Olympus will soon revamp the PEN line…at least that is what they claimed in one of their latest financial reports. In the meantime the E-PM2 got marked as “discontinued” or “no longer available” at BHphoto (Click here). You can still buy it via third party resellers at Amazon US (Click here).

Current US deals reminder:

1) Save up to $900 on lenses & $100 one audio recorder:
Runs at GetOlympus. $200 kit savings on Amazon.

2) $600 off on E-M5 12-40mm kit. Use that additional $100 mail-in rebate (pdf file):
At Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and GetOlympus. Qualifys for an additional $300 in savings on the M.12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens (after $200 instant savings and $100 mail-in rebate). Ends 7/19/14.

3) $100 off on MFT lenses:
Olympus 12mm f/2.0 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and Getolympus.
Olympus 75mm f/1.8 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and GetOlympus.
Olympus 12-40mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and GetOlympus.
Olympus 12-50mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and GetOlympus.

4) More deals from GetOlympus and Amazon:
Up to $200 off on MFT cameras at Amazon.
Up to $100 Off Recorders with OM-D or E-P5 Purchase (Click here).
Up to $800 Off Lenses with OM-D or PEN E-P5 Purchase (Click here).
PEN E-PL5: FREE Wi-Fi Card (Click here).
PEN E-P5: Over $479 in Savings! (Click here).
VF-4: Only $99.99 with E-P5 Body Purchase at GetOlympus and Amazon.

You probably have heard about the latest Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART lens (Click here) whose quality is almost as good as the $4,000 Zeiss Otus. This is just to say how Sigma is being “serious” with their new “ART” lens line.
It’s said “some” of them will have fast aperture. Well, according to one source Sigma will display new ART lenses with Micro Four Thirds mount at Photokina! And unlike the current MFT lenses, the 19mm (here at Amazon), 30mm (here at Amazon) and 60mm (here at Amazon) the sources said “some” of these lenses will have a fast aperture. The only not so good news is that also these new lenses will share the same lens design for all mirrorless mounts. A “dedicated” MFT lens design would have allowed Sigma to make them more compact because of the slightly smaller sensor size.

Now you can dream of some nice fast lens. What’s your wish?

—
For sources: Sources can send me anonymous info at 43rumors@gmail.com (create a fake gmail account) or via contact form you see on the right sidebar. Thanks!
For readers: Don’t miss any news. Join our group on facebook and follow our tweets.

Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct

Another (yet not trusted source) told me this about the LX8. So take it as FT2 only:

– Weather sealed (but unclear if they will market this due to warranty concerns)
– EVF resolution is 1.44 Million dot
– 5 axis Stabilization for stills and video

Let’s hope the source is right…Thanks!

—
For sources: Sources can send me anonymous info at 43rumors@gmail.com (create a fake gmail account) or via contact form you see on the right sidebar. Thanks!
For readers: Don’t miss any news. Join our group on facebook and follow our tweets.

Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct

Image courtesy: Quesabesde.

Sources from SLRclub Korea (found via Dicahub) said that Panasonic will launch a surprising new fixed lens camera with FT sensor on July 16! We are talking about a second fixed lens camera after the LX8! There are no other details yet but I hope to get some more info soon.

Two years ago MR-Uematsu told in an interview at Quesabesde that there could be a “possible future fixed lens camera with larger Four Thirds sensor”. He said that it would have to be smaller than the [shoplink 26836 ebay]GX1[/shoplink], feature a fixed and bright f/1.7 or f/2.0 lens and price could be around 700 Euro. But Uematsu does n0t know if there would be a high demand for a model like that.

Let’s see if Uematsu’s camera will become real in 3 weeks!

—
For sources: Sources can send me anonymous info at 43rumors@gmail.com (create a fake gmail account) or via contact form you see on the right sidebar. Thanks!
For readers: Don’t miss any news. Join our group on facebook and follow our tweets.

Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct

Huh,  1-2 times per year it happens that sources and I do not understand us right :) This is one of these cases. A highly trusted source actually told me the LX8 will NOT. I repeat NOT use the same FZ1000 sensor! There was a miscommunication before the FZ1000 announcement and I didn’t understand the LX8 doesn’t use the same FZ1000 sensor.

Sorry, for the mistake, but communication with sources is let’s say…not always 100% clear :)

P.S.: Panasonic FZ-1000 preorders at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here). In Europe at WexUK (Click here).

—
For sources: Sources can send me anonymous info at 43rumors@gmail.com (create a fake gmail account) or via contact form you see on the right sidebar. Thanks!
For readers: Don’t miss any news. Join our group on facebook and follow our tweets.

Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct

The recently published Panasonic United States Patent 8749893 discloses a lens design description for a f/1.8 prime lens series. The mentioned lenses are:
12mm f/1.8
16mm f/1.8
26mm f/1.8
30mm f/1.8
50mm f/1.8

All have a similar kind of design and inner focusing. As usual with patent it’s hard to say if these lenses will ever become real products.

The 1 inch sensor of the FZ1000.

UPDATE: There was a miscomunictaion between a source and me. The new LX8 will not feature the same 1 inch sensor of the FZ1000!!!! It will be very “different”.

Thee are the specs I got so far from another source:
– 24-90mm f/2.0-2.8 Leica lens
– 3% larger than the LX7
– Swivel touch screen with touch to focus and capture features
– Updated processing engine enhancing JPEG output
– built in EVF and no hotshoe (just like the Sony RX100m3).
– Automatic Lenscap
– built-in 3 stop ND filter
– 4K recording

One more thing: I think the chance is great Olympus will use the same sensor for their Trip-D camera. The camera should have a design reminiscent of the [shoplink 35471 ebay]Olympus Trip 35 filmcameras (here on eBay)[/shoplink].

P.S.: Panasonic FZ-1000 preorders at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here). In Europe at WexUK (Click here).

—
For sources: Sources can send me anonymous info at 43rumors@gmail.com (create a fake gmail account) or via contact form you see on the right sidebar. Thanks!
For readers: Don’t miss any news. Join our group on facebook and follow our tweets.

Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct