June 16 - 12:00pm EDT   The E-P1 will be supplemented by more distinct Micro Four Thirds models and with more professional features, Olympus product planning manager Akira Watanabe said in the wake of the new camera launch today. He explains to DPReview that the E-P1 is just the first in a larger range and that at least one future model will have an electronic viewfinder, much as Panasonic's Lumix G1 and GH1 have now. More lenses should also come in tow and may include more prime lenses beyond the new 17mm f2.8. [full story]

June 16 - 8:05am EDT   Olympus today finally launched the E-P1, its first camera using the Micro Four Thirds system and the first to adopt a non-SLR profile. Meant to recall the company's PEN cameras, it has a consciously retro but compact design that allows a large DSLR sensor and removable lenses but without the depth needed with a conventional mirror box or large optics. In a unique approach, Olympus doesn't have a dedicated electronic viewfinder beyond the 3-inch LCD but does give the choice of an optical add-on viewfinder. [full story]

June 15 - 9:05am EDT   One day ahead of its scheduled release, Olympus' EP-1 micro four thirds digital camera has been leaked. The camera is equipped with a 13-megapixel, 3 CCD sensor and can capture RAW images. It relies on an SD memory card for storage, and much like Panasonic's Lumix GH1 can shoot seven minutes of 720p video or else 14 minutes of 640x480 resolution video. [full story]

May 6 - 10:25am EDT   Panasonic on Wednesday officially confirmed the price for its second Micro Four Thirds digital camera, the Lumix GH1. The official price of nearly $1,500 for a bundled kit includes a 14-140mm, f4.0-5.8 lens and matches the unofficial pricing from electronics retailers J&R, revealed just yesterday. Panasonic adds that the camera will ship early in June. [full story]

May 5 - 3:55pm EDT   The Panasonic Lumix GH1 Micro Four Thirds camera, introduced at the start of March, has finally received a tentative US price through electronics retailer J&R's website. The new model is set at $1,500 for its standard kit version, which carries Vario HD 14-140mm, f/4.0-5.8 lens, which features four aspherical pieces of glass, optical image stabilization and is meant to capture both the close-up and telephoto shots likely in the camera's signature 1080p video mode. [full story]

April 17 - 1:20pm EDT   Panasonic UK on Thursday announced it is adding the 10.1-megapixel DMC-FS62 point and-shoot camera to its FS line-up, following up on the release of the FS25 in January. The new camera sports an Intelligent Auto mode that has an optical image stabilizer, auto ISO control, face detection and full auto scene selection. The new Intelligent Auto chooses between one of two optical stabilization modes depending on which of the two zoom ratios is being used. Advances in detection accuracy and correction effect come via a new Venus Engine IV image processing chip. [full story]

March 27 - 9:35am EDT   Panasonic today edged closer to a formal launch for the Lumix GH1 by providing details for its Japanese launch. Introduced at PMA, the camera will ship to the country on April 24th and cost the equivalent of $1,535 after both tax and the inclusion of its special 14-140mm lens, which is optimized for the camera's central video recording feature. Colors have changed from the original G1 and will give Japanese owners the choice of gold in place of blue while keeping black and red options. [full story]

January 27 - 3:35pm EST   Panasonic today added one more camera to its roster in the Lumix FX48, its newest ultra-compact model. The camera is relatively slim at about 0.85 inches deep but carries a 12-megapixel sensor and a 5X, 25-125mm equivalent wide-angle lens that makes it better-suited both to close-ups and to landscape shots. It also adds a newer face detection system common to most 2009 models that can recognize individual faces and prioritize those over others in the same scene. [full story]

January 27 - 10:15am EST   Panasonic on Tuesday rolled out sweeping changes to its Lumix cameras that include firsts both for itself and the whole industry. The Lumix ZS3 is the first compact camera to hold a 12X optical zoom lens and so has range comparable to an ultra-zoom in a smaller size. The 10-megapixel camera also has a wider 25mm lens that can capture more of the scene as well as face detection for portraits. [full story]

January 16 - 7:35am EST   Panasonic on Friday stepped out of its usual update schedules with three new Lumix pocket cameras that all add live autofocus tracking absent in most previous models. The leading model, the 12-megapixel FS15, can not only use this to maintain focus even as the subject moves but has a new auto-exposure function to avoid blowing out highlights or to bring out detail in darkened areas. The FS15's 29mm wide-angle lens also contributes to a better image and comes optically stabilized and with a 5X zoom. [full story]

October 16 - 12:30pm EDT   Panasonic on Thursday announced more details regarding its Lumix DMC-G1 digital camera, first introduced last month. The Lumix G1 is the world's first Micro Four Thirds System camera, meaning it offers interchangeable lenses and certain functions that are similar to digital SLR cameras. The electronics maker revealed the camera will cost nearly $800 bundled with a 14-45mm Lumix G Vario lens when it ships to stores in mid-November. Around the same time, Panasonic will release a telephoto lens for the camera, in the form of a 45-200mm Lumix G Vario, which will be priced at about $350. [full story]

September 25 - 11:20am EDT   Panasonic's Lumix G1 Micro Four Thirds camera will carry the price of a full entry-level DSLR when it launches in the near future, company executive Yasunori Takase says in an interview with Adorama. Although Panasonic has publicly said it would only expand on its launch details next month, Takase now says the camera plus its 14-45mm kit lens will cost nearly $800 in the bundle when they reach US shores. Pricing for the optional 45-200mm lens isn't available. [full story]

September 21 - 2:40pm EDT   Panasonic on the eve of the Photokina expo revealed a test version of a Micro Four Thirds camera with HD video capture. Similar in body style to the just-announced Lumix G1, the new camera would serve as a bridge between high-end compact cameras and full DSLRs with a large sensor and swappable lenses but also a dedicated video button and stereo audio recording. Few extra details are available, though the camera has a similar control scheme to the G1 with a separate dial for priority shooting modes. [full story]

September 15 - 9:55am EDT   Camera maker Leica has refreshed its line with a set of new models that keep it up to date with rivals. The M8.2 (pictured) refreshes Leica's retro rangefinder camera but primarily focuses on the design itself. The compact is the first professional camera to use a scratch-resistant, sapphire-coated LCD similar to luxury cellphones that provides much tougher protection than glass. The outside has also been reworked with a vulcanite-style finish that preserves the rest of the shell without altering the vintage looks. [full story]

September 12 - 7:40am EDT   Panasonic chose Friday to break new ground with the launch of the Lumix G1, the first known production camera based on the Micro Four Thirds pseudo-SLR system. The absence of the traditional mirror and a smaller lens mount produce a 12.1-megapixel camera which is both the smallest and lightest to carry swappable lenses but which still has the sensor size and focusing abilities of a more typical DSLR. The lenses themselves are often half the size and weight of a regular SLR parallel. [full story]