A couple of weeks ago a new source told us that the new 75mm f/1.8 lens would arrive on June 18th and priced at $799. Trusted sources now confirmed that the lens will be priced at “around $800“. Of course this is subject change depending on tax and conversion rate (Some sources know the real price in other currency). And the lens will start to be in Store by end of June /early July (more or less the same time when the new Panasonic 12-35mm X lens will ship). There is no word about the other 60mm macro lens release or eventual new PEN cameras. But I have been told something else “could” come. Don’t know what it is now but I am working on it.
Oh, and two of my sources said the lens is simply astonishing! Just for comparison. The lens corresponds to 150mm f/1.8 lens in Full frame terms (f/3.6 in DOF terms) or to a 100mm f/1.8 in APS-C terms (f/2.7 in DOF terms). Lenses giving a similar field view and aperture (but different DOF) to the 75mm Olympus lens like the Nikon 105mm f/2.0 (150mm on APS-C) costs more than $1000 at Amazon (Click here). And so the Canon 135mm f/2.0 (135mm on FF). The only weird thing is that Olympus sees the lens as a portrait lens while in my opinion it is not. But anyway, if it delivers the highest quality of all m43 lenses I am sure it will become a hotseller! Don’t you think?
Speaking of hotseller: The Panasonic 12-35mm managed to get into the 20 most sold lenses at Amazon (here is the ranking). Please let me know if you find more stores accepting preorders and I will post it here on 43rumors. Thanks! Here is the (short) list:
in USA at Amazon (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here).
in Europe at FotoHanzKeuzekamp (Click here).
in Asia at Amazon Japan (Click here).
Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct