First Speedmaster PRO “Dark Knight” FE lenses in Stock (and first unboxing video).

[shoplink 27366 ebay][/shoplink]

If you are mad for speed there is nothing better than get the newly updated Speedmaster 50mm f/.095 “Dark Knight” edition that is for the first time in Stock via Hong Kong sellers on eBay:
[shoplink 28563 ebay]Breguet Camera (Click here)[/shoplink],
[shoplink 28562 ebay]Imake store (Click here)[/shoplink],
[shoplink 28564 ebay]Qy Camera (Click here)[/shoplink],
[shoplink 28565 ebay]Roxen store (Click here)[/shoplink],
[shoplink 28566 ebay]Muchmall store (Click here)[/shoplink],

And it will ship soon at BHphoto (Click here) too.

As reported before these are the improvements of the new version:

1. Improved lens coating, which makes the lens have better performance
2. Filter thread changed to 67mm from 58mm
3. New bayonet lens hood to prevent light flare and improve “back light “s situation performance.

And here is the first unboxing video of the enw Speedmaster Dark Knight edition:

The day after: ILCE-QX1 actually scores high at Amazon sales ranking! New Playmemories APP released.

I am among those people who highly praises Sony effort to innovate but actually wonders of gadgets like the ILCE-QX1 actually will really drive $cash$ into Sony’s pocket. Well according to the latest Amazon US sales ranking (Click here to see them) Sony is actually taking many orders of those QX1 cameras! It scores third in the mirrorless ranking beating “hot” mirrorless cameras like the Fuji X-T1 and the Sony A7 series. P.S.: Note that the ranking counts both sales and preorder numbers and changes hourly.

UPDATE: Sony also updated the Playmemories app. You can get it here on iTunes or Google Play.

I am also surprised our readers actually like the camera. See the poll results here (if you didn’t vote…vote to see them):

Who is going to buy the FX3?

View Results

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I expected much worse poll results :)

Preorders of the new QX cameras (Click on store name to open the exact product page in a new tab):
E-mount QX1 in USA at Amazon, SonyStore US, BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera.
E-mount QX1 in Europe at Sony DE, Sony UK, Sony FR, Sony ES, Sony IT, Sony NL, Sony NO, Sony BE, Sony PT, Sony SE, Sony FI.
E-mount QX1 in Asia at Digitalrev.
QX30 in USA at Amazon, SonyStore US, BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera.
QX30 in Asia at Digitalrev (Click here).

This is how weird the QX1 looks with huge lenses :)

Image made by Usperedi.

Of course the ILCE-QX1 isn’t meant to be used with such huge lenses…or maybe yes? Anyway, this is how the new ILCE-QX1 looks on a big Alpha lenses. And watch the video below (in Spanish) to see how the QX1 works with the FE 70-200mm lens:

Preorders of the new QX cameras (Click on store name to open the exact product page in a new tab):
E-mount QX1 in USA at Amazon, SonyStore US, BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera.
E-mount QX1 in Europe at Sony DE, Sony UK, Sony FR, Sony ES, Sony IT, Sony NL, Sony NO, Sony BE, Sony PT, Sony SE, Sony FI.
E-mount QX1 in Asia at Digitalrev.
QX30 in USA at Amazon, SonyStore US, BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera.
QX30 in Asia at Digitalrev (Click here).

Officially announced: QX1 E-mount module (and the QX30).

It’s finally here the new E-mount QX1! Here are all the things you need to know about it:

Preorders of all stuff announced today:
E-mount QX1 in USA at Amazon (Click here), SonyStore US (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), FocusCamera (Click here).
E-mount QX1 in Europe at Sony DE, Sony UK, Sony FR, Sony ES, Sony IT, Sony NL, Sony NO, Sony BE, Sony PT, Sony SE, Sony FI.
E-mount QX1 in Asia at Digitalrev (Click here).
QX30 in USA at Amazon (Click here), SonyStore US (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), FocusCamera (Click here).
QX30 in Asia at Digitalrev (Click here).
HDR-AZ1 Action Cam at SonyStore US (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
Sony HXR-MC2500 Shoulder Mount AVCHD Camcorder at BHphoto (Click here).

First previews, hands-on and tests:
Guided tour by Dpreview, QX30 hands.on at ThePhoBlographer, Hands-on pictures at Engadget. Image samples at Sony.net.

Videos:
QX30 ad by Sony, QX1 ad by Sony, QX1 presentation by Sony Europe, Interface test in Spanish,

Press text:
Dpreview, ThePhoBlographer, ePhotozine, Imaging Resource, DSLRmagazine (Spanish), Photoscala (German),

Poll:

Who is going to buy the FX3?

View Results

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(UPDATED) Zeiss Loxia officially announced! 50mm costs $949 and 35mm costs $1,299.

Zeiss (Click here) just announced the new Loxia series. The Loxia 2/50 will be available worldwide starting October 2014 and the Loxia 2/35 from the end of the fourth quarter of 2014. The recommended retail price of the Loxia 2/35 will be EUR 965.55* (US$ 1,299.00)* (excl. VAT) and that of the Loxia 2/50 will be EUR 713.45* (US$ 949.00)* (excl. VAT).

The worldwide first Zeiss Loxia Full Frame E-mount lens preorder are now running at BHphoto:
Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Biogon T* Lens for Sony E Mount (Click here).
Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2 Planar T* Lens for Sony E Mount (Click here).
Zeiss Lens Hood for Loxia 35mm f/2 Lens (Click here).
Zeiss Lens Hood for Loxia 50mm f/2 Lens (Click here).
Zeiss Rear Lens Cap for Loxia Series Lenses (Click here).
Zeiss De-Click Key for Loxia Lenses (Click here).

Here is the full press text:

Read more

Metabones announces the new Speedbooster ultra!

The new Speedbooster Ultra does everything the original first generation Speedbooster did…but it does it better! It has an advanced 5-element/4-group optical design incorporating ultra-high index tanatalum-based optical glass to achieve extraordinary optical performance with improved corner sharpness, distortion and reduced vignetting.

You can preorder them now at BHphoto:

Metabones Canon EF-Emount Speed Booster Ultra-Black Matt (Click here).
Metabones QBM-Emount Speed Booster Ultra-Black Matt (Click here).
Metabones Contarex-Emount Speed Booster Ultra-Black Matt (Click here).
Metabones OM-Emount Speed Booster Ultra-Black Matt (Click here).
Metabones MD-Emount Speed Booster Ultra -Black Matt (Click here).
Metabones FD-Emount Speed Booster Ultra-Black Matt (Click here).
Metabones Alpha-Emount Speed Booster Ultra-Black Matt (Click here).
Metabones Alpa-Emount Speed Booster Ultra -Black Matt (Click here).
Metabones Nikon G-Emount Speed Booster Ultra-Black Matt (Click here).
Metabones Leica R-Emount Speed Booster Ultra-Black Matt (Click here).

 

This is the official press text from Metabones:

Sharper corners, less distortion, reduced vignetting 

Like the revolutionary original Metabones Speed Booster announced in January 2013, the Speed Booster ULTRA has a magnification of 0.71x, and so it effectively reduces the crop factor of mirrorless cameras with DX-sized sensors, such as Sony E-mount and Fuji X-mount cameras, from 1.5x to 1.07x.  However, the new ULTRA design makes very effective use of exotic materials at the furthest limit of glassmaking technology, and as a result is well corrected for use with virtually all fullframe SLR lenses regardless of exit pupil distance. Thus, the Speed Booster ULTRA performs extremely well with professional-grade f/2.8 zoom lenses such as the 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 zooms by Canon and Nikon to produce 17-50mm f/2.0 and 50-142mm f/2.0 high-speed zooms, respectively.  Similarly, high-speed fixed focal length lenses such as a 50mm f/1.2 will be transformed into a 35.5mm f/0.9 lens with excellent contrast and resolution from the center all the way to the edges of the image. (More information can be found in the press release here)

Key Features
  • Increase maximum aperture by 1 stop.
  • Increase MTF.
  • Makes lens 0.71x wider.
  •  Advanced 5-element/4-group optical design incorporating ultra-high index tanatalum-based optical glass by Caldwell Photographic in the USA (patent pending).
  • Electronic integration of aperture diaphragm, controlled by or from the camera body.
  • Partial autofocus support for late-model (post-2006) Canon-brand lenses.
  • Powered by camera body. No external power source required.
  • High performance 32-bit processor and efficient switched-mode power supply.
  • The tripod foot is detachable and compatible with Arca Swiss, Markins, Photo Clam ball heads.