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Sony's A7R III packs big improvements into a familiar package
Sony's astonishingly fast A9 is still pretty fresh in people's minds, but that didn't stop the company from fleshing out its mirrorless camera line even more. The company officially revealed its new A7R III at an event in China very early this morning, and it packs a handful of notable improvements and under-the-hood changes into a very familiar looking body. And the best part? The A7R III will only set you back $3,199/£3,200 when it launches in late November — that's quite a bit cheaper than the A9, and not a cent more expensive than the model it replaces when it first launched.
Sony A7 and A7R firmware update brings boosted performance, improved image quality
Sony's flagship duo of mirrorless cameras scored a few improvements today. After updating to firmware version 1.2, A7 and A7R owners will be able to take advantage of boosted image quality, new applications and faster start-up times when the camera is turned on immediately after being powered off. On the IQ front, Sony's managed to reduce color noise in speed priority continuous mode. You may also notice reduced color artifacts at object edges in bright scenes while shooting video. As for the Play Memories Camera apps, firmware 1.2 adds in new Live-view Grading and Smooth Reflection tools. There's also better AE tracking in the Timelapse app. Finally, the update enables compatibility with the new 70-200mm full-frame lens.
Bigger is definitely better: shooting with Sony's Alpha 7 and 7R full-frame mirrorless cameras
See those gorgeous twins up there? The ones with retro-styled magnesium bodies and massively megapixeled sensors? Known as the Alpha 7 and Alpha 7R, they're the latest objects of desire from Sony's imaging wizards, and I got to spend a few days shooting with both of them. Sony's betting big on its mirrorless camera business. The company helped to grow the market for these compact Interchangeable Lens Cameras (ILCs), releasing regular (and significant) NEX updates since their introduction a few years back. To date, those compact models have been limited to APS-C sensors -- image quality was quite good, but the camera maker recently began pushing the limits, sprinkling much bigger, full-frame sensors elsewhere into its lineup. Now, it's finally time to meet Sony's new full-frame ILCs. But are they worthy of our affection, particularly when you consider that the 24.3-megapixel A7 will cost $1,700 and the 36.4-megapixel 7R will go for $2,300 (both prices for the bodies only) when they hit stores next month? Read on to find out.
Sony's full-frame A7 cameras pose for clearer leaked shots
We caught a glimpse of Sony's A7 camera series just a day ago, but the low-resolution image didn't exactly show much. Thankfully, Digicam Info has just posted two leaked press shots that reveal considerably more of the full-frame mirrorless shooters. The images support rumors of a built-in viewfinder and point to options of both a Zeiss-branded 35mm f/2.8 prime lens (above) and a 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 standard zoom (after the break). Unfortunately, there's no photos from other angles to provide further clues. However, Sony Alpha Rumors now claims that the A7r's 36-megapixel sensor will omit the usual antialiasing filter for the sake of preserving detail, much like the Nikon D800E. If you still crave more info, you may not have long to wait -- Sony Japan has been teasing a camera launch on October 16th, which suggests that we could get the full scoop on the A7 in a matter of hours.
