I have been just told by our sources that Samsung has no plan yet to release the medium format camera prototype you can see on the image on top. The project is still on hold and Samsung is still considering if it makes sense to release such a system. One more interesting backstory: The latest sensor tested for the medium format prototype was 42x28mm big!

If you aree looking for a mirrorless medium format camera than you have to cross the fingers and hope that Pentax will get serious with their alike mirrorless project hinted a couple of weeks ago at Impressjapan!

Response Photo interviewed MR. Franck Portelance from Fuji France. The interview itself doesn’t unveil anything about the upcoming new Fuji interchangeable lens system. But it’s quite “curious” to notice how the same Interviewer added some info about the new system inside the same article. Basically he says that he heard from his “source” that the new Fuji camera will be named “Fuji X Pro 1”. It will be announced in February and the body only will cost 1.500 Euro. The camera willf eature the new organic sensor. Doens’t sound like it’s a pure guess ;)

P.S: The Fuji X100 costs around 1.000 Euro (Check here at [shopcountry 100018]). So what do you think about the rumored X1 price?

I got a news form a trusted source about the upcoming new EX1 successor:
“Samsung will announce the EX1 substitute at CES on January. The new sensor is a CMOS 2/3″ 12MPx BSI. The body is very similar to EX1 but with an on-body EVF, the same on NX-10, it makes the camera a little taller than EX-1. The zoom is a 24-75mm with mechanical ring control and optional 21mm setting as WB210.The lens has an additional ring with Ifunction like on NX lenses for camera control and manual focus. It keep the swivel amoled screen.“

Sounds like a terrific nice compact camera!

A source just sent me a surprising rumor. Samsung won’t make OIS lenses anymore!
According to the source Samsung has a little concerns about optical problems and final lenses size. Samsung will get back to an improved AntiShake system sensor-based used on Pentax/Samsung DSLR. The patent of that system is a share property between them.

I certainly hope the rumor turns out to be true! All lenses (including third party lenses used via adapter) will be stabilized and the size of NX lenses can be a bit smaller. At the time of writing Olympus only offers mirrorless cameras with built-in sensor stabilization.

The japanese “Impressjapan” magazine had an interview with Canon Managers. You can downlaod the magazine pdf here: https://www.impressjapan.jp/pr/monitor/1112_dcm/271201_free.pdf.

UPDATE: Our reader “Fh” (thanks!) translated the interview. here is what Canon thinks about the mirrorless future:
– Will you be releasing a mirrorless camera?
Well, the C300 is mirrorless; just very big. But as for a real mirrorless, we will look at the market this coming year in order to make the best decision.

– When you say “look at the market”, are you concerned that mirrorless cameras would affect DSLR sales?
No, just that when you look at the current mirrorless systems and how they are used, there are many different approaches.

– For instance?
For mirrorless cameras, being able to change lenses is certainly a big merit. But you have to wonder, are interchangeable lenses really the only point of mirrorless cameras, considering the added size for the lens mount? When you’re taking pictures, a standard camera size is fine, but when you’re not…

– Right, they’re still quite big.
And on either side, we are challenging ourselves to make DSLRs that are smaller, and compacts that have better image quality. So you have to ask if a mirrorless product is really necessary to fill the narrowing gap. Of course, we are more than capable of making a mirrorless camera, if we decide to.

– So you think current mirrorless cameras overlap DSLR and compact markets?
Right.

– But that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t release a mirrorless that overlaps other markets, right? You mentioned you want to release a mirrorless in 2012.
Well, we want to release a mirrorless next year. But next year, the other markets will also change: there will probably be smaller DSLRs and compacts with greater image quality, which might eat into the mirrorless market.

In short, as the quotations from the interview highlight:
“Do mirrorless cameras really need interchangeable lenses?”
“DSLRs and compacts might eat into mirrorless market”
“Big improvement in image quality for consumer cameras than the past year”

The online PDF is cut short, so I can’t tell if any other information was given. But it was not strictly confirmed that Canon will release a mirrorless in 2012; just that IF they decide to release a mirrorless, they want to release it next year.”

Mr. Kitazawa (head of Pentax’s camera R&D) told to the Japanese DC Magazine that Pentax will devlop a mirrorless 35mm full-frame camera and they are also thinking to make a mirrorless version of their 645D medium format camera!

Damn what a news! That made my day. I certainly hope Kitazawa will make those dream cameras become real soon :)

We just heard form a new source that Ricoh will launch a new GXR A16 M mount that replaces the current . The A16 has the same sensor as the NEX5n, but tweaked and with no AA-filter! Shipping in early 2012 already.

P.S.: We are not talking about the just announced A16 zoom module!