(FT2) Panasonic rangefinder styled Micro Four Thirds camera

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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

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3 days with the Panasonic AG-AF100 (Philip Bloom)

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3200 ISO Panasonic AF100 from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

Philip Bloom just posted a short impression about the 3 days spent with the new [shoplink 16841]Panasonic AG-AF100[/shoplink]: “I have shot a little footage at 3200 ISO and it looks pretty damn good! Great to have features on the camera that I miss SOOOOO much on my DSLRs. Great to have a 4 setting ND filter wheel. Great to have a really good quality waveform, XLR inputs, zebras, headphone jack (!), the list goes on and on…stuff I struggle with not having on my DSLRs. It seems to have less digital noise than my 5dmk2

The video he posted above has been made using the M mount Voigtlander 50mm 1.1 ([shoplink 17015]click here to see the current lens auctions and price on eBay[/shoplink]) and a Fotodiox adapter.

Filippo Chiesa compared the Panasonic AG-AF100 with the Canon 5DmarkII and said: “The new Panny is terrific: no aliasing, no moiré, the rolling shutter is present but minimum, great resolution.
The release in my hands, is not the definitive one and there are some bugs in the menu (the variable frame rate doesn’t work, for example) but I’m in love with this baby.
“. You can see the comparison video on vimeo (Click here).

Reminder: You can preorder the [shoplink 16841]Panasonic AG-AF100 at BHphoto (Click here)[/shoplink]. BHphoto ships to Europe too and they can calculate the taxes and shipment costs for you.

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Also Hitler complains about the missing 25p for the GH2 (Barry Greens explains why)

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Barry Green (DVXuser forum) explains why the Panaosnic didn’t add 25p recording: “I was floored when I asked them where in the world 25p went, and the response I got from one of the Lumix reps from a PAL territory was basically “what are you talking about? It has PAL support, it does 50i!” Because they think they’ve gone beyond that. They offer 50i, 60i, 50p, 60p, and 24p.
It doesn’t help the PAL users who want/need 25p, but … near as I can tell, this is their thinking. They’ve gone and enhanced the camera beyond that stuttery film-look 25p, and added 50i for the “live” video look. And frankly, for the vast majority of their customers, that’s probably true — they will probably prefer that. For PAL users who want 25p, we’re left with either a case of use 720/50p and drop every other frame, or use 1080/24p and speed it up by 4%.

Panasonic GH2 preorders at: Amazon US, BHphoto, Amazon UK, Amazon France.

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New worldwide Amazon mirrorless rankings!

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Amazon recently added a new bestseller category for mirrrorless cameras! That’s one more proof for the success of such cameras. But there is one BIG mistake. Amazon US names the category “Micro Four Thirds cameras” unlike other Amazon Europe stores where they call it “Compact System Cameras”. Is that a mistake or a Panasonic/Olympus marketing action?

Check out the current rankings:
– Mirrorless camera ranking at Amazon US (Click here)
– Mirrorless camera ranking at Amazon Deutschland (Click here)
– Mirrorless camera ranking at Amazon UK (Click here)
– Mirrorless camera ranking at Amazon France (Click here)

Amazon Canada and Amazon Japan do not offer the new ranking system.

What can we learn from those rankings? Generally spoken Micro Four Thirds is winning the game against Sony and Samsung. In UK and Germany, Samsung is doing surprisingly well and in France the NEX cameras are on top of the list. And the most popular camera is (as usual) the [shoplink 14828]Panasonic GF1[/shoplink].

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Two new Olympus E-5 reviews and Panasonic GH2 tested at Diwa-labs

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Image courtesy: Quesabesde

Quesabesde published a complete Olympus E-5 review. They posted many RAW images you can download and analyze for yourself. Conclusion: “The E-5 is a good camera, but if all the hype mounted on the future of the system were not enough, the launch price is one of its main problems. Those 1,700 euros seem simply misplaced.
Also the japanese website DC.watch.impress tested the new E-5. They published a huge ammount of image samples.
Olympus Japan confirmed the E-5 worldwide launch date. It’s October the 29th.
Baikal (dpreview forum) posted few pics taken with the new Olympus 40-140 lens: “My first impressions are that the lens can focus easily 2 to 3 times faster than the kit lens.

Olympus E-5 preorders at: Amazon US, BHphoto, Adorama and Amazon DE.
Olympus 40-140mm lens is in Stock at Amazon and Adorama.

Panasonic GH2:

Diwa-awards tested the new Panasonic GH2. You can see the Lab-results here: www.diwa-awards.net. Compared with the GH1 lab results the GH2 shows a less noice and higher dynamic range. Color fidelity is about the same with the GH1.

Panasonic GH2 preorders at: Amazon US, BHphoto, Amazon UK, Amazon France.

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New Panasonic GH2 video and image samples (Olympus E-5 goes to Iceland)

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GH2 Pre Prod SW V.0.2 loded as .mts org at 1080 24P from katten bjornen on Vimeo.

Katten Bjoernen used the new Panasonic 100-300mm lens. He also alerts you that: “This is not proper way to make any conclusion. This is prematur in all what that words stands for.
When i get 1.0 SW there will a better version to make conclusion out from
.” Meanwhile also Hybridcams.fr posted some image samples taken with the new Panasonic GH2.

Panasonic GH2 preorders at: Amazon US, BHphoto, Amazon UK, Amazon France.

Panasonic 100-300mm preorders at: Amazon US, Amazon Deutschland.

Below a new Olympus E-5 video taken in Iceland!

Some more E-5 news: Ibarionex Perello posted the second part of his Olympus E-5 review and Fotopolis posted a nine page long E-5 review. On dpreview forum a user posted a E-5 vs E-620 vs Canon EOS 1D Mark IV ISO 3.200 comparison. Another comparison has been posted on Fotoactualidad.

Olympus E-5 preorders at: Amazon US, BHphoto, Adorama.

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Lates rumors summary…

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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!

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