(SR3) Next Sony announcement in early-mid June?

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The (superexpensive) Leica X2 is the last of the APS-C model with fixed lens. Is Sony coming as next?

I am getting first reports about a possible new Sony product announcement in June! I have been told that “something is going on“. I hope trusted sources can read this post and send me some more info soon. As you know the NEX-F5, new NEX lenses and the APS-C compact camera with fixed lens are rumored to arrive sometimes this summer. The A99 is scheduled for a late August early September announcement but I hope Sony will show us the prototype earlier.

I am right now collecting rumors about the NEX-F5 which promises to be a pretty good camera. And I have been told the new NEX lens(es) will be “great”. I haven’t heard anything about the fixed lens [shoplink 11547 ebay]DSC-R1 alike (here on eBay)[/shoplink] camera. Let’s hope that’s coming too :)

Stay tuned on SAR! And if you know “something” feel free to contact me at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com or use the anonymous contact form you see on the right sidebar! Thanks!

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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Another new camera with Sony sensor (The Pentax K30)

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The Sony 16 megapixel CMOS sensor is probably the most “sold” sensor of the DSLR and Mirrorless market. Ricoh, Nikon, Sony and now even the new Pentax K30 (Click here) uses it! Will be nice to see the comparison between that camera and our nee Sony A57. Anyway, I also wanted to focus on your attention on the complete new design of the new Pentax DSLR. You really don’t see often something like this. I don’t know if that is something Sony should do too! You like it?

P.S.: Out friend Jason from SonyAlphaLab (Click here) finalized the A57 review!

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Nanoha 5x super macro for NEX in Stock!

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Sigma and Tamron have proven to make some supe rhigh quality lenses for the NEX system. But there is another third party E-mount lens maker that is realitevly unkown. Yasuhara made a very exotic real 5x macro lens for the NEX system and it is in Stock for the first time at BHphoto (Click here). It’s a good quality lens and it has been rcently tested at Lensrentals (Click here).

P.S.: Links to the Sigma lenses:
The 30mm lens is in Stock at Amazon US (Click here), Amazon DE (Click here), Amazon FR (Click here).
The 19mm lens is in Stock at Amazon US (Click here), Amazon DE (Click here), Amazon UK (Click here), Amazon FR (Click here).

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David Kilpatrick thoughts about the Sony strategy (NEX-F3 review at Cnet USA)

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A huge discussion about Sony unsatisfying firmware update strategy followed the latest NEX-7 Redneck article. David Kilpatrick explained at Photoclubalpha (Click here) what’s going on with Sony: “Sony does listen, but it listens harder to new potential buyers than to existing owners. It listens to the untapped market, to the people who buy someone else’s camera instead of Sony. After all, it’s already got the existing owners. It only needs to listen to them as far as the next camera upgrade goes for the proportion who will be likely to change frequently.” And indeed he starts to talk about the new F3 and A37 cameras: “The new NEX-F3 is a perfect instance of listen to the unconverted market.” And at the end he says: “All Sony’s advances are geared to making these larger format cameras more satisfying to the upgrading user.Now we just wait for them to produce 2012′s models designed to keep the upgrading Alpha and NEX user equally happy.” Couldn’t agree more!!! :)

Lori Grunin from Cnet USA (Click here) posted the first full Sony NEX-F3 review: “Though it doesn’t wow us for any particular aspect, the Sony Alpha NEX-F3 is a nice overall package for photographers looking for something with better photo quality and more flexible than a point-and-shoot.”

Preorders:
A37 is available for preorder at Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here)
NEX-F3 is available for preorder at Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here)
Sony 18-200mm NEX lens preorder at BHphoto (Click here).
Sony 18-135mm A mount lens preorder at BHphoto (Click here).

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Sony NEX-7 Redneck edition by LL.

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[shoplink 8454][/shoplink]

Luminous Landscape (Click here) posted a very well written article about the NEX-7 video button issue. As you know it’s very easy to press the video button which is placed on the grip. And many here and on other websites asked Sony to release a firmware upgrade which could allow to disable or lock this button. After nine months there is still no answer from Sony and I 100% agree with Mark Dubovoy when he writes that this is “Unacceptable because when I spend my hard earned dollars on a product and the product has an obvious flaw that can probably be easily fixed by a simple firmware update, I feel that the company owes it to their customers to provide a fix as soon as possible.”

Marc now reports that he has found a “redneck” solution that makes uses of a rubber grommet mounted around the video button.

Michale Reichmann goes further in his Sony critic by pointing two more big issues we NEX-7 owners have to deal with:
“There is one other aspect to this issue that was also apparent since day one, and has been known to cause cardiac arrest among NEX-7 owners. This problem is that the NEX-7 inexplicably maintains two separate directory structures for its video and stills files. So, when you first discover that you have shot 20 minutes of the inside of your camera bag, and you delete the offending video to clear room on the card, the  camera displays – DELETING IMAGES. Note the plural!? Even if you are just deleting one video file, or one still image, it says IMAGES. Heart attack number one.
Heart attack number two is that after you delete the offending video file and then press PLAY the screen displays NO IMAGES, even if you have shot hundreds of raws or JPGs on the same card. The reason for this is that there are separate directories for the two types of files. The simple solution is to shoot a quick still, and now the stills directory of files becomes available. There is also a convoluted way through the menus, but life is too short to delve into Sony menu land unless one really has to.”

I know Sony is working on the release of the NEX-7 firmware update. Let’s hope Sony has already implemented the fix for the here mentioned issues! They really can’t afford to lack of support for the probably most sold Sony camera ever. The camera is on top of all sales ranking at Amazon US (Click here), Amazon UK (Click here), Amazon DE (Click here) and Amazon FR (Click here). Is Sony going to listen to all of these great amount of customers?

 

 

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Sigma 105mm f/2.8 now in Stock in USA and Europe!

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Sigma has annoucned that the Sigma Macro 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM is now available in Sony fit. The lens is right now in Stock at Amazon US (Click here) and Adorama (Click here). In Europe at Amazon DE (Click here) and Amazon FR (Click here).

Sigma Press Release
“105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Medium telephoto macro lens incorporating Sigma’s Optical Stabiliser
The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce that the Sigma MACRO 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM is now available in Sony AF fit.

The successor to the Sigma MACRO 105mm F2.8 EX DG, introduced to market in June 2004, this large aperture medium telephoto macro lens incorporates the latest optical design technology, offering advanced performance for close-up photography. A Special Low Dispersion (SLD) lens and one high refractive index SLD lens provide excellent correction for all types of aberration and distortion.
A floating focusing system moves two different lens groups in the optical path to different positions. This system compensates for astigmatic aberration and spherical aberration and provides extremely high optical performance from infinity to 1:1 Macro.
The Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting, providing high contrast images. It is also possible to use this lens with Sigma’s optional APO Tele Converters. Sigma’s own proprietary OS (Optical Stabiliser) function helps with handheld close-up photography and the HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) ensures quiet and high speed autofocus as well as full-time manual focus capability.
This lens features a splash resistant design for use in harsh conditions and a rounded 9 blade diaphragm creating a smooth blur to the out of focus areas of the image.“

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(SR5) New E-mount lenses coming along the NEX-F5!

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Top sources unveiled that the NEX-F5 will be announced sometimes this summer. They also confirmed now that there will be new E-mount lenses too. And one of them expressly said: “I am talking about very high stuff, not a cheap 18-200mm lens like we had it now” …LOL :)   About time!

P.S.: The Sony NEX-5n $50 rebate will end soon at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here)! And the super nice and cheap 50mm is back in Stock via J&R at Amazon (Click here).

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