A March 2012 filed patent (re-)shows the new GX2(?) design with integrated and tillable electronic viewfinder. You can read all details and see the pics at Freepatentsonline. The front linear design reminds a bit the [shoplink 22691 ebay]Panasonic DMC-L1 body (here on eBay)[/shoplink]. Three years ago I found the first patent with that design. I am glad to have found the newer one because it may means that Panasonic is seriously taking into consideration to transform this into a real product.  Another thing I noticed on the patent is that Silver Halide part. May some smart tech guy explain us what it is doing there???

The three year old first patent (Source: Freepatentsonline) explained well why such a cameras makes sense: “If an electronic viewfinder is disposed where a conventional optical viewfinder function component used to be disposed, there needs to be the same amount of space above the body mount as when a pentaprism or the like is disposed, and the various parts cannot be disposed efficiently, which hampers efforts at making the camera body smaller. The technology disclosed here is intended to reduce the size of a camera body.”

 Loading ...

Links to current [shoplink 36080 ebay]Four Thirds L1 camera (here on eBay)[/shoplink].

[shoplink 25320 ebay]

[/shoplink]
Image on top: the Four Thirds [shoplink 25320 ebay]Zuiko 14-35mm f/2.0[/shoplink]. Same quality can be expected by the new f/2.8 zooms.

I am getting more and more evidence that Olympus will release a fast zoom in Spring-Summer along the new E-P5. And I now have been told that Olympus actually wants to release two f/2.8 zoom within 2013. Both will compete against the [shoplink 31225]Panasonic 12-35mm[/shoplink] and [shoplink 33626]35-100mm X[/shoplink] lenses.
Which one is coming first I don’t know yet. I asked the sources if that wouldn’t be too redundant but they told me that Olympus zooms deliver a higher optical performance as we have on the superb [shoplink 25320 ebay]Zuiko 14-35mm f/2.0 (here on eBay)[/shoplink] and [shoplink 25119 ebay]Zuiko 35-100mm f/2.0 (here on eBay)[/shoplink] lens. Specs and Price info are yet unknown. What we can be (almost) sure of is that the constant aperture isn’t f/2.0, it will be almost certainly f/2.8 becuase of size and costs reasons.

—

The two superb Zuiko f/2.0 zooms:
14-35mm f/2.0 on [shoplink 25320 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] and via Slidoo eBay.
35-100mm f/2.0 on [shoplink 25119 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] and via Slidoo eBay.

—

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

It’s always dangerous to rely on informations released by company représentants. So pleas take that info with a grain of salt ok? I got two mails from 43rumors reader that had the chance to talk to some Panasonic rep:

1) Rumor one: I have high hopes that this news I am going to post is simply untrue. 43rumors reader and photographer Jimmy Patton (here on G+) told me that he “talked to a Panasonic rep today and asked about the 42.5mm and 150mm… Answer was “not this year“.

2) Rumor two: 43rumors readers Zetton was at the CP+ show and told me that “While talking with the Panasonic staff I have been told that  Panasonic will release the next GX1 soon”

So, no new lens by Panasonic in 2013? DC.watch reported the lens should come within 2013 (and Panasonic roadmap shows 2013 as target year). Would be the first time ever a company doens’t announce a new lens for a full year! And please, don’t define the newly upgraded 14-42mm as a “new lens”!

—

P.S.: Zetyon posted some pics of the Cp+ show at Pepget768 and Flickr.

Here are the full specs of the new 75-300mm Micro Four Thirds lens and the XZ-10 compact camera:

Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED75-300mm F4.8-6.7 II
– 58mm filter size
– Lens design: 18 lenses 13 groups with one Super ED lens.
– length: 116.5mm, maximum diameter: 69mm
– weight: 423g
– Price 599 Euro
– Release in March

Olympus XZ-10
– 12 Megapixel sensor (1/2.3 inch)
– 26-130mm f/1.8-2.7 lens
– Fixed grip.
– About 40% more compact XZ-2 and weight of 221gram
– 11 different art filters, effects of five art
– Touch AF shutter
– Media: SD/SDHC/SDXC
– 920,000 dot 3 inches LCD monitor, touch panel
– Full HD video
– Price 399 Euro
– Late February release

specs via 43rumors and Digicaminfo

.

Looks like the CP+ show is going to be particularly boring this year. After the Olympus 75-300mm lens update also Panasonic will release a minor update only. There will be a new 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS lens. It is a HD lens that will have improved tracking focus support improved OIS, silent auto focus and exposure control. The lens is also lighter and smaller and the filter sized has been reduced from 52mm down to 46mm. Price is the same of the current 14-42mm lens and official availability is March 2013.

Egami (translation here) spotted another Konica-Minolta patent describing a normal 14-42mm or (as variation) 12-42mm lens. The interesting news here is that the lens is made to cover a Four Thirds sized sensor. And as you may recall there already is another patent for a 43mm f/1.4 MFT lens from Konica-Minolta (43rumors article here). I haven’t heard yet about a possibility that Konica-Minolta may join the MFT system. But it’s interesting to see that they are patenting MFT lens designs. Where there is smoke there is fire or not?

Reminder:
Konica and Minolta have a long history of lens design for rangefinder cameras. Konica designed the [shoplink 33268 ebay]Hexanon M-mount Lens series (here on eBay)[/shoplink]. That includes the superb [shoplink 33269 ebay]Hexanon 50mm f/1.2 (here on eBay)[/shoplink]. Minolta made the famous [shoplink 33270 ebay]Rokkor M-mount lens series (here on eBay)[/shoplink]. That includes for example the [shoplink 33271 ebay]40mm f/2.0 pancake (here on eBay)[/shoplink]. This is just to say that Konica-Minolta would add a very high value to the whole Micro Four Thirds system! Here are the images of the 40mm lens (left) and 50mm Hexanon (right):
[shoplink 33271 ebay][/shoplink][shoplink 33269 ebay][/shoplink]

And here it is the first picture of the “reworked” Olympus 75-300mm II Micro Four Thirds lens. It will be announced next week and be cheaper (in terms of price) than the current 75-300mm lens. And as I told you a couple of days ago you see it comes in Black only. And I guess we should be happy that Olympus doens’t make us pay more just because it’s black ;)

This is it with the “Big Announcement” advertised by GetOlympus. I will tell you, there will be a big announcement in Spring (March?) for a new MFT camera and new high quality lenses. That is what I define as “Big” :)

UPDATE: And here are more pics of the XZ-10:

also via Digicaminfo.