(SR5) Sony announcement on April 30-May 1 with “surprises”

Sony keeps making me work all days on rumors including Saturday and Sunday :)

Right now I am chatting with sources and they confirm Sony has a “BIG” announcement next week on Thursday April 30 (London time). And there will be more than just the A77II. And there is a big chance to see some surprise(s). So please stay tuned on SAR the coming hours and days!!!

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Reminder (SR = Sonyrumor):
SR1=probably fake rumor
SR2=rumor from unknown sources
SR3=50% chance it is correct
SR4=rumor from known sources
SR5=almost certainly correct!

Sony is very very very serious about the curved sensor tech! New official announcements.

Sony sensor tech. Image source: VLSI Symposia tipsheet

A couple of weeks ago I showed you two patents describing a Full Frame curved sensor and a 35mm f/1.8 lens designed for such a sensor. Usually when you see Sony patents you well know that it could take ages to see it applied on a real world mass product. Well this could be one of the few cases where a patent becomes “real” in a very short time.

First of all the prestigious site Nikkei Japan reports that Sony has developed a curved sensor that doubles the sensor sensitivity. And Nikkei doesn’t spread a news based on patent :) It means Sony is really ready to launch that kind of tech!

And than VLSI Symposia tipsheet (via ISW)explained better how this sensor works:

“Curved CMOS Image System: When light transmitted by a lens strikes a perpendicular target such as a CMOS image sensor, it forms a circle of light called an image circle. It’s difficult for a flat (planar) CMOS image sensor to deliver high image sensitivity at high resolution (highly scaled pixel pitch) because of the fundamental physical limit known as quantum efficiency. To break through that physical limit and to achieve higher sensitivity anywhere within the image circle at higher resolution, Sony built and will describe an imaging system that comprises a hemispherically curved, back-illuminated CMOS image sensor (BIS) and integrated lens. It doubles the sensitivity at the edge of the image circle while increasing sensitivity at its center by a factor of 1.4, with a 5x reduction of dark current (Jd) compared to a planar BIS. Moreover, a common problem known as lens field curvature aberration (Afc) is mitigated by the curved sensor itself, and so the curved BIS enables higher system sensitivity with a brighter lens with a smaller F number (Fn) than is possible with a planar BIS. In addition, by controlling the tensile stress of the BIS chip to produce a curved shape in the first place, the energy band-gap (Eg) is widened and a lower Jd is achieved. (Paper T2.1, “A Novel Curved CMOS Image Sensor Integrated with Imaging System,” K. Itonaga et al., Sony)“

And as you know an anonymous source said the RX2 with curved sensor tech and 35mm f/1.8 lens will be announced in summer. it has to be seen if Sony can use such a curved sensor on an interchangeable E-mount camera…

Mitakon 50mm f/0.95 Full Frame E-mount officially announced.

The Mitakon 50mm f/0.95 FE lens has been officially announced (Source: Mxcamera). It will be available soon on eBay MXcamera. And you can save that search on Slidoo to get notified when it’s in Stock. This is Mitakons second E-mount lens after the [shoplink 14656 ebay]35mm f/0.95 lens for ASP-C E-mount cameras (they are on auction here on eBay)[/shoplink]

And Steve Huff got the number 00001 of the lens in an extremely nice package which is included in the $799 price. This could become a real hot seller if the Image quality wide open is acceptable.

The lens will ship in May and these are the specs:
Lens mount: Sony FE
Focal length: 50mm
Optics: 10 Elements (7 groups)
Image cover: 35mm full frame
Max. Aperture: f/0.95
Min. Aperture: f/16
Filter size: 58mm
Lens size: 87mm (L) x 68.5mm (diameter)
Weight: 720g.

What happens if you put a Sony sensor inside a block of aluminum? You will get a $1800 Leica camera ;)

Well, Leica knows how to make ane exclusive camera! They just announced the Leica T APS-C mirrorless camera ($1800 here at BHphoto). It has the same 16 Megapixel sensor of the $398 NEX-3n. But the NEX-3n comes with a lens while the Leica T does not. And the (slow!) Leica T kit zoom costs another $1750.

Just like Hasselblad (but admittedly much better than the latter) Leica tries to appeal the luxury market. It’s a kind of market Sony has no access and were usually the brand is what matters. Obviously, the Leica T has some appealing features (mainly design and build quality) but sometimes I wonder how Leica can survive focusing on that small niche market.

Anyway, what matters to know is that here we have another Sony sensor inside a new camera. Sony may not completely successful in selling cameras but they are incredibly successful in selling sensors.

Next Sony patent describing a translucent mirror lockup mechanism.

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Egami spotted the second Sony patent describing a semitransparent mirror that can be locked up to get rid of the small light loss. But I still don’t know if that is going to be used by the future A77II or A99II successor cameras. What I know for sure is that in the mid-term Sony will get rid of the semitransparent mirror as soon as the A6000 hybrid AF system proves to be as good as the current SLT solution!

P.S.: A77II will be announced next week (May 1). Likely specs: 24MP, 11fps, Wifi, super fast af, $1200 price.

Add sexiness to your A6000 with the newly released Gariz leather case!

[shoplink 26006 ebay][/shoplink]

Gariz launched the new A6000 leather case and you can buy it right now on eBay in [shoplink 26006 ebay]Black (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 26007 ebay]Brown (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 26008 ebay]Camel (Click here)[/shoplink] and [shoplink 26009 ebay]Red (Click here)[/shoplink].

The case allows you to tilt the LCD screen and it doesn’t block any access (like Tripod mount, battery slot and so on).

[shoplink 26006 ebay][/shoplink]

[shoplink 26006 ebay][/shoplink]

Sony A6000 store link list with US and Europe links:
Sony A6000 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonyStore. In Europe at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, AT, NL, BE, CH, FI, SE, PT, WexUK.
Silver A6000 at Amazon US, BHphoto, WexUK.
Sony A6000 with lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonyStore, Sony Canada, WexUK.
Silver A6000 with lens at Amazon US, BHphoto, WexUK.
Sony 70-200mm FE at Amazon, BHphoto, SonyStore. In Europe at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, AT, NL, BE, CH, FI, SE, PT