The Sony countdown for the compact camera announcement

We told it to you yesterday and today Nokishita confirmed it: Tomorrow Sony will only announce two new fixed lens compact cameras, the DSC-HX 95 and the DSC-HX 99. Here are the specs:

• ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T * 24-720 mm zoom lens
• BIONZ X processor with front end LSI
• 4K video
• RAW compatible
• Tilt liquid crystal which can be taken by turning 180 degrees
• Improved grip
• Newly support “touch focus” and “touch shutter” (DSC-HX99)
• Overseas release date: September 2018
• DSC-HX 95: 499 euros
• DSC-HX 99: 519 euros

The full German press text can be downloaded here. The good news is that our sources were spot on and it means A7sIII and A6xxx (or A7xxx) rumors are likely to be true too!

Here is a bit of a timeline of when to expect the new Sony gear:

Tomorrow:
Tomorrow Sony will only announce some 4k compact cameras

Before Photokina:
(SR3) Sony A7sIII with 4k60p, 10bit 4:2:2, 5.6 million dot EVF
(SR4) 24mm f/1.4 GM
(SR3) 135mm f/1.8 GM
(SR4) Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 FE lens
(SR4) Sigma 50mm f/1.4 APS-C E-mount lens
(SR3) Zeiss fixed lens camera?
(SR4) Zeiss 40mm Batis

Before Photoplus (could be earlier too):
(SR4) New “mini-A9” High End APS-C E-mount camera. Not a direct A6500 successor but a new line! 4k60p and 20fps.
(SR3) New APS-C E-mount lens.

Sony just launched this countdown teaser for a press conference they will have tomorrow at 1:00PM CET. Our sources told us that Sony could announce two 4k compact cameras only.

Stay tuned anyway! I will embed the live stream here on SAR. Just know that it’s too early to expect some new Alpha gear tomorrow. But I promise you folks, you will only have to wait a couple of weeks to get some exciting stuff ;)

Just a rendering of a possible A7000 (article here).

First an update: The trusted source corrected himself and said the new High End APS-C camera could be announced nwo and Photoplus. Which means max in 7-8 weeks. I hope it’s coming at Photkina already (2-3 weeks).

Now multiple sources heard about a new very high End Sony APS-C E-mount camera that will be announced within 1-2 months (likely Photokina and if not than at PhotoPlus). And one of the sources said the camera will be announced along a new APSC-E-mount lens. I have no specs of this lens but I do hope it’s a f/2.8 standard zoom lens (16-50mm f/2.8 would be nice).

This is the little we got so far about the new High End APS-C E-mount camera:

– It seems to NOT be a new A6500 successor. It could be the first camera of a new line
– It’s a “mini-A9” which means it has the same speed (20fps)
– Should record 4k60p
– Touchscreen, improved battery life, improved ergonomy
– A9 alike autofocusing capability

We also heard there might be a Sony announcement this week but I am not sure that’s for the new E-mount camera. It might be for fixed lens compact cameras only…

Last week our sources reported about a new Sony TOUGH card series. Today Nokishita leaked these images. The cards will be announced tomorrow. We have no confirmation yet if Sony will also announce new cameras/lenses…doesn’t seem yet that’s the case.

They will have the same speed of the current world’s fastest SF-G series which you can find here on Amazon US, AmazonDE, AmazonUK, AmazonFR, AmazonIT, AmazonES. But the new TOUGH cards are impermeable!

Just a rendering of a possible A7000 (article here).

A trusted source told me that Sony will announce this at Photokina (UPDATE: He now corrected it to “Photokina or PhotoPlus”):

All I know is rumor is mini A9 is coming

This will be a new APS-C E-mount camera and what the source also told me is that:

this camera might NOT be named A6700

This info matters because this camera might be different from the previous A6xxx models and not an A6500 successor!

Expect this camera to record 20fps and possibly even 4k 60p just like the rumored Fuji X-T3. The announcement of this camera can now happen any time between now and mid September.
I still cannot confirm with 100% reliability that Sony will announce new camera(s) the upcoming week. Stay tuned!

So to sum up the camera rumors:
– High End APS-C E-mount camera to be announced and displayed at Photokina
– New Zeiss fixed lens Full Frame camera with autofocus prime lens. This could be a rebranded and redesigned RX1 alike camera.
– The A7sIII is 90% likely to be announced within 1-2 months. But I can see this announcement happening in October at Photo Plus too.

The lens rumors:
– Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM probably to be announced at Photokina
– Sony 24m f/1.4 GM highly likely to be announced at Photokina
– Maybe new Voigtlander FE lenses coming
– Probably new 50mm f/1.4 APS-C E-mount from Sigma
– Highly Likely a new 70-200mm f/2.8 FF E-mount lens from Sigma.
– New Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2.0

Trusted sources told us Sony will very soon announce a new Tough SD card series. They will have the same speed of the current world’s fastest SF-G series which you can find here on Amazon US, AmazonDE, AmazonUK, AmazonFR, AmazonIT, AmazonES. But the new TOUGH card is impermeable and has 18x the durability (don’t know what it exactly means).

Now let’s hope this is a sign that Sony will announce a super weatherproof camera soon.