Fuji updates 18-55mm lens. New Olympus, Panasonic, Sony and Fuji rumors.

Lot of news and rumors in these days and it’s time to sum them up:

Fuji:
Fuji is going to announce the new X200 and the new X20 in January. And yesterday they released the new firmware update for the 18-55mm lens (Source: FujiFilm).

Sony:
Sony is now shipping the new 35mm f/1.8 E-mount lens in Asia (). I don’t expect a new NEX product announcement for the CES show but there will be new stuff by end of January at the CP+ show. One new release is likely the 85mm f/1.8 lens.

Panasonic:
A new GF and G camera are scheduled for a release between February and April 2013. Compact cameras only is what will be announced soon right before the CES show (January 8th)

Olympus:
There is one new MFT camera and one new MFT lens that may be announced at the CP+ show in Japan (January 31).

Samsung and Polaroid:
Both companies will announce a mirrorless camera based on the Android OS. They may anticipate what sooner or later everyone will do?

 

Still no news form the Canon and Nikon front. But they can’t afford to remain that…”static”. Hurry on!

Suprise! Polaroid will release a Nikon J1 clone :)

Our friend Peter at Photorumors just spotted a surprising Nikon J1 clone, the new Polaroid mirrorless camera! It almost looks like Polaroid has a partnership with Nikon to realize a copy of the J1 based on Android OS. As I said of the lens are the same of the Nikon. Announcement will likely be made in early January at the CES show in Las Vegas.

 

A Canon Full Frame Mirrorless dream (50mm f/2.0 lens patent spotted).

Egami (translated) spotted a new Canon lens patent describing a 50mm f/2.0 lens. Egami “speculates” that this may be a lens for a Full Frame mirrorless system. Yep, as far as I understand there is no evidence this lens may be designed for a mirrorless system. May Japanese readers can help me to understand why Egami is making such speculation. That said I believe it’s inevitable that sooner or later Canon, Nikon, Fuji and Sony will launch a FF mirrorless system.

By the way, Canon already launched a similar lens for the FD system! It is the [shoplink ’55mm 1.2′ ebay]55mm f/1.2 (here on eBay)[/shoplink].

Four new announcements to come: Sony, Panasonic, Olympus and Fuji.

I got some reliable info from trusted sources saying that Sony, Panasonic, Olympus and Fuji have scheduled press releases for early January. As you know the CES show takes place in Las Vegas and usually companies announce plenty of compact cameras. I still don’t know if there will be mirrorless stuff too but there seems to be a good chance that at least Sony and Olympus will release new cameras and lenses. Not sure about Fuji while Panasonic likely will announce compact cameras only.

Sounds like the next rumor and announcement time is about to start!!!