BIG shift lens release delayed. Complete new design to make.

via Personal View.

PenAndTell and ThePhoBlographer confirmed that the BIG Shift 15mm f/4.5 MFT lens will not be released. As you know the lens is (now was) based on the [shoplink 33839 ebay]Voigtlander Heliar 15mm f/4.5 (here on eBay)[/shoplink] design. But the manufacturer claimed that “the 15mm Voigtländer didn’t work as expected“. They are now “currently looking for other solutions to make the lens work“.

Let’s see if they will fix it any time soon…

 

(UPDATED) GH3 to officially ship from December 13th. RAW samples at Quesabesde!


Big Prints from LUMIX GH3, featuring Ira Block

Now it’s official. Panasonic announced the shipment date for the new GH3: December 13th (Source: DC.watch). History proved that EU and US readers will get their preorders weeks later. Panasonic store (Click here) still shows a shipping date of Nov 30th but I guess they will change that soon. Note that previously shipment period was guessed for November (Source: Which, Techradar, Photoscala, Nofilmschool, Photographyblog, and so on…).

UDPATE: Quesabesde (translation here) posted a new set of GH3 image samples including full size RAW images!

Special GH3 page at Amazon (Click here) and a full Olympus presentation page at Amazon (Click here).
GH3 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here)Panasonic US and in Europe at Wexphotographic UK and Technikdirekt.

Panasonic postpones the GH3 shipment date (and new hands-on video)


GH3 hands-on video by Whatdigitalcamera

BHphoto (Click here) now postponed the GH3 release from November to December. And so Panasonic store (Click here ->now Nov 30th). Le’ts hope this is not the beginning of a long series of small delays!

Panasonic and Olympus Preorder Links with specs and price:
Special GH3 page at Amazon (Click here) and a full Olympus presentation page at Amazon (Click here).
GH3 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here)Panasonic US and in Europe at Wexphotographic UK and Technikdirekt.
35-100mm X lens at Amazon (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here), Panasonic US.
E-PL5 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here). In EU at Amazon Germany, Amazon UK, Amazon France,
E-PM2 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here). In EU at Amazon Germany, Amazon UK, Amazon France,
XZ-2 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).
60mm macro at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).
12mm Black prime lens at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).
15mm cap-lens at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).

Akira Watanabe interview: “New system cameras coming in the short term!” -> High End model!

Two days ago I told you that I am getting new rumors about two possible Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras. It may be a good time to remind you some statements made by Akira Watanabe at Amateur Photographer. Here are some of the key info he unveiled:

– The Canon EOS-M is “not a big challenge
– About the Olympus fee scandal: “It is, at the moment, a management issue and there is no negative or positive impact on development or planning – no impact.
– About future products: “new system camera technology, to be rolled out in the ‘short term’, would be ‘trickled’ down to future ‘high-end compact cameras
– And “Basic technology development-wise, we will focus on high-end models and mainly compact system cameras
– “very big jump’ in the performance of electronic viewfinders” and “At a certain point most people will be satisfied with replacing their optical finder with an EVF
– “Olympus will ‘accelerate development of high-grade lenses for MFT systems’.

The key words here are “short term” – “High End models” and “Electronic Viewfinders”. That sums it up what we will see soon (early 2013). What I didn’t hear yet is if Olympus will make some High Grade zooms like the Olympus [shoplink 25320 ebay]14-35mm f/2.0 (Click here to see them on eBay)[/shoplink] and the [shoplink 25119 ebay]35-100mm f/2.0 (Click here to see them on eBay)[/shoplink] Zuiko lenses. From what I heard prime lenses are priority.

 

 

Updated image circle lens test by Diglloyd.

Image courtesy: Diglloyd.com

Lloyd Chambers created a sort of a camera obscura to make a more accurate measure of the image circle of FT and MFT lenses. As you may know Four Thirds sensor have a diagonal of 21,6mm while APS-C sensors have a diagonal of 28,2mm. The question is if current FT and MFT lenses would cover a larger than FT sensor. He first tested the superb [shoplink 25320 ebay]14-35mm f/2.0 FT[/shoplink] zoom lens. Wide open the lens has a circle of 26mm which increases up to 32mm on the tele end.

He also tested some MFT lenses:
Panasonic 25/1.4 has a 27mm image circle
Panasonic 45/2.8 macro has a 25mm image circle
Olympus 45/1.8 ED has a 31mm image circle
Olympus 75/1.8 ED has a 29mm image circle

In theory the two Olympus MFT prime lenses would cover the full APS-C sensor. Doens’t necessarily mean Olympus did it intentionally. But it’s interesting to know!

Olympus Tilt Lens patent.

Egami (translation here) patented the Till Lens design you can see here on top. As usual with patents we will not know yet if such a lens will ever be produced for the mass market or not. And I don’t know if such a lens is really needed for the MFT system (what do you think?).

Reminder: The German company BIG has shown the BIG Shift Lens 4,5 / 15 mm MFT lens at Photokina. A lens that is directly based on the [shoplink 33839 ebay]Voigtlander Heliar 15mm f/4.5 (here on eBay)[/shoplink] design. On sale next year for 999 Euro.