Fuji XF10-24mm: price and pre-order

Fujinon XF10-24mm lens can be pre-orderd in big camera shops such as B&H for $999 including shipping (within the US). The lens is not listed in several local shops. I noticed that here in Brisbane, CameraPro has the most competitive prices for Fuji lenses.

Another day, another walk in Lamington national park

Antarctic beech, Lamington national park. Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

I cannot convey the feeling of being inside of the relict Gondwana rainforest. I also cannot imagine  dinosaurs walking around such forest. It just does not sum up for me. Dinosaurs were big, and forest is very dense. Granted, Lamington national park is more subtropical (warm), and Northern NSW has the best Nothofagus forests in Australia. I mean places such as New England national park. 

Sigma Merrill cameras in Oz

In Australia the compact Merrill cameras (DP1, DP2 and DP3) are available for $760 (AUD) through the official distributor.  I wish I would have more time for photography.... Sigma produces very interesting cameras with unique Foveon sensor. Their cameras are not aimed for point-and-shoot crowd. People who understand the cameras do produce stunning images.

Fuji cameras are on sale in the US

In B&H Fuji X-A1 with XC16-50mm lens and 16GB SDHC card is available for roughly $500. Here in Brisbane the price is over $750 (AUD). The Aussie is trading below parity now, about 0.9 USD, and we have 10% GST on goods. This would add $100 to the price, but it is still about $150, or 20%, cheaper in the US.

In the same shop the XC16-55mm lens is available for pre-order for $399.

Announcement of Fuji XF10-24mm

The much anticipated Fujinon XF10-24mm F4 R OIS wide-angle zoom lens is announced by Fuji today but it will be  available only in March 2014 (source: DPReview) for $1000. The closest focussing is 24cm (the max magnification  0.16x at telephoto), and the weight is 410g excluding the hood. The XF10-24mm sample images  are not yet released on the Fuji website but the lens specs are available.

Fuji X-E2 in Brisbane

One of my favorite local camera shops, Digital Camera Warehouse,  expects to have Fuji X-E2 in "early December". The price is a bit higher than for X-E1, but it is a better camera.

The wide zoom lens, XF10-24mm F4 is still listed for year 2013 on Fuji lens roadmap. Do we expect to hear the announcement within the remaining two weeks? It would be really nice... I am very keen to try the wide lens in local rainforest on my occasional bushwalking trips :)

Gorge upstream of the Coomera falls, Lamington national park, SE Queensland.

Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm; 1/13 sec, f/3.6 comp. -0.7, iso 1600, handheld at ~43mm (35mm eqv)

New wallet-friendly Olympus OM-D camera

According to some web rumors, Olympus will release an "entry-level" OM-D camera in nearby future. In Oz Oly E-M1 (body only) is available for about $1500, while E-M5 goes for under $900 (with extras). For comparison: Oly E-P5 body is available for ~ $850. Will the new OM-D camera be cheaper than that?

I guess the new model will use the latest hybrid autofocus as E-M1. Improvement of hybrid autofocus technology allows decent compatibility with 4/3 lenses, so just this feature in affordable body is a very welcome addition to the OM-D range.

In Brisbane I can get Fujinon XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8 lens for $770. If the new OM-D body will be in the same price range, I would be able to use it with ZUIKO 50-200mm F2.8-3.5. No lens swap, just carry two cameras. I would not expect weather-proofing for an entry-level body, but the same true for my Fuji gear.

Canon EOS-M2: Japan only

Canon EOS-M2 was announced in Japan. The latest model uses "hybrid" autofocus system, which should make a significant difference over the previous model. It seems that the camera is now available only in Japan.

Olympus OM-D E-M1 as a gear of the year

Olympus OM-D E-M1 is named in"gear of the year" category by the DPReview team. It is a very interesting camera, an upgraded version of the famous OM-D E-M5. The camera is also positioned as successor of high-end Olympus 4/3 DSLRs, hence it is weather-sealed. The waterproof construction is very appealing for nature photography, especially in wet conditions. Olympus also produces weather-sealed lenses for m43, as well as weather-sealed adapter for 4/3 lenses.

Misty day at Binna Burra, Lamington national park, Australia. Fuji X-E1 & XF18-55mm

Pain of RAW

One piece of the Olympus software on my computer does not work anymore. Unfortunately, this software is required for RAW files from Olympus E-30. While I don't use the DSLR very often I still have quite a few RAW files. The ORF files can be open by UFORaw (GIMP plugin) and edited, but UFORaw is not very good for preview. Obviously, the issue is fixable, but it would take time. I shoot mainly JPEG with Fuji cameras now, so my motivation for fixing old stuff is not very strong. Sort of nice to have but not critical. Having JPEGs would be a more convenient option.