The [shoplink 14830]Olympus E-P2[/shoplink] is exactly one year old. It has been announced in November 2009. So will there be any replacement during the next few weeks? According to two 43rumors sources this is NOT going to happen. The E-P3 will be unveiled in February along the new Olympus lenses (finally!!!). The sources also said the E-P3 will use a new Panasonic sensor. Not the same [shoplink 16254]Panasonic GH2[/shoplink] sensor but definitely a sensor with more Megapixels than the actual [shoplink 14832]E-PL1/E-P2[/shoplink]. A few months ago 43rumors posted a rumor about the E-P3 having a built-in EVF which would make it look like the Fuji X100. The E-P3 would still remain very compact but be a little bit higher than the current E-P2.
So will we finally get our digital [shoplink 17129]Olympus 35RC[/shoplink]? If you know more about the future Olympus PEN camera and lenses feel free to contact me at 43rumors@gmail.com. Or use the contact form on the right sidebar to contact me anonymously. Thanks!

P.S.: The Olympus 35RC is one of my favorite cameras and you can get it cheap on [shoplink 17129]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]

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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

Image on top: The one year old Panasonic patent which shows a “[shoplink 14828]DMC-LC1[/shoplink]” styled Micro Four Thirds camera.

The last week I received two emails from an anonymous sender about a completely new Panasonic Micro Four Thirds camera. Before you read the rumor please keep in mind that the message from an anonymous source and not from one of my trusted sources:

“I can not tell you all the details. There will be a new camera type of Micro Four Thirds. The first camera will have a built-in electronic viewfinder and rangefinder look ([shoplink 14828]Like the Panasonic DMC-LC1[/shoplink]). It will not have a hybrid finder solution such as Fuji X100. The dimensions are slightly larger than those of the GF1. But the body is of very high quality! The camera is in fact designed to attract all those who want quality at an affordable price (though it will cost more than [shoplink 14828]GF1[/shoplink] … certainly above $ 900-1000). It will use a new 14-megapixel sensor (the same of the future Olympus PEN).
I can not tell you more than that.”

It’s not the first time I hear/receive such rumors about a [shoplink 14828]Panasonic DMC-LC1[/shoplink] alike Micro Four Thirds camera. But the only reliable info I have is that there is a Panasonic patent with such a rangefinder MicroFourThirds design and following main features (Source: United States Patent Application 20100060771):
Built-In EVF
Titlable EVF
The EVF is able to selectively display both moving pictures and still pictures.
The EVF “could” be OLED
Built-in Flash

I also know from trusted sources that Olympus is working on a PEN with built-in EVF. If you know more about those Panasonic/Olympus compact MFT with built-in EVF feel free to contact me at 43rumors@gmail.com or use the contact form on the right sidebar! Thanks!

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

In case you missed some rumor here is a short list of latest important news we posted on 43rumors. In summary: Olympus confirmed that they will continue to develop Four Thirds and that Micro Four Thirds will replace the low-mid DSLRs. Zeiss plans to make a new Micro Four Thirds zoom lens. Ricoh could release a Micro Four Thirds module in 2011. Mr. Kitao Itirou talks about the GF2 and 25mm f/1.4 lens which we expect to be announced in February-March:

– New rumor about a Ricoh GXR Micro Four Thirds module.
– Will Zeiss make the 15.5-45mm f/2.6 Zoom for the AG-AF100 Micro Four Thirds camera?
– Will the Olympus compact camera feature a 26-100mm(35mm equiv.) f/1.8-2.4 lens?
– A new Olympus E-P3 rumor
– Mr. Kitao Itirou (Panasonic) talks about the small GF2 and the next lenses…
– Rumors from Photokina (Olympus)

We do not expect any new camera or lens during the next weeks (if not 2-3 months). But we are working on new rumors about the next Olympus PEN and Panasonic GF2 cameras. And both promised to release high-end cameras and lenses. We hope to receive some info about that stuff soon!

As usual if you want to share rumors contact me at 43rumors@gmail.com or use the contact form on the right sidebar. Thanks!

Image courtesy: Photoscala

Mobile01 went to the GRD 5th Anniversary Party in Tokyo and they interviewed many RICOH employees and photographers. Unofficially they got the information that RICOH will launch the new Micro Four Thirds sensor module for the GXR system during 2011. Their goal is to move Micro Four Thirds fans to the [shoplink 16935]RICOH GXR system[/shoplink].

This is not the first time we hear that RICOH is preparing a Micro Four Thirds module. Ricoh has already shown a “mysterious” Expansion Unit on their road map but without specifying what kind of mount it will use.

Found via Mirrorlessrumors.com

LUMIX GH2 40 fps super high speed burst shooting mode

Poor quality of new 14mm f2.5 lens? (Dpreview forum)

The E-P1.net Design A T-Shirt Contest (E-P1.net forum)

My first look at the Gh2…Clean HDMI out?! (Philip Bloom)

E-P2 + Hexanon 40mm f1.8 my PAD project (Brian Mosley on dpreview forum)

In Germany dealers voted the best camera manufacturers using 10 different criteria ike  sales support, conditions, margin, product range, delivery etc. The results are based on a nationwide survey of the photo-retailing to its industry partners. Panasonic holds the first place! (Source: Photoscala)

A new Olympus interview at onfoto.ru.

A Year with the GF1 (Sam Bennet)

Lumix DMC-LX5 on Flickr

Two sources told us that Zeiss is taking into consideration to make a Micro Four Thirds “version” of the current 15.5-45mm f/2.6 Zoom lens. The sources told us the lens could be available by mid 2011.
That would be a very nice lens to use on the new AG-AF100 (Click here to preorder the camera at BHphoto). Anyway the price is really far too high and the the focal length not so optimal. Only a professional filmmaker will consider to buy it. I guess for us “poor” IndieFilmmaker’s the Olympus Zuiko 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 is a far more affordable choice. It covers a much more interesting focal lenght, it has autofocus and it’s damn cheap ([shoplink 16864]check out current auctions on eBay[/shoplink]). If you need a faster zoom you can get the Olympus Zuiko 14-35mm f/2.0 Lens. And finally Panasonic itself promised us to make a bright zoom lens (to be announced in February-March 2011?).

Note: The fastest Zeiss zoom lenses are the 6-24mm f/1.9 ($47,460.00 at BHphoto!) and the 17-112mm f/1.9 lens ($48,860.00 at Bhphoto!).

Panasonic announced that they will release a new 25mm f/1.4 Micro Four Thirds lens. I expect the lens to have the same high image quality as the current [shoplink 16340]Panasonic/Leica 25mm f/1.4 (for Four Thirds)[/shoplink].

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