Sigma is contending the throne for the most exciting new Photokina product announcements with the FinePix X100 and Panasonic GH2. The new Sigma SD1 has a 15.3MP X3 foveon sensor.
More about that camera on Engadget and Dpreview. There are two reasons why we should be interested in future Sigma developments.
1) It looks like Sigma is working together with Olympus. Nagy (one of our readers) had an intuition: “Look at the reflection of the matte screen in Sigma SD1! http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/english/news/img/SD1-front.jpg. The autofocus system features an 11 point twin cross sensor. The shifted twin cross type sensor improves AF accuracy. It is absolutely the same specifications as the Olympus E-3/E-5 AF modul. Did they buy an AF modul from Olympus?“. Or did both buy the AF technolgy from the same third-party manufactor?
2) According to two of our sources Olympus is testing foveon sensors on their PEN prototypes. And Sigma is part of the FourThirds “coalition”.
I will closely follow the Sigma SD1 reviews!
And now let’s talk about that awesome Fuji FinePix X100. We have good news. We all expected the X100 to cost around $1.500-$1.700 but according to Engadget the real price will be $1.000! The camera itself will be available in March 2011. Read the Engadget Hands-on (Click here) and on Photographyblog
Panasonic today announces the new firmware updates for the interchangeable lens Lumix G Vario HD 14-140mm / F4.0-5.8 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. and the camera DMC-G2 of LUMIX G Micro System. The included software PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0 HD Edition is also going to be updated.
Firmware Ver.1.3 for LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm / F4.0-5.8 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S.
Improved AF performance in speed is available
Reduced start-up time (lens)
Firmware Ver.1.1 for DMC-G2
Compatibility with the new interchangeable 3D lens LUMIX G 12.5mm / F12 (H-FT012)
PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0 HD Edition (Ver.1.1)
Compatibility with the image shot with DMC-G2 and the new interchangeable 3D lens LUMIX G 12.5mm / F12 (H-FT012) for loading and sorting the 3D image or converting it to 2D image or writing it back to the SD Memory Card.
The Firmware Ver.1.3 for Lumix G Vario HD 14-140mm / F4.0-5.8 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. will be released at the beginning of October, 2010 and the Firmware Ver.1.1 for DMC-G2 and PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0 HD Edition update program will be available in November 2010.
Our friends from ForumOlympusFrance found the Olympus has firmware update! The update on following lenses “Improves sequential shooting speed on E-5 cameras.”
Quesabesde just published following text:
“After the traffic generated by the interview published yesterday by QUESABESDE.COM, we have been contacted by Olympus to clarify some ideas explained in the interview. The translation to different languages seems to have distorted the original meaning – according to the company.
This morning Miquel Angel Garcia stated during a conversation on the Olympus photokina booth: “Of course we will not stop the production of Four Thirds lenses of our current catalogue”
The original statement included the words “right now” – and Olympus wants to emphasize this temporal term. In other words, although there are no Four Thirds lenses currently under development, it does not mean that there will be no future lenses based on this technology.
“We are currently concentrating on developing Micro Four Thirds lenses, but the Four Thirds System Technology is alive and we will use it whenever necessary”, they insist.
In line with this, the company underlines its commitment to the E-System users. As an example, the spokesperson reminded us that even today Olympus just launched a firmware update for some of its professional lenses which promises a much better performance with E-5.”
That’s good news!
43rumors thanks Olympus for the clarification.
SystemKameraForum is the first website to post a [shoplink 16254]Panasonic GH2[/shoplink] camera review. The test is available as PDF only and you need a forum registration to download it. Oh, and it’s in german only!
We can give you a translation of the review high-lights:
– The autofocus is very fast (and faster than on the [shoplink 14826]Panasonic GH1[/shoplink]). Even in extreme bright or dark situations! The say this camera allows a “new dimention of autofus speed, not comparable with the other Panasonic models!”
– They tested the AF-speed with many Panasonic lenses and the AF speed improves on all lenses!
– The AF is faster than the Canon EOS 5D Mark II autofocus!
– They like the Multi-aspect Bracketing. The GH2 can take 4 continous shots in 16:9 3:2 4:3 1:1!
– Even if the firmware was not in final stage the GH2 has better sharpness, dynamic range and HIGH-ISO than the GH1. They see an 1 stop improvement compared to the GH1.
They say the GH2 is not a revolution but a very concrete evolution of the GH1.
Keep following us! We will update this post with all links to reviews, hands-on, images samples and more! Feel free to send me links to interesting stuff. Thanks!
PREORDERS:
[shoplink 16254]Amazon (Click here to preorder now!!!)[/shoplink]
WHAT’S HOT!!!:
– Body only option is available!!! +option with 14-42mm or [shoplink 14802]14-140mm[/shoplink] kit lens!
– The 1080i output is derived from 60p or 50p capture, rather than doubled-up from 24p or 25p on the GH1!
– 1080 60i with variable frame rate (80%,160%,200%,300%)!!!
– 24p native option available at 24 Mbps AVCHD
– 40fps mode using electronic shutter mode
– In Germany the price will be 900.- EUR for body-only. With the kit lens (14-42mm) will be about 1000.- EUR and twith the 14-140mm zoom lens about 1550.- EUR. According to Enagdget “The GH2 will ship in black and silver by “early December,” with a body-only model going for $899.95, a 14-42mm bundle going for $999.95 and a 14-140mm bundle for $1,499.95.”
– 3CPU In order to achieve high quality processing. Compared to the conventional engine with 2CPU it boasts the power of approximately 1.8 times.
– LVF has 0.71× magnification (1.42 × 0.5)
– It can do 3D
– 3 new lenses: 14mm, 100-300mm and the 3D lens. The 14mm lens will be available late October. The other two by early November.
SPECS and INTERESTING NOTES:
– First preview on DPreview
– Akihabara has been the first to report the GH2 press release: “Announced to be sold in Japan later this october, the GH2 comes with a 16.05Mpix Live MOS Censor, direct support of 3D video! Full HD Video recording at 60fps (1080/60i), Video with AF (like on the [shoplink 14826]GH1[/shoplink]), SDXC Support, an ISO Speed from 160 to 12800, and an impressive ultra fast AF capable to give you the correct focus in just 0.1sec.“. It also has a 460,000 dot 3-inch wide-view touch panel and 1.5 M dot EVF. 5fps.
– First image samples on Panasonic website: click here and here!
– Special digital zoom in FHD – 2.6x and 3.9x in other modes. Shooting still during video (with evry small video freeze).
– Panasonic will produce 5,000 units per month. Is that enough? :)
– The official Panasonic GH2 page on Panasonic Japan websites
PREVIEWS and HANDS-ON
First preview on DPreview
Test on SystemKameraForum (you need a registration and test is in german!)
KEY DIFFERENCES COMPARED TO THE [shoplink 14826]GH1[/shoplink]:
* New sensor with 18.3 million total pixels
* ISO range 160 – 12800 vs 100-6400 form the GH1
* Sensor outpus of 1080p at 60 or 50 fps (GH1 24 or 25 fps)
* Faster sensor read-out promises faster AF and smoother viewfinder image (less tearing)
* Larger EVF (852 x 600 rather than 800 x 600 pixels)
* Touch-sensitive LCD screen
* New, more modern looking menu screens
* G2-style combined AF mode/pattern control on top plate
* Direct movie shooting button moved to top plate from rear of camera
* Control dial moved from front of handgrip to rear of camera
* Dedicated metering and ‘film mode’ buttons replaced by highly customizable Fn buttons
* Q menu button moved from top plate to rear of camera
* New battery (DMW-BLC12E) with fractionally smaller capacity (1200mAh vs 1250mAh)
* Slightly heavier (394g compared to 385g body only)
USER REACTIONS:
GH2 official discussion thread at DVXuser-forum (With the GH1 hacker as moderator!) E-P1.net
IMAGE SAMPLES:
More images samples on Panasonic.net
On Panasonic website: click here and here!
VIDEO SAMPLES:
Presentation by Panasonic Germany on Youtube
First video samples on Panasonics Japan!
GH2 first look on youtube
One of our sources tested the High-ISO image quality of the GH2. It was a short test with a pre-production camera and the GH2 firmware he used is version 0.3 only. Like me he was worried about the results because of the higher-resolution sensor. But we have good news folks! Images at 3.200 ISO are full of detail (so no heavy noise reduction). He has taken some pictures indoor and he couldn’t see any artifacts (bandings or other noise issues). Even in dark parts the image loooks good. Yes there is a slightly improvement compared to the [shoplink 14826]Panasonic GH1[/shoplink]. Maybe a 1/2 to 1 stop improvement. Anyway, in a few hours we will know more but the “feeling” is that the new Panasonic sensor+image processor does a better job than on the GH1.
One more thing:
Pictures do have 16 Megapixels in 4/3 mode, 15 Megapixels in 3/2 mode and 14 Megapixels. in 16/9 mode.
Few hours left guys and we will se the new GH2, 14mm f/2.5, 100-300mm f/3.5-5.6 and the 3D lens. The GF2 and prime lenses will be announced in 3-4 months. What else can we expect from Panasonic? According to one of our sources there could be a “surprise”. We re not talking about a real product but about a technology. The source can’t tell me anything about that, but he said it “could” be announced today.
Let’s see…
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autofocus!
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