Today DxOmark (Click here) published the full Leica M-E test results and the 18MP Full Frame sensor cannot match the newest MFT sensor quality. A pretty good result if you consider the price of the Leica M-E ($5,500 here at Amazon). Do you still want Panasonic/Olympus to go Full Frame? :)
One more US deal: Today also the Silver GX1 with X lens kit got a price drop and now sells for $499 at Amazon (Click here).
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DxO news found via Lepidi.
My sources told me that Zeiss is going to announce three prime lenses for the X and E mount system in April. And Zeiss definitely will NOT introduce them for the Micro Four Thirds system! If you wonder why Zeiss decided to not make a MFT version is than read what they said back at Photokina in September: “We intend to concentrate initially on the biggest sensor size in this segment which is APS-C. It would be possible for us to make lenses for Micro 4/3-bajonet as well but we have not made a decision on that yet. If current APS-C lenses were also used for the Micro 4/3-bajonet, we wouldn’t be able to achieve the best tradeoff between lens size (weight), and image quality”
I think there is another reason. The Sony NEX and Fuji X system have only a limited offer of lenses and it’s easier for Zeiss to sell their lenses.
And EU readers might be interested to hear that you can grab the Nokton 25mm f/0.95 lens for 689 Euro at Pixmania Germany (Click here). For 699 Euro (10 Euro more) you can grab it at Pixmania France, Pixmania Italy, Pixmania Spain, Pixmania Holland.
Olympus released his latest issue of the Olympus Magazine. You can download it for free on iTunes (Click here).
New deals:
One month to go until Panasonic will announced the new MFT cameras. I still didn’t get a 100% reliable info about a possible GX2 but in the meantime the camera got a new price drop and you can grab it for $499 with X lens at Amazon (Click here). That’s a $200 saving over the regular previous price.
There is also a new $120 price drop on the 12-50mm Olympus lens again at Amazon (Click here).
I am way more certain the GF and G series is going to updated. And also here we have running US deals:
G5 with kit lens for $499 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
GF3 with 14mm pancake for $299 at Amazon (Click here).
Many GF5 X kits for less than $400 on eBay (via Slidoo). Some of them are Power sellers
GH3 is in Stock at Amazon US (Click here).
Mr. “Omega” sent me a new “talked to an Olympus rep” rumor :)
As I told you in the past those kind of rumors are very dangerous and unreliable. But it’s amazing to see how much Olympus reps talk :) Here is what the Omega shared to us: “A visit to Focus on Imaging over the weekend provided me with a little piece of tittle tattle which might be of interest. I spoke with ‘Mr Olympus UK’. His comment was “don’t buy the E-M5, wait until autumn, then you can have a body which will use your 4/3 lenses (50 macro, 11-22 & 50-200, with tube and 2x convertor), there was no suggestion of a 4/3 mount body.”
As usual take those kind of info with a grain of salt. We learned it from the past that Olympus reps not always share the full truth!
A couple of months ago Olympus officially said that they are working on the release of a new premium compact camera. They may hurry because one company after another is announcing such a compact camera and Olympus may be late to the party. After the new Fuji X100s (in stock soon) and the Pentax MX-1 today Nikon announced the very compact Nikon Coolpix A (specs here). These are three different cameras, the Fuji X100s has a superb sensor and hybrid viewfinder (and is priced at $1299). The Pentax MX-1 is the cheapest camera ($499) and the Nikon is the smallest of the three.
So the question now, how should the Olympus premium compact be to gain some considerable interest over the three? My guess is that it will be very compact with a MFT sensor and fixed fast Zuiko lens. But I admit that the Fuji hybrid viewfinder looks very nice and as we know, Olympus officially denied they would sue that kind of tech :(
Premium compact camera price and specs check:
Fuji X100s at [shopcountry 37160].
Pentax MX-1 at [shopcountry 37161].
Nikon A at [shopcountry 37162].
