1001 Noisy Cameras

Interview: Panasonic planning "very high end model"

The interview party continues at Amateur Photographer UK [corrected link] with an interview with a Panasonic director conducted at CP+. The Panasonic dude (if this was the NYT it would have said Mr. Kitao) said they are restructuring and they are planning a "very high-end model". This is a 23-paragraph interview/article, including discussion of autofocusing systems, and sensor sizes.

Panasonic has been a mixed bag when it comes to high end models. Earlier in the digital camera era they produced a series of models to show that they have camera building skills (LC5, L1, L10), and they got Micro Four Thirds photographers excited with the GF1. But since then, none of their models were greeted as liberators...

Speaking of AmPho UK, they have recently launched a beta test of a site redesign, with a more bloggy look.

Fuji X10 ORB fix no fix says DC Resource

DC Resource has been testing the Fuji X10, and the new firmware update came in the middle of their testing, so they were able to do before-firmware-update and after-firmware-update tests to see whether the ORB issue was fixed. Spoiler alert: I can see orbs from my house!

For more on the ORBs, check the ORB Talk Radio in the dpreview Fuji forums.

(ENDED) Discount alert: Lightroom 3 (full version) for $80

The Adorama LR3 special for $80 has ended! If you are looking for Adobe Lightroom 3 (full version), for today (Tuesday February 14, 2012), you can get it for $80 with free shipping and no rebates at Adorama. Limit one per customer at this price.

Speaking of imaging software:
+ ACDSee Pro 5 - free trial or $80 (full version)
+ Corel AfterShot Pro - free trial or $100 (full version) [built by Bibble team]
+ Lightroom 4 BETA - free until March 31st, 2012
+ GIMP - always free
+ ended: + Adobe Special Offers - Elements 10 (Photoshop and Premiere Elements bundle) for $75 (Tue only)

Impact review: Panasonic GX1 at dpreview

Time to shine the spotlight on the Panasonic GX1 as it gets the dpreview review, in a 22-page reviewathon. If you are in a hurry, you can jump to the conclusions before jumping to conclusions. As usual, we won't leak the light here, so be sure to check it out if curious.

Already there is an "official" thread in the dpreview M43rds forum discussing the review.

For more on the GX1, check its list of reviews. In terms of availability, all kits are in-stock at various retailers - see weekend-refreshed GX1 stock status page.

Catching up with the Fujis (X-Pro1, X100, X10, X-S1)

And now it is time to catch up with the Fujis (X-Pro, X100, X10 and X-S1). This post attempts to cover items that were posted during the CP+ Announcement-a-geddon and have not been included in our previous CP+ round-ups...

Fuji X-Pro system
+ real world night and day samples by hpicckcy (pbase) (via dpreview Fuji forum)
+ Fuji updates its own X-Pro1 gallery with new samples (via Foto Actualidad)
+ 10-minute video (YouTube) with @FujiGuys guy talking to Henry's Camera about the X-Pro (first video embedded below)
+ Fuji X-Pro1 avec une Leica lense at Focus Numerique (CP+)
+ short commentary on Fuji X-Pro UK pricing at Sound Image Plus
+ reference: stock status page
+ multiple updates and samples by Brandon Remler (page-down and down at his site to see them all), including a 63-second unboxing video (2nd video embedded below)

Fuji X100
+ X100 gets firmware update version 1.13 (see Photography Blog, @FujiGuys, et al)
+ B&H Photo has began accepting pre-orders for the X100 Limited Edition ($1700, same price as the X-Pro1 body-only)
+ reference: stock status page

Fuji X10
+ Fuji released firmware update 1.03 (see Photography Blog et al) to deal with the ORB issues. Nothing Special opines on the ORBiness... ORB Talk Radio at dpreview Fuji forum
+ review at DKamera.de (computer-translated)
+ studio samples including studio ISO range set at Photography Review
+ France: Le Monde de la Photo has a survey-giveaway with a Fuji X10 as the grand prize
+ reference: completed reviews and stock status page

Fuji X-S1 superzoom
+ this is unofficially turning into a Fuji X-S1 review week with new reviews of the camera the last few days at Tech Radar, Trusted Reviews, Photo Review and Photography Blog...
+ ... along with a great hands-on report and JPEG/RAW samples at Quesabesde
+ ... along with samples at ePhotoZine (including ISO color charts) and Photography Blog
+ you can also check all the completed X-S1 reviews we found so far at the Reviews Mini-Site
+ in terms of availability, the camera is in pre-order status for $800 at various retailers (Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama, et al)

Silver Lining: Olympus camera business losses are improving

Olympus announced their latest quarterly and fiscal year financial results, and the camera division has a big silver lining: the losses are not as bad as they used to be! The latest trio of E-Pens is partially credited for the good news according to Amateur Photographer UK, and the initial interest in the new Olympus OM-D/E-M5 is definitely a good sign for future financials.

More on the financial results at Amateur Photographer UK and Reuters.

Curiosity factor: Sigma SD1 Merrill gets a review

The answer to a graceful price drop of the Sigma SD1 was a new product name with a lower price. The new SD1 Merrill has now received its first review at ephotozine, including their customary ISO color charts and RAW samples.

For the latest reviews, one by one, check the Camera Reviews stream and the Lens Reviews stream.

Catching up with the Olympus E-M5 (after the announcement)

And now it is time to catch up with the Olympus OM-D E-M5. This post attempts to cover items that were posted after the initial announcement, that have not been included in our previous CP+ round-ups...

Olympus E-M5 Hands-On/Previews
+ first impressions by Robin Wong at Olympus Malaysia launch event
+ Eamon Hickey at The Online Photographer
+ iPhotoCourse (David Lee Tong)
+ ePrice.com.tw [via Foto Actualidad]
+ first look at Amateur Photographer UK
+ hands on at Dxomark (three pages; no measurements yet)
+ Adorama Learning Center
+ preview and presentation at Optyczne.pl
+ PDN Pulse (revisited)
+ Hybridcams.fr

Samples
+ ePrice.com.tw (in-between the preview pictures) [via Foto Actualidad]

Opinions
+ on M43rds, OM-D and other cameras (general interest) at Sound Image Plus
+ Olympus comes out swinging says Through the Looking Glass

Etc
+ various Olympus videos rounded up at Hybridcameras.fr and The Digital Story
+ 80 second video ad - via RiceHigh, via Foto Actualidad
+ CameraSize.com size comparison

Even More Press Releases
+ Photo Review
+ ephotozine
+ Amateur Photographer UK

Pre-Orders
+ stock status page: available for pre-order, no one has ran out of pre-orders
+ UK photographers: free grip offer - via dpnow.com

Catching up with the Nikon D800/D800E (after the announcement) [and some D4 too]

And now it is time to catch up with the Nikon D800 and D800E. This post attempts to cover items that were posted after the initial announcement, that have not been included in our previous CP+ round-ups...

Newsbytes
+ Nikon told Tech Radar why the D800 has a fixed screen - professionals don't like tilting screens
+ Nikon also told Tech Radar that 36-megapixels is about offering choice
+ Nikon planning to produce 30,000 units per month in Sendai::Japan via Bernama, Imaging Resource
+ Made in Japan was also confirmed to Am Pho UK earlier and separately

Nikon D800 Hands-Ons
+ first look at Digital Camera Info
+ preview at Trusted Reviews
+ hands-on at DSLR Magazine (computer-translated)
+ hands-on at Dxomark (no data measurements yet)
+ hands-on at CNet Asia
+ hands on and some slides at Fotopolis.pl
+ hands on at CNet UK

Hands-on with the D800 videos
+ 5-minute hands-on with the camera video at Quesabesde
+ Wearing them on the Neck comparison (D700 vs D800) at Kamera & Bild (3-minute video) [in Swedish]
+ 8-minute video interview with camera around at Kamera & Bild (in Swedish)

Sample Pictures
+ real-world full-size at Ferra.ru (via Foto Actualidad)

Videos recorded with D800
+ rounded-up at Photography Bay and P3 News and Pocket Lint
+ opinion on the videos and video features at EOS-HD and Philip Bloom

Opinions
+ I stand by the Nikon D4 (after the D800/D800E announcement) says Terry White
+ Decision Indecision at Luminescent Photo
+ is the D800E sharper asks Kim Letkeman
+ Diglloyd opines on the D800/E features (free to read, not behind the paywall)
+ Why is the MB-D12 battery grip so expensive ask the F/Stoppers (the initial price was $500 at announcement time, but when we updated the stock status page earlier today, it was down to $450. Still, compared to previous MB-D grips...)
+ thanks but no thanks says Foto Biz
+ Megapixels are like water said Kwasi in a Featured Comment at TOP [page down at TOP to see the whole quote]
+ Fake Chuck opines on the D800 and also D800 vs 1D X [caution: strong language may offend sensitive eyes]

Nikon D800/D800E pre-orders
+ stock status page - Amazon has ran out of pre-orders but the other retailers continue to accept pre-orders

Even more press releases
+ PhotoXels
+ DigitalReview.ca
+ PP Mag
+ PhotoComment

Nikon D4
+ D4 video capabilities by Johnnie Behiri at Cinema 5D and DSLR News Shooter
+ Nikon planning to produce 5,000 D4 cameras per month (see D800 Newsbytes)
+ NEF Codec 1.13 for Windows - via Galbraith

Stock Status pages updated (16 cameras updated)

We have just completed a massive update of the stock status pages of most of the cameras at the Stock Status mini-site (including Canon G1x, S100, Fuji X-Pro1, X100, X10, Nikon D4, D800/D800E, D7000, Olympus E-M5, Panasonic GX1, Pentax K-01, Sony NEX-7, A77/A65, etc).

There are three ways to check the latest updates for your camera(s) of interest at the Stock Status mini-site: the black menu bar at the top, the right sidebar (Frequently Updated and Infrequently Updated) sections, and of course the home page of that mini-site.

For each camera, there are two ways to take advantage of the stock status pages:
1) curated updates (check the Latest Update date)
2) DIY updates (click on the camera kits and retailers of interest)

All apologies for falling behind on regular features during the CP+ 2012 Announcement-A-Geddon, unfortunately this is a poor Jenny from the Block blog with limited and finite resources and finite scalability.

PS: As of a 9:39pm EST check, the D7000 body has sold-out and is unorderable... Of time-sensitive interest, the Nikon D7000 body only is in-stock for $1200 at Amazon by Amazon.

Camera Reviews mini-site updated (13 new ones since Feb-1)

We have just caught up with camera reviews of serious/advanced/interesting cameras published since February 1st, 2012. A total of 13 new reviews have been added to the Camera Reviews mini-site (overflowing to page #2 as well), including three completed reviews for the Fuji X-S1 superzoom. Only completed reviews of serious, advanced or interesting mid-range cameras are covered there. They are all posted under today's date, so you can easily locate them. If we missed any, please let us know! (we always miss more things than usual during trade show season)

We will try to figure out how to cover everything else that remains behind schedule on Sunday (other things equal).

Lens Reviews mini-site updated (12 new ones since Feb-1)

We are slowly trying to catch up after the big wave of news that surrounded the CP+ 2012 trade show. We have just caught up with a dozen recent lens reviews published since February 1st, 2012. Check them out at the Lens Reviews mini-site. They are all posted under today's date, so you can easily locate them. If we missed any, please let us know! (we always miss more things than usual during trade show season)

Please note the Lens Reviews mini-site only includes completed lens reviews (no previews, no first looks, no touchings).

Rumor+Speculation: 24mp Dalsa full frame CCD for Leica M10?

Rumor+speculation in the Luminous Landscape forums points to a 24mp Dalsa CCD 35mm full frame sensor as a potential sensor for a rumored Leica M10. The forum thread has a "cat among pigeons" title so some people may miss it thinking it might be cat pictures :) We accidentally run into it while searching the forums for Kodak news reactions.

Reactions to the Kodak announcement in the photo-blogo-forum-sphere

One of the big news on Thursday was that Kodak would phase out of digital cameras by June 2012. Time now to see what people in the photo-blogo-forum-sphere are saying about this:

Long form Commentary
+ Luminous Landscape

Forum Discussions
+ dpreview Kodak forum
+ dpreview News forum
+ dpeview Sigma forum
+ Luminous Landscape Gear forum
+ Fred Miranda Canon forum
+ Fred Miranda Alternative forum (yes, they play a lot of Pearl Jam, and Coldplay and Soft Cell)
+ Photography On The Net

Short Commentary
+ Imaging Resource
+ dpreview
+ BJoP
+ Quesabesde
+ Photoscala
+ Pop Photo
+ Thephoblographer
+ Photoxels
+ Steve's Digicams
+ Photography Blog
+ Pocket Lint

Found interesting commentary? Let us know
+ if you found any interesting commentary or discussions on the Kodak news please let us know using the online contact form. There are plenty of short comments; of more interest are longer comments and forum discussions.

CP+ 2012 Round-Up Episode II: The Trade Show Menace

Time to remotely catch up with today's action at the Japanese CP+ trade show! If you missed yesterday's round-up, check it out. You can read them in any order, there are no cliff-hangers :)

Get a Feel of the CP+ 2012 Trade Show
5-minute video by Natsuani (YouTube)

DSLR Magazine
+ Nikon: D800 hands-on and body parts (computer-translated)
+ Cosina: Voigtlander Nokton 17.5mm f0.95 hands-on with red M43rds body

Photoscala
+ Accessories round-up - usual and unusual accessories - sardines are included!

DigitalCamera.jp
+ Front Page (computer-translated) includes sights and sounds, Kenko-Tokina mirror lenses, and more. They also note a 30% increase in trade show visitors compared to last year

DC Watch Impress
+ Front Page (computer-translated)
+ Kenko Tokina - showing 70-200/4, mirror lenses and various accessories
+ Cosina - Nokton 17.5/0.95, and various other lenses
+ Tamron - 24-70 f2.8 Di VC and 18-200 superzoom for mirrorless
+ Sony - 500/f4G SSM attached to A77, and more
+ Canon - SLR gear and Ixus/Ixy/Elves (Frodo not included!)
+ Casio - various P&S models
+ GE - GE and AgfaPhoto P&S

Tech and Gadget Blogs
+ Gizmons iCa - rangefinderize your iPhone at CNet Asia
+ Olympus E-M5 - hands-on at CNet Asia
+ find all the Engadget coverage under the Follow the Saga section
+ The Verge includes Sigma DP2-Merrill, Kenko mirror, Canon Elph iOS app, Sony 500/4 SSM G-bazooka, Ricoh GXR A16 24-85, Pentax Q silver and K-01, etc

More Action
+ DC Fever at Pentax booth (via Ricehigh)