It’s Christmas time and what bad administrator would I be if I wouldn’t give you an SR5 rumor :)

1) These last two weeks I contacted all my best sources and they now all(!) confirmed that the next Sony Full Frame camera will not be a new SLT camera. It will be a Full Frame mirrorless camera!
2) Plan of a FF SLT release in 2013 have been dropped to fully focus the development resources on that FF mirrorless camera. Sony’s main priority is to create a real High End camera. A camera that can have all the functions and capabilities of a DSLR (that means for example fast AF). Sony sees that camera as the one that should bring back some significant interests on Sony FF system.
3) The camera is still in the final stage of development. We can expect the release of the cameras by end 2013 at earliest but early 2014 sounds more likely for now.
4) The camera has some key tech not seen on any Sony camera yet. I am still working on this rumor to get some detailed info. So stay tuned!
5) The camera is a bit bigger than the current [shoplink 8454]Sony NEX-7[/shoplink] and not that much different in terms of the design.
6) The camera has a native E-mount and both E-mount and A-mount lenses will be fully supported.
7) One of the trusted sources said that Sony is right now testing two different prototypes. One features a 24 megapixel and the other camera features a new 30-32 Megapixel sensor.

In summary, in about one year the NEX world will expand into the High End Pro market. And this may be a bad news for the [shoplink 16137 ebay]Leica M system[/shoplink]! I know you have many questions about lenses, specs and so on. I am working on that and as you imagine it’s not easy to get specs about a camera which features are being tested and changed every couple of weeks. So what can we expect in 2013? we will have plenty of new NEX and SLT (APS-C) cameras and lenses. And I hope Sony engeneers will manage it to announce that NEX FF by Christmas 2013! But as I said, it all depends from the development speed. As Sony stated a couple of times, E-mount FF is a “challenge”. A challenge that Sony has no worry to take!

Now a short question:

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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!

Every year the Japanese magazine “Impress Japan” interviews company managers form the photographic industry and after that writes down their 2013 product forecast. These are the three main new things they expect from Sony:
1) Full Frame NEX
2) Further miniaturization of lenses (pancakes)
3) New improvements in hybrid AF performance

None of the three points is a real surprise for us. I am working on the NEX-FF rumor any day know. It’s difficult to share some SR5 news because Sony is righ know evaluating the product specs and release strategy. So please be patient. I am on this rumor every day!

I also got the image of the interview with a Sony manager. But it’s in Japanese and I will need the help of our Japanese SAR readers to know if there is some interesting info. Click on the image to see the large version:

Thanks for your help!

There are two big electronic shows to come. On January 8th the CES event in Las Vegas and on January 31st the CP+ show in Yokohama. And I have been told that Sony will split their product announcements in two. At the CES show Sony will introduce new Cybershot cameras and new Camcorders. While they will likely announce new NEX and SLT products at the CP+ show.

I have been told the new Cybershot cameras are not really exciting. And I am yet not 100% sure which of the rumored SLT and NEX camera/Lens is going to be announced at the CP+ show and what is coming  in April-May. As I told you the last few weeks we Sony is going to introduce:
1) four new A-mount lenses within the first half of the year (50mm Zeiss, 18-270mm DT, 70-200mm and 70-400mm). It’s very likely that the 18-270mm and the 50mm f/1.4 Zeiss will be introduced at the CP+ show (That’s SR4).
2) Two new SLT cameras will be announced within the first half of the year. Both APS-C, both with new sensor and features. The first SLT camera should be a low end model. it may be displayed at the CP+ show.
3) A couple of new NEX lenses are also coming. One could be the 85mm f/1.8 lens. Also likely to come at the CP+ show.
4) Still no 100% reliable news on the NEX front. But new I have been told a new entry level NEX is coming within the first half of 2013.
5) 100% sure, no FF NEX and no FF SLT within the first half of the year.

As I said, I am very confident that this is the NEX/SLT stuff that we will see the next few months. I am not yet sure about the exact timing also because sometimes I don’t know if sources actually send me the announcement period or the in Stock timing :)

What about the surprises? Yep, there is room for a new RX10 while major news should arrive the second half of the year. But that is still a rumor I have to investigate before I can be sure of that!

Feel free to spread the news! And to be sure to not miss any upcoming rumor join our Facebook community and s ubscribe the RSS feed (Click here) and Twitter (Click here) stream. Thanks!

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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!

Sony Japan just marked the A37 as “Discontinued“. As I have told you lately there will be 2-3 new APS-C SLT cameras coming next year. The first one is scheduled for spring. From what I heard entry level SLT will be replaced and than new semi pro APS-C SLT will follow.

And as you know in US all current SLT APS-C models are heavily discounted at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and Bhphoto (Click here)!

Sony Japan marked the current 70-400mm lens as “discontinued”. And at the same time two well trusted sources confirmed to me that a successor will hit the market on Q2 (between April and June). So we will have the new Zeiss 50mm f/1.4, the new 18-270mm lens, the new 70-200mm lens and than a new 70-400mm lens. These are the four A-mount lenses Sony will release within the next 6 months!

Price of the current 70-400mm lens at Amazon (Click here).

Stay tuned on SAR! Subscribe the RSS feed (Click here) and Twitter (Click here) stream and the Facebook fan page (Click here)!

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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!

Egami (translation here) spotted the next 3 layer sensor patent from Sony. Lately we have so many of these patents that a camera featuring a sensor like that may come in the near future. This would certainly be a quantum leap forward of Sony can do this. Imagine no more Aliasing problems, true color info for every pixel, top class per pixel sharpness….can’t wait to see this!

P.S.: There are two Sigma Foveon (3 layer) 46 Megapixel sensor ompact cameras from Sigma:
DP1 with 28mm lens at Amazon, BHphoto and of course on [shoplink 15083 ebay]eBay[/shoplink].
DP2 with 45mm lens at BHphoto and on [shoplink 15084 ebay]eBay[/shoplink].

More info: Foveon X3 sensor (Source: Wikipedia)

Nauticam released a new NEX-5R housing and the press release can be read at the bottom of this post (Click on the link at the end of this post). But before that notice that there is one single Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 E-mount lens in Stock and for Sale for $1,019 at [shoplink 16055 ebay]Cameraland (Click here)[/shoplink].

And here is the press release…