Sigma Japan (Click here) announced that many of the current Sigma lenses are having autofocus issues with the new A77 and A65 cameras. A bit below you can read a list of the affected lenses. Sigma will offer a free service to fix the lenses. All future Sigma packages will have the logo on top whenever the lenses ahas been already made compatible with the A77 and A65 cameras.

These are the non compatible lenses:
2,8/4,5 mm EX DC CIRCULAR FISHEYE HSM
2,8/10 mm EX DC FISHEYE HSM
3,5/10-20 mm EX DC HSM
2,8/17-50 mm EX DC OS HSM
2,8-4/17-70 mm DC MACRO HSM
2,8-4/17-70 mm DC MACRO OS HSM
2,8-4,5/18-50 mm DC OS HSM
3,8-5,6/18-125 mm DC HSM
3,5-6,3/18-250 mm DC OS HSM
2,8/24-70 mm IF EX DG HSM
1,4/50 mm EX DG HSM
4-5,6/50-200 mm DC HSM
APO 4,5-6,3/50-500 mm DG OS HSM
APO 2,8/70-200 mm EX DG OS HSM
1,5/85 mm EX DG HSM
APO 4,5-5,6/120-400 mm DG OS HSM
APO 5-6,3/150-500 mm DG OS HSM

You can now download the new 1.03 firmware for your A77. Click here: http://www.sony-asia.com/support/download/474591. let us know what you think about it! Do you have less issues? Is there any improvement?

UPDATE: Our reader “Wiel” made a detailed list of the firmware links (Thanks!):

Sony NEX-7 versus NEX-5n shutter sound.

Steve Huff first posted a NEX-7 vs E-P3 and X100 high ISO comparison (Click here) and than tested the 50mm f/1.8 lens on the NEX-7 (Click here).

Someone at Dpreview forum asked: “does anyone know if Nex7 popup flash will trigger the Sony flashes?“. The answer is yes!

Spent a day with NEX-7 – Wowww!!! (Dpreview forum).

Sony NEX-7 preorder links: [shopcountry 8454].

Back in May 2011 Sigma displayed the first lens for the NEX system, the 30mm f/2.8 macro lens. Now you can see it again at the Paris show. Source: Flickr (Click here). The Sigma guys on the stand couldn’t unveil the price and availability of the lens. The question is how much sense it makes for Sigma to release a lens like that when there is the Sony 30mm f/3.5 macro lens which will be in Stock in October. Hm, I would have preferred to see something really new!
Click these links to check the availability of the Sony macro: [shoplink 7434]

One more Sigma news: There will be a new 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 II DC OS HSM lens for Alpha mount (Press release on Dpreview).

Pornchai Kittiwongsakul/AFP/Getty Images

As you know Sonystores delayed the shipment of the Sony A77.  For example SonyStore.com (Click here) removed the preorder option, Sony Uk (Click here) says the camera is “temporary unavailable” and both Sony Germany (Click here) and Sony France (Click here) say that shipment will start in mid-November.

But there was no official news about the real cause of the delay. I guessed that reason is the current firmware issues. Apparently I was wrong. I got some news from one of our very good top Sony sources. The reason for the delay is the flood emergency in Thailand. According to Bloomberg: “Sony Corp.’s factory in Ayutthaya, which produces digital cameras and lenses, hasn’t suffered major damage from flooding and is operating as normal, Yasuhiro Okada, a Tokyo-based spokesman for the electronics maker, said earlier this week.” But our source told us that while it is true that the factory has not been damaged the transport system of the region is completely stocking and most of the workers can’t even reach the Sony factory.Please share the news to all people that is waiting for the A77 and A65. It’s important that they know that it is not Sony’s fault if they have to wait 2-3 weeks more before to get the camera.

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].

It was only a matter of time until digital sensor would equal or even surpass the film quality. And with the recent announcement of the Sony F65 camera Sony stated in the F65 brochure (Click here) that this time has now come: “Through all the decades, our design goal has always been to match the photographic quality of 35mm film. But now we’re setting our sights even higher: to surpass the limits of human vision. The F65 image sensor is the first of this new breed”.

The new sensor has a 14 stop dynamic range and a much wider color gamut than film. See the graph below:

I cannot wait to see first video samples shot with the F65. And I do hope that soon the Alpha mount cameras can catch up with B&W film too! I hope the A99 Sony press release will sound as amazing as that F65 brochure :)

P.S.: A behind the scenes video is available here: pro.sony.com

I just got very reliable info from my sources saying that Sony Japan decided to delay the shipment of the A77 until very end October /early November. The new exact shipment date has still to be notified. Meanwhile SonyStore.com (Click here) removed the preorder option! Sony Uk (Click here) says the camera is “temporary unavailable”. Sony Germany (Click here) and Sony France (Click here) say that shipment will start in mid-November. It’s easy to guess that the reason for the delay are the issues with the current firmware. Sony Japan wants to ship the new cameras with the newer 1.03 firmware version which will fix the various bugs.

It hink that’s a wise decision from Sony! Now let’s hope they do not repeat the same mistake with “my” [shoplink 8454]Sony NEX-7[/shoplink]!

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].