This week SAR readers photos selection


Lasse Thomasson‎
Winter’s Gate
Sony A7SII and Zeiss Contax 35mm f2.8 @ f8 1/125 ISO 3200
https://scatteredlightblog.wordpress.com

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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Sony Tidbits…


Sony a6500 IBIS: Is it any good?

Sony RX100 IV as a portrait camera (J. Haag).
50mm macro FE test at DC.watch.
Just Published: Our Sony FDR-X3000R / FDR-X3000 Action Cam Review (Steve Digicams).
16 Tripods that Are Not Really Tripods (Explora).
Interactive photography tool to learn how to shoot (Photography-mapped).
Using Manual Focus for Fast Action Shots to get Great Results with Sony A7Rii and Canon 200mm f/1.8 (Jason Lanier).
Sony enhances video security line up with new high sensitivity full HD network cameras with Exmor R CMOS sensors (Sony Blog).

To write a guest post on SAR follow the instruction on that page.

Chuck:Shot some basketball today with A99II, Quick Video: https://youtu.be/JO0rhUKZoKw Been shooting all day, no time for major production quality, sorry. Going to shoot another football game now.

Frans:Interesting promotion, 10 % for all lenses Zeiss and voigtlander. For example, I buy a Voigtlander  Heliar 15mm F4.5 for 719 euros.
https://www.lapetiteboutiquephoto.com/boutique/liste_rayons.cfm

Star photographer Neil Leifer is now officially a Sony Artisan

bildschirmfoto-2016-12-14-um-20-21-03
The famous Muhammad Ali photo taken by Neil Leifer

World famous photographer Neil Leifer is now officially a Sony Artisan. This is the reason why he switched over to Sony:

The first thing that came to mind was the Sony weighed half of what my Nikon weighed. I looked through the camera, and I noticed the incredible quality of the Sony Zeiss lenses. Now, I had Zeiss lenses on my Leica’s years ago so I know how good they are.
I decided I really wanted to try it out, so I got in touch with Sony, sourced a loaner camera, tested it while shooting boxing and completely fell in love with it! The weight and the quality of the photography…I thought, this is definitely the way of the future. I know a good camera when I have one in my hands.

A full interview with Neil Leifer can be read at Alphauniverse.

Now I want to hear the Nikon and Canon folks saying Sony isn’t for PRO… :)

Sony Tidbits…


The rambling video autofocus mega-test – Part 1

Gear That Saved Us While Shooting A Short Film (TheCameraStoreTV).
70-200GM (Sony products) – anyone received theirs yet in Canada? (SonyAlphaForum).
Sony A6500 review: slow motion compilation at 1080 / 120p (CameraLabs)
Top 10 Photographic Items for Non Photographers (Explora).
Tips For Photographing Family Portraits for Holiday Cards (ALC).
35mm lenses test on A7S2 (Scatteredlightblog).
Sony E 55-210mm Review (Hello Mikee).

To write a guest post on SAR follow the instruction on that page.

 

 

This is a first: Brand new Sony patent discloses an “electric zoom lens” design

electric-lens

It’s the first time I see such an “electric lens” patent from Sony. It describes a zoom lens having normal optical elements and in the center two liquid crystal lenses. The liquid crystal lenses can change the “refractive index” with the use of electric signal. Sony writes:

To achieve miniaturization of the optical system, it is conceivable to use what is called a liquid crystal lens, in which liquid crystal is disposed between two planar lens substrates. This is because by applying an electrical signal to the liquid crystal to vary the refractive index of the liquid crystal, it becomes possible to vary the focal length of the lens without moving the lens itself.

In theory by using liquid crystal elements you can make smaller and superfast autofocus lenses. Because you no longer need to move around lenses on a great distance to focus or zoom in and out. The major drawback of that technology is that it usually brings a drop in resolution. But within the patent Sony claims to have solved that issue. This is the design of the zoom lens:

zoom-electric7

There are two liquid crystal elements (marked with number 10) for zooming and focusing. All other optical elements are fixed (except for the in lens stabilization part).

As usual with patents we don’t know how long it will take to see such a design on a real mass production ready lens. But for sure this would be a killer feature for the FE system. Having fast focusing and fast aperture lenses in a very compact size would really give you one more reason to join the Sony FE system. As for now Sony FE cameras are indeed smaller than DSLR but the lenses are usually almost or equally big as DSLR lenses.

Additional note: Liquids can change shape and direction via electric or sound impulse. An example can be seen here:

This patent has been found and reported first by SonyAlphaRumors. Please credit us if you reproduce the news. Thanks!

via Freepatentsonline.

Moody’s says Sony is no more a “junk” company

alphalogo

Asian Review reports this:

The Japanese electronics maker’s credit rating was upgraded to Baa3, up one notch from the “junk” status of Ba1. Moody’s has also changed the ratings outlook to stable from positive.

They also expect to hear more good news from Sony as it is “setting aside one-off factors — such as [the] Kumamoto earthquake“.

2016 was a relatively “slow” camera year. 2017 should be different from that point of view with at least 2 FF cameras to be announced.

Sony Tidbits…


Quick Tip: How to get X5 more time than the Sony camera battery

Zeiss Loxia 85mm f/2.4 Sample Images (Photographyblog).
The Business of Business on the Internet (Thenimblephotographer).
Techart Pro adapter review by John Leathwick
Does the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 hold focus when zoomed? And could your lens adapter be part of the problem or solution? (Newsshooter).
Zeiss Milvus 135mm Short review by Jorge Torralba.
Sony Recognized as a Leader in Water Resource Management in the CDP Global Water Report 2016 (Sony.net).

To write a guest post on SAR follow the instruction on that page.

David: New Sony RX100 V book available at laserfairepress.com for Alpha users who also have the RX100 V.