43 Rumors – Page 2209 – Panasonic and Olympus Digital Camera News

(FT4) HOT: Samsung offers a 16 Megapixel sensor to Olympus!!!

May 18, 2011
Rumors
84 Comments

I just got a very hot and reliable rumors form one of my very best Samsung sources (via Mirrorlessrumors). The korean company is looking for export their new CMOS technology. A couple of weeks ago there have been a meeting with representatives of digital camera companies. Samsung showed them their latest generation sensor. It’s a 18MPx CMOS sensor with 4K support. One of the present representatives was from Olympus. Samsung offered them a 16MPx 4/3 version with 1080p!!!

The current Samsung sensors cannot deliver the same image quality as the Sony sensors but we know from our sources that Samsung is putting a huge amount of money into the sensor development. The next generation of sensors could close the gap. I think it’s good news that Olympus can now choose between multiple sensors. The source will certainly let us know as soon as Olympus decided what to do!

A reminder. We know from another trusted source that Olympus is designing their own sensor for the Pen PRO. That sensor will be produced by Panasonic fabs.

Links to current Samsung cameras:
NX100 [shopcountry 20762].
NX10/11 [shopcountry 19190].

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

SLRmagic will resume the Noktor lens production (and Nokton next production run in June)

May 18, 2011
deals, news
9 Comments

[shoplink 22205 ebay]

[/shoplink]

A small update about the Noktor resurrection. SLRmagic will resume the production of the lens. Apparently they will keep the same design. But I do hope they can lower the price! $799 is really to much for a cheap quality lens even if it has an f/0.95 aperture. P.S.: There is currently one Noktor lens for sale on [shoplink 22205 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

Now let’s talk about one of the hotseller inside the Micro Four Thirds world the Voigtländer Nokton 25mm f/0.95. Camerquest said that the next prodcution run will hit the north american market in June. Nice to see the lens is so highly requested. We want more from them Voigtländer! In Europe it’s much easier to find the lens in Stock: [shoplink 22125 ebay]Foto Mundus[/shoplink], [shoplink 22126 ebay]infoto2[/shoplink], [shoplink 22126 ebay]infoto2[/shoplink], [shoplink 22127 ebay]eu-shphoto[/shoplink], [shoplink 22128 ebay]deutscher-digitalhandel[/shoplink] (ships worldwide!).

Mirrorless rumors from others (Samsung cool prototypes and Sony NEX-C3)

May 17, 2011
Rumors
18 Comments

A bit of advertising for my second website MirrorlessRumors.com. The new Sony NEX-C3 will be announced on June the 3rd. Now it’s coming in pink too (Click here ot see the pink NEX on MirrorlessRumors). I also posted the full NEX-C3 and new macro lens specs (Click here)

But the really cool thing is that Samsung showed some of the prototype NX cameras they are working on (Click here to see the cameras on MirrorlessRumors.com). I wish Panasonic and Olympus would show us some prototypes too. And let us readers decide which one goes into mass production :)

P.S.: I am trying to unify the user accounts on both websites. t will be easier for you to comment on both wbesites with the same member account.

Olympus terrible financial results. Time to change something! (POLL: your suggestions)

May 17, 2011
news
156 Comments

The revenue made by Olympus with the Imaging division. Graph made by Photoscala.de

One thing is sure. it’s time for Olympus to wake up and change their product and marketing strategy. The last “Consolidated Financial Results for the Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2011″ describes a terrible situation for the Olympus Imaging division. The company as a whole is not doing bad at all with the medical division still signing a big “+” in both sales and net profit. But the Imaging division revenue of the year 2010-2011 is halved compared to two years ago (See the graph on top. Thanks Photoscala!). Photoscala made a detailed analysis of the report. Olympus did lose “only” a 5% in the Japanese market but around 30% in US, Europeans and other Asian markets!

And the biggest failure for Olympus is that they are year for year selling less cameras while the digital camera market as a whole is growing! See the next graph made by Photoscala.de:

In short, Olympus is doing very bad outside Japan. And it continually loses market share and that’s a bit surprising if you do consider the recent Micro Four Thirds success. Probably Four Thirds is indeed almost a dead system (from a sales point of view) and maybe Olympus didn’t manage to be as good as Panasonic in selling Micro Four Thirds products. But that’s just my speculation. They need to rethink their product and marketing strategy. They have a history of innovation and certainly a group of top engineers. It’s the product and marketing strategy that fails. This is a huge wake up call for Olympus!

Loading ...

Read the full article from photoscala in german or via google english translation.

All black Olympus E-P2 rebates (Fuji X100 preoder removed from Amazon)

May 17, 2011
deals
7 Comments

At Photokina 2010 Olympus also announced the all BLACK E-P2 kit. There is now a $200 discount on that kit at Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here). The offer ends on June 4.

Other m43 deals:
The Panasonic Lumix 100-300mm price dropped down to $558.73 at Amazon (Click here).
The Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 lens is back in Stock at BHphoto (Click here) for $379.95.
UPDATE: One single GF1 body is in Stock for $449.95 at Amazon (Click here).

The Fuji X100 preorder option has been removed from Amazon (Click here).

a little bit of everything…(Fuji X100 tested at DPreview!)

May 17, 2011
news
10 Comments

DPreview (Click here) posted the full Fuji X100 review. You can have a lot of fun by comparing the results with Micro Four Thirds cameras. Dpreview likes the camera but recognizes that :”Ultimately, perhaps the biggest problem for the X100 is that it’s competing in today’s marketplace with the new breed of compact Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras, and it’s not exactly cheap in comparison.”
Look for X100 preorder options by clicking on the direct shop link at [shopcountry 19929].

Panasonic G3 first look at Amateur Photographer.
Panasonic G3 preview at Imaging Resource.
Look for preorders at [shopcountry 22077].

Panasonic GH2 and Lensababy test at Dailystaley.

SLR MAGIC Toy Lens 1.4/26mm test at Photoblossoms. You can buy the lens on [shoplink 18603]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

The Tiny Mini Micro Four Thirds Camera. Exclusive Hands-on! (Micadget).

Gary Fong Micro Four Thirds Puffer Launched, Reviewed (Digitalcamerareview).

Daytone Bikeweek taken with the E-PL2 (Craig Litten).

Wanderlust Pinwide pinhole cap tests at Exposingpixels.

(FT4) The Olympus 12mm f/2.0 coming in June. Already in production in Tatsuno.

May 16, 2011
Rumors
141 Comments

A video from the Tatsuno plant.

Our Japanese friends from Digicam-info (Click here) contacted us to share a rumor they received from a reliable source. According to that source Olympus is already producing the 12mm f/2.0 lens for Micro Four Thirds. Production began in April and the lens will be announced in June. The lens production is in Tatsuno (where Oly’s high level lenses are made) and you can expect a top of the notch image quality. This is the very first Pro lens for Micro Four Thirds! It’s also one of my favorite focal lengths! So how will this lens be compared to other lenses?

1) The closest lens we can compare with is the upcoming Olympus Zuiko is the [shoplink 16258]Panasonic 14mm f/2.5[/shoplink]. The Zuiko will very likely be more expensive, bigger in size, but also be a bit faster, have a better build-quality and hopefully deliver a huge step forward in image quality. See the review of the Panasonic lens at Photozone, and check price at [shopcountry 16258].

2) The two Micro Four Thirds lenses that do cover the 12mm focal length are the [shoplink 14822]Panasonic 7-14mm f/4.0[/shoplink] and the [shoplink 14818]Olympus 9-18mm[/shoplink] lenses. But I expect the new Oly prime to be less big and to deliver a higher image quality. I do hope it will also be cheaper than the Panasonic zoom. See the review of the Panasonic lens at Photozone, and check price at [shopcountry 14822].

3) An extravagant comparison can be made with the Pentax 12mm f/1.4 C-mount lens. Unlike the Pentax lens the Zuiko lens has autofocus and much better image quality. The only advantage of the Pentax lens is the price. The Pentax sells for around $20 on [shoplink 21589 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

Our sources told us that this is not the only lens Olympus will announce in June. The second lens is a portrait lens and I hope to get the specs very very very soon! Also that lens is a high quality lens. Finally Olympus!!! June will be full of new Micro Four Thirds stuff announcements (because new products are coming from Panasonic too!).

P.S.: The video on top shows the Tatsuno plant and one of the lenses made there: The Olympus 300mm f/2.8. it’s the most expensive lens ever made by Olympus. Check the scary price at [shopcountry 22138] (if you find them in Stock). There is an article about the Tatsuno plant here at Olympus Website.

One more thing: I am working on many new rumors, I am very busy with it. Sorry if in those days I missed to answer some of your emails. Please email me again if I forgot something ok? Thanks for your understanding.