Sony rumors roundup

I noticed that many people missed some of our recent Sony rumors. Those rumors have been exclusively posted on SonyAlphaRumors during the last 30 days:

All future Zeiss lenses will be fullframe (3-4 new Zeiss lenses within 18 months!)
Sony A77 coming mid 2011 and with a completely new 24 Megapixel sensor!
Is that the new Sony Alpha 77 design???
2011 is the year for Sony professionists!
Sony A77 with two semi-transparent mirrors?

A reminder for all our readers:
1) I do not invent any rumor. So don’t blame on me if sometimes I have no rumors to post. I preferr to not post anything than post fake rumors. And if it is possible I try to double check the rumors I do receive. As you can imagine not everyone is sending me correct info.
2) I am doing the work on that website all alone. There are days I do not post anything because I am busy at work or with my family.
3) As written inside the “About us” presentation we talk about Sony digital camera news, rumors and reviews. This includes the DSLR, SLT and NEX cameras (NEX cameras do have the Alpha logo and do work with Alpha mount lenses via adapter).
4) We try to understand the future development of Sony products and technologies. That’s why sometimes we pickup news from different product categories like camcorders, cellular-phone or even competition. We believe some of those news could influence the Sony product development strategy.

Thanks for your understanding!

Andrea

A look into the future: Sony is working on liquid lenses!

United States Application US20100277923 discloses a new liquid lens technology developed by Sony (Source: Freepatentsonline). With such technology you can change the curvature of the lens by changing the voltage of the liquid. The advantages are:

-non-movement glasses for zoom or AF
-less glasses inside the lens
-faster electrical response
-non-motor on the glass
-silence AF mode

It might will pass a long time before we see such a lens, but now you know what Sony is working on!

Sony teases the future fullframe videocamera (to be announced on November 17th)


The SOny FF camcorder teaser (with a Zeiss master prime lens)

Sony teased this stealth picture to Film and digital times. It’s the new fullframe Sony videocamera. Specs and price will be revealed on November 17th. Sony Professional has shown a prototype of the camera at the IBC 2010 Press Conference on September 10th (Click here to see the video of the presentation).
This is the image of the “Mockup”:

Reminder we ecpect Sony to announce the [shoplink 3058]NEX-VG10[/shoplink] successor (with two XLR inputs and more andvanced controls) by early 2011 to compete against the Panasonic AG-AF100.

Thom Hogan thoughts and 2011 predictions about Sony

Thom Hogan posted his 2011 camera and lens prediction. First he analyzed the current year for Sony: “2010 was the year Sony took off on a tangent. NEX and Pellicle mirror cameras are definitely both a bit on the side of non-traditional DSLR plays. The inexpensive full frame thing failed, as did the dozens of low-end traditional-DSLRs-with-minor-differences thing. Somewhere in the organization Sony execs sent and responded to a different memo than the one Canon didn’t see. Sony’s is a high risk, high reward (or big failure) strategy. Ironically, the best NEX camera is the video model, the [shoplink 3058]NEX-VG10[/shoplink]. But Sony has a lot to work on still for stills, even if they get the [shoplink 3228]A700[/shoplink] replacement out and maybe a new full frame sensor flagship: lenses. They need more lenses (NEX, APS, full frame, you name it). Without those lenses, the rest of the strategy will almost certainly fail to bring Sony up to the Nikon/Canon level. The NEX was a good idea, but we’re stuck at three lenses, two of them way too big for the camera (compare a Samsung NX100 kit with the [shoplink 3003]NEX5[/shoplink] kit).”

And those are Thom’s prediction for 2011: “Not too difficult to predict that the A700 replacement appears, though I think there are some surprises to those that haven’t been paying attention: pelliclemegapixels, GPS inside option, etc. Looking at the feature list on paper the camera looks like a Canon and Nikon killer. But it isn’t, it’s just another Sony (oh, I know I’m going to get beat up over that line). Competent, but a little unfocused in target user (and interface), and not quite at the same pixel peeping level as its competitors. Hey, what about the rumored 24mp APS sensor? Answer: how many lenses does Sony have that could resolve well on that? Four? Five? So putting a camera out with what is essentially the maximum for useful APS pixel count doesn’t seem like it would be a big winner given the other constraints (e.g. lenses). (One source does tell me that Sony has 4-5 Zeiss lenses planned for 2011 launch, including a 200mm f/2, so perhaps these will fill that void and give the 24mp users something to shoot with.) You don’t really want to put out a camera that might cause a majority of its users to start posting “it wasn’t worth it” messages all over the net. Still, the multiple “economy full frame” excursion that Sony went on seems to imply that they’ll throw just about anything at the wall to see if it sticks, so we probably will see a 24mp crop sensor camera from them, and it may be the A700 replacement. I’ll just go on record as saying that would be foolish. I don’t think it’s difficult to predict that Sony have at least two more NEX models by the end of the year and at least three more NEX lenses. What’s tougher to predict is what happens with full frame. I think we’ll see one more stab by Sony there, mainly because it was already in development before the upper management started questioning the large sensor payback. So which is it: full frame with video, or full frame with a pellicle mirror, or both? Given what I know about the sensor development, the video is a given. So my guess would be both. Meanwhile Sony, like Panasonic, will join the compact-camera-with-built-in-cellphone game (call it the Sony Erickson Cellular Alpha, or SECA for short). mirror, more ”

You can’t comment Thom Hogans thought on his website (he doesn’t have any comment system). I told Thom that he can visit our website to read youre comments about his predictions! Let Thom know what you think!

(SR4) The next Sony cameras to be announced are…videocameras!

We are approaching the CES event which will take place in Las Vegas on January 6-9 2011. The International CES is the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow. According to our sources the next Sony cameras to be announced are not SLT or DSLR cameras, these are videocameras! One of them is certainly the fullframe videocamera pictured above. But that FF videocamera is to expensive to compete against in the Panasonic AG-AF100 camcorder. And the current [shoplink 3058]NEX-VG10[/shoplink] has not enough features to appeal professionists. According to two of our sources Sony is preparing a new NEX-VG pro-camera. We have no specs yet but it looks like the VG videocamera will be announced at CES!

P.S.: There is a $95 price drop on the Sony NEXVG10 at Amazon (Click here)

Panasonic to announce a NEX competitor this week

We just learned (via 43rumors) that Panasonic is going to announce a [shoplink 3003]Sony NEX[/shoplink] competitor, the GF2. I guess Panasonic didn’t expect Sony to release such small mirrorless cameras and they have choosen to develop the GF2 to compete against them. The ruor says that it will be at least as small as the NEX. Bad for Panasonic, it uses the same Panasonic GF1 sensor. And we know the Sony sensor works better…

Two good news for UK: Tokina 11-16 lens now in UK and Sony VAT cashback

Two good news for UK citizens. The new Tokina 11-16 lens for Sony is now coming to UK and there is a Sony VAT cashback action for you: http://www.sony.co.uk/hub/1237479399273.
You can read a Tokina (Canon mount) review at Photozone. Yes it is an extremely good lens!

This lens is already in Stock in US at Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto (Click on store names to check the price).

Press Release:
Tokina 11-16 lens now available for Sony users

Kenro has announced the popular Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX lens is now available with a Sony fit.
Previously, this ultra-wide angle lens was only an option for Canon or Nikon owners, but now Sony users will be able to take advantage of the AT-X 116’s fast f/2.8 aperture which is designed to give better results in low-light situations.
The AT-X 116 PRO features Tokina’s exclusive ‘One-touch Focus Clutch Mechanism’ that allows the photographer to switch between AF and MF simply by snapping the focus ring forward for AF and back toward the camera to focus manually. This allows for a fast and easy manual over-ride in difficult lighting situations.
This lens is based on the award-winning AT-X 124 PRO DX (12-24mm f/4) lens, the new AT-X 116 PRO DX has a slightly shorter zoom range to maintain optical quality at wide apertures. The optical system of the lens features a new multi-coating system that helps to reduce reflections that can cause flare and ghosting.