So, here we have the new lens. Price, specs and preorder is already up at BHphoto (Click here).

This is the PRESS RELEASE:
SAN DIEGO, May 16, 2012 – From flattering portraits to faraway wildlife and fast-action sports, nearly every subject can be captured beautifully with the new SAL55300 telephoto zoom lens, the latest addition to Sony’s A-mount lens lineup.

Optimized for use with α A-mount camera models with APS-C sensors, the compact, stylishly-designed interchangeable lens is an ideal addition to the camera bag for any Sony photographer.

“The new SAL55300 lens is a perfect complement to our acclaimed line of Alpha A-mount cameras with Translucent Mirror Technology, allowing consumers to capture distant, faraway subjects with razor-sharp focused images and Full HD videos,” said Mike Kahn, director of the alpha business at Sony Electronics. “With a versatile 55-300mm, 5.5x magnification range, fast, quiet performance and an attractive price tag, it’s a welcome addition to our alpha A-mount system.”

The new SAL55300 lens features a whisper-quiet Smooth Autofocus Motor (SAM) and an advanced optical design to get the best from the high-speed performance and high resolution sensors common to Sony’s A-mount camera lineup.  Additionally, it contains an ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) glass element, commonly featured on premium Sony G Lens models, that reduces color aberrations, improves image quality and provides excellent contrast and corner-to-corner sharpness.

Pricing and Availability

The new SAL55300 A-mount interchangeable lens for A-mount cameras will be available in September for about $300 at Sony retail stores (www.store.sony.com) and other authorized dealers nationwide.

It pretty much looks like Canon was looking close at the Sony’s entry level NEX cameras when developing the new Canon EOS-M camera. This has been announced today…full coverage by Ale at MirrorlessRumors.com (Click here). It is even a bit more compact than the newly announced [shoplink 12933]Sony NEX-F3[/shoplink] althaugh more expensive. I am still looking at the specs if this is a worthy Sony NEX competitor…what you think?

Canon specs and info:
Dedicated presentation page on Amazon (Click here).
EOS-M Black at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
EOS-M White at BHphoto (Click here).
EOS-M 22mm pancake at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
EOS-M 15-55mm kit lens at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
EOS-M adapter at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
EOS-M Flash at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).

The Sony SLT-A77: The Unofficial Quintessential Guide will be for sale from July 28th at Amazon US (Click here) and Amazon UK (Click here).

Sony A37 review at ePhotozine.

Sony RX100 as a movie machine by Outbackphoto.

Stefan: “I created a group for the Yasuhara Nanoha on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/groups/nanoha/pool/ Questions and wishes for pictures welcome.”

Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN (NEX) Lens Review at SLRlensreview.

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The Sigma 30mm lens is in Stock at Amazon US (Click here), Amazon DE (Click here), Amazon FR (Click here).
The Sigma 19mm lens is in Stock at Amazon US (Click here), Amazon DE (Click here), Amazon UK (Click here), Amazon FR (Click here).

We haven’t seen that with any other Sony camera before. The RX100 rules the Amazon US sales ranking (Click here) and beats any other digital mirrorless, compact or DSLR camera. You don’t see very often a Sony camera beating a Nikon or Canon :)

Speaking of Canon. They will launch a mirrorless system camera and NEX competitor this Monday. Pictures can be seen at MirrorlessRumors.com. I am still not sure if it will use an APS-C sensor. It looks smaller than any NEX camera…

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RX100 In Stock and shipping at Amazon US (Click here) and Bhphoto (Click here).

Once again let’s talk about that super non NEX and non SLT camera ;)
The camera is now in Stock and shipping at Amazon US (Click here) and Bhphoto (Click here). And it quickly become the most sold camera at Amazon US (Click here to see the ranking).
The image on top shows the new RX100 leatherette skin found via DC.watch. And if you need a grip…don’t worry! Richard-Franeic has the solution!

Great work Sony! Now let’s get excited about the next A99 too!

And here is the third part of the SAR reader work roundup. At least two more parts will be posted the next days! Enjoy the images and videos all shot with Sony stuff!

István: “We are a human rights watchdog NGO inBudapest and produce international and hungarian human rights related online videos. All our cameras are Sony. We taught ourselves and now our human rights experts are capable of
handling the VG10 and 20 to make their own films. One example is our award winning short film about the human rights costs of the global drug war: http://drogriporter.hu/en/CTChumanrights. Another example is a private short video about hummingbirds, that I shot on the Sony VG10 while having a break between interviewing in mexico City: http://youtu.be/YPJAJ85mtbQ.”

Alec: “I just got the Sony 135mm STF, here is the first batch I took: https://plus.google.com/photos/116510470685386993448/albums/5756158552017635601”

Laurent: “This is a work done with the last NEX-7: http://bichaud.free.fr/pictures/pictures/frenchpresidentialelection2012.html”

Freddy: “Just a little video test of my lovely A57 https://vimeo.com/groups/sonyalpha/videos/43269803”

Bob: “Here is a video shot with the Nex-7, 5n, and some VG20. https://vimeo.com/40588525 Also, I use the Nex-7 for all of my Commercial Photography now. I use it for furniture product & lifestyle shots with the help of RadioPoppers.”

Tarmo: “NEX-3 on Flickr. NEX-7 on Flickr, SEL18200 on Flickr, SEL16F28 on Flickr, SEL1855 on Flickr.”

Tero: “I did shoot this in Finlands capitol Helsinki one cold night..  lense is Beroflex.. Old, but i thing still golden one :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTVb573osC0&feature=relmfu”

Vedran: “Sony a77 on 2Cellos concert in Zagreb: http://www.vedrantolic.com/p950667293”

Andy: “Attached picture taken a couple of weeks ago on the NEX-5 with pancake 16 plus fisheye attachment at Gloucester Cathedral (Hogwarts).  http://500px.com/photo/9827155”

Stuart: “Link to my pix with the NEX-7: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stupix/sets/72157628548833165/“

SAR readers keep sending me their sometimes very superb work done with Sony. This is the second part of the SAR reader work roundup. At least two more will be posted within the next days. Enjoy the reading…you may find some talent here :)

Lee: “Here is one piece I created using my sony nex 5n, all shot in beautiful Scotland! https://vimeo.com/40155833”

Manny: “Shot handheld with Sony NEX7 and M adapter using Leica 50mm f2 and 90mm f2. http://vimeo.com/channels/manny/38892850”

Alan: “NEX-7 pics at www.chimacoff.com  (photography website)”

Raymone: ” Sony A900 shots from Island at http://500px.com/Raymo-Photography http://www.iceland-photo.com”

José: “I´m a landscape photographer and I´ve been shooting for one year with the a55, and now I´ve switched to the a77. I have lots of published photos made with the Sony´s, but since you asked for just one photo, here it goes:http://www.joseramos.com/p60847725/h22eb3e5b#h22eb3e5b”

Neil: “We’re a video production company (www.cuttingthemustard.com) and use the HD video capabilities of the Sony Alpha and Nex cameras. This link to a rough cut of a promo video for an AC/DC tribute band (Dirty DC) here in the UK was recorded using three a77, two a55, three NEX-5 and two NEX-5N. Here’s the link:  http://vimeo.com/44319268
All the cameras had vintage Minolta glass (mostly Minolta 28-135mm and KM 17-35mm) allowing us to easily grade between cameras.  This video probably wouldn’t have been possible without using Sony’s fabulous video AF and face detection.
To all those guys who keep on knocking Sony, as professional video producers we wouldn’t be using this gear unless it really delivered.  The cameras are capable of extraordinary quality and flexibility.  You just have to get to know the correct working methods.”

Logan: “Shot with an a65 with 50mmf/1.8, 18-55mm kit, and 8mm rokinon fisheye. All shot on a hike near Golden, CO Please check out this video on vimeo http://vimeo.com/42882560”

Jake: “Here is a video I shot of a local band with my Sony A77 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzXi_taq0gE.  More than one Camera was used but the main Camera was an A77 Other cameras used were a Sony HVR-A1u (drummer Cam) , Kodak Playsport (Drummer Cam), and Canon 60D (Front Left Cam).”
Micaël: “Here is one motion done with my nex5 + canon 85mm 1.8 LTM + post-process: https://vimeo.com/43078223”

Peter: “http://svadobny-fotograf.info/svadobne-fotografie.html yes i am wedding photographer and from october i shoot with a77 :)”

Christoph: “thought I’d send in a video I made some months ago in the Austrian Alps, mostly using my Alpha 65 (just few scenes were shot with a GoPro
Hero2). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK9HILaBXJA Post Processing was done in Final Cut Pro X.