A weird Sony Uk Twitter answer says “We have no A-mounts planned”.

A-mount-Sony

From experience I know that you don’t have to take official Sony social messages as a holy grail. It happened in the past that they made incorrect statements. That said it’s worrying that they release messages like this on from Sony UK (Source: Twitter and also on Facebook). Asked if A-mount camera development is dead they answered:

We have no A-mounts planned. We recommend our A7 range. E-mount but with an adapter (LA-EA4, LA-EA3), A-mount lenses can be used.

That certainly doesn’t create any confidence at all in A-mount. I beg Sony to finally make a clear PRO A-mount statement. Or if they plan to “fade out” A-mount just give current A-mount owners a plan to switch. Like a free A7 camera in exchange of their used A-mount camera. But I know they will not do that :(

Thanks Matthew for sharing this!

Sony Tidbits…(An Introduction to the Nissin Di700a Flash Units and Air 1 Commander)


An Introduction to the Nissin Di700a Flash Units and Air 1 Commander by Gary Fong

Bis zu 50 EUR Sofortrabatt auf den Kaufpreis beim Kauf einer ausgewählten Sony Kamera (Amazon.de).
Dropped Camera – The Good and Bad News (SonyAlphaForum).
16-35mm Zeiss FE lens review at Talkemount.
Darren Miles video review of the Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE lens (SonyAlphaCameras).
Sony a7rII and Minolta Lenses (SonyAlphaForum).
Batis 25mm test at Ascii.jp.
Sony FE 28mm f/2 Astrophotography Review (Lonelyspeck).
Andrew Huang tripping with Sony ActionCam (ActionCameraRumors).
New pictures and details of the Veydra Mini Prime cine lenses in E-mount (Newsshooter).

Martin:I recently finished my latest music video clip with the A7S, A7 and A5100. maybe it could be interesting for your readers too: The Awakening https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE8WnLcKHwg

Sony: “if the customer needs more than 100-million pixels, we will create such kind of a product.”

Canon_120M

Canon 120 Megapixel FF prototype could be launched in 2017.

Amateur Photographer interviewed Kimio Maki from Sony. As you know Canon recently did show a new 120MP Canon DSLR prototype with the target to go on sale in 2017. Asked about the High megapixel future of Sony Kimio Maki answered:

“If the customer needs 100-million pixels, if the customer needs more than 100-million pixels, we will create such kind of a product. Right now we don’t get a strong demand from the customers for this.”

I certainly do not need 120MP but maybe you do?

Will you buy the Sony ZV-E1?

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World’s widest f/1.4 got announced! The Sigma 20mm f/1.4 ART.

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The new Sigma 20mm f/1.4 ART lens will ship in November for $999 only! That’s 5 times less expensive than the Otus 28mm f/1.4. Of course there is a huge difference between 28mm and 20mm and I expect the Otus to be a tiny fraction better. You can already preorder the lens here:

Nikon F mount version at BHphoto and Adorama.
Canon EF mount version at BHphoto and Adorama.

Sigma writes:

With a focal length of 20mm and F1.4 aperture, this lens delivers outstanding large-aperture brightness and bokeh, delivering unprecedented visual experiences.
To offer an ultra-wide-angle 20mm focal length and F1.4 brightness at wide-open aperture, this lens incorporates a large double aspherical lens 59mm in diameter. Lenses of this type had been considered extremely difficult to manufacture, but SIGMA took on the challenge to realize an F1.4 ultra-wide-angle lens that fulfills the strict performance requirements of the SIGMA Art line. Moreover, SIGMA’s advanced optical design minimizes distortion, transverse chromatic aberration, sagittal coma flare, and the reduction of brightness toward the edges of the image. Delivering top performance even at wide-open aperture, this lens can be considered the culmination of SIGMA’s Art line.

Full details here: http://www.sigma-global.com/en/lenses/cas/product/art/a_20_14/

Image of the RX1RII optical low pass filter and new video interview with Sony.

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Want to know more about the new RX1RII? Here is a new roundup:

Worldwide preorders will start on November 5 at 8am New York time (Source: Bhphoto, Amazon and Adorama)
On top you can see the image showing the new optical variable low pass filter and the rectactable EVF construction (Image courtesy: ePhotozine).

Sony RX1R II: First Look Interview with Sony:

Hands-on by ThePhoBlographer.
The Phoblographer Demos the Sony RX1r Mk II (Youtube).
Sony A7s II and the NEW RX1r II – First Impressions – Plus Uncompressed RAW Firmware Update (Luminous Landscape).

Hot!!! Sony announces the new RX1RII with worlds first variable low-pass filter!

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At last! Our RX1m2 rumor was correct and Sony indeed just announced the RX1m2 with 42MP sensor and pop up viewfinder! It costs $3300 US or $4200 CAD or 3500 Euro and will ship in November. Preorder it now at BHphoto (Click here).

Image samples at Sony.
Hands-on photos at ePhotozine. DSLRmagazine.
Presnetation at Explora.
Full details can be read at Sony.net.
Hands-on pics at Imaging Resource.

The RX1RII has a unique new feature: The world’s first optical variable low-pass filter!

Sony writes:

In a first for digital cameras, the RX1R II features an optical variable low pass filter that allows shooters to manually adjust the balance of image resolution and presence of moiré or color artifacts to match the subject.

The three settings for the low-pass filter3 include “off”, which provides comparable effects to having no low-pass filter and is suitable when prioritizing resolution, “standard”, which strikes a balance between resolution and removal of moiré and color artifacts, and “high”, which places more emphasis on reducing moiré and artifacting. This unique feature allows photographers to achieve the desired image quality and resolution based on the presence of moiré-inducing high spatial frequency objects in the scene, essentially combining two cameras – one with and without a low-pass filter – into one body. Low-pass filter bracketing is also available and can be used to compare the effects of different settings.

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This is the video that shows how it works:

 

Full press text:

Sony Introduces New Palm-Sized RX1R II Camera with 42.4 MP Full-Frame Image Sensor

Sony’s Latest Premium Compact Features Back-Illuminated Full-Frame Sensor, ZEISS® Sonnar T* 35mm F2 Lens, High Speed AF, retractable XGA OLED Viewfinder and World’s First Optical Variable Low Pass Filter1

Sony Electronics, a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer, has today introduced the latest addition to their acclaimed Cyber-shot RX compact camera line, the full-frame RX1R II (model DSC-RX1RM2).

Joining the original RX1 and RX1R cameras in the family of the world’s smallest full-frame cameras, the new RX1R II delivers the highest picture quality of any Sony compact camera ever made.  This can largely be attributed to the new camera’s high resolution 42.4 MP sensor paired with its large aperture, fixed focal length ZEISS Sonnar T* 35mm F2 lens, which have been fine-tuned to optimize performance together.

Additionally, the new model features a 30% improvement in AF response speed compared to the original award-winning RX1 models and is equipped with the world’s first optical variable low pass filter that can be set to “off”, “standard” or “high” based on user preference, with low pass filter bracketing available.  The camera also has a convenient retractable XGA OLED viewfinder for eye-level shooting, which has been implemented with minimal change in overall body size from its predecessors.

“The new RX1R II offers a combination of size and performance that has never before been realized in the world of compact cameras,” said Neal Manowitz, Vice President of Digital Imaging for Sony Electronics.  “We’re giving imaging enthusiasts and professionals the opportunity to enjoy a camera with one of the most powerful combinations of sensor and lens in market today that can easily fit in the palm of your hand.  It’s simply the latest example of the progressive innovation that Sony is bringing to the world of imaging.”

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Ultimate Image Quality in the Palm of Your Hand

The new RX1R II camera utilizes a back-illuminated 35mm full-frame Exmor R CMOS sensor with approx. 42.4 effective megapixels paired with a powerful BIONZ X processing engine to achieve superior levels of image resolution and sensitivity (ISO 100-25600, expandable to 50 – 1024002) with wide dynamic range.  The sensor’s back-illuminated structure, with an expanded circuit scale and copper wiring design, enables faster transmission speed and outputs data approximately 3.5x faster than the original RX1R, ensuring high-speed performance.

Matched specifically for the image sensor, the large aperture 35mm F2 ZEISS Sonnar T* lens ensures that all images captured by the camera are impressively sharp from the center to the corners.  The lens also has a unique Macro shift ring for focusing on subjects as close as 14cm in front of the lens and has nine aperture blades that produce smooth, even background defocus or ‘bokeh’ in the most commonly used aperture ranges.

Another unique benefit of the new camera is its fixed lens design, which allows the positioning of its sensor and lens to be precisely adjusted to maximize all benefits of the sensor’s extremely high resolution.  The closer the two components are to one another, the wider the angle through which light can pass through the lens and directly reach the sensor, resulting in imagery that is rich in detail and resolution.  Also, unlike the focal plane shutter common to interchangeable lens cameras, RX1R II utilizes an in-lens shutter, allowing 1/2000 sec flash synch speed and a significant reduction in overall body size.

The new RX1R II also offers uncompressed 14-bit RAW image capture to maximize the benefits of the image sensor’s wide dynamic range, while also still supporting existing compressed format.

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High Speed AF to Capture the Decisive Moment

The RX1R II model is the first in Sony’s acclaimed RX line of compact cameras to feature Fast Hybrid AF capabilities.  The camera’s sensor features 399 focal-plane phase-detection AF points that cover about 45% of the image area – the world’s widest AF coverage on a full-frame sensor1 – that work together with 25 contrast AF points to achieve focus response that is about 30% faster than the original model.  Additionally, the camera has adapted an advanced motion-detection algorithm that offers superior tracking performance of moving subjects and allows for the addition of AF-C mode that accurately tracks a subject after focusing.  It also can achieve up to 5fps continuous shooting with AF tracking.

Other focusing improvements on the new model include multiple AF area settings including Wide, Center and Flexible Spot and Expand Flexible Spot.  The camera also has Eye AF and lock-on AF.

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World’s First Optical Variable Low Pass Filter

In a first for digital cameras, the RX1R II features an optical variable low pass filter that allows shooters to manually adjust the balance of image resolution and presence of moiré or color artifacts to match the subject.

The three settings for the low-pass filter3 include “off”, which provides comparable effects to having no low-pass filter and is suitable when prioritizing resolution, “standard”, which strikes a balance between resolution and removal of moiré and color artifacts, and “high”, which places more emphasis on reducing moiré and artifacting.  This unique feature allows photographers to achieve the desired image quality and resolution based on the presence of moiré-inducing high spatial frequency objects in the scene, essentially combining two cameras – one with and without a low-pass filter – into one body.  Low-pass filter bracketing is also available and can be used to compare the effects of different settings.

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New Retractable XGA OLED Viewfinder, Tiltable Screen, HD Video and more

New for the RX1 series, the RX1R II has a built-in retractable 2.4 million dot XGA OLED Tru-Finder that pops up and down with simple one-push operation.   The viewfinder features ZEISS T* Coating and four glass elements including two aspherical lenses that work together to deliver a magnification of 0.74x4 and clear corner-to-corner visibility with minimal distortion.  The new camera also has a 3.0 type WhiteMagic™ 1.2 million dot LCD display that can tilt upwards up to 109 degrees and downwards up to 41 degrees, allowing for a greater range of shooting angles and positions.

On the video side, the camera’s advanced sensor and processor deliver exceptionally detailed movies with low levels of noise.  It is able to support full HD 1920×1080 video recording at frame rates of 60p, 30p or 24p through use of the versatile XAVC S movie recording format5.

The new RX1R II camera is also Wi-Fi® and NFC compatible and fully functional with Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile™ application available for Android and iOS platforms, as well as Sony’s growing range of PlayMemories Camera Apps™.

A new version of the popular “Smart Remote Control” app (version 4.0) from PlayMemories Camera Apps, which enables remote shooting from a connected smartphone, will be released that features updated bulb and continuous shooting functionality to match the new camera.  Learn more at www.sony.net/pmca.

Pricing and Availability

The Sony RX1R II full-frame compact camera will be available in November for about $3300 US and $4200 CAD at a variety of Sony authorized dealers in both countries. There is also a new camera case (model LCJ-RXH) that will be available at launch that fits snugly on the new RX1R II as well as the original RX1 and RX1R models.

A series of exciting new content shot with the RX1R II camera can be found at www.alphauniverse.com, Sony’s new community site built to educate, inspire and showcase all fans and customers of the Sony imaging brand.

The new content will also be posted directly at Sony global sites https://www.sony.net/Product/di_photo_gallery/.

For US customers seeking more information on the new RX1R II camera, please visit http://www.sony.com/electronics/cyber-shot-compact-cameras/dsc-rx1rm2 .

Sony to Release α7RII Firmware Adding Uncompressed 14-Bit RAW on October 19th!

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This is the official Sony press text:

Sony to Release α7R II Firmware Adding Uncompressed 14-Bit RAW on October 19th

NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2015 – Sony Electronics, a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer, will release a firmware update on October 19th that adds uncompressed 14-Bit RAW image capture to the acclaimed α7R II full frame interchangeable lens camera.

The new firmware, version 2.0, will be available for download through Sony’s e-support site www.esupport.sony.com on the product page for model “ILCE-7RM2”. In addition to uncompressed RAW capture, which will become a selectable feature (uncompressed/compressed RAW) within the menu system for updated cameras, the firmware also adds the ability for the α7R II to output video via HDMI during use of the Remote Camera Control software, that enables remote capture from a connected computer.

The α7S II and α7R II are compatible with Sony’s growing lineup of α -mount lenses, which now totals 64 different models including 13 native ‘FE’ full frame lenses. In 2016, Sony aims to build the native FE lens lineup to over 20 different models.

A variety of exclusive stories and exciting new content shot with the new a7R II cameras plus other Sony α products can be found at www.alphauniverse.com, Sony’s new community site built to educate, inspire and showcase all fans and customers of the Sony α brand.