Panasonic Japan announced that the new 14-140mm MFT lens will ship from May 30. This is a nice lens, lighter, faster, cheaper than the previous 14-140mm lens. You can preorder the new lens at Amazon (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and at Wex UK (Click here).
Panasonic financial report:
And now let’s talk about the latest financial report issued by Panasonic. First the bad news: Panasonic reported a near-record net loss of 754bn yen ($7.5 bn) for the fiscal year through March due to restructuring costs and falling sales. And now the good news: Panasonic forecast a return to profitability this year as it cuts unprofitable businesses. This means that they pull away from consumer electronics and this likely includes the compact camera business. And now guess what business is doing best at Panasonic…come on guess…here it is: “washing machines and refrigerators, and the division it dubs “eco solutions”, which makes light fixtures, toilets, ceiling fans and other household fittings” (Source AJ).
In short, last year at Photokina Panasonic clearly stated that they want to go focus on the camera “high end” market. And it is a goal it shares with many other companies including Olympus.
52 Responses
I bought a Panasonic 42″ TV in 2007. Certainly don’t need to upgrade it yet.
I bought an Olympus E-PL1 in June 2010. I don’t really need to upgrade it yet…any issues I have are more to do with the controls or lack thereof…..before that I bought a new digital every 18 months or so.
So what way forward for these companies? Contraction, niche exploring, constant refinement of existing products….bound to be some more company mergers along the way as well. If I was Panasonic? I’d sell the division, quick as….
Good for you for needing to upgrade, but this is not targeted at people that already own the original 14-140mm. There’s nothing wrong with making an existing product lighter, smaller and cheaper as well as more competitive. Many are wishing for a MKII of the 20/1.7.
My comment was referring to the lens. It was referring to the situation that Panasonic and other companies will find themselves in. The market eventually becomes saturated, and upgrades are needed less frequently. They have large, inflexible organisations, and reducing demand for their products. What to do?
iPhones! My first line was to read “I wasn’t referring to the lens”!
haha go to profit, with what? updated plastic rims on their lenses after two years?
(maybe that explain why the lens is 0.2f ‘faster’ as it is more leightweight? ;-))
Yeah, I see a lot of effort is put by Panasonic to R&D – wish just they prices would be higher. I gladly pay for this investment…. competition (Fuji/Sony/Ricoh) has ZERO offerings in this price range…
oh, wait
what was the name of that other company that made a mk 2 of a lens and it was faster, smaller, better focusing, sturdier and supposedly sharper?
Oh yes i remember! No one
The image stabilization with POWER OIS is twice as effective as the earlier MEGA OIS and the focus speed frame rate is now 240 FPS with compatible cameras like the GH3 and G6. This is in addition to the reduced weight, new style and New optics.
How are you think about next game ??
Oly play with PDAF
Pany do not support PDAF
Well , I am not sure that Olympus have come up with any true solution for PDAF yet , Nikon with their 1 series seem to have the best options yet in mirrorless. Then there is the issue of Olympus FT users who need a way to fully utilise all thst lovely glas, which is a market that Panasonic do not need to waste any resources on , I am pretty sure that Panasonic will be working on their solution for C-AF a real weakness of our system.
Ken
Canon, Nikon, Pentax … but you forgot to mention that they also nearly double the price.
Makes a lot of sense – I have used a Panasonic toilet with great success on several occasions 🙂
Interesting, though, if this is true: Which way forward for Leica compacts ?? After Fuji and Panasonic, who would they go to ?? Maybe Olympus, since they already share the Visoflex (VF-2) and flash control system (4/3 and m4/3) ?? But then again, the Zuiko brand is very well regarded…
Leica going to Olympus? HAHAHA!!! People here sure do dream a Lot. How about this, Go take some pics instead of spewing nonsense.
Leica compacts are now produced by Panasonic, the company that is best at making washing machines and fridges. So, what is so strange about what he said?
500pce per month ??? ..would like to see the production line “at panasonic”
->they want to go focus on the camera “high end” market.
it so hard and may integrate PRO-Camera ,they will make new plan,
new service ,staff team,new tech cam such as new sensor and more PRO accessories
support.
and now please release new RF MFT 😉
On B&H is says: “Expected availability: August 15 2013”
Although without 12 mm it is useless anyway.
Yep. 28-280mm equiv is a totally redundant focal range. Or, I guess you could buy a 12mm if that’s all that matters to you?
Combine it with the nice Olympus 12 mm f2.0 black.
Another $800? And then buying a travel zoom to change it all the time with another lens (in rain and dust etc) for about 50% of shots?
Thanks, but I’ll pass.
11-110 range would be SO MUCH more useful it is not even funny. Or even 11-70. f/2-f/4, while we at it. 🙂
That’s the thing about useful it is a matter of opinion, nothing wrong with yours lol. Personally I do not like the wide-angle perspective any wider than 28mm FF equiv , and for me by the time you get to the 7mm end of the 7-14 the shots all look this same , for me it is an over used cliche in the same way that shallow DOF can be way overdone. I have found the 14-140 combined with either my 20mm or 25mm to be an almost perfect travel combo , when you balance focal range, weight convenience ( a lot less lens changes ) ,decent performance especially for video ( my main interest ) . That’s the good thing with mFT we have lots of choices and the best thing is that our own choices are always right ( at least for us lol )
Ken
11-110 would be more useful to YOU. I rarely need to go that wide, and would prefer it if it was 14-150 or more.
What you need is the panny 12-35 mm
There is no future for compacts. Smartphones will eat them quickly. Even now, there are smartphones with the same size of sensor (or bigger) like in compacts. Nokia N8 had sensor 1/1.63” size, Sony want to produce smartphone with 1/1.5” or 1/1.6” sensor, Nokia 808 Pure View has sensor 1/1.2” (and plan Lumia EOS smartphones, with big sensors and OIS).
The only way is to escape to bigger size of sensors – like Sony RX100 or escape to mirrorless market.
+1
The most funny is that not even smartphones, but also tablets. Mostly noticeable on sightseeing tours. How can someone do a photography with a tablet?! 🙂
It’s actually easier than with the tiny LCD on the back of most other cameras, as long as you are comfortable with the FL and depth of field.
Your question is similar to a painter using oils slagging off someone doing pencil sketches…..it’s all photography, how you “do it” is up to you.
You are right. I just find it kinda funny to do a photography with a 10″ tablet having a tiny camera. 😀
Don’t worry…I think it looks weird too. But it is kinda the ultimate in WYSIWYG, as many iPad users will never view the image on any other medium.
lol, imagine doing street with a tablet. You might actually get unexpected results.
Dude, Don’t underestimate tablets. I see people shoot with those things all the time, and actually they’re kinda great for elder people since the screen is large.
How Stupid they look..
In the city, you can constantly see people walk by them, Joking. It’s like “LOOK!!! I’M A TOURIST, CLOWN ME!!” when you see them.
Besides, it will never catch on. The majority of shooters still use entry level DSLR’s.. Plus you’ll see more DSLR’s in the rain and not one Tablet.
In fact, I see more Mirrorless cameras than tablets.
Have you ever been an elderly person?
I don’t think so with such a stupid statement.
What about the arm shake at full arm extension and no ibis. Think first.
The Photography would would be a dark one…
HOWEVER…
The world of photography isn’t. Ibis isn’t the end all.
If your 125 years old and all the bones shake and the soft bits that hold them together shake then IBIS is the worlds most important thing.
Because there are people in the world that view Photography as Art, and not as a quick pic from a Smartphone or iPad.
Your view is much too much narrow-minded. There is powerful creative iphonography Art around the world. http://500px.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=iphone
Simply stating that there are people that want more out of photography than just taking a pic with a smartphone or tablet.
No information about the Panasonic 14-42mm II?
i promised to quit smoking…
I did…
they need to stop including lens hoods and release limited edition silver lenses to return to profit
I know you’re kidding, but I would honestly consider paying extra for a 20mm that looked as good as the Oly 12/17/75…
I could care less what the lens looks like , well I draw the line at pink , the only thing the 20mm needs is a wee bit quicker AF , not that it ever bothers me lol but it will stop all the moaning
So, you do care somewhat?
“I could care less” is a US English expression and a case of ‘sarcastic inversion’. It means the opposite of what it says.
Compare with replying to something with “yeah, tell me about it”, which actually means “don’t tell me about it (because I already know all about it)”.
I could care more.
“I could care less” is just another stupid way for Americans to bastardise English. If they need to put their own stamp on the English language all the time, why don’t they just invent their own language instead of ruining someone elses?
What does that mean: “Monthy production volume: 500 this”?
With a 20mm 1.4 with O.I.S.
All they have to do is Make the GX1 a little larger with built in viewfinder that rotates up/down, GH2/3 sensor (either one), waterproof both lens/body and they can charge me $1500.00.
Any lens maker can deliver a 12-70 F2,with optical quality like the Olympus 35-100mm F2 43 version ,.i would gladly pay $2500-$3000 ,.
Yes.
BUT.
As they will make and keep the prototype that leaves only you to pay for the production one of the 2 made. Cost, add several 0s to your earlier estimate.
So, its the 30th, did these lenses start shipping?
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