[shoplink 50867 ebay][/shoplink] Image courtesy: Photozone.

The Kowa Prominar 12mm f/1.8 MFT lens got tested at Photozone:

The Kowa Prominar MFT 12mm f/1.8 is the weakest offering in the Kowa lineup. The pure MTFs are actually quite decent. The center is always sharp at the mainstream settings and the outer image region is relatively decent at f/1.8, good at f/2.8 and very good between f/4 and f/8. However, field curvature is a major issue at large apertures so in the real life the results are less convincing here – at least in our sample which wasn’t really well centered. Typical for the three initial Prominar lenses, both the distortion as well as the lateral CAs are low which is good because image auto-correction isn’t possible. The amount of vignetting is generally on the high side though.

The Kowa Micro Four Thirds lenses on eBay:
8,5mm f/2.8 in on [shoplink 54790 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
12mm f/1.8 in [shoplink 50867 ebay]Black (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 50868 ebay]Green (Click here)[/shoplink] and [shoplink 50869 ebay]Silver (Click here)[/shoplink].
25mm f/1.8 in [shoplink 50870 ebay]Black (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 50871 ebay]Green (Click here)[/shoplink] and [shoplink 50872 ebay]Silver (Click here)[/shoplink].

BOAT – Lake Como in V LOG L – 4K Lumix GH4 from Nick Driftwood on Vimeo.

Nick Driftwood sent me this: “BOAT in VLog almost untouched.GH4 https://vimeo.com/138178172 or https://youtu.be/E6rbaEPn5f8. V LOG L 10-bit Pro Res Example on Dropbox”

43rumors reader Soo sent me this: Just a quick update on the V-Log update for the GH4, a french website explained that Panasonic will give 50€ back if one order the firmware update between September 20th and November 30th. So the update will cost 49€ if ordered within that period. (don’t know if such offer will be available outside of Europe). Source : http://www.lesnumeriques.com/appareil-photo-numerique/ifa-2015-50-euros-rembourses-sur-mise-a-jour-v-log-pour-gh4-n45107.html.

Preorder links:
Panasonic Lumix G 25mm f/1.7 ASPH. Lens at Amazon. BHphoto. Panasonic Store.
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II ASPH. MEGA O.I.S. Lens at BHphoto.
45-150mm MATTE version at BHphoto.
14-140mm MATTE version at BHphoto.
Panasonic V-Log L Function Activation Code for Lumix DMC-GH4 at BHphoto, Panasonic Store.

MicroCosm published an interesting article about Real-time Transmission of Microbiology Images using Olympus Air:

Cameras with macro lenses and microscopes with attached cameras have long been used by diagnostic microbiology labs to document images of microbes for training and educational purposes. However the real-time transmission of these images has been impractical because the image has to be downloaded onto a computer and distributed by a file-sharing system or email.
The Olympus Air is a new concept of camera which provides a 16-megapixel micro four-thirds sensor which can be coupled wirelessly to your handphone. It therefore combines the power and flexibility of a proper camera with the connectivity and ease of use of a handphone.

And BHphoto Blog posted an article about “A Weekend with the Olympus Air A01”:

To be completely honest, I wasn’t expecting much from this tiny device. But, once I got over my initial apprehension and really leveraged some of the major assets of the Air, I grew to like it. Granted, as I still feel infinitely more comfortable with a “real” camera, even if it is just a point-and-shoot, it would be hard to convince me that some sort of phone/camera hybrid will be my best option. But, for those looking for cutting-edge devices, or who really want to add some better images to their thriving social media accounts, they will find much to love about the Olympus Air A01. The pairing with the app is superb and really makes it completely worth trying if you are looking to improve your smartphone’s capabilities, especially since many will find their smartphone’s interface to be much more intuitive than the menu systems on many entry-level cameras.

Olympus AIR MFT camera is in Stock at Amazon US (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and on eBay in [shoplink 54844 ebay]White (Click here)[/shoplink] or [shoplink 54845 ebay]Black (Click here)[/shoplink].

Wide vs Wide – Voigtlander vs SLR Magic from Jurek Ugarow on Vimeo.

43rumors reader Jurek Ugarow posted the very first SLR Magic 10mm vs Voigtlander 10.5mm comparison:

Informal comparison of the SLR Magic 10mm with the Voigtlander 10.5mm on the Panasonic GH4. Forgot to mention in the video that the camera’s exposure meter and the histogram were used to make final exposure adjustments – and the anomaly in the bar scene where I say that I don’t know why it happened – in retrospect, alcohol might have been a contributing factor. ;-) All joking aside, I did find that with certain scenes that were all under artificial lighting, the the Voigtlander looked brighter with identical settings. Whether there is some physical explanation such as the type and size of glass or barrel reflections I can’t tell. Or perhaps the metering needed to be changed in those circumstances. Anyway, something to be aware of.

Lens store links:
You can preorder the SLR Magic lens at BHphoto (Click here).
The 10,5mm Nokton is available at BHphoto (Click here), [shoplink 53940 ebay]CameraQuest (Click here)[/shoplink] and [shoplink 54016 ebay]Photovillage (Click here)[/shoplink]. In Europe at [shoplink 53816 ebay]FotoMundus (Click here)[/shoplink] in Asia at [shoplink 53614 ebay]Taku (Click here)[/shoplink].

E-M10II vs E-M10 via CameraSize.

Hands-on by Damian McGillicuddy:

“Suffice to say, even though the OM-D EM-10 Mark II is the baby of the range, it’s got some powerful features that far outweigh its size and price. It has just opened up creativity to photographers without costing an arm and a leg, and I can’t wait to show you more of what it’s capable of!”

E-M10 with test with legacy lens, voigtlander 10.5mm f0.95 and raw files samples at Pantip.
First impressions by Divephotoguide.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II vs E-M5 II – image stabilization by Onfoto
Hands-on pics and early test at DCfever.

Preorders:
Black E-M10II at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus, AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK
Silver E-M10II at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus, AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK
Black E-M10II with kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus, FocusCamera, AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK
Silver E-M10II with kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus, FocusCamera, AmazonUK, WexUK
Metal Grip ECG-3 for the E-M10II at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, FocusCamera, WexUK.

One of the very new cool features of the new E-M10II: It is equipped with AF Targeting Pad so you can trace your thumb along the rear monitor while looking through the viewfinder to quickly set a focus point. After the AF position is determined, press the shutter button halfway to focus.
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Our reader Jokke noticed a good news reported by Dpreview:

“Looking at the Raw files, we were quite (pleasantly) surprised: the E-M10 II appears to have less noise than the E-M5 II, significantly less noise than its predecessor, and even catches up in performance to the Canon Rebel T6S.“

So it looks like Olympus improved the RAW file processing on the new camera!

Imaging Resource editor Dave tested the camera on his vacation and writes:

To wrap up Part I of this Field Test I can say for certain that I’m rather smitten with this little camera. It is ergonomically excellent to me, feels great in the hands, balances nicely with a wide variety of lenses and is highly customizable. It has terrific autofocus, even very dependable continuous AF while in “sequential low” burst mode, and is capable of delivering stunning images. I had a few minor gripes like the lack of a dedicated drive button and some odd irregularities with the traditional Olympus menus systems, but overall thus far I’ve simply had a ball with the E-M10 II.

Preorders:
Black E-M10II at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus, AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK
Silver E-M10II at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus, AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK
Black E-M10II with kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus, FocusCamera, AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK
Silver E-M10II with kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus, FocusCamera, AmazonUK, WexUK
Metal Grip ECG-3 for the E-M10II at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, FocusCamera, WexUK.

We have two full reviews of the newly announced Olympus E-M10II. And also the preorder list got updated with US and Europe links.

Dpreview gave a Silver Award:

As with its predecessor, the Olympus E-M10 II brings the best features from its more expensive siblings and puts them into a reasonably priced (albeit less robust) package. It doesn’t feel as much as a traditional photographic tool as its main competitor, the Fujifilm X-T10, nor can’t it track moving subjects as well as DSLRs like the Nikon D5500, but in most respects the E-M10 II keeps up nicely. The E-M10 II is well-suited for those moving up to a more capable mirrorless camera and don’t need the weather-sealing of the E-M5 II. The E-M10 II is also an attractive choice for those seeking a lightweight second camera. Either way, the E-M10 II offers a lot of camera for the money, and is well worth considering.

Robin Wong writes:

Using the E-M10 Mark II to me felt like I was using the older, more expensive E-M5 Mark II, minus a few features (weather sealing, 40MP high res shot, swivel screen, and 1/8000sec mechanical shutter). You get similar image quality, camera performance, and basically all the unique and useful shooting functions. E-M10 Mark II now has 5-Axis Image Stabilization which benefits both image and video recording, In short, I would describe the E-M10 Mark II as a camera that can do anything a mid-level APS-C DSLR can do (low light shooting, interchangeable lens, rendering shallow depth of field, having large viewfinder, good handling and controls), with added bonus of powerful image stabilization system and packed with long list of useful shooting features. 

Park Cameras also posted a video review on Youtube.

Preorders:
Black E-M10II at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus, AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK
Silver E-M10II at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus, AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK
Black E-M10II with kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus, FocusCamera, AmazonDE, AmazonUK, WexUK
Silver E-M10II with kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus, FocusCamera, AmazonUK, WexUK
Metal Grip ECG-3 for the E-M10II at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, FocusCamera, WexUK.