New firmware update for the Sony QX10 and QX100.

Sony released a new firmware update for your QX10/100 camera:
QX10 firmware download page at Sony DE, UK, FR, ES, IT, NL, BE, AT, CH, FI, SE, NO, PT.
QX100 firmware download page at Sony DE, UK, FR, ES, IT, NL, BE, AT, CH, FI, SE, NO, PT.

Benefits and improvements
– “Half-Press” function for the shutter button has been added*
– “NFC One-touch connection” has been improved (Requires PlayMemories Mobile app version 4.2 or later).
– ISO Setting has been added
– MP4 Movie Recording size changes from 1440 x 1080(30p) to 1920 x 1080 (30p)

New A7/A7r/A7s leather case from Ulysses.

Ulysses Japan announced a new A7/A7r/A7s leather case. It costs around 15,336 – 16,848 yen. Don’t know when this will go for sale outside Japan.

Here are the current worldwide available leather cases that will also work fine on your new A7s :)

Gariz leather case in [shoplink 23521 ebay]Black (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 23522 ebay]Brown (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 23523 ebay]Orange (Click here)[/shoplink] and [shoplink 23524 ebay]Red (Click here)[/shoplink].
Leather Explorer has A7-A7r leather cases in [shoplink 24599 ebay]Black (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 24600 ebay]Black-Metallic (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 24601 ebay]Black (Click here)[/shoplink].
Dignis has A7-A7r leather cases in [shoplink 24602 ebay]Black-Red (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 24603 ebay]Black (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 24604 ebay]Red (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 24605 ebay]Yellow (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 24606 ebay]Brown (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 24607 ebay]Dark Brown (Click here)[/shoplink] and [shoplink 24608 ebay]Khaki (Click here)[/shoplink].
Ciesta leather case in [shoplink 24609 ebay]Brown (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 24610 ebay]Dark Brown (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 24611 ebay]Black Red (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 24612 ebay]Vegetable Leather (Click here)[/shoplink].
Kaza has them in [shoplink 24615 ebay]Vintage Brown (Click here)[/shoplink] and [shoplink 24616 ebay]Black (Click here)[/shoplink].

Sigma USB dock released for Sigma A-mount lenses! ART lens preorders in UK.

Sigma announced the release of the USB dock for Sigma A-mount lenses. Price will be $59 but there is no preorder option yet. With the dock you can perform lens firmware updates and customize autofocus and OS! It will work with the new superb 50mm f/1.4 ART lens too. The lens can be preorderd in USA at BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here). And since today also in UK at Wexphotographic (Click here).

Source: Sigma Japan.

A6000 in Stock at Vistek. NEX-3n with lens for $299. And RX100/RX100II deals.

The A6000 is in Stock in Canada (via DL). The A6000 is still not in Stock in USA but at least there is one great deal back: $299 for the NEX-3n and kit lens at Amazon (Click here). And the camera now sells more than the A6000 (ranking here). The NEX-3n is also selling well in the overall camera ranking (Click here) lead by the surprising Go Pro Hero+.

More new deals or preorders:
DDSC-RX100 II Digital Camera + 2 Batteries, 16GB & More for $644 at [shoplink 25841 ebay]6ave on eBay US (Click here)[/shoplink].
Sony RX100 for $474 at Rakuten (Click here).
Sigma 50mm ART lens can be preordered at BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here).
Tamron 16-300 APS-C A-mount lens can be preordered at Adorama (Click here).

Sony TidBits…(and 7 Stages of moving from Canon to the Sony A7r).


Sony 70-200mm f2.8 SSM G Series II Lens Review

Canon user that want to switch over to the Sony A7-A7r system shoudl read carefully the funny but also realistic 7 Stages switch guide from Leica Boss! I like the final stage 7 decription “Acceptance and hope”:

In this stage, you are now a Sony person. You know this means constant head-scratching, dealing with bizarre pricing and more camera body releases than lens releases. You accept that you’ll never see a meaningful firmware release. But you’re all-in. You love your A7 system. You’re an e-mount guy. You’ve got your eye on a Summilux 50mm. The world is your oyster, and you’re capturing it 36 megapixels at a time…

New Custom L bracket for Sony α7 PSL-a7II by Sunwayfoto.
Sony publishes some data showing its semiconductor manufacturing capacity (Image Sensor World).
Tamron 150-600mm test at Quesabesde.
Mirex adapter for Canon EOS to Sony ‘E’ Mount (OnLandscape).
Nauticam housing for the A5000.
Sony Xperia Z2 overview: Revised model takes first place in Mobile rankings (DxOmark).
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400 Review (Photographyblog).
Tamron SP 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD – sample images on Lenstip (Shoot on Canon).
non technical review of the A7 by James.
Sony FE 70-200mm images at Kasyapa.
A6000 and Touit 12mm image samples at DC.watch.
Sony Too Applies for GS Pixel with Internal Storage (Image Sensor World).
A6000 test at Itmedia.
Sony A7R, 35FE and Sigma DP3 Merrill comparison at Massimocristaldi.com.

Phiniox:I just wanted to share my initial experience modifying the Sony E 16mm f2.8 for full frame.
Without the modification; the needed crop is 1.25x resulting in 20mm ~15mp (4800x3200px). With the mod this reduced to 1.09x – 17.5mm 20.1mp (5500x3666px). So being that the A7 in APS-C crop mode makes 10mp files I recovered an extra 10 megapixels. Shooting at F8+ with the use of heavy lens correction can the vignetting and distortion is be cleaned to produce very usable results. I may actually prefer the crop SEL16F28 to my Tokina AF 19-35mm f3.5-4.5 A Mount. A 200 dollar native ultra wide is an attractive option to other more expensive solutions.
Initial Impression/Gallery: http://phinioxglade.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/modified-sony-e-16mm-28-for-use-on-ff-a7.html
Real world use/Galley: http://phinioxglade.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/modified-sony-e-16mm-pancake-for-full.html

Sony leading the sensor tech: Presents new Curved sensor tech! Likely for the RX2 with 35mm f/1.8 lens?

If you follow SAR closely you will remember I posted two great Sony patents: One about a Curved Sony sensor tech and one about a 35mm f/1.8 Full Frame lens designed for curved sensor. Now, usually it takes years before a patented idea will be materialized in a real product. But you know, Sony cannot afford to avoid to sit down and stay still. They have to make real inovative products in order to catch up with the big two Canon and Nikon.

And the good news is that this is no more a dream! Image sensor World reports a great news. Sony will officially present their curved sensor technology at the Technology Symposium! This is what Sony writes about the presentation they are going to make:

We realized an ultimately advanced imaging system that comprises a curved, back-illuminated CMOS image sensor (BIS) and integrated lens which doubles the sensitivity at the edge of the image circle and increases the sensitivity at the center of the image circle by a factor of 1.4 with one-fifth lower dark current than that of a planar BIS. Because the lens field curvature aberration was overcome in principle by the curved sensor itself, the curved BIS enables higher system sensitivity through design of a brighter lens with a smaller F number than is possible with a planar BIS. At the same time, we controlled the tensile stress of the BIS chip to produce a curved shape that widens the energy band-gap to obtain a lower dark current. The curved CIS can be applied to an ultimately advanced imaging system that is validated by the evolution of the animal eye in Nature.

Now combine that sensor tech with a small and fast 35mm f/1.8 lens and you will get a superb new RX2 camera! More compact, faster and of much higher image quality than the current RX1-RX1R. And we also can hope to see an interchangeable mount camera with such a sensor in near future too!

I cannot wait to get some rumors about the RX2. If it has that kind of curved sensor tech I am sure SAR readers will be exctided about this. Or not?