CameraJabber reports a very curious information revealed during todays Olympus E-M1X press event

Olympus is focusing on the Micro Four Thirds system was a clear message at the press announcement of the new OM-D E-M1X. Speaking in an interview, with UK press, Olympus’s Shigemi Sugimoto (Head of Imaging Business unit) and Setsuya Kataoka (Division Manager, Imagining Product Development) said that the company had considered developing a medium format camera but that it had decided against it.

And:

Mr Sugimoto said at Photokina that full-frame cameras are good for the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system as it makes the smaller system’s advantages stand out.

E-M1X Preorders:
Olympus E-M1X in USA at Amazon, GetOlympus, Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus E-M1X in Europe at Calumet Germany, ParkCameras, Jessops, WexUK.

UPDATE: A reader sent me this image of an old M format prototype from Olympus (was not medium format but looked like a medium format camera):

CameraJabber posted these images of the new lens and converter prototype.

And Dpreview has those images:

Here is some info about the new gear:

M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 2X TELECONVERTER MC-20

The M.Zuiko Digital 2x Teleconverter, MC-20 doubles the focal length of the master lens while offering outstanding portability as well as dustproof, splashproof, and freezeproof (-10°C) performance. The teleconverter is compatible with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens, currently in development, as well as the M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm F4.0 IS PRO and M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F2.8 PRO lenses. Not only does this teleconverter extend the telephoto range, but it also doubles the maximum shooting magnification of the master lens for unprecedented super telephoto macro shooting. This item has an expected availability of summer 2019.

M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 150-400MM F4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO

Development is under way for the M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO, a super telephoto zoom lens in the M.Zuiko PRO series, designed for exceptional optical performance in a compact, lightweight form, along with dustproof, splashproof, and freezeproof (-10°C) performance and superb mobility. This is the first Olympus interchangeable lens with a built-in 1.25x teleconverter, which easily extends the lens to the maximum focal length of 1000mm1 (35mm equivalent). It also offers in-lens image stabilization (IS), supporting 5-axis Sync IS[1] when operating in concert with the image stabilization of Olympus OM-D cameras. The compact system delivers remarkable portability, and the built-in teleconverter provides convenience, making it the optimal super telephoto zoom lens for sports and bird photography. This lens has an expected availability of 2020.

Charles Brooks‎
Panasonic GH5S with the 12mm Summilux 1.4. It’s 28 shot panorama.
15 seconds @ ISO 6400 f/1.4
Stitched in ptGUI Pro with colour work in Photoshop and 3D Lut Creator

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This is the weekly selection:

I missed this news. But thanks to Robin Wong I can now report it on 43rumors. Robin writes:

On the same day as the launch of the Olympus OM-D E-M1X, Olympus also launched a new post-processing software – Olympus Workspace. The new Olympus Workspace effectively replaces the dated Olympus Viewer 3 as the official native image editing software rolled out by Olympus to fully support the RAW (orf) files and allow full conversion to camera JPEG quality. I have had the opportunity to test the new Olympus Workspace before the release, and I am sharing my experience using it here in this blog article. The official page for Olympus Workspace can be found here (click). 

Check out his full test at robinwong.blogspot.com/2019/01/olympus-workspace.html

I know it’s not a new MFT camera but you might be interested to see the new Panasonic tech inside this newly announced Panasonic AG-CX350 camcorder (BHphoto and Adorama).

Mary Latvis on Explora writes:

Capture, stream, and connect with Panasonic’s AG-CX350 UHD 4K Camcorder, available at B&H Photo Video. This vanguard in Panasonic’s new CX series features a 1″-type sensor for recording HDR-compatible, 10-bit images to dual SD card slots, in formats up to UHD 4K with HD/SD available for legacy projects. Add optional licenses to stream live events using RTMP/RTSP or via the camera’s native NDI HX IP support.

Optical features include a wide 24.5mm to 490mm (35mm equivalent) integrated 20x optical zoom lens with discrete FIZ rings, 5-axis image stabilization, aspherical elements, and intelligent autofocus with auto-tracking. Dual outputs enable simultaneous viewing on SDI and HDMI devices, and the 3.2″ LCD provides pro-style monitoring with features like daylight viewing, a 3:2 aspect ratio, and timecode and status displays.

Along the E-M1X Olympus also announced a bunch of new firmware updates for the following gear:

E-M1 Mark II
E-M5 Mark II
E-M1
PEN-F
M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm 1:1.2 PRO
M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm 1:1.2 PRO
M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm 1:1.8 Fisheye PRO

E-M1X Preorders:
Olympus E-M1X in USA at Amazon, GetOlympus, Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus E-M1X in Europe at Calumet Germany, ParkCameras, Jessops, WexUK.

New accessories preorders:
Olympus FL-700WR Electronic Flash at Amazon, GetOlympus, Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus FC-WR Wireless Radio Flash Commander at Amazon, GetOlympus, Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus FR-WR Wireless Radio Flash Receiver at Amazon, GetOlympus, Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus CP-1 Cable Protector CP-1 for OM-D E-M1X at Amazon, Adorama and Bhphoto.
Olympus EP-17 Eyecup for OM-D E-M1X Camera Body at Amazon, Adorama and Bhphoto.

Reviews and previews:
Robin Wong’s hands-on. Hands-on by Explora. Preview by CameraLabs. Review in progress at Dpreview. Review at Digitalcameraworld. Preview by CameraJabber. Review by ThePhoBlographer. First look at LCEgroup. Shooting experience at Dpreview. Preview at Photographyblog. E-M1X vs E-M1II by Mirrorlesscomparison. Spanish hands-on from Photolari. E-M1X vs E-M1II by Techradar.

Official Press releases:
E-M1X press text at 43rumors.
150-400mm MFT lens press text at 43rumors.
FL-700WR flash press text at 43rumors.
Lens roadmap announcement at 43rumors.
Limited Silver edition E-M1II press text at 43rumors.
Special announcement page at BHphoto.

Videos:

E-M1X Image samples:
Samples at Dpreview. Samples at Photographyblog.

150-400mm lens:

Lens via Dpreview:

Poll:

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