Olympus Unveils Prototype Micro-4/3 Camera

 Cameras, Industry news  No Responses »
Sep 222008
 

Olympus Imaging Corporation (President: Masaharu Okubo) today announced that it has begun development of an interchangeableMicro 4/3 Prototype (3/4 view) lens type digital camera based on the “Micro Four Thirds System.”

Development of the camera will bring dramatic reductions in size and weight to the Olympus E-System, and will comply with the new Micro Four Thirds System standard jointly announced with Matsushita Industrial Co., Ltd.(Panasonic) on August 5. From September 23 through 28, a concept mock-up of the camera will be exhibited at “Photokina 2008″, the world’s biggest Micro 4/3 Prototype Side Viewtrade fair for the photographic and imaging industries held at Köln Messe, Cologne, Germany.

The global market for interchangeable lens type digital cameras is growing steadily, but still only accounts for a 7% share of the total digital camera market. Considering the much larger share held by interchangeable lens type digital camerasMicro 4/3 Prototype Lens Unmounted when film was the dominant imaging medium, it seems that there is still ample room for sales growth in this category. Market surveys, however, indicate that more than a few customers choose compact models because they find digital SLR cameras to be “big, heavy, and difficult to operate.”

The Micro Four Thirds System standard was established to meet this need by enabling the development of radically more compact and lightweight interchangeable lens type digital camera systems. The camera currently under development will be the first Olympus camera to comply with the Micro Four Thirds Micro 4/3 Prototype Rear ViewSystem standard, and interchangeable lenses that comply with the standard are also moving ahead. In addition, users will be able to mount existing Four Thirds System wide-angle, telephoto, and macro lenses on Micro Four Thirds System bodies via an adapter.

Product name, launch date and retail price of an interchangeable lens type digital camera based on the “Micro Four Thirds System” are not determined now.

Olympus Imaging is also committed to the Four Thirds System,Micro 4/3 Prototype Top View and will continue to expand its line-up of digital SLR cameras to satisfy a broad spectrum of customer needs. This includes the professional photographer, aspiring artist, hobbyist, and everyday consumer.

Outline of the Micro Four Thirds standard
The Micro Four Thirds standard was designed and developed to maximize the performance potential of digital imaging technology, and to extend the benefits of the Four Thirds System standard for digital camera systems.
When compared to the Four Thirds System standard, the primary distinguishing features of the Micro Four Thirds standard are:

Approximately 50% shorter flangeback distance (mount-to-sensor distance)
Lens mount outer diameter approximately 6mm smaller
Electrical contacts in mount increased from 9 to 11

* Image sensor diagonal dimensions are the same for both Four Thirds System and Micro Four Thirds System standards.

The Micro Four Thirds System enables users to enjoy the same high image quality of the Four Thirds System’s 4/3-type image sensor in a much more compact body, and also take advantage of significantly more compact lenses, particularly in the wide-angle and high-power zoom range. The Four Thirds System offers the benefits of compact, lightweight performance, and the new Micro Four Thirds System takes this still further to enable development of ultra-compact interchangeable lens type digital camera systems unlike anything seen before. The new Micro Four Thirds System also incorporates a greater number of lens-mount electrical contacts for the support of new features and expanded system functionality in the future.

* The company names and product names specified in this release are the trademarks or registered trademarks of each company.

Zeiss Lens Frenzy for Photokina 2008

 Industry news, Lenses, Trade Shows  No Responses »
Sep 172008
 

Carl Zeiss AG of Oberkochen/Germany have released a slew of lens announcements for Photokina 2008. A new SLR mount, dubbed ZE,Zeiss Planar T* 1.4/50 ZE with EF bayonet premiered allowing Zeiss optics to be used on Canon EF mount cameras. The first lenses in this series are:

* Planar T* 1,4/50 ZE 579 euros (incl. 19% German VAT)
* Planar T* 1,4/85 ZE 999 euros (incl. 19% German VAT)

Also announced was a new 21mm Super Wide Angle lens for SLR Cameras – Distagon T* 2,8/21Zeiss Distagon T* 2.8/21

Initially available in ZF, & ZK mounts (Nikon & Pentax respectively), this lens is a modern version of the classic Contax system lens. ZE mount for Canon will be added later on.

* Distagon T* 2,8/21 ZF, ZK 1,399 euros (incl. 19% German VAT)

Last, but not least, is the Zeiss Tele-Tessar T* 4/85 ZM for rangefinder cameras. Billed as a “perfect travel lens”, the Zeiss Tele-Tessar T* 4/85 ZMTele-Tessar is compact and lightweight.

* Tele-Tessar T* 4/85 ZM 769 euros (incl. 19% German VAT)

Press Releases
Zeiss ZE Lenses
OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 15.09.2008.
Carl Zeiss is expanding its successful line of SLR lenses: ZE lenses with EF bayonet for all analog and digital EOS camera models. As with all EF lenses, the new ZE lenses from Carl Zeiss transfer all information exclusively via electronic contacts. This means that all exposure modes such as programmed auto exposure, shutter priority, aperture priority and manual setting are supported. The camera’s automatic focus confirmation also remains available to an unlimited extent with these manual focus lenses. With digital SLRs, the lens data and all exposure data can also be accessed via the camera’s EXIF file. Even E-TTL flash metering is supported. The first lenses to be available will be the Planar T* 1.4/50 ZE and the Planar T* 1.4/85 ZE in the last quarter of this year. Further focal lengths will be added to the line within the next few months.

Distagon T* 2,8/21 ZF, ZK
OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 16.09.2008.
The legendary Distagon T* 2.8/21 is now being introduced for SLR cameras with EF, F and K bayonets. Thanks to its excellent performance, this modernized version from the former Contax system sets new standards in this focal length class. “The outstanding correction of chromatic aberration enables photos without color fringes even in high-contrast light conditions”, says Martin Klottig, Marketing Manager, Carl Zeiss Camera Lens Division. “Even at full aperture, the floating element design ensures optimum edge-to-edge image quality over the entire focusing range. And even in difficult light conditions, the new Distagon provides excellent results thanks to its T* coating, optimum reflection reduction and exceptional chromatic correction.”

The shortest possible distance setting of only 0.22 m makes the lens ideal for impressive perspectives. Typical applications include architectural, journalistic and landscape photography.

The Distagon 2.8/21 is available with an EF bayonet (ZE), F bayonet (ZF) and a K bayonet (ZK). It is suitable for both digital and analog full-format SLR cameras.

Delivery of the Distagon T* 2.8/21 is scheduled to begin by the end of this year with the ZF and ZK version.

Tele-Tessar T* 4/85 ZM
OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 17.09.2008.
The compact tele lens Tele-Tessar T* 4/85 ZM fits perfectly to the popular ZM line of lenses. Thanks to its small size, this lens is ideal for portrait and landscape photography. Together with the compact C Biogon T* 2.8/35 ZM, the Tele-Tessar is the perfect equipment for you to travel with, providing you with fascinating possibilities. Despite its compact design, the image quality of the Tele-Tessar T* 4/85 ZM is by no means inferior to that of other lenses in the ZM line. The lens is almost distortion-free and features excellent field curvature correction. Its shortest possible distance setting of only 0.9 m ensures maximum diversity of use. Its all-metal mount and sturdy design make it a multi-purpose lens for a wide variety of applications, even in tougher conditions.
Delivery of the Tele-Tessar T* 4/85 ZM is scheduled to begin by the end of the year.

Phase One Announces Full Frame Medium Format Camera

 Cameras, Industry news  No Responses »
Aug 192008
 

While rummaging around the Photokina 2008 Press site (see link below), I came across this little tidbit. Phase One A/S1BA9EDDD-4C22-4471-8F43-489A051F4E2F.jpg (makers of medium format digital cameras/backs and the CaptureOne RAW Converter) have leapfrogged Hasselblad by releasing a 60.5 megapixel digital camera system!

Digital Medium Format cameras are fully upgradeable. Owners can update any of the system modules to keep their investment current. Such modularity comes with a price however. The Phase One P65+ digital back starts at $39,900 USD and the P65+ Camera System starts at $41,990.

So what does a camera that costs as much as a loaded Audi A4 bring to the table?

The Phase One P 65+ is the first digital back and camera system to take advantage of the new Sensor+ design and is the world’s first full-frame capture system based on actual 645 film format. The P 65+ provides the largest live capture area available with coverage of 53.9mm x 40.4mm – enabling full viewfinder coverage thus no need for lens magnification. “What you see is what you get.” The P 65+ sensor format provides 20 percent more live area compared to 39 or 50 Megapixel, 48mm x 36mm chips currently delivering or announced. Sensor resolution is 60.5 Megapixel with 8984 x 6732 active pixels achieving 180 MB, 8 bit RGB files.

In addition to offering the industry’s largest live capture area and highest resolution, the P 65+ offers captures at 1 frame per second, reduction of Moiré artifacts, next generation Lens+ & Focus+ technologies and an unprecedented 12.5 f-stops of dynamic range.

Pros

  • Lots and lots of big pixels,
  • Buckets of dynamic range,
  • Total system upgradability

    Cons

  • Bulky
  • Price
  • Slow frame rate (1/sec)

    Press Release

    (Via Photokina Press Site.)

    • Analysis of Micro Four-Thirds

     Cameras, Industry news  1 Response »
    Aug 092008
     

    With the recent press release by Olympus and Panasonic about Micro Four Thirds (m4/3), the photo-blogosphere has been buzzing concerning productMicro43logo announcements around this as Photokina 2008 approaches. To recap, Olympus and Panasonic announced a new variation of their five year old Four Thirds digital camera platform designed for smaller, thinner interchangeable lens cameras using the 4/3 sensor and capable of providing DSLR quality images in a smaller form-factor.

    However, there are many questions still floating about concerning the implementation of this digital-only specification.

    Translations of the press release has Olympus & Panasonic targeting women as the main demographic for this new camera format. They also feel, to a lesser degree, that DSLR owners will be interested as well. I feel that they are underestimating the desire of DSLR owners to have a small, easy-to-carry, high-quality backup camera. Sigma botched it with the DP1 and Nikon’s recently announced P6000 may be trumped by this technology.

    Another group missed entirely is the rangefinder crowd. While Leica’s M8 Leica M8is currently the only interchangeable digital rangefinder on the market, the high cost of entry and camera’s quirkiness (don’t get me wrong, I own one and love it) tends to relegate it to being a niche player. Oddly, rumors have Leica quietly bowing out of the 4/3s Alliance and producing their own lower priced DRF. Will it be m4/3?

    Among the images shown during the press conference, a silhouette of a m4/3 camera body with a pancake style lens is shown. Will this proposed camera employ an optical or electronic viewfinder? Will it have a viewfinder at all – opting instead for a point and shoot Live View LCD instead?

    Quoting the Micro Four Thirds website: …However, growing support for Live View shooting in the market presented another option. We could eliminate the conventional viewfinder and therefore the mirror box altogether. On this basis, the Micro Four Thirds System was conceived. It specifies the optimum flange back length required to reduce camera size and thickness, assuming the omission of the mirror box. The flange back length has been reduced to about 1/2 that of the Four Thirds System. This is considered short enough to allow radical reductions in size and thickness, without causing problems with the lens drive and while still reserving space for accommodating the devices indispensable for digital SLRs such as the low-pass filter and the dust reduction mechanism, as well as devices likely to be adopted in the future.

    So it looks like the first m4/3 camera is shaping up to be an interchangeable lens P&S design with a large (and hopefully high resolution) LCD display on the back act as a viewfinder. Hopefully, someone will market a shoe mounted optical viewfinder.

    Moving on to the new lens mount, the m4/3 spec calls for a lens mount that is 6mm smaller and has 11 electrical contacts to 4/3′s nine. What are the two extra contacts for?

    According to the Micro Four Thirds website: “…the lens mount of the Micro Four Thirds System is equipped with two additional signal contacts for smoother Live View shooting with shorter time lags, faster higher communication speeds between the lens and body, and, of course, reduced lens and camera size.

    These two contacts will also be used in high-speed data processing required for the movie handling capability expected in the future.”

    Movie handling? Interesting choice of words.

    Since they are using a Live Viewfinder as opposed to a more traditional design, the proposed camera can have a much smaller shutter box and still maintain the features we have all come to expect on high quality cameras: image stabilization, dust reduction and low pass filters.

    If you have existing 4/3 mount lenses, adapters will be available to allow you to mount them. Since the 4/3 spec for lenses calls for a tele-centric design, the additional distance from the shutter should not have any effect on the image circle. the question here is whether they will produce adaptors for other lens mounts?

    I, for one, have high hopes for the format. Olympus has really “stuck to its guns” with Four Thirds and now this new format will allow them to enter the blossoming high-end P&S market. I will be watching this with great interest!

    Zeiss announces a new SLR lens – Zeiss Distagon T* 18mm f3.5

     Industry news, Lenses  No Responses »
    Jul 052008
     

    On June25, 2008 without too much fanfare, Carl Zeiss Company announced yet another lens for the Nikon (ZF) and Pentax (ZK) DSLR mounts.

    The Distagon T* 3,5/18 is a super-wide lens with 99 degree field of view (on film and FX sensor Nikons like the D3 and recently announced D700 – on DX cameras this lens is equivalent to 27mm). This lens is of rectilinear design and provides dramatic perspectives for architecture, landscape and close-up photographers.

    The all-metal body houses eco-friendly lens elements all sporting the Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating to minimize flaring and other stray light artifacts. The lens also includes Zeiss Color Matching Technology which provides homogenous color renditions. The lens takes 82mm filters on the front.

    A non-CPU, manual focus lens, the 18mm Distagon can be programmed into newer model Nikons (D300, D700, & D3).

    The lens will be available in early July 2008 (ZF mount) and Q3 2008 in ZK mount. Suggested list price is 960 Euro ( about $1500 USD ).

    Technical Specifications
    Focal length: 18 mm
    Aperture range: f/3.5 – f/22 (1/2 stop intervals)
    Number of elements/groups: 13/11
    Focusing range: 0.3 m (0.98 ft) – inf.
    Angular field* (diag./horiz./vert.): 99/90/67 °
    Coverage at close range: 44 x 29 cm (1.7 x 1.1″)
    Image ratio at close range: 1:12
    Filter-thread: M 82 x 0.75
    Length (with caps)**: 84 mm (3.3″)
    Diameter**: 87 mm (3.4″)
    Weight**: 470 g (16 oz.)
    Camera mounts: ZF (F bayonet), ZK (K bayonet)
    Scope of delivery: Lens Shade included

    Nikon Releases D700 Ahead of Schedule

     Cameras, Industry news  No Responses »
    Jul 012008
     

    Ending many months of speculation, Nikon has announced the existence of the long rumored D700, an FX sensor DSLR in a compact body. Aimed squarely at the Canon 5D, the D700 has several features that surpass the current Canon 5D:

    D700 FrontD700+MB-D10 Front

    Features

    12.1 megapixel FX (full-frame) CMOS sensor with high signal-to-noise ratio, wide dynamic range, and built-in self-cleaning sensor unit that minimizes dust.

    ISO 200 – 6400: extendable up to 25600 (equivalent) and down to ISO 100 (equivalent).

    5fps continuous shooting (8fps with optional MB-D10 battery pack with lithium-ion battery EN-EL4a or 8 AA batteries).

    EXPEED image processing engine with 14-bit A/D conversion and 16-bit image processing for superb detail and tonal gradation.

    Advanced Scene Recognition System combines the camera’s metering and AF sensors for precise exposures and sharply defined images.

    Multi-CAM3500FX 51-point AF system. Individually selectable or configurable in 9-point, 21-point and 51-point coverage settings.

    Picture Controls streamline in-camera image processing by enabling the pre-set customization of image parameters such as sharpening, contrast, brightness, hue and saturation in various color modes.

    920,000 dot 3-inch VGA LCD monitor with wide, 170-degree viewing angle.

    Live View with Autofocus enables composition of images by use of the LCD monitor. Two modes are supported: Handheld or Tripod.

    DX Crop Mode can be automatically enabled when a DX format lens is attached.

    Quick response: approx. 40 ms shutter-lag.

    Active D-Lighting enables superior high-contrast images by automatically applying tone compensation at the moment of capture.

    HDMI video output interface enables connection to high-definition video systems.

    Intuitive ergonomics with optimized button placement for fast and comfortable handling.

    Durable Magnesium alloy body: moisture and dust resistant.

    Wireless LAN and Ethernet support via optional Wireless Transmitter WT-4.

    Specifications

    Effective pixels 12.1 million
    Image sensor CMOS sensor, 36.0 x 23.9 mm; total pixels: 12.87 million; Nikon FX format
    Image size (pixels) FX format (36 x 24): 4,256 x 2,832 [L], 3,184 x 2,120 [M], 2,128 x 1,416 [S]

    DX format (24 x 16): 2,784 x 1,848 [L], 2,080 x 1,384 [M], 1,392 x 920 [S]
    Sensitivity ISO 200 to 6400 in steps of 1/3, 1/2, or 1 EV; can be set to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, or 1 (ISO 100 equivalent) EV below ISO 200, or to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1 (ISO 12800 equivalent), or 2 (ISO 25600 equivalent) EV over ISO 6400
    Storage media CompactFlash (Type I, compliant with UDMA)
    Monitor 3-in., approx. 920,000-dot (VGA), 170-degree wide-viewing-angle, 100% frame coverage, low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with brightness adjustment
    Exposure metering 3D Color Matrix Metering II, Center-Weighted and Spot Metering
    Exposure modes Programmed Auto (P) with flexible program, Shutter-Priority Auto (S), Aperture-Priority Auto (A), Manual (M)
    Interface Hi-Speed USB
    Power sources One Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e, Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10 (optional) with one Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL4a/4/3e, or eight R6/AA-size alkaline (LR6), Ni-MH (HR6), lithium (FR6) batteries, or nickel-manganese (ZR6) batteries
    Dimensions (W x H x D) Approx. 147 x 123 x 77 mm (5.8 x 4.8 x 3.0 in.)
    Weight Approx. 995 g (2.19 lb.) without battery, memory card, body cap or LCD monitor cover

    Zeiss unveils new 35mm ZM lens.

     Industry news, Lenses  No Responses »
    Mar 202008
     


    The legendary Carl Zeiss company has unveiled a new ZM lens (Leica M-mount), the     Carl Zeiss C Biogon T* 2,8/35 ZM. The new lens is only f/2.8 which does not make it the fastest prime on the market. However, it competes directly with offerings from Leica in terms of lens speed and outperforms them on price. The new lens’ estimated price is € 590 ($910 USD) compared to Leica’s Summarit 35mm f/2.5 at $1,495 USD.


    Oddly enough, Zeiss’ parent company, Cosina of Japan, unveiled at PMA a 35mm f/1.4 M lens under its Voigtlander brand. The lens is 2 stops faster and retails for $519. How well all three render will be the determining factor.

    Zeiss’ other C lenses have reflected older lens designs and often have a rendition that has been called “painterly”. In this digital age, sharpness is all the rage, but the informed still know that bokeh, or how a lens renders the out-of-focus areas just as important as the in-focus parts.

    Here is the press release for those like this sort of thing:

    Carl Zeiss: C Biogon T* 2,8/35 ZM


    The New Carl Zeiss C Biogon T* 2,8/35 ZM Completes Any Compact Photography Equipment


    OBERKOCHEN/Germany – March 19, 2008.

    As the latest member of the ZM lens family, the C Biogon T* 2,8/35 ZM lens is the perfect addition to your light, mobile photo equipment. The C Biogon T* 2,8/35 ZM will inspire you with perfect images, even at full aperture. Together with the compact C Biogon T* 4,5/21 ZM, it creates the ideal equipment for a wide range of applications such as documentation and architecture photography.


    The “C” in the title indicates another outstanding feature: rather unusual for a lens of this performance class, its moderate speed of 1:2.8 permits an exceptionally compact construction. The symmetrical Biogon construction with 7 lens elements in 5 groups allows for practically distortion-free images.


    The ZM lens series from Carl Zeiss is suitable for cameras with M-bayonet. As with the other lenses in this line, the C Biogon T* 2,8/35 ZM features an intuitive operating concept, a robust all-metal frame and a precise, noticeable click in 1/3 aperture stops.


    Delivery of this lens is scheduled to begin in mid 2008:

    C Biogon T* 2,8/35 ZM: Approx. € 590.00 (excluding VAT)



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