New Panny MFT and 25/1.4 in February?

[Narnian]

According 4/3 Rumors there is a high probability there will be a new Panasonic camera announced in February with the 25/1.4 lens.

43 Rumors | Blog | (FT5) Panasonic will announce the new 25mm f/1.4 in February (and it will be the kit lens of a new MFT camera!)

 

[Streetshooter]

If the camera has the GF form it will interest me.
If it has the GH form.... I won't even look at it...
The 25mm should do very well... That I'd be interested in for sure!

 

[Pelao]

I am with 'shooter on this one. Perhaps the camera will be the true GF1 replacement. Don't they have enough GH form cameras in the lineup??

Could be a cool lens.

 

[Danny_Two]

Id be surprised to see a new body so soon after all the latest full range updates.

Not sure the fascination with 20mm lenses, there's already the perfectly good 20mm, the Noktor 25mm, so why a Panny 25mm?

Id be interested in a fast ultra wide prime though.

 

[Wasabi Bob]

I doubt it.

I seriously doubt this is true. I think they have this confused with the GF2 that will likely start shipping by late January, early February. That "rumors" site is spreading so much speculation that it does more harm than good.

 

[Narnian]

Except 43 Rumors does rate the likelihood based on past experience with the tipsters and the number of people reporting the same information. He was correct, for example, with the GF2. And we know the 25/1.4 is in the pipeline.

If they had something like the Fuji X100 with interchangeable lenses in the pipeline I can easily see them speeding it up (at least an announcement) to keep some people from jumping ship.

The Nokton 25 is a bit rich for my blood while a Panny 25/1.4 (hopefully) will be much less expensive. And if so may help drive down the Nokton price. I previously had no interest in the Nokton until I saw the great shots here with it.

 

[Pelao]

I seriously doubt this is true. I think they have this confused with the GF2 that will likely start shipping by late January, early February. That "rumors" site is spreading so much speculation that it does more harm than good.

Perhaps. But some would say that the GF2 is aimed at a slightly different market than the GF1. So either this leaves a gap, or it is a deliberate move to shift purchasers to the larger models.

 

[~tc~]

Being that all reports are the 25/1.4 is not a pancake, not sure why they would pair it with a rangefinder-style model.

Now, if it IS a pancake, and has as good performance as the 20, then .... hmmmmmmm ....

 

[Ulfric M Douglas]

The combination of 25mm lens and selling it with the new camera makes me think the rumour (as a whole) is a bucket of crud.
Sure, a fast 25mm might come out at a ridiculous price,
Sure there'll be a new camera ... sometime, that's a given.
The combination is the unlikely bit.
They should simply concentrate on a quality zoom at F2.8 and make a lot of users happy.

 

[Narnian]

Hopefully your wish will come true as they did have a "bright" zoom under "consideration".

They also had a "bright" wide (which is what I would like to see).

Though the "etc." is also intriguing ...

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[Kosta]

I don't know if this will drive the price of the voigtlander down, as it's quite a different beast (other than the focal length)... but autofocus would be great! (i'm lazy sometimes - aren't we all?)

i don't think panasonic will release this lens as a kit lens, but will probably release it at the same time as a new body.

chances are it will be as expensive as the voigtlander, or more, and will have focus by wire. referring to the price of the 4/3 version...

 

[kevinparis]

there exists a 25/1.4 for 4/3.....and it is a seriously good lens... a really really seriously good lens... so good i reckon panasonic make a loss selling it

...not small on 4/3 and would be surprised though very happy to see it cheaper and smaller on micro 4/3

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

the roadie by kevinparis, on Flickr
Panaleica 25/1.4 - a set on Flickr

K

 

[Ulfric M Douglas]

... would be surprised though very happy to see it cheaper and smaller on micro 4/3

Maybe both the Panasonic and Leica accountants would jump on that idea and squash it ... we should soon see ...

 

[Boyzo]

Id be surprised to see a new body so soon after all the latest full range updates.

Not sure the fascination with 20mm lenses, there's already the perfectly good 20mm, the Noktor 25mm, so why a Panny 25mm?

Id be interested in a fast ultra wide prime though.

Why a Pany 25mm ???
Well you get AF and full exif, compact size and light weight
Sounds good to me

 

[Kosta]

i think it does sound deliciously good, but i just think that because the 4/3 one now retails at 899 (bhphoto) i don't think we will see it for much less if it is of the same standard.
whether that'll mean my nokton gets a trade in...i don't know. but a bit of af etc is always nice. the "want to have(s)".

i still think a good non-pancake 17(.5)mm lens would be well received. unless it can be of similar quality to the 20mm in pancake format, but with the wider fov there is more distortion to be corrected in less space.

 

[Pelao]

Why a Pany 25mm ???
Well you get AF and full exif, compact size and light weight
Sounds good to me

Plus, of course, Panasonic will make some money...

 

[nseika]

Being that all reports are the 25/1.4 is not a pancake, not sure why they would pair it with a rangefinder-style model.

Depending on how thick it is. Cron isn’t thinner than the M rangefinder, and it still looks fine and balanced.
As long as it’s not as huge as the zooms.

don't think panasonic will release this lens as a kit lens, but will probably release it at the same time as a new body.

Besides, 20/1.7 is released as kit for GF1, 14/2.5 for GF2.
Why not 25/1.4 for GF3
At least, if it follow the yet small sample, that could mean the next GF is coming instead of G or GH.

 

[squidbrand]

I'm guessing the massive price of the old 25mm f/1.4 was mostly due to the Leica tax. I'm not an engineer, but it doesn't sound like this would be such an exotic optic to warrant a price that high with only Panasonic's logo. And they will ostensibly be competing with Canon and Nikon's 50mm f/1.4's, so... I hope the price is at least competitive with those.

 

[soundimageplus]

Like some others, I was thinking is it different enough to the 20mm f/1.7? I have the 25mm f/0.95 Voigtlander also and there is, as mentioned, the excellent 4/3 Pan Leica 25mm f/1.4. So this fast "standard lens" area looks like it may be getting somewhat crowded soon.

My own feelings are very much the same as I felt about the release of the fisheye and 3-D lenses. While its nice to have these options, aren't there a few other prime focal lengths that many of us would like to see?

A fast (ish) wide angle - 12mm f/2?, 10mm f/2.8? or something similar is top of the list for many, including myself. Do we have to wait for Voigtlander to produce that? A fast portrait / short telephoto lens is also on lots of wish lists. AF equivalents of my Zeiss 50mm f/2 and Voigtlander 75mm f/1.8 with the capacity to focus closer than 9". would certainly be on mine.

If as 43rumors have speculated, this 25mm f/1.4 is a "kit" lens for a new camera, then that poses some interesting scenarios. The Fuji X100 seems to have created a real (and possibly unexpected) buzz. I'd personally love to see Panasonic, with their modern design strategy, have a go at an interchangeable lens version of the X100 or Leica X1. The GF2 seemed to alienate a core section of their market somewhat and they may feel the need to get back all those disgruntled GF1 owners. Those of us who go weak at the knees at the sight of a Contax G2 can only live in hope!

 

[squidbrand]

this fast "standard lens" area looks like it may be getting somewhat crowded soon.

As a former Canon APS-C user, I am pretty happy to be using a digital camera system that has this problem.