(SR3) Sony testing a new FF camera without AA filter

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The D800 with AA filter on left and the D800E without AA filter on right.

Many didn’t notice that Pentax new K-5 IIs camera (available here on Amazon) not only features the well known Sony 16 Megapixel sensor. It also doesn’t use any Anti Aliasing filter. This will increase the per pixel sharpness although you will have to deal with moirè issues. And here comes the next rumor: I heard from a couple of sources that Sony’s next FF high megapixel number camera that will be announced next year is very likely going rid of the AA filter too! It will become a sort of Nikon D800E alike camera. I am still working to get more details about the camera. So stay tuned on SAR, subscribe the RSS feed (Click here) and Twitter (Click here) stream and the Facebook fan page (Click here)!

P.S.:Photoclubalpha also posted an article about possible future Sony cameras having no Anti Aliasing Filter.

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Black Friday hourly deals: Amazon (cameras), Amazon (all stuff), Adorama, Bhphoto, J&R, TigerDirect, Bestbuy and eBay. And last New A900 for sale on eBay (via Slidoo).

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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
SR5=almost certainly correct!

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New jackar 34mm f/1.8 lens

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Jackar Optical released a new 34mm f/1.8 lens with native E-mount. It is a manual lens and all specs and images can be read/seen at Snapshooter.jackarlens.com and on Flickr. The lens will be for sale on eBay by early December and cost $190. Jackar adapters and fisheye lenses can already be found on [shoplink 15550 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
The lens design is based on the current [shoplink 15551 ebay]C-mount 35mm lens ($40 here on eBay)[/shoplink]. What they changed is the material, finishing, the ring is larger and turning has been improved. Plus the lenses are multi-coated and of course mount is NEX. It comes with a lens hood and genuine leather case as you see form the images below:

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Fitch Downgrades Sony to Speculative Grade.

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Fitch downgraded Sony “given the company’s loss of technology leadership in key products, high competition, weak economic conditions in developed markets and the strong yen“.

The problem is certainly not the camera business: “Fitch believes that continuing weakness in the home entertainment & sound and mobile products & communications segments will offset the relatively stable music and pictures segments and improvement in the devices segment which makes semiconductors and components.“.

As you know Sony is completely restructuring the company and Fitch writes: “Fitch believes that the strategic initiatives announced in April 2012 to turn around the company’s electronics business are the right approach, but execution is a risk and macro headwinds and intense competition across almost all of Sony’s key products may delay the recovery.”

That will probably bring to a long discussion now if such rating agencies are trustworthy or if Sony is trustworthy. We have to see it globally. It’s a hard time for many companies and many countries. And I am not sure how to decipher what is happening now. In short, I am not worried about Sony, I am more worried about us learning how to come out of a global crisis liek that!

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Black Friday hourly deals: Amazon (cameras), Amazon (all stuff), Adorama, Bhphoto, J&R, TigerDirect, Bestbuy and eBay.

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Black Friday: NEX, Sigma and Adobe deals!

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New day and new deals! Here are the latest four:
1) Sony just launched a rebate program on the NEX-5R you can check out right now at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and Bhphoto (Click here).
2) $50 Sigma rebates on the NEX lenses at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and Bhphoto (Click here).
3) Plenty of rebates at Adobe (Click here).
4) Save up to $55 Instantly on Select Sony Camera Accessories at Amazon (Click here).

Full links to all hourly changing Black Friday links:
Amazon (cameras), Amazon (all stuff), Adorama, Bhphoto, J&R, TigerDirect, Bestbuy and eBay.

SLT deal reminder:
Up to $300 off at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and  BHphoto (page here).

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Frank Doorhof: “Sony is very serious about becoming number 1”

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Sony A99 from Nigel Barker on Vimeo.

Fashion photographers Nigel Baker and Frank Doorhof are using the A99 for their work. On top you can watch Nigel’s latest video. And Frank Doorhof is so excited about the A99 and writes: “Sony will be a serious player in this market, of course I cannot predict the future but when you listen to what’s gonna happen with the alpha series and when you see the quality of the A99 I think Sony is very serious about becoming number 1… now that will probably not happen over night for the simple reason that Canon and Nikon are so well known, but….. I think over time things will chance.”

Sounds promising!

SAR reader Eric sent me a link to a new A99 that has a small $50 price drop. it’s sold by [shoplink 15534 ebay]Electrostore eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]. I don’t know them so please read carefully their conditions. Keep in mind that if you buy it at Amazon (Click here) you will get a %2 back in reward!

A99 store links at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Jessops, Wex UK, Wex Germany, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH and more links at Alphacameradeals.

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VG900 and M mount lens test!

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The NEX-VG900 camera and the lenses. Image courtesy David.

The day Sony announced the first Full Frame E-mount camera I had one question in my mind. How good will the sensor be for the use of [shoplink 15491 ebay]M-mount lenses[/shoplink]? SAR reader David tested some of these lenses on his brand new [shoplink 14178]Sony NEX-VG900[/shoplink]. It’s too early to draw any conclusion but for the first time we can see many image samples:
Here is the list of tested lenses:
1) Leica APO-Summicron 75mm (image here, lens on [shoplink 15486 ebay]eBay here[/shoplink]).
2) Leica Summilux 35mm (image here, lens on [shoplink 15487 ebay]eBay here[/shoplink]).
3) Zeiss Biogon 28mm (image here, lens on [shoplink 15488 ebay]eBay here[/shoplink]).
4) Leica Super Elmar 21mm (image here, lens on [shoplink 15489 ebay]eBay here[/shoplink]).
5) Voiglaender Heliar 15mm (image here, lens on [shoplink 15490 ebay]eBay here[/shoplink]).

Experts on SAR may tell me what they think when viewing these images. And I hope someone can do an appropriate review soon. Would like to know if there are issues or flaws using these lenses with adapters on my future NEX-9….if Sony will ever make it for me :)

Thanks David!!! Follow his Flickr stream.

VG900 store status check at [shopcountry 14178].

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There is also a test at MFlenses with the Nokton 35mmf /1.2 lens.

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New RX1 tests (and Shipping on next week in US?)

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Two quick RX1 news first:
SAR reader Futile sent me this message: “Amazon USA has notified me that my estimated shipping date for the Sony RX1 is: Monday November 26, 2012 by 8:00pm. I preordered on September 11, 2012.” Sounds promising! At the same time also the new RX1 EVF is now available for preorder (Click here).

RX1 test:
Steve Huff posted the first part of his RX1 review. Steve writes that “No longer am I upset that they did not release full frame NEX system camera. It would have been a big fat mess with lack of lenses just like we all went through with the 1st year and a half of the standard E mount lenses. There would have also been a question of lens quality. If there were a full frame NEX the lenses would have probably been in the $500 range and very good but not having a true “WOW” factor.”
I don’t agree. They could have released just the 35mm f/2.0 lens as E-mount. In fact I would have been more incline to spend $2000 or more for the camera knowing that I can buy more lenses in the future. The reasons why I like the current  RX1 are others 1) optimized sensor and lens setting 2) leaf shutter 3) extreme downsizing advantage over an interchangeable camera.
Focus Numerique (translation here) compared the RX1 RAW and JPG’s, tested the lens quality and color fidelity: “Overall, the torque sensor / lens is rather successful, but we prefer to shoot in RAW to exploit the capabilities of the case”

Shipment date and price:
Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Wex UK ,Wex Germany, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH and more links at Alphacameradeals.

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