The next two events where Sony might announce new products: Worldphoto and Kando trip

We have now two major Sony events where we might see some product announcement:

Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition from April 20 to May 6
Kando trip from May 9 to 12

On all of these exhibitions there have been at least a product announcement in the past. So what can we expect to get?

I am 90% confident we will get a new 24mm f/1.4 GM lens soon (maybe at Kando trip).
Sony A7sIII is unlikely, new APS-C E-mount camera more likely while RX cameras are usually announced in June.
Probably some more not yet rumored E-mount lenses.

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Sony A7III is the Bestseller at Mapcamera Japan

The largest Japanese camera store published the March sales report. The Sony A7III has been the most sold camera:

1st place: Sony α7 III
2nd: Fujifilm X-H1
3rd : Nikon D850
4th: Nikon D7500
5th: Sony α7R III
6th: Olympus Tough TG-5
7th: Canon EOS 6D Mark II
8th: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
9th: Canon EOS Kiss X9
10th: Nikon D5600

In Stock status check:
Sony A7III in USA at Adorama, BHphotoAmazonBestBuy, FocusCamera, BuyDig.
Sony a7III in Europe at Amazon DE, Calumet Germany, Amazon UK, ParkCameras UK, WexUK, Amazon FR, Amazon IT, Amazon ES.

Sony Tidbits…


Sony A7RIII with Tamron G2 Lenses – Autofocus Test

Sigma 16mm f/1.4 User Experience Review (Jason Vong).
Sony’s Best Lens Isn’t a G Master (Fstoppers).
Sony A9 Arrives – Peter Gregg
Veydra Mini Prime 35mm T2.2 Lens Review (Lensvid).
A Cultural History of Fashion Photography (Explora).
Vanguard Tripods, Monopods and Bags (Personal View).

Personal photos and tests from SAR Admin Andrea on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and 500px.

Share your best pictures on our new Instagram SonyAlphaGallery.

Join the new Sony Alpha Camera Facebook group.
To get news from our Forum subscribe that RSS feed.
I kindly invite you all to follow our RSS feed, follow us on Facebook and Twitter to not miss news and rumors

We have our own Facebook camera groups and pages you can join to discuss the upcoming new cameras in detail:
Sony A9 group and Sony A9 page.
Sony A7rIII group and Sony A7rIII page
Sony A7sIII group and Sony A7sIII page
Sony A7III group and Sony A7III page
Note: In groups you can post your own stuff like images, news and questions. While on pages you will read the specific camera news from SAR.

For your A7III, A7rIII, A9: First third party NP-FZ100 batteries on preorder at Amazon US and Amazon DE.

First third party NP-FZ100 batteries listed at Amazon US (Wasabi) and Amazon DE (Baxxtar).  The Wasabi battery is $30 cheaper than the original Sony and the same capacity:

  • Rechargeable lithium-ion battery for Sony NP-FZ100 works with the Sony Alpha A7 III, A7R III, A9
  • Premium Grade A cells for longer battery lifespan (number of recharge cycles) with no memory effect
  • Rated at 7.2V with 2280mAh for a longer battery life (run time)
  • Fully de-coded to show remaining battery charge; Compatible with the Sony camera and Sony charger
  • Includes Wasabi Power FZ100 battery with 3-year manufacturer warranty

Sony A7III in Stock status:
Sony A7III in USA at Adorama, BHphotoAmazonBestBuy, FocusCamera, BuyDig.
Sony a7III in Europe at Amazon DE, Calumet Germany, Amazon UK, ParkCameras UK, WexUK, Amazon FR, Amazon IT, Amazon ES.

 

Free new Update to Luminar 2018 Brings Snappier Performance, Camera/Lens Profiles, Batch Processing and more!

Skylum released the update for Luminar 2018 named “Jupiter”. It includes major new features like Camera and Lens Profiles, Batch Processing and a Free Transform tool to the Windows version.

If you plan to buy Luminar use the coupon code “SAR” you will get $10 off:
– The update is free for all current users of Luminar 2018.
– Current users of Luminar 2017 may upgrade for $49 ($39 with your coupon code);
– New users can purchase Luminar 2018 for $69 ($59 with your coupon code);

Luminar 2018 link: https://macphun.evyy.net/c/60087/320119/3255.
Luminar 2018 link to the Trial page: https://macphun.evyy.net/c/60087/339971/3255

Press text:

New Update to Luminar 2018 Brings Snappier Performance
Luminar Jupiter is now 3x faster and more responsive, and gets new pro features and over 300 other improvements.

Bellevue, WA – April 12, 2018 — Skylum Software today released the latest free update to Luminar 2018 which brings significant performance enhancements, improved RAW conversion and key-feature parity of Mac and Windows version with Batch processing, Free Transform, and Flip and Rotate features on Windows. Dubbed the “Jupiter” release, this latest version allows users to edit photos much faster with better quality results.

While enhancing speed and overall app performance was the major focus for the Jupiter update, Skylum also dramatically improved the RAW Develop filter with new tech to provide better color and less noise, plus incorporated automatic lens distortion removal. The result is a superior, cleaner starting image, ready for further editing.

“Our loyal community of users continues to offer ideas for new features that would benefit their respective workflows, and we’ll keep on listening, learning and improving our products,” said Alex Tsepko, CEO of Skylum. “Our goal is to produce fast, easy, and feature-rich imaging software that can offer both single-click solutions as well as custom functions for those who want absolute control.”

Many photographers are looking for two things to make their editing workflow more efficient: first is a high-quality RAW converter to unlock the best image their camera has produced; one that’s rich in detail and color, while free from noise and artifacts. The second is speed – a responsive application that matches pace with a photographers workflow, and makes it easy to edit photos to look their best, is one that will be the #1 choice. Luminar Jupiter brings both qualities to photographers of any skill level.

WHAT’S NEW

Speed improvements to get more done in less time

Skylum has dramatically increased the speed of editing across all areas of Luminar. Now images open faster, filters apply quicker, and the entire application is more responsive.

1. Most users will see snappier sliders as they’ve gained performance boosts of 3-25x for easier adjustments.
2. Luminar better uses the operating system for faster performance, with many operations seeing significant boosts.

Luminar Jupiter also got numerous interface and user experience improvements based on users’ feedback for an improved editing experience. The new version has several “under-the-hood” enhancements to add stability as well as to improve performance when editing even the largest of images.

Better RAW conversion

  1. Better exposure calculation. Refined initial brightness setting for RAW files produces a perfect match to how a camera saw the scene.
  2. Cleaner gradients. Improved de-mosaic process for even cleaner image conversion, i.e. smooth transitions in areas like skies and shadows for accurate color and less noise.
  3. Fewer halos. If an image has high contrast areas, the improved Defringe option will help with backlit areas or strong contrast.
  4. More cameras, better compatibility. Now even more RAW formats can be edited natively with the RAW Develop filter. Plus, a large set of existing camera modules have been refined for even better RAW conversion.
  5. Reduced chromatic aberration. If a lens shows color artifacts in high contrast or backlit areas, the new Auto Chromatic aberration removal option will help to get rid of green and cyan shifts.

Automatic lens distortion removal

Getting the perfect shot is now easier than ever. The RAW Develop filter analyzes an image and its metadata to calculate an Automatic Lens Distortion fix that can be applied in one-click. This is a perfect tool to get rid of wide angle distortion and get truer perspective lines and more attractive portraits.

Advanced support for DCP Profiles

Luminar recognizes the industry standard DNG Camera Profile, or “DCP” files, that users may already have on their computers (or have purchased from third parties) to ensure accurate and consistent colors. Users will also be able to use DCP profiles from DNG files. This feature is currently available for Mac and will be available soon for Windows.

Essential New Features for Windows Users

The Skylum team has put a lot of effort into making the Windows experience be world-class and significantly faster. In fact, the PC version now matches the Mac version for all core features with Batch Processing, Free Transform and Flip and Rotate tools.

What’s new:

MAC:

  • Fast RAW opening;

  • Super fast image editing and adjusting;

  • Faster image export;

  • DCP Profiles support;

  • Automatic Lens Correction (fix Lens Distortion, remove Chromatic Aberration and Defringe);

  • Enhanced image quality on image view – most of the demosaic and green equilibration issues have been fixed;

  • Big number of stability fixes;

  • UI and UX improvements;

  • Localisations updated (German, Japanese, Chinese & more).

WINDOWS:

  • Super fast image editing and adjusting;

  • Faster image export;

  • Batch processing feature;

  • Free transform image feature;

  • Flip/Rotate image feature;

  • Automatic Lens Correction (fix Lens Distortion, remove Chromatic Aberration and Defringe)

  • Big number of stability fixes;

  • UI and UX improvements;

  • Localisations updated;

  • Added ability to change localisation language in the application main menu;

  • Fixes with color profiles on export/in plugin mode;

  • Preview mode feature added (F hotkey);

  • Enhanced image quality on image view – fixed most of demosaic and green equilibration.

A SIGMA Factory Tour – cinema5D Exclusive

Cinema5D writes:

During Johnnie’s latest visit to Japan he was lucky enough to be the first journalist who was allowed to independently film at SIGMA’s Art and cinema zoom lenses production line. Hope you will enjoy this short video, as he was trying to make you guys feel as if you were visiting the factory together with him.

Sigma FE lens preorder links:
All lenses listed on one page at BHphoto (Click here). In detail:
Sigma 14mm f/1.8 for $1,599 at BHphoto and Adorama.
Sigma 20mm f/1.4 for $899 at BHphoto and Adorama.
Sigma 24mm f/1.4 for $849 at BHphoto and Adorama.
Sigma 35mm f/1.4 for $899 at BHphoto and Adorama.
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 for $949 at BHphoto and Adorama.
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 for $1,199 at BHphoto and Adorama.
Sigma 135mm f/1.8 for $1,399 at BHphoto and Adorama.

Sony Tidbits…


Sony 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 G Master Lens Review

Tony Gale | Portrait Session With the Sony A7R III
Tilt-Shift Lenses vs. Photoshop Lightroom (Explora).
The Science of Exposure and Metering (Filmmaker IQ)
DiMAGE A2 tested at DC.watch.
How to… YouTube with Kai W and Paul Bayfield, a CVPtv Livestream
Haida Nano Video Filters Interview (Personal View).

Personal photos and tests from SAR Admin Andrea on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and 500px.

Share your best pictures on our new Instagram SonyAlphaGallery.

Join the new Sony Alpha Camera Facebook group.
To get news from our Forum subscribe that RSS feed.
I kindly invite you all to follow our RSS feed, follow us on Facebook and Twitter to not miss news and rumors