43 Rumors – Page 2100 – Panasonic and Olympus Digital Camera News

USA deals roundup (GX1 + $200 off on selected lenses, Sigma for m43 $199)

February 16, 2012
deals
18 Comments

The new Sigma 30mm f/2.8 for Micro Four Thirds is now available for preorder at BHphoto (Click here). The price is $199. I don’t know how many of you will buy that lens :)

A much more interetsign offer is the $200 rebate on selected lenses when purchasing the GX1 body at BHphoto (Click here).

And don’t forget that Olympus launched a massive price drop on many cameras and lenses:

PEN rebates

$50 price drop on all Olympus E-P3 bodies and kits at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
$100 price drop on the Olympus E-P3 double lens kits at Adorama (Click here).
$50 price drop on all Olympus E-PL3 bodies and kits at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
$100 price drop on the Olympus E-PL3 double lens kits at Adorama (Click here).
$75 price drop on all Olympus E-PM1 bodies and kits at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
$125 price drop on the Olympus E-PM1 double lens kits at Adorama (Click here).
$50 price drop on all Olympus 9-18mm lens at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
$100 price drop on all Olympus 75-300mm lens at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).

Four Thirds rebates

Olympus E-5 body $100 price drop at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
$50 price drop on all Olympus 14-54mm lens at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
$100 price drop on all Olympus 70-300mm lens at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
$30 price drop on all Olympus 35mm lens at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).

New Olympus E-M5 news roundup…(new E-M5 accessories and info abotu Four Thirds lens support)

February 16, 2012
reviews
131 Comments

[shoplink 29074]Olympus E-M5[/shoplink] focus speed test.

There was an ongoing Olympus press meetings in Amsterdam and Yokohama and plenty of websites are now publishing new previews and videos. Here is a short roundup of the latest news:

Pen And Tell german report (Click here)
Interview at Akihabara (Click here).
New E-M5 accessories at Olympus Global (Click here and scroll down to see them).
Very basic ISO comparison at Zol (Click here).
E-M5 image samples on Flickr (Click here).

Biofos (Click here) has some news from Olympus UK about the Four Thirds lens support: “No AF improvement on 4/3 lenses I am afraid“. But Olympus made it also clear that they are working on that issue. Their goal is to make Four Thirds lenses fully operable on m43 cameras.

Focus Numerique now removed the ability to download the E-M5 RAW files. Our reader Olaf sent us this: “here is a raw-conversion from me aimed at maximum detail and less texture-smoothing than the internal jpegs, i think it really shows the potential of the E-M5, taken with a 300€ lens at f/1.8!
http://datenkeule.de/dl.php?file=file1329348705olympus-om-d-e-m5-preserie-exemple9.jpg
it is not easy to get the same sharpness olympus is doing with their jpegs while at the same time reducing noise and preserving texture-details.
now here the same file upscaled to 48mp (8000×6000) with a crop of here left eye (eat this nikon D800) ;-)
http://datenkeule.de/dl.php?file=file132934883148mp.jpg
here some crops to compare the potential of texture-preservation compared to the internal jpegs. 2 100% crops with jpeg to the left and the raw conversion to the right:
http://datenkeule.de/dl.php?file=file1329342465jpeg-raw.jpg
http://datenkeule.de/dl.php?file=file1329343823jpeg-raw2.jpg
unfortunately i wasn’t able to save all raws, i only managed to save 4 or 5 of them. maybe i can post some other conversions later, like the one from the bike and the other shot of the woman.”

P.S: If you love analyzing RAW files than check Fujirumors (Click here). They just posted the first X PRO 1 raw files!

—

Full Preorder list:
1) Black E-M5 body at
Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), Warehouse UK (Click here), Redcoon Germany (Click here) and Amazon Japan (Click here).
2) Silver E-M5 body at
Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), Warehouse UK (Click here), Redcoon Germany (Click here), and Amazon Japan (Click here).
3) Black E-M5 body with 14-42mm lens at
Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and Amazon Japan (Click here).
4) Black E-M5 body with 12-50mm lens at
Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), Jessops (Click here), Redcoon Deutschland (Click here), Amazon Deutschland (Click here) and Amazon Japan (Click here).
5) Silver E-M5 body with 12-50mm lens at
Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), Jessops (Click here), Amazon Deutschland (Click here) and Amazon Japan (Click here).
6) FL-600R wireless flash at
Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
7) MMF-3 Four Thirds adapter at
Amazon (Click here) and Adorama (Click here).
8.) HLD-6 power battery holder at
Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and Amazon Japan (Click here).

Olympus Ex-Chairman and six more people arrested!

February 16, 2012
news
23 Comments

Former Chairman Tsuyoshi Kikukawa and six more people have been arrested in Japan. You can read more about that story at Bloomberg (Click here).

I have not a lot to say, it’s a quite long and complicated story. The real important news will arrive at the emergency shareholder meeting on April 20 at which investors will vote on a new management. And soon we will also know who will become the new partner from Olympus. Sony, Samsung, Fuji or Panasonic are particularly interested in the medical business from Olympus. Effects on the camera business will probably be very marginal.

Reminder: First Voigtländer Nokton 17.5mm f/0.95 preorders in Europe at [shoplink 29193 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

Hands-on with the new Voigtländer Nokton 17.5mm lens (with preorders in Europe)

February 15, 2012
reviews
50 Comments

With all that Olympus E-M5 buzz we don’t have to forget that there has been another very exciting new introduction. The new Voigtländer Nokton 17.5mm f/0.95 lens! The Spanish website DSLRmagazine (Click here) posted a short hands-on article and video (the one you see here on top). That lens is twice as luminous as the [shoplink 29192 ebay]Leica 35mm f/1.4 (and costs many times less)[/shoplink]. Valentin Sama says the lens has a top notch build quality (as expected) and the new pull down aperture ring which allows smooth rotation is completely noise-free (super news for filmmakers). The focusing ring is very long which is a good news if you want a precise focusing, bad news when you are in hurry :) The only major difference with the also superb [shoplink 15659 ebay]Voigtländer Nokton 25mm f/0.95[/shoplink] is the major size and weight of the lens (See size comaprison here). What I haven’t found yet are image samples. Did you?

A first preorder is available here in [shoplink 29193 ebay]Europe on eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]. The lens should ship by late March /early April.

First RAW Olympus E-M5 files for download! (UPDATE: manual for download)

February 15, 2012
reviews
372 Comments

[shoplink 29074]

[/shoplink] UPDATE: You can download the E-M5 manual (Click here for the english manual pdf).

Merci Beaucoup Focus Numerique! Finally we can download the original RAW files form the new Olympus E-M5 (Click here to visit the site). To download the file click on “Télécharger le fichier raw“.

So there is nor excuse now! This is the very first time we can judge the image quality without having to worry if the JPEG settings were correct or not. Focus Numerique reviewers are quite satisfied with the results: “At 1250 ISO, the image retains a lot of details and the color rendering of Olympus is always pleasant“.

So take your time guys, analyze the files and give us some feedback. Click that link to see the ISO test with the GX1. It will be easier for you to compare the [shoplink 29074]Olympus E-M5[/shoplink] RAW quality. A couple of days ago I asked you if you were happy with the JPEG quality of the E-M5 but many of you answered that you have to see more full size and RAW pics before to give a final voting.

I am going to start a new Poll. As usual take time before to vote:

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What to expect in 2012 based on Olympus/Panasonic statements.

February 15, 2012
Rumors
72 Comments

There have been quite many news i these days and it’s time to highlight the most important aspects of all those Panasonic and Olympus statements. They clearly gave us some “signal” about what to expect in 2012:

1) The PRO market
Olympus: Olympus said that the [shoplink 29074]Olympus E-M5[/shoplink] is NOT a professional camera while the [shoplink 17163]Olympus E-5[/shoplink] is a professional camera. Don’t let’s discuss about when a camera can be defined as professional or not. What matters from a “rumor” point of view is that Olympus many times stated that they want to launch a professional Micro Four Thirds camera. And if they say the E.M5 is not THAT camera than we might can expect a launch of an even more advanced m43 camera by Photokina 2012.
Panasonic: Panasonic used big words and said a very high end model camera is going to be launched soon. Easy to guess that this will be the GH3. I don’t expect any revolution but rather a well thought evolution of the [shoplink 16254]Panasonic GH2[/shoplink]. The GH3 will certainly be weather sealed and probably sue a new global shutter sensor. In the past Panasonic said they want to focus on the electronic viewfinder development and here is on of the areas where we should see a major improvement.

2) The sensors future
Olympus: Olympus marketing is copying Nikon’s strategy. Also Nikon continually states that their new 36 megapixel sensor used for the Nikon D800 (Click here) is made by them although we can be 99% certain it has been factored and also largely developed by Sony. So I am pretty sure the E-M5 uses the same [shoplink 26836]Panasonic GX1[/shoplink] sensor with some Olympus engineered “tweaks”. While I heard that Samsung and Sony offered to make m43 sensors I don’t expect anything really revolutionary coming within 2012.
Panasonic: Panasonic has been very honest in their latest interview. They want to deliver better image quality through offering new high quality lenses rather than promising new miracles on sensor technology.

3) The lenses
Olympus: Olympus said they want to focus on new prime and new affordable lenses.
Panasonic: Panasonic wants to deliver more high quality lenses.

4) More TidBits
Both companies are committed to the Micro Four Thirds standard and have no plan to offer a new system based on larger sensors. And Both companies will keep developing and improving the contrast autofocus technology which they say is more reliable and faster than phase detection.

That’s it! Let me know if you think there is something more I didn’t mention here!

Mystery: Terada (Olympus) says: “We can’t tell you who made the E-M5 sensor”

February 14, 2012
news
251 Comments

Oh guys! This is going to kill me! For one full month sources told me that [shoplink 29074]Olympus E-M5[/shoplink] sensor would be a “new one”. The problem was that I went almost crazy because I didn’t know if the sensor would be “REALLY new” or just “Olympus marketing new” :)

And there is a new chapter of the “sensor mystery story”! The Olympus manager Toshiyuki Terada revealed in an interview with Quesabesde (Click here): “It’s true we have used Panasonic sensors in the past, but this time we can’t tell the name of the E-M5 sensor maker. I have to say this is an all new sensor.”

Oh guys, I quit. it’s up to you now to guess what the heck is happening inside the E-M5. As long as images are good I really don’t care. But next time we have to discuss about future Olympus camera rumors blame on Olympus and not on me if I cannot give you a clear answer :)

Oh one more thing: Olympus said that this is not a professional camera. And this backups some of the rumors I got in these days :)

Full Updated Preorder list:
1) Black E-M5 body at
Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), Warehouse UK (Click here), Redcoon Germany (Click here) and Amazon Japan (Click here).
2) Silver E-M5 body at
Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), Warehouse UK (Click here), Redcoon Germany (Click here), and Amazon Japan (Click here).
3) Black E-M5 body with 14-42mm lens at
Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and Amazon Japan (Click here).
4) Black E-M5 body with 12-50mm lens at
Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), Jessops (Click here), Redcoon Deutschland (Click here), Amazon Deutschland (Click here) and Amazon Japan (Click here).
5) Silver E-M5 body with 12-50mm lens at
Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), Jessops (Click here), Amazon Deutschland (Click here) and Amazon Japan (Click here).
6) FL-600R wireless flash at
Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
7) MMF-3 Four Thirds adapter at
Amazon (Click here) and Adorama (Click here).
8) HLD-6 power battery holder at
Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and Amazon Japan (Click here).