July 2014 in review: the camera news and rumors you may have missed

July 2014 has come to an end and it has been a rather quiet month with few official announcements. However, camera and lens rumors have been plentiful. Let’s take a closer look at what happened this past month in the digital imaging industry!

Canon was the most active company of July 2014 when it came to new products. On the other hand, Panasonic and Fujifilm will take the rumor mill’s crown, as both companies are expected to make several exciting announcements in August and September. Until then, here is a review of the past month, containing the most interesting camera launches and gossip talks!

Canon PowerShot SX520 HS is now official with a 42x optical zoom lens.

Canon camera news and rumors focused on the 7D and its replacement

The month has begun in style for Canon. The company has decreased the price of the EOS 7D, while the end of the month has sealed the fate of the DSLR. The camera has been discontinued, as the whole world is waiting for the Japanese company to launch the EOS 7D Mark II.

After announcing that 70% of the photographers covering the 2014 World Cup used Canon gear, the manufacturer has introduced a couple of bridge shooters: the PowerShot SX520 HS and SX400 IS.

Fujifilm unveils new lens roadmap, Vision Research introduces world’s fastest camera

Fujifilm has also made the news by revealing a new lens roadmap for 2014-2015. The company has confirmed a couple of new optics, which have been previously rumored.

We can now be sure that Fuji is working on an XF 16mm f/1.4 R lens as well as on an XF 90mm f/2 R optic, which are coming in 2015.

Phantom v2511 has become world’s fastest high-speed camera with a frame rate of 25,600fps.

An interesting announcement came from Vision Research, which has launched the world’s fastear high-speed camera. The so-called Phantom v2511 is capable of capturing up to 25,600fps.

Panasonic and Olympus to take the Micro Four Thirds system to new heights

Moving further to the rumors, July 2014 began with the leaked specs of the Panasonic LX8, a compact camera with a July 16 announcement date.

A few days after leaking this information, trusted sources claimed that the company has delayed the launch of the shooter, a fact which has turned out to be true. Now, the LX7 replacement is expected to become official by the end of August 2014.

Panasonic LX7 comes packed with a 24-90mm lens offering a maximum aperture of f/1.4-2.3. Its replacement, the LX8, is rumored to feature a 24-90mm lens with a slower aperture of f/2-2.8.

Panasonic should also launch a new Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera in late August or early September. The name of the new model is unknown for the time being.

Last but not least, Panasonic is believed to be working on a compact shooter with a Micro Four Thirds sensor. There are voices claiming that the device in question is the LX8. The official announcement is coming in a few weeks time, so stay tuned.

Since we are in the Micro Four Thirds sector, we should also mention that Olympus will also launch an OM-D series camera in the coming weeks.

Canon vs Nikon vs Sony at Photokina 2014

Another interesting piece of information from the rumor mill is focused on the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS. This shooter should have been launched this summer, but it seems like the SX60 HS is actually coming at the Photokina 2014 along with the 7D Mark II DSLR, as stated above.

Nikon Coolpix A is rumored to have been discontinued. Its replacement is allegedly coming at the Photokina 2014.

Nikon will respond to this by launching a replacement for the Coolpix A at the Photokina 2014.

Sony will not be fazed as the PlayStation maker is planning to introduce the A5100 E-mount mirrorless camera, a new full frame E-mount shooter with an unknown name, the RX1s compact camera with a curved full frame sensor, and the QX30 lens-style camera.

Not just in the news, Fuji is on the lisps of the gossipers, too

Fujifilm was constantly mentioned by the rumor mill throughout July 2014. The following period will bring new Fuji shooters to the market, including the X30 and X100T compact cameras. The latter is already in the hands of testers, one of them actually uploading photos captured with the device on Flickr.

Another possible announcement consists of the X-Pro2, a mirrorless camera that will replace the X-Pro1.

Well, these are the things you may have missed in July 2014. This month, August 2014, should be more exciting as camera and lens manufacturers should unveil new products ahead of the Photokina 2014 event taking place in September. Stick with us to find out what’s happening in the digital imaging industry!