(FT5 -> patent) Olympus patent discloses a modular camera concept!

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Let’s start with the bad news first. The same sources that told us that Olympus was working on a modular camera now told us that Olympus is keeping on hold the project. Olympus is focusing their resources on the development of new Micro Four Thirds cameras and lenses. The good news is that we can finally show you a REAL proof that our sources were telling us the truth. Olympus filled a new patent (Click here to read it at freepatentsonline) that shows 8 different modular bodies! Every single concept has three different parts (camera body, sensor unit and lens). It looks like a more advanced concept compared to the [shoplink 16935]Ricoh GXR design were lens and sensor do part of a single unit[/shoplink].

Let’s start with the official patent description:

There is known a camera capable of exchanging an imaging element with another imaging element of a different size according to the purpose (refer to Patent Document 1). This camera has a horizontally-long box-like camera body and a photographing lens for silver salt single-lens reflex camera. As the camera body, a camera body for silver salt single-lens reflex camera is used without modification. As a back lid, one for silver-salt camera and one for digital camera are prepared. When the back lid for digital camera is attached to the camera body, this camera can be used as a digital camera. Further, this camera has a configuration allowing exchange of a CCD substrate and thus different types of digital cameras can be realized by one camera body.

One of the most interesting apsects of the patent is the “conversion optical system” (On picture the part number 4): “The conversion optical system is an optical system that forms an intermediate image (primary image). Thus, even when a subject image is enlarged, an aberration-free image can be obtained.

The third modular camera variant (Figure 3) shows “the optical unit 21 includes an imaging optical system 22, the optical path division means 8, and the moving mechanism 9. The optical unit 211 through the attachment/detachment portion 2 and thereby a subject image is formed on the imaging element 3 through the imaging optical system 22 and the conversion optical system is connected to the imaging body 4

Feel free to add your thoughts about the patent by commenting on this post. As usual keep in mind that patents are not a guarantee that there will really be a product like that.

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US crazy deal: E-P2 for $500!

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Acording to our sources the Olympus E-P2 should be the next camera to be replaced (In February?). But I really didn’t expect the E-P2 price to fall that much! The E-P2+17mm combo is now for sale for $500 only at Amazon (Click here). That’s a $300 price drop in a few days! Let me make some calculations: $500 is 375 Euro and the lowest price I found in Germany is 698 Euro!

Reminder: The new Panasonic 100-300mm lens is in Stock at Amazon (Click here).

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See what happens if you use Micro Four Thirds lenses on the Sony NEX :)

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[shoplink 18298 ebay][/shoplink]

I guess not many of you knew that there is a new adapter ([shoplink 18298 ebay]made and sold by a taiwanese company on eBay[/shoplink]) which enables the use Micro Four Thirds lenses on Sony NEX cameras. Woodent (a dpreview forum user) tested the Voigtländer 25mm f/0.95 on the Sony NEX-5. Click here to see the camera+lens combo on Flickr. There are also a few image samples (again on Flickr). The lens has a lot of vignetting at f/0.95 aperture. The focal lenght on the Sony corrisponds to 37.5mm (fullframe). That’t definitely not an ideal combination, but the Sony NEX system currently offers only three lenses so you have to be inventive :)

P.S.: There are only a few [shoplink 15659]Voigtländer Nokton 25mm f/0.95 lenses in Stock in Europe (via eBay and Europe shipment only)[/shoplink]. And the US store Cameraquest has already sold out the 2nd factory shipment of 25/.95 lenses expected by late December.

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Oh no! GH2 movie AF-Tracking Disabled in Firmware 1.0. (and Philip Bloom “begs” Panasonic to add 25p)

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GH2 AF-Tracking (Thanks Dieter)

Panasonic representative from Germany has confirmed that the AF-Tracking feature in movie mode has been taken out of Firmware 1.0. Source: vimeo.com/groups/gh1/forumthread:235149

The Gh2 (with Firmware version 0.2) had the AF-Tracking feature in movie mode enabled. But according to a german GH2 owner that feature has been removed with the official firmware 1.0. He had a talk with a Panasonic representative: “The good news is, that I got a call from the Panasonic manager who I talked to yesterday. The bad news is, that has confirmed information from Japan, that this feature has been taken out of Firmware 1.0.

Meanwhile Philip Bloom updated his “Which… Video DSLR to buy?” post and added the GH2 which he highly recommends: “So all in all a big improvement over the Gh1 but PLEASE we NEEED 25p!!!!! If 25p is irrelevant to you this is simply one of the best “DSLRs” on the market for shooting video. The stills mode is pretty good too!

Now let’s make a short GH2 in Stock status (as usual feel free to add your links to help other 43rumors readers to get the GH2 as soon as possible!):

US

In three days we saw two third party retailers selling the GH2 via Amazon (Click here). So keep checking. You might be lucky!
Other stores like Samys, Simplyelectronics sold out their (very few) GH2 cameras.
P.S.: At least the new Panasonic 100-300mm for $599 at Amazon (Click here)

Europe

Many stores do have the GH2 in Stock. As you can imagine in Europe we have dozens of online stores for every single country. That’s why I give you only a few link to the biggest known stores: Amazon.de, Pixmania.fr, Amazon.co.uk, Pixmania.it, Pixmania.pl, Pixmania.es.

Asia

A few friends from Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong mailed me to say the GH2 is in Stock almost everywhere at local retailers.

Thanks all for keeping me up to date with all deals! I want to see your unboxing videos as soon as possible ;)

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(FT4) UPDATED -> New rumor about the E-5 being the last Olympus DSLR

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[shoplink 17163][/shoplink]

Yesterday I received a new message from a dutch camera reseller: “A representative of Olympus in the Netherlands came to our shop and told me that Olympus will not produce anymore Dslr camera’s. they will only produce the [shoplink 17163]Olympus E-5[/shoplink]. So pretty soon we can no longer order any Dslr except the E-5. and of the E-5 we can only order four at a time wich we have to sell first before we can order another four.
They will only concentrate on M 4/3. and by 2012 they will have renewed there whole compact line-up except for the superzoom cameras.
Are the same thing’s happening in other country’s to ?

The answer is yes! A few other dealers had small talks with Olympus reps. And they also have been told that this could be the last DSLR.

A reminder, Olympus said that they will contnue to develop Four Thirds products until Micro Four Thirds can deliver the same performance as Four Thirds cameras.

(UPDATE) Two more retailers sent me messages:

1) “Three weeks ago i was at an “open house” at a photo dealer with all of the reps there. I spoke to the Olympus rep for 15-20 minutes. Just prior to this open house he had had a meeting with one one of Olympus’ designers. He told me that Olympus will continue designing and producing a “flagship” E-X. The E-5 was not the end of the line. Olympus has not designed a system to do away with mirrors and that they were not even close. He said that all of the other series were dead. The modular E-series would not happen but he smiled when I mentioned a “pro” micro body.

2) “in my country it is the same with E5 as in others. Only a few at a time.”

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a little bit of everything…

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Nokton+GH2

Some [shoplink 15659]Voigtländer Nokton 25mm f/0.95[/shoplink] test shots (Dpreview forum)

Ein Augenblick für die Panasonic GH2 (ThePublicEye).

A photo of a working E-P2 on really extreme conditions. Taken in Oymakon (Russia) on the Pole of Cold: http://yfrog.com/484313031020f8b4f7d325oj

Olympus Japan announced the official launch of the E-PL1s.

Panasonic GF2 test at cameramedia.jp.

Panasonic GH2 unboxing pictiures at dockti.me.

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