You can now read the first Panasonic 14-42mm X lens review at ePrice (Click here for the google english translation). The image on top is enough to make me say WOW what a lens! A month ago would you ever have thought it would be possible to make a zoom lens that has almost the size of the [shoplink 14796 ebay]20mm f/1.7 pancake[/shoplink]? I guess the answer is NO! ePrice posted a couple of image samples and some youtube videos. And if the google translation tool is annoying you to much there is another good news. The guys over at Clubsnap (Click here) wrote a short 14-42mm X lens preview in native English! More image samples have been posted by Reality Scanner here on Flickr.

Overall I am impressed by this lens. Image samples do look very good, powerzoom is smooth and responsive and it’s so tiny! I already preordered this lens which will be available soon in October!

Here are the direct search links to [shopcountry 25104].

And below you can find all the shops I usually check to see if a the lens is in Stock:
[shoplist 25104]

Cnet Asia (Click here) wrote a first take test about the new Nikon 1 V1 and clearly said that it cannot compete against m43: “The company tells us it aims to target entry-level users with the introduction of the J1 and V1. But we wonder if compact upgraders will choose Nikon over other brands such as Panasonic’s feature-rich Lumix series and Sony’s NEX series with their larger APS-C sensors. In an already crowded ILC segment, Nikon will need a clear marketing strategy in order to reach out to shutterbugs. ” You can see an image quality comparison on their Website.

Laurence Kim (Click here) says the Nikon is an epic fail: “My guess is that 5 years from now, Nikon’s lineup will not equal what m4/3 has available today.”

Image Quality comparison at EosHD (Click here). It includes a G3 vs V1 comparison.

Nikon V1 vs Olympus PEN E-P3 vs Sony NEX-7 at Techradar (Click here): “The Olympus PEN E-P3, at the moment, seems to offer the best compromise. It has neither the biggest or smallest sensor, offers a decent range of lenses, has nifty features such as the touchscreen and comes in at the best price.”

I repeat once again, I am certainly not a fanboy when I am say I do not like the new Nikon’s. Will it sell well? The new Sony NEX cameras made it into the top twenty of the Amazon Bestseller (or preorder) ranking (Click here to read the list). Just to say that it’s not just me and the reviewers being bad to Nikon :)

There is a new complete E-PM1 review at ePhotozine (Click here): “Image quality of the Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1 is excellent with excellent detail from the 12 megapixel sensor, with low noise and great colour. The PEN Mini E-PM1 is the most compact of the Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras yet still gives you fairly quick access to controls through on screen functions, and three of the rear buttons can be customised“.

The camera gets “Highly Recommended” by the reviewer! Also the German website Digitalkamera (Click here) tested the E-PM1 and they seem to like it a lot.

The E-Pm1 is the last of the three new PEN cameras that are now in Stock. Check at [shopcountry 23565]. Time for a new PEN Oly! Where is my digital [shoplink 22259 ebay]Olympus 35[/shoplink]? ;)

Whatdigitalcamera (Click here) tested the new Olympus E-PL3: “With so much else going for it, including the improved AVCHD-able movie mode with full manual exposure control, and decent image quality at the lower ISO settings, the E-PL3 is among the better-equipped Compact System Cameras out there. We like it a lot“. Shop links at [shopcountry 23567].

Photoreview Australia (Click here) reviewed the [shoplink 23109]Panasonic GF3[/shoplink]: “Imatest showed RW2.RAW files converted with Silkypix Developer Studio to be up to expectations for a 12-megapixel camera. JPEGs were slightly below expectations but a cut above the GF2. Resolution held up very well with both file types across the camera’s sensitivity range, as shown in the graph of our Imatest results below.”. Shop links at [shopcountry 23109].

And Photoreview Australia (Click here) also tested the ultratiny Panasonic 14mm lens: “Imatest showed this lens provided the highest resolution between f/2.5 and f/5.6 with a gradual tailing off towards f/22 as diffraction progressively affected image quality. Interestingly, when the GF3 was used in any of the auto exposure modes (iA, P or the Scene pre-sets), the camera favoured aperture settings within this range and would only stop down when it ran out of ISO room“. Shop links at [shopcountry 16258].

Photographyblog (Click here) posted a set of Olympus E-PM1 photos. Shop links at [shopcountry 23565].

[shoplink 23567]E-PL3[/shoplink] versus Nikon J1 size comaprison (Image Source: openpn.com).

There is a well written article at TheOnlinePhotographer (Click here) that talks about the new Nikon cameras and the competition with Micro Four Thirds: “Thing is, I’m not sure we have to do any more waiting. Yesterday seemed like a milestone to me. It was a couple of Nikons that arrived, I know that. But somehow it seemed like what really arrived was Micro 4/3.”

The Nikon and Olympus shooter Thom Hogan (Click here) is daily sharing his thoughts about the new Nikon cameras. In short the Nikon J1 and V1 are not bad cameras but there are things that he doens’t like: Price too high, no fast lens, lenses are too big, wrong marketing, still no social fucntions and “Crappy sample images”.

Read both articles to make your own opinion. As I said before, I am not a fanboy, I simply do not like that camera. That’s it!

Image courtesy: Quesabesde

The image on top (Source: Quesabesde) shows the reason why I still prefer the m43 system over the new Nikon CX mirrorless cameras. While the [shoplink 23565]Olympus E-Pm1[/shoplink] you see on the right is using a larger sensor it is still less high and less thick than the Nikon 1 V1! Beside that I find the Olympus E-PM1 design far more sexy :)

Before you start bashing on me saying I am a fanboy, well I am NOT! I use cameras from different manufacturers and there are many things I like from the Nikon camera world ([shoplink 25651 ebay]D700[/shoplink] and many of their lenses). But I simply cannot fell in love with the today announced Nikon cameras. The image quality of the V1 is good, but not as good as the one delivered by the m43 cameras. Check the ISO comparison at Focus Numerique. One more thing. The Nikon 1 V1 costs $899 on Amazon (Click here)! That’s $400 more than the price of the Olympus E-PM1!

And ePhotozine (Click here) posted also a J1 versus E-PM1 size comparison. In that case the cameras have about the same size but again the E-Pm1 is $150 cheaper.

Anyway, I am glad Nikon entered the market. More competition we have better it is for all of us (P.S.: Panasonic, can you please lower the price of your lenses and make them available earlier?)

Note: This is my very personal opinion. Other may have other needs and reason to like or NOT to like the new Nikon.

P.S.: E-PM1 shop links at [shopcountry 23565].

UPDATE: Here is a size comparison with the GF3 made by Colorfoto.

The guys over at DigitalrevTV read your comments about the E-PL3 being a “girly camera” I posted here: https://www.43rumors.com/is-the-e-pl3-a-camera-for-girls/. Kai from Digitalrev writes: “Unfortunately, some people of the internet didn’t like it, so here we are doing a comparison between the E-P3 and the E-PL3 in a more normal manly manner.”

Thanks Kai and team for entertaining us with their funny videos! ;)

P.S.: Those are all shop links to the new PEN cameras:
Olympus E-P3 [shopcountry 23568].
Olympus E-PL3 [shopcountry 23567].
Olympus E-PM1 [shopcountry 23565].