43 Rumors – Page 2160 – Panasonic and Olympus Digital Camera News

Panasonic firmware update for four m43 lenses!

September 13, 2011
news
27 Comments

Panasonic Japan announced a new firmware upgrde for the following lenses:
LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm / F4.0 ASPH. (H-F007014)
LUMIX G FISHEYE 8mm / F3.5 (H-F008)
LUMIX G 14mm / F2.5 ASPH. (H-H014)
LUMIX G VARIO 14-42mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS014042)
LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS014045)
LUMIX G VARIO 45-200mm / F4.0-5.6 / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS045200)
LUMIX G VARIO 100-300mm / F4.0-5.6 / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS100300)

The update improves the tracking focusing for video recording, the silent auto focus, and the exposure control. The stability of the optical image stabilizer is also enhanced for video recording.

Doanload the firmare at http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/download/fts/index.html (via Slashgear).

New Panasonic 25mm image samples and “crazy” unboxing video.

September 13, 2011
reviews
34 Comments

Panasonic Leica 25mm unboxing and testing

The new Panasonic-Leica standard lens should be availble in “western” country any time soon. Time to give you an update about the latest image samples and in Stock status. First there is a comparison shot of M9+50mm and Leica 25mm on G3 on Flickr (its huge size!). Also at Steve Digicams Forum you can find image samples of the E-P3 with the Leica 25mm. And a lucky owner shared some pictures at Dpreview forum.

So, where can you find the lens in Stock?
Of course in Asia at Amazon Japan and [shoplink 23110 ebay]eBay[/shoplink]. In Europe there are some of them in Stock at Amazon UK at Amazon France. US readers have to be patient (preorders at Adorama and J&R).

First Samyang 7.5mm fisheye lens review at Lenstip.

September 13, 2011
reviews
21 Comments

[shoplink 25327 ebay]

[/shoplink] The Samyang is the second third party lens (non Oly non Pana lens) after the [shoplink 15659 ebay]Voigtländer Nokton 25mm f/0.95[/shoplink]. I am not a fisheye fan but I know Samyang can do very good lenses. I do hope they will announce more m43 lenses soon! Meanwhile let’s see how this lens performs! Lenstip (Click here) tested the brand new Samyang 7.5mm. And there are only good news! The lens has a “sensational image quality in the center of the frame…excellent image quality on the edge of the frame, including the maximum relative aperture“. There is only ver low chromatic aberration, almost no astigmatism, no coma and well balanced vignetting. The only “Cons” for the polish website is the lack of depth of field scale. You can find plenty of image samples after their conclusion text.

The lens is already in Stock on [shoplink 25327 ebay]eBay[/shoplink]:
[shoplink 25325 ebay]Click here to buy the Black Samyang 7.5mm lens[/shoplink].
[shoplink 25326 ebay]Click here to buy the Silver Samyang 7.5mm lens[/shoplink].

UPDATE: There is a hands-on video on the facebook page of ThePhoBlographer.

UPDATE: 14-42mm X lens for $349 at Adorama!

September 12, 2011
deals
27 Comments

UPDATE: Good news folks! You can preorder the new 14-42mm X lens for $349 only at Adorama (Click here). That’s $50 less than you pay at Amazon (Click here) or BHphoto (Click here). That’s a quite good price for the new high quality lens with powerzoom and with that incredibly tiny size.

Now the only question is. When will that lens be in Stock? BH says the arrival is October but if Panasonic is going to mess it like it did with the [shoplink 23110]Leica 25mm standard lens[/shoplink] than we will have to wait at least a couple until November :(

Patent: new Olympus Four Thirds to M43 adapter.

September 12, 2011
news
50 Comments

It is not a secret that sooner or later Olympus will make a Micro Four Thirds camera that will be on par with the best Olympus Four Thirds camera (which currently is the [shoplink 17163 ebay]E-5[/shoplink]). But what will happen with Four Thirds lenses? They do not focus as fast on m43 camera as the new m43 lenses. The answer is coming from a new Olympus patent. It discloses an adapter that has built-in lenses. Those lenses will help Four Thirds lenses to have a much faster contrast autofocus. You can read a google translation of the Japanese patent at Egami (Click here).

It’s quite a complex design and It is up to our expert readers to understand the tiny technical details. My work now is to try to get some info about the Olympus PRO m43 camera that will replace the [shoplink 17163 ebay]E-5[/shoplink]…maybe next year? ;)

Very first Olympus VF-3 viewfinder review

September 12, 2011
reviews
35 Comments

[shoplink 25395]

[/shoplink]

Four Thirds User (Click here) tested the new Olympus VF-3 viewfinder: “Compared to the VF-2 the immediate impression is a smaller and less spacious view. The lower resolution also means that the very finest details that are visible with the [shoplink 25394]VF-2[/shoplink] can be lost with the [shoplink 25395]VF-3[/shoplink]. But apart from that the experience is quite similar. Refresh and flicker, when present, characteristics are much the same, as are colour and contrast.”

It is up to you to decide if the $60 dollar price difference justifies the lower resolution of the VF-2. I would have expected Olympus to launch a better external viewfinder and to lower the VF-2 price. But that’s just my personal opinion. All I know is that Sony announced the [shoplink 25396]NEX-7[/shoplink] having a much higher quality 2,4 milion dot OLED viewfinder. I hope something like that can be announced soon by Panasonic and Olympus.

Links to the two Olympus viewfinders:
Olympus VF-3 [shopcountry 25395] Olympus VF-2 [shopcountry 25394]

New Rayqual adapters with built-in tripod mount.

September 11, 2011
news
24 Comments

Rayqual announced new Micro Four Thirds adapters with built-in tripod mount! The adapters are made for Nikon F, M42, Leica R, Olympus OM, Canon FD and Pentax K mount. Rayqual is a Japanese company and the only place where I found their adapters is on [shoplink 25387 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]. What you see on eBay are their “normal” adapters. I don’t know yet when those adapters will be on sale on eBay, but the Japanese website Rayqual.com says the lens will cost around 200 Euro /Dollars (converted from yen).