Panasonic announced a new firmware for the [shoplink 14802]Panasonic 14-140mm[/shoplink] lens. The new FW improves the stability of O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer) and AF(Auto Focus) in movie recording. According to a first 43rumors user report the “OIS does seem to be more efficient at the long focal length“.

Download: http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/download/fts/index2.html

Thanks Rotislav, Helge, Forum Olympus France for sending me the link!

Adobe announced the new Photoshop Lightroom 3.3, Camera Raw 6.3 and DNG Converter 6.3. Support for the following Olympus/Panasonic cameras has been added:
[shoplink 17163]Olympus E-5[/shoplink] [shoplink 17361]Panasonic DMC-GF2[/shoplink] [shoplink 16254]Panasonic DMC-GH2[/shoplink]

glimpse of andalusia from emeric on Vimeo.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100 Review (DigitalPhotographySchool)

Novoflex adapter “marries” PEN E-PL1 and Canon FD lens (Pixiq)

Olympus Patents a Monocle Viewfinder (Petapixel)

Nokotn 25mm image samples at Zol.cn.

E-5 / E-30 Comparison – Resolution test chart (Dpreview forum)

OlympusCafè launched the Olympus Cafe TV, where users can see all Olympus/Photography related videos in one place on the site.

Panasonic will launch a new LCD protective film for the GF2 on March 12 (DC.watch.impress).

A 43rumors readers sent me following text: “G2 has the Extended Teleconversion feature of the GH2. I checked the manual and sure enough the G2 has the extra teleconversion feature that the GH2 has even for video. They called it EZ zoom for the G2 though. It is limited to a single 3.1x zoom for videos but it appears to be the near lossless version of the GH2. It crops the sensor instead of scaling.
I can’t believe no one has mentioned that the G2 had this before? Panasonic did not even advertise it.
Now that the G2 can be hacked it could be amazing with the 100 mb/sec MJPEG settings and the teleconversion feature. I think the G2 will increase in value in the near future.
G2 manual page 56 explains how its EZ zoom feature works for Video and Stills.
http://tda.panasonic-europe-service….90/vqt2s42.pdf
Thread about G2 teleconversion
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?230515-G2-has-the-Extended-Teleconversion-feature-as-well ”

Another mail form a 43rumros reader: “Not a rumour but you may be interested to know that I have posted full jpegs from my recently received Panasonic Vario 100-300 zoom lens for m43 platform. These are in a Flickr group I have created for the lens:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1577115@N21/
I also posted my impressions in the 4/3rds forum of GetDPI:
http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21481 “

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.