AsiaOne: New cameras to rival DSLRs

Kenny Chee at AsiaOne says:
A NEW breed of digital cameras which aims to bridge the gap between point-and-shoot cameras and professional digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras looks set to take photographers here by storm.

In the last two weeks, two different models of the new breed - known as micro four thirds - were launched here by Olympus and Panasonic.

Previously, there was only one such camera available here, launched by Panasonic last October.

The new cameras use an imaging technology similar to DSLRs', but packed inside a much-less-bulky body.

Buy a Panasonic DMC-GH1 12MP Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Camera with 1080p HD Video

Panasonic updates firmware for LUMIX G VARIO lens

A new firmware was released for the LUMIX G interchangeable lens LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS014045).

Users will be able to download the latest firmware ver.1.1 from Panasonic support sites. The firmware includes improvement of auto focus performance in AFC mode for taking photos. It also enhances performance of auto focusing and stability of O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer) while reducing noise of aperture control for taking movies when mounted on DMC-GH1(Except for FHD mode).

The new firmware was released worldwide at GMT: 6:00 25th of May, 2009 at http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/.

Buy a Panasonic 45-200mm f/4.0-5.6 Lumix G Vario MEGA OIS Zoom Lens for Panasonic Digital SLR Cameras

News via Panasonic

Panasonic Announces Pricing for Lumix GH1: MSRP $1499.95, wow

Secaucus, NJ (May 6, 2009) – Panasonic today announced pricing for the highly-anticipated LUMIX DMC-GH1, the new Micro Four Thirds digital camera with Full-High Definition (HD) video recording ability, which will be available in early June for a suggested retail price of $1499.95. The LUMIX DMC-GH1 includes the LUMIX G VARIO 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH/MEGA O.I.S. lens as part of the kit. The new lens, designed to support HD movie recording, features a silent motor and continuous auto focusing (AF) capability – a differentiator from traditional DSLRs.

In the U.S., the LUMIX GH1 will be available in black and has advanced photography features, such as the ability to record AVCHD 1080p/24p High Definition video, yet is easy enough for entry-level users to understand and take beautiful photos and videos. With Panasonic’s iA (Intelligent Auto) mode* - a user-friendly setting made popular in the LUMIX line of digital point-and-shoot camera products, both entry-level and more experienced DSLR users can enjoy a complete suite of technologies that allow beautiful photo-taking and engage automatically – no setting adjustments needed.

For those looking for more creative control in their digital camera, the LUMIX GH1 can adjust shutter speed during motion recording, giving the videos a special look, particularly suitable for shooting fast-moving subjects. Also, the LUMIX GH1 allows users to control the aperture, which is convenient when there are several subjects at varying distances. By adjusting the aperture, the user can focus on the foreground and blur the background – or vice versa – even during video recording.

“Since redefining the traditional DSLR category last year with the LUMIX G1 – which eliminated the internal mirror and thus dramatically reduced size of the camera body and lenses – Panasonic has been working to expand its award-winning LUMIX G Micro Four Thirds System line. Panasonic wants to offer increasingly innovative products and features that make photography fun and easy,” said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “The introduction of the LUMIX GH1, allows photographers of all levels to take superior quality photos and shoot HD video with a more compact, easy-to-use camera that provides increased creative capabilities.”

The LUMIX GH1 provides cutting-edge video recording features, including the ability to record high-resolution full HD (1920 x1080) video at 24 fps or smooth HD video (1280 x 720) at 60 fps using an AVCHD format (MPEG-4/H.264), which provides the important benefit of doubling the HD quality recording time compared with Motion JPEG. The LUMIX GH1 features a dedicated video record button on the back of the camera which lets users instantly start recording videos, even while shooting still photos – removing the fear of potentially missing a must-see video moment.

For more information about the Panasonic LUMIX G Micro Four Thirds System, including the award-winning LUMIX G1, and to place a pre-order for the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GH1, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix.

Source: Panasonic Press Release

Panasonic GH1 price revealed

Cnet's Crave senior editor Lori Grunin has a short post about the high price of the new Panasonic GH1, which is available for preorder for $1500 at J&R. Yes, that's 1.5 grand for the Micro Four Thirds camera with a kit lens.

Given that J&R doesn't generally offer the deepest discounts and that the camera isn't really shipping yet so competitive pricing hasn't kicked in, I expect the street price to be closer to $1,299--still pretty pricey, even with the bundled 14-140mm (28-280mm equivalent) lens.

Then again, it's a new technology and probably a new market segment, so who knows what price the market will bear. The question is, would you pay that much, assuming the photo quality and performance can match a similarly priced dSLR?

Via Crave, J&R via photorumors.com

Panasonic GH1

Akihabara News says that The Panasonic GH1 Kills The DSLR, TV-Industrial Complex.

A major step was just taken that will revolutionize how video is produced and consumed. It’s called the Panasonic GH1.

Though hardly the first digital camera to shoot HD video (notable examples include the Canon 5D Mark II and the Nikon D90) the GH1 manages to provide jaw-droppingly-good HD video (1080p) in a smaller and less-expensive package* than its predecessors and rivals. This means that any idiot with a thousand bucks, a subject, and a PC can become a movie producer.

This is a MASSIVE opportunity for anybody with film-making experience. You have the opportunity to be involved in a revolution. Yes, the democratization of HD video will mean declining prestige, and an increasingly flooded content marketplace. But at the same time, it allows content creators to put more professional-looking creations on the web and garner maximum exposure before the big studios begin to adapt to the new platform.

If there is to be an internet video production star made, he/she will be made king very soon. As I said earlier, this is an amazing time to be alive.