Sony Artisan Brian Smith commented after the Canon 5Ds launch:

Canon fired the first shot in the Great Mega-Pixel War of 2015, announcing a pair of 50.6 mp Canon 5DS cameras – This is just the first shot! Expect to hear more announcements soon… Who knows, someone might just make a 50mp camera for less than 3700 bucks!

He is likely “hearing” the same rumors I got….sounds exactly like the A7rII to me ;)

Sony has now plenty of time to “fight back” with the A7rII as the Canon 5ds preorders will start on April 30 only at Amazon. And shipment is June/July.

Just a quick note: Pentax and Nikon will announce their stuff within 24 hours (Their new DSLR cameras will use Sony sensors). Maybe at the time you read this they will always have had the announcement while I am asleep in my bed :)

Sony itself will have an announcement after those companies (still not sure about exact day and hour). Four new FE lenses and two converters coming. That’s it the only 100% sure thing for now.

We will have to wait a bit more than expected to get their new FE 28-135mm lens. It will ship from February 17 only according to BHphoto (Click here). And it should ship in Europe within days too.
This is really a great lens for filmmakers although a bit “unbalanced” when used on the A7s like you see on the picture on top. We really need a serious PRO FE camera with a much larger grip for that lens!

UPDATE: Note that a small Stock of these lenses shipped in early January btu was quickly sold out. Now after one mont a new Stock is finally being shipped again!

US preorder at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonyStoreUS.
EU preorders at Sony DE, UK, ES, IT, FR, CH, AT, NL, BE, FI, SE, NO, PT.
Sony FS7 4K camcorder at Adorama.

An anonymous source sent me that rumor and it sounds more like a wishful thinking. For now we only are sure Sony will announce new FE lenses at CP+ and that’s it. I wish there would be more and I wish that the anonymous source would be right :)

So just to let you dream a bit …here is what I got and what you don’t have to take seriously for now:

“Sony has a new global electronic shutter sensor that will be put into our new flagship e-mount camera. The top shutter speed is 1/32000 with flash sync capabilities at that speed.
Sensor resolution will be well above 50MP
It will have In body stabilization like the A7II
A new type of AF will be implemented, it is like DFD from Panasonic but faster.
196 points of autofocus covering 94%
-2 ev af acquisition
faster autofocus than current a6000 CIPA rated
no 4k on this camera
NEW Bionz X2 processor, 70% faster per core (quad core)
no pricing on camera just yet, expected to be $2700-$3000 for body
TWO new lenses will be unveiled: 85mm Zeiss 1.8 with the performance of the 55mm Zeiss. 135-400mm Sony G 5.6 lens. pricing will be $1300 and $2000
Also: a new A mount camera will be announced, the same processor and DFD like AF module will be in the new camera, as well as SLT flip up mirror mechanism.
NEW flagship Flash F63M name designation
NEW A mount adapter for E mount for APS sensor with a77II AF module
NEW hotshoe XLR and 3.5mm MI shoe audio input device
NEW wireless trigger remote for wifi enabled cameras“

I really would love to believe in such a rumor…but sadly it’s 95% likely it’s not going to happen. We will have to wait a couple of weeks more to see Sony’s new cameras (likely March before the NAB show).

P.S.: I once did the mistake to not post the A7s rumor I got from an anonymous source. Didn’t believe a 12MP FF sensor with a half million ISO would come. And it happened. So let’s hope they will come again such an incredible rumor I rate with SR1 or SR2 will become true :)

Sony Japan updated the Cp+ page and they promote the new FE lens launch. Official announcement should be imminent now. Could be tomorrow already or more likely Monday/Tuesday next week to not get “overshadowed” with tomorrows Canon 50MP announcement…

P.S.: The 28mm f/2.0 FE lens should be the first to ship in 3 weeks already!

So far none of my trusted source confirmed or denied the Sony-Canon sensor partnership that is floating on Canon rumor sites. The latest one comes via Canonwatch:

[…] the sensor is not designed by Sony – it is in fact designed entirely by Canon. It is true that Sony is manufacturing the sensors but they are not the ones who designed it, Canon is simply leveraging the manufacturing capabilities of Sony to get the volume of sensors needed to get these cameras to the market. The sensors used in these cameras are exclusive to Canon […]

If that’s true it also means Sony A7rII High megapixel sensor may be very different from the Canon 50MP sensor design. Let’s hope the Sony version is also much better :)