Ok guys, a small good news on the new expensive Nocticron lens. The final price is $1599 and not $1699 as previously stated at BHphoto (Click here). The US store corrected the price info right now!
And today Panasonic again discounted (minus $100-$150) the GX7 at Amazon US (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here). But the Black kit doesn’t get that discount.
Depth of field and sharpness are excellent at f/1.2 (Image on top via Quesabesde).
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Our spanish friends over at Quesabesde (translation here) posted a first test of the new lens with RAW files available for download. Their first conclusion is rather positive:
The level of detail and resolution achieved this Nocticron is very high even at maximum aperture. If the center of the image resolution is spectacular the corner performance does not disappoint. The aberrations are well controlled, the reflections do not seem a problem for optics. Vignetting is evident at f/1.2 and disappears at f/2.0. OIS is very effective.
I have little doubt that this is an extraordinary performer. it could even beat the Fuji 56mm f/1.2 in terms of optical performance and the Panasonic also has OIS and likely faster AF. Well, that’s the good side of the story. The biggest limit of the lens is the likely the price: $1,699 (here at BHphoto) is quite a lot, but you obviously get the best of all MFT lenses. So the question to you is:
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Image courtesy: SmallCameraBigPicture
Panasonic is now displaying the mockup of new Panasonic GH 4K camera at the CES Las Vegas show! There are no details yet about the camera price, specs and launch date. The new GH 4K will NOT replace the GH3. It will be placed above it rumored specs are:
16mp
1/8000 shutter
1mil dot OLED screen
21mm OLED viewfinder, 3,000+ dot.
Time code
200mbps mp4 All-i/100mbps IPB
4k/30p
4:2:2 10/8bit output
3G-SDI and XLR adaptor (An adaptor that the camera sits on with XLR x2, HD-SDI x4)
Price: €2799
This is an enlarged crop of the top of the GH 4k (it’s just like the GH3).
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We finally have the first Nocticron preorder option via BHphoto (Click here). UPDATE: BHphoto corrected the price. It’s $1,599 and not $1,699 as previously mentioned!
Image courtesy: ePhotozine
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The Panasonic Nocticron 42,5mm f/1.2 has now been officially announced! And we also got a price: $1,599 or £1,399 or 1499 Euro and shipment in March!
UPDATE: A bit weird but the preorder price a BHphoto (Click here) is $100 higher! Hope it’s just a typo from BH.
Here are some early tests and image samples:
ePhotozine posted a preview and writes: “this new lens has a superior build quality to it compared to previews Leica DG branded lenses”
Camera.reviewed posted an unboxing video and image samples and writes: “This may be the best Micro Four Thirds lens currently in existence.”
German press text at Photoscala. French press release at Focus Numerique. Dutch press text at Digifotopro, Spanish press text at DSLRmagazine.
Image samples at Amateur Photographer.
More samples at polish Digitalcamerapolska.
Press text at Dpreview.
Image samples at Lenstip.
More images via Smallcamerabigpicture.
This is the official Press Release:
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Panasonic is proud to introduce the new LEICA DG NOCTICRON 42.5mm / F1.2 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. (H-NS043) interchangeable lens for the LUMIX G based on the Micro Four Thirds System standard. (35 mm camera equivalent: 85 mm). This incredible lens not only has a maximum aperture of F1.2, but it also incorporates optical image stabilization (POWER O.I.S.) along with full time Auto Focus. Certified by the world-renowned LEICA, exceptional high image quality is guaranteed as well as its sophisticated metal design. The name “NOCTICRON” was newly defined by Leica Camera AG for this lens that achieves a remarkably fast F1.2 aperture among Micro Four Thirds digital interchangeable lenses.
The new lens system is comprised of 14 elements in 11 groups and uses two aspherical lenses, one ED (Extra-low Dispersion) and one UHR (Ultra High Refractive Index) lens. The aspherical lenses suppress spherical aberration and distortion. The ED lens enables sharp, high contrast description without color bleeding to the corners while the UHR lens enables high optical performance that renders an image with uniformed descriptiveness from center to edges as well as downsizing of the lens unit.
The popular 42.5 mm medium-telephoto focal distance (Equivalent to 85 mm on a 35 mm camera) is perfectly suited for portraits with rich stereoscopic effect. Together with the high-speed aperture, users can utilize the beautiful soft focus for more impressive, creative shots. Nine blades give the aperture a rounded shape that produces an attractively smooth effect in out-of-focus areas when shooting at larger aperture settings. It also captures landscape with an extremely natural perspective. In addition, the aperture ring on the lens barrel allows direct, intuitive control over aperture settings.
Panasonic’s Nano Surface Coating technology has been adopted to the NOCTICRON 42.5mm / F1.2 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. Reflection is dramatically minimized at entire visual light range (380nm-780nm) by applying the extra-low refractive index coating with nano-sized structure on the surface of the lens. It results in a super clear image with dramatic reduction of ghost and flare.
Due to the shallow depth of field which is unique to the large aperture lens, even a slight handshake can potentially cause images to be out-of-focus. However, the POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) which is integrated in the LEICA DG NOCTICRON 42.5mm effectively compensates for not only small, fast movement but also large, slow movement, making it easy to capture super clear shots even when shooting in low-lit situations such as in night time or indoors.
It incorporates superior inner focus system, which enables excellent resolution and contrast from close-up to infinity. The inclusion of newly developed stepping motor makes the focusing action smooth and silent for use in both still and video recording. Notably the performance of Auto Focus is far superior to the phase-difference AF when a fast lens with smaller F value is used. When mounted on LUMIX G cameras, users can take advantage of the high-speed, high-precision Contrast AF system.
The sophisticated metal design of LEICA DG NOCTICRON 42.5mm / F1.2 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S., including the hood, deserves to bear the prestigious LEICA name. A highly reliable metal mount is durable enough for repeated mounting of the lens.
Image on top shows the Nocticron and the Fuji XF. Both lenses have f/1.2 aperture and hopefully similar pricing.
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These are the official Panasonic Nocticron 42,5mm f/1.2 Asperhircal Power OIS lens specs via Digicameinfo:
– Lens construction: (one ED lens, one UHR lens, two aspherical lens) 14 pieces in 11 groups
– Focusing: inner focus
– AF motor: screw integrated stepping motor
– Equipped with aperture ring
– Image Stabilizer: POWER OIS
– Barrel: Metal
– Aperture blades (circular aperture iris) 9 pieces
– Minimum focusing distance: 0.5m
– Maximum magnification: 0.1 times (0.2 times in terms of)
– Filter size: 67mm
– Height: 76.8mm
– Maximum diameter: 74mm
– Weight: 425g
The lens will be announced the next days but one important info is still missing….the price! I hope it gets a similar pricing like the today announced Fuji 56mm f/1.2 lens which costs $999 here at Amazon. Ok, this lens has no stabilization and likely doesn’t focus as fast (Panasonic AF is known to be better compared to Fuji).
Fingers crossed guys!
We are now ready to start into the next MFT camera and lens announcement period. Starting from late Janaury and til June we will see a couple of new cameras and lenses. And now let’s talk about the thing we know that will be announced:
1) Olympus E-M10 to be announced in late January (or early days of February at last). It will succeed the E-M5 (althaugh the E-M5 will keep remaining for sale for a longer time). Same E-M5 sensor but with new E-M1 imaging processor. Expect it to have most of the E-M1 features without the E-M1 extra grip and buttons (and not freezeproof body).
2) Olympus will announce two new lenses along the E-M10. The 25mm f/1.8 and a new compact zoom lens
3) Panasonic is likely going to finally introduce the Noctirocron 42, 5mm f/1.2 in February
4) The Panasonic GH 4K camera is likely going ot be launched in Spring. I have no exact timing but NAB show in Las Vegas (April) seems to be the right place for it.
But there is more to come: We can expect a new GF camera (see patent images), new G camera and new PEN cameras too.
The surprise: I got the feeling there will be some suprises this year. Particularly on the Sony-Olympus partnership front.
