Image on top: The current NEX-7. Is the NEX-9 coming?

Before you read, this is a unconfirmed rumor from a new source. So take it with a grain of salt. As usual I hope my anonymous trusted sources can confirm or deny this soon.

A new source told us that a “new High End NEX camera is going to be displayed at the Photokina show“. The model has a higher number than than the [shoplink 8454]NEX-7[/shoplink] (maybe Nex-9?). In any case this is an APS-C model not a Full Frame mirrorless! The fact that the source told me it is going to be displayed may hints the possibility of a 2013 availability (in Stock) only.

I can’t really figure out what the NEX-9 could do visibly better than the NEX-7. You may have an idea of what a NEX-9 APS-C sensor camera should do to convince you to buy it instead of the current NEX-7?

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P.S.: NEX-7 is a hotseller at all rankings: Amazon US , Amazon Germany, Amazon France and at Amazon.

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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!

Let’s start within the new week with a small rumors. As I already told you there will be one FF SLT camera at Photokina (specs you already know) and another High End Model within the first half of 2013. A new source just told me that one camera will be named A88 (veyr likely the A850 successor and “cheap” FF model) and another will be the A99 (very likely the A900 successor and “high” end model).

This is just to say that the final name of the coming 24 Megapixel model may be A88 instead of A99. I am still not sure. I hope my sources can confirm this soon. Keep in mind that Sony itself once said that there will be a A9x SLT Full Frame this year.

Anyway, we are just talking about the names here. I am trying to figure out how the High End Model could be. Early rumors suggested it would use the same Nikon D800 sensor and a built-in vertical grip. Question is if such a high end model makes sense. I mean, the pro market is pretty conservative and dominated by Nikon and Canon. You will need a huge effort to convince pro’s to switch the system! What do you think? Does it make sense?

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Sony A850 at Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.
Sony A900 at Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.

We had a pretty much severe issue. The disk of SAR was actually full and it caused a sever damage to the database. There were also two other issues with the backups and combine all that and the result is a very bad day :)

Anyway, I am no re inserting the articles I posted on SAR. I have to do it manually. But your comments form the last months will be lost. Really sorry, but this now convinced me one more time that SAR has to become a stable and standalone website.

This means that for the next 24 hours I may not post any news as I really have to use every free time for this. Meantime sources may send me some rumors baout the A88 and A99 to cheer me up :)

Reuters (via Nikkei) reports that “Olympus is in final talks with Sony to get a roughly 50 billion yen capital injection in return for a stake“. Sony’s main interest is the medical business but of course this could also have an influence on Olympus mirrorless camera strategy. Anyway, those kind of rumors are floating around for months now and we still haven’t anything official…yet.

For a short moment the Sony Service website listed new codes for new Alpha mount lenses. They quickly removed the codes but Matthias from the German Minolta Forum was able to copy the text.

There are two new lenses:
SAL55-300 (yes: -300)
And a new version of the current SAL300-2.8G (here at Amazon).

Other already available lenses got a new “UC” suffix which probably means “Ultra Clean” (Click on name to see the current lens at Amazon):
SAL-50F14 UC
SAL-85F14Z UC
SAL-100M28 UC
SAL-135F28 UC
SAL-1870 UC
SAL-18200 UC
SAL-70200G UC
SAL-75300 UC

From the past experience that those kind of leaks are very reliable. I heard of an updated SAL-70200G coming at Photokina so there is a fair chance Sony may update all the other mentioned lenses too!

The past months I got different rumors about a new 50mm prime. Some sources said it’s a Zeiss, some a Sony, some said it’s f/1.2 and some said it’s f/1.4. I was puzzling a lot until I got it why the rumors were not matching. These are actually two different lenses! One is the already mentioned (on SAR) 50mm f/1.2 Zeiss SSM lens that should arrive along the A99. Another is the updated version of the current 50mm f/1.4 SAL lens. I don’t know when the last one is goint to be announced. I am still waiting before to upgrade this rumor to the “SR5″ level. I want to get some feedback from my very top sources. So be patient until I can give you some further details.

P.S.: What’s SR5 is that there will be more than one new Full Frame Alpha Lens in September (about time!).

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!

Top sources told us that it is the High Quality G zoom lens that is coming along the new NEX-F5. It has a focal length of 16-50mm, an aperture of f/3,5-5,6 and comes with OSS (Image stabilization). I have no info about the possible price yet. I also don’t know if there will be a second lens too.

Anyway, this will be definitely a better lens on my NEX-7 than the current 18-55mm kit lens. Let’s cross the fingers that the price isn’t much higher! Oh, almost forgot it…I want it in Black too!

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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!