Images via DC.watch.

The CP+ show in Japan started today and it’s time to make a roundup of the news concerning our Micro Four Thirds system. And finally we got some more interesting news than last days reworked “old” lens announcements :)

New Olympus E-P3 successor:
Olympus (not) showed the E-P3 successor which has been covered with a blue tissue. It’s said tome this year and no other info has been shared. We suspect this PEN has the new integrated Epson viewfinder. The E-P3 is discontinued at BH and from what I heard the camera should come in Spring/Summer. By the way, the new 75-300mm is now availbale for preorder at BH.

New Olympus 2013 roadmap with E-P5, E-5 successor, new OMD and new high end compact:
Olympus anticipated what will come this year. Not only the new PEN (the E-P5?) but also a new OMD model, a new E camera and a new High End compact camera are on roadmap for 2013. There is no other info about these cameras. The high end compact camera may have a large 1 inch or Four Thirds sized sensor. And while unlikely I still believe there is a chance that the next OMD and E camera may be the same camera :)

New Voigtlander 42.5mm f/0.95:
It’s a surprise to see Voigtlander-Cosina announce a lens with that focal length knowing that Panasonic will release a 42.5m f/1.2 lens later this year. Voigtlander didn’t unveil a price and time release info yet. All we know is that minimum focusing distance is 23cm, maximum magnification ratio 1:4. And there is no aspherical lens. While waiting to get more news about it you can save this Slidoo eBay search to get notified when preorders will be up.

Tamron 14-150mm f(3.5-5.8 Di III VC:
There are some pics of the new Tamron zoom at DC.watch.

Panasonic…
Noticed something? No real Panasonic news! Where is our GX2? Or the 150mm and 42.5mm lenses? All we see at the Panasonic CP+ booth is the new upgraded 14-42mm lens (Pictures at Focus Numerique).

We had a busy day today. And I am again curious to hear what you find to be the most exciting news…

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Look how Olympus is going to tease us! What you see on top is the E-P3 successor and Olympus will not show it to us for now :(
UPDATE: There is absolutely no official detail yet about possible specs. They only say that they will release that new E-P3 within 2013. And the graph below states that Olympus will release the new PEN, a new OMD, a new E and a new high end compact camera by end 2013.

Source: DC.watch. (Thanks Masato!)

wow guys! Voigtlander-Cosina keep doing great lenses for the MFT system! They just announced a new 42,5mm f/0.95 lens!!!

This is the third MFT lens from Nokton. The ther two are the:
Nokton 25mm f/.095 at [shopcountry 15659].
Nokton 17.5mm f/0.95 at [shopcountry 30452].

See at DC.watch.

The new 75-300mm MFT lens and the XZ-10 compact camera have been announced and here is the official press release:

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., January 29, 2013 – Olympus makes high-performance super-telephoto shooting more accessible than ever before by introducing the affordable M.ZUIKO ED 75-300mm f4.8-6.7 II lens (35mm equivalent 150-600mm). Olympus has redesigned the lens to match the distinctive OM-D E-M5® and PEN® Micro Four Thirds® series cameras and added a new advanced ZERO (Zuiko Extra-low Reflection Optical) coating to keep scratches off, and eliminate ghosting and lens flare even in bright lights.

The M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75-300mm 1:4.8-6.7 II telephoto lens boasts the same high focal length and first-class components as its predecessor, the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75-300mm 1:4.8-6.7, and is capable of bringing faraway subjects like children’s faces, animals and landscape features vividly to life with superb-quality close-ups. Olympus fitted a circular aperture that ensures a professional-looking bokeh with smooth and even background defocusing.

The compact size and light weight of this tiny telephoto lens make it convenient to carry. Olympus has redesigned the lens to match the distinctive OM-D E-M5 and PEN series cameras. The lens includes Olympus’ near-silent MSC (Movie and Still Compatible) focusing technology to reduce the whir that can otherwise ruin movie playback on a High-Definition TV.

The M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75-300mm 1:4.8-6.7 II benefits from the 5-axis image stabilization of the OM-D E-M5 and maximizes the performance of the Olympus PEN compact system cameras for brilliant still images and high-definition (HD) video capture.
U.S. Pricing and Availability

The Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75-300mm f4-6.7 II Lens will be available in March, 2013.
Estimated Street Price: $549.99

via DPreview. In french at OpenPN.

Press release about the new XZ-10 compact cameras are out at Techradar, Pocket Lint, ePhotozine, Photographyblog, Cnet Asia, OpenPN and so on… and ther eis also a new white XZ-2 (via OpenPN).

For those of you wondering what’s so special with the new “Sigma ART” definition check out the official Sigma website:
Sigma 19mm lens page (Click here)
Sigma 30mm lens page (Click here)
Sigma 60mm lens page (Click here)

As I wrote on MR days ago the word “ART” stays for the high quality photographer prime lenses. They are designed to be high quality alternative of other companies lenses but at the same time priced much lower than the competition. The official Sigma pages also contain the MTF, Distortion and Vignetting chart (you have to tab to “Performance chart” on Sigmas page).

With the Tamron 14-150mm zoom and Panasonic 14-42mm II kit lens we had a total of five new MFT lenses (althaugh most of them are just “updates” of existing lenses). And now tell me…

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Tamron just announced a new Micro Four Thirds lens. it is the 14-150mm F/3.5-5.8 Di III VC zoom. But sadly they didn’t unveil neither the release date nor the price. Source: DC.watch and Photoscala. Specs are here via Tamron website:

But the even bigger news comes from Sigma. They just announced the new 60mm f/2.8 prime lens for Micro Four Thirds! And there is also a new updated version of the current 19mm and 30mm f/2.8 primes! Here are the images (Click on them to see large size) and full press release:

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Jan. 29, 2013 — Sigma Corporation of America a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider of some of the world’s most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, today announced the release of four new lenses for the ART product line, including three lenses for mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras and one lens for DSLR cameras with APS-C size sensors. This announcement comes at the start of the CP+ Camera and Photo Imaging Show 2013 this week in Yokohama, Japan.

The new and updated Sigma lenses include the 30mm F1.4 DC HSM, which will be available in Sigma, Canon and Nikon mounts, and the 30mm F2.8 DN, 19mm F2.8 DN and 60mm F2.8 DN lenses, which are available for both Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-Mount camera systems. Pricing and availability on all of these lenses has yet to be announced.

The 60mm F2.8 DN lens is entirely new to the Sigma lineup, while the 30mm F1.4 DC HSM and the 30mm F2.8 DN and 19mm F2.8 DN lenses are existing focal lengths that have been redesigned with enhanced optical performance and included as part of Sigma’s new Global Visioncategory restructuring. All three DN lenses incorporate telecentric optical designs and a linear, auto focusing motor that ensures accurate and quiet focusing for video recording. They also boast metal exteriors and a simply shaped focus ring, with varying textures to distinguish each part of the lens. In addition, DN users can choose between a black or silver finish to match their favorite equipment.

“We’re really proud of the super sharp lenses we’ve produced in the past year and these new Art lenses will continue to impress our fans and critics alike. They’re ideal for the landscape, portrait, still-life, close-up and casual photographer who values creative, dramatic outcomes above compactness and multifunction,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “The lenses are entirely made in Japan and they boast the new product line’s sleek design and enhanced quality control. We’re quite proud of these changes – and additions – to our lens lineup; they’re further evidence of Sigma’s forethought in this fast-moving industry.”Here are more details on these new lenses from Sigma:

• 60mm F2.8 DN – Featuring the natural perspective of mid-range telephoto lenses, together with a shallow depth of field, this lens allows the photographer to capture a single part of a subject with great bokeh effects. It has an angle of view equivalent to 120mm on the Micro Four Thirds system and 90mm on the E-mount system (35mm equivalent focal length). The minimum focusing distance is 19.7 inches; the maximum magnification is 1:7.2. This lens also contains Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass, which helps minimize axial and transverse chromatic aberration.
• Sigma 19mm F2.8 DN – This high-performance, wide-angle telephoto lens has an angle of view equivalent to 38mm on the Micro Four Thirds system and 28.5mm on the E-mount system (35mm equivalent focal length). As a wide-angle lens with excellent mobility, it is ideal for studio photography, architecture and starry skies. Its minimum focusing distance is 7.9 inches and its maximum magnification is 1:7.4.
• Sigma 30mm F2.8 DN – This high-performance, standard telephoto lens has an angle of view equivalent to 60mm on the Micro Four Thirds system and 45mm on the E-mount system (35mm equivalent focal length). This lens, which is perfect for casual and formal portraiture, documentary photography, travelogues and everyday shooting, includes a double-sided aspherical lens that enhances its optical performance. Its minimum focusing distance of 11.8 inches and its maximum magnification is 1:8.1.

For information about Sigma Corporation of America, visit www.sigmaphoto.com. For the full press releases for each of these new lenses, visit Sigma’s news section at www.sigmaphoto.com/sigma-news.

via Dpreview.