Sony financial news roundup (E-mount sales increased!)

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The financial result of the Sony Imaging business

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Sony issued the latest financial report and you can read more about it at Bloomberg. And Bloomberg’s title says it all “Sony’s Hirai Sells Property Instead of TVs as Revival Stalls”. The TV business is still the main problem of Sony but also the other businesses aren’t doing well. That’s why Sony is selling some of their buildings to make some cash. While this may help for a short time they really need to change their product strategy to succeed in the long term.

Talking about the camera business. You can read more about that business under the “Imaging Products & Solutions (IP&S)” section on that pdf (download here): “Sales decreased 4.7% year-on-year (a 9% decrease on a constant currency basis) to 180.5 billion yen (2,075 million U.S. dollars). This decrease was primarily due to a significant decrease in unit sales of compact digital cameras reflecting a contraction of the low-end of the market resulting from the popularization of smartphones as well as a significant decrease in sales of broadcast- and professional-use products. Sales of interchangeable single-lens cameras increased significantly year-on-year.”

You will see form those three lines how important the NEX system is for Sony and why Sony decided to push the NEX-FF development instead of releasing another SLT-FF yet.

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P.S.: Sony to Focus on Image Sensors (Image Sensor World).

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RX100 price drops in Europe (and some deals in USA too).

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Many times I get the question if there will be a replacement or a second RX100 model. I really have no info yet but SAR readers noticed a price drop in European stores like the 100 Euro off at Amazon Germany (Click here) and Pixmania France (Click here). In US prices are the same a part of $50 off deal on [shoplink 16882 ebay]eBay US (Click here)[/shoplink]. To see more RX100 sub $600 offers and to get notified when there will be new auctions just save this Slidoo eBay search.

It’s just my guess but I don’t think there will be a R200 or whatever yet. I epxect a RX10 first :)

New Sony US deals reminder:
Deal 1) Save up to $300 on Qualifying Sony Alpha Digital SLR Cameras (Click here to see the Amazon page). The same deal is now running on BHphoto and Adorama too.
Deal 2) Save up to $200 on Select Sony NEX Compact System Cameras (Click here to see the Amazon page). The same deal is now running on BHphoto and Adorama too.
Deal 3) Save up to $100 on Select Sony Lenses (Click here to see the Amazon page).
Deal 4) Sony Cyber-shot Digital Cameras Starting at $79 (Click here to see the Amazon page).

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Sony Manager Mark Weir talks at IR (and explains why NEX will never have in body IS).

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Sony Manager Mark Weir has been interviewed by Imaging Resource (full article here). There is no talk about the future products and just some minor info like:

– RX1 Demand has been very strong.
– To create a universal RAW file that all sensor manufacturers would adhere to may limit the opportunities of what we can be achieved.
– Sony has received requests to be able to set JPEG compression while shooting RAW plus JPEG and they are aware of that request.
– “The decision to use optical-shift instead of sensor-shift in NEX cameras was based on the intention to miniaturize the camera body. And if you look at the size of NEX, particularly from in the depth dimension, you can see that with 18 mm from flange to sensor and then there’s very little room from the sensor to the back of the camera, yes, there just wasn’t room.”

it was obvious NEX would never have n sensor stabilization but know you hear it officially from a Sony manager.

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Rokinon 8mm Gold Box deal. NEX-6 double lens kit deal.

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Today there is a Gold Box deal on the Rokinon 8mm lens at Amazon (Click here). But the real top deals remains the $100 on the NEX-6 that sells like french bonbons on Amazon (ranking here). The big change form yesterday ranking is the new price drop on the NEX-6 dual lens kit (Click here). On the A-mount front there is the huge rebate on the 30mm f/14 Sigma at Bhphoto (Click here).

And still running are the four huge Sony US deals:
Deal 1) Save up to $300 on Qualifying Sony Alpha Digital SLR Cameras (Click here to see the Amazon page). The same deal is now running on BHphoto and Adorama too.
Deal 2) Save up to $200 on Select Sony NEX Compact System Cameras (Click here to see the Amazon page). The same deal is now running on BHphoto and Adorama too.
Deal 3) Save up to $100 on Select Sony Lenses (Click here to see the Amazon page).
Deal 4) Sony Cyber-shot Digital Cameras Starting at $79 (Click here to see the Amazon page).

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(SR5) A58, NEX-3N, and three A-mount lens to come soon!

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Sources from SAR and Digicaminfo got the same info about the upcoming release:

In very last moment it looks like Sony decided to drop the A38 and just release the A58! And this is what Sony will announce soon:

  • SLT-A58 with a new 20MP sensor (actually it’s 20,xx and almost close to 21 Megapixels). Priced around 600-700 dollars/euro.
  • NEX-3N, 16Megapixel sensor (same as F3) priced at 500-600 dollars/euro
  • Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 for 1600-1700 dollars/euro
  • 18-55mm II  for A mount at around 200-300 dollars/euro
  • 70-400G F4.5-5.6 II 2400-2500 dollars/euro (to ship in April!)

And a smart SAR reader found the evidence for the new 70-400mm in the latest firmware: “Looks like SAL-70400G2 is ready for release, fw for a99 contains the lens correction profile for that lens. This profile is identical to the profile for the known SAL-70400G, so no changes in optical formula. LensID is 69, “old” one has LensID 53. No such lens profiles for rumored SAL-70200G2 or announced SAL-50F14Z yet.”

Stay tuned on SAR!

 

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Photographyblog reviews the RX1 and earns a “Highly Recommended” award.

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RX1 with Gariz case ([shoplink 16437 ebay]Click here to see them on eBay[/shoplink]).

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Photographyblog (Click here) posted the full Sony RX1 review: “Sony have truly blurred the lines between compact and DSLR in terms of the RX1’s features, performance and image quality. The RX1 is the first truly pocketable camera to offer a full-frame DSLR experience, something that money can actually now buy…”

What I like a lot about the RX1 is the leaf shutter. I know it’s a minor feature for most of you. But I like the silent shutter and it’s something required for the kind of work I do. I will miss that feature on the NEX FF which will not have this :(

RX1 at [shopcountry 15824].

RX1 Gariz accessories:
1) They made a new half leather case in Black and Brown ([shoplink 16437 ebay]Click here to see them on eBay[/shoplink]).
2) The new lens cap ([shoplink 16439 ebay]Click here to see them on eBay[/shoplink]).
3) The new entry is the anti loose button(!) ([shoplink 16438 ebay]Click here to see them on eBay[/shoplink]). Don’t know if that will be really useful for you RX1 owners. Someone has it and call it how it works? Thanks!
4) And this is the really first time I see that. A special Leather skin hood! ([shoplink 16441 ebay]Click here to see them on eBay[/shoplink]).

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