Nikkei just released some info about the 2014 Panasonic camera strategy:
– Panasonic will launch five new (fixed lens) compact cameras. That’s exactly the half amount of the cameras released in 2013
– These compact cameras will cost around $300 or more. Focus is on high-magnification zoom cameras
– Main focus of the company will be on the mirrorless interchangeable market.
– Panasonic will also launch a device capable of capturing 4K ultra-high-definition video (it’s now in development).
– Panasonic is working to increase the sales of lenses (also for surveillance cameras)
– Panasonic anticipates a second consecutive year of losses for its digital camera business in fiscal 2013 on the back of weak sales of compact offerings. Global digital camera sales are expected to shrink by over 2 million units this fiscal year to about 4 million.
Mirrorless strategy summary: In short this means Panasonic will now focus on making a breakthrough in the more profitable high-end amateur or pro market. A 2.500 Euro “cheap” GH4 with 4K recording and modular design is the one camera that should allow this. On the other side the focus goes on the supertiny GM mirrorless camera and lens development. Overall it’s going to be a challenging time for all digital camera makers. The economic crisis and the “natural” slow down of the digital camera market are hitting hard on all companies balance.
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link found via Photorumors.
33 Responses
Any news on the organic sensors with the improved IQ, DR?
not coming in 2014!
I hope one of these new cams is the Lx7 successor and that it has a 2/3 sensor.
GM1 with lens is still not pocketable enough for me and I didn’t like the lens on the RX100 while the one on the Lx7 was awsome.
I agree, but I would prefer a GM alike but with fixed prime lense for real compactness.
Exactly! Like the GM1 + Panasonic 20mm pancake, but as a compact camera instead of an interchangeable lens camera. Would result in an even smaller camera (and lower cost perhaps than buying the two individually?).
+1
2/3″ sensor rocks (Fuji XQ1)!
Combine it with a F1,4(!) 25-100 mm zoom lens with included filter thread and optional petal shaped lens hood.
Battery 500+ shots (CIPA).
Big EVF with 2+ MP.
Dedicated exposure compensation dial.
Dedicated aperture ring with 1/3 increments with marks (Sony RX10).
Big buttons.
Rubberized handgrip.
Weatherproofed.
Tripod mount along the lens axis.
Battery/card accessible when mounted on tripod.
All matt black (no glittering metal buttons)!
Cheers 🙂
4K of little or no interest to me, I even wonder if there is that much of a future for 4K television, 3D bombed and the vast majority of TV viewers don’t even see the benefit of HD television as it is, so where is the point in developing 4K while so much more could be spent on improving the current systems.
For the next few years, people with 4K TVs will spend most of their couch-potato time watching upscaled content. But if you’re lucky enough to have a GH4 and rein-back shallow depth-of-field so all the pixels are sharp, then your visiting friends can be bowled over….
As over 95% of TV/Cable consists of REPEATS and will do for ever, due to cost, not technology. Then you have to face up scaling for the rest of your life. As for blu ray. Re mastered up scaled from old movies seems to sell as well as new HD movies many of which are total crap and only sell because the advertising budget dwarfes the production budget.
REPEATS on TV are upscaled or as they were. Why the need for a new standard?
4K is not the same as 3D. 4K caters to everyone and isn’t limiting like 3D TV’s. They just have to make them cheaper and more efficient. It actually benefits film viewing. You really have to see it first hand and compare it side by side with 1080p (on a really big screen). You’re basically saying we shouldn’t have gone full HD because 3D was a fad. Most consumers can’t see the benefits of full HD due to lack of full HD content. But those with blu-ray players with full HD movies can vouch that it does make a difference. (or maybe play a Wii and Wii U on an HDTV and you’ll see)
And 4K downscaled to 2k will look better than native 2k or HD. So even if your delivery isn’t 4k, it still has advantages.
The difference between Blue Ray(Full HD)and DVD don’t make a movie more enjoyable to watch on TV. Seeing the nostril hairs and comedos of an actor in a very detailed way isn’t particularly a great source of enjoyement, IMHO 🙂
Can’t wait to see how those nostrils hairs and comedos look in 4K!
On a more serious way, I didn’t enjoyed The Hobbit because it was too detailed. As a result, Gandalf’s stick looked like cheap plastics, the dwarves beards looked fake,all looked like if it was filmed with cheap video. This is the paradox of 4K : too much resolution takes the magic away, IMHO. Could be nice for documentary, though.
I believe things looked less “film like” in the hobbit because it was played back in some locations at 48 frames per second instead of what we usually see in movies which is 24 frames per second. Resolution isn’t what made it look strange.
Th Hobbit on Blue Ray at 24p on my TV looks fantastic. Can I tell it was shot on digital? Yes… but it doesn’t look like “cheap video”. This is why I avoided watching the 48fps release.
4K today has high value in the production of 2K content. This is fueling the development.
They should keep the lx7, fz200, tz40 and FT tough cameras and throw the rest out to the archives of history then focus on m43.
lx, fz, tz, ft series = 4 models + lf series = 5 models, which is exactly the number announced by panasonic. No fixed lens camera with 4/3 sensor (why shoot the gm1 in the foot?), no 1″ sensor compact (I guess panasonic is not keen to invest into a new production line, that would compete with and undermine the sales of its 4/3 sensor cameras). Still, you (almost) got your wish.
> “- These compact cameras will cost around $300 or more. Focus is on high-magnification zoom cameras”
That is a pity, as I’d like to see see a compact camera with a fairly standard zoom range (even a 24-70mm FF equivalent would be just fine) or even a prime lens (say a 35mm or 50mm FF equivalent), *BUT* with a 1 inch or 4/3 sensor (so a bigger sensor than the LX7 or LF1, but still keeping a small total size for the camera), something to compare in quality with a Sony RX100 or exceed it.
… I mean lone samurai almost got his wish, not you (david peterson) – or me (personally I would love to see some more small cameras with 1″ sensor; currently the rx100 has no competitor, and, no, the nikon 1 is neither small enough, not good enough in terms of iq/low light ability to be a competitor).
Yeah the RX100 is quite impressive, shows what can be done with a small body and a 1 inch sensor. A big step up from the standard “point and shoot” cameras, but still keeping some of the benefits of small size & cost (well…. kind of, but getting more competitors to the RX100 should help with this). Could even have a 4/3 sensor perhaps, as after all there are APS-C compact cameras such as the Nikon Coolpix A, so why not a 4/3 compact camera?
“capable of capturing 4K ultra-high-definition video (it’s now in development).”
Why is it in development?
The “experts” who comment here say it’s already built in and just needs releasing with a firmware upgrade!!!!!!!!.
Don’t Panasonic know any thing?
I wonder if they have to increase the system’s reliable bitrate from 72MB before the 4K quality is sufficient…
Maybe to make an h.265 encoder chip so we can still use SDHC cards and get Prores 4444 quality from much lower bitrates?
lossing money 2 years ahhqahha panasonic please leave the photography buisness please do a favor to himanity! start making tourntables the only thing u maje well
Panasonic, hurry up and fix my microwave. Still in warranty. Thanks.
Best post in months.
You win the internet today.
Um, Panasonic has been making video cameras a long time, longer than you’ve been living apparently, judging from your level of humor.
I don’t know if anyone in the camera world has noticed, but world economy kind of sucks right now. Has for a while.
When I looked at the Photorumors source of this information I did not see any reference to these new compacts being either high magnification or that Pany will focus on GM and lenses but maybe admin knows a lot more as he also runs Photorumors?
I think suggestions by posters that these 5 lines to continue will be the TZ,FZ,LX,FT, and LI makes sense as these are selling well and special niches with some of the best quality on the market. My guess is FZ 2.8 model might get additional reach like F2.8-4 24-1000mm, also I hope they give the LI a higher resolution EVF and I would like to see a LX with 1″ sensor but not likely.
I do like the rumor that Pany will put emphasis on the small GM1 and that to me means a equally small GM2 with EVF and hotshoe likely in the works. Maybe Pany will finally see it is not profitable to continue efforts on the G and GH series. Not that there is anything wrong with their capabilities, only people are not buying them except on fire sales. One only has to look at the most recent camera sales worldwide figures to see that DSLRs and similar shaped cameras sales including the GH3, EM5, etc are declining in favor of smaller models hence the sales.
As has been noted elsewhere the problem is most people already have a camera with sufficient capabilities and IQ for their needs so makeovers with incremental improvements will no longer sell and new models must offer something unique and special as the GM1 does.
FTA and cable are all repeats of programs made to earlier standards. They are all up scaled for todays HDTV. Possibly will be for the rest of your life.
So it is reckoned here that everybody should have a 4k TV so they can see up scaling of the already up scaled repeats. Don’t forget that you, again, are imposing cost on those that have no interest.
Also where is the sense of artistry? Watching something that mucks up the directors art when they produced acclaimed output in old formats, FPS and resolutions.
And. You claim to be “artists” and “directors” shame on you.
if it’s under $3000 it’ll sell boatloads. the main problem with 3D was glasses. the main problem with 4k is the lack of content. this camera will help solve that problem.
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