lesnumeriques interviewed Panasonic’s Yosuke Yamade, Photo Manager about their partnership with Leica and the L-Mount system. Below are some translated and condensed excerpts from the interview:
- Considered Full Frame 24×36 8 years ago, but at the time there were technical and logistical problems
- Sony launched their full frame 24×36 cameras five years ago
- Panasonic felt ready to take on 24×36 full frame two years ago but was worried their 17 years of Lumix wouldn’t be enough to support the system.
- They looked for partners to help them respect their customers and make their digital full frame more attractive
- Leica was obvious since they were involved in Lumix since 2001, but they have also had a technological partnership for the past 4 years now.
- Panasonic was very involved in the design of L-Mount.
- Sigma was taped for their reputation for high-end products and the things Kazuto Yamaki, CEO of Sigma was passionate about
- Sigma and Panasonic have a similar philosophy
- Panasonic brought Sigma and Leica to the table to form the alliance
- Olympus wasn’t included because their visions are diverging from where they were ten years ago
- The S1R is big because it provides a good balance between grip, resistance and size
- The alliance only concerns the L-mount and its communication system so Sigma can do Foveon without issue
- Panasonic is working on artificial intelligence for photography and video
- For AF you have to consider where to focus, how far the subject is from the camera, and the accuracy of the focus
- DFD technology considers how far the subject is from the camera, and the accuracy of the focus
- Where to focus is the area that AI can improve
- AI improves AFing eyes on a face and animals in motion
- Still working on figuring out 8k for 2020
- The Panasonic CM1 is dead
- Panasonic will try to protect the m43 market
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via lesnumeriques
