43 Rumors – Page 2116 – Panasonic and Olympus Digital Camera News

(FT4) Olympus will launch an OM alike Micro Four Thirds camera!

January 9, 2012
Rumors
238 Comments

[shoplink 27042 ebay][/shoplink] Image on top shows an “old” [shoplink 27042 ebay]Olympus OM photocamera[/shoplink].

Surprise! What Olympus is going to announce the second week of February is a new OM styled Micro Four Thirds camera! Unlike the upcoming Fuji X PRO 1 camera that is going to be announced soon (follow MirrorlessRumors for that) the new Olympus camera will have a new type of viewfinder placed in the middle of the camera. The camera has a super high body quality and while I don’t have 100% reliable specs now I have been assured that it has super new kind of viewfinder. I think Olympus decision to revive the OM camera history is good news. I always liked these cameras. There are many versions of it you can still find on [shoplink 27042 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

Olympus will catch up with the Fuji PRO 1 regarding the body quality and viewfinder technology. Let’s see what they can do with the sensor…

P.S.: List of Olympus OM lenses on [shoplink 28153 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

To rumor sources: If you want to send me some rumors use the anonymous contact form on the right sidebar. Please use a sort of “fake name” so that I can recognize you in future. Thanks!

Woodford sues Olympus. And Olympus sues ex japanese managers involved in the fee scandal.

January 9, 2012
news
40 Comments

A short update to give you one more messy news about Olympus. The day after Woodford abandoned the plan to be re-instaed as CEO he sued Olympus. “I will most definitely be suing Olympus,” Woodford said Friday at a press conference at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club in Tokyo. And the “The Kyodo News Agency had heard that the panel would advise the company suing over 10 existing and former executives for a total equivalent to $1.2 billion for hiding losses for 13 years” (Electronista).

What else can I say? It’s a mess and it’s pity that there is no way to solve the problem in a fast way.

Follow the Fuji announcement tomorrow on MR. Amazon accepting preorders!

January 8, 2012
Rumors
106 Comments

Img src PhotoRumors.

UPDATE: You can right now start to preorder the Fuji X PRO 1 body at Amazon (Click here to see and believe and preorder). UPDATE_2: Page has now ben removed.

Let me make some advertising to my sister blog :)
You will follow the Fuji announcement tomorrow at 9pm London time (21:00) at MirrorlessRumors.com. I guess it’s interesting for many m43 user to see how Fuji new mirrorless system will be. And there is a last minute super leak too:

P.S.: I am again flying over Europe. Will be offline for a couple of hours. Amazon may will remove those links in the meanwhile…

Panasonic DMC-L1 review by Carl Garrard.

January 7, 2012
reviews
47 Comments

[shoplink 23692 ebay]

[/shoplink]

That amazing looking high quality body still makes me say WOW when I see it. And it’s also one of the favorite cameras of Carl Gerrard (Click here to read his review). He just posted a full test of the camera he owns: “The [shoplink 23692 ebay]L1[/shoplink] was never designed to compete with the likes of the standard DSLR (if there ever was such a thing), rather this camera was something entirely new and different in many respects and that fact alone was grossly missed. What a pity, a real pity. I don’t consider the new [shoplink 26836]GX1[/shoplink] or previous [shoplink 14828]GF1[/shoplink] to be successors to the L1 or L10 because neither have a built in viewfinder of any kind. I don’t like accessory viewfinders generally speaking.To my eyes the DMC-L1 is a Panasonic classic that might be just a victim of being born in the wrong era- it was never as popular as I think it should have been. To me, the L1 is still a gem.”

Yeah it’s a real gem, and that’s why it still costs a lot in new condition (Check the price here at Amazon) or iused on [shoplink 23692 ebay]eBay (Click here to see all L1 auctions)[/shoplink]. A wonder how long it will take until Panasonic will make a m43 version of it.

The E-P3 is not going to be replaced soon. There are supply problems!

January 6, 2012
Rumors
42 Comments

A couple of days ago I reported how Amazon itself is no more selling the Olympus E-P3 (Click here to check). And in other stores like Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here). I have been told by top sources that this is NOT happening because of the upcoming new Olympus cameras. The E-P3 will not be replaced any time soon. The real reason is the supply problem of camera parts from the flood affected region in Thailand. Don’t know yet when those problems will be solved.

I am collecting and doublechecking the info I am getting about the new cameras. Feel free to help me by sending me anonymous messages on the right sidebox. As usual keep in mind that I try to verify rumors and it will take some time before you see it on 43rumors. If I would publish everything I get the readers would kill me after a couple of wrong posted rumors :)

Woodford loses his battle. Fuji, Sony or Panasonic ready to join Olympus.

January 6, 2012
news
134 Comments

Big japanese Olympus shareholders refused to sustain Woodford in his battle to be reinstated as CEO of the company. Reuters reports that: “The company’s main lender and major shareholder Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) is backing existing management led by CEO Shuichi Takayama, which is seeking a capital tie up with a rival company to bolster its finances.”

And “Local media has reported that Sony, Fujifilm Holdings and Panasonic Corp are among the candidates that may ride to the rescue of Olympus.”

In short: Japanese shareholders hold together against the foreign influence on Olympus. This will lead Olympus to make an agreement with another japanese company to realign their financial situation. I vote for Fuji. They have both a long camera history and would certainly create some amazing new products.

UPDATE: Here is the full statement from Woodford: http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/michael_woodford_statement_on_why_he_quit_olympus_fight_news_311023.html.

List of compact camera that are going to be announced by Oly-Pana.

January 5, 2012
Rumors
24 Comments

Wellsfargoadvisors leaked the list of what’s going to be announced at the CES show next week. It includes the Olympus and Panasonic compact cameras:

Olympus is introducing five new digicams at the show, and while none have built-in Wi-Fi, a pair is Eye-Fi compatible. The SP-620UZ ($199 suggested retail) has a 21 x wide-angle zoom, 7 fps shooting and HD video. The SZ-12 (also $199) has a 24x zoom, 7 fps burst shooting, high-def video and 3D capture. They are adding to their Tough lineup with the TG-320 ($179.99) which is shock-, water-, freeze- and dust-proof.
Panasonic will introduce five new models – all less than $199. In keeping with the long-zoom push, the slim Lumix SZ-7 and SZ1 have 10x optical zooms. Both feature Leica lenses and start at 25mm. The 14.1-megapixel MOS DMC-SZ7 can record FullHD AVCHD video while the 16.1-megapixel CCD DMC-SZ1 records 720p HD video.

My guess is that the list isn’t really complete as the Sigma products are missing. Sigma scheduled a press release event for January the 10th. There could be new m43 lenses! Sigma already displayed a 30mm macro lens for m43 and NEX. But I hope there is something more than just that lens only.

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Just a reminder. Sigma is part of the Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds coalition and already offers a nice amount of Four Thirds lenses:
[shoplink 18947 ebay]Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6[/shoplink] [shoplink 18948 ebay]Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8[/shoplink] [shoplink 18948 ebay]Sigma 18-50mm f/3.5-5.6[/shoplink] [shoplink 18949 ebay]Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6[/shoplink] [shoplink 18950 ebay]Sigma 24mm f/1.8[/shoplink] [shoplink 18951 ebay]Sigma 30mm f/1.4[/shoplink] [shoplink 18952 ebay]Sigma 50mm f/1.4[/shoplink] [shoplink 18953 ebay]Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3[/shoplink] [shoplink 18955 ebay]Sigma 55-500mm f/4-5.6[/shoplink] [shoplink 18956 ebay]Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8[/shoplink] [shoplink 18957 ebay]Sigma 105mm f/2.8[/shoplink] [shoplink 18958 ebay]Sigma 135-400mm f/4-5.6[/shoplink] [shoplink 18959 ebay]Sigma 150mm f/2.8[/shoplink] [shoplink 18960 ebay]Sigma 300-800mm f/5.6[/shoplink]