A99 test roundup…

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Sony A99, prueba de vídeo from QUESABESDE on Vimeo.

Time to catch up with some A99 related news. Here is a list of links:

Sony 50mm f1.4 (First Version, Tested on the A99) at ThePhoBlographer.

Some RAW files at Digifotopro.

Studio samples at Photographyreview.

Troy:slow motion test on SLT-A99V http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6IJpwoO6x8

Chris:Hi Andrea, I just found this interesting paragraph on DXOMark which indicates that the Sony A99 has been tested and has dynamic range better than the D600 and as high as D800, please read this: DxOmark. They state ” Excellence continues in the Landscape Score too, with the K-5 IIs achieving a stunning 14.1Evs of Dynamic Range that places it 4th out of all cameras and is only outdone by the Nikon D800, D800E and Sony A99.”

As a reminder keep in mind that no A1X and no A95 is coming any time soon. That I know for sure now! Feel save to buy the A99 if that is a camera capable of fulfilling your real needs!

USA:
We have a first deal on the A99. You save $150 on [shoplink 15768 ebay]BigValue (Click here)[/shoplink]. Or A99 superkits offer for the same price as the body at [shoplink 15770 ebay]Buydig (Click here)[/shoplink] and [shoplink 15769 ebay]Adorama (Click here)[/shoplink].
Login our little new Slidoo eBay site and save this A99 search to get notified on eBay deals.

Europe:
There have been an official 40 Euro price drop in Germany at Wexphotographic. If you like to take risks than there is a Luxemburg’s store selling the A99 for 2650 Euro on [shoplink 15767 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] and for 2450 Euro at [shoplink 15766 ebay]UKbnsuk (Click here)[/shoplink]. Both write that there are no import taxes to pay.
Check out Slidoo Europe to find and/or get notified on eBay A99 deals.

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By the way…also the A-mount mirrorless prototype got off the roadmap…

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[shoplink 15930 ebay]

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Sony’s concept of an A-mount mirrorless was similar to the [shoplink 15930 ebay]K-01 from Pentax[/shoplink] (but with a different design).

As I told you before Sony changed the camera roadmap. And from the three FF camera prototypes that I heard off two were taken off the roadmap. One is the A1X FF SLT and the second is the A-mount Full Frame mirrorless camera (without SLT mirror). That was the most compact A-mount camera ever made (in Sony lab). It would have become a sort of entry-level and cheap Full Frame camera. I now have been told by two sources that Sony dropped the idea to release a camera like that. You may let me know if you would ever have considered to buy a camera like that :)

By the way, Sony wouldn’t have been the first to use the same classic DSLR mount for a mirrorless camera. Pentax did it with the futuristic (or horrible) designed [shoplink 15930 ebay]K-01 (available in different colors on eBay)[/shoplink].

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Sony RX1, NEX-6 and 10-18mm (p)reviews.

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On top you can watch Steves Huff short NEX-6/5r hands-on. And here are some more reviews and tests:
RX1: New user reviews at Amazon (Click here). RX1 shutter sound test on youtube. Example photos on Zenfolio (via Dpreview forum). Sony presentation in Tawian (SonySDF).
NEX: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the NEX-6 (Doppler-Photo). Sony NEX-6 image samples at CameraLabs. NEX-6 test at Mynavi (translation here). 10-18mm image samples at CameraLabs.

Reminder: The luxury leather case producer Gariz announced a new case for the NEX-5r and NEX-6!
NEX-5R: You can buy it on their [shoplink 15853 ebay]eBay store (Click here)[/shoplink]. There is also a [shoplink 15887 ebay]Light Brown (Click here)[/shoplink] and [shoplink 15888 ebay]Brown (Click here)[/shoplink] version. Gariz has also some other little leather accesories for the NEX-5r like lens cap and bags (look here via Slidoo eBay).
NEX-6: Gariz also released three different NEX-6 case: [shoplink 15882 ebay]Brown (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 15884 ebay]Black (Click here)[/shoplink] and [shoplink 15883 ebay]AllBlack (Click here)[/shoplink]. (full list at Slidoo).

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(UPDATED) Sony RX1 in (now out) Stock at Amazon.

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This is the first time the new Sony RX1 is in Stock and shipping via Amazon itself (Click here to grab one). Don’t know how long it will remain in Stock…
UPDATE: And indeed the camera has now been sold out.

Reminder: Save $170 by simply purchasing the $7 cheap chinese metal hood ([shoplink 15410 ebay]there is one here on eBay[/shoplink]) instead of the original expensive Sony hood.

UPDATE:
$50 savings on the Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 at BHphoto (Click here).
$50 savings on the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM BHphoto (Click here).

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(SR5) no A1x, two APS-C SLT, roadmap change from End 2013 towards (Some personal notes and some rumors)

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Hi!

Let me begin with a personal note. After posting my direct message to one of my sources on SAR I got few critics from readers and I am here to explain you a couple of things:

1) A critic was that I posted the message to the source to make some sensationalism.
What can I say….most sources uses the anonymous contact form and sometimes the only way to ask them something is to post a message on SAR. That’s it, there is no other way. If you feel like I am not honest than simply ignore this website. But 99% of you know me well for being the first posting correct rumors like for example about the SLT technology. I remember how many attacked me when I insisted for one year that Sony would launch a SLT camera. Same for NEX and same for the FF NEX I am talking about now. Even recently when I said the VG900 with FF sensor would be launched I remember plenty of posts saying I was “sensationalist” because FF NEX is not possible..where are you now? :)

2) Another critic said…just post everything you know!
There are two reasons why I dont’ do this:
a) If I would post everything my credibility of this site would be like zero. You are here not because you want to hear all the rumors I get (many of them are simply not correct). You are here to get a possibly reliable idea of what’s coming next. Of course I am not perfect! Sometimes even trusted sources get not so correct information and many sources do not speak English and it’s not easy to translate correctly their message.
b) I have some key info that I do not post yet because I use it to check if rumors I get from other sources are correct or not. In the long term it’s very important for me to have multiple sources rather than be “sensationalist” and post everything I get at the moment I get it. This measure has many benefits a) I can recognize which new source is a “real” source b) In the long term I can count on multiple sources c) I can check if Sony (or someone else) is deliberately spreading out false info.

The current Sony rumor situation:
So please just accept that I need time to give you SR4-5 rumors. Sony indeed completely revolutionized their roadmap. And while I am waiting to get more info all I can tell for now is that it sounds like a very good and clear roadmap made to sincerely compete against the big ones. With the current economic situation Sony simply has to be as honest as possible with what they can or can’t do. As I told you before an SLT camera with the same 36MP sensor used by the Nikon D800 wouldn’t have been the dealbreaker. Simply because it comes long time after the D800 release and it would have been probably be as (or more) expensive as the Nikon. That’s why I can say it with a SR5 reliability that the A1X 36MPX SLT FF camera prototype has not been approved for final market release and mass production. And there is also no plan to introduce a cheaper A95 SLT FF. For the first half of the year you can expect the launch of plenty of A and E mount lenses, certainly an entry level NEX and two (or more) APS-C SLT cameras. The revolutionized roadmap I talked you before will take effect from end 2013 towards. And all I can promise is to post some of that highly sensible info as soon as I have the feeling I am correct about it. Once again, I repeat…there is reason to hope for some very nice surprise! Also Canon and Nikon guys may love what’s coming :)

So stay tuned on SAR, you will NOT regret it!

Big hug from Andrea!

Join our little new eBay search tool project Slidoo.com . There will be soon an amazon version and a dedicated Sony search page. Thanks :)

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