The image on top reminds me of the aliens in the (great!) movie ARRIVAL.  IN reality what you see here is thew upcoming Laowa Parfocal 15-35mm Zoom Probe Lens. The press release writes:

Here is the press text:

Sony Electronics Announces Firmware Updates for Alpha 1 II, Alpha 1, and Alpha 9 III
Updates include shooting function improvements and additional support for the Camera Authenticity Solution

Today, Sony Electronics Inc. announces new firmware updates for the Alpha 1 II (download Ver. 2.00 here), Alpha 1 (download Ver. 3.00 here), and Alpha 9 III (download Ver. 3.00 here) cameras. These firmware versions bring varying updates to shooting, movie, and operability functions, as well as added compatibility for Sony’s evolving Camera Authenticity Solution.

Shooting, Movie, and Operability Updates Per Model:

Camera Authenticity Solution Updates:

The new firmware updates bring compatibility with the Alpha 1 II, Alpha 1, and Alpha 9 III for Sony’s expanding Camera Authenticity Solution. This expansion includes the launch of an Image Validation Site and the Digital Signature Upgrade License¹, created for select news organizations and their staff photographers. The service is designed to enhance the implementation of C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity)², particularly within the news industry, by providing additional authenticity information and introducing a streamlined workflow for professionals requiring higher content verification standards. As a member of the C2PA Steering Committee, Sony plays a leading role in developing these standards and driving their broader implementation.

Availability:

https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/cameras-camcorders-digital-cameras/downloads

For more information on Sony’s Camera Authenticity Solution, visit: https://www.sony.net/cas/

7Artisans announced this new 18mm f/5.6 manual focusing pancake lens you can preorder now at Amazon US, Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon AUS, Pergear.

Her are the key specs:

For the next three days you save big on a ton of items listed at BHphoto’s Mega Deal Zone. A fe examples:

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This is quite curious! The Photoblographer noticed a new trend among older Sony cameras:

Sony’s A-mount lineup of cameras hold their value so much more than some of their mirrorless lineup of cameras. In fact, both the Sony a900 and the Sony a99 hold their value much better than the Sony a7 original. This goes way against the conventional thought process, though at the same time, it also makes sense. Is the Vintage Digicam market about to get out of hand?

There may be a wave of nostalgia in longing for an old vintage camera. After all, these are cameras that made history and were often too expensive to buy. Now it is possible to have them for very little money! What do you think is the reason for this trend?

Sony has registered a new product code in China. But this device “WW030588” does not support WiFI, so it might be a new Bluetooth microphone and not a camera. But don’t worry: in early December Sony registered a new camera with the code “WW773396.” So there is definitely a new camera that will be announced in the next 1-2 months–and it is very likely to be the Sony A7V.

–

via Weibo

BCNranking collected the sales data from a majority of the Japanese stores. And there is really good news! BCN reports:

After losing a lot of sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, the camera market is recovering in the post-COVID era. December sales volume was 123.7% higher than the previous year, showing a booming performance. Unlike PCs and TVs, cameras generally increased year-on-year until around last summer. There were times in the early fall when sales fell significantly below the previous year’s level, but they regained momentum in November and December and significantly exceeded last year’s level. Compact cameras with built-in lenses showed particular growth. December sales volume was 132.7% higher than the previous year. Meanwhile, sales volume of interchangeable lens cameras, whose momentum has slowed due to rising unit prices, continued to fall below the previous year’s level since August, but in December it rose to 101.0%, slightly higher than the previous year.

Canon led the camera market overall in December with a 25.5% unit sales share. Sales volume increased significantly to 151.4% compared to the previous year. Fujifilm, in second place with a market share of 18.6%, maintained its good performance with a 107.3% increase compared to the previous year. Kenko Tokina, which rose to third place for the first time with a market share of 11.8%, also put up a strong performance with a 256.8% increase compared to the previous year. However, Kodak, with a market share of 10.4%, was affected and ended up below double digits at 89.7%. Sony, which remained in fifth place with a market share of 9.7%, also fell below the previous year to 92.4%.

As is often the case, we don’t receive detailed reports from markets like the US, China, or Europe, which is unfortunate. The key takeaway here is that Sony holds just a 9.7% market share. This is largely due to their absence from the growing affordable compact camera market, which is experiencing a boom right now. In contrast, companies like Kenko Tokina and Kodak had strong years, as both offer popular compact models. Again a call for Sony to revive the RX lineup….