Hunter Richards posted a very interesting GH2 1080/24p codec vs GH13 codec (44mbs 1080/24p hack) image comparison at DVuser.com. The [shoplink 16254]GH2[/shoplink] is definitely resolving more detail and at 3.200 ISO the image is almost clean! And Panasonic guru Barry Green explained why the 24Mbs AVCHD codec is better than the 44Mbs: “Even then, this isn’t as good as it gets. The AVCHD in the Gh2 is much better than the GH1’s version, but it’s still not up to the standards that the [shoplink 16841]AF100[/shoplink] can do. Bigger hardware, bigger memory buffers, more efficiency. Even at the same bitrate. I really do hope this dispells once and for all the notion that “more megabits = better footage” because, very frequently, that just isn’t correct. It’s the type of megabits, and how they’re used, that determine the efficiency and how good the final pictures look. The only way you can say “more = better” is if you’re talking about the exact same thing (i.e., AF100 at 21mbs vs. AF100 at 17mbps… in that case, yes, more = better).”

Meanwhile our canadian 43rumors readers are sending me many mails because they received the GH2 from Henrys, Downtown Camera in Toronto and other shops. You guys have to explain me why you are the first (non-japanese) to get stuff form Panasonic. I hate you ;)
British readers are the next! Mathers of Lancashire, Amazon UK and other known stores should have the GH2 in Stock next week.
US readers are using the guerrilla strategy with the hope to get the camera sooner or later. They simply preorder at any online store that has the GH2 on list :) Panasonic is now accpeting preorders and so Amazon and Adorama.

P.S.: Let me know if you find the GH2 in Stock in Europe! Thanks!

Anthony sent me the video and with the following message: “Hey guys, can you help me out, we at spiked – www.getspiked.co.uk – have just launched an anti bullying campaign and filmed a small interview with one of the ambassadors, it was shot on a gh13 with a [shoplink 14822]7-14mm[/shoplink] lens, 300mm sigma 2.8 and sigma 1.4 lens, interview was on a steady cam in the ring. This campaign should hopefully help get rid of bullying in our schools. Thank you for your time!!”

Canon PowerShot S95, Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 y Samsung EX1 (Quesabesde)

A wide new world – my new Panasonic 14 mm f/2.5 (Exposingpixels)

The [shoplink 14828]Panasonic GF1[/shoplink] is off the system chart: http://www.panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/pdf/g_series_system_chart.pdf (Thanks Peter)

Some Olympus MZD 75-300 sample photos taken by EPL1 at Macau Grand Prix 2010.

Face Off: Canon S95 vs Leica D-LUX 5 (ThePhoBlographer)

New Panasonic FZ100, FX700, FX75 / FX70 firmware released (Imaging Resource).

Vitaly (the hacker) just announced the new Panasonic G2 hack at DVXuser forum:

“PTool 3.51d released
Added support for Panasonic G2 v1.10 firmware.

Please, consider all patches status, except MJPEG and AVCHD end user patches, as “very risky”!
Download link is present in first post of this topic.”

P.S: There is a discount on the G2 at Amazon (now $549)

Image courtesy: Dockti.me

Finally a lucky candian 43rumors reader received the new Panasonic GH2: “Toronto supply of GH2s and unboxing… I preordered a GH2 Thursday from Vistek and at the time they told me I would have one late December. I also needed some other stuff they didn’t have in stock so later that day I dropped by Henry’s, got the stuff, and jokingly asked about the GH2. They said there were at least three IN the warehouse and they will hold one for me. Saturday they called me and I went down and picked it up. It was pretty busy so I couldn’t find out if they had more besides the fact that lately they have been getting a lot of ‘first’ shipments of new goods. I called Vistek to cancel my order to which they then said would have had a DEC 3-4 arrival… something for you to follow up on. I posted my unboxing here if it’s of any interest: http://dockti.me/journal/2010/11/28/docktech-panasonic-dmc-gh2.html”

Thanks Oj!

Good news doesn’t end here: Amazon UK says the GH2 will “Usually dispatched within 3 to 5 weeks“.

S.G.: “I ordered a GH2 from Henry’s in Toronto and they just received it (they’ll be shipping to me soon)
feel free to call them; they’re taking orders for other shipments now.
I was quite surprised… they said they were one of the first shops in North America to get it.”

And T. :” I just logged in to my Henry’s account and found that the status fr both my GH2 order and my 100-300mm order changed from >Order Pending< to >Order Shipped<”

P.S: Amazon deleted your order? Preorder the Panasonic GH2 at Adorama (Click here). They are reading our website and they gently told us that the GH2 will be start shipping early December.

That info has been confirmed by a 43rumors reader (Michael) that called Adorama: “I just spoke with Adorama sales (US) and was told that the GH2 should start shipping mid of Dec.”

Alex (43rumors reader) received that message from Amazon US: “Due to a lack of availability from our suppliers, we will not be ableto obtain the following item(s) from your order: We’ve cancelled the item(s) and apologize for the inconvenience. We must also apologize for the length of time it has taken us to reach this conclusion. Until recently, we had still hoped to obtain these item(s) for you.”

Thanks to Helen from Adorama and all the readers for sending us info about the GH2 availability. Feel free to comment this post if you receive some kind of info from your daler or if you have any questions for Helen.

GH2 direct shop links:
Amazon US, Adorama, BHphoto, Amazon UK, Amazon France.

Olympus Asia posted a E-5 development story which should be of interest for all current or future E-5 owners: “To find out what makes the E-5 so special and where the E-System is going in the future, we talked extensively with Olympus development staff and with Mitsuaki Iwago, a wildlife photographer and long-time professional Olympus user who has made many helpful suggestions and participated in many fruitful discussions.“

The most interesting new feature is the TruePiC V+ engine: “Since the image sensor of a digital camera consists of regularly arranged pixels, problems such as moire and false colors are inherent in the basic principle of digital technology itself. We came up with various solutions to these problems, and the biggest feature of the new “Fine-Detail Processing” is that it is able to retain the high resolution of the lens image in the final picture, while reducing moire and false colors. We also reviewed the noise reduction algorithm. One of the results of the development of the E-5 is that users can now discover the previously untapped potential of the lenses they already own.“

The Olympus E-5 is in Stock at (Click on store name):
Amazon US, BHphoto, Adorama and Amazon Deutschland

One more news item for Australian readers: I have been told that there will be a new E-5 cashback action soon…