PS I realize some folks could object to m43 in general not meeting their needs, I just don't see how it is sensible to read so much into a single product announcement when the rest of the evidence is counter to the conclusions people are drawing from said announcement.
My pessimism about the future no doubt stems from my having been an early owner of Panasonic's DMC-L1, its initial foray into DSLRs and the 4/3 format. They talked a good story about what the future would bring, but quickly changed direction and headed downmarket with their subsequent 4/3 releases, leaving the L1 as the high-water mark of their 4/3 product line. (Although I can't speak for him, I will point out that Godfrey owns/ed one of these cameras, too.)
Then along comes the m4/3 format, whereupon Panasonic abandons the 4/3 format entirely, releases the G1, followed by the GF1, and again starts to hint at all of the great things the future will bring. And then it delivers the G2, the GF2, and G3, which while they may be fine products for what they are, are
not the evolutionary products that us early adopters were lead to believe would be coming...
While I don't deny that some of the products they've released since the G1 merit praise, if one plots a trendline for the direction they appear to be headed based upon the products they've released recently -- including this new series of lenses -- I believe it's fair to conclude that, just as they have in the past, they've changed direction and are chasing after volume, first and foremost. Rather than establishing their line of high-intent (if not quite high-end) products as the starting point for a product line that will ultimately deliver better products still, they're in effect using them as part of their marketing and promotional efforts to establish the
bonafides for their more consumer-oriented products. If their recent history is considered, then it's entirely possible the GF1 will prove to be the high-water mark of their m4/3 product line just as the L1 was for their 4/3 product line.
I certainly don't begrudge Panasonic making a profit and if this means they have to aim their products at a larger market, then I certainly understand. What bugs me, though, is when they (or their supporters) hint that the profits from their volume-oriented, mass-market products will eventually be used tofund a more upmarket product line, because at least with their line of photographic products, this has never happened.
(BTW, I'm not necessarily complaining about their products' IQ -- I'm still as pleased with that as I ever was, although my standards have increased somewhat since I acquired a medium-format digital outfit for my "serious" photography -- but with their products' ergonomics. I specifically bought the L1 because of its traditional, old-school controls, and ditto for the GF1. So perhaps you will understand why a lens that focuses manually using a switch instead of a focus ring so as to better meet the needs of videographers is of no interest to me whatsoever and, IMO, augurs poorly for the future insofar as the needs/wishes of still-photo photographers such as myself are concerned.)
