Panasonic introduced a new interchangeable lens; Micro Four Thirds camera today. It’s essentially the G1 with a HD movie mode and new sensor which can take pictures at 12 megapixels, no matter what aspect ratio you choose (instead of cropping downwards from a fixed resolution). Practically, everything else remains the same as the old Lumix G1. For now, there also seems to be just one color – black – available for the Lumix GH1.

Panasonic Lumix GH1
(Interchangeable lens camera)

• 14 megapixel LiveMOS sensor
  12 effective megapixels – pictures at any aspect ratio are taken at 12 megapixels
• Dust reduction
• 3 inch rotating LCD; super high resolution EVF
• Full manual controls and Intelligent Auto Mode
• 1080p (1920 x 1080 at 24 FPS) movie mode with stereo sound and continuous autofocus
  H.264 AVCHD codec, wind filter and external microphone available
• Takes SD/SDHC memory cards
• Uses a lithium-ion battery
• Availability and price to be decided

Panasonic also announced two new Micro Four Thirds lenses today. The 14 – 140 mm, f4.0 – f5.8 OIS lens is a super-zoom lens which will supposedly come as a kit option with the Lumix GH1. Next is the 7 – 14 mm, f4.0 ultra wide-angle zoom lens for Micro Four Thirds. Finally, an option for landscape and wide-angle lovers.

The best part is that both the new lenses are native Micro Four Thirds lenses… meaning you can use autofocus when attached to the Lumix G1 or GH1.

Yet another entry-level camera… this one’s from Casio and it’s a pocket camera that’s very affordable.

Casio Exilim Z29
(Entry-level camera)

• 10 effective megapixels
• 38 – 113 mm (f2.8 – f5.2) 3X optical zoom lens
• 2.7 inch LCD
• No manual controls
• WVGA movie mode with sound
• Takes SD/SDHC memory cards
• Uses a lithium-ion battery
• Available in April for $150
• Comes in your choice of silver, black, blue, purple or pink

Kodak announced a new entry-level super-zoom camera today, which looks to be quite basic and affordable.

Kodak EasyShare Z915
(Compact ultra-zoom)

• 10 effective megapixels
• 36 – 360 mm (f2.7 – f4.3) 10X optical zoom lens
• Optical image stabilization
• 2.5 inch LCD
• Smart Capture (automatic scene mode selection)
• VGA movie mode with sound
• Takes SD/SDHC memory cards
• Uses 2 AA batteries
• Available in April for $200
• Comes in your choice of silver, black, blue or red

Sony announced their latest ultra-zoom camera which succeeds the H50 I reviewed a while back. The new Cyber-shot HX1 features Sony’s Exmor sensor and a “Sony G” lens, which is supposedly of better quality than traditional Sony and Zeiss lenses that has been in past Cyber-shot cameras. I hope to get my hands on this one for review… and I really hope it’s better than the H50.

Sony Cyber-shot HX1
(Ultra-zoom camera)

• 9 effective megapixels (Sony Exmor CMOS)
• 28 – 560 mm (f2.8 – f5.2) 20X optical zoom lens
• Optical image stabilization
• 3 inch tilting LCD
• Intelligent Scene Recognition (automatic scene mode selection)
• Face detection and recognition remembers faces; blink and smile detection
• Sweep Panorama creates a large wide-angle photo by just panning the camera (is it just me or does this make fun of the “2 shot stitch” of the Pentax X70 launched earlier today?)
• Full manual controls
• 10 FPS full-res, brief burst mode (up to 10 photos)
• Non-wide, unconventional “1080p” movie mode (1440 x 1080) with stereo sound
• Takes Memory Stick Duo memory cards
• Uses a lithium-ion battery
• Available in April for $500

Pentax announced their first ever ultra-zoom/prosumer camera today… and it’s just a fixed lens camera – not a hybrid or live view-only digital SLR that rumors and speculation last week were pointing to.

Pentax X70
(Ultra-zoom camera)

• 12 effective megapixels
• 26 – 624 mm (f2.8 – f5.0) 24X optical zoom lens
• Sensor-shift image stabilization
• 2.7 inch LCD
• Auto Picture Mode (aka an automatic scene mode selector)
• Face, smile and blink detection
• Digital wide combines two pictures into a single 20 mm wide photo
• Full manual controls
• HD 720p 15 FPS movie mode with sound
• Takes SD/SDHC memory cards
• Uses a lithium-ion battery
• Available in April for $400

Samsung announced a new NX series concept today; which will be all about interchangeable lens cameras without mirror boxes of traditional digital SLRs (thus a slimmer, smaller design is possible). Last year, Panasonic and Olympus announced the Micro Four Thirds system which does the same thing… so they may be in for some competition this year. So far, this is what Samsung has had to say about this new NX series camera concept:

• They will use an APS-C sized sensor (1.5X crop)
• The mirror box and mirror will be removed in favor of a smaller design; the camera will rely on live view via LCD display, electronic viewfinder, or both
• They plan to release their first NX series/system interchangeable lens camera by the 2nd half of 2009

Olympus announced a new entry-level digital SLR today, the E620 which replaces the E420. Olympus touts the E620 as the smallest digital SLR with built-in image stabilization. Check this out:

Olympus E620
(Entry-level digital SLR)

• 12.3 effective megapixels (LiveMOS sensor)
• Four Thirds system lens mount (2x crop factor)
• Sensor shift image stabilization
• SuperSonic Wave Filter dust removal
• 2.7 inch rotating LCD
• TruePic III PLUS imaging processor
• Full manual controls with RAW mode and hotshoe
• Built-in wireless flash control
• 7 point AF
• Backlit controls
• Optical viewfinder with 95% coverage and 0.96X magnification
• Live view; with contrast detect AF, Perfect Shot Preview and face detection
• 4 FPS burst mode
• Dual memory card slots: CF card (Type I and II) and xD-Picture card
• Uses BLS-1 lithium-ion battery; takes up to 500 shots (CIPA Standard, live view off)
• Available in May for $700 (body only) or $800 (with 14-42 mm kit lens)