Good Morning!

Let’s start this week with the first good news. I still have no confirmation from top sources but it is likely that Olympus will have a product announcement on Wednesday (August 22th at 6-7 am London time). As I told you before this shouldn’t be a camera announcement but more likely a 60mm macro and accessory release. I still don’t know if the crazy little 15mm lens will also be announced on that day. Because a source told us the “New cheap olympus M43 body on his way and goes along with the cheap f8 lens“. This means it could be announced the same day of the E-PM2 (around mid September). But as I said I still have no super reliable confirmation of that. So stay tuned!

P.S: Panasonic announcement is likely scheduled for mid September too!

For the series “an Olympus rep guy told me” here is the next non reliable rumor via Dpreview forum. RoAlmeida write: “When I was in Tokyo a couple weeks ago, I spoke to Oly’s sales rep from a famous camera store. Seems more likely the next steps are upgraded PENs with IBIS+EM5’s sensor next month – including a nice rangefinder/EVF surprise. The 43s line should continue with ‘high-end’ bodies arriving in Q3/2013 only. But it should bring a competitive tech package – including a new high-res Sony sensor that should make many FF users very jealous.”

What makes me suspicious is that the PEN part of the rumor is exactly what I have posted weeks ago. While the second part related to a High End body I also posted here on 43rumors. The rep added two small info: Q3/2013 release and a mysterious (LOL) high-res Sony sensor.

I am still waiting for the day may come rep guys (from any manufacturer)! will really share a REAL info… :)

P.S.: I am pretty sure a higher than [shoplink 29074]E-M5[/shoplink] m43 camera willa rrive early next year. Working on that rumor too!

Yesterday we had that interetsing new Olympus statement. There is a small addition via AP that reports a phrase from Akira Watanabe saying: “We haven’t discontinued the E-5, E-30 or E-620“.

This is an official(!) Olympus press release (Source: Olympus UK).

“Olympus working on new body for top-pro lenses
Interviewed today, Akira Watenabe said that active development is under way. No other details yet. Immediate Release Olympus working on new body for top-pro lenses:
Akira Watenabe, manager of Olympus Imaging’s SLR planning department, confirmed today that the company is definitely working on a body to deliver the focusing performance expected by users of the Top Pro lens series like the ground breaking 90-250 f2.8 fixed aperture zoom (Editor: Click here to see). Watenabe has been delighted with the success of the OM-D which has pushed the boundaries of performance for system cameras but acknowledged that it did not deliver with the legacy high end lenses from the E-System. Whilst further information were not forthcoming, he was keen to emphasise that Olympus is actively developing a solution and will announce more details in due course.”

So there is really an E-7 with [shoplink 29074]E-M5[/shoplink] sensor coming soon ;)

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P.S.: Meantime the 35-100mm lens got an up to $450 discount when purchased along the E-M5. Search(!) Links o the current E-5 camera: [shopcountry 17163].

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Press release also posted on Four Thirds User,  Whatdigitalcamera and more…

An anonymous source just sent me this: “New cheap olympus M43 body on his way and goes along with the cheap f8 lens, maybe a dual lenses combo“. I take the chance to ask him (and other sources reading this) if the E-PM is going to be announced next week along the 60mm macro or in September. Thanks :)

Anyway, as I wrote before I am really curious to see that lens on the new E-PM2 (or E-PM5).  It’s defintiely one of the weirdest rumors I ever received :)

I still have no info about the price of the lens but here are the specs:

Focal lenght: 15 mm (equivalent to 30 mm on a 35 mm camera) :
Aperture: F8 fixed
Dimensions :Max.dia.Ø56(2.2in.)× length 9 (0.4 in.) mm
Design: 3 groups, 3 lenses
Focus: 0.30 m (11.8 in.) to infinite. Manual Focusing (Three settings)
Weight: 22 g (0.8 oz.)

I have been told there is no data communication between camera and lens.  For reference the until now smallest m43 lens is the [shoplink 16258]Panasonic 14mm[/shoplink] that is 2.06 cm thick and weights 55g. I have no diea how Olympus will market this lens. WOuld be nice if they give it to tu fro free on any future m43 camera you buy! :)

Amazon just leaked a pdf file that includes the image of the new 60mm FR-2 adapter for RF-11 flash: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/B1YEzf4soyS.pdf. Thanks to the anonymous source for sending this. I hope you can find the image of the 15mm f/8.0 lens too :)