Sony Photo Challenge – Week 3 – People


The theme for this week’s challenge is, people. Click on that flickr link to send your pictures. Don’t forget to tag every photo with “SonyPhotoChallenge” and “SonyAlphaRumors“!
This task closes on Tuesday 4 January 2011 at 12:00 GMT. The winning shot will receive a brand new NEX-5 camera from Sony.

Sony Tidbits


Alpha 55 vid – snow in Scotland (Photoclubalpha).

Sony Aims to Capture 30% of Mobile Sensor Market (ImageSensorWorld)

The Art of HDR Photography Part 1 (Dpreview)

Cool! Now you can sue the Nikonos underwater lenses on your Sony NEX ([shoplink 4985]Click here to see them on eBay[/shoplink]). The bad news is that your NEX camera is not made to work underwater :)

Leica M8 vs Sony NEX-5 battle by Steve Huff.

Japanese camera sales in 2010 analysis

The Japanese website BCNranking just published the digital system camera sales share from January 01 to December 12. As you can see three Sony cameras made it into the top 20. Not bad at all if you consider that the [shoplink 3003]NEX-5/3[/shoplink] cameras were announced mid-2010 and the [shoplink 3617]Sony A55[/shoplink] was in Stock starting by September only. Sonys overall marketshare is close to 20% (on third place behind Nikon and Canon). Definitely a positive year for Sony and let’s hope 2011 will be even better!

Sony to Invest $1.2B to Double Image Sensor Production (ImageSensorWorld)

The website ImageSensorWorld catched an interesting news via Businessweek.

Sony has the plan to double its image sensor production! That’s why they will invest $1.2B in the next financial year to convert a plant in Nagasaki for the production of CMOS sensors. After that the total production of CCD and CMOS  sensors will increase to 50,000 300mm wafers a month by March 2012. Hey Sony, what will you do with all that CMOS sensors? Are those meant for the new NEX-7, A77, A750, A950 we were long waiting for? ;)

And here is the official Sony press release:

“Sony Corporation (“Sony”) today announced that Sony plans to invest approximately 100 billion yen in Sony Semiconductor Kyushu Corporation’s Nagasaki Technology Center (“Nagasaki TEC”) in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012, to increase the production capacity for CMOS image sensors.

This investment plan includes (i) the transfer of the semiconductor fabrication facilities from Toshiba Corporation (“Toshiba”) contemplated under a non-binding memorandum of understanding between Sony and Toshiba jointly announced on December 24, 2010, (ii) refurbishment of a part of the above semiconductor fabrication facilities into new wafer lines capable of manufacturing CMOS image sensors, and (iii) refurbishment and equipment of a part of production facilities at Nagasaki TEC Building 3 for wafer processing to differentiate Sony’s CMOS image sensors with Sony’s independently developed unique technologies. Through the investment plan, Sony will utilize a governmental subsidy to be provided by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan – the “subsidy for programs to promote siting low-carbon job-creating industries” – mainly in connection with the investment mentioned in (iii) above.“

SonyAlphaRumors reader Shaadi Faris wins the “nature” Sony Photo challenge contest!

I am really proud to give you that news! Our reader Shaadi Faris won the first price of the Sony nature photo challenge! You can see the picture on Flickr (Click here). And the third place goes also to a SonyAlphaRumors reader…Griveous 247 (Click here to see that picture on Flickr). My compliments for both of you!!! Really stunning pictures!

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Reminder: You are still in time to participate the next contest with the theme “Travel”. Click that flickr link and tag every photo with “SonyPhotoChallenge” and “SonyAlphaRumors“. Why should you add the SonyAlphaRumors tag? Sony said the blogger that sends more people/pictures will be invited as special guest at the Sony World Photography Awards Ceremony on the 27th April 2011. And you won’t disappoint me or not? ;) I want to be there!!!