Panasonic GM1 and 12-32mm and 15mm f/1.7 lens officially announced!

Preorders:
In US you can preorder the GM1 with lens at GM1 with kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
In Europe at Wex Germany, Amazon UK, Fotohanskeuzekamp, Cyberphoto Sweden and Wex UK.

Previews and tests:
Dpreview , Cameras.reviewed, Hybridcams (french), m43.eu,
The 12-32mm lens has the best MTF graph of all kit zoom: Panasonic.net

Press text:
Dpreview, Focus Numerique (french), Quesabesde (Spanish), DhaRha (english), SystemKameraforum (German), Sansmirror.

Images:
ISO test at Focus Numerique.

Video:
Draadbreuk (dutch), Videorama (spanish), Commercial (panasonic)

IMPORTANT: We are having some issues on the commnt system we are trying to solve (it’s an issue with WordPress Aksimet and doens’t depend from us). Comment system has been deactivated for now! UPDATE: worldwide issue with wordpress: https://twitter.com/DoRoyalHost/status/390699640233795584

 

UPDATE: Also the 15mm f/1.7 lens got announced:

Commercialization of LEICA DG SUMMILUX 15mm / F1.7 ASPH.
Digital Interchangeable Lens for Micro Four Thirds System
Panasonic is announcing a commercialization of new digital interchangeable lens LEICA DG SUMMILUX 15mm / F1.7 ASPH. complying Micro Four Thirds System standard*.
The LEICA DG SUMMILUX 15mm / F1.7 ASPH. is an excellent 15mm single focal length lens of F1.7 clearing LEICA’s stringent standard. It also features sophisticated exterior that matches the stylish design of the world’s smallest** LUMIX GM*** digital single lens mirrorless (DSLM) camera.
In addition to “LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm / F1.4 ASPH.” and “LEICA DG MACRO-ELMARIT 45mm / F2.8 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S.” which are already released to the market, Panasonic has also announced product commercialization of LEICA DG NOCTICRON 42.5mm / F1.2 to enhance the lineup of LEICA digital interchangeable lens, attracting professional photographers worldwide.
In the meanwhile, Panasonic is further expanding the range of LUMIX G digital interchangeable lens with the development of new LUMIX G VARIO telephoto zoom lens of 35-100mm in stylish, compact design that also matches the LUMIX GM camera.

* Details of the product specifications, the date of release and the price are under study.
** For a body of digital interchangeable lens camera, as of October 17, 2013, according to research by Panasonic.
*** Released on October 17, 2013.

• The inserted image is that of an engineering mock-up and the final design of the product may differ from this.
• LEICA is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH.
• SUMMILUX, ELMARIT and NOCTICRON are registered trademarks of Leica Camera AG.

 

And this is the new lens roadmap: The 150mm prime tele has been taken off the roadmap! And the 35-100mm lens is “non-X”

Sony A7 announced. The FF OMD for the masses?

And now it’s here! Someone called it the Full Frame OMD, or the Full Frame for the masses. I am talking about the Sony A7 (or A7r) that it’s now available at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here). You judge from the image on top if the OMD and A7 are really close. The one thing that is cool on the A7-A7r is that you can fit MFT lenses in crop mode by using that [shoplink 42338 ebay]Fotodiox MFT to NEX adapter (Click here)[/shoplink]!

Here are some OMD vs A7 info:
– The A7-A7r advantages are: Higher MP count, larger FF sensor, Better High ISO, A7 body for $1700 only.
– The OMD advantages are: way faster AF, smaller lenses, 5 axis stabilization that works on all lenses, much better weather sealing and almost half the price.

So why is the Sony announcement that important?
1) FF never was as cheap as now and challenges the high end APS-C MFT models
2) Sony-Olympus partnership lead to have a close A7-OMD design, and same EVF. And 5 axis IBIS will be used in some future Sony models too
3) I am curious to see if Olympus will go FF too (would be easy now that they have access to Sony sensors).
4) Eventually Olympus could make some lenses for the E-mount FF.
5) Our [shoplink 27042 ebay]OM-lenses[/shoplink] now can work on a FF digital camera.

A full test roundup and worldwide preorder list can be found on SonyAlphaRumors.com (Click here).

New Ultralight Panohead for panorama photography

Panorama photography lovers can get a new tool at Tomshot360.com (Click here). Here is the press text:

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TOM SHOT 360 releases the new Ultralight Panohead for panorama photography, for taking spherical panorama photos in as few as 4 to 6 shots.

The new design stays true to its goal to provide a portable solution for mirrorless cameras. At 110g and 128mm high, it is easily one of the most lightweight and compact panoheads available, compared to other heads that are geared towards large DSLR cameras.

The new design has a click stop rotator, a 6082-T6 aluminum base, stainless steel detent disk with 12 or 24 clicks, and the most distinguishing feature, a 3D printed polyamide nylon upper ring. Additional features include a friction lock and bubble level.

Currently there are models available to fit the following lenses, with plans to expand the list in the future:
Samyang 8mm f2.8 Fisheye Lens (Sony NEX E-mount, Samsung NX, Fuji X)
Samyang 7.5mm MFT Fisheye Lens (Micro 4/3, Sony NEX E-mount – adapter required)
Yasuhara Madoka 180 Fisheye Lens (for Sony NEX E-mount)
The Samyang 7.5mm MFT Fisheye Lens is compatible with Micro 4/3 cameras.

Made in and ships from Germany
http://www.tomshot360.com

a little bit of everything…

Under the sky by Blazouf from blazouf (Astro timelapse with OM-D)

BMPCC C-Mount Test Field of View on Youtube.
GX7 review by Ericcote.net.
GX1 vs. GX7 (and GF1 as well) image quality, mainly high ISO performance (Tysonrobichaudphotography).
Lumix 35-100mm f/2.8 (Bestmirrorlesscameras).
OM to Pentax 645D adpater at DC.watch.
Photo Ninja and Lightroom Integration (OutBackPhoto).

Kornel Lehocz: “I’m the developer of the Scarab Darkroom raw converter, which I think is fairly popular among Olympus users. I’d like to send you news about the availability of Scarab Darkroom 2.0 and 2.0 Lite. (In fact already 2.02 after 2 quick bugfixes.)
I’ve pasted the press release at the end of this message, but you can find the properly formatted press release, and other material at
http://www.scarablabs.com/press
and more information on the product’s page and the About section of the site.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me!”

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Press Text: Scarab Darkroom 2.0 released

Scarab Labs has released the new version of its popular raw conversion software.

Zadar, Croatia, October 7th, 2013: Scarab Labs has released Scarab Darkroom 2.0 – the advanced version of its fast and easy-to-use digital camera raw converter for Windows. Compared to the earlier free versions, it also contains a number of new features like noise filtering, chromatic aberration correction, split toning, Adobe RGB color space support, and more… The software is now available for purchase on the Scarab Labs website for $49. The free variant is still available, and has been renamed to Scarab Darkroom Lite. The program supports most raw-capable cameras from Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Samsung, and Sony.

About Scarab Labs:
Scarab Labs was founded in 2008 by ex-game programmer Kornél Lehőcz to follow his passion and create software for the photographic imaging industry. Scarab Labs’s other currently available product is a star filter plug-in for Adobe After Effects and Photoshop. For more information please visit the Scarab Labs website!
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New SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 12mm T1.6 lens announced

 

SLRmagic just announced a new MFT lens. Here is the press text:

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Hong Kong, China (Oct 8, 2013) – The SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 12mm T1.6 w/ Gear is a mechanical upgrade over the original SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 12mm T1.6 with optional lens gear. Due to popular request for the optional lens gear we have redesigned the mechanical design to better suit cinema needs and to match the design concept of the current SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 25mm T0.95, SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE II 35mm T0.95, and SLR Magic 35mm T1.4 CINE II. There is no change in optical design.

The field of view of this 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 T1.6 makes the SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 12mm T1.6 w/ Gear is 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 CINE 12mm T1.6 w/ Gear is solid and reliable.

The SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 12mm T1.6 w/ Gear will be available from authorized SLR Magic dealers end November 2013.

Upgrade program details: Owners of the original SLR Magic 12mm F1.6 (Not SLR Magic CINE 12mm T1.6) may send in their lens (regardless of user condition) to Hong Kong + $250 to upgrade their lens to the SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 12mm T1.6 w/ Gear by contacting support@slrmagic.com.

Technical Data SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 12mm T1.6 w/ Gear
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
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. 370g (approx. 13.05oz)

Andrew Chan
Product Manager

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Current SLRmagic lenses for Micro Four Thirds:
SLR magic 11mm f/1.4 lens on [shoplink 22154 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
SLR magic Cine 12mm T/1.6 Lens at Adorama (Click here).
SLR Magic 25mm T0.95 at Adorama (Click here).
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].
Noktor SLRmagic 50mm on [shoplink 25691 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] SLR Magic Pin Hole Lens at Adorama (Click here)..

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