Good news folks! There is a 60-80% chance that Sigma will unveil new Micro Four Thirds lenses in September (for Photokina). And if the rumor I got are correct these lenses are completely designed for the Micro Four Thirds system only!

As you know the current 30mm and 19mm lenses cover the APS-C sensor because they are made for the NEX and NX system too. The lenses are very good (and cheap) but bigger than they could be if they would have been designed for the m43 system only.

The 30mm lens is in Stock at Amazon US (Click here), Amazon DE (Click here), Amazon UK (Click here), Amazon FR (Click here), Amazon JP (Click here) and Digitalrev (Click here).
The 19mm lens is in Stock at Amazon US (Click here), Amazon DE (Click here), Amazon UK (Click here), Amazon FR (Click here), Amazon JP (Click here) and Digitalrev (Click here).

Just a reminder. Sigma also offers a nice amount of Four Thirds lenses:
[shoplink 18947 ebay]Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6[/shoplink] [shoplink 18948 ebay]Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8[/shoplink] [shoplink 18948 ebay]Sigma 18-50mm f/3.5-5.6[/shoplink] [shoplink 18949 ebay]Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6[/shoplink] [shoplink 18950 ebay]Sigma 24mm f/1.8[/shoplink] [shoplink 18951 ebay]Sigma 30mm f/1.4[/shoplink] [shoplink 18952 ebay]Sigma 50mm f/1.4[/shoplink] [shoplink 18953 ebay]Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3[/shoplink] [shoplink 18955 ebay]Sigma 55-500mm f/4-5.6[/shoplink] [shoplink 18956 ebay]Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8[/shoplink] [shoplink 18957 ebay]Sigma 105mm f/2.8[/shoplink] [shoplink 18958 ebay]Sigma 135-400mm f/4-5.6[/shoplink] [shoplink 18959 ebay]Sigma 150mm f/2.8[/shoplink] [shoplink 18960 ebay]Sigma 300-800mm f/5.6[/shoplink]

Reminder -> 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 guys from Egami found a new patent from Panasonic. Apparently Panasonic found a way to adjust the exposure time for every single row of pixels depending on the subject. So if for example you take a picture of a landscape where usually the sky is much brighter the sensor exposure time will be shorter on the upper lines than on the lower lines. Smart idea but as usual…just a patent for now!
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The after vote morning at greekdiaries.com

The guys over at Photoscala (Translation here) just got some insider tip directly from Schneider managers. Schneider is considering the development of a 30mm f/1.4 and a 60mm f/2.4 macro lens that should be unveiled in 2013.

My short opinion on that…Schneider skip the 60mm macro. Olympus is doing almost the same lens!!! The 30mm is a much more appealing lens while I personally would prefer a 35 or 40mm f/1.4 lens. perfect for portraits!

Bit of history: Schneider made some 25mm and 16mm f/1.4 lenses ([shoplink 22694 ebay]they are here on eBay[/shoplink]). They made many more Macro lenses ([shoplink 31663 ebay]they are here on eBay[/shoplink]) including an impressive and huge Variogon 140-280mm ([shoplink 31662 ebay]here on eBay[/shoplink])

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An imaginary GL1 based on the Four Thirds [shoplink 23692 ebay]Lumix DMC-L1 camera[/shoplink].

Yesterday we had that big Schneider rumor and news coverage. It’s already time to look forward about what’s coming next. This summer will not be a quite time for us:

July:
First we have new Panasonic/Olympus announcements in July. I am pretty sure there will be the new Panasonic G5 and Olympus will maybe show us the XZ-1 successor (with larger sensor?). There will be no PEN and no GH3 yet…but…

Late August/early September
…less than three months from today we will have a massive announcement party. The GH3 is coming for sure along the 35-100mm f/2.8 X lens and other new Panasonic lenses. Plus the LX6 (with larger sensor). Olympus will announce a completely new PEN lineup, new lenses (like the 60mm macro prototype) and maybe one more surprise (will let you know about it later).

Third party companies:
I expect new lens announcements from Sigma and maybe from Tamron. Schneider will show us the final 14mm f/2.0 prototype lens and maybe give us a hint about the two other m43 lenses that will arrive in 2013.

Surprises?
Canon will probably announce a mirrorless system with Four Thirds sized sensor while Olympus may release a new Four Thirds camera. And what about a [shoplink 23692 ebay]Lumix DMC-L1 camera styeled[/shoplink] m43 camera?

As you see I have a lot of work to do to get specs and images of the new products. I am already working on it and got some rumors I will post the next days and weeks. All this I have to do while I am moving to my new house in France where I will live for some time in the middle of nowhere high on the Pyrenees. But that’s another story I may tell you in a little post on a boring weekend :)

The German Fotomagazin (Translation here) and Photoscala had a chat with the Schneider Kreuznach managers.  The just announced 14mm f/2.0 Micro Four Thirds lens has autofocus and nano surface coating. It’s made of 10 lenses and four of them are aspherical. It’s made in Germany (a guarantee for top quality) and it will be priced at less than €1.500 ($1800). That’s a less than the price of the Angulon lenses made for Nikon mount which do cost over $2,000 at Amazon (Click here to see it – has T/S). The lens will ship in early 2013. And Schneider also said that they will announce two more m43 lenses in 2013.

Back to the 14mm f/2.0 lens. Don’t know if it can compete against the other lenses like:
Olympus 12mm f/2.0 (Price check at [shopcountry 23576]). 2mm wider but with high image quality I doubt Schneider will beat it to justify the price difference (if my guesses price is correct).
Panasonic 14mm f/2.4 (Price check at [shopcountry 16258]). Slower lens and certainly the Schneider will have a much greater image quality. But the real advantage of the Panasonic is the pancake size.

Anyway, thanks Schneider for joining the system! It’s great to have so many wide angle lens options!

It’s 10am here in Germany and in 1-2 hours Schneider will announce the new Micro Four Thirds lens (or lenses). I just got a possible spec about one of the lenses. It’s a 14mm f/2.0 Super Angulon (the specs are unconfirmed so there is a 50% the info is correct). It’s a completely newly designed lens. Schneider made some similar lenses in the past for different Full Frame systems. It’s a [shoplink 31629 ebay]28mm f/2.8 (See them here on eBay)[/shoplink]. You see an image of the Leica-R version on top. I don’t know if it has autofocus or not. But I have been told the new lenses are all very top notch high quality lenses. Be prepared, there will be no cheap lens :)

Stay tuned on 43rumors! And let me know if you find some last minute leak!

[shoplink 31617 ebay]Super Angulon for Contax mount[/shoplink].

Schneider will unveil the new Micro Four Thirds lens (or lenses) sometimes between 11 and 12 am Berlin time. I am still not sure about how many lens we will see but these are newly designed lenses and one of the them is certainly a wide angle Super Angulon.

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A selection of current non m43 Schneider lenses:
[shoplink 27395 ebay]Xenon 16mm f/1.2 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27387 ebay]Xenon 25mm f/0.95 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27389 ebay]Curtagon 35mm f/2.8 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27391 ebay]Componon 50mm f/1.4 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27390 ebay]Xenon 50mm f/1.9 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27394 ebay]Xenar 50mm f/2.8 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27388 ebay]Xenar 75mm f/3.5 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27392 ebay]Xenotar 80mm f/2.8 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].
[shoplink 27393 ebay]Xenar 180mm f/2.8 (Click here to see on eBay)[/shoplink].