Sony will announce the new Xperia 5 II on September 17. This is the leaked promo video!

Thanks to the anonymous sender!

Our reader “Shejin Sugathan” sent me this image of an imaginary Sony A7rV with the new Xperia II menu system. As silly as it sounds I think in the not so far out future cameras might look something like this.

It’s available here: sony.co.uk/electronics/support/downloads/00016897

Benefits and Improvements

• Adds support for the LA-EA5 A-Mount Adapter (sold separately)
  • LA-EA5 A-Mount Adapter supports all A-mount lenses
  • Full support is provided for focal plane phase-detection AF, and the AF and high-speed continuous shooting features
  • Wide-area focal plane phase-detection AF coverage
  • AF features based on subject recognition, including Real-time Eye AF (human, animal) and Real-time Tracking
  • AF/AE tracking during continuous shooting at up to 11fps

  Notes:

  • STF lenses are manual focus only
  • Teleconverters are not supported for use with any A-Mount Adapters
  • Autofocus is not available during movie recording when using the LA-EA5 A-Mount Adapter
  • For AE tracking, the aperture is fixed for the first frame while shutter speed and ISO are used for exposure adjustment
• Improves the overall stability of the camera

— — — —

And Sigma issued this warning today:

The focus may not work on α7R III / α7R IV depending on the shooting distance when the focus mode is set to ‘AF-C’ with an aperture value of F1.2. We are planning a firmware update to address this issue, which will be announced in due course.

Skylum just launched the brand new Luminar AI (Click here to read all details). There will be  launch discount for first 30,000 pre-orders (79 Euro/Dollar instead of 99 Euro/Dollar)!
The whole idea behind Luminar AI is to make photo editing super easy thanks to automated tools.

Press Release

Skylum aims to reinvent traditional photo editing, announces LuminarAI

LuminarAI empowers visual communicators to make great photos with unique AI. Everyone can create amazing images faster while having fun.

NEW YORK, NY – September 3, 2020​ —​ ​This morning, Skylum unveiled a revolutionary approach to photoediting, LuminarA​I​.​​ Unlike other photo editors that takea time-consuming approach based on tools, LuminarA​I ​focuses on results. This revolutionary application and plug-in will be released this holiday season.

LuminarA​I makes complex editing easier than ever before thanks to unique AI-powered tools. LuminarA​I removes boring and complex tasks without sacrificing professional quality. Artificial intelligence lets the visual artist focus on results and not the process. Everyone can make amazing photos free of complexity, yet full of creativity, thanks to artificial intelligence.“

LuminarA​I​ will bring an entirely new,non-conventional approach to the world of photo editing, focusing on the results instead of the process,” said D​ima Sytnik, CPO of Skylum​. “We’ve designed LuminarA​I​from the ground up to change how people interact with their images. We’re really excited to see what Luminar​AI​ can do for creatives everywhere.”

LuminarA​I is designed for visual communicators, every day people and professional photographers alike. It’s made for those who rely on pictures to communicate their important messages and grow their opportunities or reputation: Bloggers, entrepreneurs, educators, marketers, small and medium-sized businesses, and many others. It lets everyone tell their story with rich and expressive images like never before. With LuminarA​I everyone can make amazing images in an efficient way.

Artificial intelligence is the core of LuminarA​I

Compared to traditional image editors, LuminarA​I​offers acompletely different approach. Built from the ground up to leverage artificial intelligence, LuminarA​I ​simplifies complex tasks and removes boring manual work.

Portraits take on new life​.

• Use​ BodyA​I ​and ​FaceA​I ​to gently sculpt and refine a portrait.
• Create eyes that are rich and expressive with ​IrisA​I​.
• Remove blemishes and imperfections naturally with ​SkinA​I​.

Landscape photography has never looked better.

• Add depth and detail to skies with ​AtmosphereA​I ​and SkyEnhancer​.
• Transform a photo and add an all-new sky in seconds with​ SkyAI
• Bring warmth with ​Golden Hour​ or even enhance the sun with ​Sunrays.​

Professional finishing with less hassle.

• Looking for more detail and texture? Then​ StructureA​I​ is the perfect addition.
• Get the perfect crop with​ CompositionA​I ​and fix crooked images
• With AccentA​I​, a photo has perfect exposure and color.

With LuminarA​I​, amazing photos are just two clicks away.

Templates ​are at the very core of the new LuminarA​I​. LuminarA​I​recognizes the contents of a photo, suggesting the best templates to speed up the editing process. Each template collection helps tell a story. These edits can be applied and refined instantly. While artificial intelligence guides the way, throughout the entire editing process, artists retain complete control over the edits they make, the tools they choose and how they interact with their photos.

Great photography is for everyone, and with the brand-new LuminarA​I​, digital artists across the globe can tell their story through photography. LuminarA​I ​simplifies photo editing without sacrificing quality and creativity.

“LuminarA​I will help make image editing easier for everyone. We’ve removed the boring and difficult parts of photo editing without sacrificing creativity. LuminarA​I ​will be a great tool in a creator’s workflow. They can focus on great results — not on the process of editing,” said Alex Tsepko, CEO of Skylum.

LuminarA​I​ will be available as a stand-alone application and plug-in for macOS and Windows. To learn more about LuminarA​I​ and to sign up for updates, visit ​skylum.com​. Early-bird pricing is available here and the product includes a 30-day money-back guarantee from the time of shipping.

About Skylum Software

Skylum is a global imaging technology company focused on creating tools that make it easier for creatives to get things done. Skylum’s Luminar platform unleashes creativity through the innovative use of automated and intelligent image processing which still allows the artist complete control over the final product. Skylum has won the Red Dot Award, Apple’s Best of Year, “Best Imaging Software” by TIPA and EISA as well as several other top industry awards.​ ​To learn more about Skylum, visit​ ​skylum.com​.

Preorder Luminar AI (Click here to read all details) for 79 Euro/Dollar instead of 99 Euro/Dollar