How does the Fuji sensor perform against the best m43 sensors? According to DxOmark (Click here) the Fuji can deliver better results in all measured aspects (Color depth, Dynamic range and ISO performance).  A bit surprising to see that the older [shoplink 14826]Panasonic GH1[/shoplink] is the best m43 camera here. Anyway, you have also to take into consideration other aspects of the camera. DxOmark measures the RAW performance of the sensor (not the .jpg results). And if you need decent video quality nothing beats the GH cameras. The main “advantage” of the X100 is the hybrid viewfinder and (if you like it too) the classic design and button layout. But it’s also an expensive fixed lens camera only. Price on [shoplink 19929 eBay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] is crazy high. Preorders with a bit more “affordable” prices are available at J&R (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Amazon UK (Click here) and Digitalrev (Click here).

Let’s cross the finger that Fuji will join m43. We need other sensor makers to put some pressure on Panasonic!

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P.S.: If you are located in US than you definitely should take a look on those GH1 deals:
1) Panasonic GH1 with 14mm lens for $699 at Amazon (Click here). The lens alone costs $364. and if you would buy it separately with the GH1 it would cost you a total of $764. With that deal you save $64!
2) Panasonic GH1 with 20mm lens for $699 at Amazon (Click here). The lens alone costs $399. You save $99!
3) Panasonic GH1 with 45-200mm lens for $649 at Amazon (Click here). The lens alone costs $349. You save $100!
4) Panasonic GH1 with 14-45mm lens for $649 at Amazon (Click here). The lens alone costs $359. You save $90!
5) Panasonic GH1 with 14-42mm lens for $499 at Amazon (Click here). The lens alone costs $199. You save $100!

There are two new [shoplink 18844]Olympus E-PL2[/shoplink] reviews.

The polish website Optyczne (Click here to read the english translation) tested the E-PL2. In their final score the E-PL2 earns 52 points which is much more than what the Samsung NX100 (45 points) and the Sony NEX-5 (45 points) earned.
Also Peterwestphoto (Click here) tested the E-PL2: “How good is the E-PL 2? For my wife, it’s a 10 out of 10. She puts the camera in AUTO with the standard 14-54mm lens and she’s a happy camper. For me, I start with the camera on AUTO (but I’m ready to go to APERTURE, SHUTTER PRIORITY or PROGRAM mode) with the 17mm pancake lens and the 9-18mm and 14-54mm plus the 40-150mm (80mm to 300mm 35mm equivalent) telephoto and maybe the 9-18mm and 150-300mm super zoom and I’m ready to travel.”
Click those diretc links to check the E-PL2 price at [shopcountry 18844].

Neocamera (Click here) made a full Micro Four Thirds lens test: “In terms of performance all is not perfect though, nor did we expect it to be for such extreme compactness. What we see is that is most M.Zuiko lenses are really strong performers at the center of the frame, even at their maximum aperture. Corners softness is a notable problem which is consistently more pronounced near wide-angle, probably a side-effect de designing lenses with such narrow barrels. It is important to know that any form of softness is visible in proportion to display size. So, corner softness which can be seen at 24×18″ may not be visible at 12×9″.”

Reminder: Those are the current Olympus m43 lenses:

• Zuiko 9-18mm F/4-5.6 ED  ([shopcountry 14818])
• Zuiko 14-42mm F/3.5-5.6 ED ([shopcountry 14816])
• Zuiko 14-150mm F/4-5.6 ED ([shopcountry 14800])
• Zuiko 17mm F/2.8 ([shopcountry 14798])
• Zuiko 40-150mm F/4-5.6 ED ([shopcountry 15864])
• Zuiko 75-300mm F/4.8-6.7 ED ([shopcountry 15861])

Seb Farges is a film director who uses the [shoplink 16254]Panasonic GH2[/shoplink]. And he particularly likes to use cheap third party lenses. The video on top has been made using the C-mount Canon 35mm 1.2 and Cine-NIKKOR 10mm 1.8 lenses. I like it a lot! One more new video made with the C-mount Canon and the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 can be seen here: http://www.vimeo.com/21228832

Look for C-mount Canon 35mm 1.2 lens auctions on [shoplink 21394 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
Look for Cine-NIKKOR 10mm 1.8 lens auctions on [shoplink 21395 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
The Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 is available at [shopcountry 16258].

The video on top is one of the best digital camera commercials I have ever seen. Well done Oly!

Ferdzdecena (Click here) posted a short E-5 review: “For it’s price range, which is rather high since it’s on the pro/semi-pro line, there are a lot of competitive options out there so it’s hard to decide on jumping into this system. But for those who have already invested on a good amount of Zuiko lenses, which by themselves are exceptional, the Olympus E-5 can still squeeze out excellent images until it runs out of juice in the coming years.” (link found at noisycamera)
Check the E-5 price by clicking those direct links: [shopcountry 17163].

Neocamera (Click here) posted an E-PL2 express review: “The Olympus PEN E-PL2 proves to be an interesting camera with more capabilities and sophistication than expected from an entry-level model. The Micro Four-Thirds sensor used in the E-PL2 delivers excellent results with low image noise and good sharpness. Exposure and color are also quite good. AWB is not so reliable but custom white-balance renders whites impeccably and the one-touch white-balance function makes it a breeze to use. The true weakness of this digital camera is its autofocus system which is slow and not entirely accurate. It is serious enough to make it miss our highest digital camera rating.”
Check the E-PL2 price by clicking those direct links: [shopcountry 18844].

Photographyhappenings (Click here) tested the XZ-1: “If you are comparing to the Panasonic LX-5 or Canon S95, the Olympus XZ-1 will be a good choice if lens specification is your key consideration. The Olympus delivers strong performance over the competitors in good light and moderate distance, but fails to shine in poorer light condition and closer to infinity. Both competitors offer credible lens performance and good max aperture as well as distinctive advantages, with the Canon S95 in a truly small chassis and the LX-5 delivering native 16:9 panoramic images. They are definitely no pushovers in this battle of digital compacts, and these three cameras cater to different crowds.”
Also Digital Photography School (Click here) posted a XZ-1 review: “I find it hard to say that image quality is exceptionable. About average. Why you’d buy it: exciting range of accessories to expand your picture making opportunities; fast lens. Why you wouldn’t: you want Full HD video.”
And the third website to test the XZ-1 is Pdnonline (Click here): “As an outdoor shooter in good light, the XZ-1 shined, producing high quality images on par with those you get from a DSLR. But I really expected the camera’s f/1.8 lens to do better in low light. The same goes for the XZ-1’s 10-megapixel, 1/1.63-inch CCD, which produced noisy images at high ISOs with aggressive smoothing that squished detail. I hope Olympus sticks with this category though; the XZ-1 a good start that just needs some further tweaking.”
Check the XZ-1 price by clicking those direct links: [shopcountry 19904].

David Pogue from the New York Times (Click here) wrote an article about the new Micro Four Thirds revolution: “for years, there were two kinds of cameras: pocket models, with tiny sensors that produce blurry or grainy photos in low light and S.L.R. cameras, those big-sensor, big-body, heavy black beasts used by professionals. In the last couple of years, though, things have changed. There’s a new class of camera whose size (both body and sensor) falls in between those two time-honored extremes. They represent a rethinking of every single design element, a jettisoning of every nonessential component, in pursuit of a tiny, big-sensor camera. Because that, after all, is what the world really wants.”

Inside the article he focuses on two m43 cameras  the [shoplink 17361]Panasonic GF2[/shoplink] and the [shoplink 18844]Olympus E-PL2[/shoplink]: “In the end, you can’t really cheat physics. Getting cameras this small means sacrifices. For example, both of these cameras have a pop-up flash — and it pops way up high, a trick that minimizes red eye in your subjects — but it’s weak, with only about a six-foot range.” and “The bigger loss is the optical viewfinder. Both cameras have bright, beautiful three-inch screens that do O.K. in sunlight. But they’re nowhere near as good as the eyepiece of a regular S.L.R., especially in low light. The difference in clarity and feeling is especially evident when you compare one of these Micro Four-Thirds cameras with an S.L.R. side-by-side.”

But despite the sacrifices you have to make:  “These miniature Micro Four-Thirds cameras cost as much as a real S.L.R., and they teem with compromises. Still, if the world craves a solution to the small camera/big sensor challenge, these models offer some novel solutions to the puzzle.”

Like David I do believe the need for “mirrorless” (or I should say the need for compact cameras with image high quality) will increase and the competition will become bigger and bigger. Let’s see how Panasonic and Olympus will exploit the momentum to gain more market shares.

Check the current Panasonic GF2 price at [shopcountry 17361].
Check the current Olympus E-PL2 price at [shopcountry 18844].

Steve Digicam’s (Click here) posted a new Panasonic GH2 review: “Panasonic’s Lumix GH2 is a compact and powerful alternative to an entry-level or even some lower end mid-range dSLR cameras. Its outstanding image quality, powerful image processor, wonderfully easy automatic shooting modes and some of the best HD video recording on a digicam make this a powerful and versatile tool.”
Check GH2 price and availability at [shopcountry 16254].

The Olympus XZ-1 has been reviewed by Buy-N-Shoot (Click here): “What Olympus has produced with the XZ-1 is a camera worth very strong consideration. Not just to be weighed up against its direct competitors ([shoplink 21015]S95[/shoplink], G12, [shoplink 21136]LX5[/shoplink], EX-1, P7000) but as an alternative to its own mirror-less PEN range.”
Also our friends of Quesabesde (Click here) tested the XZ-1:””Despite these minor faults the XZ-1 one of the most desirable compact the moment, totally recommended for those advanced photographers who are looking for a pocket model with manual controls, RAW format and outstanding optics.”
Check X-Z1 price and availability at [shopcountry 19904].

One more thing for german Fuji X100 lovers. Heise.de tested the camera!