[shoplink 3000][/shoplink]

As you know my contact form didn’t work for the last 20 days. I am slowly catching up with the rumor messages I missed. I do hope my sources can give me an answer to the following message I received today:

“My [shoplink 3000]NEX-3[/shoplink] is now in the hands of techs in Larado, Texas getting its brains re-installed. Tech support person assured me that: ->we are aware of the problem and a fixed and proper firmware updater will be posted any day.<- Meanwhile, DO NOT use the firmware updater if you have an Intel Mac running 10.6.”

Did you hear something about the new firmware?

P.S.: Sony has still to decide when the NEX-3C will be announced. But I got some more info I will post soon on SAR.

Reminder: When you buy a NEX-5 or NEX-3 you get an $150 instant rebate when you buy it with both the 16mm and the 18-55mmm lenses. Check at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).

The image on top shows an image of a new Sony lens patent. What looks so simple has in reality a very complicated description and I haven’t figured out yet the specs of the lens. It looks like patent writers sometimes do have fun to hide the real specs behind tons of data. I would appreciate the help of some smart guy! Here is the link to the new patent filed in September 2010: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20110085248.pdf

And did you understand something? :)

One of our very good sources told us that Sony has the plan to announce new Sony products on May 26. That includes the 55-200mm lens for NEX cameras. But all my sources do confirm that there is now a very “uncertain” situation. Sony like other Japanese companies is facing many production problems. While the product announcement planed for May 26 has yet NOT been delayed there is a fair chance that the announcement could be delayed. Let’s hope Sony can fix some of the current production issues.

Editor’s note: It’s very difficult for me and my sources to get reliable info about the upcoming products. If you have some info about the new Sony roadmap (including the NEX-C3 and A35 new announcements plan) feel free to contact me at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com or use the contact form on the right sidebar. As you know you can avoid to send me your name or email address. It’s 100% anonymous (it doesn’t store your IP address).

[shoplink 3032][/shoplink]The current Sony Fullframe Flagship camera: The [shoplink 3032]A900[/shoplink].

I am still waiting to get some news about the delayed NEX-C3 and A35. But in the meanwhile I got first good news about the next Fullframe camera…oh wait cameras! Yes I have been told that Sony is now planning to release two FF cameras in 2012!

One camera will have a low resolution sensor that can beat the ISO performance of the current [shoplink 6340]Canon 5D markII[/shoplink] and [shoplink 6341]Nikon D3x[/shoplink] cameras.
The second camera will have a high resolution sensor to come very close to medium format cameras like the [shoplink 6342]Pentax 645D[/shoplink] and [shoplink 6343]Leica S2[/shoplink].

Very important: Both cameras will be SLT (translucent). And both will be announced in 2012.  They will certainly feature the same (if not better) 3 million dots OLED Viewfinder as the A77. We should expect a mockup to be displayed at the Cliq (PMA) show in September.

I got the info from very good sources, but 2012 is still far away and I hope Sony will not change that roadmap! Sony is going to let us painfully wait a long time before we can get our hands on it!

Links to the current Sony FF cameras:
Sony A900 at [shopcountry 3032].
Sony A850 at [shopcountry 3028].

Other cameras discussed in the article:
Canon 5D markII at [shopcountry 6340]
Nikon D3x at [shopcountry 6341].
Pentax 645D at [shopcountry 6342].
Leica S2 at [shopcountry 6343].

A few days ago Sony canceled the new NEX-C3 and SLT A35 product announcements due the energy supply problems in some of their Japanese plants. I am constantly in touch with my sources and they told me that Sony has not yet decided when they will announce the new C-3/A35 cameras. The good news is that Sony will not delay the announcements of the important products. That includes the Sony A77 which should be announced in July. The NEX-C3 and A35 were just minor upgrades of the current [shoplink 3000]NEX-3[/shoplink] and [shoplink 3620]A33[/shoplink] cameras. One source told me that both do not have new features but just bring some “fixes”. The only major change would have been the new design of the NEX-3.
P.S.: I posted the rumor with SR4 value only because I don’t want to bring bad luck :)

Both cameras have been discontinued and (in some stores) discounted:
The Sony NEX-3 at [shopcountry 3000].
and the Sony A33 at [shopcountry 3620].

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!

I got in touch with my soruces and they do all confirm that ALL (!) new products announcements have been delayed! There will be no new product announcement yet. No NEX, no SLT no new lens! The sources confirmed that today (April 4) Sony should have announced the new products. Everything has been canceled and Sony didn’t decide when they will make the new product launch.

You can spread the word around the web. Sony production capacity has been hit very hardl by the earthquake-tsunami-Fukushima disaster. And I do believe most Japanese companies are not giving us the full view of the problems they have right now.

I want to thank all (many!) sources that contacted me to share that news.

The first hints about the upcoming SLT-A35 model have been found on the official Sony Netherlands website. Today Hans den Heijer, PR manager at Sony Benelux said that this was only a typo (Source: Tweakers.net). As you know we don’t believe him ;)
We got the info that A35 will replace the discontinued A33 model. So it sounds more than just a mistake! The real problem is that we have been told that Sony delayed many of the new product announcements because of the terrible situation in Japan. Let’s hope everything can go back to “normality” as soon as possible.

As soon as I have more info about the delayed product annnouncements I will post them on SAR. Thanks!