Canon just announced the camera that will be THE direct competitor of the upcoming A99 SLT camera. A camera news coverage is available via my friend Frank from CanonWatch (Click here). Preorders with price and specs info are available at Amazon (Click here).

At first glance I have to say I am surprised to see so little innovation inside the markIII. I mean, there are many small improvements and some more major improvements (like the new AF system). But I think the Nikon D800 (and D800E) did more.

I bet the A99 will be cheaper than the 5D, have a faster AF in video and be on par in terms of RAW image quality. But what in your opinion should Sony “copy” from the new Canon 5DmarkIII?

Sony A900 successor rendering made by tecnofotografia. But unlike you see on this picture the successor will be SLT and not a DSLR camera.

Whatdigitalcamera (Click here) questioned if Sony is still committed to the DSLR technology: “With all of the major releases throughout 2011 being of the translucent mirror (SLT) variety, could this spell the end of Sony DSLRs as we know them?”

Sony contacted Whatdigitalcamera and said that “we are absolutely committed to the DSLR / SLT market.” The first thing to notice is that Sony mixed the DSLR/SLT terms. Sony didn’t just say “We are commited to the DSLR market“. Sounds like their intention is to sell the idea that SLT and DSLR are the same thing. And the other statement that follows confirms that: “Through our SLT cameras we believe we can deliver new benefits such as fastframe rate with continuous AF in both stills and videos. The a77 is proof of how serious we are about this market and the number of awards, including the What Digital Camera Gold award and the prestigious Amateur Photographer Reader Product of the Year show that this is model is rated very highly.  Stock is now available and we are excited to find out what people think when theybuy, own and use this product.”

Why talk about the A77 when Whatdigitalcamera was only talking about the discontinued DSLR line? Truth is that all DSLR are officially not listed on Sony’s websites:
Sony A900 at [shopcountry 3032].
Sony A850 at [shopcountry 3028].
Sony A580 at [shopcountry 5509].

I still hope I misunderstood the Sony statement and that there we be really new DSLR cameras (with optical viewfinder!). But according to our sources there is no new DSLR coming this year :(

Meanwhile the real big news of the this time is the Canon 5markIII which is coming out tonight. Image leaks and specs are already out and have been posted by our new partner “Frank” at CanonWatch (Click here).

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Our reader Gabriel just found the new firmware upgrade files on Sony Germany’s webiste (Click here)!!! UPDATE: The firmware is now available on Sony UK, and Sony Japan too. And here is the firmware improvement list:
Enhancement of AF response: When subject distance changes enormously.
Improved stability in certain camera operations:
When setting [Lens Compensation: Distortion] “Auto” and [Picture Effect] “Miniature” at the same time.
When setting [Exposure Compensation], [Intelligent AF] operation improves.
Restrictions: only for use with cameras sold in Europe. Not all models are sold in all countries.

In short, this update imrpoves the camera AF performance.

This is a super good news for a camera I really love because of the exceptional price-quality balance. And this is also the camera that is always on top of the Amazon ranking:
The NEX-5n on third position of the mirrorless camera rankings in USA (Click here).
The NEX-5n is on fourth position of the mirrorless camera rankings in UK (Click here).
The NEX-5n is on 9/11 and 19 position of the mirrorless camera rankings in Germany (Click here).
The NEX-5n is on fourth position of the mirrorless camera rankings in France (Click here).

Cameralabs (Click here) posted the full and very detailed NEX-7 review. Like many other reviewers before they absolutely highly recommend the camera: “There are some niggles, but they’re mainly firmware issues – something that Sony’s shown a willingness to quickly address in the past with the NEX range. But it’s a fantastic start nonetheless, and with the promise of more E-Mount lenses on the way the NEX-7 looks set to be the model that photo enthusiasts will aspire to and other manufacturers will be looking to emulate and surpass. For now though, it sets the standard for high-end CSC bodies and deservedly receives our Highly Recommended award.”

Also Lori Grunin from Cnet (Click here) posted their test results: “The Sony Alpha NEX-7 delivers excellent raw photo and solid video quality in a package that’s beautifully and functionally designed, yet relatively compact. Though expensive for an essentially nonprofessional camera, it doesn’t seem overpriced.” You can also watch the video review here on top of this post!

More NEX reviews:
Sony Alpha NEX-5N Review at Photographyreview (Click here).
NEX-7 noise test at Alpha Numerique (Click here).
Street shooter comparison: Sony Nex 7, Pansonic GX1 by Mike Kobal (Click here).
Sony 55-210mm hands-on at SonyAlphaLab (Click here).

NEX-7 (pre-)order search links (Click on shop name):
[shopcountry 8454]

Bermuda with the Cinestar and Sony Nex 7 from GravityShots.com on Vimeo.

Here is a short roundup of [shoplink 8454]NEX-7[/shoplink] related news readers sent me in these days:
New DxO Optics Pro v7.2.1 now supports the NEX-7
Battle of the tiny Titans: Sony NEX-5N vs Sony NEX-7 at Dearsusans (Click here).
New sexy fine Leather Half-Cases for the Sony NEX-7 (Echenique).
Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN for Sony E (Nex) Digital Cameras is now available for preorder at Adorama (Click here).
Tamron 18-200mm VS the Sony 18-200mm Shoot-out at SonyAlphaLab (Click here).

What’s also worth to mention is that the NEX-7 body and NEX-7 18-55mm kit is now shipping in many countries. The following readers are now happy NEX-7 owners:
Viv, Adi, Thomas, JRL (Canada) Steve, Tom (USA) Chris (UK) Stefan (Germany) and Patrick (Australia).

In Europe the NEX-7 body and kit will ship within 2-3 weeks in their respective Sony Stores and some other known online store. in US the camera will ship by end of this week. Click on the store names to check for yourself: [shoplist 8454]

Last Friday I posted a low rated rumor from a Chinese source that unveiled a possible Sony 2012-2013 camera roadmap (Click here to read that article). I asked you which camera you would buy from the rumored list. The result is quite clear with Full Frame cameras beating every APS-C model:

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Of course there is a difference between a “wish” and a real “purchase” of a product. And it’s inevitable that Full Frame has a sort of magic attraction when compared with APS-C cameras. But recent Nikon D800 huge preorder numbers and the Canon 5dmarkIII expectations make me wonder WHY in your opinion Sony could appeal you compared to those two cameras.

So please let me and Sony know what aspects from a Sony FF you think are appealing you:

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If you have another reason I didn’t mention in the poll please comment this post and I will add it to the POLL. Thanks!

Reminder: The Chinese roadmap says that:
a99, 24 million pixels, 2012 (September)
a950 (a1), 36 million pixels, 2013 (February) -> The [shoplink 3032]A900 successor[/shoplink]
Fullframe NEX in late 2013.

The only thing I can tell you via trusted sources is that the A99 rumor is correct, and that other FF cameras will be announced in 2013.

First we had that price increase in Hong Kong, than the rumored price increase in USA. Now one of my trusted sources told me that Sony is going to increase the price almost EVRYEWHERE :( This means that also European and other Asian countries will see new price increases. I don’t have exact info about how much the prices will raise. I only know you will see them in April

For now our USA readers can enjoy an Instant Rebate action at Bhphoto (Click here). It last until March 3th. And from April 1 the party is over with the following price increase: