Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Sony A77 Announcement in July, Shipping October?

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More word of the Sony A700-replacement is trickling out.  This time, SonyAlphaRumors cites “trusted sources” that confirm a July announcement for the Sony A77 translucent mirror camera and an October 6, 2011 ship date for the camera.

While none of this is set in stone, it correlates with earlier statements from Sony that we’ll get a Summer 2011 announcement for the camera.  Additionally, previous info from Sony indicates that the A77 (if that is in fact the new camera’ s name) is expected to be released alongside a new kit lens and prosumer-grade speedlight. [Read more…]

 

New Sony Full Frame Camera in 2012?

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Sony A850 and A900

As Sony continues to tease the coming A700-replacement camera (presumed to be called the A77), rumors are building for a full-frame camera to follow-up the 24.6MP Sony A900 and A850.  Sony Alpha Rumors writes that its “trusted sources” have indicated an “amazing” full frame camera will be available from Sony in 2012.

Additional comments suggest that the full frame camera will use the translucent mirror technology found in the Sony A33 and A55.  Of course, the new A77 model will feature the translucent mirror; however, putting a full frame sensor behind the translucent mirror will be a first for Sony.  Given the recent developments with Sony’s SLT models, we should expect the coming full frame model to also capture at least 1080p HD video using AVCHD compression.

[Sony Alpha Rumors]

Sony NEX-7 Coming Soon?

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The rumor mill is churning about a new NEX flagship camera from Sony.  The rumored Sony NEX-7 was tipped to Photo Rumors as a follow up to the popular NEX-3 and NEX-5, along with the following description:

When you look in front of the new Sony NEX 7 with the 24mm Zeiss mounted, the new camera looks like a twin of the Minolta Dimage A2 – a really small nice pro body.

That description reminds me of the recently announced JVC GC-PX1, although it is a fixed lens camera.  Not much more about the new mirrorless camera is known at the moment.

[via Photo Rumors]

NAB 2011 Report

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NAB 2011 takes place in Las Vegas from April 9-14 this year.  If you are familiar with the NAB Show, it serves as the cornerstone trade show for the National Association of Broadcasters and, in recent years, has featured new product announcements that are very relevant to the growing HDSLR user base.

Relevant exhibitors for the HDSLR crowd include Adobe, Avid, Camtrol, Canon, Cinevate, Hoodman, IDC Photo Video, iKAN, Jag35, Leica, Litepanels, Manfrotto, Marshall, Red Digital Cinema, Red Giant Software, Redrock Micro, Sennheiser, Singular Software, Sony, Tiffen, Tokina and Zacuto. [Read more…]

Japan Earthquake Effect on Camera Manufacturers

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As you are probably aware, many camera manufacturers are based in Japan.  Nikon, Canon and Sony (among others) were all affected by the catastrophic earthquake that struck Japan last week.

Below you will find links to relevant stories concerning damage to manufacturing plants and the temporary closings of certain plants, which resulted from the recent earthquake, tsunami and/or nuclear disaster in Japan. [Read more…]

Sony Alpha Instant Rebates

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Sony has a number of Alpha models (both DSLR and NEX) on special through March 5, 2011.  Most of the instant rebates are $50 off and include the new Sony A33 and NEX-3.  Additionally, the A900 has a $200 instant rebate; however, those are apparently in short supply at the moment.

See the full list of available Sony instant rebates over here at B&H Photo.

DxO Optics Pro v6.5.4 Adds Support for Olympus E-PL2, Panasonic LX5 and Sony A580

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DxO Labs has announced the availability of DxO Optics Pro v6.5.4, which adds RAW image processing support for the Olympus E-PL2, Panasonic LX5 and Sony A580.  Additionally, the new version adds 69 new optics modules for a number of other camera models.

Additional info can be found on DxO’s website.

Sony WX9 Hands-On Review

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The Sony Cyber-shot WX9 is 16.2MP compact camera that fits somewhere in the middle of Sony’s early-2011 lineup.  The image sensor is Sony’s rather impressive back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor, which is backed up by the power BIONZ image processor that allows the WX9 to deliver up to 10fps in burst mode and capture 1080i AVCHD video.

The WX9 is a close mate to the WX10, although it takes a step down in a couple parts of the feature set.  Check out my first impressions of the WX9 below. [Read more…]

Sony Reveals More About A700 Replacement, Coming Mid-2011

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Sony has taken every opportunity over the past year or so to tease an A700 replacement.  Such is the case again this week at CP+ in Japan.

In this case, however, Sony managed to give an idea of when it would be available.  The yet un-named model that will replace the A700’s position in the Sony Alpha lineup will be available “mid-2011” according to the official word from Sony at CP+.

In addition to the new A700 successor, Sony is developing a new standard kit lens and a new hot shoe flash to pair with the prosumer camera.  As we have already learned, the Sony prosumer model will feature Sony’s Translucent Mirror Technology (as found in the A55 and A33).  The prosumer model, rumored to be called the A77, will also capture AVCHD in full 1920 x 1080 resolution.  The camera will also feature an APS-C format sensor.

Sony Opens E-Mount for Third-Party Lenses

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Sony has announced that it will be unlocking the keys to its popular NEX camera models (i.e., the E-mount specifications) and allow third-parties to develop lenses for the system.  What’s more, Sony won’t charge them a dime.

Given the initial popularity of cameras like the NEX-5 and NEX-VG10, I would expect to see plenty of lenses down the road from the likes of Sigma and others.  In fact, Sony is touting the endorsement of the move by Sigma, Zeiss, Cosina, and Tamron.

No specifics on what glass will be the first on store shelves, but my guess is that these guys already have stuff in progress.

Any Sony NEX owners out there with a wish-list of lenses from Zeiss, Sigma, etc.?