Image courtesy: Quesabesde.com

For all those of you interested in MicroFourThirds the new Panasonic sensor (used for the new Panasonic LX5) may give us some hints about the next generation of MicroFourThirds sensors.

According to Panasonic the sensor has a new design which allows to capture more light for every single pixel. Quesabesde also noticed a better chromatic noise control (but this maybe depends form the new Venus engine). You can judge the difference between the LX3 and the LX5 sensor by looking at those images: http://www.quesabesde.com/camdig/noticias/Lumix_LX5_muestra_02g.jpg. Panasonic itself claims that the new sensor is noiseless at ISO 800 which (if true) is a very good news considering that the sensor has a much higher pixel density than current MicroFourThirds sensor. Panasonic also said that the LX5 sensor has a better sensivity (by 31%) and saturation (38%) and greater dynamic range compared to the older Panasonic LX3. More image samples have been posted here at DPreview and by RealityScanner on flickr

Image courtesy: Quesabesde.com

P.S.: You can now preorder the Panasonic LX5 on Amazon

Preorder the cameras on Amazon US:
Click here to get the LX5 ($499 and white model not available yet)
Click here to get the FZ100 ($499)
Click here to get the FZ40 ($399)
Click here to get the FX700 ($399)
Click here to get the TS10 ($249)

Interesting news:
– Optyczne.pl: LX5 and FZ100 presentation (in polish!) + LX5 and FZ100 image samples
– HOT-> First LX5 vs LX3 image comparison here: http://www.quesabesde.com/camdig/noticias/Lumix_LX5_muestra_02g.jpg
– LX5-> According to Panasonic it’ll prove noiseless at ISO 800!
– LX5-> Panasonic has added LED technology to the 3-inch LCD screen
– The LX5 sensor has better sensivity (by 31%) and saturation (38%) and greater dynamic range compared to the older Panasonic LX3

Announcements and Hands-on (latest added link on top):
Photoradar: Panasonic LX5 review
Image samples on dpreview
Reality Scanner: Images samples on flickr -> LX5 and TZ100
Photoscala (german!)
Quesabesde: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 toma de contacto (Spanish) with first image comparison between the LX3 and LX5!
DPreview announcement of the TS10, FX700, FZ45, FZ100 and LX5
CNET UK: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 review (but it’s more a preview!)
Fotointern.ch (LX5 -german!)
Photographyblog: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100 Hands-On and Image Samples, Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 Hands-On and Image Samples
Photographyblog: FT10, FX700, FZ45, FZ100, LX5
Pocket-Link: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 – First Look review
PCpop.com (Click here to read the page about the new sensor!)

First videos made with the LX5:

Dear readers!

We have almost finished our new mirrorless forum. Now we need your help to fix all the bugs! it’s time for official testing! Click here at: http://mirrorlessforum.com/forum.php

It is the first worldwide mirrorless camera forum!!!

The firmware patch is now bringing manual movie modes for the [shoplink 14828]Panasonic GF1[/shoplink] (it works like on the [shoplink 14826]Panasonic GH1[/shoplink]). This includes all M, A, S modes.

Vitaly told us that “You need to go to menu and set appropriate mode. Also if you go to menu in picture shooting mode it’ll convert to corresponding movie mode, just turn wheel one click and return it back to go to back to normal picture mode. This can be even handy :-)
Tested and working. Including shutter control during recording, etc.
So, GF1 can be used as second camera now.”

How-to and firmware download are available here: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=206788&page=225

Side note: Both cameras are sold in US stores with the cheapest price ever. Oh yes Photokina is getting closer…
Click on those store names to check the price and availability of the GF1: Amazon / Adorama / BH
and here for the GH1: Amazon / Adorama / BH

Olympus added video-editing features (like movie slideshows) and a new color management.

Download version 1.2: http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/oima_software_ib.asp

The japanese website Egami found a new Olympus patent (Google translation doesn’t work very well). I tried to make a small summary:

* Patent publication number 2010-152140 published on 2010/07/08  and filled 2008/12/25

The following patent discloses an adapter (in blue) that adds phase detection and optical viewfinder to current MicroFourThirds cameras. This is not a new concept, we already saw that with the Leica Visoflex (click here to see the Visoflex on eBay).

Such an adapter makes sense because phase detection autofocus is still much faster than the current contrast autofocus system of MicroFourThirds cameras. And not few of us will like the idea to have an optical viewfinder instead of the sometimes noisy and not good enough electronic viewfinder.

That could be also the final solution to merge FourThirds and MicroFourThirds (but that’s just speculation for now!).

UPDATE: Olybold has taken a nice picture of the Leica Visoflex on the Panasonic G1 (Many Thanks!!!)