UPDATE: Those are the first unboxing pictures coming from Japan (More at dmaniax.com). Shots with the x100 from the same person: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotois/sets/72157626059913905

UPDATE2: Adorama is accepting Fuji X100 preorders (Click here).

The dpreview forum user “Ncruces” posted the patched source code to open the Quesabesdes RAW files with DCraw. Download from here: http://db.tt/jSGfK7R.

The dpreview forum user “ebrandon” posted two links to download the “before” (unprocessed TIFF) http://db.tt/uM3tnCm and the “after” (post-processed TIFF) http://db.tt/dvXlxHS.

Meanwhile Entincingthelight explains you why the X100 is NOT to expensive: “I think I’ve shown that the X100 is not the expensive proposition many are making it out to be. For the photographer who wants a well-built, relatively compact, externally simple digital camera with physical dials, and for whom a fast wideangle lens covers most of his/her needs, the X100 is almost cheap, especially if you consider this photographer will probably use the camera for many years before replacing it.”

P.S.: In USA the camera will start shipping on March 7 (Source: Dpreview forum).

You can subscribe to be notified when the X100 will be in Stock at [shopcountry 19929]. P.S.: Where in Europe???

Reviews

DPreview added the studio comparison samples which usually means that they will soon publish the final GH2 review. Have fun by comparing the GH2 results with other cameras. Dpreview also added GF1 downloadeable raw files for all ISOs, for comparison against the GF2.

Digitalcamerareview tested the Panasonic GH2: “The Panasonic GH2 surpasses the quality and performance of a point-and-shoot and just about every entry-level DSLR on the market. A high quality – though not perfect – kit lens, and an excellent 16 megapixel sensor and processing engine help the GH2 succeed. There’s a touchscreen for those who want it and a familiar array of controls for those who don’t. Right now, it’s safe to say that there’s nothing else like it.” The final rating is 4.5/5 points.

A short GH2 test at Outbackphoto.

Black GH2 finally in US

The GH2 is still out of Stock in all US online stores. In those months we only saw a few [shoplink 16254]Silver GH2[/shoplink] in Stock here and there. Now Amazon updated the availability status for the Black GH2+14-140mm kit (Click here). They say it will be in Stock on March 8, 2011.
Click those direct links to check price and availability: [shopcountry 16254].

David Babsky (at Stevehuffphoto.com) posted a new Voigtländer Nokton 25mm f/0.95 review: “It’s useful for “pulling focus” (manually adjusting the focus) when shooting VIDEO on an m4/3 camera, and for shooting m4/3 video in (almost) darkness and up very close.“..”It MAY be just what you need, but it depends on what you like to shoot. Soft, contextualised portraits? Great! Harsh nitty gritty? No. Close-up sharp details? Yes, but only at f2.8 or smaller. The world in sharp focus? ..No: no point in paying extra for that 0.95 aperture.”

Cameraquest has a new status update:
I’ve shipped over half of February’s 25/.95 to customers. The remaining .95’s are delayed by customs. I hope to start shipping the remaining .95’s by Saturday February 26th or Monday February 28th. The shipment is indeed SOLD OUT. The NEXT PRODUCTION RUN will be in April.

43rumors reader H.Hackbarth posted a full size sample on Flickr taken with the GH2 + Nokton.

There is a comparison between the Leica 25mmf1.4 vs. Voigtlander 25mmf0.95 at thaidphoto.com

The only place where you can find the the Nokotn is on [shoplink 15659 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]. But in most cases you have to pay more than the original price!

Trustedreviews tested the new Olympus XZ-1 high end compact camera. You can find the final verdict at page 4: “The [shoplink 19904]XZ-1[/shoplink] feels like a good, solid move for its maker, and in helping the brand stay competitive and moreover relevant, it deserves to do well. Olympus has come lately to the high performance compact party, so it’s just as well that its arrival is with a product that should be awarded a degree of fanfare.”

And Pocket Lint posted a “7 days living with… the Olympus XZ-1” article: “the Olympus isn’t really pocketable, not in the same way that the Canon S95 or the new Nikon CoolpixP300 are. That means I’m less likely to slip it into my suit pocket for a wedding“…”If it is to be your only camera and slipping it into your pocket is less important than the option to add accessories that the extra size brings, then the Olympus XZ-1 is a seriously attractive camera, and I’ve had great fun with it.

Direct Olympus XZ-1 links to [shopcountry 19904]

There is a new full E-PL2 review at Cameralabs (Click here): “On the surface, the differences between the E-PL1 and E-PL2 may not look extensive, but they make a big difference in both handling and performance. The rear control dial makes the E-PL2 a much more comfortable camera to use in manual exposure modes while the change to the ISO sensitivity range combined, we suspect, with some tweaking of the image processing, has resulted in improved image quality.”…”the broad appeal of the PEN E-PL2 and the excellent quality results it’s capable of producing look set to make it one of the most successful Micro Four Thirds cameras yet.”

The E-PL2 gets an Overall score of 83%. To read all E-PL2 related news and review on 43rumors click here.
And those are the direct E-PL2 shop links to [shopcountry 18844].

Reminder: On Saturday Dpreview posted the Panasonic GF2 review and we asked you if you prefer the E-PL2 or the GF2:

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Latest deals:

Olympus E-P2 and E-PL2

The Olympus E-P2 price is very low in these days. It’s only $50-100 above the new Olympus E-PL2. You can get the E-P2 with 14-42mm lens for $649 only at Amazon (Click here).
The E-PL2 has a $50 dollar instant rebate at Amazon (Click here) and Adorama (Click here).There is a $100 instant rebate on the double lens kit at Adorama (Click here).

Panasonic G2

Panasonic G10 for $399 Amazon (Click here).
Panasonic G2 is in Stock for $499 Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here)

Micro Four Thirds lenses

If you are on budget and want a zoom lens the Olympus 40-150mm lens is in Stock for $204 at Amazon (Click here).

DPreview posted a few Fuji X100 image samples. Reminder: The camera should be in Stock by early MArch. Preorders at: [shopcountry 19929]

CNET Australia tested the Olympus E-5: “The E-5 presents a good upgrade path for those amateur and professional photographers working with the Olympus Four Thirds system. It doesn’t provide enough to lure potential buyers from competing brands though.”

Also Macworld tested the camera: “What we particularly like about Olympus E-system cameras are the Art Filter digital effects filters and 10 have been shoehorned in here, including our favourites of pop art, pinhole and toy town-effect diorama. Further tweaks include a TruePic V+ image-processing engine that Olympus claims provides enhanced detail over cameras with physically larger sensors. Certainly the E-5, when used with our test lens, delivered bags of detail despite the low-ish headline resolution.”

Olympus E-5 direct links at [shopcountry 17163].

Infosyncworld tested the new [shoplink 19904]Olympus XZ-1[/shoplink]: “The Olympus XZ-1 matched Canon’s best fixed lens warriors when it came to still image quality, and it proved itself a worthy tool to have in the field. It’s the Mini Me of PEN Land, and we welcome it with open arms.”

There is a hands-on report at Cameraguide: “The XZ-1 also proved itself to be generally more satisfying to use than the competition. At this point we’ve tested all the major players in the advanced compact sector and we can say with some confidence that the XZ-1 was more enjoyable and more fun to use than all of them.”

Photography Blog and Olympus are giving away a fantastic Olympus XZ-1 premium compact camera, worth £399.99 / $499.99.

The XZ-1 is in Stock almost everywhere! Click those direct links to check price and availability: [shopcountry 19904]