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Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Sony A77 with 24MP Sensor

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Sony A700 Replacement

A new rumor puts a prosumer Sony A77 SLT in the pipeline for next year.  Sony Alpha Rumors received word that the new Sony A77 will feature a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor and still maintain noise control on as good as or better than Sony’s current crop of APS-C cameras in the 14-16MP range.  The Sony A77 should have the same translucent mirror technology as found in the recently released Sony A55 and A33.

This looks to be the Sony A700 replacement that everyone has been waiting for (like, forever) and should offer 1080p and 720p video capture in AVCHD format.

[via SonyAlphaRumors]

 

Sony A55 Capable of Shooting 3K Video?

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A hacker sent an email to Sony Alpha Rumors alleging that it is possible to hack the Sony A55 firmware to capture 3K video at 24p and/or 1080p video at 48/60 fps.

“I have had the Sony A55v for about a week. I’m already into the firmware and from years of hacking motherboard/video-card BIOS and Pentax cameras I can tell you the APS-C sensor can shoot MJPEG at 3k resolution at 24p for at least 45 seconds. I’m more interested in 1080p at 48/60 FPS. I’ll tell right now the memory buffer systems in this camera is huge….probably 3-4 times that of the GH1. All I’ve done is break into the code. A proper hack would take months. Thousands of possible settings to adjust. Testing. But you need thousands of people and a big community to support a project like that.” –SonyAlphaRumors

While this would most likely interest a rather niche audience, if the Panasonic GH1 hack is anything to measure it by, it could also be a pretty big deal.

Neoprene Lens Guard Protects Lenses from Mishaps and Drops

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Camera accessory manufacturer, DeluxGear, has created a thick neoprene Lens Guard that fits over the ends of lenses that helps protect from drops and other mishaps.

“The Lens Guard can be used with or without filters or lens caps. It is available for both the lens front and rear in three sizes that will fit a wide range of lenses from 2.5” to 4” in diameter. A built in tether connects the Lens Guard to your lens, camera strap or camera body.”

A single Lens Guard runs $14.99, and a two-pack is $24.99.

More details in the press release below. [Read more…]

Firmware Friday: Sony NEX-3, NEX-5, Canon SX130, Rebel XS

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Camera Firmware Update

Below you will find this week’s firmware updates.  Hit the manufacturer website links for more details and download instructions for the firmware.

Canon Rebel XS / 1000D version 1.0.7 – “Fixes a rare phenomenon in which “Cannot create folder” is displayed on the camera’s LCD monitor, after which shooting is no longer possible with the SD card in your camera.” [Canon Website]

Canon SX130 IS version 1.0.1.0 – “Fixes a phenomenon in which the audio and video get recorded out of sync when shooting movies with the image quality set to high definition (1280×720 pixels).” [Canon Website]

Sony NEX-3 / Sony NEX-5 version 03 – “Autofocus is now supported when using the NEX-5/NEX-3 with 14 lenses from the full range of A-mount optics by Sony and Carl Zeiss that includes telephotos, primes and zooms. Aperture settings can be maintained during HD movie recording, and system menu operation has been streamlined alongside other usability improvements. Registered NEX-5/NEX-3 owners will be advised of the free update via email.” [Sony Website]

Nikon D7000 Available Very Soon

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Nikon Rumors got a tip and photo evidence that the new Nikon D7000 is sitting in Best Buy stock rooms everywhere, but they won’t sell them to you just yet.

Word is that Best Buy will start selling them on October 17 or 18 (my money’s on the 17th because that’s when Best Buy starts it new ads for each week).

BB D7000

BestBuy.com lists October 17-22 as arrival dates for pre-orders, as seen in the screenshot above.

B&H Photo, Adorama and Amazon also have the Nikon D7000 listed, with some offering pre-orders, but no dates for availability yet.  Check those pages out below.

Nikon D7000 (body only)

Nikon D7000 (w/ 18-105mm lens)

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Officially Priced and Available

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Sigma has officially announced pricing for its new 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM lens.  The lens can be found at a street price of $899, which is far less than the fictional retail price of $1400 assigned by Sigma.

According to Sigma’s press release, the lens should be available immediately. You check on stock status for the new lens on B&H Photo, Adorama and Amazon.com.

Canon Cross Media Station

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At the Canon Expo in Paris, Canon’s new Cross Media Station prototype made an appearance.   The Canon Cross Media Station serves two key functions:

  1. It transmits data from your Canon camera/camcorder without the need to remove your memory card.
  2. It inductively charges the camera’s battery without the need to remove the battery from the camera.

Essentially, the Canon Cross Media Station appears to be a Powermat meets Eye-Fi device.  Check out the video below for a hands-on demo from Trusted Reviews. [Read more…]

Lensbaby Scout with Fisheye

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The Lensbaby Scout is a new manual focus lens that doesn’t bend like other Lensbaby lenses.  The new Scout, however, will accept all of Lensbaby’s optic swap modules, and comes with the fisheye module.  The Lensbaby Scout with Fisheye provides unique optical lens flare possibilities, along with extreme close focusing.

The Lensbaby Scout with Fisheye carries an initial retail price of $249.95 and is available in Canon, Nikon, Olympus 4/3, Pentax and Sony mounting options.  You can find the Lensbaby Scout at B&H Photo, Amazon and Adorama.

More details below. [Read more…]