Dpreview (Click here) posted the full Sony A77II review. The camera earned the Silver Award for the following reason:
The Sony a77 II is the perfect choice for those seeking pro-grade shooting and AF speeds for well-under pro-grade prices. No moving mirror means the a77 II can successfully use continuous AF during both 12fps bursts and video capture, a major advantage over many of its DSLR competitors. And in-body image stabilization helps to keep both stills and video a bit more stable than the competition. Subject tracking, one of the a77 II’s most anticipated features, is unfortunately, not very reliable. And high ISO images have a tendency to be fairly noisy. Build quality and ergonomics, however, are very good. Overall, the a77 II offers a lot of camera, for a very reasonable price.
The A77II got announced exactly one year ago at the Sony World Photography Award. And today Sony will indeed announce new cameras again…but no A-mount today?
Sony is set to announce new RX, A7 and A6000 cameras series between now and June.
Just to keep you up to date: Today Sony has a press event and so far the only certain news is that they will show two cameras and that there will be no A-mount cameras. And another press event for E-mount is scheduled for May. So what we can expect today at around 14:00 London time is:
1) Sony just introduces the two 30x compact cameras in Europe (X90V and the WX500).
2) Sony announces new RX cameras.
3) Sony announces some other surprise too.
So far I am almost certain the new A7rII and A6100 cameras will be announced in 2-3 weeks around mid May. I guess either option 1 or 2 will happen today. Option 1 would be really a joke but hey…it’s Sony :)
POLL:
Now let’s see how many SAR readers will really buy those lenses:
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SAR admin opinions:
Unlike the other FE lenses I do not think these new lenses are heavily overpriced. They are weather sealed, build quality is top and I am sure they have top-notch image quality too, the 85mm has optical stabilization and the OLED display may turn out to be more than just a useful gimmick.
Reminder: New Zeiss Batis key features: 1) They are the first Full Frame Zeiss lenses with autofocus 2) Those are the first worldwide lenses with OLED display on lens to show aperture and depth of field info. And at startup it reminds you what you spent $$$ for with a “ZEISS” writing :) 3) The 85mm f/1.8 is the first Zeiss with optical stabilization.
I know you are all happy because of the great Zeiss announcement (full press here on SAR). But do not forget that within a few hours (April 23 at 13.00 London time) Sony will announce new cameras!
UPDATE: This was a BOGUS announcement. Sony used the press event to ontroduce the two 30x cameras :(
New Zeiss Batis key info and specs: Chapeau Zeiss! The new BATIS lens announcement just added a huge value to the FE system. Those are the key points of the new lenses: 1) They are the first Full Frame Zeiss lenses with autofocus 2) Those are the first worldwide lenses with OLED display on lens to show aperture and dpeth of field info. And at startup it reminds you what you spent $$$ for with a “ZEISS” writing :) 3) The 85mm f/1.8 is the first Zeiss with optical stabilization.
The lenses are also weather sealed!
And here are the specs:
Amazing! Zeiss just announced a new lens line for Sony FE mount! it’s the autofocus BATIS line and the two first lenses will be the 25mm f/2.0 and 85mm f/1.8. Here is the press text:
The new ZEISS Batis 2/25 and 1.8/85 lenses are the first full-frame autofocus lenses with an OLED display for the mirrorless Sony α series and therefore the pioneers of a new era. As professional tools, they enable outstanding outcomes with optimal image performance, impressive contrast and maximum resolution down to the very last detail. The innovative OLED display shows the distance of the focal plane from the camera system and the depth of fields, therefore ideally supporting creative image composition. For the demanding photographer, the OLED display is an absolute highlight – an innovation that is currently unparalleled in camera lenses. ZEISS Batis lenses are available in a wide-angle and portrait focal length and are the perfect match for the existing lenses offered for the system. The ZEISS Batis 2/25 and Batis 1.8/85 lenses will be available for purchase from July 2015 – place your order now!
Her eis the official trailer:
This from Zeiss: ZEISS Batis 2/25:
The ZEISS Batis 2/25 wide-angle lens has ten lens elements in eight groups and draws on the ZEISS Distagon optical design. Four of the lens elements are aspheric on both sides and five are made from special types of glass. The aspheric lens design ensures consistently high image quality over the whole image field and a sharpness that extends right to the edges of the frame. The moderate 82 degree image angle combined with a minimum focusing distance of 0.2 meters makes this wide-angle lens the perfect choice for architecture and landscape photography and many other applications besides. It encourages the user to make creative use of depth of field which can often yield surprising results, particularly in close-up photography.
ZEISS Batis 1.8/85:
The ZEISS Batis 1.8/85 is a moderate tele lens which offers 11 lens elements in eight groups and features the ZEISS Sonnar optical design. The lens elements are made from special types of glass and designed to ensure superior image quality. The ZEISS Batis 1.8/85 is a particularly good choice for wedding photography and portrait shots, offering the high speed which provides plenty of creative scope to bring out the main subject. Thanks to its optical image stabilization, the ZEISS Batis 1.8/85 can capture outstanding images even under difficult, shifting light conditions.
“The Batis family of lenses is the first time we have launched autofocus lenses for Sony’s full- frame E-mount cameras which are ZEISS through and through – in other words exclusively developed and distributed by us,” says Dr. Michael Pollmann, Product Manager at ZEISS Camera Lenses. The Sony alpha full-frame E-mount system, which currently consists of the α7 family of cameras, is one of the most innovative camera systems on the market and is becoming an increasingly popular choice for professionals and people considering switching from DSLRs. “The ZEISS Batis lenses are our way of acknowledging this trend and providing creative and ambitious photographers with the expert tools they need,” says Pollmann. The lenses are easy to use yet offer professional performance, so they are a sound investment for amateur photographers, too: “Camera sensors are constantly evolving, and so are photographers. Our Batis lenses are the perfect answer to these changing trends and herald a new era of professional photographers using mirrorless full-frame cameras,” says Pollmann.
The ZEISS Batis 2/25 and ZEISS Batis 1.8/85 lenses offer an initial choice of two focal lengths which have proved to be the most popular among users of the system: a moderate wide-angle focal length and a tele portrait focal length. The lenses make optimal use of the camera sensors, capturing every last detail with impressive contrast and high resolution. As well as offering fast and reliable autofocus, the lenses also support manual focusing, allowing users to choose the best option for each individual situation. The sleek, modern design – with smooth surfaces reminiscent of the high-end ZEISS Otus lenses – emphasizes the superior quality of this new lens family and gives the Batis lenses an unmistakable look and feel.
If true it really looks like Sony engineers could win a Nobel Prize in Miniaturization technology :)
A trusted source told me that the RX100m4 with much larger Four Thirds sensor manages to have the same weight of the RX100m3. And the size is just a tiny bit larger. The camera will remain perfectly pocketable.
It’s still unconfirmed if the camera will be announced tomorrow (April 23) or in May (with the new E-mount cam announcement).
I am 100% sure tomorrow at 13.00 London time Sony will announce new cameras! So stay tuned on SAR to get live coverage about the new cameras!
If you have some “rumor” to share just send me an anonymous messages here: at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com or use the contact form you see on the right top of this site.
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!