A fake Pen PRO with built-in viewfinder made by our reader BEN (UPDATE: Feel free to send me your photo-shopped ideas of a PRO model)
I want to write a post to thank all of you that helped with sending me rumors, news and links to reviews. Without your help I couldn’t have done what I did! For me the last couple of weeks have been very exciting but also very stressful. I took as much free time as I could from my real job to follow the time before the Olympus and Panasonic announcements. And I am quite tired now. But I can finally recover as I have some vacation and I am ready to make some nice trips on my mountains! And there is no Internet there…yeah! 🙂
But you hard core rumor readers will be amazed to know that soon a new rumor period will start! Panasonic and Olympus announced plenty of new low- and mid-level cameras. So it’s easy to speculate what’s coming next 😉
Here is the list I a working o:
1) Fuji joining Micro Four Thirds? There will be an amazing announcement in September but I don’t want to wait that long to know what it is..and you? 🙂 P.S.: Do not expect the new interchangeable camera to have the same hybrid viewfinder of the [shoplink 19929]Fuji X100[/shoplink].
2) Sigma and Samyang lenses. There could be new lenses in September from Sigma and Samyang.
3) Panasonic GF PRO. That is confirmed…it’s coming! Sorry if I say that again but I really do hope to see a m43 version of the [shoplink 21096 ebay]Panasonic L1 (like that design)[/shoplink]! And I also got some news about the GH3 (need some time to doublecheck that!).
4) Two new Panasonic lenses + new reworked lenses. Also confirmed!
5) Olympus advanced Pen. I don’t know yet if it will be announced within 2011 but I know that is the camera coming as next! And with built-in viewfinder a là [shoplink 22259 ebay]Olympus SP[/shoplink]..what else should we expect?
6) New Olympus lenses. There will be some, one should be the 50mm macro!
So be sure to check back on 43rumors from time to time. And don’t forget that Samsung will soon annoucne the new NX20 and NX200 that’s why you should also take a look at MirrolessRumors.com.
Thanks again! Ale, 43rumors
P.S.: I also want to say sorry if I didn’t answer all your emails. I really had zero time in those last weeks. And again sorry for my English, when I am stressed and in hurry it’s even worse than you are used to read (P.S.: I am a native german and italian speaker. Plus even my spanish and dutch is much better than english).
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Olympus 12mm f/2.0 preorders at Amazon US, Adorama, B&H and [shoplink 23576 ebay]eBay[/shoplink]
Olympus 45mm f/1.8 preorders at Amazon US, Adorama, B&H.
98 Responses
Thanks alot Admin. Great work. Just to clarify on the Oly Advanced Pen. You say
“And with built-in viewfinder a là Olympus SP”
thats great. Is that something your sources have hinted at? Or is that just you hoping that is has the same form as per SP?
I am hoping it!
I am a habitual lurker here and a big fan of your work. Thank you for doing it for the benefit of all of us. My wife is the only one who has trouble appreciating your work 😉
Lol, let’s not talk about my girlfriend. Sometimes she is pretty upset becuase of the time I spend on 43- and Mirrorlessrumors!!!
Well, if your gf gives you problems, u can always upgrade to gf3
(i’m reading 43rumors too much)
Many thanks for your hard work. These last weeks have really increased 43rumors visibility and credibility, as everybody else have been quoting you and used your pictures.
And so, the waiting game begins again…
Is FUJI making an interchangable mirrorless camera? Is that speculation or rumor? Haha… it’s a fine line.
Rumor!
Hello, Admin, you have done great work here, thanks. I hope you will enjoy the mountains. Cheers ;).
More Fuji m4/3 rumors, please.
What about the new cheaper Olympus electronic viewfinder accessory – did that fall through ?
I am asking my sources what happened to that. Will post soemthing about that soon!
Fantastic Job, Admin!
You deserve a medal for all the incredible work you’ve done in the last few months pulling together all these M4/3 rumors! The fact that the majority have been accurate is quite a feat!
Thanks! Have a great vacation!
GF Pro, PEN Pro, GH3… one of them will replace my “old” EPL1. Definitely.
Yes, so true! Same here. I would settle for the E-P3 already. But since I won’t be able to go shopping for cameras until next year anyway, I can just as well wait for a Pro version of the E-P3! 🙂
+1
none of the new cameras looks “just right” so I will skip this generation.
G3 is the close, but a Pen with superior IQ and built-in viewfinder is what I am really hoping/waiting for.
Looks like EP3 is a little bit better IQ than EP-1/2, but it doesnt keep up with G3 – in order to upgrade it needs to be a leap forward, not “more noise reduction”.
Integrate that EVF in the body, add Tilt/swivel screen – and keep the flash!
I dont care if it adds 1 cm to all dimensions of the body.
Bring back 100 iso
add 50 iso and 1/8000th speed for Nokton users.
An integrated ND filter would be cool.
Extend auto exposure bracketing to 5 or 7 +-1EV steps. (DR is not the best asset of the PEN so please make HDR more convenient)
Also worried about the control interface thats brought over from EPL – rather than an improvement of EP interface. No dedicated ISO, WB and ExpComp buttons? what were they thinking?
You can customise it but not achieve the same hands on control as the old EP – what a bummer.
I really wanted to like the EP3 but its a mixed bag of some improvements and some deteriorations.
Now look what you’ve done! Go on your vacation and have fun. Hopefully my blood pressure will drop to its normal value by the time you are back. 😉
Fuji, Panasonic, Olympus… my credit card will have a rendez-vous with one of those company in 2012.
The best concept will have my money!
You definately deserve a break.;D
Thanks a lot!
Und ich wusste gar nicht, dass du Deutsch sprichst. Coole Sache 😀
admin, prima gemacht. Na dann mal ab in die Berge und von da wieder Überblick gewinnen und vielleicht auch sehen, was uns da in Zukunft erwartet.
Descansa bien y disfruta las vacaciones. Que te las mereces.
We will dive now into the reviews, that pop up and look forward to the “pro” rumors, soon. Enjoy
I wonder how the viewfinder will work on the Pen Pro (assuming it is optical).
Is this the Pen Pro?
http://imagebin.org/160888
Hi! How did you find that?
Sorry, being such a bad liar I must admit I made it on a very bored night! I will send you a less pixelated picture if you want but you’ll have to wait a bit.
so to everyone: THIS IS A MOCK UP. Sorry!
Well done by the way! We could open a contest for all photoshoppers 🙂
Yes you could get people to submit their designs for Pen Pro and Pro GF1 and then have a poll on the favourites. Maybe it could give some ideas to the camera companies.
What about mine?
I didn’t care to make it photorealistic, just wanted to describe my wishlist for the tilting/swiveling display: this is feasible and would be much more useful for my shooting taste than anything available now.
http://imagebin.org/160918
Admin, thats a better idea then you might think. we can actually vote and tell Panalympus what we want.
i say do it! 🙂
the news of the contest will spread around and i suspect many Photoshopers would submit ideas, maybe there would be a special prize for the wining design 🙂
Hmm, this Panalympus thing is sounding a bit too much like Paralimpics. Not exactly ideal! 🙂
That’s really why i’m doing this.. for selfish gain! I want to effect future designs at least little bit so they have the features I want! 😀
Here’s an unpixelated and more realistic design (flash instead of a rangefinder patch window)
http://imagebin.org/160930
I also made a silver version but I don’t really like it 😛
My mockup http://imagebin.org/160962 … with built-in EVF on the rear.
NOW that is what I would like to see from Olympus. I saw the picture and thought that it could be true but alas a mockup.
It obviously wouldnt need an optical viewfinder so those little windows are not needed. I am sure most of us would be happy with an EVF in that top corner – hybrid optical is a bit difficult with interchangeable lenses. We can only dream.
Thanks for the picture.
Challenge accepted, this is my take http://imagebin.org/160917
Sorry, this is utterly silly but please let me dream a bit ^^’
Cool! A mini Leica M9! Leica lawyers would be happy to EAT Fuji on that 🙂
😀
BTW and off topic, did you see this first deep comparison between the E-P3 and the G3? http://www.digitalcamerainfo.com/content/Olympus-E-P3-Digital-Camera-Review/Panasonic-G3-Comparison.htm
The reviewers seem to have been disappointed by the e-p3 while quite impressed by the G3, especially by the sensor side…
haha admin, hope this post won’t kill the sells of the new cameras. Because I’m waiting for the GF pro to replace my GF1
Than I suggest you to wait 😉
How much longer?
A compact Sigma 400mm F5.6…. cool!
Let’s hope that Pannasonic gives us a firmware update for the GH2 before they announce a GH3. I would love to see some optimizations and tweaking. (come on Panny, I know there’s more in there!!!)
+11
+1000
Also, as much as I’d like to add a GH3 to my m43 collection (I have a GH2 & GH1), for me the big problem is Panasonic’s apparent inability to meet demand for their “GH” cams in the US.
If Panasonic repeats what they did with the GH1 & GH2, the US won’t see more than a tiny trickle of GH3 cams for 6-9 months after its “release”.
Panasonic’s US m43 distribution “strategy” has been completely bizarre from the start. Hopefully they correct this soon!
Cheers.
Just for fun, try shopping for any flagship camera of any brand.
I blame the US dollar circling the toilet drain!
Why would you ship to a country where you’re guaranteed a minimum 30% loss vs. the Euro? I wouldn’t. $1 < 1€
Thank you very much!
I follow 43rumors many times everyday just can’t wait for the Olympus launch.
I am a reader from Taiwan. Your English is much better than mine.
Admin, as you said, were hard core readers, thanx to your work!
i understand there’s going to be new 7-14, how about new version of 14-140?
and do u have info about the fast zoom? how fast is it, what is the range, 12-60?
🙂
Admin, the list you made covers exactly my own needs. Will Fuji add its own flavour to µ4/3? I am delaying my next buys to know how a built in EVF will work.
Essentially it’s a matter of miniaturisation. I am told that the X100 VF is only 50% of the VF2. If the coming RF must include a VF2, how big must they be? Will customers accept a bigger (and more expensive camera)?
The other thing I would monitor is FAST AF technology. Will it alllow those coming cameras to make use of legacy 4/3 lenses, and thus merging systems?
One thing that got lost in the hubbub is the Panny 12-50. Is it still on the roadmap?
Let us know when you can, and relax in the meanwhile 🙂
I would happily live with a VF that is 50% of the VF2 if thats all they could package in. If a built-in VF the same size as a VF2 made the body a bit big then I would be happy with a smaller built-in EVF. At least it would be there all the time. Who knows perhaps Oly could also allow a user to put a VF2 on the hot shoe as well just for those occaisions people want an even bigger VF!!
Great job!!!
I know I can trust this site to be the most precise on the web
Now let’s hope for a pro oly soon 🙂
If the 50mm macro maintains the optics and aperture of the 4/3 version, it’s an instant winner.
Thanks for the awesome work, Admin. Enjoy your time off!
+1
If Olympus then releases a new Macro Flash Unit in the size of the new FL300 and a ringflash/twinflash…
Thanks! Admin!!
look like I have to wait for the end of the year to see the real camera….
Admin,
Don’t forget this rumor. The X200 may not be interchangeable and the X300 (interchangeable lens) won’t arrive until next year.
http://photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00YVmt
I’m in the pro photo supply biz…this is from Fuji. They have decided to pursue what they call the serious prosumer market. The plans are that in the fall they will release an X200…a simplifed ‘p&s’ version of the x100. If these cameras do well they plan on the interchangeble lens version sometime next year.
It would be great if Fuji made M4/3 format cameras! The more companies involved, the better for all users!
If Fuji releases a “pro” X100, hopefully it will FEEL like a pro camera and not a plasticky piece of junk. I looked at an X100 a couple of weeks ago and aside from the trick viewfinder was completely underwhelmed.
X200 is p&s… no… 🙁 I was hoping it to be 40mm or 50mm fix lens.
I hope they can get their AF in order 1st. the AF on the X100 is the most frustrating thing I have dealt with in a long time.
Thats an interesting point about the X100. It seems to have great IQ but poor AF performance. Some of us were hoping that Olympus would really improve IQ on the Pens but perhaps the biggest complaint / useability issue with the previous Pens was AF speed/performance and they seem to have done a great job at fixing that. Ideally the E-P3 would have had much improved IQ and AF speed !!! Maybe the E-P4 🙂
Maybe this is the new Pen 😉 Be quick as it hasn’t yet sold 🙂
http://www.blocket.se/stockholm/Olympus_pen_ft_halvformatssystem_34135440.htm?ca=11&w=1
Thank you very very much for your work. Can’t wait to see the pro version of the Panasonic GF!
Grazie admin, ottimo lavoro! e buone vacanze 😉
Great job on all the rumors! But argh! Why more rumours about a pro GF and pro PEN now?? I wanted to buy but now I think I should wait :p. Decisions, decisions…
My thoughts exactly 😀 My point & shoot camera is on it’s last legs so I want to replace it soon with m4/3rds but do not know which to go now. I like the sound of a Fuji body but would it have in body IS? I was thinking of getting a epl1 and building up a lens collection and waiting for an Oly body with built in EVF but if there were to be a Fuji body with a built in EVF but no in body IS and I had a load of non IS Oly lenses I would be very upset.
Thanks Admin for your hard work. I hope you enjoy your rest.
have nice vacation, thx for your work, i’ll stay tuned to see what could be this GF PRO !!!
Admin, enjoy mount Olympus it’s where the gods reside or will it be mount Fuji?
Huge thanks Admin!
“what else should we expect?”
A reworked Olympus 17mm! Tweaked even.
Yeah i really like the 17mm for its size & iq. I dont like the af niose though for vids.
Thank you admin for such a cool site and your efforts. Now that the ‘heats’ are over…The Battle Royale is in the horizon .. the GF PRO vs PEN PRO fixture . 😀 .. Almost sounds like the Cup Finals !
Admin,
first of all, THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.
Although I’ve already preferred Panasonic cameras the m43 definitely helped me to make the right decision. Waiting for my American friend to receive the G3 and bring it to me in Europe.
Thanks again!
Thanks for all of your hard work, admin! You deserve a vacation. 🙂
Great work. Now go somewhere pretty and lie down for a week or two. With your girfriend on one side and a cocktail on the other.
Take it easy.
i think pen pro = AF works perfect with Old 4/3 pro lens.
if pro = E-p3 + integrated viewfinder i think ridiculous pro camera
Not rumors the promised E-50?
admin, You’ve been doing a fantastic job! In the past few weeks, I’ve become absolutely addicted to 43rumors.com. Enjoy your well-deserved vacation!
What about this design?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcram/5891599403/in/photostream
ADMIN… When …When….When on the Panasonic GF Pro body?????????
This year.
THanks!!!!!
The big question I have about the Panasonic GF Pro is whether it will just be an upgrade to the GF1 (I use the word just but I think thats a good thing) or whether it will be a rangefinder style with built in EVF as per the L1/LC1 design. I hope the latter but I am not sure whether that will be the case. If it has the same sensor as the G3 then I will have to think about this. I was leaning toward Olympus but this could be interesting.
I would like to see the Pansonic Pro GF be a move forward for the GF1 to a durable hands-on pro camera. (the exact opposite direction of the GF-2 which is aimed at the phone and point and shoot crowd). I would like to see the soul purpose of this camera to pull a DSLR shooter to its many attributes, its small size and budding lens options.
More manual controls, better dynamic range, faster and more sensitive focusing, still-photographer oriented (want to primarily shoot video?..buy the GH2…on this GF model…video should be waaaay secondary).
Also…it could include a rangefinder style viewfinder or Panasonic could release a well designed (not like the OIympus tumor) high-resolution optional viewfinder at the time the camera is released.
Either way….it would be like Christmas morning!!!!!!
In black:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcram/5891647689/in/photostream
Marc
Not a bad effort. I could see something like that. If they manage to package in an EVF in a body that size I wouldnt mind if there was no flash at all. Just a hot shoe. I think most enthusiasts would be happy to use an external flash – otherwise Oly could always put in the box that new little accessory flash that comes with the E-PM1 and E-PL3. That saves the need to take up body space for a flash.
Thanks. All they really have to do is make the body taller (which I have done in photoshop). Weather sealing and metal covering are controdictory, so I hope they put a nice grippy rubber material. I also included three stacked knobs for iso, aperture, and shutter speed.
Thanks for the great job!
I love the new Olympus cameras, but WHY is Olympus forcing us to buy a kit lens. Its obvious to me that they are either neglecting the serious pro photographers (although the Pen 3 is high-end), or they have a Pen pro version coming. The new 12mm is the only lens I truly consider a pro lens. Let’s hope for more like it! Im also hoping the Pen 3 is quieter than the E-PL2!
mindlessbuttonmasher:
Just wait a few months. Olympus generally offers bodies without the kit lens a few months after the announcement.
Enjoy the break, this page is remarkable, you’ve done an amazing job. This site is as much a credit to the m43 system as continuous auto focus. Keep up the good work.
lol 🙂
Try finding out something about the anounced participation of Schneider Kreuznach, please :-).
Haven’t heard a single bit since the anouncement.
Will that end up as further new mount for yet another range of cine lenses?
Thank you for all your excellent and reliable work, Admin! Enjoy your holiday!
With the Olympus Pen “Pro” or whatever it is to be called – I really hope that Olympus has a better sensor lined up for it. I think it would be a bit disappointing if its the same 12 MP sensor as the others. Now that the AF is ‘fixed’ they really need a high end model with IQ that can challenge dSLRs. Here’s hoping. At the very least they need something like the G3 or GH2 sensor.
Here’s my improved potatoshop.
http://imagebin.org/161050
liked it…but the flash should be centered & the EVF should be 2MP moved to the right alittle bit more. There should be a PC socket on the side of the EVF (how come nobody ever thinks of the PC socket?)
i guess it it because of the number of flash and usage in this system. Many m43 users don’t use external flash guns, well at least not as often as the combination of aps-c or ff DSLR and flash gun.
If you look at the main rivals within the ordinary DSLRs, the three digits serie of canon and the four digits serie of nikon, these cameras don’t have built in PC socket as well. Some may say the GH2 is the pro grade m43 camera, then why doesn’t GH2 have the PC socket? The answer is pretty simple, it is targeting the hybrid DSLR market, where the usage of external flash gun are limited. A constant light source will be more suitable in this case.
Anyway, don’t take my words for granted, I’m no expert, just a guy with lot of thoughts.
Maybe because the pc socket is one of the worst designed connectors. Granted the hot-shoe is only marginally better. Phono-plug would be a lot better than pc-sync.
In terms of the GH-2, I’ve said for some time, that Panasonic just doesn’t get flash, and Olympus in general just doesn’t get video. It would be nice if we could somehow take the good features of each to make a single camera.
The mockup that is shown at the start of this thread is not bad at all. I think that Olympus for a Pen rangefinder need to come up with a design that is not too retro. Something inspired by something like the 35SP with an all black design but a modern interpretation of it. Almost like a cross between a 35SP and the Panasonic L1 in terms of black metallic top plate but a more textured lower grip part (casting?). I think they should not go for chrome metatllic retro look as per the E-P3. Its great to have one camera like this but I dont think it would suit this sort of camera which needs to be able to compete with entry level dSLRs to show that a high performance camera doesnt need to have a faux dSLR shape but that it has a functional style built from film rangefinders but with a more modern take on it with an EVF. If they go too retro then Olympus will only be seen as the retro company. Just my opinion.
The fake PEN PRO looks like my Epson R-d1.
Hey would you mind letting me know which web host you’re utilizing? I’ve loaded your blog
in 3 completely different web browsers and I must say
this blog loads a lot quicker then most. Can you recommend a good web hosting provider at a reasonable price?
Thank you, I appreciate it!
I have a nikon camera and nothing looks fine me rather than nikon camera