So, while the Interchangeable Lens Compact market has since exploded, with entries now from Nikon, Fuji, and Sony joining Olympus and Panasonic’s sorta-shared sorta-competitor Micro Four Thirds platform, Micro Four Thirds is still the most established name in the game. And if you had any doubts about that left, the announcement of popular lens makers Tamron and Tokina, as well as specialty lens maker ASTRODESIGN, hopping on board with Sigma, Olympus, Panasonic, and Leica to support the going-on-four-year-old system ought to help remove those. There’s not a lot else to announce at this point, as no one has mentioned any coming lenses, but fans of Tamron’s travel superzooms and Tokina’s incredibly popular wide-angle zooms should rejoice in this move. Press release after the jump.
› posts tagged ‘Panasonic’
Panasonic Expands Lumix Line 5 Models, One All-New
More CES love? Aw, shucks, well, sure. This time, it’s Panasonic on the block, with a total of five entries to its Lumix line of compacts. Two are updaes to the SZ series, 2 are updates to the FH series, and one is the new DMC-S2. What’s all that mean, exactly? Well, why not hop on over to Engadget, who not only nabbed the press releases, but some pretty pictures too?
Panasonic Announces 4 Lens Converters For Micro Four-Thirds Kit Lenses
Like your Panasonic 14-42mm or 14mm f2.5 for your G-series interchangeable lens compact, but just wish it had a bit more… flexibility? Luckily, Panasonic feels ya, and has announced four converter lenses that work with one or both of those lenses. Up for grabs are The following:
- Wide-angle converter DMW-GWC1 converts the 14mm (28mm equiv) to 11mm (or 22m equiv)
- Telephoto converter DMW-GTC1 converts the 42mm (84mm equiv) end of the kit zoom to 84mm (168mm equiv)
- Macro converter DMW-GMC1 reduces your minimum focusing distance down to .14m (5.5″), but doesn’t tell how to calculate the change in magnification from such.
- Fisheye converter DMW-GFC1 er, makes things fisheye. A 120 degree one, though.
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- DMW-GWC1
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- DMW-GFC1
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- DMW-GMC1
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- DMW-GTC1
Compatability for them is as follows:
| Converter | LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S | LUMIX G 14mm / F2.5 ASPH |
| Wide-angle | Yes | Yes |
| Telephoto | Yes | No |
| Macro | Yes | Yes |
| Fisheye | Yes | Yes |
Panasonic’s GX1 Is The Pro Update To The GF1 We’ve Been Wanting
It was a very exciting day back in September 2009 when panasonic announced the DMC-GF1, the first entry in the new Micro Four Thirds product range that seemed geared at pro photographers. Unlike Olympus’ consumer-geared Pen series, and Panasonic’s own DSLR-shaped G series, the GF1 was sleek, compact, and full of knobs and buttons, invoking a very rangefinder-esque aesthetic (and as such becoming very popular with shooters who’d been looking for a good body to mount all their old Leica M glass on).
Then, the GF2 came out, and it was a bit less exciting as Panasonic made it clear the line was moving closer to the Pen series. And with the GF3, almost all the controls had disappeared, leaving a lot of shooters feeling a bit unhappy, and longing for a proper replacement to that GF1.
And, today, we finally have it, in the form of a new, third line from Panasonic: the GX1.
For those of you remembering the GFX1 kit, where that X stood for the inclusion of a power zoom lens, you’ll be rewarded to know the X continues to indicate that this body has been optimized for those power zoom, HD video-oriented lenses. And, to support that, the video recording is finally up to a full 1080 AVHCD, being drawn from a new, higher resolution 16 megapixel sensor.
So, what exactly is new in this long-awaited body otherwise? Well, the ISO cap has scooted all the way over to 12,800, it has dual-axis level gauges (as well as an orientations sensors, we hear. The GF1 relied on information from OIS lenses for this, and non-OIS lenses left you rotating your portrait shots yourself), and there’s a new (and improved, we’re guessing) external viewfinder in the form of the DMW-LVF2. The LCD is disappointingly the same size and same resolution (that 460,000 dot resolution has been a bit long in the tooth for a while now), but you do get to add touchscreen now, for what you think that’s worth. Updates to the AF cycle rate also promise AF speeds up to 10% faster than their last generation, and who knows how much faster than the two-gen old GF1.
As for the rest, how about an easy-to-read comparison table of key specs? You got it.
| Spec | GF1 | GX1 |
| Megapixels | 12.1 | 16 |
| Frames per Second | 3 | 4.2 |
| ISO | 100 – 3200 | 100 – 12,800 |
| HD Video | 720 | 1080 |
| LCD | 3″ 460,00 dot | 3″ 460,000 dot |
| Touschscreen | No | Yes |
| Focus | 23 Area | 23 Area |
| Advanced Hotshoe | Yes | Yes |
| Raw | Yes | Yes |
The GX1 will be available in three kits: body only, with regular 14-42mm, and with the new power-zoom 14-42mm, starting maybe sometime next month. More pictures and press release after the jump.
Panasonic generates X series electronically focused lenses
Isn’t there something missing? Naw. It’s just in a collapsed state. Similar to the design of Olympus’s M.Zuiko 14-42 I and II, Panasonic’s LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./ POWER O.I.S. stores itself for enhanced portability and compactitude. Yup, compactitude.
This new designation, X, indicates this and the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. are electronically focused, you know, like camcorders or point and shoots. The GF3x, when it ships, will be a good, wholesome GF3 bundled with the X 14-42.
More photos after the break.
Panasonic GF3 Removes Features, Buttons. Looks Good, Though.
Once upon a time, Panasonic released its third Micro Four Thirds shooter, which departed from the DSLR-styled bodies of the G1 and GH2 in favor of a compact, rangefinder-styled body with a full compliment of manual controls. At the same time, Olympus’ Micro Four Thirds bodies were all clearly aimed at a consumer step-up market, so many pros and serious hobbyists saw the GF1 as an answer to their prayers: a compact, stylish shooter with a full compliment of controls.
Then came the GF2, which seemed to most a step back, streamlining out about half the physical controls and introducing a very point-and-shoot looking four-way controller. It was a little hard to decide what to make of it, since while it had a higher number it seemed rather closer to a step back. And now, today we have the announcement of the GF3 today, and we have to sadly tell you all that the GF series is now a clear-cut consumer line product, aimed squarely at competing with Sony’s extremely tiny NEX series.
I actually just can’t talk about what’s new in this camera without listing what it doesn’t have anymore. Gone are the hotshoe and accessory ports, and with them support for external flashes, optional electronic viewfinders, and Olympus’ very nifty poseable macro light. The stereo mic has been replaced by a mono one. ISO range is down from 100-6,400 to 160-6400, in what counts as the strangest spec revision I’ve veer seen. Oh, and the control wheel under your thumb, which is now a jogwheel around the four-way controller. In exchange for the loss of the hotshoe and accessory port, you get the pop-up flash centered above the lens axis now, and Panasonic once again gets to claim to have the smaller interchangeable lens compact body with a built-in flash.
In the upgrades department, shooting speed is up to 3.8 fps from 3.2. That’s all I got. This is a strange camera to blog about.
At least it’s pretty though, right?
It’ll be available in black, red, white, and one of the best looking browns I’ve ever seen a company decide to use.
Panasonic Announces New Pocket Camcorders, Including Two Rugged Models
So, Engadget is telling me Panasonic has some new camcorder models out. I’ll defer to their obvious expertise and tendency to get press releases on this. There’re five models total, all flavors of pocket camcorder, a la The Flip or the Sony Bloggie series. Two are the traditional pocket design, and three are the “pistol” grip style popularized by JVC models. One of each type is ruggedized, with waterproofiness to 3 meters (which also assures dustproofiness), and some shock protection. The other models are, er, camcorders. They’ll all do 1080p video, though, and your differences range mostly in whether they can weather the weather and whether they have a touchscreen for controls. If you want to know more, we’ll leave you to read Engadget’s succinct analysis.
Panasonic Announces Sleek and Stylish Lumix DMC-FP5 and DMC-FP7 Shooters
I have a soft spot in my heart for cameras with folded-optics and slide-plate covers/on/off switches. I do. And the DMC-FP5 and DMC-FP7 really hit the spot for me.
Now, because beauty is just skin deep, let’s see what these two beauts have to offer in a long-term committed relationship.
The FP5 starts with a 14.1 megapixel sensor mounted behind a 4x optically stabilized zoom. Around back there are no buttons, just a big 3″ touchscreen. There’s a Venus VI processor moving things along, and it can do some nifty cleanup to your people shots including redeye removal, teeth whitening, and it can apply eye shadow. No, really. And, it takes SD/SDHC/SDXC like all forward-looking cameras should.
The FP7 is mostly the same, but it moves you up to a 16.1 megapixel sensor and a hugenormous 3.5″ touchscreen (there’s a slower framerate on the video, though it’s the 24fps instead of 30, so, it’s up to you to decide how you feel about that).
And yes, they both do 720p. More pictures? After the jump.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1 and -S3
I’d just gotten around to noticing a distinct lack of marshmallow-looking cameras in my blood and on our website, so, Panasonic had some pretty good timing with this release. The new DMC-S1 and it’s partner the DMC-S3 are both entry level shooters with a focus on easiness and a design aesthetic that makes me want to play some old Kirby games. But, let’s take a look at what’s wrapped up in that cotton-candy exterior, shall we?
So, the DMC-S1 has a 12 megapixel sensor matched to a 4x zoom that starts at 28mm and has some predictably slow and unremarkable f numbers. It does have proper optical image stabilization, and not that silly electronic IS people are always trying to sell us on. There’s a Venus VI processor humming along in the pipeline, and a 2.7″ LCD around back. And, because in the current market it’d be laughed out of town if it didn’t, it includes the now apparently-requisite 720p movie mode. It’ll be available in blue, black, silver, pink, and bling… er… gold.
The DMC-S3 looks a lot like the S1, as you’d expect, but ups the ante to 14 megapixels, throws in auto-redeye reduction, and comes in blue, red, black, and violet.
Pictures after the jump, but I only have them for one color of each model thus far. Le sigh.
Panasonic Announces GF2, Really Hopes You Wanted A Simpler GF1
Well, I know we’ve been quiet lately, but, we’re going to speak up today to mention that Panasonic has (finally) announced the GF2, the successor to the popular GF1 Micro-Four Thirds shooter. That we can say confidently. What we can also say is the manual mode dial is gone, as are most of the other physical controls, opting instead for a touchscreen interface. Also gone is the kit with the 20mm f1.7, now the prime will be the wider-but-slower 14mm f2.5 (there’ll be a 14-42mm zoom kit, as well, no worries there.) We hear the menus have been redesigned, and early opinions are that this was for the better. And it comes in black, red, or silver now. It’s also 19% smaller and 7% lighter, for what that’s worth.
Otherwise, you’re looking at a 12.1 megapixel LiveMOS sensor, 3″ touchscreen LCD with 460,000 dots, 23 point AF with selectable face tracking (which also switches you to portrait mode), the new Venus FHD engine, dust reduction, full 1080 HD, yadda yadda, you know the drill.
It is sharp looking, though, although we suspect the change from the pro-ready GF1 to the more consumer-friendly GF2 might prove a point of contention. There’s no pricing yet for either kit, and tentative word is they’ll ship around January next year.
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