Her are a bunch of news from competitors that are particularly interesting for us:

First: The Leica X2 (Click here) uses the Sony 16.2 Megapixel sensor (same of the A57) Second: Canon could announce their NEX system competition in June (via CanonWatch).

But it is the Third news that really matters most. Nikonrumors posted the possible D600 specs and it really sounds like it will indeed share the same 24 Megapixel Sony sensor. Both, the Nikon D600 and A99 will be announced in late August/early September. The only difference is that Nikon has some own proprietary tweaks on it. From the specs we know the Sony will have more than double the frame rate of the D600 (10 or 12 fps versus 5fps) and more than double the AF points (rumored 101 versus 39 focus points). The big deal with the Nikon is that it is rumored to cost less than $2.000. I hope at that point that the A99 will also stay in the same price league. If Sony shares the sensor with Nikon but keeps the price above the Nikon than the SLT technology might not be enough to justify the price difference. I certainly hope the D600 rumor is correct because it means we can hope the A99 will be priced damn low!!!

UPDATE via trusted sources: The new 18-200mm from Sony will be All Black and be announced on May 17th along the new NEX-F3. I certainly welcome the idea to make black version of the current NEX lenses. Would love to see a 50mm Black lens too! It has the same optical desing of the current 18-200mm lens!

From time to time I post patents describing many new technologies like organic sensors and “foveon” alike vertical alligned pixels and so on. But as you know most of the time these patents just remain….patents. Now many top sources confirmed that there will be a new sensor design made for compact cameras. Sony will launch some compact cameras (with small sensor) by end of the year having a new RGBW sensor. It means it will have Red-Greeen-Blue and White sensible pixels. That new pattern will allow an increased dynamic range. I have no clue yet if that kind of sensor will sooner or later also find his way on larger APS-C an FF sensor. Certainly not within this year!

I am being asked by some SAR readers what’s the news on the fixed lens APS-C model and the Hybrid camera concept. The news I have says that the APS-C camera with fixed lens a là [shoplink 11547 ebay]DSC-R1 (here on eBay)[/shoplink] will arrive this summer and compete against the Canon G1 X ($799). Like the Canon it uses a very compact zoom lens and not a prime lens like the Sigma DP series the Fuji X100 and Leica X1.

The hybrid E-A or (A-E?) mount camera that will bring full support for both lens systems is still in being developed and will not come before 2013. At that stage I really don’t know how this camera will look and what exactly Sony wants to do in terms of design and features. How this will work remains a bit of a mystery. I only can think on a similar solution of the Zeiss Ikon Contax I, II and III that can still be found [shoplink 10295 ebay]here on eBay[/shoplink].

After the May 17th NEX-F3 and Sony A37 announcement I will intensively work on the next A99 Full Frame camera release. I am crossing my finger that this will become a great camera!