Sony E-mount folks will get a new lens before the end of this month. Venus Optics will launch a new 12mm f/2.8 E-mount lens on July 30.

The lens specs will be:
Image circle: 24×36
Field of view: 121.96°
Optical formula: 16 elements, including 2 aspherical elements and 3 elements made of glass with anomalous dispersion, in 10 groups
Number of aperture blades : 7
Aperture range: f/2.8 – f/22
Manual focus
Minimum focusing distance: 0.18m
Maximum magnification: 0.2x
Maximum diameter: 74.8mm
Length: 82.2mm
Weight: circa 570g.

UPDATE: The lens will be available in Canon / Nikon / Sony A / Pentax K / Sony FE mount.

MFT folks will just have to wait one month to get their next MFT camera:

1. Panasonic will announce a new entry level MFT camera by end of August (no GH5!)
2. Olympus will announce the E-PL8 in early September.

It is still unclear if the GH5 and E-M1II will be both introduced at Photokina. If I would take a guess the GH5 will be announced a couple of months after Photokina and the E-M1II will still be announced at Photokina but ship in early 2017.

Different store owners from different EU countries told us all the same story: In August Canon, Nikon and Sony will increase the price on cameras and lenses by up to 20%! The increase is caused by the weak Pound and Euro compared to the YEN.

:(

Note: Interesting that all three top companies increase the prices at the same time….

It’s quite a solid rumor that Fuji is working on a new Medium Format system camera. In an interview with Dpreview Fuji managers somehow confirmed this:

Q: Hasselblad just released the X1D – a relatively compact medium format camera. Do you think there is an opportunity for Fujfilm in this market in the future?
A: We’re keeping our eye on that market, and the full-frame market too, but we’re still focusing on our APS-C range. […] The question of sensor size depends on what the user wants, as an output. If you’re using a medium format camera and you definitely need that for the work you’re doing, maybe APS-C is too small. But for general use, I think our [current] APS-C sensor is comparable to full-frame image quality. I think we can satisfy most people. But in future our goal is to satisfy everyone.

Satisfy “everyone”? Does it mean my Fuji Medium Format camera will cost just $1,000? :)

The Indonesian agency Sertifikasi posted the code of a new Leica camera. There is also a new Canon code (for a DSLR) and an Olympus code (maybe for the alreayd announced action camera?).

via Digicameinfo.

After Fuji and Sony also Panasonic is scheduled to announce “something” in July. I am nto sure about what this could be but I would place my bet on a new LX200….

The already leaked E-PL8 will be announced in August/September before the Photokina start

We keep receiving more hints about a possible delay on both the new Olympus E-M1II and Panasonic GH5 camera launch. Because of the Sony Kumamoto sensor factory stop both company have delayed their product launch roadmap by 3-5 months. We expect the Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic LX200 to be announced at Photokina. While the E-M1II and Gh5 will be announced a couple of months later (very early 2017 at last).

We hope to receive some more “solid” confirmations on the roadmap change in the near future. Maybe Olympus and Panasonic will take the chance and add some additional features on the E-M1Ii and GH5?