External microphones for the new Alphas! The ECM-ALST1 and ECM-CG50

On Sony Japan you can also see the specs and pictures of the new external microphone for the new Alpha cameras (click here for the google english translation)

■ Microphone ECM-ALST1
Release Date: October, expected to release retail price: 15,750 yen (tax included)
Stereo microphone that can record sound realistic.
Spindle orientation angle formula – 90/120 switching time can be selected to suit the purpose of picking up the sound range.

■Microphone ECM-CG50
Release Date: September 17, suggested retail price: 24,150 yen (tax included)
You can record audio of the subject firm targeted, highly directional microphone.

New 35mm f/1.7 E-mount lens from SLRmagic

SLRmagic just launched a new 35mm f/1.7 lens with E-mount. This lens works without adapter and has been designed for NEX cameras. SLRmagic sent a presentation text to mirrorlessrumors:

“There are not much lenses in the NEX E-mount so far. We have a 35mm f1.7 lens that sell pretty well in m4/3 mount. We occasionally receive emails requesting for e-mount version of the lens. It is now available for pre-order and ships by Sept 10th. We will have 100pcs initially and offer free shipping as well. Cost just under $100. Hope there will be others interested in this lens. Our lens is optimized for NEX so there is no vignette in the photos and does not need cropping. [shoplink 3514]Click here to check the lens auction on eBay[/shoplink]”

Some image samples (click on those thumbnails to enlarge the image):

[shoplink 3514]More images on eBay[/shoplink]!

Is the Sony-Nikon sensor partnership dead?

Unlike the first dpreview statement it seems that Nikon didn’t use the NEX sensor for the new new D3100!

Read what Nikon-guru Thom Hogan wrote yesterday:

“One curious aspect of the D3100 is the sensor. “Nikon developed” appears in the marketing materials, and the sensor is indeed not the same one as in the Sony [shoplink 3003]NEX5[/shoplink] (as originally speculated) in several key ways, one of which is physical size, the other pixel count. The Nikon 14mp sensor has slightly more pixel count in a slightly smaller area than the Sony. Indeed, the area is no longer what I’d call DX. The D5000, D90, and D300 have a sensor area of 23.6 x 15.8 (28.4 diagonal), while the D3100 has a sensor area of 23.1 x 15.4 (27.8 diagonal). This represents a loss of about 2% in image circle coverage needed. We’re now at 1.55x crop as opposed to the old 1.52x. It’s an unusual change, but the bottom line is that the Nikon and Sony 14mp sensors are indeed different in important ways. But I’ll repeat: the proof is in the pudding. We need to test the new sensor on live subjects before making any useful pronouncements about it.

Update: I’ve now heard even more details about the D3100 sensor and from a few sources closer to Nikon Japan. It does indeed appear that Nikon has moved to producing their own sensors. They may be licensing or cooperating on some of the underlying technologies, but it appears that Nikon has decided that Nikon DSLRs will in the future have Nikon-controlled and Nikon-exclusive sensors. That they haven’t chosen to make a bigger deal of this is strange. And some parts of Nikon appear not to have gotten the memo on this, as I’ve seen quotes from Nikon personnel in some subsidiaries that say “Sony sensor.”

Will you buy the new A6300?

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Vitaly Kiselev (The GH1 hacker) predicts that Sony will rule the camera world in less than a year!

Mirrorlessrumors had the pleasure to meet the famous hacker Vitaly Kiselev. Vitaly is famous because he hacked the GH1 and GF1 cameras and maybe he will soon do the same with NEX cameras :)

Here are some interesting pieces of the interview:

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MR: Do you think mirrorless cameras are more suitable for video than DSLR’s? Or do we still need that “bulky” optical viewfinder?
VK: We’ll see. Sony is the key player here, not Nikon or Canon. And EVF will win, of course. The Sony A55 could be a real hit. But we need to know about encoder, audio and EVF use.

MR: Are you “excited” about the new camera announcements? What do you expect from the camera makers?
VK: This year we’ll see a major camera market shakeup. As for excitement, no. It is just interesting to see smart people making good products. And I see almost no bad products in VDSLR camera market.

MR: Why shakeup? What’s coming?
VK: Sony is coming. It will supply sensors to Pentax and Nikon.Plus its logistic is much better in Japan, Asia, Russia, and maybe Europe. In Russia for each 10 Sony cameras you can find 2 Canon and 1 Nikon, and 1 Samsung. I think they’ll surprise Canon as the leader in VDSLR segment in a year. This is my prediction. 7D and 550D played a bad game with Canon. They made good cameras with very good margin without investing seriously in VDSLR and getting feedback. But lenses it key part here. I think that the next winner will be one that makes real adapters for their EVF cameras. With full autofocus and aperture control. It is not that hard. Not easy, but not that hard. Like a $50 adapter with AF and aperture control for any Canon lens. And, boom. Canon lost many-many body buyers.

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Read the whole interview here: http://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/an-interview-with-vitaly-kiselev-the-gh1gf1-hacker/