Panasonic released the full year financial report. As usual they never really disclose numbers about their digital camera market. So it’s impossible to have a clear view. All they write about that is the following:

favorable sales of digital cameras

And in their forecast they write:

growth of high value-added products (e.g. digital cameras, professional video equipment)

So this is definitely good news. Hope we can soon report even better news once they release a new GH7 :)

You might have heard hat there is a comeback in interest for very old compact digital cameras. And actually it’s a lot of fun to rediscover all the funny aspects and quirks of those kind of cameras. Here is a review of the Olympus Camedia C-5060 (you can find it here on eBay). That camera was very innovative for the time and it even had a slefie screen! :)

7 Reasons To Get The Panasonic G7 In 2024

Today deals at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon FR, Amazon IT, FotoErhardt DE, FotoKoch DE.
What the heck is happening with OM System’s PEN cameras? (DigitalCameraWorld).
The Panasonic GM1 Is a Modern Mini-camera Classic That Is Sorely Missed (Fstoppers).
Gift Ideas for Portrait Photographers (Explora).
How to Take Photos in Stormy Weather (42West).

Plenty of news on the facebook OMD group, Panasonic FF and the GH5 group.
I kindly invite you all to follow me on Youtube, Instagram, Threads for more broader camera talk :)

OM System announced the price increase on the following lenses:

M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO
・225,500 yen Before revision
・264,000 yen After revision
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm F2.8 PRO
・247,500 yen Before revision
・286,000 yen After revision

Google translated text:

OM Digital Solutions Co., Ltd. will revise the shipping prices and suggested retail prices of some products from May 16, 2024 (Thursday).
As raw material costs, manufacturing and logistics costs have skyrocketed in recent years, we have made every effort to maintain prices by improving productivity and reducing costs through rationalization. However, it has become difficult to maintain current prices through such corporate efforts alone.
Therefore, we will be implementing price revisions for some products as shown below. We will continue to strive to deliver high-quality products and services to our customers, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
Shipping price and suggested retail price revision Implementation date: May 16, 2024
Price revision rate: approx. 16-17% increase

My guess is that this is only an issue in Japan. Mainly because the YEN lost quite a bit of value compared to the US dollar. And Japan imports the RAW material from abroad.

ThePhoBlographer once more states that Full Frame is the sweet spot in photography:

Real innovation isn’t coming to your APS-C or Micro Four Thirds camera. They will become sensors that shift into phones and luxury-style compact cameras. I fully embrace the latter.

While I do agree that luxury style cameras like the PEN-FII make a lot of sense I still think MFT value is in the compactness of lenses, video (where you often need the smaller size) and speed (smaller sensor allow for faster readout). And at the end sensor size really doesn’t matter. Nowadays all camera are technically excellent. Manufacturer should focus on the user experience, just see how many Fujifilm X100VI sold recently!

What do you think?

Video on grading OM-Log400 from camera and Atomos Ninja

Today deals at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon FR, Amazon IT, FotoErhardt DE, FotoKoch DE.
Prime Lens Vs Zoom Lens – Which One Is BETTER? (Gary W).
Choosing a Lens for Wildlife Photography (Explora).
DJI Launches RS4 Stabilizer with Next-Gen Native Vertical Shooting & Improved Stabilization (42West).
90mm F3.5 MACRO test at Mapcamera.

Plenty of news on the facebook OMD group, Panasonic FF and the GH5 group.
I kindly invite you all to follow me on Youtube, Instagram, Threads for more broader camera talk :)