The japanese website Itmedia (Click here) tested the new Olympus converters.
You can already preorder the converters in many stores:
Olympus Fisheye Converter at [shopcountry 21289].
Olympus Wide Lens Converter at [shopcountry 21292].
Olympus Macro Converter at [shopcountry 21293].

Reghardware (Click here) reviewed the GF2: “Recent additions, including the new DMC-G3 suggest Panasonic’s emphasis may have shifted to entice more cost conscious photographer to the MFT format. Whether the touchscreen is enough to compete with the likes of the [shoplink 18844]Olympus PEN E-PL2[/shoplink], remains to be seen. Still, with the Lumix DMC-GF2 Panasonic has succeeded in creating a clever and exciting camera.”
Click those links to check GF2 price and availability: [shopcountry 17361].

National Geographic Photographer Stephen Alvarez (Click here) also tested the GF2.

Fourthirds-user (Click here) compared the High ISO performance from cameras old and new cameras (Like for example the old Olympus E-1 and the newer Olympus E-5).

Panasonic G3 sample images at Focue Numerique (Click here). And the official Panasonic G3 gallery is also online at Panasonic.net (Click here). There is a hands-on report at Serious Compacts (Click here).

New Nauticam NA-XZ1 underwater housing for the Olympus XZ-1. Photorumors.

Good news for the Micro Four Thirds system. BBC approved the AG-AF101 as a HD specialist cameras. You may don’t know that only a few cameras are on the BBC list. That includes the much more expensive ARRI cameras, the Sony’s CineAlta F35 and the Red modular cameras. See the full (short) list of approved cameras -> Download .pdf. Low budget documentary filmmakers will be very happy to read that news. But there is only one “limitation”. You have to record the images on the external recorder to capture footage at 50Mbps via HDMI. (Read the article at Dvuser.co.uk)
You can get the AG-AF100(or 101 or 102) at BHphoto (Click here) or [shoplink 22129 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

Dvuser.co.uk (Click here) tested the Voigtlander 25mm F0.95 Micro 4/3rd lens on the Panasonic AF101 camcorder. Is the lens good enough for video? Nigel Cooper says :”I’ve been shooting with the Panasonic AF101 with the [shoplink 15659 ebay]Voigtlander 25mm MFT lens[/shoplink] for some weeks now and to say I’m impressed is an understatement. The quality that the Voigtlander optics produces is truly amazing. As for the Bokeh, it is truly amazing. At F0.95 you can achieve the shallowest depth-of-field; it’s incredible and it yields some incredibly artistic results.” The final rating is 5 start of 5! Thanks Nigel for your very detailed review!

The best thing is that now there are plenty of Nokton lenses in Stock in [shoplink 15659 ebay]European eBay stores (Click here)[/shoplink]. All new and with the normal price (which is 899 Euro). Click on the shop names: [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!). Our US readers can buy from Europe only because US stores do not have them in Stock. BHphoto accepts preorders (for a very good price) but they still don’t know when they will have them in Stock (that’s what they told to me).

UPDATE: In France you can find the Nokton for 749 Euro only at lapetiteboutiquephoto.com. Don’t know why they are much cheaper than other stores but I have been assured that this is a very reputable store!

Vitaly the hacker posted his thoughts about the [shoplink 22077]G3[/shoplink] on his website Personal-view.com (Click here). He doesn’t like the new G3 because….

“* Less buttons (you do not need AEL, right?).
* No eye sensor (You like play quest games enabling EVF via touch menu?)
* Noisier sensor compensated by math (read – more details blur).
* Intelligent resolution (read – more sharpness accentuating even minor flaws).
* And this magic button, ouch forget how it is called, something like Super-Druper-Auto-Everything-Intelligence-Not-From-This-Planet.
I think that it decides then you must take your pictures and prevents you to take any picture if it does not like this sour mugs ;-)
But I may misread something.”

And if you visit his website Personal-view.com (Click here) he also shows you the pink G3 :)

My two cent on that, I don’t think the G3 is a bad camera. Panasonic clearly targeted it for the amateurs. But along the G3 I would love to see a real Photo Camera too. A camera with less plastic, with more buttons and easier usability. What do you think?

P.S.: G3 preorders at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and Amazon UK (Click here).