The Olympus E-PL1s was announced this week, together with a new version of the 14-42mm kit lens. While the camera really hasn’t much new to offer (6400 ISO and a new battery), the lens seems to be a promising evolutionary step of the old version. According to Imaging Resource, it is a completely new technical and optical design, now featuring the “Movie & Stills Compatible” fast and silent internal focusing. It’s also lighter than the original version. Imaging Resource have a preview of the camera and lens with all the technical details for those interested.
Voigtländer Nokton 25mm f/0.95 for Micro Four Thirds
The new “poor man’s Noctilux” for Micro Four Thirds has been reviewed twice this week. One is a first-hand user review from Andrew Fildes, published on cameraquest.com, accompanied by a gallery. The other one comes from our friends at DC Watch, Japan, and features — as always — many beautiful pictures showcasing the len’s beautiful shallo depth-of-field when used wide open at f/0.95.
Sigma DP1x
The Sigma DP1x was announced earlier this year, together with the DP2s, as the third iteration of Sigmas popular large-sensor wide-angle compact camera series. The DP1x is a minor evolutionary step from the DP1s, which was a minor evolutionary step from the original DP1. The major changes are software-wise, with some different labelling of the controls on the rear of the body. TrustedReviews have taken a look at it, and aren’t really thrilled with it: “While it can certainly take a very good picture under the right circumstances, it is beaten soundly on features, performance, handling and image quality by cameras costing half as much.”
Leica M9 Titanium
Much more positive is Edmond Terakopian’s take on the Leica M9 Titanium, with which he was granted some hours of fondling. While the camera is technically mostly the same as the standard M9 (apart from the red LED-illuminated framelines), it features a full titanium body and completely new carrying concept designed and developed by Volkswagen’s chief designer Walter de’Silva. It is also limited to 500 pieces. (The one Terakopian used was not actually for sale, but a pre-production model.) Terakopian’s verdict: “I can’t think of anything that can make an M9 feel cheap, but the M9 Titanium does just that!” The review is also accompanied by a gallery.
Over at Leica Rumors, they’re currently doing a series of comparisons between the just-retired Leica D-Lux 4 and the brand-new Leica D-Lux 5. This should be quite interesting, as on first sight the DL5 is really a mere update to the DL4, and not so much a completely new camera. But on a closer look, the DL5 has quite a bit more to offer:
The Leica D-Lux 4 (left) and D-Lux 5 (right)
A new 1/1.63″, 10.1 megapixel sensor (DL4: 1/1.65″)
High-sensitivity mode up to 12.800 ISO (DL4: 3200 ISO)
max. 1/4000 sec. shutter speed (DL4: 1/2000)
Click wheel instead of joystick on the rear
Optional accessory EVF (same as the GF1’s)
Part 1 of LR’s comparison series features some first impressions and a number of side-by-side shots that show that design-wise, the two cameras are essentially the same.
Olivier Giroux from Photoog just tested the mystical Carl Zeiss C-Sonnar T* 1,5/50 ZM on the Leica M9. The C-Sonnar is a very compact, fast normal lens that owes its size to a design similar to that of a telephoto lens — albeit with a shorter focal length in this case. It has a uniqe drawing due to its classical, spherical design, which is soft wide open and gets very sharp when stopped down. Due to this and the fact that spherical aberrations cause focus shift with this lens, it is not a lens for everyone. Olivier, though, seems to have liked it.
An alternative to the C-Sonnar is the no-longer manufactured Voigtländer Nokton 50/1.5, which is a very good lens and comes at a very moderate price on the used market. It is sharp already wide open with some slight vignetting, gets very balanced up to f/2.8 and bitingly sharp from there on. I’ve been using it on the M8 for several weeks now and have really come to like it. You can find a review of the Nokton on the M8 over at Steve Huff’s site.
DigitalRev posted a video on YouTube in which they do a highly “unscientific” comparison of three focusing systems: phase detection, contrast detection and manual rangefinder focusing. The result: the Leica M9 beats the Olympus E-P1 hands down even with static subjects (provided you’ve got some training in rangefinder focusing), and has the edge over the Canon EOS 5D when light gets sparse.
As I previously announced, yesterday I spent the day visiting photokina 2010 in Cologne, and I brought back with me a huge load of impressions, pictures of latest models, of prototypes, and other stuff. So without much ado, here’s my report on the fair — by manufacturer, in alphabetic order.
Photokina 2010 south entrance
General impressions from the fair will be posted in a seperate gallery soon.
CAUTION! Massive amount of pictures ahead! Make sure your connection is fast enough, and that you have enough time!
November 20th, 2010, 1:39 pm | 
