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:

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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.

Zeiss posts the Loxia Leaflet. But will announce pricing on September 5th only.

zeiss_loxia_sony

Zeiss published the official Loxia leaflets and you can download it in English (Click here) or German (Click here) language. UPDATE: Zeiss now removed the leaflet and the links lead to an error page.

I have been told by a trusted source that Zeiss will announce the official price on September 5. Preorders are expected to be online the same day!

Note for other site admins: please link back to me if you find news through my site. Would be kind Thanks!:)

Reminder: Sony QX announcement on Wednesday!

This week SAR readers photos selection.


Maxime Siegler‎
Explosion II (when light meets water)
Sony a99 + Minolta 80-200 f/2.8 HS APO G
https://www.facebook.com/maxime.siegler.photography

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

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Sony NEX-6 still a bestseller in US: Maybe Sony should make more APS-C E-mount lenses too…

APS-C E-mount cameras are literally dominating the Amazon mirrorless ranking (list here).

We are all waiting to see the new stuff at Photokina. But in the meantime …for months now(!) the most sold popular Sony camera at Amazon US (Click here to see the ranking) is the Sony NEX-6.
It’s a bit pity that only Sony E-mount FF lenses are about to be announced soon (16-35mm Zeiss, powerzoom lens and the Zeiss Loxia). Sony should really try to support those many APS-C E-mount owners and make some lenses for them too.

P.S.: Of course they can use the FE lenses too, but it’s really not the same thing (increased weight, increased price, missing focal lengths and so on…).

Reminder: Sony US is selling plenty of discounted ref. cameras:
$700 off on the [shoplink 28308 ebay]RX1R (Click here)[/shoplink].
$80 off on the [shoplink 28309 ebay]RX100 (Click here)[/shoplink].
$120 off on the [shoplink 28310 ebay]A77 with kit lens (Click here)[/shoplink].
Few [shoplink 28311 ebay]A900 bodies (Click here)[/shoplink].
$74 off on the [shoplink 28312 ebay]QX100 (Click here)[/shoplink].
Samys sells Open Box and $300 off [shoplink 28313 ebay]A7r bodies (Click here)[/shoplink].