(SR4) Development of the new a-e hybrid bridge camera project confirmed. Release Photokina 2014.

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I am getting more and more details about the new Sony roadmap. As I told you before the next camera should be the new NEX-7 successor (shipping from October). We will have new A-mount FF and APS-C cameras (mirrorless) in early 2014. And we will see the first FF-NEX compact camera in mid 2014 too.

And according to one of my best sources Sony also finally approved the new a-e hybrid bridge camera project development. This camera is scheduled for a release in late 2014 right in time for Photokina! As I told you before I have no clue yet how this thing is going to work. And the only example we have form the past is the [shoplink 10295 ebay]Zeiss Ikon Contax I, II and III (here on eBay)[/shoplink]. It had a sort of native double mount on camera.

Anyway, stay tuned, I am working very busy with my sources to grab some info about the specs off all these new cameras. One thing is sure. 2014 is going to be a hell of a year for all of us A and E-mount owners!

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Message to sources: You can send me more info anonymously by using the contact form you see on the very right of your browser. You can also contact me directly at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com.

For readers: Subscribe the RSS feed (Click here) and Twitter (Click here) stream and the Facebook fan page (Click here) in order to not miss any news!

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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!

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New Zeiss Touit video. And shipment start on June 3th.

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The video on top is the official Zeiss lens presentation. New image samples (shot on Fuji X) at DSLRmagazine (google translation here) and at ePhotozine (here and here). And there is also a new precise shipping info. The new Touit lens will ship on June 3 according to BHphoto (Click here).

As you know on Sunday DSLRmagazine (google translation here) posted the full lens reviews and said that this are “state of the art” lenses. You get what you paf for!

Zeiss preorder links:
12mm f/2.8 at BHphoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and Uniquephoto (Click here). In Europe at FotoMundus.
32mm f/1.8 at BHphoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and Uniquephoto (Click here). In Europe at FotoMundus.

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Patent: This could be the next A-mount mirrorless sensor and design!

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Yesterday I told you that the new A-mount roadmap will lead to new FF and APS-C cameras announcements in early 2014. And I am almost sure these cameras will be the first “mirrorless” A-mount cameras. This means they neither will have an optical viewfinder and mirror nor the famous translucent mirror. The key of the new A-mount camera sis the new advanced on sensor phase detection autofocus system. And guess what, I just found a brand new patent (United States Patent Application 20130113982) that describes exactly that kind of cameras!

The image you see on top shows you the A-mount camera design with no mirror. And the image below shows you the arrangement of the phase detection pixels on the RGB sensor.

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Yep, that’s it guys. say by by to SLT and to that 1/3 stop light loss :)

People asked me why the heck A-mount and E-mount should coexist and what the difference will be. There are at least three reason that came to my mind:
1) The A-mount mirrorless cameras will have a classic DSLR body. E-mount will focus on compact size.
2) A-mount has on sensor stabilization while E-mount cameras has not.
3) A-mount mirrorless cameras have a large range of A-mount lenses at disposal. E-mount is still very limited in their lens offering.

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Hasselblad Lunar quality is “disappointing”?

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The Hasselblad Lunar is all about high quality material and luxurious outlook. And exactly that “feature” has been shortly reviewed at Genotypewritings (Click here). And what he writes really doens’t sound good: “the camera immediately becomes disappointing in terms of its finish. This particular model felt very plastic-like all over. To make things worse, they have chosen the most plastic and rubber-like materials for the knobs.”

And if you read the rest of the article you can find some other issues on the camera (like the ON button without OFF mark) and so on. I really like Hasselblad camera history. And of course it’s also ok to move into the luxury segment. But the Lunar seems to not have that luxury feeling they were targeting for. I hope this was just an unfinished prototype camera.

found via PR.

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First A99 auctions for less than $2,400….

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[shoplink 18364 ebay]

[/shoplink]

in US and Canada the A99 can now be bought for less than $2,400 at [shoplink 18364 ebay]Electro Electro store on eBay (New York)[/shoplink] and at [shoplink 18365 ebay]CamWatch store on eBay (Toronto)[/shoplink]. Theses are likely bodies sold from the original $2799 superkit offer (here at Amazon).

But the price is still a couple of hundreds higher than the cheapest Nikon and Canon FF models. I hope that the next FF model coming in early 2014 may be a super cheap FF DSLR :)

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(SR4) New A-mount camera roadmap. Both FF and APS-C A-mount (mirrorless) to come in early 2014.

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The last few months have been very intriguing on the A-mount rumor front. As I told you before the A77 successor and the FF model planed for a summer release have been taken off the roadmap. And the SLT-A58 is probably the last APS-C model featuring the translucent tech mirror. So the question is…what’s going to happen now?

I am working on the details of the new roadmap and this is what I can share today:
1) The APS-C A-mount models will be mirrorless. I am not sure yet about the FF models.
2) Both FF and APS-C A-mount cameras will come in early 2014

I still have no reliable specs about the new cameras. But if sources are not playing me fool than these cameras will be a mayor step forward compared to previous generation cameras and not just small upgrades. I marked this rumor as SR4 (not SR5) because there is still almost a year to go and to be 99% sure of the rumor we have to hope Sony doesn’t change the roadmap in the meantime. Although, I think it’s pretty much safe to say that now the roadmap is very clear and approved.

Personal note: It’s a a very exciting time here in the hidden rumor world. I am giving my best to birng back some excitment on the A-mount world. The last two weeks have been the most busy A-mount rumor time I ever had on SAR. Thanks to all sources for helping me out!

—

Message to sources: You can send me more info anonymously by using the contact form you see on the very right of your browser. You can also contact me directly at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com.

For readers: Subscribe the RSS feed (Click here) and Twitter (Click here) stream and the Facebook fan page (Click here) in order to not miss any news!

——–

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!

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New Hasselbald Lunar pics (wit Zeiss lens) and hands-on report.

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The Hasselblad Lunar is ready to come soon! The picture on top shows the new Lunar with the new Zeiss lens. At DC.home (Click here) you can see first image samples shot on the Lunar with the 18-55mm and Zeiss lens! And Brad Morrise (the.me) wrote a first hands-on report. In short this are his first impressions:

– Compared to the NEX-7 the the Hassy feels to have a better quality click when releasing the shutter.
-The LED and VF are the same as the NEX-7 however there is a large eyecup now installed on the viewfinder
– the knobs are now quite sharp and uncomfortable to touch, almost like touching a cheese grater.

And he ends his first review report by saying “There is no compelling reason I can see to take this camera over the NEX-7.” Obviously the camera is not made for us poor SAR readers but rather for multi millionaires whose main daily struggle is finding a new unnecessary reason to spend their money :)

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