Like you maybe heard on 43rumors a new camera the GX1 will be announced in japan the 8 november for after be released in Europe and USA for about one month later. 43rumors just said that one of their top source had the chance to play with this amazing toy and they are saying that ''this is the camera with the best image quality to date.'' IN HIS OPINION
It has the G3 sensor. By previous tests the G3 has a better HIGH ISO than the GH2. But also a new much improved processing engine ;) so just imagine...
What you guys think about it is a Great low light camera ?
yeah... if you talk about aliasing the GH2 maybe win that's to see but the ISO is 12800 and a new processor engine.. what you think it is a big emprovement ?
But GX1 just seems a better GF1 with G3 sensor where G3 has slightly better image quality than GF3. I'm sure GX1 is gonna be a fun toy, but the differences in photo quality among Panasonic m43 bodies have been quite small. After playing with GF3, I can see why there are avid GF series fans. Although GH1 and GH2 have fantastic hacks, they look butt ugly compared to GF series. If GX1 has aesthetics, I'm sure many GF1 users will get it.
Really I am wondering of Panasonic & Olympus are on a suicide mission with m4/3. Lots of people have been asking for a true premium GF1 successor (although the original gf was aimed at female market) and ironically its sony who answer with the nex7...even with its high pricetag.
They dont want to lose sales on the G3....but the Gx1 news/rumour is making a lot of m4/3 users jump ship. But as long as the outside of the camera is pretty and "looks" like a fuji x100 having the same inside its okay...its like panny only listened to half of its consumers. This really dissapointed me as I was looking forward to the GFpro more than the gh3.
I will be happy if Panasonic merges GH and GX. Just don't give us another ugly GH body and half cooked GX. We want GH features inside GX body with built-in evf, 1080p60, and built-in ND filter.
In my view, the entire camera industry needs to progress to unified hardware lines, sold with basic consumer firmware, that can be upgraded with end-user licensed professional firmware. Follow Steve Jobs' lead with options in the color, size and styling of the case, but use the same electronics inside each unit. Camera technology has long since evolved to the point where the major functional and performance limitations are now artificially imposed by the manufacturers' market positioning strategies. In the long run, this approach is self-defeating.
But all is question of buisness for making money... hope that's a GX2 or GH3 will be here this year and they will be more serious to put all they efforts on a new working sensor like maybe the leica m9 or probably in my dreams :D
But they will maybe be more late who know if they are making the sensor before the nex-7 released date a production can make companies late...
I don't think we'll see any significant sensor advancements till the GH3 releases. Panny reserves the best sensor for the GH series - if they didn't, it would loose its edge as their flagship.
.. as for opening up the software, I've been arguing that for a long time. Copy Apple: open up the SDK, create an app store, and allow us to download/purchase cheap camera apps. Let the manufacturers worry about the hard stuff (sensor technology, image processing. processors), let devs play with the rest + they can take a percentage of the app revenue.
The first manufacturer that does this will blow the others out of the water. It's not easy as it requires a massive investment in infrastructure and software development. Apparently Steve Jobs was against apps in the beginning because he couldn't see how Apple could implement the entire eco system, and then police the apps, all by themselves. But then again, people can now copy Apple's approach so it's no longer as hard.
UPDATES OF RUMORS : 1- The LCD has 460k dots and not 900k 2- The GX1 has a metal body 3- Panasonic removed the motion-jpeg video format 4- The GX1 is a bit smaller than the Panasonic GF1.
Intelligent auto button :). Missing creative movie mode. Truly GF1 successor. But the style seems getting old. Seriously is this the best they can do?
Panasonic should fire the body design team, go back to the drawing board, and redesign GF/G/GH/GX bodies. Also the "X" mark on the lens cap looks ghetto.
Just a rebadged GF1, but with less aesthetics. It should have included viewfinder, Mic in, and full manual video as GH2 (hope it does). Panasonic is just in it for the money (though they won't get mine). Panasonic don't know what to do because they have to compete with dozens of their own models (GH2, GF2 (still available), G2 (still available), GF3, G3) and won't compete with their top of the line video business (AF100). Problem is, if you don't lead, you lose. Best is to cut the product line in two: consumer and pro. Make the consumer interchangeable everybody wants. And make the pro camera everybody wants. They will find out in the end what the penalty is for their lack of imagination.