First image samples taken with the chinese 28mm f/2.8 NEX lens.

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We are all waitng Sony, Sigma, Tamron and Zeiss to release new high quality lenses for our NEX camera. But in the meanwhile we can only report about new lenses made by chinese companies.
The latest addition is the new 28mm f/2.8 Mitakon lens for NEX. You can see image of the lens on Flickr (Click here) and image samples at Xitek (Click here).
I don’t know where you can buy the lens. I searched on [shoplink 6533 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] where I could find Mitakon lenses but not for the NEX.

The other chinese lenses with NEX mount are the SLR Magic 35mm f/1.7 you can already buy on [shoplink 3514 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] and the soon to come fast prime 23mm (again from SLRmagic).
There are also a few reseller that do rework the mount so that it can fit on a NEX camera without the need for an adapter. An example: The Kowa 50mm f/1.0 you can find on [shoplink 6534 ebay]eBay US (Click here)[/shoplink].

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Sony shows a 18 Megapixel sensor with 120 fps

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Sony announced a new near APS-C sensor with 19,3 Full and 17,7 effective pixels. But the really amazing feature of the sensor is that it can capture 120 fps (frame per second) at a full 12 Bit resolution. And it takes 60 fps at 14 Bit! The only real limit here is the mechanical shutter (that’s why the final fps could be lower). The sensor has been designed to limit the Rolling Shutter effect while recording video. The sensor has consumes less power than the current 16 megapixel sensor of the [shoplink 3617]Sony A55[/shoplink].

UPDATE: A reader noticed that “the dimensions are not APS-C as we know them (1.5x crop  3:2 sensor), it’s a few mm short on the height.  It’s closer to aspect ratio of 16:9 than 3:2 , thus probably a video sensor, nothing for a Alpha body.” And another reader (Thom) said: “This sensor uses Clearwid rotated pixels, effective resolution is 27 MP; it is to be used in the new 8K (about 24 MP) Ultra High Definition TV cameras, developed by Sony, in conjunction with NHK. Even BBC participates in this project.”

There is a very detailed description of the sensor specs at the japanese DC.watch (Click here) website. To bad the google english translation tool seems to be confised working on the original text. We would welcome if our japanese friends could comment this post and add some more interesting information we might have missed. Thanks!

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$50 instant rebate on the Sony A55 (US deal)

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[shoplink 3617][/shoplink]

An anonymous mailer just sent me the link to the recent Sony A55 deal (Thanks!). There is an $50 instant rebate offer that ends on May 14:

Click those links to check the final price of both body-only and the kit lens option: Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.
Also the A33 deal is back (there was already an instant rebate offer a couple of weeks ago). Check out at Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.
And the NEX deal is still ongoing at Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay

I confess I am bit surprised to see those offers. I hope it means that supply problems from Japan are not as worse as expected.

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(SR5) NEX-7, A77 and lens rumors summary

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A few readers asked me to make a summary of all future camera and lens specs. It’s easy to get lost with all those rumors going around the web.
Those rumors are coming form our SonyAlphaRumors sources. Please link back to SAR if you post those specs on your website. Thanks!

The Sony A77

Coming in mid July
Shipment start early October
Coming with new kit lens (A Sony 16-50mm zoom. Compared to the [shoplink 5586]Zeiss 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5[/shoplink] it will have a constant aperture and probably have a bit higher price. Zeiss 16-80mm price check at [shopcountry 5586].)
24 Megapixels (The combination of the new sensor+new Zeiss lens delivers 62% more resolution than the [shoplink 3617]A55 16 Megapixel sensor[/shoplink].)
1080p/30fps, 720p/60fps and 720p/30fps high-definition video
AF fine-tuning capabilities. A source told us that it has an improved focusing system (quite fast and accurate).
3 Million dot OLED viewfinder (more than double of the resolution fo the current [shoplink 3617]Sony A55/33[/shoplink] viewfinder.)
magnesium alloy
According to our sources it will be a little bit more expensive than the 60D. Canon 60D price check at [shopcountry 5117]
It will take CF+SD+MS cards
No flip-up mode to allow shooting without this extra sheet of glass in place
1.000 pictures with one battery

The NEX-7

Coming in mid July
Shipment in September
High-quality body
Many manual controls.
Price $1.300 with kit lens
24 Megapixels
1080p/30fps, 720p/60fps and 720p/30fps high-definition video
It uses a 3 Million dot viewfinder (we don’t know yet if it’s external or buil-in)

Lenses

16-50mm for Alpha mount (already mentioned inside the A77 specs)
500mm Sony G lens (to be announced along the Sony A77)
200mm f/2.0 (no release date yet)
55-200mm E-mount lens (late May)
24mm f/1.7 Zeiss E-mount lens (probably coming in late May)
A total of 4-5 Zeiss lenses will be announced within 2011 (I am working to find out the definitive specs)

NEX-C3 and A35

delayed.

If you have some rumor to share contact me at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com or use the anonymous contact form on the right sidebar. And invite your friends to follow us! Join us at Facebook, Twitter and follow our RSS-feed!
And I also need your support to keep this website running and cover all costs. Just use our affiliate shop links to start your shopping: [shopcountry 3617]. Once clicked on those links you can buy whatever products you want (also Books and Music on Amazon for example) and I will earn a small commission for it. You don’t pay any penny more on the products! This allows me to keep only a low amount of advertising banners and to keep a freedom in speech on this website!

Select the three A-mount lenses Sony should absolutely make:

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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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Sony A55 and NEX-VG10 winners of the TIPA award 2011

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[shoplink 3617][/shoplink]

The winners of the XXI TIPA AWARDS 2011 have been announced. Sony cameras won the price in two categories.

The [shoplink 3617]Sony A55[/shoplink] won the price in the category “Best Imaging Innovation“. That’s the motivation: “Sony has developed translucent mirror technology for a new level of functionality. The advantages of a translucent, fixed mirror technology are evident in the form of real time, phase detect autofocus (also available in Movie Mode) and much increased burst mode speed. By means of SLT design bodies can also be made smaller, thus reducing weight and size without sacrificing functionality and advanced technology benefits.”

The [shoplink 3058]Sony NEX-VG10[/shoplink] won the price in the category “Best Expert Camcorder“. Motivation: “This camcorder could be considered the perfect “convergence” imaging system, equally serving the still photo and video worlds. The novel NEX-VG10 uses most of the electronics of Sony NEX-5 CSC, the same Exmor HD CMOS APS-C size sensor and the same E-mount for interchangeable lenses. However, its architecture and layout clearly favours video with a very remarkable performance thanks to 24Mbps codec AVCHD.”

Full list of the winners at http://www.tipa.com/english/XXI_tipa_awards_2011.php

Click those direct links to check the price and availability of the cameras:
Sony A55 at [shopcountry 3617].
Sony NEX-VG10 at [shopcountry 3058].

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(SR5) NEX-7 for $1,300 and superb build quality

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A fake Sony NEX-7 rendering with built-in EVF (Source: http://timberwolf.zenfolio.com/)

After yesterdays allergy sickness I toke some rest and it did help a lot. I am now again 100% fully recovered! Thanks for your kind words and moral support!!!

A double checked some info I received during the last month. If Sony didn’t change the plan because of the recent Japan Tusnami disaster the Sony A77 and NEX-7 should be announced in July and available in late September/early October. What I also told you is that both will feature the same 24 Megapixel sensor. Some of my sources already had the chance to play a little bit with those cameras. The first impression was extremely positive. Both cameras do have a lot of “mechanical” controls and superb build quality. Sony worked with many photographers to develop those camera so expect major changes in a positive direction. The sources also confirmed the price of the NEX-7 with kit lens (18-55mm). It will be around $1,300. The direct competitor, the [shoplink 4718]Panasonic GH2 + 14-140mm lens (Click here to see the camera specs and price on Amazon)[/shoplink] costs $1500 and $1000 with the 14-42mm lens. There is definitely an electronic OLED Viewfinder but the sources “forgot” to mention to me if the NEX-7 uses a built-in or external viewfinder. I hope that after reading this post they can send me the answer :)

I don’t know how the camera could look like. I would love it would have a design and body-quality a la [shoplink 6503 ebay]Zeiss Ikon ZM (Click here to see that camera on eBay)[/shoplink]. That’s just my very personal dream :)

There are a lot of rumors I am working on:
1) I am trying to find out when the delayed NEX-C3 and A35 will be announced
2) There should be a new NEX lens announcement in late May. I hope Sony will not delay that announcement too
3) I got many info about new Zeiss and Sony lenses. I am trying to understand if those rumors are real and when they will be announced.

As usual you can help me by sending the rumor using the anonymous contact form on the right sidebar. You can avoid to send me your name and email address (send me a fake name so that I can recognize you in future). It also doesn’t store your IP address. Please understand that I try to post rumors only after checking them with other sources. So it could take some time before you see it posted on this website. You can also create a fake gmail account to contact me at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com. That is the only way I can answer you.

What's the one camera you would like to get in 2017?

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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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Sony TidBits (Sony A55 Taken Apart)

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(via Noisycamera)

A new japanese Sony NEX advertising page (Sony.jp)
A new NEX tripod mount adapter (DC.watch) and a new NEX panorama bracket (DC.watch).
Sony NEX-3 with Konica Hexanon 40mm 1.8 (SonyAlphaNex).
The Lights Down Test at EosHD ( Canon 600d vs Panasonic GH2/GF2 vs Sony NEX-3).
Replacing NEX LCD cover glass (PhotoclubAlpha)

Links to the cameras mentioned in that post:
Sony A55: [shopcountry 3617].
Sony NEX-3: [shopcountry 3000].

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