Panasonic 14-140mm MegaOIS (M43rds) priced at $850

And we have some breaking news for Micro Four Thirds fans, the Panasonic 14-140mm MegaOIS lens is now listed at Amazon for pre-ordering purposes at the price of $850. The shipping estimate at Amazon is "2 to 5 weeks", but since this is a "floating" estimate, don't hold your breath for "2 to 5" weeks :)

Given the price of the GH1 kit at $1500, it puts the GH1 body only at $650 - assuming of course that there is no "kit discount", which is not usually the case. The G1 itself (blue or red) has settled around $650. However, the GH1 is not yet available as a body-only option, so this is all academic :)

From a "strategecizing" point of view, this is a smart move, as the Olympus E-P1 users may be looking for a telephoto lens but not want to get the GH1 body. Of course they have to wait, since neither the GH1 nor the 14-140 are currently shipping.