Olympus will soon announce two new cameras. The names got leaked at Postel but it’s a complete mystery what we can expect:

1. Olympus Sylus TG-Tracker (What is a “tracker” camera?)
2. Olympus IM001 (probably a new action camera?)

Once the names are registered it usually takes 1-2 months before the stuff gets announced. I guess we will see those new cameras at NAB in Las Vegas!

via Digicameinfo.

So what’s up next on the camera front? Here is what we can expect to be announced within the next three months:

Fuji X-T2:
There are rumors saying the camera will be announced quite before the Photokina show. Probably in June. And of course the camera will be the first with 4K video. But Fuji lovers probably really do not care about that feature anyway.

Olympus “IM001” model:
Olympus will announce a new camera soon. All we know about it is the code name “IM001”. No idea what this code is for….

Panasonic entry level camera with built in viewfinder:
Panasonic will announce another entry level MFT camera. It will have a built-in viewfinder. Not sure if that’s a GF or Gm model…

Sony:
Sony will announce a new E-mount camera in April. it’s unclear if it’s a “pure” E-mount camcorder or another E-mount photocamera.

So let’s sum up what we know about the next lens announcements:

1) Olympus is ready to announce a new line of f/1.2 fast primes. The first lens will ship this Summer.
2) Fujirumors reports the Fujinon XF23mmF2 will come this year (even before the 120mmF2.8)
3) Zeiss will launch a new Batis 18mm f/2.8 lens sometimes between March and April.

I will soon post a camera rumor roundup too!

The coming week Leica will announce their new M-D Full Frame M-mount camera. It will be a camera similar to the Typ 240 (here) which has no LCD screen at all and no RED Leica logo.

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via Digicameinfo via LR.

Mr. Uematsu explaining the limits of displacement sensor for stabilization in the body

The spanish site DSLRmagazine interviewed both Panasonic and Olympus managers. And they gave us some hint of what to expect from them in future:

Panasonic:
They are considering to make a more “classic” MFT camera similar to the Olympus PEN-F
Panasonic will keep focusing on the Dual IS technology and add in lens stabilization on all lenses above 25mm focal length

Olympus:
Olympus has no plan to release proper “video-oriented” cameras
Olympus also said they have no plan to make any Tilt Shift lens

Rumors: Olympus is rumored to launch a new series of f/1.2 primes in early Summer. There is also a new camera launch event planned within the next 4-6 weeks. Panasonic will launch a 6K GH camera around Photokina

We got a bunch of new Fuji rumors via Fujirumors (LOL). Here they are:

1. The German video above shows for the very first time the new 2.0x Teleconverter (min 3:40)
2. In that video the journalist says Fujilm told him that there will be still 1 or 2 lenses in 2016 that are non listed on the official roadmap
3. Fuji managers Shugo Kiryu and Shusuke Kozaki got interviewed by Focus Numerique. They confirm that the X-Pro2 is actually 4K capable, but they do not plan to add this feature via Firmware. But the X-T2 will definitely have 4K!
4. They also say there will be no monochrome Fuji camera and probably also no X30 successor camera

Time is changing indeed if a classic camera manufacturer like Leica is now going to enter the smartphone market! Andreas from leica Forum reports:

According to a report by German Manager-Magazin Leica is planning to offer smartphones with the Leica brand. Joint venture partner is the Chinese telco equipment supplier Huawei. The report says that the first product will have the name P 9 (Leica P9?) which was introduced to telco companies this week during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Besides the Huawei logo the Leica P9 will have the iconical red Leica logo. Release is planned this spring, price is rumored to be about 600 €, similar to an iPhone 6.
We keep you informed as soon as we receive official information from Wetzlar!

But really, is there a market for luxury camera-smartphones?