It’s getting more and more busy on the rumors front. I am receiving new info every day and as you know I try to double check rumor with trusted sources in order to give you some FT4 or FT5 ranked rumor (ranking description at the bottom of this post). All I can tell you for sure is that both Panasonic and Olympus will have major product announcements within the next weeks. Please keep in mind that the rumored announcement data of May 21th (Panasonic) and June 18th (Olympus) are coming from external or non trusted sources. I am checking right now if the data are correct or not.
What’s also sure (FT5) is:
1) There will be a new Panasonic G5 with same [shoplink 22077 ebay]G3[/shoplink] 16 Megapixel sensor.
2) The Olympus 75mm f/1.8 is currently being tested by many photographers and will ship this summer.
3) The 12-35mm f/2.8 Panasonic X lens will ship this summer.
Still unconfirmed rumor (FT3):
1) Olympus XZ-2 is coming (will replace the current [shoplink 19904]Olympus XZ-1[/shoplink])
2) Pansonic LX7 is coming (will replace the current [shoplink 21136]Panaonic LX5[/shoplink])
The surprises (FT2):
1) a new Olympus Four Thirds camera is coming
2) New 7-14mm OIS lens coming
—
Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct
76 Responses
And yet the one rumor I’m waiting for eludes us where is the Panny 35-100 f/2.8?
Everybody is always waiting for something. If he only mentioned 35-100 f/2.8 then somebody else would be asking for the 12-35mm f/2.8.
They could as well announce both together anyway. We’ll see …
sooo, when do we see some GH3 rumor?
Seems like Panasonic are getting better at stopping leaks. As we know there have barely been any rumors about the upcoming G5, and it is going to be annouced soon! So my guess is we won’t be told anything until late summer, i other words right before the actual annoucement.
But i would definately agree that controlled leaks are really effective at hyping up a certain product, look at all those teasers for E-M5, but Olympus still denies that they were “official” teaser
They need to leak soon, so I can get cheaper GH2 ^^
LX7 will replace the XZ-1?
May 21st, instead of May 21th. The st makes it twenty first. And 22nd for twenty second, 23rd for twenty third.
Not bitching, just trying to help…
Admin, are you now sure that the 12-35 will not be faster than F2.8 ? A few months ago rumors said we could have a good surprise…
Thanks a lot.
Nothing that’s really new so far… I remember the good old days before the E-M5 came out 😉
The XZ-2 will replace XZ-1
The LX-7 will replace XZ-1 as well ? Lol
Copy and paste error 🙂
Panasonic has a suitable CMOS sensor, with claimed good quantum eficiency. Expect a performance slightly better than Canon S100, due to a slightly better CMOS sensor. So LX-7 and XZ-2 will be introduced at the same time, and will be competitors from that day.
How are they going to differentiate? I guess the LX7 to become a stunning video camera having OIS, while the Olympus version lacks OIS for video. Hardly the 5-axis IBIS will be squeezed into a P&S, battery consumption aside.
I think Olympus has the R&D resources available now, once the E-M5 is out, in order to spend some time to refine the XZ-2 into an even better photo companion.
G5 same sensor as G3 means upgrade not worth the money – at least not for me.
Another Oly? High end or low end?
Pana and Oly lenses: How good are they and are they worth the price?
Anyway interesting with more lenses to choose from now that Oly EM-5 has become the much needed “m43 flagship” camera, much requested at this site a couple months ago.
Has Pana got an answer to this in their “very high end camera”?
I agree…if it is the same sensor in the G5 (G4???? WTF?)…what could it possibly offer to make you upgrade. The G3 is a great camera for the price.
IIRC, the number 4 has a negative connotation in Japan (I think it is associated with death). Kind of like hotel floors going from 12th floor to 14th floor 🙂
In Chinese, 4 doesn’t just a negative connotation, the word for death has the same spelling and pronunciation (but different tone) as four. Can’t speak for Japanese though.
how about the mzd 60mm macro?
“The surprises (FT2):
1) a new Olympus Four Thirds camera is coming
2) New 7-14mm OIS lens coming”
After more than a month, finally some rumors about products, not about prices or announcement/shipment dates. It’s been a long wait, but I’m disappointed no Oly m4/3 camera is mentioned.
Why? How many cameras do you want? The E-M5 is fresh out the oven, and the E-P3 is less than a year old.
I want E-M5 sensor in all current models. 2011 cameras may be a year old, but the 12 MPx sensor in them is four years old.
The question is, whether the PEN will remain at the 12 Megapixel with the new Panasonic GF5 sensor?
I do hope though, that a PEN flagship still is needed, with the sensor borrowed from the OM-D.
That question crossed my mind as well.
The ideal situation would be to continue producing E-PM1 with the old sensor, lowering its price further; giving E-PL5 the GF5 sensor with Olympus tweaks and putting E-M5 sensor ( and some EVF ) in E-P5. That would differentiate them well enough. So far, when a product change cycle had been completed all current Olympus models had the same sensor. Whether that’ll be the case with camera generation started in 2012, I don’t know. If it lowers the price, I wouldn’t mind all of them having E-M5 sensor ;).
That’s how I see it too. Although I’d be surprised if they put the old 12MP sensor in the mini, it would make sense to move it onto the new 12MP sensor as what’s the point of buying the new mini otherwise?
I don’t think there should be an E-PM1 successor at moment. The current model is doing many things right for the intended audience, no need for immediate upgrade. If they lower its price to current E-PL1 level ( and finally discontinue PL1 ), it will sell like hotcakes regardless of how it compares to other entry level mirrorless cameras. IMO they should replace E-PL3 in June to respond to NEX F3 and announce E-P5 in November.
Another triple announcement would be counterproductive.
As long as they don’t do what they did with the E-P1 by following it quickly with an E-P2 & end up with an E-M6 next month, especially if it can do PD-AF.
they should at least put in the gf5’s 12mp sensor in the pens
I don’t see that happening. As regards the E-P1/2 situation one can only guess how it came about, mine is the E-P* was already in production when the EVF became available, so it was a question of marketing the 1 while getting the 2 on the table; yes an unfortunate situation but it happens.
My big question as to what comes next is simple, regards 4/3 I expect an E-7 (16Mp sensor with all the E-M5 ‘pretties’ plus a bit more). Regards the Pens, I understand where Miroslav is coming from but for myself a more defined range by not muddying the water by mixing the ‘pretties’, placing the tilt screen on a lower spec and not top spec (ridiculous call). As regards the sensor difference, only if there is a commensurate difference in price otherwise use the same one, cost should the be lower.
Admin – any word on whether the fast X zooms will have a manual/power/hybrid zooming mechanism?
Keep up the great work 🙂
Kylberg is right .
I’m also waiting for that very highend camera .
The new sensor patent submitted by Pana likely to feature in this camera if the camera still relevant . I need this highend rangefinder camera desperately .
This is interesting:
“a new Olympus Four Thirds camera is coming”
It would be great! Maybe something like 16MPix E-50? 🙂
Body could be from E-30, inside all new. I def. like it! 😉
T.
Optical viewfinders are by definition small in Four Thirds. E-3 & E-5 corrected that with competitively large viewfinders.
Of course, it’s a bit cheaper to inherit the E-30 viewfinder into a E-50 model, but the main reason for an update of a Four Thirds camera, actually are for access to the *weather-sealed* HG/SHG lenses. In my opinion, therefore, ONLY an E-7 makes sense.
E50 is the most serious need
both the Exx and Exxx got voted off the island but didnt get a camera that functions properly with their lenses.
Getting either Exxx or Exx body signals that 4/3rds is back on the table
> E50 is the most serious need.
Nope, what Olympus needs most is that integrated PDAF without SLR mirror and all that.
That way they could in single strike fix continuous focus/tracking focus problems of m4/3 bodies and integrate 4/3 lenses to single system with E-30/5 level controls and ergonomy mirrorless body as that pro m4/3 body what E-M5 wasn’t.
Of course, with such a sensor, having Hybrid-AF, would open up a wealth of lens opportunities, and IBIS on them all as well.
If Olympus designed the sensor for the E-M5 as a first step, to test the water with that technology, which we’ve seen successful, as a next step they could look into adding the integrated PDAF functionality.
I think Fujifilm was first with sensorplane PDAF, Nikon made it into Hybrid-AF, and this year and next, we can expect both Olympus and presumably Canon looking into this. At Photokina timeframe, we’ll know more…
>Nope, what Olympus needs most is that integrated PDAF without SLR mirror and all that.
yes they do, but the question is when can it be effected, and how many lost sales are there between then and now.
+10^10^10
Just seeing the rumour about the Pentax K30, which has weather protection, thinking that an E-50 model *can have* a weather resistant body as well. Less robustness, but at a lower cost, and hence a larger sales volume.
A new E-7 would be stunning. Something like an E-50 would be less appealing to me due to lack of dust and splash protection.
+1
E50/70 would be great news, using the new stab & sensor from OMD I’d buy it. Maybe E7 more likely though as flagship model needs to be the best going and E5 now a bit outdated, I would consider buying one if it was a bit smaller (approaching e30 size).
McGillicuddy (Sp?) implied the big box he showed on his desk a couple of weeks ago contained a new 43 cam, he tagged the post with Exxx
http://www.damianmcgillicuddy.com/journal/2012/4/12/todays-teaser.html
I think Exxx is Ep30 or E-50 in production, but i hope E-7 come soon also.
i think it too early for Ex
the M5 mainboard probably fits inside an E430 concept though
Damien knows how far to push an NDA, and he’s been pretty accurate with hints in the past.
We’ll see an Exxx, which will have everything the E-M5 has, bar tge weathersealing.
The 5-axis IS wasn’t developed overnight. Olly will have been holding off on the lower end 43 DSLR to allow for it.
I’m sure we’ll the the next E-x sometime in the next two years!
The only observation I have, is about the size of the E-xxx (E-450 & E-620) bodies having a small pentamirror.
Only EVF is therefore a viable route to go in my opinion, but then the main mirror must go away. Therefore we need sensorplane PDAF.
WOW. This is the first rumor post I have seen that does not include the words “Olympus OM-D”! ….is that possible…I will go back and check again….I must be mistaken… 🙂
Oh wait, now it’s mentionned!
Sorry. LOL!
Actually ….I just checked…the last 3 posts ALL featured Panasonic products. WOW!
That may be a RECORD for the last 4 months!
Might as well hype it as much as possible before June, when Canon enters the mirrorless market.
It will be difficult for canon to cripple their mirrorless offering without it performing like a compact, and it will be impossible for canon to avoid crippling it. What are they going to do? Make an evil cam that pops their own cinema bubble? If they want to compete with Panny on the video front, they’ll have to.
Yeah…I don not expect to be WOWed by Canon’s mirrorless offering. They could kick but with a FF and new smaller lenses….but no…they will offer something along the line of the Nikon offering. Perhaps a better with a larger sensor (G1X)..but I doubt it will be released with fast primes. I have two MFT bodies and 9 lenses…. I don’t think I will be selling any of this any time soon on Canon’s account. ( I am a fan..I have a 5DII soon to be a 5DIII)….but I don’t expect Canon to Rock my world here. I would love it if they did, though.
I’m really hoping that they drop a new 7-14mm geared towards video.
Canon’s major selling point in a mirrorless market would be EF lenses, and to be completely fair, the size and weight would (*almost) be self defeating. Everyone knows this, so obviously, so does Canon. I definitely look forward to whatever they bring to the table, but I also think it’ll be a Nikon V/J style offering.
*Almost, as in, I still haven’t invested enough in panasonic or olympus glass to keep me from jumping to Canon’s ship, but all that hangs on one thing… a project. And if I have one, who am I going with? The 20 K Canon or the -free m43s? Given: I’ve got empty pockets in this scenario.
I hope that for top OMD and EP3 they go for 2yr life cycle, or else I’ll stop visiting 43rumors.
It is to painful to know about things coming and still barely be able to buy just released gear…
That why we either take the gamble & buy the latest, newer thing (E-M5) & take advantage of the bonuses or wait till they’ve been out for a while. I’m afraid I’ve taken the gamble, but still waiting for it to arrive.
This pain is there anyway. 😉
m4/3 is still very young and buoyant, 4/3 is in its decline. Canon must show its cards in mirrorless, so we are still in turbulent waters.
I would expect low tier m4/3 cameras before summer, and an E-P3 replacement for Photokina. GH3 before summer or new high tier model?
At some point m4/3 will have to slow down because existing customers will end their money, and not enough new entrants will buy the top tier.
If we slow down our buys will the message reach HQ? Building a new system in 6 months cam be done only by the very rich. Instead low tier EVIL will act like compacts substitutes, so new models each year.
> Instead low tier EVIL will act like compacts substitutes, so new models each year.
Well, that’s what Pens and GFs are ergonomically and controls wise: Just like all those fixed lens digicompacts we’ve been seeing for decade.
Well in the ILC market companies make money on lenses, not only on high tier cameras. So that is what we are seeing now.
Besides the rave for the OM-D what really protects m4/3 against Fuji, Sony and now Canon are good lenses with fast AF.
Happily not only Panny, but also Oly seems to have got the message.
There is still the matter of long fast teles, and an UWA prime. Can they be made?
> Well in the ILC market companies make money on lenses.
Hasn’t goal of these compact bodies been attracting casual users from compact camera side?
IIRC already in low end/consumer DSLRs users buy in average one separate lens per two camera kits sold so selling lenses to Jane and Joe average consumer surely isn’t gold mine and also bodies must be sold with some profit.
In the big picture of markets we who buy multiple lenses for different purposes are minority.
> There is still the matter of long fast teles
Animal/bird shooting lenses are really more question of making actually working tracking focus.
And they won’t be any smaller than for 4/3 DSLR mount emphasizing need for also high end ergonomy body. (if mirrorless is ever going to be that future after analog age SLR design)
+1
And even one extra lens for every two cameras sold sounds optimistic.
>And they won’t be any smaller than for 4/3 DSLR mount emphasizing need for also high end ergonomy body. (if mirrorless is ever going to be that future after analog age SLR design)
by their nature tele lenses are already telecentric. So they wont be bigger either, as its still 2x and nobody will be counting the 18mm added onto the end
Yes, v. true. However as the 40-150 they can still be made light enough and quick focussing for m4/3.
One doesn’t need necessarily the sturdiness and the heavy focussing groups and motors of 4/3.
Wisely P&O have left those to other makers. OTH for most the rise in sensitivity makes the use of slower lenses not limiting like in the past.
Personally I keep in mind that m4/3 is a system geared towards wides, but noobs might want to ignore it.
I’d love to know the reasoning behind releasing a 7-14mm with OIS. I wonder if it’s a 14-45mm situation where they realised that it was too good and/or too expensive so they made a cheaper version with the 14-42mm. I’m happy to be wrong if that isn’t the case, I’m just curious why they focused on that as opposed to devoting time and resources to another lens.
I’m looking forward to seeing what the 12-35mm is like but I hope Panasonic comes out with a few more fast primes.
Well, if they add OIS into it without increasing price it’s rather sure bet that optics are cheaper.
Unless you believe they’re going to sell it at lower profit margin…
New improved. Added this. Added that.
This is code for put up the price and cut quality to reduce cost of manufacture. The provenance of the original lens will be foisted onto the new.
What possibly the G5 could give that G3 can’t, with no new innovative camera, I worried about Panasonic. The latest Panasonic camera that could move me into buying it is just GF-1, now that it’s been sold I still wait if there’s other thing from Panasonic that move me any chance GH-3 will be released?
What’s wrong with the G3? It’s still the smallest and lightest mFT model with integrated viewfinder, the best mFT sensor except for the one in the E-M5 which might be sligthly better.
Price is good too, I can’t really see much reason for a G5 at all. I’m sure there are things they can upgrade like the screen res and maybe the video mode, but it’s more tweaks than anything major.
Adding a rubberized grip like the GF5 and increasing the resolution of the LCD would make sense. Putting the GH2’s higher res EVF in it would be good, too. Then we can be sure the GH3 will get an even HIGHER res EVF along with a faster refresh rate. 😉
I’d guess the sensor would be tweaked and the processing engine upgraded as well. They’ve done that all along with every other camera.
There are always improvemens like I said in my previous post, but G3 is still a camera I can recommend to anyone who wants an entry level SLR-styled model. An upgrade isn’t meant for G3 owners, the differneces are likely too small for that. Who buy a new model every year anyway?
The GH2 viewfinder would be an welcome upgrade, but it’s only more pixels in the horisontal direction which isn’t as important without the multiformat GH2 sensor.
Processing is always tweaked like they did for GX1, but again, it’s not worth upgrading for. At least not from G3.
> What possibly the G5 could give that G3 can’t, […]
Orientation sensor?
EVF auto-switch?
Larger EVF?
Optional grip/battery grip?
Updated touch UI?
Better battery life?
There is more to a digital camera than the IQ.
hope this get released. already selling off my gear
Well understadanbly the same sensor like the G3 does not evoke lots of enthusiasm. Suppose they get it to focus aswell as a DSLR for birds etc, it would be quite something. 9 fps, superior video, better JPEGs and a low price might make it a good replacement of the G3 everstill. But that is not going to happen I am afraid.
If Gh3 is not coming soon and not or not have a signficiantly better DR/noise, EVF and indeed video than the current GH2, teh Oly OM-D will be the choice of many I think. IBIS like that and IQ are just too good, certainly if video is not extremely important.
What about WiFi and GPS, will those make it into the Panasonic G5? Olympus seems to rely on Eye-Fi Wireless SD Cards, sold through SanDisk.
And when will Panasonic license a wireless RC flash system?
Olympus just came out with the FL-600R flash, with a LED for video. Panasonic should certainly need something similar, or even a more poweful remotely controlled flash.
Panasonic, Fujifilm and Samsung are currently the only ones lacking a wireless RC flash system. I think Leica got one with help of Metz.
Yheaaaa! next week!! exiting!!!
Ah.. BTW it this picture true? or just fake?
Probably only fake, this a image base on of one Panasonic Ultra-Zoom camera.
Thanks!
Great work also for the dutch market. No sony anymore but olympus