in their stores. There is indeed a perception form some potential buyers that you should avoid to buy an Olympus camera. But sales are still constant. So there is nothing to worry about it yet. But I really hope Olympus will take action to convince us and the market that they will do the “right things”. I think that kind of moments can be very positive if you learn the lesson. I still have faith. The history of many companies showed that sometimes bad moments helped to create a new success (See Apple history)

The guys from MLZphoto sent me the GX1 unboxing video on top. Japanese folk will not have to wait a lot before the camera gets shipped. According to DC.watch Panasonic will ship the GX1 to the domestic market on November 25. All the rest of the world will have to wait weeks if not months (read the usual USA delays).

Preorder ar now available on Amazon Uk and Japan too. That is the new preorder link list:
Black GX1 body at Amazon (Click here), Amazon UK (Click here), Amazon Japan (Click here) and Digitalrev (Click here).
Silver GX1 body at Amazon (Click here), Amazon UK (Click here) and Amazon Japan (Click here).
Black GX1 with 14-42mm X lens at Amazon (Click here), Amazon UK (Click here), Amazon Japan (Click here) and Digitalrev (Click here).
Silver GX1 with 14-42mm X lens at Amazon (Click here), Amazon UK (Click here), Amazon Japan (Click here).
Black GX1 with 14-42mm at Amazon (Click here), Amazon UK (Click here), Amazon Japan (Click here).
Silver GX1 with 14-42mm at Amazon (Click here), Amazon Japan (Click here) and Jessops (Click here).

Olympus Japan itself released an extraordinary statement issued Tuesday (Click here to download the japanese pdf) saying that “the panel found that the money for mergers had in fact been used to mask heavy losses on investments racked up since about 1990.”

And the New York Times (Click here) really gives us a terrible news: “That revelation alone could make this one of the biggest accounting fraud cases in corporate history. It is also a spectacular turn of events amid a boardroom battle that has pitted Olympus’s former British chief executive turned whistle-blower, Michael C. Woodford, against an otherwise all-Japanese company board.”.

The first consequences of that news is that Hisashi Mori (executive vice president) had been fired and Hideo Yamada offered his resignation. According to Bloomberg the company may take legal action against the three (including ex Ceo Kikukawa).

And the second-biggest overseas investor “Harris” says that “Woodford should return to run the company and conduct the house cleaning“.