(SR3) Unconfirmed rumors about a Sony announcement around October 16

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From trusted sources we know there is still one major announcement coming soon. Today one good source told me that he got unofficial rumors about a Sony event on or around October 16. Still, I rate this rumor with 50% reliability for now because I will need further confirmation.

What’s going to be announced?
1) I am 90% sure there is a High End APS-C camera model on the way. With EVF in the middle and features to match or even beat the performance of the new and excellent Fuji X-T3. But not sure if it’s coming on Oct 16 or later.
2) I am also 90% sure there will be new E-mount lenses

What’s NOT going to be announced is a new A7sIII.

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For potential SOURCES:
If you know “something” and want to share it anonymously please use the anonymous contact form on the top right of the sidebar. Please use a nickname so that I can recognize you in future messages. You can also contact me directly at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com. Use remailer.paranoici.org to send me an anonymous message if you prefer to do so.

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First image samples shot with the Nisi 75mm f/0.95 FE prototype lens

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image courtesy: Phillip Reeve

Phillip Reeve had the chance to shoot some images with the Nisi 75mm f/0.95 prototype lens. Nisi has recently announced some Cine lenses (see image and specs below). But the 75mm f/0,95 is  their first photo oriented lens. Phillip shared some image smaple son his website (Click here to see them) and writes:

The lens is quite big and heavy as is to be expected from one with these parameters. It is a short flange/mirrorless design and will be available for several mounts (including Sony FE, Canon R and Nikon Z). The prototype we saw is native E-mount and the lens covers the full frame sensor area.

Of course we weren’t able to fully evaluate the cine lenses by spending a bit of time with them at Photokina, but handling and build quality both left a good impression, the focus and aperture rings had a really nice resistance.
The emphasize of the optical design is meant to be on bokeh rendering and indeed I would describe it as very smooth. Contrast and sharpness were more than sufficient as well.

We cannot and should not rate the 75mm f/0.95 yet as it was an early prototype, but the bokeh looked really smooth and as a fan of the Mitakon 50mm f/0.95 I look forward to this lens.
If the final production model is close to the cine lenses in terms of contrast, resolution and flare resistance this will be an interesting lens for people into shallow depth of field photography.

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Reminder: A couple of weeks ago Nisi announced their very first E-mount Cine lenses:

Nisi F3 25mm Full Frame lens T2.1
Nisi F3 35mm Full Frame lens T2.0
Nisi F3 50mm Full Frame lens T2.0
Nisi F3 75mm Full Frame lens T2.0
Nisi F3 100mm Full Frame lens T2.0

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Firmware update for SIGMA MC-11 SA-E / EF-E adapter

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Press text:

We are pleased to announce that a new firmware update for the SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 SA-E and EF-E is now available.

This firmware makes the SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 compatible with the latest firmware of SIGMA interchangeable lenses.
For customers who own the SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 SA-E / EF-E, please update the firmware via SIGMA Optimization Pro※ by connecting it to a computer using the supplied USB Cable.

※ Before updating the SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 firmware, please ensure SIGMA Optimization Pro has been updated to ver. 1.4.1 or later for Windows, and ver. 1.4.0 or later for Macintosh.

【Applicable product】
・SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 SA-E / EF-E

【Benefits of the update】
・It has become compatible with the SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports.
・It has become compatible with the SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Art (For SIGMA: Ver.1.03, For Canon: Ver.2.02).

【SIGMA Optimization Pro Download page】
https://www.sigma-global.com/en/download/lenses/sigma-optimization-pro/

For international customers, please contact your nearest authorized SIGMA subsidiary / distributor.
https://www.sigma-global.com/en/about/world-network/

We appreciate your continued support for our company and products.

 

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Last chance to save $10 on the new AI powered Aurora HDR 2019

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The Aurora HDR 2019 Pre-Order is now live (Click here), and customers can place their orders for both Windows and Mac versions of the software. The software will be releases on October 4 and you save $10 on it if you preorder it before that date!

About Aurora HDR 2019:
Skylum’s Quantum HDR Engine harnesses the power of AI for a more streamlined editing experience than ever before. It reduces burned-out colors, loss of contrast, noise and unnatural lighting caused by halos and unstable deghosting.

The Quantum HDR Engine has taken three years to create within Skylum’s AI lab, and contains the vast knowledge of the development team paired with artificial intelligence to bring you seamless HDR editing, be it with a single image or multiple bracketed shots.

Skylum’s developers tested thousands of bracketed shots through a neural network, and used the results to develop the technology needed for creating incredible HDR photographs – whether it’s real estate, landscape, cityscape or any other type of HDR photography.

Here are the most essential changes:
New Quantum HDR Engine
LUTs support with 11 New Integrated LUTs
Photoshop plugins support
New HDR Smart Structure filter for realistic and artefact-free structure (can be found in the new HDR Enhance filter)
Presets are now called ‘Aurora HDR Looks’
Improved Adjustable Gradient filter with new sliders for Shadows and Highlights added
Improved HDR Details Boost Effect ( the photo is shown in high-resolution while fine-tuning the filter)

Offer Availability:
Aurora HDR 2019 is available for pre-order on September, 12, and released on October, 4.

Pre-Order Pricing:
Current users may upgrade at a price of $49 USD ($59 USD MSRP)
New users can purchase Aurora HDR 2019 at a price of $89 USD ($99 MSRP)

Pre-Order Bonuses:
Video Tutorial: Getting the Most from Aurora HDR 2019 by Trey Ratcliff
Landscape Photography Handbook by David Johnston
Burning Moods LUTs by Richard Harrington
Exclusive interior Aurora Looks by Richard Harrington
3-month 500px Pro membership
$300 USD OFF a multi-day Iceland Photo Tours

Your Aurora HDR 2019 Pre-Order Page text link: https://macphun.evyy.net/c/60087/513351/3255

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NIkon Z7 has stripe issues and lower Dynamic Range than the Sony A7rIII

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Photonstophotos published the Nikon Z7 Dynamic Range tests results and I am surprised to see how much better than Sony A7rIII performances against the Nikon. And Dpreview just found what’s causing this “Gap” with the Sony:

  • In principle, dynamic range is comparable to that of the D850: one of the best performances we’ve seen.
  • However, striping and banding (caused by the addition of on-sensor PDAF) means the usable dynamic range is reduced.

Here is the banding compared to the Sony:

Dpreview writes:

As you’ll see in some of the images above, a banding pattern can appear if you try to pull darker tones into the image. The frequency of these stripes leads us to believe it’s a result of the way the phase-detection rows of pixels are incorporated into the image (something supported by our collaboration with Bill Claff).
In addition to the banding in shadows, we’ve also occasionally seen the same pattern in images with flare caused by a bright light source

I don’t think this is something Nikon can fix via firmware update.

If the Z7 would be a Sony camera I would imaging the usual troll saying that Sony has never been a serious camera company and they can only do Playstations :)

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