This was a very busy week! And here are the rumor/news highlights to remember:
Links to the two new MFT cameras:
We had two new MFT camera announcements. Here are the preorder links for US. I still haven’t found EU preorder link options 🙁
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema camera specs and preorders at Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
Panasonic GF6 specs and preorders at t Amazon (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here).
Olympus E-P5 and E-PL6:
There is an Olympus announcement scheduled for early May. There will be a new E-P5 with no built-in EVF and likely same OMD sensor. It comes in black, silver and white and with the 17mm f/1.8 lens or with the 14-42mm.
There maybe also a new E-PL6 with small improvements over the previous E-PL5.
Panasonic G6 and LF1:
In late April Panasonic will announce the G& and the premium compact and fixed lens camera named “Panasonic LF1”. it has a built-in viewfinder.
Panasonic affordable lenses:
Panasonic showed their charts about the current Mirrorless sales and also said that they want to focus on the development of affordable lenses: http://www.43rumors.com/panasonic-wants-to-focus-on-affordable-lenses/
Metabones MFT adapter:
They have been delayed and will now come in late Summer: http://www.43rumors.com/metabones-speed-booster-adapter-for-mft-delayed/
That was a hell of a week! And there are plenty of new rumors and news to come the next week too!
For sources: Sources can send me anonymous info at 43rumors@gmail.com (create a fake gmail account) or via contact form you see on the right sidebar. Thanks!
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Kenmorecamera still sells the GF5 for an incredible low price:
1) $169,00 for the [shoplink 37946 ebay]Black body only (Click here)[/shoplink]
2) $217,90 for the [shoplink 37947 ebay]Red body with kit lens (Click here)[/shoplink]
54 Responses
Ep5 in early may means July, August in stores in Europe ?
@Admin: Any news about the best mFT camera ever from Panasonic which you mentioned some days ago? Is it the desired L1-sytle high-end camera with integrated EVF? When will it be announced?
I have a feeling it will be the GX2 with integrated EVF, GH3 sensor, and perhaps more. …Weather-sealing? Hybrid autofocusing? Probably not, but at least a rangefinder-style EVF camera would finally hush the multitude of critics on this blog who claim they “need” it. In any case, that design should be interesting nonetheless. What makes m43 so great are the options.
that @admin claim it will be best MFT?.
admin
3 days ago | Reply
No, the prefect camera for me is coming in a few months 😉
MarcoSartoriPhoto
3 days ago | Reply
Admin: OMD-Pro? 😉
admin
3 days ago | Reply
nope…a Panasonic. More about it soon on 43rumors. All I can say..it’s the best MFT ever 🙂
Lots of rumours, but still nothing about the camera we have been asking for 3 years now. Fuji and Sony got the message, but Olly and Panny? Come on, how hard can it be?
There are three glaring drawbacks in the micro four thirds world:
1) An RF styled body with built in EVF
2) A PDAF solution for fast AF on moving objects
3) Fast long glass
I know that 3) is dependent on 2), but surely Olly or Panny could sort 1) out quickly! And some indication on whether they are seriously working on a PDAF solution would be appreciated. Getting sick of the lack of progress on these issues frankly.
PDAF/CDAF hybrid autofocus is much more beneficial than a “rangefinder-style” camera with integrated EVF. If you really need an EVF, you can slap one on a GX1. True, it won’t be exactly the same thing, but at least there’s an option for it. Right now, there is no option for a PDAF/CDAF autofocus mechanism.
Yeah, I already have an EVF slapped on an E-PL1. Have done for about 3 years. I think 3 years is long enough to put up with such a set-up. On this website, users have been clamouring for an RF styled body since the GF1 and E-P1. The NEX-7 and Fuji range took a lot of m43 users out of the format. Yet Olly and Panny still don’t get it.
Hæææææh,… The first M43 camera hadd EVF (Panasonic G1), and now Olympus have E-M5 over one year, RF style is for fixlens camera and not zoom so Fujifilm X100S.
Suit yourself…..personally I want an RF styled body for my small primes. Each to their own.
In what camera has the hybrid pdaf actually worked?
Haven’t tried one myself, but apparently the Nikon 1 series implementation is pretty good. Of course it won’t be good enough for you, because nothing is.
Youre wrong. Cdaf is good enough for me, its not good enough for you since you insist on another method sooo who isnt content with anything?
The nikon 1 system uses cdaf and rarely pdaf, slap on a nikkor and af goes down the drain. It sucks on the eos m, sucks on the sony and didnt do much for fuji. Why do you want it so much?
What? Not that dont agree but who are you talking to?
Lisandra: CDAF being “good enough” for you doesn’t make me wrong. It just means you are happy with your camera and its CDAF, for your uses. I like MF too, whoop-de-doo.
In my first post above, I was pointing out that a hybrid AF solution is missing in the m43 system. Personally, I am mostly happy with the slug slow AF from my E-PL1, because I understand it and use it appropriately.
But, if I was trying to photograph birds in flight, or fast moving sports with long lenses? No way would I choose m43 as it stands. (nor would I choose a Nikon 1, because while it’s PDAF is apparently OK when the camera selects it, as you point out, it often chooses CDAF instead).
What I am trying to point out is that currently, most of the improvements in the format are iterative. There will be a quantum leap once they manage to produce a really good hybrid AF system. Obviously it is quite a difficult engineering problem, but it would be nice if they kept us updated on progress and issues.
Another issue is that any fast telephoto lenses already in production will need to be re-designed once a hybrid solution is found. And there will be the problem of m43 being a “standard format” then, because perhaps the lenses won’t be as readily interchangeable between companies, new lenses won’t be great on old bodies/old lenses won’t be great on new bodies etc.
Until I know where they are going with hybrid AF, I’m limiting my investment in the format, and this possibly is limiting my growth as a photographer.
Don’t get me wrong. I like the format, I like the compact nature of the system. It has some great lenses, great bodies, and gives a lot of choice. It doesn’t quite cover every need though, not yet.
Still grand total of 0 rumors for G6, presumable the best value/price MFT camera. Unbelievable.
yeah, i don’t know what about G line,
Do you like SRL style? but best MFT had RF style .
SLR style usually means better ergonomy (bigger grip, swivelable LCD etc.). As the “no space for my nose” argument cannot stand for smaller bodies like G3/G5/G6 I cannot see any advantages of RF stlyle apart of the so-called retro look.
The advantage of the rangefinder design for right-eye dominant people is that their noses aren’t squished into the LCD screen. For left-eye dominant people like me, it means not having your right thumb jammed into your face when trying to use a small camera with a viewfinder positioned in the center.
BS. You can still have a big grip and swivelable LCD in other type of bodies, look at the NEX line, their grips are noticeably bigger than the Pens and yet their overall volume is the same, there’s also the optional E-P3 grip that makes quite a difference, the PL-1 also has a relatively useful grip, there are countless cameras with swivelable screens (canon Gs, samsungs, etc). None of those features are exclusive to DSRL-shaped cameras, don’t go spreading such nonsense.
As Chris said, there’s also many advantages in a RF-styled camera, Sony and Fuji have seen it, they’ve captured that market, meanwhile in m4/3 people are still arguing about the issue…Why are people so opposed to this idea ? what damage could this do to you ? there’s still going to be DSRL shaped mirrorless, the G and GH lines are going nowhere, this is just a mere feature, it’s as simple as adding the VF-2 components inside the already existing PEN lines, or rather, as simple as moving the darn OMD EVF to the left and get rid of the damn hump (which has nothing to do with the EVF but rather the IBIS). So please, do me a favor, stop spreading such BS again and again.
Hats off to you @kesztió, you’re the most rational of the outspoken on this board.
The G# line was the first Panasonic micro four thirds camera and is THE example through which you can describe advantages of this format over DSLRs. Remember when the G1 was released, the live-view EVF was quite revolutionary and the benefits of live-view had not been fully explored.
Now we have wireless tethering and touchscreen focus amongst a host of other technologies in a small package that simply would not have existed (YET?) without micro four thirds.
Yes, the G3/5 were great value, as the G6 will probably be. I expect small improvements in Build quality, sensor of the GH3, EVF and maybe screen. Nothing groundbreaking, but welcome improvements (together with slightly better AF, JPEG engine, filters,…)
What I really wonder is why in 3 years Olympus couldn’t come up with a G competitor. A camera with an integrated EVF and a reasonable price. As simple as that.
It’s almost four years. Their lineup consists of P&S lookalikes and retro models inspired by 50 year old cameras. No RF shaped body either. Strange.
Earlier Admin said the G6 would be like a cheaper and lighter GH3. My take on this is it will be G5 with GH3 sensor and similar HD video capability, sort of like the smaller body many wanted in the first place. No rumors likely means little change externally.
As for the rangefinder shape versus DSLR the main issue I think is more portability as a small rectangular shape much easier to slip into a pocket or small carrying case with you all the time for travel or hiking and many may use m4/3 as a second camera to complement their existing DSLRs as I do. The hump whatever its size protrudes on the top side and flash and EVF extend further on front and back. I can get almost two rangefinder bodies into space for one DSLR one and in my case the GF1 and compact SZ15/TZ25.
To include the EVF in a rangefinder and still keep it small Pany will have to go to the smaller (0.2″ less height) 16:9 LCD screen as Sony (or Oly Pens) or be bigger like the Fuji models. Note that Pany GF6 has a big advantage over its competition when it comes to LCD viewing screen size inspite of body being just as small.
I wouldn’t expect Oly to be jumping into the rangefinder with EVF models too soon to avoid competition with the Sony NEXs their partner.
Just my two bits
“As for the rangefinder shape versus DSLR the main issue I think is more portability as a small rectangular shape much easier to slip into a pocket or small carrying case with you all the time for travel or hiking…”
+1 !
“I wouldn’t expect Oly to be jumping into the rangefinder with EVF models too soon to avoid competition with the Sony NEXs their partner.”
-1 $
+2 for rangefinder shape advantage
Well look on Fujifilm X-1PRO is big vs X-E1 so is smaller, and if X-E1 have only an AP2 port vs a EVF, will it be still smaller too.
By the way, apropos CDAF/PDAF hybrid autofocus.
The editor of the Hungarian pixinfo.com just said that the focus speed of GF6 is astonishing, even in low light. And the guy particularily is not a huge MFT fan… 😀
ok ,i read it AF-C was incomplete but still AF is very good.
i mean still photo auto-focus is great,that it had version 0.2 fw
i guess version 1.0 will better than this version.
The AF speeds of these new Pany and Oly models is indeed astonishing down to under 0.5 sec in good light and more accurate and less than 1 sec in poor light. I wonder why most review sites like Popular Photography will show you a graph of AF speeds for any DSLR but not for mirrorless models in comparison other than descriptions in the narative as latter speeds are faster than most DSLRs except when it comes to continuous focus? But if SAF is so fast why necessity of using CAF except for video? Cameras like the NEX6 with new hybrid sensor with both CAF and PDAF are slower for CAF and loss of pixels for PDAF lowers the pictures IQ? Pany in contrast is using new processors to speed the refresh rate as an alternative to speed up CAF.
In the end I must than m43rumors for dispelling the illusion I could have a RF-like cam with IBIS.
So I decided to get a display E-M5 for a good price and will stick to that.
I hope that sooner or later Oly will have a change of policy, but I needed a cam with built in EVF and good DR, since even now there is so much Light that my poor E-P2 is challenged.
It will come with a full 2 yrs EU warranty, which is quite an advantage.
I’m nearly at the same point Amalric. The E-M5 isn’t quite the camera I want, but it may end up being the camera I get.
Old companies like Oly have pride, and they try to consolidate their image with a few retro designs. In so doing however the risk divorce between form and function.
We know that the E-M5 is a terrific camera, would it sell too in a different package a’ la RF? this is the question.
I remember the time, half a century ago, when jap. companies defeated Leica with their TTL Reflex – you could have a more performing camera for much cheaper but the shape was different.
Curiuosly it is gone full circle, because makers now see Leica as the epitome of FF mirrorless. So not all hope is lost.
so what our ideal camera?
em5sensor
rangefinder or slr styling?
built in evf and flash
fully articulated lcd
panny menu system
oly jpegs
built in ibis
weather sealed
we want ti look cool when brandishing our wapon
anything else to add?!
You forgot that it has to be black with black lenses, and FREE! 😉
i think the white bodies give me an androgeous look
must be small enough to fit a jeans pocket, but have enough real-estate for 15 programmable buttons and 3 dials!
So what your saying is, we want a m43 version of the nex6, the nex7, the x1 and the xe1
Yeah, that’s what we want
It’s very simple actually
And it would sell
We don’t want the bulk of a DSLR
Shape is not cosmetic. A rectangular prism fits into small bags and large pockets more efficiently.
E-PL5, its joke?
Soory, a lapsus: E-PL6, its joke?
Just bought an E-PL5 couple of weeks ago… kind of frustration if this comes true…
EPL6 had wifi built-in or Bluetooth / NFC
sensor and processor as same EPL5.
But, the E-PL5 havent six month. o.O
Does a new camera announcement suddenly make your current camera worst or unusable? Newer is not always better. Personally, I do not want Wi-Fi, NFC and all this techno-gadgetry in my cameras. It’s useful for some, so those options are being made available through new camera models (iterations).
We must not always assume that a new model number is an actual replacement or successor. It may just be another optional camera model that you can choose to be interested in or not interested in. The thing I would be most disappointed in with such rapid updates is if the newer models were offered at a significantly lower price. But this could also be a negative sign as it could have involved some cost cutting measures which may adversely affect quality.
“Does a new camera announcement suddenly make your current camera worst or unusable?”
+10000000000000000 (and more)
This is something that keeps amazing me.
“Does a new camera announcement suddenly make your current camera worst or unusable?”
Of course not… the E-PL5 is a gem… I’m loving it. You didn’t get it, and I don’t believe it is going to happen… makes no sense.
In the future the improvements will be ‘E-M6 now with twitter, facebook, linkedin. Share your best images with your friends in the social network. So, instragram incoporporated’
I really should, so the NEX-6 and E-M5 down in price and I buy them.
Of course there won’t be a EPL6 – thr Epl5 was ANNOUNCED 7 months ago.. Just a little reality check
I expect you are right Christian , but it has been done Nikon released the D40x within four months of the D40 . Though I cannot see why Olympus would do so with this model. All these Pens and GF models how bloody hard is it to slap an EVF into one lol
JIm
Is there gonna be a camera out soon that has a BIG DICK????
I suspect there are alternative web sites on the Internet for what you’re looking for.
Oh, so F is the new X now?
and the new Olympus lens?