Four Companies Join The Micro Four Thirds Alliance


Olympus Corporation and Panasonic Corporation announced that the four companies newly approved the Micro Four Thirds System standard.

China state-owned company GKUVISION working on developing surveillance camera solution, such as 4K / 120fps camera, SLR Magic, which manufactures lenses and accessories for movies and photographs, releases lenses for SLR cameras and VR exclusive lenses in Guangdong, China Optical maker DZO participated. In the future these products will be added to Micro Four Thirds.

via dc.watch

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Olympus Pen-F Firmware 3.0 Coming February 28th


Firmware 3.00 for the Olympus Pen-F is coming Feb. 28th.

  • New Bleach Bypass filter
  • Ability to adjust shading effects
  • With the Olympus Digital Camera Updater, you can now save your monochrome profiles on the camera
  • Fixed AF issue with Leica 200mm lens

Olympus PEN-F: B&H photo / Amazon / Adorama

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Olympus EM-1 Mark II: Firmware 2.00 Coming February 28th


Firmware 2.00 for the Olympus EM-1 Mark II is coming Feb. 28th. 2018

New Features:
New art filter [Bleach Bypass] has been added.
Possible to use focus stacking photography with “M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO”.
Small targets have been added to AF target mode.
Possible to set a maximum of 35 pre-shutter frames for Pro Capture shooting.
Display has been improved to show that Pro Capture shooting is recording.
“Flicker Scan” has been added so it is possible to reduce flickering by fine adjustment of shutter speed while looking at the live view when using electronic shutter.
Fisheye compensation photography has been added for use of M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye PRO. You can view the effects in live view while shooting images.
Possible to set zoom ratio during playback. Also, added pixel equivalence display to zoom ratio.
Pro Capture shooting is available for additional lenses.
Display of remaining battery power has been improved.
Response when assigning AF to AEL/AFL button has been improved.
Stability of camera operation when using OLYMPUS Capture has been improved.
Stability of image stabilizer operation when shooting video has been improved

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Amazon / B&H Photo / Adorama

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Lensbaby Burnside 35mm f/2.8


Lensbaby just a new lens for Micro Four Thirds with a dual diaphragm for creative swirly Bokeh.

Lensbaby Delivers a Modern Take on Classic Lenses with the Burnside 35
Portland, OR (February 15, 2018) – Lensbaby—makers of award-winning creative effects lenses, optics and accessories—announces the launch of an entirely new kind of creative effects lens, the Burnside 35.

The first ever wide angle adaptation of the Petzval lens design, this 35mm f/2.8 lens creates images with a large, bright central area of sharp focus and striking color rendition surrounded by variable, swirling bokeh and vignette. It also features an effect slider that operates as a second internal iris that changes the shape and amount of swirl in the bokeh; all while adding or removing vignette and center brightness.

Burnside’s 35mm focal length lets you capture a scene at a normal-wide perspective with a dimensionality that makes your subject jump off the page. This lens opens up a new world of creative possibilities for those shooting street photography, landscapes, environmental portraits and more.

“The Burnside 35 is one of the most versatile Lensbabies we’ve made,” said Lensbaby Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder Craig Strong. “It gives you the ability to have a strong or subtle creative effect in a single lens, a lens you might just keep on your camera all day long.”

Adding to the Burnside 35’s versatility is the radical, new effect slider that can be used to add center brightness, in-camera vignette and adjust bokeh detail. You can toggle the gold-anodized effect slider on the barrel of the lens to create variable balance and harmony between center brightness, bokeh and vignette. The effect slider features a four-stop range of vignette and bokeh enhancement so you can dial in the exact look that appeals to you.

Burnside 35 joins Lensbaby’s lens lineup as an all-metal, non-tilting lens similar to their bestselling Velvet series. Made specifically for full frame and crop sensor cameras, this lens is compatible with Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony A, Pentax K, Micro 4/3, Sony E, Fuji X and Samsung NX.

Burnside 35 Product Specs:

Focal Length: 35mm
Aperture Range: f/2.8-16
6 blade internal aperture
8 blade secondary internal aperture for the effect slider
Minimum Focus Distance: 6 inches
Maximum Focus Distance: Infinity
62mm filter threads
Focus type: Manual
Size/ Weight: 13.2 oz (374.21g)
6 multi-coated glass elements, in 4 groups

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Fujifilm X-H1 Released to Compete With Panasonic GH5/GH5S

images courtesy of camerasize.com

Yesterday Fujifilm released the Fujifilm X-H1, which starts a line of cameras that will compete directly with the Panasonic GH line of cameras. Sony doesn’t really have a direct competitor for either of these video-centric cameras at this time and it will be interesting to see how they compare after the X-H1 hits the market. Up until now the Panasonic GH line of cameras hasn’t had any real competitors and Panasonic has continued to advance their system rapidly, which has largely justified its high price point. The coming weeks are going to be interesting if some GH videographers/cinematographers start to move over to the Fujifilm X-H1. If the Fujifilm X-H1 interest you there is a spec sheet below and you can read more on Fujiaddict.com.

Panasonic GH5: B&H photo / Amazon / Adorama
Panasonic GH5S: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
X-H1 Camera: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

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