Sony APS-C talk at DC.watch: We plan to “exceed customers” requests, new APS-C gear to be released in 2019!

DC.watch interviewed Mr. Masaaki Oshima from Sony. There are some clear answers about their APS-C strategy:

– Sony once more confirms APS-C line will be continually developed further
– The A6400 is not the A6500 replacement
– And while he cannot talk about the plans of an A6500 successor their goal is to “exceed customers” requests
– There is little demand for low-end APS-C cameras but the demand for higher end models is still strong
– In 2019 we plan to strengthen both our APS-C and Full Frame portfolio

From this interview it sounds clear more APS-C stuff is coming this year. We really need new APS-C lenses and we also need a serious Fuji X-T3 competitor with IBIS inside!

Samyang officially announces it will launch 8 new lenses this Spring

ePhotozine reports:

Samyang have launched thair ‘Spring Collection’ campaign, with a plan to release 8 new lenses one by one across spring 2019.

We know from our sources that one of the lenses is the new 85mm f/1.4 FE autofocus lens (probably the fourth from the left on the image on top). Can you guess what the eight lenses will be? :)

UPDATE: This is a good guess from Mistral75:

(1) = Samyang XP 10mm f/3.5
(2) and (6) = Canon RF and Nikon Z versions of an existing lens
(3) and (7) = Canon RF and Nikon Z versions of another existing lens
(4) = Sony E version of Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF
(5) = Nikon F version of Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF
(8) = ? (looks like Sony E mount)

Sony Tidbits…


Date with the Sony a6400 | Should I switch to this $899 4k Vlog Camera?!

Rolling Review: Voigtlander 110mm F2.5 APO Macro Apo-Lanthar (Phillip Reeve)
Canon CEO thinks the digital camera market will shrink further the next two years until we finally hit the bottom (Mirrorlessrumors).
Michael & Elizabeth shot with the Sony a7iii & a9 (David Oastler).
Sony Looks for Image Sensor Designers in Europe and USA (Image Sensor World).
Teru Kuwayama: What is Photography? (Explora).

Personal photos and tests from SAR Admin Andrea on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and 500px.

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We have our own Facebook camera groups and pages you can join to discuss the upcoming new cameras in detail:
Sony A9 group and Sony A9 page.
Sony A7rIII group and Sony A7rIII page
Sony A7sIII group and Sony A7sIII page
Sony A7III group and Sony A7III page
Note: In groups you can post your own stuff like images, news and questions. While on pages you will read the specific camera news from SAR.

 

Press text: Light Announces Joint Development with Sony

Steve Jobs once said that what this Light company is doing is very interesting. He saw a future in their concept of using multiple tiny cameras and computational power to create high quality images. Well now we know Sony sees a big potential in this idea too:
.

Light Announces Joint Development with Sony Semiconductors Solutions Corporation of Multi-Image Sensor Solutions Reference Designs

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Light, the leader in advanced computational imaging announces the agreement with Sony Semiconductor Solutions, the leader in the Image Sensor industry to jointly work on development and marketing of multi-image sensor solutions.

The agreement allows Light to use and recommend to its customers and partners, Sony’s image sensors built in Light’s computational imaging solutions and reference designs. These new reference designs combine Light’s multi-camera technology together with Sony’s image sensors to create new multi-camera applications and solutions beginning with the introduction of smartphones containing four or more cameras.

“Sony is the recognized quality and market share leader in image sensors and we are thrilled to partner with them,” said Dave Grannan, CEO and co-founder, Light. “We are entering an entirely new era of intelligent imaging applications that will transform smartphones, autonomous vehicles, and security systems. With Sony’s world-class image sensors, we can introduce new innovations in the multi-camera imaging space.”

“We are excited to be working with Light and driving multi-sensor-based products and solutions into the market,” said Hank Ochi, president of Component Solutions Business Division, Sony Electronics Inc. “Light and its technology are transforming how devices see the world. This new partnership will allow us to work together to evolve and speed up the design of today’s multi-image sensor enabled connected devices. Starting today, our jointly developed reference designs will help our smartphone OEMs to quickly and easily enhance the imaging capability of multi-camera enabled smartphones.”

For more information, please visit https://light.co/.

About Light
Light is forever changing how our devices see the world. Powered by sophisticated computational software and intelligent processing power, Light delivers high-quality, multi-camera imaging at cost-effective, global scale. Light’s first product, the award-winning L16 Camera, pushed the boundaries of computational imaging and eliminated the quality or convenience dilemma that has plagued photographers for a century. Light’s compact hardware and imaging software are licensed for use in applications like smartphones and beyond. To learn more about Light, visit light.co.

 

Curious Sony mistake: Guy gets his new A6400 but the on camera label says it’s an A6300

Theera Suriyawongse just received his brand new A6400. But it has one unexpected design issue. Theera writes:

Today, I bought the A6400, when trying at the store (in Thailand), it can adjust the selfie screen.
When returning home i noticed, the label name of the camera is wrong.
All functions exactly as model A6400 But the screen is wrong.

SAR note: So far there is only one single report about this issue and it comes from Thailand. The camera is going to start shipping on February 28 in Europe and USA. I hope this is just a one time mistake. The camera production is in Thailand and maybe the thai store had a non approved or modified Stock of cameras?

Here is a video showing the camera:

https://www.facebook.com/theera.suriyawongse/videos/10218113034152896/

 

Sony A6400 preorders:
USA at BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera, Buydig, Amazon.
Europe at Calumet Germany, ParkCameras UK, Jessops.
Asia at Sony Australia and Sony Japan.

 

 

 

Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 FE lens officially announced!

Tamron announced the development of the new Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD lens. There is no pricing info yet but the lens is expected to ship in mid 2019.

Preorders (not yet available):
Tamron 17-28mm at BHphoto.

Press coverage:
Introduction at Explora.

Press text:

High-speed ultra wide-angle zoom lens for Sony E-mount cameras is extremely compact and lightweight
17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD (Model A046) –

The Model A046 achieves an astonishingly small diameter for a high-speed ultra wide-angle zoom lens, as witnessed by its modest 67mm filter size. Its unprecedented light weight and compact size provide excellent balance when used with a full-frame mirrorless camera, making it easy to carry, and enabling it to cater to a wide range of scenes and shooting conditions. The Model A046 offers a fast F/2.8 aperture throughout the entire zoom range, and delivers high-resolution and contrast edge to edge. The combination of ultra wide-angle focal length, fast constant F/2.8 aperture and an MOD (Minimum Object Distance) of 0.19m (7.5 in) at the wide-angle end encourages richly expressive and creative photography in a multitude of scenarios. The Model A046’s AF drive system is powered by the RXD (Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive) stepping motor unit, enabling it to deliver high-speed, high-precision and superbly quiet operation suitable for shooting video as well as still photographs. Sonyalpharumors

*Specifications, appearance, functionality, etc. of the above-mentioned three products are subject to change without prior notice.