(SR2) A-mount rumors: New 135mm Zeiss shipping early 2015. New 85mm Zeiss coming too?

A99 with the Zeiss 135mm lens (Courtesy of Adalbert).

Two weeks ago I told you how the current Zeiss 135mm f/1.8 A-mount lens would get replaced at Photokina. The new version is said to have the same optical design but it will be upgraded with the “SSM” focusing mechanism. According to a source from the French site Chassimages the new Zeiss will ship in early 2015 (has 77mm filter diameter and weights 1050g). The source said that also the current 85mm f/1.4 A-mount lens will get a similar update later.

Both current Zeiss lenses got a $100 discount in US:
$100 off on the Zeiss 135mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and SonyStore.
$100 off on the 85mm f/1.4 Zeiss at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and SonyStore.


Message to sources: You can send me more info anonymously by using the contact form you see on the very right of your browser. You can also contact me directly at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com.
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Reminder (SR = Sonyrumor):
SR1=probably fake rumor
SR2=rumor from unknown sources
SR3=50% chance it is correct
SR4=rumor from known sources
SR5=almost certainly correct!

Canon to start a new sensor tech “war” in September.

I have a good news and it’s coming via Canon :) The last couple of years Sony did lead the sensor world and Canon is struggling to keep up with Sony. But according to Stefan from CanonWatch Canon will now strike back with a new kind of sensor tech that will find his way in new cameras announced at Photokina. It’s good news for us because it means that Sony will have to answer soon too and we may see a sort of 3 layer Sony sensor sooner than expected.

At least at Low-ISO the 3 layer sensor from Sigma already shows an impressive performance (see here at MirrorlessRumors). But there are many issues on noise handling and so on. I am sure Sony has the knowledge to fix them and also to match if not beat any new Canon sensor tech.

All I can tell you know is that I heard about a 54 Full Frame Megapixel sensor from Sony (with 2460 focusing points (no joke!) and the focusing area covers 78% of the entire sensor). It was actually planed for a 2015 release but maybe Canon will make them change those plans…

 

(SR3) New 24-105mm kit lens to be announced along the A99II.

Image on tops shows the Sigma 24-105mm A-mount lens.

A source told me that Sony is likely going to launch a new 24-105mm f/4.0 G lens along the new A99II. I have no other info about the lens specs and price yet. But let’s hope it will beat the already good Sigma 24-105mm f/4.0 lens performance.


Message to sources: You can send me more info anonymously by using the contact form you see on the very right of your browser. You can also contact me directly at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com.
For readers: Subscribe the RSS feed (Click here) and Twitter (Click here) stream and the Facebook fan page (Click here) in order to not miss any news!

Reminder (SR = Sonyrumor):
SR1=probably fake rumor
SR2=rumor from unknown sources
SR3=50% chance it is correct
SR4=rumor from known sources
SR5=almost certainly correct!

 

(SR3) New QX camera with 30x zoom coming?

Short break from “regular” Alpha Camera rumors. An unknown source (Thanks!) told me that Sony will soon release a new QX camera model featuring an impressive 30x zoom! More important, I hope the new Sony will fix the (many) quirks of the current QX series which are mainly caused by the poor software.

If you think this idea is a joke stop now. Sony reported a while ago that the QX lenses sold very well…

Here are all direct links to QX in USA/Canada:
QX100: Amazon (Click here), SonyUS (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), SonyCA (Click here).
Soft Carrying Case for DSC-QX100 at Amazon (Click here).
Black QX10: Amazon (Click here)SonyUS (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), SonyCA (Click here).
White QX10: Amazon (Click here)SonyUS (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
Soft Carrying Case for DSC-QX10 Amazon (Click here).
Xperia Z case with QX mount on Amazon (Click here).

Here are all direct links to the QX in Europe:
Black QX100 at SonyDE, Amazon.de (via DealsRunner), Amazon France (via DL), SonyUK, SonyES, SonyIT, SonyNL, SonyBESonyAT, SonyCH, SonySE, SonyFI, SonyNo.
Black QX10 at SonyDE, Amazon.de (via DealsRunner), Amazon France (via DL), SonyUK, SonyES, SonyIT, SonyNL, SonyBESonyAT, SonyCH, SonySE, SonyFI, SonyNo.
White QX10 at SonyDE, Amazon.de (via DealsRunner), Amazon France (via DL), SonyUK, SonyES, SonyIT, SonyNL, SonyBESonyAT, SonyCH, SonySE, SonyFI, SonyNo.
Xperia Z1 at SonyDE, SonyUK, SonyES, SonyIT, SonyNL, SonyBESonyAT, SonyCH, SonySE, SonyFI, SonyNo.


Message to sources: You can send me more info anonymously by using the contact form you see on the very right of your browser. You can also contact me directly at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com.
For readers: Subscribe the RSS feed (Click here) and Twitter (Click here) stream and the Facebook fan page (Click here) in order to not miss any news!

Reminder (SR = Sonyrumor):
SR1=probably fake rumor
SR2=rumor from unknown sources
SR3=50% chance it is correct
SR4=rumor from known sources
SR5=almost certainly correct!

Sony says “We are ready” to produce curved sensors on mass scale.

Image courtesy: Sony via Spectrum.

The image of this Sony curved sensor created quite a buzz but some people argued that this tech may not coming any time soon. Well this is wrong. Sony already made a first mass production run and realized 100 sensors. Sony device manager Itonaga said it clearly: “We are ready“.

And as we shared  before. The first lens coming along this sensor will be the 35mm f/1.8 Zeiss (Source SAR):

First image of the Full Frame Curved sensor!…made for the RX2?

Image courtesy: Sony via Spectrum.

What you see here is the first image of the Sony CMOS curved sensor! Sony says they create a unique bending machine to curve it and after that they use ceramic to stabilize the sensor. Interesting: The sensor has the same level of curvature found in the human eye!

On a curved sensor light rays will hit the corner pixels straight on instead of obliquely. The lens doesn’t have to use extra lenses to correct for distortions, vignetting, aberrations in corners and other issues. Therefore you can pair the sensor with flatter and larger aperture lenses. Curved sensors are 1,4 times more sensitive in the center and 2 times more sensitive in the corners.

Sony showed a 43mm (Full Frame) and 11mm (for mobile devices) curved sensor at the 2014 Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits. And as we reported earlier on SAR the Full Frame curved sensor is likely to come on the new RX2 paired with a 35mm f/1.8 Zeiss lens! Exciting tech!

(SR3) New Zeiss 135mm A-mount lens with SSM to come at Photokina?

A99 with the Zeiss 135mm lens (Courtesy of Adalbert).

A new source told me the current Zeiss 135mm f/1.8 A-mount lens would get replaced at Photokina. The new version will have “SSM” focusing mechanism. There will be no optical change as the current 135mm f/1.8 is already close to perfection (and also $100 discounted at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and SonyStore).


Message to sources: You can send me more info anonymously by using the contact form you see on the very right of your browser. You can also contact me directly at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com.
For readers: Subscribe the RSS feed (Click here) and Twitter (Click here) stream and the Facebook fan page (Click here) in order to not miss any news!

Reminder (SR = Sonyrumor):
SR1=probably fake rumor
SR2=rumor from unknown sources
SR3=50% chance it is correct
SR4=rumor from known sources
SR5=almost certainly correct!