Sony Japan confirmed that there will be a new NEX-5/3/C3/VG10 firmware in mid-december. It will bring the support for the new LA-EA2 adapter. But I do hope there will be also other major new features and improvements coming along the update.
And now also the A65 is out of Stock in most stores. At least there is an useful news posted by Amazon (Click here). It says that the camera will be back in stock on December 31 only. But this date may be important for the availability of the A77 and NEX-7 too. Let’s take a note of it!
Only a few cameras are still in Stock at Adorama and B&H. Availability is a bit higher in Europe at Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, Sony.it, Jessops, Amazon.co.uk and Warehouseexpress.
P.S.: The Sony VG-C77AM Vertical Grip for the A77 is in Stock at Amazon (Click here).
There are a couple of interesting news about the Sony sensor and camera relocation. First, the flooded factory in Ayutthaya (Thailand) will be closed until January 2012. (Source: AP).
To solve the production problem Sony moved the sensor production to its Japanese semiconductor factory in Kumamoto, Kyushu island. Another factory in Chonburi (Thailand) will than assemble the Sony NEX-5/C3/7 and A77/A65. Sony should soon release a press information to communicate the new NEX-7 A77 availability info (Via Photoscala). I hope there will be Stocks of cameras ready for the Christmas sales!
One more news: Image Sensor World reports that “Sony will boost its image sensor production capacity by 50 percent within two to three years starting next spring.“
I got the translation from Asia about the upcoming firmware upgrade changes. It doesn’t get into the detail but I expect this to bring some major improvements. Here is the list (remember it’s translated by an Asian source):
1) expanded the number of automatic compensation of compliant lenses
2) Improvement of Responses
3) Improvement of IQ
4) Improvement of Usability
The firmware 1.04 will be released this week!
And one more news: Apple updated the Digital Camera RAW Compatibility (to version 3.9) http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1473. This update adds RAW image compatibility for the following cameras to Aperture 3 and iPhoto ’11: Sony Alpha NEX-5N, Sony Alpha SLT-A65, Sony Alpha SLT-A77.
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A new source just sent me this: “Sony has just released FW 1.04 a few hours ago. expect it to be available for download in a few hours…improve IQ, response time, usability.. and others…”
If that turns out to be true than this would be the second good news within 12 hours :) The first good news is that Sony restarted the A77/65 and NEX-7/5n production!
UPDATE: The source told me that Sony Japan notified that the firmware will be out that week.
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All new Sony cameras and lenses links:
A77 at [shopcountry 8461]
A65 at [shopcountry 8459].
Sony NEX-7 [shopcountry 8454].
Sony NEX-5n [shopcountry 8452].
Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 [shopcountry 8450].
Sony 50mm f/1.8 [shopcountry 8448].
Sony 55-210mm [shopcountry 8444].
NEX-5n viewfinder [shopcountry 9110].
Image on top: The Sony Chonburi factory
Sankei.jp (Click here) reports that the camera production restarted at the end of last week! Sony is using the Chonburi factory in Thailand which usually produces car radio. Now they “transformed” it into a fully operable A77/65 and NEX-7/5n production factory. Sankei also reports that Sony will move the compact camera production in China.
Some of our japanese readers can confirm the news? If it is true than dear Sony managers and workers…Chapeau!
The Sony NEX-7 was very likely the camera that would have made join the NEX systems many current Nikon or Canon shooters. It has been perceived as a very usable and professional tool for street photography (along that amazing Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 lens). Now that the factory has been flooded we have to wait 3-4 months before the camera gets in Stock. And serious competition might is coming in the meanwhile. Fuji will announce a professional interchangeable system based on the popular [shoplink 6075 ebay]Fuji X100[/shoplink] camera. Olympus might will come with a sort of [shoplink 10069]rangefinder styled SP camera[/shoplink]. Canon has no hurry yet, but I am sure they will do something more “professional” than what Nikon did with the [shoplink 10068]”One” system[/shoplink] which is targeted for the consumer market.
Loading ...New NEX lens and camera preorders:
Sony NEX-7 [shopcountry 8454].
Sony NEX-5n [shopcountry 8452].
Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 [shopcountry 8450].
Sony 50mm f/1.8 [shopcountry 8448].
Sony 55-210mm [shopcountry 8444].
NEX-5n viewfinder [shopcountry 9110].
