Photographyblog posted their Panasonic GH2 review. And the conclusions is: “The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 offers a winning combination of high-quality stills and video, proven handling and design, and a more affordable price-tag – it’s simply the most complete interchangeable lens camera currently available for people who want to shoot in both formats.”
And it’s the first time I see such an amazing rating by Photographyblog… 24/25 points! The camera gains an “Essential” recommendation!!! Only the Nikon D3s and the Nikon D3x do have the same “Essential” rating (but they also do cost over $5.000!).
Notes: “A Verse Before Dying” is the first narrative short film shot on the new [shoplink 16841]Panasonic AG-AF100[/shoplink] Digital Cinema Camera. The film was shot on location in Dripping Springs, Texas. For additional information, behind-the-scenes photos and more, go to dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?230414-quot-A-Verse-Before-Dying-quot-A-Borderlands-Spaghetti-Western. Thanks Stephen Mick for sending us the link!
A few european dealers contacted us to say that the first stock of [shoplink 16841]Panasonic AG-AF100 (Click here to preorder at BHphoto)[/shoplink] are already sold out!
The good news is that the [shoplink 16254]Panasonic GH2[/shoplink] is now in Stock almost everywhere (in Europe). Today also Pixmania has them: Pixmania.fr, Pixmania.it, Pixmania.pl, Pixmania.es,
And a warning for US customers that wants to buy the GH2 at “The Price Pros“: “I ordered a GH2 from amazon after seeing your post on December 9th. The camera was being sold through a amazon partner store called “The Price Pros”. The Price Pros sent a confirmation email and charged my credit card, but then can cancelled the order late last night saying it was “damaged in shipping”. However, after speaking with them on the phone, they clearly never had the GH2 to begin with. I asked them what happened to the other GH2 they sold and they said that that was also damaged in shipping.
I’m sending you this email so that if the GH2 shows up on amazon again and it’s being sold by The Price Pros you might want to add a buyer beware disclaimer or maybe not report on it what so ever. I should be getting refunded for my order, but the bad part is, after I got the order confirmation from The Price Pros, I cancelled my pre-order for the GH2 from Amazon which I placed weeks ago. Just want to help other 4/3 users and 43rumors readers so that they are not scammed like I was.”
The next [shoplink 17163]Olympus E-5[/shoplink] review has been published by Neocamera. It turns out that also in that case the reviewer is positively impressed by the camera: “This Olympus E-5 turns out to be an excellent DSLR. It has all the makings of a refined product and an advanced feature set which makes it suitable for all types of photography. There are very few cameras which include all the E-5’s important features and it even has some unique capabilities.”
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.
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).
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.
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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