The CP+, the biggest asia photoshow of the year will start on Wednesday. I have one bad news and two good news. The bad news first: There will be no new NEX camera or Alpha camera! Please don’t cry yet because there are also two good news:
1) I have been told there could be new stuff like new lenses, new colored NEX cameras and maybe something else(?).
2) Sony chose to launch the big stuff within the second and third quarter of the year. So you don’t have to wait a lot! “he who laughs last, laughs best“! I will post more about that soon!

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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 (60-80% the rumor is correct)
SR5=almost certainly correct!

I confess this is more a speculation than a rumor! But “something” made me suspicious. During my usual Sony patent search I found so many Sony patents that do explain the functionality of foveon like sensors. Unlike Bayer sensors the Foveon sensor uses an array of photosites, each of which consists of three vertically stacked photodiodes. The advantage is that you can have bigger pixels with greater light gathering ability, you have no color artifacts and no demosaicing is required. The drawback is that current sensors (from Sigma) are quite noisy.

Wild speculation: Sony keeps saying the A77 will be a revolutionary cameras. So what if the A77 has been delayed because Sony took time to develop a new 24 megapixel “Foveon” sensor? What do you think, is that something you would like to see in future cameras?

– Bayer sensor (Source: Wikipedia)
– Foveon X3 sensor (Source: Wikipedia)
– List of Sigma Foveon cameras at Amazon.
– The Sigma SD1 website.

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A few days ago a dutch A77 rumor created a lot of buzz announcing the A77 would be announced in April. As our trusted sources pointed out quickly that rumor is NOT TRUE! De facto the rumor was a mix of already published SonyAlphaRumors and a few added WRONG specs. As you know the “A77 packshots are ready and currently being reviewed by management.“. If no problems will occur during that process the A77 will be on market in Q3 (July-September).

All sources point me out that this will be an amazing camera. Much better than anything out there (in the APS-C world). We should expect a real huge improvement over the [shoplink 3617]Sony A55[/shoplink]. They know that people is frustrated because of the long wait. But they have not a single doubt that it will be worth the wait!

I repost our correct specs (collected form trusted SonyAlphaRumors sources):
– 24 megapixel sensor
– FullHD
– New advanced OLED(?) EVF
– UNCONFIRMED -> There were rumors (and also a Sony patent) about some kind of hybrid viewfinder ( a là Fuji X100 (Click here to see that camera on Amazon)?).
– ISO will go ‘up into the hundreds of thousands’
– price will be in the same area of the [shoplink 5117]Canon 60D ($900-1200. Click here to check price)[/shoplink]
– The A77 has a bigger and robust body compared to current SLT cameras.
– The A77 will not have a flip-up mode to allow shooting without this extra sheet of glass in place.
– It will take CF+SD+MS cards, of which you can use two at the same time.
– With the new battery you can take around 1.000 pictures.

P.S.: Paul Genge of Sony UK said that “this camera will include such high specification features that current [shoplink 3228]A700[/shoplink] owners will be amazed”

P.P.S.: We have a new facebook page! Join us at http://www.facebook.com/sonyalpharumors!

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

The three layer design from Sony

And here it is the next back-illuminated and three color layer Sony sensor patent! You can read the full (and very technical) description at freepatentsonline (Click here). It is not the first time we see such a “foveon like” patent. Sigma is currently the only manufactures that produces cameras based on that concept Like the new Sigma DP2s and SD15.

Here is the original patent description:
“In recent years, in the CCD image sensor or the CMOS image sensor, since the size of a pixel decreases and the number of photons incident on a unit pixel decreases, sensitivity deteriorates and thus a decrease in S/N occurs. In widely used pixel arrangement where red, green, and blue pixels are arranged on a planar surface, for example, the Bayer arrangement using the primary color filters, green and blue light does not penetrate a color filter in red pixels and is not used in photoelectric conversion. Therefore, sensitivity may decrease. Moreover, when a color signal is formed by executing an interpolation process between pixels, a problem of a false color may arise.
In order to solve these problems, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-12796 discloses a solid-state imaging device in which green, blue, and red photoelectric conversion units are laminated in a depth direction of the same pixel. In the solid-state imaging device, a blue photodiode (photoelectric conversion unit) and a red photodiode (photoelectric conversion unit) are formed in the depth direction in a silicon substrate. In addition, the solid-state imaging device includes an organic photoelectric conversion unit in which a green organic photoelectric conversion layer interposed between electrodes is formed on the upper layer of the front surface of the silicon substrate on the side of a light incident side with a wiring layer interposed therebetween. According to the configuration disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-12796, since a light loss does not occur in the above-mentioned color filter, the sensitivity is improved. Moreover, since the interpolation process is not performed between pixels, a false color does not occur.”

The patent description is very long and complicated and I would appreciate if you could help me to find some interesting details. Thanks!

P.S.: I don’t expect the A77 or NEX-7 cameras to feature such a sensor. But in my opinion “Foveon-like” sensors are the future!

This is the third HX100V/HX9V leak within 10 days and this should be also the last one. The two compact cameras will be announced next week right before the start of the CP+ show. This also means that there will be no new NEX or ALPHA camera at the show. The only thing we can hope is to see a final prototype of the upcoming cameras. But that’s just a hope and nothing else!

Sony Cybershot HX100V at Letsgodigital
Sony Cybershot HX9V at Letsgodigital

“Nico” the administrator of the dutch fotomateforum.net claims to have found info about the A77 on Sony Scandinavia and Luxembourg websites. But before reading the rumor please keep in mind that the rumor is not from one of our trusted sources! So take it easy. This could be fake. As soon as my sources will send me reliable info I will share it here!

Update: It looks like the original post at fotoforum has been removed! I downgraded the rumor from SR3 to SR2. A source just told me he didn’t hear anyhting about a release on April 16th. So please be cautious!

My girlfriend is from Antwerp but I don’t speak dutch and she is currently outside the house. That’s why I am posting the google english translated text:

“Following the publications on the production camera pack shots we could really expect these leakages.
Previous rumors about a launch in June, September and December are thus proved untrue.
On Saturday, April 16, the Alpha 77 launched at an event in the new luxurious Monaco, Porto Montenegro.
The entire European Photo magazine press is flown.
Sony shows this clearly shows that with this new APS-C SLT competition want to inflict a crushing blow.
The Sony Alpha 77 is in the near future, along with the also launched 500 f/4.0 G SSM SAL “THE tool” for the BIF, Sports Shooter and Wild Life to be.
The Nikon D400 sensor is exactly the same 24.4Mp half years later released. This connected with the Sony sensor and Nikon agreed clause.

A77-Specifications

– APS-C 23.6 x 15.6 mm 24.4 Mp (Effective) Exmor CMOS sensor Backlit
– 16 fps
– ISO 100-204800
– 51 focus points (15 cross-type sensors)
– Micro Adjustment for Sony, Minolta and Konica Minolta Lenses
– AVC HD Video / 24 bits (like the [shoplink 4718]Panasonic GH2[/shoplink])
– HDR
– Panorama mode
– GPS
– 3D
– New designed by Epson OLED Super EVF
– Able Tilt LCD Display
– Building and grip similar to the “Magnesium” [shoplink 3228]Alpha 700[/shoplink]
– The CF+SD+MS cards can be used in tandem
– Newly designed battery provides up to 1,000 shots.
– The body A77 has a street price of 899 Euros. ”

I ask my trusted sources if they can confirm the rumor about the A77 beeing announced on April 16! If the rumor is true than we have also the good news that Sony is finally giving priority to Sony cameras instead of Nikon cameras!
Thanks Nico for those exciting news! And come visit me in Antwerp ;)

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