Sony USA price increased now official on Adorama

The predicted U.S. price hikes are now confirmed on Adorama. However, B&H Photo and Amazon haven’t updated their prices yet—so you might still have a few hours to preorder your gear at the “old” price.

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Sony wants to position smartphones as Alpha camera accessories

As you may know, Sony’s smartphone Xperia business has been struggling. If you’re curious about their next move, take a look at this newly leaked image shared by Reddit user Ed-Banger. He writes:

  1. Smartphones as Alpha accessories: …the question is: will they offer us a successor of the first PRO that is (at least with an adjusted price tag) also interesting for normal Xperia users or will the bring us more devices like the PDT-FP1 which are not really usable for anything else than that special purpose. Anyway, it looks like they’re moving the usage of smartphones as accessory for cameras away from the regular models (no more External Monitor app) to specialized devices. I’m hoping that these devices resemble regular smartphones.
  2. On ODM-rumours from highly unreliable sources: We know that the 1 VII is made in China but we don’t know for sure whether it’s made in-house by Sony (Sony has its own factories in China) or by a third party manufacturer. Not that it makes much of a difference anyway but Sony underlines that manufacturing of TVs and smartphones will be conducted by an optimized mix of in-house and outsourced production.
  3. The transformation will be completed by FY2026 (Sony’s fiscal year 2026 starts in April 2026)

Really don’t know if this strategy will work out for Sony…

 

Sony USA Price Hikes Start Tomorrow – Pre-Order Today to Lock In Current Prices!

Here are the USA price increases that will go into effect on Monday June 30. Order today if you like to avoid paying the extra:

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BildExpo Is Becoming the New Photokina?

Once the most important photography and imaging trade show in the world, Photokina was a legendary fixture for decades—until it vanished. Now, B&H Photo’s BildExpo appears to be filling that void. Initially launched in 2023 to celebrate B&H’s 50th anniversary, this year’s follow-up went well beyond a mere repeat. With a staggering 57,000 registrations, BildExpo 2025 came close to matching NAB’s attendance—and did so in just two days.

As noted by CineD’s Nino Leitner in the Focus Check podcast, the event space was “packed with people,” with creators flooding both the massive, three-times-expanded trade show floor and five simultaneous educational stages. Leitner emphasized the unusually young demographic of attendees—many under 30 and all deeply engaged with the gear, talks, and community experience.

According to PetaPixel’s  report, the show’s layout and curation created something rare: a non-salesy, creator-first atmosphere where educational talks took center stage. Unlike the corporate-heavy tone of some legacy trade shows, BildExpo felt “surprisingly personal and human,” thanks in large part to the energy of the crowd and B&H’s transparent, sponsor-supported model.

What Made BildExpo 2025 Special?
– 250+ exhibitors across a dramatically expanded show floor
– Over 100 live presentations on five parallel stages (filmmaking, photography, content creation, keynote, and more)
– A massive turnout of younger creators, vloggers, filmmakers, and educators
– Completely free admission, with strong support from major sponsors and brands
– A keynote by renowned conservation photographer Cristina Mittermeier, drawing thousands

The event was not only packed—it was in-demand. Sessions were often standing-room-only, with hundreds left waiting outside for the most popular talks. B&H’s decision to lean heavily into education over product pushing paid off: creators came not just to see gear, but to learn how to better use it, build careers, and connect with peers.

The PetaPixel piece also praised the diversity and accessibility of speakers, noting it wasn’t the usual trade show “boys’ club.” The panels showcased a wider mix of voices than ever before, and the sessions were packed with actionable advice rather than product pitches.

Will There Be a BildExpo 2026?
That remains to be confirmed. As Leitner noted, the B&H CEO told attendees at a private dinner: “Ask me again after these two days.” Yet given the turnout, media coverage, sponsor satisfaction, and sheer enthusiasm of the crowd, another edition seems more likely than not.

“They wanted to show they care about creators—and they nailed it,” said Leitner.