Fuji F70 EXR point and shoot camera leaks out, nobody cares

Fuji F70 EXR: a new half-inch sensor, 10 megapixel, 27 – 270mm lens. I guess the good news is that sensor size in p&s is to growing.

fuji-f70-exr-20090721-400

another picture after the break:

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Sony a500, a550, a850 DSLR cameras leaked on Sony website

Go to Sony Style US website and attempt to register a new product (you need to be a registered user) – type DLSR and a drop down menu will appear:

sony-a500-a550-a850

The three new cameras listed are: Sony a500, Sony a550 and Sony a850. A similar leak came from Sony Style Canada few months ago, but the a850 was not listed. You can currently register any of those three products, but no further details are available.

The rumor is that this new set of Sony DSLR cameras will have video recording capabilities. Sony a850 could be full frame.

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Panasonic LX4 and DMC-GL1 rumors

The translatiojn from Japanese is difficult to understand. I think it says that Panasonic will release LX4 with 1/1.3 inch backside illuminated sensor and integrated Summicron f2.0 lens and Panasonic DMC-GL1 with a LUMIX G 20mm F1.7 (pancake / 55,000 yen) lens:

DMC-GL1

gl1

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Tamron 17-35mm f/2.8-4 Di LD Aspherical IF AF lens discontinued

Both Nikon and Canon versions of the Tamron 17-35mm f/2.8-4 Di LD Aspherical IF AF lens are now discontinued (confirmed by retailers). No word yet if a new model will be released.

tamron-17-35-discontinued

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Panasonic announcement next week?

I read somewhere that Panasonic always have a new camera announcement around July 20th. I decided to investigate this further and here are the results – yes, Panasonic has been doing this since 2004:

One model is listed as discontinued at B&H: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 and several are out of stock:

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 are as aways back ordered.

panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz28-discontinued

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New products and rumors from Samsung

Today Samsung released two point and shoot cameras and a camcorder but still no word on the expected GX30 or NX10. The rumors continue to fly about a “more serious” release coming soon:

Samsung NX10 specs:

  • Samsung NX10 will be available on the market on September or October
  • The price of 2-lens kit with body is USD $780
  • The body is a little thicker (compared to the NX shown in the youtube video) and slightly redesigned grip and EVF area
  • Ultra-Precise LED Electronic ViewFinder 1620×1080p/250Hz 3:2 resolution (most likely VGA level)
  • Cmos sensor 14.6 megapixel 3:2
  • 100-6400 ISO
  • 4 frame per second
  • Video HD 720p/30fps
  • Audio stereo
  • 1X magnification and 100% coverage
  • 3″ AMOLED 960×720 (720p) 3:2 display with short response time
  • Very fast contrast AF
  • No in Body IS, but lenses IS
  • Three lenses, probably a 30mm fast lens and two zooms (one is the 18-55mm lens)
  • These lenses have double focus system: contrast AF motor-assisted and manual focus limited.
  • Samsung plans release 2 more lenses in December, one zoom and one prime.

This rumor is from SLR Club, Korea (source):

“I went to the exhibition today (July 14). I heard from Samsung Imaging representative today that NX-10 will be available to customers on November. NX-10 displayed on July 7 is pre-production model and is not completed one. Also, he mentioned new compact camera, and it will be a camera could only exist in your imagination. He said it is a camera might be seen in SF movies. It is totally different from existing compact digital cameras. He said it has 2 parts while normal compact cameras usually have only 1, but he didn’t say no more what it is. (Obviously, it is classified.) NX and new digital camera will be announced around August.”

And another one (source):

“It’s rumored that the new Samsung NX line of cameras will be using the optics provided by Optron-Tec Inc. This South Korean company has primarily been known as a manufacturer of infrared filters commonly found in digital cameras, CD and DVD players, and so on. If this story is true then the partnership of Pentax and Samsung may be diluted or possibly over.”

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Canon 60D rumor

This is a list of possibilities for the possible upcoming Canon 60D DSLR:

  • Canon is not happy with the sales of the Canon 50D
  • Canon 60D will ship with a new 12.1 MP APS-H sensor with a size between full frame and APS-C sensor (1.3x crop factor)
  • Canon 60D will have the 1D’s autofocus system
  • Build quality similar to the Canon 5D Mark II
  • 6fps
  • Prics: $1999
Posted in Canon| Tagged | 6 Comments

More Sony DSLR rumors

I received this email in reference to the Two full frame Sony DSLRs this summer post, it’s an interesting read:

“The table with the future release of 10 Sony DSLR’s is correct. The 200-350 were just interim models. People thought that A200 was A100 replacement. It was not. The 500 series will be. 230-380 are just interim models too, until Sony works out perfect video function on the DSLR. Sony does not care what Canon is doing. They need to implement the proper video function because of Red. Sony basically owned the digital cinema market segment. 99% of the studio digital production was all Sony. Then came Red that is pushing inexpensive products to the independents. The real advantage Red has are 35 mm sensors, which give more artistic DOF. Red was going to bring out Scarlet. Sony basically killed that project with XDCAM EX1 and EX3 cameras. Red had to go back to the drawing boards. XDCAM is basically the world/wide broadcast standard. Sony more or less owns the broadcast segment too. Red cameras so far were not performing that well, but as new generation is planned, Sony needs to kill it with cheaper, better performing DSLRs with HD video function. Canon is not threat to Sony. Red is. Sony pro video division is extremely successful and reliable. No one was able to make any serious inroads against Sony in that area. Panasonic once did try with their M2 format, but Sony immediately counteracted with better Betacam (not the same as Beta). Panasonic M2 format became quickly history. Network executives who bought to the Panasonic format were fired. The saying in the industry since than is: “You can’t get fired for buying Sony.” One of the reasons is naturally Sony’s reliability. What is interesting is that Red has 35 mm sensor with claimed 8 MP resolution, but Sony EX1 (and 3) only claim 2 MP resolution and have  the same measured resolution and better low light performance as the Red, despite using 1/2″ CMOS sensors. Sony’s strength is in its world’s foremost sensor expertise and from its expertise in miniaturization, which is also known to be world’s best.

One of the reasons Sony calls the 3 new cameras entry level is because they were designed that way, with a small viewfinder. The previous 3 models were bigger with slightly more features, because they needed to bridge the gap of missing 500 series. Sony said that they wanted 5 cameras. They had it. Now that 500, 800, and 1000 series will come out, the lineup will be complete – 10 cameras. Check the fact that most of Sony’s effort goes to FF lenses. That is because Sony plans on having 3 FF bodies with high quality Zeiss and G lenses. You can publish this too.

Sony needs DSLR  products, because of the coming merge of the video and still functions into a new way of photography that will be so revolutionary as switch from film to digital, or going from B/W to color. Another reason they need it, is because they need the pro image to sell their P&S cameras.

Sony does aim for the No.1 spot in the DSLR market. This fuels the drive within the DSLR design team. The DSLR’s that Sony brought out so far are just little imperfect preludes to what will come, in conjunction with Carl Zeiss lenses.

Sony wants the Pro market and believes that it will make major inroads with the new super video/still DSLR cameras – starting with A1000.

A800-1000 models will be FF.”

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Fuljfilm FinePix Real 3D camera is a go

Expected release date is September 2009 with a price tag of US$ 600.

fuji-3d_camera

For more info on the Fuji 3D camera click here.

Via Engadget

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Rumor: Ricoh GRD3 official announcement on July 27th (GR Digital III)

There is this cryptic Japanese website mentioned on dpreview that claims that the Ricoh GRD3 (GR Digital III) will be announced on or around July 27th. The rumored new features are:

  • CMOS sensor
  • 3.0″ TFT 920,000 pixels LCD

Not much for now, but I will be keeping my eyes on this topic in the next few weeks.

The current Ricoh GR Digital II model has been going down in price lately.

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