Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Sony Launches 8GB Memory Stick Micro

By

Paris, 8 July 2008 – With the launch of its first 8GB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) card, Sony RME (Recording Media & Energy) has pushed up the current 4GB maximum capacity by 100%.

To put this in context, upgrading a Sony Ericsson mobile with the new M2™ card will give customers a choice of over 5,000 fine quality 5 megapixel photos, over 2000 MP3 songs (4min per song at 128kbps), or over 88 hours of high quality MPEG 4 video (at 192kbps).

The new card will be part of a special promotion also including 2GB and 4GB Memory Stick Micro products. Over the Summer Holidays, customers will be entitled to a free WAP download of the full version of Gameloft’s top-selling Brain Challenge 2.

With so much memory on your phone, easy communication with a PC is a must. The new, ultra-compact M2™ USB adaptor included with 2GB, 4GB and 8GB Memory Stick Micro™ cards gives you just that in a tiny, easy-to-use format. Having fun has never been simpler.

Memory Stick Micro™ cards are precision engineered by Sony Recording Media & Energy (RME) to provide ever-more capacity for games, video, photos and music, transforming your Sony Ericsson mobile phone into a hand-held entertainment centre.

 

Sony A200 Review at Digital Camera Info

By

Digital Camera Info has posted a review of the Sony A200.

The camera is responsive, feels good in your hand and lets you take very nice pictures. What’s more, it comes with a lens with a wider zoom range than more expensive models, plus in-camera image stabilization that means you can benefit from anti-shake technology without investing in pricey stabilized lenses.

For the latest news and reviews on the A200, be sure to visit Photography Bay’s Sony A200 Reviews and Resources.

Sony A900 and Zeiss Lens Updates

By

The Sony A900 has been officially unveiled. See Photography Bay’s Sony A900 Announcement and Sony A900 Reviews and Resources for more info.

We all know that Sony’s flagship, the A900, will be announced at or around Photokina in August. Other than the announcement time frame, info has been hard to come by. Sony has been short on further details about the A900 since it announced the 24 megapixel sensor at PMA in January of this year. A big question that photographers seem to have surrounding the announcement of new, cutting edge cameras relates to their actual release date. Sometimes it can take quite a while for the camera to actually hit store shelves, which can be quite frustrating.

With that in mind, I recently received some info from a source, who wishes to remain anonymous, regarding the availability of the upcoming A900 and new Zeiss lenses.

First, the A900 will be available for purchase around the end of September or first of October.

In addition to the A900, we can expect at least 2 new Zeiss lenses:

  1. Zeiss 16-35mm f/2.8
  2. Zeiss 35mm f/1.4

Many Sony Alpha users have been begging for more high quality primes, so the Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 should fit the bill just fine. Additionally, it’s nice to see the 16-35mm zoom in Zeiss glass for those wide angles on the new full frame 24 MP sensor. At 24 megapixels, the A900 is going to need some high quality glass to make full use of all those pixels.

Finally, the price should be very competitive compared to the other DSLRs in the range of the A900. This adds a little more credibility to the previous rumors regarding the A900’s sub-$2000 price point.

For more on the Sony A900 flagship DSLR, stay tuned to Photography Bay’s Sony A900 page.

Sony Cybershot DSC-W130 Review at DigiCam Review

By

Digicam Review has posted a review of the Sony Cybershot DSC-W130.

The Sony Cybershot W130 is very “point and shoot” friendly – the camera produces great results in almost every situation – and provides features designed specifically for taking photos of friends and family with face detection and smile shutter technology.

For more reviews and info on the W130, check out Photography Bay’s Sony W130 Reviews page.

Sony A350 Review at PhotographyBLOG

By

PhotographyBLOG has posted a review of the Sony A350.

If you have no investment in a DSLR system and you’re looking to upgrade from a point-and-shoot or cheaper DSLR, the Sony A350 is the logical choice, and it’ll also attract some admiring glances from Canon and Nikon owners too.

View Photography Bay’s in-depth review of the Sony A350.

For more digital camera reviews and news on the A350, visit Photography Bay’s Sony A350 Reviews and Resources.

Sony HVL-F58AM Flash

By

Today, Sony announced their new flagship flash for the alpha DSLR lineup. Sony had previously alluded to the coming of this flash, when discussing their flagship A900 DSLR. For details on the new F58AM speedlight, see the press release below.

PRESS RELEASE:

SAN DIEGO, Jun. 19, 2008 – Sony is expanding its a (alpha) system of accessories to include the new HVL-F58AM flash unit with exceptional features for versatile and flexible external lighting control.

Quick Shift Bounce and Expanded Versatility

This new flash features a new and innovative Quick Shift Bounce system. It offers more creative ways to achieve lighting, flash and bounce angles you may not have been able to experience before.

The flash head can pivot 90 degrees left and right on a horizontal axis in addition to the conventional up and down vertical adjustment. With this system, the camera and flash unit can keep the same orientation regardless of portrait or landscape shooting. This gives a higher degree of flexibility when arranging the direction of light. [Read more…]

Sony HDR-CX12 Handycam

By

The Sony HDR-CX12 Handycam is the first video camera to feature Smile Shutter and face detection technology. Along with its HD video capabilities, the new Handycam also features a 10 megapixel still camera.

PRESS RELEASE:

SAN DIEGO, June 18, 2008 – Sony is taking the lead in the camcorder industry by introducing the first high-definition camcorder with both Smile ShutterTM and face detection technologies.

The HDR-CX12 Memory Stick® Handycam® camcorder can record full 1920 x 1080 HD video and 10-megapixel photos on Sony Memory Stick PRO DuoTM media and any Memory Stick PRO Duo (Mark2) media cards. Roughly the size of a soda can (2.8-inches wide by 5.3-inches tall by 2.8-inches deep), this ultra-compact model will allow for easy transfer of video and stills from media cards to a compatible PC to share via email, uploading to the Internet or burning to disc. [Read more…]