The swirling sandstorm of rumours that has engulfed the mirrorless world over the past few weeks appears to be beginning to settle, which is why we felt a quick news round-up was in order!
On the Sony front, we have just discovered from SonyAlphaRumors that the names of the two new Sony NEX full frame cameras will be A7 and A7R, placing these two cameras into the high-end Alpha category despite not being real A-mount cameras. They will be the same size as the RX1, will have the same grip as the NEX-7, and will feature a viewfinder in the middle like on the Olympus OM-D E-M5 rather than off to one side. Though the two cameras will look similar, the difference will lie in the megapixels. The A7R (the more advanced of the two) will have a massive 36MP sensor whereas the the A7 will feature a 24MP sensor. We can expect to see the full specs and prices of the A7 and A7R in about two weeks time.
Fujifilm, on the other hand, will be releasing the successor to the Fujifilm X-E1 on October 18th 2013, the X-E2. According to Fujirumors, it will have the second generation X-Trans sensor found in the X100s, an improved LCD screen, a WiFi option and a Lens Modulation Optimizer. Along with the X-E2, Fujifilm will also be announcing its newest compact, the X-Q1. It will have the same sensor found in the Fuji X20 (2/3s X-Trans sensor). Both cameras will be announced at the “X-Lover’s Festival” in Tokyo, Japan.
Another announcement coming up soon will be that of the Panasonic GM1, an ultra-compact MFT camera close in size to the Sony RX100. If rumours are correct, this may be one of the last low-end compact cameras Panasonic ever produces – it now has plans to step out of the low-end market completely and focus on high-end models. The suspected announcement date is October 10th 2013.
Finally, Olympus is ready to announce two new high-end compacts – one with an OM-D-like body, integrated EVF but smaller sensor size and the other with a Four Thirds sensor. The former will be announced in October while much about the latter is still unknown.
What are your thoughts about these upcoming mirrorless camera releases?
