The chinese website ZOL says the upcoming A99 could use a new viewfinder with 720p, ultra-fast response time (less than 0.01ms) and super brightness (greater than 200 cd/m2).

Here are two more screenshot with the new viewfinder specs:

The Japanese blog Egami (Click here) found a new Sony patent about a new sensor with high dynamic range. It’s actually a “Photochromic Image Sensor“. The google translation tool as usual makes a terrible job and it’s not easy to understand how the new technology works. For what I understood the new sensor has a much increased dynamic range in both shadow and highlight!

Just a reminder. Sony is patenting many “cool” sensor technologies. Like foveon sensors or these photochromic sensors. Can’t wait to see them in use in a real camera. By the way Sony, why not make a modular camera where we can sue a ll these different sensors?

More info about Photochromism on Wikipedia (Click here).

Good news folks! Sony is listening to their customers and I have been told that they updated their lens roadmap. The “old” roadmap you see posted on top has been modified and I have been told Sony develop one-two new pancake lenses. The only pancake lens to date is the [shoplink 2998]Sony 16mm f/2.8[/shoplink]. I don’t knwo yet when Sony will announce the new roadmap.

Just my personal wish, Sony, make a lens as small and as good as the [shoplink 9083 ebay]Pentax SMC DA 40mm (Click here to see that lens on ebay)[/shoplink] :)

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!

[shoplink 8454][/shoplink]

I am continually receiving info from dealers and people that preordered the NEX-7. Thanks!!!

The situation is the following:
– Sony is dislocating the production form the factory in Thailand. I don’t know yet how much it will take until the first bunch of [shoplink 8454]NEX-7[/shoplink] cameras can be produced there.
– Sony already produced a first Stock of NEX-7 cameras before the flood hit the factory. These cameras will be shipped regularly to the very customers that preordered the camera. This means that people that preordered the camera the very first days here on Sonyalpharumors could get their cameras. A few dealers contacted me to confirm that Sony will ship them small amounts of NEX-7 cameras in early November!
– The lens production is not affected! These are produced elsewhere. The new E-mount lenses, the [shoplink 8450]Zeiss 24mm f/1.8[/shoplink], the [shoplink 8448]Sony 50mm f/1.8[/shoplink] and the [shoplink 8444]Sony 55-210mm[/shoplink] will ship regularly.

UPDATE: First preorders are now available on eBay too. In Europe the [shoplink 9822 ebay]NEX-7 body (Click here)[/shoplink] and the [shoplink 9823 ebay]NEX-7 with 18-55mm lens (Click here)[/shoplink]. Ask for the availability time before to buy them!

Here is a part of the well written report by Imaging Resource: “On October 13th, efforts to repair a damaged dyke at Ayutthaya’s Hi-Tech Industrial Estate were abandoned. One notable plant located at Hi-Tech is Sony Technology (Thailand) Co. Ltd., which manufactures p
roducts including Alpha SLR and NEX compact system camera bodies, as well as interchangeable lenses. Shortly thereafter, Sony Marketing (Japan) Inc. announced that it was postponing Japanese-market availability of products including the NEX-C3, NEX-5N, NEX-7, and Alpha SLT-A65, and Sony Hong Kong followed suit with a delay for the NEX-7 in that market. Note, though, that the company has yet to announce any such delay in the US market. (A possible reason for this relates to the time factors involved in shipping by sea. Countries closer to the factory were likely scheduled to receive stock from later in the production run, where those further from the source may already have stock enroute from earlier production.)”

And here are all NEX cameras and lens preorder links (Click on shopname to check price and availability):
Sony NEX-7 [shopcountry 8454].
Sony NEX-5n [shopcountry 8452].
Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 [shopcountry 8450].
Sony 50mm f/1.8 [shopcountry 8448].
Sony 55-210mm [shopcountry 8444].
NEX-5n viewfinder [shopcountry 9110].

Dpreview posted the full A77 review (Click here). The camera earns an overall score of 81% and a Silver Award: “We’re pretty confident though that whatever your level of expectations and expertise, the A77’s rugged and well thought-out ergonomics, innovative full-time live view and AF systems and exceptionally good EVF will keep you very happy indeed. However, the somewhat mushy JPEG image quality, high noise levels and slightly laggy operation stop the A77 from getting a gold award.”
Dpreview findings are not a surprise. The camera is good but Sony has to improve the JPEG engine via firmware upgrade. That alone would make the camera almost perfect. Of course there is still a way to get the maximum out of the camera. And that is by shooting in RAW. Just look at that JPG versus RAW comparison to see the huge difference: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonyslta77/page18.asp. The A77 sensor is really good without the Sony jpeg engine!

The A77 is finally in Stock in Europe at Sony.fr, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, Sony.de, Sony.nl,  Sony.se, Jessops, Sony UK, Amazon.co.uk and Warehouseexpress,. And in Asia at Digitalrev and Amazon.jp

One more thing: Another “source” sent me this: “I was informed by person from SONY. Both camera was designed with special Bionz processor, but before releasing they put some better and new one processor inside camera and that make the problem. That is why they are going to release 2.0. It should work perfectly. Lets hope.”
If the rumors coming from asian websites are correct version 2.0 should be out in early November!

Finally the new Sony 500mm f/4.0 lens will be announced in Spring the same day of the A9x announcement. That’s what our trusted sources reported to us. And they are also “sure” that there will be other new A-mount lenses. I have no 100% reliable details about the “other” lenses but I am working on it right now so let’s hope I can post something about these lenses soon. Early this year I told you that there would be 4-5 new full frame lenses. But the Japanese Tsunami disaster changed the roadmap. Plus, Sony decided to wait until the new A9x release to announce the new lenses.

The main features of the 500mm lens are already known because Sony unveiled them a year ago:
1) The lens will have a Direct Manual Focus (DMF) control. When you press the DMF button you will get a 15x magnified view of the scene. It works only with cameras with electronic viewfinders!
2) There is also a control panel on the ens with on-of AF confirmation bleep.
3) dual focus distance limiters (standard choice between a full range and a limited range of 0.6m to infinity)

P:S.: Should we do a new poll to check what kind of new full frame lenses you want? Any suggestions?

—

All new Sony cameras and lenses links:
A77 at [shopcountry 8461]
A65 at [shopcountry 8459].
Sony NEX-7 [shopcountry 8454].
Sony NEX-5n [shopcountry 8452].
Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 [shopcountry 8450].
Sony 50mm f/1.8 [shopcountry 8448].
Sony 55-210mm [shopcountry 8444].
NEX-5n viewfinder [shopcountry 9110].

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!

[shoplink 3032]

A source just told me that the [shoplink 3032]Sony A850[/shoplink] will be in Stock until December. There will be no price drop on the camera because Sony is confident that the few camera that are still in hands of the dealers will sell out within the year. As you know this will be the last Sony camera with classic optical viewfinder. The next FF camera will be SLT (translucent) and be announced early Spring. It will very likely have a new generation 24 Megapixel sensor.

If you want that camera search at [shopcountry 3028]. Soon you will not be able to find it in Stock anymore!