Collapsible lens patent

Share

The japanese blog Egami (Click here) found a new Sony patent disclosing a collapsible lens technology. The image on top shows the lens in full retracted position. The single lenses are in contact with the other lenses to minimize the length. Actually only Olympus is offering such a lens (The [shoplink 9584 ebay]14-42mm kit lens[/shoplink]). Collapsible lenses and in future also the liquid lens technology should allow Sony to create very small lenses. Can’t wait to see one of these lenses for real!

Share

Slrmagic 28mm f/2.8 reviews

Share

[shoplink 7358 ebay][/shoplink]

EosHD (Click here) tested the SLRmagic 28mm f/2.8 with E-mount: “Essentially with SLR Magic you have a pre-approved selection of glass that is quirky and stylistic. I had tons of fun shooting with this lens and it doesn’t break the bank, it’s probably the cheapest E-mount lens on the market.

Also Steve Huff (Click here) reviewed the same lens: “This 28 2.8 lens is somewhat classic in its rendering when shot wide open and when you stop it down to f/8, forget about it! It sharpens up and gives really great results.

You can get that lens on [shoplink 7358 ebay]eBay only (Click here)[/shoplink].

Share

Sony A77 and A65 1.03 firmware available at Sony Asia!

Share

You can now download the new 1.03 firmware for your A77. Click here: http://www.sony-asia.com/support/download/474591. let us know what you think about it! Do you have less issues? Is there any improvement?

UPDATE: Our reader “Wiel” made a detailed list of the firmware links (Thanks!):

SLT-A65 Firmware Upgrade
Ver.1.03 (Microsoft Windows) http://www.sony-asia.com/support/download/474564
Ver.1.03 (Apple Macintosh) http://www.sony-asia.com/support/download/474599

SLT-A77 Firmware Upgrade
Ver.1.03 (Microsoft Windows) http://www.sony-asia.com/support/download/474591
Ver.1.03 (Apple Macintosh) http://www.sony-asia.com/support/download/474605

 

Sony A77 preorder links: [shopcountry 8461].

 

Share

Sony NEX-7 news roundup.

Share


Sony NEX-7 versus NEX-5n shutter sound.

Steve Huff first posted a NEX-7 vs E-P3 and X100 high ISO comparison (Click here) and than tested the 50mm f/1.8 lens on the NEX-7 (Click here).

Someone at Dpreview forum asked: “does anyone know if Nex7 popup flash will trigger the Sony flashes?“. The answer is yes!

Spent a day with NEX-7 – Wowww!!! (Dpreview forum).

Sony NEX-7 preorder links: [shopcountry 8454].

 

Share

(SR5) There is no model above the A77, a part of the A9x! (Says Paul Genge)

Share

Yesterdays rumor about a possible new APS-C model probably made did upset some Sony managers. Paul Genge Sony UK posted this message on Facebook: “…it never ceases to amaze me how the rumour mill accelerates from one model to the next, to the next and so on. Stock of the a77 has not reached most markets yet, but people are guessing “what next” I almost felt like posting only “lol”. However, in actual fact its probably better to state that the a77 is now in the range for a while, and the next high end introduction will be featuring the number ’9x’ naming…………… now watch what happens to the rumour mill! )

At that point I want to remind you a couple of things:
1) Don’t ever base your shopping decision on rumors. Focus on your real needs! Yesterday I posted a couple of professional A77 reviews where you can red the strengths and weaknesses of the camera. And as you can read the A77 is a top performer. So please don’t wait because of a rumor which per definition is an unofficial and unproved news.
2) That said I want to remind you that my sources are saying there will be one more APS-C model. I don’t know yet what kind of camera it will be, and the news about the A75 (?) being a top-end APS-C model is coming from external and new sources (like a user of Sonyuserforum.de) which had been invited on a Sony presentation. I haven’t been there for myself so I cannot verify if the news is correct. I repeat, my known sources only said there will be a third new APS-C model!
3) I do absolutely trust Paul Genge statement that’s why I think that if there is a new third APS-C model coming than it will be placed below the current A77 camera.

For Paul and all Sony managers: I will be much more careful next time and make it more easy to understand what part of the rumor is coming from trusted sources and what part is from external or new sources. And for our readers, it’s SR4 that there could be a third APS-C model, it’s SR5 that it will not be on top of the A77.

UPDATE: I just read your comments and someone still didn’t understand that my TRUSTED sources said there will be a third APS-C model soon (and that’s FT4). The new and external sources said it’s an A7x or high end model (That’s FT2). Hope it’s clear now :)

—-

And now here is a list of things you absolutely have to read about the A77 (preorders at [shopcountry 8461]):

Our reader Ron sent me this News: “I picked up my new a77 camera on Saturday 08/Oct/2011 from Hendry’s Camera shop in Cambridge Ontario Canada. What a beautiful Camera and it came loaded with the 1.03 software loaded, I am updating from Sony a350 so it is quite a jump, with all the new technology on board. I took it out Sunday and thrilled to bits with the camera, I would recommend this dream machine to anyone and for those people waiting for there A77 you are in for a real treat.

Dave Cox wrote: “More on my A77 first experiences…I went out last night for my first shoot of any length. Caught a nice sunset and managed to have a good play with the camera. I used my Zeiss 16-80 and throughout the zoom range the images are really pin sharp and crystal clear. A real step up from my A33. Next, a comment about noise – with the A33 and any kind of ND filter, images at f/16 and smaller apertures were VERY noisy and needed 100% recovery in ACR. Not so with the A77 – even with stacked ND400 and ND grad, the images at f/22 and f/25 were almost noise free and ACR recovery just introduced peaking into the image. Later, I tried some night shots (it was a full moon) and both at ISO 50 with very long exposures and at ISO 1600 short exposures the images were useable with very little editing. I really am impressed as I was expecting a high ISO disaster – just goes to show that you shouldn’t believe all you read e.g. A7x ;) In summary, this camera is going to result in me spending much less time in the digital darkroom which is very pleasing. I’ve been out with it twice but already I love it!! A few pics from last night at http://www.500px.com/davercox

All new Sony cameras and lenses links:
A77 at [shopcountry 8461].
A65 at [shopcountry 8459].
Sony NEX-7 [shopcountry 8454].
Sony NEX-5n [shopcountry 8452].
Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 [shopcountry 8450].
Sony 50mm f/1.8 [shopcountry 8448].
Sony 55-210mm [shopcountry 8444].
NEX-5n viewfinder [shopcountry 9110].

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!

Share

NEX-7 preview by Steve Huff!

Share

Steve Huff (Click here) received the production version of the NEX-7 directly from Sony! You can see a first comparison with the Fuji X100 and Olympus E-P3 on his website. This is really a great camera! And it shows on Amazon rankings too (Click here) because it manages to be always in the top 20 most ordered (or preordered) cameras.

Time for you to preorder the camera (as I did): [shopcountry 8454] (Click on the hop name to visit the NEX-7 product page).

Share