Download now! Sony releases A7rII firmware with 14 Bit uncompressed RAW

A7rII_firmware_14bit

Sony just issued firmware 2.0 for the Sony A7rII. Download links:
Windows: Sony.com, Sony Australia.
Mac: Sony.com, Sony Australia.

Those are the new features:

  • Adds the selectable feature for uncompressed 14-Bit RAW image capture
  • Adds support to output video via HDMI during use of the Remote Camera Control software (still mode only)

UPDATE: There seems to be an issue with the firmware update. If you have APS-C mode on “Auto” than once you install the firmware update you can only shoot pictures at a max resolution of 18 megapixel. You can still change the settings after the firmware update so don’t worry. But just in case you can’t take any 42MP pictures any more know it that the firmware seems to activate it as default! (Thanks Mirrorlessons for the tip).

Thanks Oliver, Mike, Craig for sharing the links!

A7rII store list:
In USA at Amazon, BHphoto, AdoramaSonyStore US, FocusCamera, Uniquephoto.
In Europe at Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Wex UK and ParkCameras.
In Asia at Digitalrev, CameraPro.

New FE lenses to be shown at the School of Visual Arts in NYC on October 20?

FE

Many Sony Artisans and Sony manager Kenta Honjo will attend the Sony mirrorless expert panel at the School of Visual Arts in NYC on Ocotber 20. So many big names usually come together when there is also some new Sony products to be announced. Keep in mind the PhotoPlus show will start the day after and we are expecting Sony to announce their new FE lenses and an updated FE lens roadmap.

Here is the official event description:

MPS Digital Photography and Sony present department chair Katrin Eismann, Sony Alpha product manager Kenta Honjo, photojournalist Ben Lowy, photographer and filmmaker Ben Moon and portrait and wedding photographer Miguel Quiles in a panel discussion on how technological developments such as the mirrorless camera have improved the quality of digital photography, reduced the size and weight of cameras and increased accessibility to photography. Moderated by Pulitzer Prize-winning celebrity and portrait photographer Brian Smith.

It’s free for people to attend!

This week SAR readers photos selection.


Yuri Afanasiev
Summer 2015 on Mars. Sony A7RM2 + SONY 16-35 mm F/2.8 (SAL-1635Z) | f / 8,0 |ISO 500 | 1/25000| JPG |
New photos on https://www.facebook.com/photoru.ru
My Site http://www.photoru.ru/

1) Submit your picture with a message and picture here: facebook.com/sonyalpharumors or on the SonyAlphaForum image section.
2) Like and comment the pictures from other readers here: facebook.com/sonyalpharumors/photos_stream?tab=photos and on SonyAlphaForum.
3) A selection of most liked pictures by the community and by me SAR admin will be posted weekly on SAR.

Note: When sending a pic feel free to also add a link to your site to promote yourself!

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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.

SigmaART20mm

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/