Sigma & L-mount

As previously stated, Sigma is part of the L-mount initiative. Not only as a lens vendor. In a press release, Sigma state they’ll develop an L-mount camera:

All future interchangeable-lens camera systems developed by SIGMA will feature the L-mount. SIGMA does not plan to develop new cameras equipped with an SA-mount.

Whether they’ll use the Foveon sensor technology or not is a question that is not answered there. I think they make the right choice here to not create their own mount.

Fujifilm GFX 50R, GFX 100 and f/1.0 lens

Also at Photokina, Fujifilm announced a new camera in their GFX series: the GFX 50R. The GFX 50R is to the GFX 50S what the X-E1 was to the X-Pro1: a more compact version of the 50 megapixel medium format mirrorless, in what they call a “rangefinder style” body (it is not a rangefinder camera). The GFX 50R also has a dual SD card slot. Available in November (2018) for US$4,500. DPReview has the details.

And to double it up, the announcement included news of the development of the GFX 100, a 100 Megapixel successor of the GFX 50S, to be released sometime in 2019, featuring phase detect auto-focus and in-body image stabilisation, as well as 4K video ! But will they solve the problems with such a large sensor? The price is speculated to be around US$10,000.

Hohenzollern bridge, Cologne, Germany.

One more thing. According to The Verge, Fujifilm showed a XF 33mm f/1.0 R lens. F ONE POINT ZERO ! Coming in 2020.

(Updated 2018/09/26: added links to specifications)

Three’s company: Panasonic Lumix S

Right now, Photokina is happening in Cologne.

Detail of the Cologne Cathedral.

Panasonic, as rumoured, announced the Lumix S, a full frame mirrorless camera using the “L-Mount”. L-mount is the mount from the Leica mirrorless Leica SL (not the M rangefinder) and is the result an alliance between Panasonic, Sigma and Leica.

Petapixel dubs it “the mirrorless wars”

This is not Panasonic abandoning the M4/3 format.

What DPReview knows so far which is not that much:

Panasonic has announced it is developing two full frame mirrorless cameras: the 47MP S1R and the 24MP S1. Both will be built around Leica’s L mount, allowing their use with existing Leica lenses as well as lenses promised by both Panasonic and Sigma.

For the lenses:

Alongside the two cameras, Panasonic has announced it will introduce three lenses: a 50mm F1.4, a 24-105mm zoom and a 70-200mm 2.8. It has also said it will introduce more than ten lenses before the end of 2020.

These, in addition to the existing (expensive) Leica lenses available for the Leica SL.

Unlike the GH5, the S1 and S1R cameras don’t have a flip out screen. It does video in 4K60P with no indication whether it is cropped or not, in body image stabilisation, two card slots (one XQD, one SD). Currently the performance and image quality is unknown.

The camera is definitely aimed at the professional market as Panasonic introduce “pro-level service” for the cameras.

Availability is scheduled to be early 2019, with no pricing disclosed yet.

Will Olympus be joining the game later?

Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4

In all the buzz around the Canon EOS R full frame mirrorless, almost unnoticed, Canon announced the EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM lens for the EOS M:

Aimed at entry- and enthusiast-level photographers, the EF-M 32mm F/1.4 STM is a small (1.99in/50.5mm long) and light (8.29oz/235g) lens that’s the 35mm-equivalent of a 51mm lens, which provides an angle-of-view that’s similar to the human eye.

It is the fastest lens for the system, an almost equivalent to the 50mm f/1.4 found on the EOS line. If I had an EOS-M, I’d probably get it to supplement the 22mm f/2 (pancake).

But will that system live in parallel from the EOS-R? For how long?