Sony UK just shared the official teaser for an announcement at 10:00 London time. Here is the teaser video from Sony China:
I already leaked all the info about the camera in this post (Click here).
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Thanks Sparrowsnews
Sony issued a new press release to highlight the Corporate Strategy Meeting FY2020 goals. This is what they had to say about the Imaging Business:
Press text:
Sony Semiconductor Solutions and Microsoft partner to create smart camera solutions for enterprise customers
Companies collaborate to make video analytics solutions more accessible in order to drive better business outcomes
TOKYO — May 19, 2020 — Sony Semiconductor Solutions (Sony) and Microsoft Corp. (Microsoft) today announced they are partnering to create solutions that make AI-powered smart cameras and video analytics easier to access and deploy for their mutual customers.
As a result of the partnership, the companies will embed Microsoft Azure AI capabilities on Sony’s intelligent vision sensor IMX500, which extracts useful information out of images in smart cameras and other devices. Sony will also create a smart camera managed app powered by Azure IoT and Cognitive Services that complements the IMX500 sensor and expands the range and capability of video analytics opportunities for enterprise customers. The combination of these two solutions will bring together Sony’s cutting-edge imaging and sensing technologies, including the unique functionality of high-speed edge AI processing, with Microsoft’s cloud expertise and AI platform to uncover new video analytics opportunities for customers and partners across a variety of industries.
“By linking Sony’s innovative imaging and sensing technology with Microsoft’s excellent cloud AI services, we will deliver a powerful and convenient platform to the smart camera market. Through this platform, we hope to support the creativity of our partners and contribute to overcoming challenges in various industries,” said Terushi Shimizu, Representative Director and President, Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation.
“Video analytics and smart cameras can drive better business insights and outcomes across a wide range of scenarios for businesses,” said Takeshi Numoto, corporate vice president and commercial chief marketing officer at Microsoft. “Through this partnership, we’re combining Microsoft’s expertise in providing trusted, enterprise-grade AI and analytics solutions with Sony’s established leadership in the imaging sensors market to help uncover new opportunities for our mutual customers and partners.”
Video analytics has emerged as a way for enterprise customers across industries to uncover new revenue opportunities, streamline operations and solve challenges. For example, retailers can use smart cameras to detect when to refill products on a shelf or to better understand the optimal number of available open checkout counters according to the queue length. Additionally, a manufacturer might use a smart camera to identify hazards on its manufacturing floor in real time before injuries occur. Traditionally, however, such applications — which rely on gathering data distributed among many smart cameras across different sites like stores, warehouses and distribution centers — struggle to optimize the allocation of compute resources, resulting in cost or power consumption increases.
To address these challenges, Sony and Microsoft will partner to simplify access to computer vision solutions by embedding Azure AI technology from Microsoft into Sony’s intelligent vision sensor IMX500 as well as enabling partners to embed their own AI models. This integration will result in smarter, more advanced cameras for use in enterprise scenarios as well as a more efficient allocation of resources between the edge and the cloud to drive cost and power consumption efficiencies.
Sony’s smart camera managed app powered by Azure is targeted toward independent software vendors (ISVs) specializing in computer vision and video analytics solutions, as well as smart camera original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) aspiring to add value to their hardware offerings. The app will complement the IMX500 sensor and will serve as the foundation on which ISVs and OEMs can train AI models to create their own customer- and industry-specific video analytics and computer vision solutions that address enterprise customer demands. The app will simplify key workflows and take reasonable security measures designed to protect data privacy and security, allowing ISVs to spend less time on routine, low-value integration and provisioning work and more time on creating unique solutions to meet customers’ demands.
It will also enable enterprise customers to more easily find, train and deploy AI models for video analytics scenarios.
As part of the partnership, Microsoft and Sony will also work together to facilitate hands-on co-innovation with partners and enterprise customers in the areas of computer vision and video analytics as part of Microsoft’s AI & IoT Insider Labs program. Microsoft’s AI & IoT Insider Labs offer access and facilities to build, develop, prototype and test customer solutions, working in partnership with Microsoft experts and other solution providers like Sony. The companies will begin working with select customers within these co-innovation centers later this year.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
About Sony Semiconductor Solutions
Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation is the global leader in image sensors. We strive to provide advanced imaging technologies that bring greater convenience and joy to people’s lives. In addition, we also work to develop and bring to market new kinds of sensing technologies with the aim of offering various solutions that will take the visual and recognition capabilities of both human and machines to greater heights. For more information, please visit: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Group.
Today Capture One released the new 13.1.0 update and also a new redesigned website (Click here). It adds support for Sony and tamron FE lenses and also for the long time missing Zeiss ZX1 camera :)
New major features and tools:
New camera support:
New lens support:
You can buy the new software here or download a free trial here.
Press text:
Capture One Launches a new update to Capture One 20
Bringing new features, new capabilities, a new product, and a new look, Capture One is providing better solutions for more people, and breaking new ground.
COPENHAGEN, May 18th, 2020: Capture One, the premiere name in photo editing software, delivers a suite of announcements that highlight new product offerings, expanded capabilities, and a new direction; revealing the company’s continuing evolution and support for creatives.
The development of Capture One 20 remains driven by an evolving roadmap rooted in user feedback from both the Capture One community and creative community overall. The latest update brings brand new heal and clone tools that reduce the need for external retouching applications while increasing efficiency, and a new Before & After Tool that gives new ways to check your editing progress and to compare your edits.
With user experience in mind, Capture One has also developed a new activation flow with new dialogues, sample images, and interface guidance that make it faster and easier than ever to become a Capture One user. In addition, the company has advanced its Lightroom Catalog importer, and together it not only makes it easier to start using Capture One, but easier to migrate without missing a step.
Beyond that, when it comes to Capture One, users have choice. There are currently a number of Capture One variants such as Capture One Fujifilm and Capture One (for Sony), and now the company is proud to deliver Capture One for Nikon. Similar to the other branded versions, Capture One for Nikon brings the full feature-set of Capture One Pro at a reduced cost to Nikon users.
“We want to enable creatives to achieve their best images as effortlessly as possible, and that is why we drew heavily on feedback from our community to develop Capture One 20,” says Jan Hyldebrandt-Larsen, VP Software Business at Capture One. “It is our commitment to support them by providing a seamless photo editing experience defined by developing the features they ask for and need, as well as the ones they didn’t know they wanted. Capture One 20 is an exciting moment for us as we happily put even more focus and resources behind that goal.”
Learn what’s new in Capture One 20 at: www.captureone.com/20
Learn more about Capture One at: www.captureone.com
New features and tools in Capture One 20
New Heal & Clone Tools
New dedicated brushes for Heal and Clone will automatically create the correct layer when used
Fast workflow with automatic source-point generation
Limitless number of heal-zones per layer (previously only 1 p/layer)
Most flexible healing workflow of any RAW converter
Moveable source points, and transformable heal zones
Fast performance and high-quality rendering
New Before & After Tool
A new dedicated tool placed in the Toolbar with easy keyboard shortcuts
‘Y’ will toggle before/after on and off
‘Shift + Y’ will toggle between the two modes:
Full View and Split View Slider (draggable)
Fast performing and works on multiple photos in the viewer
Full View available in all products
The Split View Slider is not available in Capture One Express variations
New Lightroom Catalog Import
Improved Lightroom Importer with better descriptions
Allows import of ‘offline files’ (files located on disconnected storage devices).
Capture One automatically imports files once the correct hard drive has been plugged in
Provides a report after the import with information about unsupported files
Basic image adjustments and Catalog structure will be replicated in Capture One
The Sony A7rIV and the Sony 200-600mm FE lens were awarded as the best product of the year at this years Grand Prix 2020.
via DC.watch
If you like to own rare stuff well here is something for you: Sony image stabilization demo unit on eBay (Click here). The seller writes:
This is a display to show how the Sony Steady Shot image stabilization worked, it is NOT a functioning camera. It is very rare, this is the first one I have ever seen come up for sale. The camera sits on the platform which is mounted to a bouncy spring. If you bounce the platform you will see the imaging sensor mounted in the backing of the display move. You can also pick the camera up and hold it to see the imaging sensor move to demo the Steady Shot. Very interesting unit if you collect photo related items.
Press text:
Aurora Aperture Introduces a Next-Generation Rear Mount Filter System
Irvine, California, May 15th, 2020 – Aurora Aperture Inc. today has introduced a next generation rear mount filter system.
The new next generation rear mount filter system supports the Canon 11-24mm F4L USM and other select Canon wide-angle lenses, Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G, Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM Art EF mount and Sigma 14mm F1.8 DG HSM Art EF mount, Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art E and L mount, and Sony 12-24mm F4 G.
“In 2017 we introduced a rear mount filter system for the Canon EF 11-24mm F4L USM: The Aurora Aperture CR format, an industry-first rear mount glass filter,” said Jeff Chen, founder and CEO of Aurora Aperture Inc. “The next generation rear mount filter system is a major upgrade from the CR format filter system. It expands supported lenses to several other popular ultra wide-angle lenses, at the same time adds more filter choices. More importantly, the new system features a robust magnetic quick-release mechanism. ”
Next Generation Rear Mount Filter System
The next generation rear mount filter system improves usability by using an innovative magnetic mounting system. A filter is installed to a supported lens simply by attaching the filter onto the magnetized adapter on the rear of the lens. The magnetic quick release feature greatly simplifies the filter installation, especially for photographers working in harsh outdoor environments.
Designed in California, the Aurora Aperture next generation rear mount filter system provides a simple and elegant solution for ultra wide-angle lenses that lack a front filter thread. Users would normally have to use either low-quality gel filters in the rear of the lens or otherwise use a massive front mount filter with sizes up to 186mm mounted onto a bulky adapter.
The Aurora Aperture next generation rear mount filters are very compact and lightweight, making them much easier to carry. The filters are made from high-quality Schott D 263® T eco thin glass* with multi-layer nano-coatings for their light reduction capability, resulting in accurate color rendition and minimizing field curvature. These filters can meet the high-resolution demands of 4k/8k video, and the high pixel density of modern-day sensors.
A PFPE based nano-coating is applied to both optical surfaces, ensuring the protection of filters against water, oil, dust, and dirt. This coating allows filters to be cleaned as substances do not adhere to the filter easily and are removed with little effort. The PFPE based nano coating has a 110-degree static contact angle, one of the best in the industry.
The filter glass is protected by a high strength stainless steel frame. The filter frame makes the filter easier to handle and adds protection to the filter glass. Aerospace-grade 7051 aluminum alloy is used for the filter adapter. This material is practically twice as strong as the 6000 series aluminum alloy used in conventional lens filters.
Available Filters
1. PowerNDTM, neutral density (ND) filters of light reduction strength in: • ND4 (2 stops)
• ND16 (4 stops)
• ND64 (6 stops)
• ND256 (8 stops)
• ND4000 (12 stops)
2. PowerGNDTM, soft graduated neutral density (GND) filters of light reduction strength in: • ND3 (1.5 stops)
• ND6 (2.5 stops) • ND12 (3.5 stops)
3. PowerDuskTM, a light pollution reduction filter for astrophotography and for cityscape photography in blue hours by reducing artificial light pollution.
Supported Lenses
1. Canon EF Rear Mount
• EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM
• EF 11-24mm F4L USM
• EF 14mm f/2.8L USM & EF 14mm f/2.8L USM II
• EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye
• EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM (EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM not supported) • EF 17-35mm f/2.8L USM
• EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
2. Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G ED 3. Sigma EF Rear Mount
• Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM Art
• Sigma 14mm F1.8 DG HSM Art 3. Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art
• Sony E mount
• L mount
5. Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G
Availability and Pricing
The Aurora Aperture next generation rear mount filters will be available through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign starting in May 2020. The general public and dealer availability is expected in September 2020. The price of filters will start from $43 and goes up to $113 per filter, depending on the type of filter. The price of lens adapters will be $35 to $41, depending on the supported lenses.
* except the PowerDuskTM (LPR) filter which is made with Neodymium based glass.
