mirrorless

Olympus OM-D E-M5

7 February 2012

Just like the m43 people say… it’s been crazy over the past 3 months for the mirrorless market… the Sony Nex-7 which was supossed to be released last year is now fully shipping (and everyone is reviewing it of course). Then the Nikon D800, the Fuji X PRO 1 for real enthusiasts and tomorrow… Olympus OM-D E-M5!

Olympus OM-D-E-M5 with power battery holder
Olympus OM-D-E-M5 with power battery holder

Actually, besides the form factor which rescues the legendary OM Olympus series (which has been leaked repeatedly over the past few days) there won’t be any big surprises from the Japanese manufacturer….

The main characteristics are more of an upgrade… 16Mpx  4/3 Live MOS Sensor, an EVF which everyone has been asking for years, a 3.0-inch tilting OLED screen… but no built-in flash (boboooo) and the logic upgrades on image & video quality.

black & silver models
black & silver models

Tomorrow we’ll get to know all the juicy details (prob via m43rumors) but some price leaks have also started to appear… and go from the 1100€ for the body to the 1300€ if adding the 12-50mm lens. So now that there’s a wide range of high-end mirrorless cameras… which one are you gonna go for? Or will you wait for Panny? (because that new Pentax K-01 is a bit horrible…).

and some accessories
and some accessories

 (photos via m43rumors)

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Fuji XPro-1

6 January 2012

Still one month to go before Fuji’s new compact mirrorless and interchangeable lens camera system is officially announced. And now that only Canon from all big Japanese camera manufacturers is left (if ever) to release their own system, and the m4/3 association seems outdated, Fuji will be trying luck with their new system after the success of their Finepix X100/10 series.

X-Pro1 - one of the first images leaked by French mag Reponses Photo (via mirrorless)
X-Pro1 - one of the first images leaked by French mag Reponses Photo (via mirrorlessrumors)

A retro design approach that should include (if we are to believe the information leaks) a camera with a custom-developed 16-megapixel APS-CMOS sensor, a 2nd gen. hybrid viewfinder, a new propietary X-mount and 3 lenses to be released with the body next March: 18mm (27mm equivalent) f/2.0, 35mm (53mm equivalent) f/1.4 and 60mm (90mm equivalent) f/2.4.

It seems like the Camera+35mm lens kit will cost 1.300 Euro and the other 2 should be around 600€ each… pretty expensive for a compact mirrorless system (considering how other companies are marketing theirs), at the same time we have to consider this camera will not be playing in the same league as Panasonic, Olympus, Nikon and certainly not Pentax.

Fujifilm-X-Pro1-camera-top
Fujifilm-X-Pro1-camera-top

A much more ambitious system that could easily challenge the well-received NEX-7. More newz this next Monday (and more leaks of leather case + flash this way).

(photos via photorumors)

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GX1 evolution…

9 November 2011

In the never ending race of megapixels, Autofocus speeds & shrinking bodies Panasonic had until very recently the lead when it comes to mirrorless hot & performing cameras. Nikon attempted not very long ago with the introduction of their very own mirrorless system, and for the prosumers the big winner is the upcoming (after floods & all) NEX-7. So Panny had to play catch up….

And even if a true GF1 successor has been awaited for… years it hasn’t been until now that micro 4/3 enthusiasts can claim having a decent option. No E-viewfinder, no detachable screen but…. such compact X-model lenses….

Of course we’re comparing two different things here, GX1 is primarily (and as described by one of Panasonic’s American product managers) a GF1 replacement for GF1 owners… (bad move here?), what changes? Basically the sensor (16-megapixel Live MOS existing in the G3), new image-processing engine, better autofocus….and some nice-to-haves of course: programmable buttons, touchscreen with new interface, an in-camera level gauge, new grip…etc etc.

A model that maybe arriving too late (with too little enhancements?), but that will hopefully see many more sucessors in the new GX series. Should be available early next year apparently (not in time for Christmas) for just above £760 … and while you wait we suggest you visit popco’s website with better pics & videos.

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Big hands

22 September 2011

You know what they say… big hands…. big camera. Although for Nikon I personally think using the expression “big hands” to promote their mirrorless cameras (V1 & J1) isn’t a very fortunate choice.

After years (literally) speculating with the possibility of the big photo brands (Canon, Nikon…) releasing their own tiny mirrorless systems Nikon unveiled yesterday a couple of (quite thick) models under their new category Nikon1: the V1 & J1:

Nikon1 J1 and V1
Nikon1 J1 and V1

After a “viral” campaign which has brought these famous massive papier mâché hands to several European cities their dedicated website finally went live unveiling a bit of a disappointment after such a long wait.

The J1 & V1 could be great competitors for the GF1 if they had been released at that time, as for today… they seem a bit outdated in terms of design. Specswise the V1 packs a 10-megapixel CMOS sensor, EVFinder, Full HD video (1080p) recording .. for around 900$ while her smaller sister J1 takes the EFV & port out but adds a built-in flash leaving it on $650 (both with 10-30mm lens included).

Nikon1
Nikon1

Still too early to judge Nikon’s new system with a slightly smaller sensor than that of  Panasonic & Olympus’ micro 4/3 and own technological enhancements (claim to have the fastest image processor system in the world). At least we got to judge the “big hands” campaign…. not too effective.

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NEX-7

25 August 2011

This, is not an ad ok? And it’s not a toy camera neither (ha, wish it were for the price). It’s the ultra-expensive new model from Sony’s NEX mirrorless line which has been generating a LOT of buzz for the past few weeks.

Maybe because it’s been expected for years like a prodigal son. Pretty much since Panasonic introduced the GF1 there hasn’t been a decent successor oriented to a more enthusiast consumer (not necessarily PRO) with a pocket big enough to spend 1200$ but too small to carry a huge DSLR.

And here it is, the NEX-7 packs all those features you typically find on a DSLR but in a tiny body… an Exmor CMOS sensor (24.3 MP…probably too much), an OLED Electronic View Fider, decent manual controls, and all the miniaturing obsession benefits started by the M4/3 association.

The problem obviously comes with the price… 1200$ for the body only & $1350 for the pack with an 18-55mm lens (yesterday they refused to say the final UK price but we discovered today Jessops will be offering it  at£1000 and £1150 with such black lens). Too much indeed, but that’s what you nearly pay today for Fuji’s FinePix X100….

The beast will be released next November… and only if Sony could make lenses as compact as Panasonic’s upcoming X series… this would be an amazing combination don’t you think?

Now it’s time for me to shut myself away for the next 5 years… I’ll probably have saved some money by then.

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