43 Rumors – Page 1730 – Panasonic and Olympus Digital Camera News

The Camera quality ranking from Stiftung Warentest (Germany). In Stock at Amazon on Sunday.

March 26, 2013
reviews
44 Comments

That is the ranking of the sever testers form the German “Stiftung Warentest“. As you see the Panasonic Gh3 ranked as current best DSLR+Mirrorless System Camera. Also the compact cameras from Panasonic and Olympus are on top of the list. Quite an astonishing result! That said there is no such thing as a perfect ranking and testing. It all depends from what you need :)

P.S.: In Germany a lower score = better quality.

And finally we have some clue when the GH3 will ship at Amazon US (Click here). On Sunday March 31!

Poll: The mysterious new “camera type” from Panasonic…

March 26, 2013
Rumors
136 Comments

On April 9th Panasonic will announce the new GF and G camera. And by end of the month there will be a second camera announcement for what I have been told is a “new kind of camera“. This is quite a top secret project and for now I can only speculate what it could be:

1) New GX with integrated EVF: Plenty of Panasonic patents described such a camera having built-in and tilting viewfinder. The current GX camera is super discounted ($499 with X lens) and is certainly due for a replacement. And having a built-in EVF would further differentiate it from the GF series.d

2) New high end compact camera with fixed lens: Panasonic showed some interest in fixed lens compact cameras with larger sensor like the 1inch Sony RX100.

3) New High End GH: A new GH camera with superb video quality for professionals and with the new Panasonic sensor tech with high dynamic range and over 1 stop noise improvement.

4) New Full Frame Mirrorless line: The Canon 6D and the Nikon D600. proved to us that FF sensor cameras are getting closer to the $1,500 price tag. And it will be hard for any MFT or APS-C high end cameras to compete against them. I got no rumor about Panasonic launching a FF Mirrorless but it may would make sense for them to do it. Also because Canon recently stated that they will further push the low end FF camera development.

5) New Sports camera line: Like the current GoPro Hero series. An unknown source told me that this is one of the areas Panasonic want to play a role in the future.

I repeat, we don’t know yet what it is coming by End of April. And as usual expectations should be kept low. That said Panasonic stated many times now that they want to get into the “high end” market. So let’s see if they are going to surprise us!

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DxO optics Pro adds support for the GH3 and XZ-2 (+ GH3 battery grip price drop and new ref. E-M5 for $829)

March 25, 2013
deals
10 Comments

DxO Optics:
If you own the Olympus XZ-2 or the Panasonic GH3 than you may be interested to know that DxO Optics Pro now supports both cameras (more info here).

GH3:
The GH3 is still not in Stock at neither at Amazon nor at BHphoto.but you can get it within 1-3 days at Panasonic US store. But the vertical battery grip got a $100 discount and is in Stock at Amazon and BHphoto.

E-M5 deal in UK and refurbished US auction:
Cameta is selling refurbished E-M5 bodies for $829 in [shoplink 37488 ebay]Silver (one only)[/shoplink] and [shoplink 37487 ebay]Black (one only)[/shoplink]. They also have some E-M5 kits (Click here via Slidoo).
And there is a new E-M5 Easter Promotion in UK (more info at Olympus UK).

The GX1 superdeals:
GX1 with X kit lens(!) for $499 at Amazon (Click here).

(FT4) Panasonic announcement on April 9th!

March 25, 2013
Rumors
74 Comments

According to multiple sources there will be a Panasonic announcement on April the 9th! Both, the new GF and new G camera could be announced on the same day. Both, the new GF and the G will be slightly bigger than the GF5 and G5 predecessors. I still have no final specs but I have been told the build quality and ergonomic feeling is of a more “higher level“.

If it is true that both camera will be announced the same day than we can expect a third new (MFT?) camera on late April when we will have the next Panasonic announcement! Let’s hope this is finally the GX successor. Or would you prefer something else? :)

And keep in mind that also Olympus will announce the new PEN and likely a new fast zoom by end of April!

I hope other sources can soon confirm the April 9th date. Meantime mark the date on your calender and follow 43rumors on facebook (Click here to subscribe) and twitter (Click here to follow us) to not miss any of the upcoming rumors!

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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

E-5 marked as out of Stock by Olympus (but replacement coming only end of the year).

March 24, 2013
deals
77 Comments

A couple of 43rumors readers noticed that Olympus Store marked the E-5 as “Out of Stock“. While it’s certainly a bit unusual that Olympus has no more E-5 left I want to make it clear that accoridng to some of my sources the E-5 replacement is certainly not coming now. It is due for a late 2013 release only.

Amarcord: Olympus XA

March 24, 2013
reviews
50 Comments

[shoplink 37225 ebay]

[/shoplink]

Smartphones are eating up the low end compact camera market. And the High End compact camera with fixed lens market is one the last niche left where companies cans till make some money. Olympus will soon announce their High End compact and let’s hope it can be as successful as they were with the [shoplink 37225 ebay]Olympus XA 35mm film compact camera (here on eBay)[/shoplink]. Cameraquest writes that this was a “groundbreaker“. it is the smallest full frame 35 with a built in Rangefinder!!! It had an Albada finder with parallax correction marks, automatic exposure, super smooth electromagnetic shutter release, self timer, a battery check, and tripod mount. yep all that stuff in a super small camera (see it on youtube here).

Guru Blogger Ken Rockwell writes about the XA: “Not only are the images wonderful, but the design and styling of these cameras are a joy to behold.”

It may doens’t look particularly great but it does all what we need and all in the smallest package possible. Let’s see what the new digital Premium compact Olympus will copy from it. I would like to see the clamshell! :)

Olympus XA auctions on [shoplink 37225 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

The GX1 deals roundup…

March 23, 2013
deals
3 Comments

The GX1 is almost as cheap as the GF camera. And I really hope this is a sign that a new GX2 is on the horizon. At leats in US you have these three deasl:
1) GX1 body only for $264 at Amazon (via BigValue).
2) GX1 with normal 14-42mm lens for $399 at Amazon (Click here).
3) GX1 with X kit lens for $499 at Amazon (Click here).

P.S.: And one refurbished 75mm f/1.8 lens is for sale for $819 at [shoplink 37466 ebay]Cametaauctions (Click here)[/shoplink]. And two 9-18mm lenses for $549 at [shoplink 37469 ebay]Cameraland (Click here)[/shoplink].