sonyalpharumorsLog in

I really don’t know what to think about this. A readers sent me that image showing an all silver NEX-7. I have no info yet if that is just a Photoshop work or a true camera. And I don’t know if it would make sense or not to offer a silver edition.

Here is the NEX-7 search links status check:

Australia: Sony.au, Digitalrev, Amazon, Adorama, B&H, eBay.au
Austria: Amazon.at, Sony.at, eBay.at
Belgium: Sony.be, eBay.be
Canada: Sony.ca, B&H, Adorama, eBay.ca
China: Amazon.cn, Digitalrev, eBay
Denmark: Sony.dk, eBay
Finland: Sony.fi, eBay
France: Sony.fr, Amazon.fr, eBay.fr
Germany: Amazon.de, Sony.de, eBay.de
Hong Kong: Amazon, Digitalrev, B&H, Adorama, eBay
Ireland: Sony.ie, Amazon.uk, eBay.ie
Italy: Sony.it, Amazon.it, eBay.it
Japan: Amazon.jp, Rakuten, eBay
Netherlands: Sony.nl, eBay.nl
Norway: Sony.no, eBay
Poland: Sony.pl, Redcoon.pl, eBay
Singapore: Digitalrev, B&H, eBay
Spain: Sony.es, Amazon.es, Redcoon.es, eBay
Sweden: Sony.se, eBay
Switzerland: Sony.ch, Amazon.de, eBay.ch
United Kingdom: Amazon.co.uk, Warehouseexpress, eBay UK
USA: Amazon, B&H, Adorama, J&R, eBay

Our friends over at Photorumors got the news that on April 1st Sony will increase the price on all Sony lenses.I hope this is really an April joke! This is the price change list they got from their sources:

Some sources told me about possible future price increases because of the current weak dollar (or strong yen). There will be definitely no new price changes in Europe and Asia.

Thanks Peter

Image of the Nikon D800 (and Sony produced) 36 megapixel sensor

Our good friend from Nikonrumors found an interesting news at Bernama (Click here): “Nikon is targeting to produce 30,000 units of D800 and 5,000 units of D4 camera models, the company’s latest, per month at its factory here.“. There are two interesting aspects:
1) This means that Sony has to produce 30.000 36 megapixels sensor per month for Nikon D800 (and Nikon D800E).
2) It also means that the factories in the form the flood affected area have now been fully restored.

While this is certainly a good business for Sony I am still wondering if Sony will ever have the courage to risk more. It’s ok for me to give the exclusivity for the 36 Megapixel sensor to Nikon. But they should at the same time try to strengthen their FF business. While it’s true that you make most of the money with the smaller APS-C sensor system cameras I am pretty confident there is a huge potential in the full frame market. A 24 Megapixel A99 camera is certainly something appealing but if Sony would have launched a full frame mirrorless system along the current NEX system I am pretty sure many would have bought into that system too! My concern is that Sony is acting a bit too conservative. They risk to loose the momentum they got with thee SLT and NEX launch. NEX lenses are still missing and others like Fuji are catching up (Click here to follow Fujirumors). And I expect Canon to launch their system at Photokina. New Alpha lenses are also needed (some fast primes for example). It’s a time of change now, where new technologies and paradigms are building a new world in the digital camera market. It’s the right time to dethrone the Canon/Nikon world domination!

—

P.S: If you want to see some images samples of the new 36 megapixel sensor check at Nikon (Click here) or Jim Brandenburg (Click here).
Price check and preorders at Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), J&R (Click here), Amazon Germany (Click here) and Jessops UK (Click here).

David from Photoclubalpha (Click here) published the full Sony DT 16-50mm f/2.8 SSM review: “I do not agree with some of the over-the-top reviews including one to be found on the Sony store USA site claiming it’s the best zoom of this range and aperture for any system. It is not, you get more than you pay for (much less than a lens of this specification might cost from others) but not an optical miracle.“  16-50mm price check at Amazon, B&H, Adorama, J&R, eBay.

The Sony 50mm for NEX has been tested by ThePhoBlographer (Click here): “Of all the lenses I’ve tested so far, it by far has the best image quality for the system. The fact that I was able to use it for a professional product shoot also blew my mind away. Generally, I leave all of that to my 5D Mk II but the fact that I did it with this little camera makes me thrilled for the mirrorless future.”

In USA the lens will ship on Feb 25th at BHphoto (Click here). Check these links to see if other stores will ship it soon: Amazon, B&H, Adorama, J&R, eBay.

Tha A99 will be based on the same SLT technology of the A77

The Nikon D800 (Click here) is out and the Canon 5DmarkIII is also coming soon. And yes, we Sony users are suffering while waiting to get our hands on the A99. As I told you months ago the full-frame roadmap has been postponed and the A99 which was due for this Spring will now be announced in September and the other full-frame cameras will follow in 2013. I really hope that “he who laughs last, laughs best.”

Sony is currently evaluating the A77 success and limits. They really want to get a step forward in quality and usability of the A99. And finally I got first bits of news about the full frame camera. I have been told that photographers are already busy testing the A99 in the field. It has a new 24 Megapixel sensor based on the same technology of the A77 Exmor HD sensor (Note: It’s not the same A900 sensor). And of course it is an SLT camera with  (improved) electronic viewfinder. I got the exact ISO range of the camera. It goes from ISO 100 up to ISO 25.600. The sources told me that the final version will very likely have an extendable range down to ISO 50 and up to 102500. They haven’t compared the images yet but they are pretty sure it will beat the Nikon D800 at high ISO and per pixel sharpness. There were long discussions inside Sony if they should use a 24 or 28 megapixel sensor. Sony choose the 24 megapixel sensor to have less noise and greater fps speed.

In general sources told me that SAR readers should not expect a revolutionary camera but rather a great evolution of what you saw on the A77. I am now trying to get more specs about the camera but please keep in mind that we are talking about specs from a prototype! So there could be small changes and that’s why I posted this with SR4 and not SR5 value (see the rumor ranking explanation at the bottom of the post if you don’t know what this means).

One more thing: The Nikon D800 sells like hotcakes ( See rankings at Amazon USA (Click here), Amazon Germany (Click here) and Amazon Japan (Click here)) and is using a Sony produced 36 megapixels sensor. The same sensor can be used by Sony in 2013 only (yeah Nikon has an exclusivity on it).

P.S.: Don’t forget there is a huge Sony announcement day o March 13! The A57 is coming (and maybe NEX stuff too!).

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!