Here is what’s coming from Canon (a lot) and Fuji (just a lens) in October!

Bildschirmfoto 2015-09-24 um 09.39.42

Only one month to go to the big PhotoPlus show! And if you wonder what “mirrorless stuff” is coming from Canon and Fuji read here:

Canon:
CanonWatch summed up what we can expect to be announced by Canon in October:
– EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM.
– New EF-M prime lens.
– Canon itself also hinted they have something “major” to be announced on the mirrorless front. Maybe a new EOS-M4?

Fuji:
There is little to tell about Fuji. According to Fujirumors all we will get from Fuji is that:
– The 1.4x Tele-Converter.
– The weather sealed XF 35mmF2.

(High credibility rumor) The new Leica mirrorless non-rangefinder camera could be named “Leica SL”!

(High credibility rumor):

Leica_SL
The current Leicaflex SL (on sale on eBay).

The Taiwan government agency NCC and the Russian agency Novacert registered a new Leica camera which has yet not been announced. The Taiwan government requires all new Wifi capable devices to be registered before they go on sale.

The new Leica camera name is “Leica SL“. This is highly likely going to be the name of Leica’s first Full Frame (non-rangefinder) mirrorles system camera! The camera will be announced in October. And if you wonder why Leica di chose the “SL” appendix than the answer is that one:

Our sources told us the new Leica camera will have a design inspired by the “Leicaflex SL” system (camera here on eBay). The Leicaflex was a camera with mirror but the new Leica SL will simply be a mirrorless camera with EVF in the middle of the body.

A couple of weeks ago one of those sources sent me this:

Coming soon: An interchangeable lens version of the Leica Q, with AF lenses. Due out in time for Photo Plus, in October.
This will not be the replacement to the M240 but rather a new system with new AF lenses, bulkier than the Q or M lines, with an EVF and lighter build despite the bulk. Sensor will be similar, if not the same, as the Q’s sensor. Anticipate that it will come bundled with a 50 mm f/2 Summicron lens and retail around $8,000 USD. Build quality will be comparable to the M line and Q line…much of the Q’s tech, including in body image stabilization, electronic shutter, and built in high res EVF, will be included. The camera may harken in design to Leicaflex bodies of years gone by…like a bulkier XT-1 with more simplified layout. This may end up being called the new “R” camera and may well take old R lenses via adapter, along with new AF R lenses. Not sure that it will take M lenses.

That sounds cool…and expensive!

–

NCC link found via Digicameinfo. Novacert link via Mistral. Thanks!

Sony news: A6xxx launch delayed, A7rII firmware update, phase detection patent.

I have three short Sony news to report today:

1) One source reports the Sony A6xxx launch got again(!) delayed til early 2016. The reason seems to be the unexpected huge amount of A7rII preorders that Sony has to fulfill. Capacity has to be used to produce more units. Also because Sony has a higher win margin on those kind of cameras. Plus sensor production is already at 100% so even there they have to limit the production of new camera sensors.

2) The A7rII firmware got updated. But still no 14Bit RAW yet. More at SonyAlphaRumors.

3) Sony is working to improve their phase detection autofocus. A new patent has been spotted by Egami that can double the current autofocus speed! More at Imaging Rsource.

Canon ME20F-SH to ship end of October for $15,000?

Canon-ME20F-SH-Video-Camera-Clapway
Promotionhire claims that the actual price of the Canon ME20F-SH Full Frame mirrorless camera will be much less than the rumored $30,00 price. Actually it will cost exactly half of it! And shipment is expected to start earlier too, by end of October already!

Here is a presentation of the camera made by Cinema5D:

(High credibility rumor) The end of a rumor saga? Fuji X-PRO2 will finally be announced in January.

(High credibility rumor):

Bildschirmfoto 2015-09-16 um 14.41.46

The current X-PRO1 with a photoshopped “2”. Yes, exciting change :)

Yes, the long painful wait for the new X-PRO2 is close to an end! The folks at Fujirumors got info from reliable source saying the camera will be announced in January. The major changes are expected to be inside the camera. The X-PRO2 will keep the original X-PRO1 design but (listen listen!) possibly feature a new Sony sensor! Will that mark the end of X-Trans? Probably not but Sony proved to make very high quality sensors and it would certainly help Fuji to use them to keep costs down. I can hear the lament of the Fuji folks on this :)