It looks like Sony is “copying” Panasonic. They just announced their G-alike A3000 camera (specs and info here at Amazon). As you know Mirrorless Cameras aren’t selling as good as DSLR cameras and this may be the way to go to attract classic DSLR camera owners….fake mirrorless cameras so that they look like DSLR cameras :)

Still, I don’t think the A3000 specs are as good as the G6. But they may launch a sort of G6/GH3 competitor soon too. Competition is good…it helps us to force Panasonic and Olympus to create better cameras and to lower the prices. Right now you can get the GH3 for $958 (with 4% reward included) at Amazon (Click here). That’s a bargain!

The google translated text (note: models should be “model”…singular)

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Olympus Japan (Google translation here) sent out an official invitation for a touch and try session with the new “Flasgship camera” and lenses. It will take place on Friday September 13 in Tokyo. The E-M1 and 12-40mm announcement is expected to be made a couple of days earlier (September 10-11).

By the way, there is a chance that one or even two more products will be announced. I am working on it to get the details….stay tuned on 43rumors!

P.S.: Don’t forget to join the “secret” competition at Damianmcgillicuddy.com.

There are the prices in YEN of the new Olympus camera and lens (Source: Digicameinfo). I converted the price in Euro and Dollar but as usual keep in mind that the price will be different because of TAX and VAT reasons.

1) E-M1 body ¥ 145,000
Converted: 1100 Euro or $1500

2) E-M1 with 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 kit lens ¥ 175,000
Converted: 1330 Euro or $1800

3) E-M1 with 12-40mm f/2.8 kit lens ¥ 220,000
Converted: 1670 Euro or $2200

4) Power Battery Holder HLD-7, ¥20,000
Converted: 151 Euro or $200

5) PT-EP11 Waterproof housing, ¥100,000
Converted: 750 Euro or $1000

6) 12-40mm f/2.8 lens only, ¥90,000
Converted: 681 Euro or $900

And here it is the new 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO MFT lens from Olympus! And it looks great on the new E-M1 don’t you think? The images have been leaked (and now removed) in Japan (at “2ch“). Camera and Lens will be announced around September 10-11. What I still don’t know is the price of the new lens but I have been assured that the IQ is better than the one of the [shoplink 31225 ebay]Panasonic 12-35mm X lens[/shoplink]. And the new Olympus lens really doesn’t look that big after all!

Thanks Lin and Masato for finding these pics!

Our Japanese friends at Digicaminfo got some details about the new Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 lens:

The Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 lens design

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It doesn’t happen very often that what we see on patents will make it as a real final mass product. But lately it happened with the GX7 and it’s now going to happen with the new 12-40mm lens too! Olympus will announce that new lens along the E-M1 and it has almost exactly the specs of the patent we posted months ago:

12-40mm with constant f/2.8 aperture (Source: Egami).
39.081mm – f = 12.249 focal length
Fno. 2.88
30.85 ° – 2ω = 85.27 angle
BF 16.194 – 16.192mm
131.16mm – 140.24 Length
Mod 0.35m
13 images in 11 groups lens configuration
5 three aspherical surface
3 ED glass sheets

I don’t know the price yet but I have been told the quality s higher than the [shoplink 31225]Panasonic 12-35mm X lens[/shoplink]. Olympus is expected to announce the E-m1 and the new lens around September 10-11.

One of the great things from Olympus is that they really work on details. The new E-M1 will use an “improved” viewfinder that ahs the same specs of the VF-4. The sources didn’t tell me what exactly has been improved but it sounds good anyway :)

Reminder: Same thing happens for the sensor. Based on the E-m5, but without AA filter and PDAF on it.