Dario just sent me this incredible story:

“Hi, I just want to let you know that yesterday after accidentally damaging the mirror of my A55 with the Eclipse cleaning fluid, I took out the mirror and tried other materials to replace it while I’m waiting for a new mirror. Long story short, food wrap (!) works just almost like the Sony’s mirror: sometimes the AF guesses a little, but most of the time is perfect, and It’s a lot more transparent, so I really don’t get what sony tries to sell us with their 70€ Hi-Tech mirror…
However, food wrap it’s a bit opaque, so the pictures have a slightly soft-focus effect when a bright light hits it. In the next days I’ll try other transparent films: expecially I want to try the plastic protective film for cellphones, I think it’s gonna be a perfect alternative for those who don’t need 100% AF accuracy (although I think it’s almost the same) and improved ISO performance.
Here you can see some pictures of the conversion.

damaged mirror: http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/6361/dsc4616l.jpg

removed mirror: http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/7586/dsc4619z.jpg

food wrap: http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/8836/dsc4621l.jpg (this picture was taken with AF, with the “wrap mirror” already in place, notice the glowing effect on the reflections)

the wrapped mirror: http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/7899/dsc4654.jpg

and: http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/1484/dsc4655m.jpg

mirror mounted: http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/8425/1003321v.jpg

Tell me if you are interested, so I will continue to inform you about this experiment.”

Damn, that sounds interesting!

Sony Japan (Click here) released a new Android application for the NEX-7. The text is in japanese and as usual google translation tool isn’t really helping me out. I guess it’s a sort of NEX-7 guide. I hope our japanese readers can explain us a bit more. Thanks!

NEX-7 with Voigtländer 35mm f/1.4 lens at Getdpi (Click here).

The NEX-7 is the mostdesirable camera on the planet according to TheOnlinePhotographer (Click here): “A small camera, with a potentially outstanding sensor (again, we really have to wait and see), and a potentially outstanding made-for-the-camera lens of perfect specification? This won’t get the pull from the hoi polloi, the mass market, or the mainstream media that some cameras-of-the-moment get, but for real camera buffs, there’s just nothing we desire right now more than this little beauty”

Sonystore USA informed that they will sip the next stock of NEX-7 cameras in mid-late January.

NEX-7 store search links to preorder the camera: [shopcountry 8454].

And here is a list of Sony NEX-7 cameras available on eBay:
[shoplink 10855 ebay]eBay Austria (Linz)[/shoplink]
[shoplink 10856 ebay]eBay Germany (Ingbert)[/shoplink]
[shoplink 10857 ebay]eBay USA (four bodies)[/shoplink]

Dear SAR readers,

I am ready to spend my time with my family, and I want to share some very few words here. I am not going to stop to work on SAR in these days. Quite the opposite, I have some time off from my work and I am planning to think on a whole redesign of the website. If you want you can send me your suggestions to sonyalpharumors@gmail.com. I will also write a full 2012 Sony camera and lens prediction list. It will be a mix of rumors and speculation. And if there is no new Tsunami, Flood or Nucelar catastrophe like we had in that year I am sure Sony will be able to announce ALL the much expected FF cameras and lenses.

That said I wish all of you a peaceful Christmas, and a nice time with all the person you love! Thanks for all the great time you shared here on SAR this year!

—

P.S.: I hope most of you got the Sony NEX-7/A77/A65 camera in time to take pictures of the Christmas dinner (my NEX-7 didn’t arrive yet). Last check of  in Stock status:
A77 in Stock at BHphoto (Click here), Amazon Germany (Click here).
NEX-7 auctions on [shoplink 10814 ebay]eBay US (Click here to see the seven auctions)[/shoplink], [shoplink 10834 ebay]eBay Germany (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 10833 ebay]eBay Austria (Click here)[/shoplink] and [shoplink 10835 ebay]eBay France (Click here)[/shoplink].

Sony Japan (Click here) posted the full English translation of the interview made with the Sony NEX-7 designers. I didn’t know that “All we had decided initially was that three dials would be used….It was essentially our only beacon in design“. Would love to know who had the idea…quite a genius that guy ;)

Meanwhile the first “european” NEX-7 is on auction on [shoplink 10814 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]. Fotomundus had five in Stock, but they are now sold out (one is mine…LOL). USA readers are far more lucky. There are now eleven(!) NEX-7 bodies for auction on [shoplink 10813 ebay]eBay (Click here to see them all)[/shoplink]. This means the price will finally go down.

Photographybanzai (Click here) wrote a first NEX-7 impression review.

—-
The Tamron lenses are now in Stock at Adorama (Click on the links to see the product page):
Tamron 18mm-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR DI-III VC (B011) AF Zoom Lens with Macro, for the Sony NEX eMount – Silver
Tamron 18mm-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR DI-III VC (B011) AF Zoom Lens with Macro, for the Sony NEX eMount – Black

2011 is almost over and now it’s your turn to chose THE Sony camera of the year! What is the coolest, most featured most likeable of all new photographic tools? Is it the top fast and ultra high resolution A77? Is it the “rangefinderstyled” NEX-7? Is it the cheap but super image quality NEX-5n? is it the tiniest of all NEX cameras, the NEX-C3?

The battle starts, let’s see who wins!

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P.S.: I had a damn hard time to pick up my favorite!

Sonystore just issued a new press release: “Hello XXXXX. We wanted to provide you with a quick update on the status of your order for the new Sony NEX-7 camera. Sony has begun shipping the first orders for the NEX-7 bodies.  As we continue to ramp up production, we expect to begin shipping NEX-7 Lens and Body Kits  towards the end of February 2012. We appreciate your continued patience during this challenging time. This will be our final communication regarding the NEX-7 delays unless new information becomes available.
Sincerely,
Sony Customer Care
store.sony.com”

In summary, body only will ship in January and the kit version in February. Meanwhile ebay auctions are going crazy. The few NEX-7 I found on ebay sold for more than $3.000!!!

here are a couple of current auctions:
[shoplink 10758 ebay]NEX-7 in Westminster (Click here)[/shoplink]. Look at the bids!!! :(
[shoplink 10757 ebay]NEX-7 in Florida (Click here)[/shoplink].