USA: OM and Lumix deals roundup

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Cameras

Lenses:

  • $700 off on the OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS Lens at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $50 off on the OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ Lens at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $500 off on the OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm f/5-6.3 IS Lens at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $50 off on the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ Lens at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $500 off on the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm f/5-6.3 IS Lens at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $150 off on the OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 II Lens at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $100 off on the OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm f/4-5.6 II Lens at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $400 off on the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2 Lens (Black) at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $200 off on the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO Lens at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $100 off on the OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8 Lens at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $300 off on the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm f/4 IS PRO Lens at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $50 off on the Panasonic Lumix G X Vario PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Power at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $30 off on the Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH. Lens (Black) at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $100 off on the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-35mm f/2.8 ASPH. at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $50 off on the Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 9mm f/1.7 ASPH Lens at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $200 off on the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 35-100mm f/2.8 at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $150 off on the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 100-300mm f/4-5.6 II POWER at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $50 off on the Panasonic Lumix G 25mm f/1.7 ASPH. Lens at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $100 off on the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4 at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $50 off on the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 II ASPH. at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $150 off on the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4-6.3 II at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $30 off on the Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH. Lens (Silver) at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $50 off on the Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 ASPH. Lens at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $50 off on the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-150mm f/4-5.6 ASPH. MEGA O.I.S. at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $50 off on the Panasonic Lumix G 42.5mm f/1.7 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. Lens at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $50 off on the Panasonic Lumix G Macro 30mm f/2.8 ASPH. MEGA O.I.S. at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $50 off on the Panasonic Lumix G X Vario PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH. at B&H Amazon Adorama
  • $150 off on the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 7-14mm f/4 ASPH. Lens at B&H Amazon Adorama
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OM Digital’s Mid-Year Makeover: Reliable Classics or Missed Opportunities?

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The PetaPixel crew analyzed the companies performance in 2025 so far and concluded:

OM Digital’s 2025 update was largely iterative rather than groundbreaking. They released two bodies—the retro-styled OM-3 (stacked sensor, EVF, weather-sealing, IBIS) and the OM-5 Mark II (adds USB-C)—plus minor lens refreshes (a 100-400 mm G2 and metal versions of their 17 mm f/1.8 and 25 mm f/1.8). While the OM-3 impressed with its build and modernized classics, the overall lineup felt too familiar, lacking truly new features or optics. The hosts agreed that OM Digital needs a more exciting roadmap, and landed on a C + for their mid-year performance.

 

For comparison…here is how they graded all companies:

Camera Company Grades

Canon (B-/C+)
Focused on vlogging: V1 (fixed-lens compact), R50V (video-centric APS-C).
New lenses: 16-28mm f/2.8, 14-30mm f/4 PZ, 75-300mm (recycled DSLR design).
Criticism: No pro photo bodies, limited third-party lens support.

Nikon (A/A-)
Strong video push with Z5 II, Z8 firmware, and 28-135mm PZ cine lens.
Criticism: Still no full-frame Sigma lenses due to alleged Tamron exclusivity.

Sony (B-/C+)
Quiet first half: FX3 II, 50-150mm f/2.8, 400-800mm f/6.3-8.
Criticism: No major camera releases, stagnant APS-C support.

Panasonic (A-)
Launched S1R II (high-res), S1 II (video), and 24-60mm f/2.8 lens.
Praise: Open-gate video, firmware updates, cropless stabilization.
Criticism: Uninspiring lens designs.

Fujifilm (A/B+)
Diverse releases: X100VI, XE5, GFX100 RF, Instax Wide Evo, X half (film-sim compact).
Praise: Unique designs catering to different users.
Criticism: Autofocus still lags behind competitors.

OM System (C+)
Minor updates: OM-5 II, OM-3 (retro-styled), 100-400mm II.
Criticism: Lack of innovation, rehashing old designs.

Leica (D/L)
Only released the SL3-S (low-res cine variant).
Celebrated 100 years of M-mount with no new M camera.

Sigma (A+)
Strong lens releases: 50-150mm f/2.8, 300-600mm f/5.6-6.3, Cine line.
FP L camera with improved autofocus.

Tamron (C+)
Quiet first half: 16-30mm f/2.8 G2, firmware updates for existing lenses.
Promised more lenses in late 2025/2026.

Final Thoughts

Best Performers: Fujifilm, Sigma, Nikon.
Needs Improvement: Leica, OM System, Tamron.
Upcoming Expectations: Sony A7S IV, Fujifilm X-Pro 4, Canon R7 II.

Final Grade Summary:

A/A+: Fujifilm, Sigma, Nikon.
B/B-: Panasonic, Sony, Canon.
C/C+: OM System, Tamron.
D/L: Leica.

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These Were the Best-Selling Cameras on the Japanese Market in June

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BCN reported the top 20 best selling mirrorless cameras in June:

  1. Canon EOS R10 RF-S18-150 IS STM Lens Kit
  2. Sony VLOGCAM ZV-E10 II Double Zoom Lens Kit Black
  3. Sony VLOGCAM ZV-E10 II Power Zoom Lens Kit Black
  4. Canon EOS R50 Double Zoom Kit Black
  5. Canon EOS R50 Double Zoom Kit White
  6. Nikon Z50II Double Zoom Kit
  7. Sony α6400 Double Zoom Lens Kit Black
  8. Sony VLOGCAM ZV-E10 Power Zoom Lens Kit Black
  9. Nikon Z 30 Double Zoom Kit
  10. Panasonic LUMIX G100D W Kit
  11. Sony VLOGCAM ZV-E10 Double Zoom Lens Kit Black
  12. Nikon D7500 18-140 VR Lens Kit
  13. Canon EOS R50 V RF-S14-30 IS STM PZ Lens Kit
  14. Nikon Z fc 16-50 VR Lens Kit Silver
  15. Canon EOS R50 RF-S18-45 IS STM Lens Kit Black
  16. Fujifilm X-M5 XC15-45mm Lens Kit Silver
  17. Sony VLOGCAM ZV-E10 Body Black
  18. Nikon Z50II 16-50 VR Lens Kit
  19. Nikon Z5II
  20. Canon EOS R50 RF-S18-45 IS STM Lens Kit White

Here are the top 20 for the fixed lens camera segment:

  1. Kodak PIXPRO FZ55 Black
  2. Panasonic LUMIX TZ99 Black (DC-TZ99-K)
  3. Fujifilm instax mini Evo Black
  4. Kodak PIXPRO WPZ2
  5. Healthy Tokina Digital Camera KC-AF11 BK
  6. Kodak PIXPRO FZ45 Black
  7. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II
  8. OM SYSTEM Tough TG-7 Black
  9. Nagaoka Trading movio Autofocus Digital Camera MAF100
  10. Fujifilm instax mini Evo Brown
  11. OM SYSTEM Tough TG-7 Red
  12. Kodak PIXPRO FZ55 Red
  13. Healthy Tokina Digital Camera KC-ZM08
  14. Panasonic LUMIX FZ85D (DC-FZ85D-K)
  15. Healthy Tokina Digital Camera KC-AF05
  16. Keiyo Engineering WiFi Retro Digital Camera Snow White
  17. Kodak PIXPRO FZ45 Red
  18. Panasonic LUMIX TZ99 White (DC-TZ99-W)
  19. Ricoh Imaging PENTAX WG-1000 Gray
  20. Ricoh Imaging RICOH WG-90 Black
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a bit of everything…

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Does this Micro 4/3 Camera make Nature Photography too easy? (or do we just suck)

Today deals at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon FR, Amazon IT, FotoErhardt DE, FotoKoch DE.
The Worst Possible Conditions – Long Exposure Photography (Chris Baitson).
Hard Drives, NASs and RAIDs | What Is the Right Storage for You? (Explora)
The Final Piece Of My Micro Four Thirds Journey Has Arrived! (Robert Grant).
How Impressionism Inspires World-Renowned Photographer and Author Réhahn (42West)

Plenty of news on the facebook OMD group, Panasonic FF and the GH5 group.
I kindly invite you all to follow me on Youtube, Instagram, Threads for more broader camera talk.

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4th of July deals at BHphoto

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To all our US readers: Happy 4th of July!

To celebrate the occasion, don’t miss out on the special deals available on the dedicated B&H Photo 4th of July Deals page (click here).

More deals:

From July 8 to July 11, Amazon will run a massive Prime Day sale (Click here). Ahead of the event, you can earn a $15 credit to spend on those deals by uploading your first photos with Amazon Photos (Click here).

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PetaPixel: OM System Considering AI Upscaling for Low-Resolution Sensors

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PetaPixel had a chat with OM System’s Kazuhiro Togashi, Vice President of Brand Strategy and Product Planning at OM. Here are some tidbits:

OM System has carved out a strong niche in the world of photography, particularly among travel, adventure, and birding enthusiasts. Its Micro Four Thirds (MFT) cameras (Amazon) are lauded for their portability and advanced computational photography features — but they’ve also faced criticism for lagging behind the competition in sensor resolution.

In a recent interview with Petapixel, OM System executives revealed they are exploring artificial intelligence (AI) upscaling as a way to deliver higher-resolution images without compromising speed or other performance metrics. The move could represent a clever solution to the hardware limitations inherent in the compact MFT format.

The Resolution Trade-off
OM System’s engineers have long prioritized speed and computational performance over raw megapixel count. Increasing sensor resolution would require a completely new sensor and faster processing hardware, which could risk slowing down autofocus and advanced software features that are central to OM cameras (Amazon)’ appeal.

Computational Photography at the Core
OM has been at the forefront of in-camera computational tools, such as Live ND and Live Composite, which allow photographers to capture creative effects without post-processing. However, these features rely heavily on fast data pipelines — and higher-resolution sensors would significantly increase the data load.

AI to the Rescue?
Rather than overhauling hardware, OM is evaluating in-camera AI-driven upscaling techniques similar to those found in software like Adobe’s Super Resolution or DxO’s DeepPRIME. This technology would allow photographers to shoot at the camera’s native resolution and let the camera intelligently upscale files, enhancing detail and reducing noise.

This approach mirrors Canon’s recent inclusion of AI upscaling in the Canon EOS R5 Mark II (Amazon) and Canon EOS R1 (Amazon), though OM System believes its own implementation can deliver even better results thanks to its expertise in computational imaging.

The Future of OM Photography
Beyond AI upscaling, OM continues to invest in new computational tools, like the recently demonstrated “Live GND” feature for landscape photographers, and promises to roll out more innovative software features that maximize the MFT platform’s strengths.

For photographers who value speed, portability, and cutting-edge in-camera processing, OM System’s AI ambitions might strike the right balance between resolution and performance — and help keep MFT relevant in an increasingly full-frame world.

Explore OM System Gear:
OM System OM-1 Mark II (Amazon)
OM System OM-5 (Amazon)
OM System Travel Photography Kits (Amazon)

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