[shoplink 15756][/shoplink]The [shoplink 14826]Panasonic GH1[/shoplink] with [shoplink 15756 ebay]Zeiss Cp+ lenses[/shoplink] shown at Photokina 2010 (Thanks Terry!)
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After Schneider Kreuznach also Carl Zeiss AG joins the Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group! This is not a surprise, Zeiss already announced months ago that they would add an exchangeable m43 mount for the compact Prime CP.2 lenses (Click here to read our article). Those lenses are very expensive $3.900 each at [shoplink 15756 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]. Two anonymous sources also told us that Zeiss is taking into consideration to make a Micro Four Thirds version of the current 15.5-45mm f/2.6 Zoom lens. The lens could be available by mid 2011 (But keep in mind that those are rumors from unknown sources!).

PRESS RELEASE:
“Announced jointly by Olympus Imaging Corp. (President : Masaharu Okubo) and Panasonic Corporation in 2008, the Micro Four Thirds System standard has rapidly grown in popularity. Now, support for the standard is expanding with the decision of Carl Zeiss AG to join the Micro Four Thirds System standard, and the company is releasing lenses compliant with the standard.
For more than 160 years, the lenses of Carl Zeiss AG have been defining the state-of-the-art in optical technology. Now, as Carl Zeiss AG joins the Micro Four Thirds System group, ZEISS HD Video lenses will be available to users of Micro Four Thirds cameras, contributing to a vastly expanded product line and enhancing the joys of digital imaging with the Micro Four Thirds System.
As the originator of the Four Thirds System and Micro Four Thirds System standards, Olympus Imaging Corp. will continue to develop and enhance the product lineup for both standards to meet the diverse needs of our customers.”

As you see the press release clearly mentions “ZEISS HD Video lenses“. It doesn’t sound like they are going to make “normal” m43 lenses (would love to see some [shoplink 19666]zm-lenses[/shoplink] for m43!).

Links to:
– Press release: http://www.olympus-global.com/en/news/2011a/nr110207zeisse.html
– CP+ lenses at BHphoto
– ZM lenses at [shopcountry 19666 ebay]

P.S: All good things come in three, so after Schneider and Zeiss…who is next?

Short break from Panasonic/Olympus news. It really looks like Canon will be the last company the join the new mirrorless market. Today they announced new Rebels. The Canon QL-D1 mirrorless camera rumor was abviousely fake (read the rumor at mirrorlessrumors.com). Sum the Canon news with Schneider Kreuznach and Zeiss joining the m43 group and with Pentax making a tiny small sensor mirrorless system. What do you see? A bright future for Micro Four Thirds :)

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Panasonic GH2 Indian Vacation

A little bit of Fuji X100 camera porn at DC.watch. And a first impression review at Photoradar. Reminder: Sign up at Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) or Amazon (Click here) to be notified when the camera will be in Stock.

Panasonic GH2 Baseball Auto Focus Test (Youtube)

Panasonic GF2 review at 01net.

GXR vs GF2 vs DP1x at DC.watch.

Olympus E-PL2 test at Ascii.jp and DC.watch.

Olympus XZ-1 review at DC.watch.

Which camera do you think looks the best? (E-PL1.net)

What a surprise!!! Schneider Kreuznach officially announced that they joined the Micro Four Thirds group! They will soon announce their first lenses! That’s great news for us! I don’t know yet if SK will make complete new lenses or simply adapt some of their [shoplink 19616 ebay]current C-mount lenses (Click here to see them on eBay)[/shoplink]. Like the [shoplink 15432]Schneider 25mm f/0.95[/shoplink]. I have to find new source within Schneider Kreuznach….somebody out there that knows what kind of lens is coming?

UPDATE1: A wonder what Samsung is thinking right now. Will Schneider also make lenses for the Samsung NX system or not?

UPDATE2: Our reader “Shutterwill” found that interesting statement made by Mr. Jos.Schneider from Schneider optic back in June. When asked about the future of their 28mm 135 PC lense, he replied: “We had lots of legendary lenses for 135 system cameras before, but to put a manual focus lenses on a digital body is not the way to exploit the full potential of a digital system camera. Moreover, the number of photographers willing to use a manual focus lens is few. Therefore we have no plan for more DSLR lenses at this moment.” Ergo: Does it mean the future m43 lenses will have autofocus?

UPDATE3: This is the official english press release (Source: Thanks Steve!).
“SCHNEIDER KREUZNACH now a member of the Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group
BAD KREUZNACH, 4 February 2011. Schneider-Kreuznach has joined the “Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group” – a consortium of companies with the objective of improving the possibilities and quality of compact digital cameras. Developed by Olympus and Panasonic, “Micro Four Thirds” is a standard for lens mounts that is tailored to digital system cameras. “This standard has great potential. It simplifies and improves the options for compact digital cameras and offers an excellent opportunity for the industry as a whole, as well as for us as a lens manufacturer. We are working intensively on a corresponding series of lenses,” says Dr. Josef Staub, CEO of the Schneider Group.
The standard defines the sensor size, the lens mount together with the communication protocol, the aspect ratio and the flange back distance, as well as the optical requirements for production and construction. The industry standard has been developed deliberately without taking into account conventional lenses, cameras or sensor sizes. In this way, compatibility problems with older components are avoided as is the need to compromise when designing new components.
The forum standard policy means that any member company can make and distribute accessories for the system that meet the standard. It is therefore possible to combine components from different manufacturers.”
Download the press release from Schneider (.pdf)

Vitaly (the GH1/Gh2) hacker add a list of possible new Panasonic GH2 features that would be nice to be added with the future hack or by Panasonic via firmware upgrade (Source: GH1-hack):

3D

• Complete syncronization after remote shutter press in both stills and video (this allows to build cheap 3D rig using two GH2 bodies).

AVCHD encoder

• 23.8Mbps in all modes available
• 720p encoder improved with B frames.
• In camera 2.39 (1920×805) and 2.0 aspect ratio (1920×960)

AVCHD/sensor

• 1080p60 (most probably it is impossible).
• 1080p25, 1080p30.
• v720p24, 720p25, 720p30
• 1:1, 1.2:1, 4:3, 1.37:1, 1.59:1 and 21:9 aspect ratios.
• More variable frame rate options.
• Ability to use wheel with Fn key to adjust frame rate during recording.

MJPEG

• Spanning of files (unlimited recording time)
• 50(SH)/75Mbps(SSH) modes
• 422 color mode
• 1080p24 mode
• 720p24, 720p50, 720p60
• 4K 30-40fps mode (with higher compression at about 75Mbps).

General

• PAL/NTSC switchable
• Ability to select any language .
• Shortcuts with modifier (Fn key + any other key allow to call any function).
• Saving/Restoring of all user settings up to 10 slots on SD card.

HDMI

• Proper 59,94 mode for HDMI output for 60i (or special 60i sensor mode if selectable in menu).
• Proper 24p output.
• Audio enabled (doubled in USB/av in analog form).
• 720p and ETC enabled.

Menu

• Ability to setup My menu to exact user needs.

Sensor related

• Banding fix (if possible)

Stills

• Unlimited bulb mode
• Improved bracketing capabilities (whole pictures using one shutter press, more bracketing options, etc)

Video

• AF-Tracking working in video mode
• Predefined AF zones
• Audio meter visible during playback
• vShooting information visible during video playback (requires metadata to be added to video files).
• Safe zones markings.
• Video streaming over USB to PC (up to 120Mbps).
• Tethering for stills via USB.
• Zebras selectable level (60-70-75-80-85-90-95-100 IRE).
• Focus assist in video mode (peaking or center zoom to 1:1 mode).
• More contrast options (to preserve highilights or shadows).

Amazing if that would be possible!