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For almost two months now things have been relatively quite on the A-mount camera and NEX-7 successor front. Two of my trusted sources told me that they still didn’t get any info about a possible A-mount or NEX-7 successor release this year. They only told me about the following camera being released between October and January:
– Two NEX-FF
– ILC-7 (APS-C camera).
– ILC-9 (FF camera)
– RX10

New anonymous sources we can rank somewhere between SR2-SR3 told me that A-mount and more NEX APS-C stuff is coming very early 2014 only. For now Sony’s priority seems to be the NEX-FF and ILCE (E-mount DSLR shaped) cameras. I think that within the next couple of weeks we will know a lot more about the Sony roadmap. Don’t worry A-mount camera owners and NEX-7 successor waiters :)

It’s my personal curiosity that drives me to ask you SAR readers what’s the camera (or cameras) you are waiting for.

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One of my very long time trusted sources had the chance to see the two new NEX-FF cameras. For obvious reason he cannot unveil specs but he shared two short impressions and also corrected some points of David Kilpatrick’s report. This is what he told me:

1) The two NEX-FF cameras are great and the camera he likes most is definitely the High End version. Both feature the same (new) sensor.
2) David Kilpatrick is not correct when saying the camera is an interchangeable lens mount version of the RX1. The NEX-FF are clearly based on the [shoplink 8454]Sony NEX-7[/shoplink] design. And yes, they are about 20% bigger than the NEX-7.
3) The cameras do not have a Fuji alike hybrid viewfinder.
4) All E-mount lenses will work on both, the NEX-FF and NEX-APS-C cameras (obviously APS-C lenses will work in crop mode on FF E-mount cameras)
5) He didn’t like the lenses. The zooms are to big and the primes not fast enough. The NEX-FF camera will appeal pro photographer but Sony didn’t make the right lenses yet (so he says). He hopes they do it in future.

Editor’s note:
A fast 35mm, 50mm and 85mm (all f/1.4) should have been made for the system right from the start. Instead we will get a 35mm f/2.8, 55mm f/1.8 and likely a 85mm f/1.8 Zeiss lenses. Good lenses but still not as good as hoped. We will have to use third-party [shoplink 19605 ebay]Leica M Lenses[/shoplink], [shoplink 19923 ebay]Voigtlander M lenses[/shoplink], [shoplink 16763 ebay]Canon FD lenses[/shoplink], [shoplink 19360 ebay]Zeiss ZM lenses[/shoplink] and more…on our NEX-FF get some more “interesting” focal length and aperture. Send me your third-party lens tests done on the VG900. They will be very useful to read now that the NEX-FF is coming!

P.S.: Can you suggest Sony a bunch of Full Frame lenses they have to develop? Comment this post and I will sum your suggestion in a soon to be published POLL. Thanks!

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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!

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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!

The NEX-FF is quite a secret Sony project but the we already know that there will be two cameras and two Zeiss prime lenses. Launch is expected in late September or early October. Availability before Christmas. Today also our friend David Kilpatrick got a confirmation from his sources that:

there’s an RX1 with interchangeable lenses, just what we asked for when the camera was first seen at photokina

And he also writes:

The body is exactly the same size and the mount is thought to be a modified E-mount with additional contacts to enable the silent leaf-shutter and iris action which is the hallmark of the RX1 as a ‘stealth’ shooter. It’s possible that the RX1-N (not necessarily its name) lenses will fit other E-mount bodies, but existing E-mount lenses won’t fit the new mini-Leica-style body. But it may also contain a focal plane shutter, as there is such a high potential demand to retrofit [shoplink 19605 ebay]Leica M[/shoplink] and other vintage lenses to a full frame body of this size.

David also speculates about some lenses (like the 35mm f/2.0) but he evidently didn’t read the latest leaks here on SAR. The lens is actually a Zeiss 35mm f/2.8. So take his “speculations” with a grain of salt. And the camera is a NEX and will not feature an RX name. What’s correct is the basic rumor he got from his source. A compact E-mount FF camera is coming in October. Yes, that’s correct.

The current SR5 NEX-FF rumors can be read on that article on SAR.

The NEX-FS700R & NEX-FS700RH will also be announced soon. The site Creativeventures.be already mentions the cameras as compatible with their products. So I guess it’s only a matter of days.

Reminder: Korean agency the camcorders in their database. The cameras will replace the current [shoplink 20324 ebay]Sony NEX-FS700 (here on eBay)[/shoplink].

The same source that shared the ILCE-7 (A7) E-mount camera info also told me that Sony will launch one more RX camera…the Sony RX10! There are no specs yet but it’s easy to guess that this camera will be placed in between the RX100MII and RX1/R and use an APS-C sensor. But unlike the two other cameras the RX10 will have strong competition:

Fuji X100S:
Amazing sensor and superb hybrid EVF/OVF (specs and pricing at [shoplink 21062 eBay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]).
Ricoh GR:
Extremely compact and low price (specs and pricing at [shoplink 21061 eBay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]).
Nikon Coolpix A
Compact camera with fixed lens (specs and pricing at [shoplink 21063 eBay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]).
Canon PowerShot G1 X
Compact camera with zoom lens (specs and pricing at [shoplink 21064 eBay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]).

As you can see there are plenty of alternatives and the RX10 has to stand out in “something” to compete against them. I hope this will be the first RX camera with built-in EVF. Now let’s wait for sources to tell us more about the RX10…

In summary: The next (soon to come) Sony announcement could bring us the new NEX-FF camera, the ILCE-7 and the RX10!

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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!

After the launch of the superb 18-35mm f/1.8 zoom (picture on top) Sigma may prepared to unveil more potential hotseller like The Sigma 24mm f/1.4 ART lens and 24-70mm f/2.0 zoom! Here is the long list of Sigma lenses that could be announced at Photokina 2014:

• Sigma 24-105mm f/4 OS
• Sigma 24-70mm f/2 OS HSM
• Sigma 300mm f/2.8 OS
• Sigma 400mm f/2.8 OS
• Sigma 500mm f/4 OS
• Sigma 600mm f/4 OS
• Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG OS
• Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG
  
• Sigma 50mm f/1.4  (new version / unconfirmd)

P.S.: The Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 A-mount lens will ship any day now at Amazon (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here). It will ship in September in Europe according to Amazon UK (Click here).

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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!

According to one trusted and long time SAR source Sony will launch a new A7 camera. It’s actually an ILCE-7 which means it comes with E-mount. I hope other sources can soon confirm the rumor so that I can upgrade it to SR5. But that source never was wrong in the past so it’s pretty save to say that the ILCE-7 or A7 will be announced soon, maybe along the NEX-FF in late September (or early October). So this should be the final name (and not “A7000”) as rumored before. I still have to SR5 check if that camera has the moving sensor plate. Hope sources can give me full feedback on that part too.

Meantime: A new source told me that there will be an A-mount version of that camera in January. It will be named “A79”. This is a new source and I rank it SR3 only. But we chatted a lot lately and let’s hope he is right :) The A79 specs he gave to me will be the same for the A7 (ILCE-7) and A79 (I have already posted these specs a month ago).

– 32mpix exmor hd chip (new generation)
– 4 gb buffer
– full mirrorless focus, 480 focus points
– evf 4mpix
– 8-14 fps/sec
– Magnesium body
– There will be a new vertical grip too (compatible also with current SLT cameras).
– I have been told that also the look changed a tiny bit and it somehow reminds of the old [shoplink 19759 ebay]Minolta 700si (you can find them here on eBay)[/shoplink].-

The best would be to have ILCE-7 and A79 announced the same day. Otherwise I see the A-mount community protesting!

Anyway, if all these rumors are correct it’s clear how Sony’s strategy is to offer two versions of the same cameras in future. Always an E and an A-mount from any DSLR shaped camera to come!

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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!