Ricoh announced the new Pentax 645Z medium format camera. It becomes the cheapest digital medium format camera ever released and it can be preordered at BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here).

There are a couple of interesting Sony related news:
– First, Sony is literally conquering the full medium format digital camera market in one single strike! Hasselblad, Phase One and now Pentax use the newly developed and first ever CMOS sensor with 50Mp. Sony just had to make one sensor to wipe out the sensor competition from that market!
– The Sony sensor is the first CMOS sensor in the MF market, it’s the first sensor that allows useable High ISO with the new Pentax going up to 204,800 ISO!
– If the rumor is correct than the Sony [shoplink 25383 ebay]Mamiya 7 alike (here on eBay)[/shoplink] digital mirrorless medium format camera will cost less than the Pentax (less than $8,500).

Full press release of the new 645Z:

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)

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 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.

Jvdas Berra
SLT-A55 + SAL5018 – México
Jvdas Berra Photographer, https://www.behance.net/jvdas

These are some of this week most liked pictures on the SAR readers facebook wall (Click here). As usual feel free to share your pics and like those from others!

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 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“