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Sony 'Advanced Model' (Alpha A77?) DSLR emerges at Photokina, E-mount firmware coming soon
We've heard Sony use the term "Advanced Model" when dealing with concepts before, and it seems that it's using said code once more to disguise what may end up being the A77. Rumors have been flaring over the past few weeks, noting that this particular Alpha DSLR would be showcased at Photokina before being officially unveiled at CES 2011. Few details were given, but we're able to tell that it'll shoot HD video in AVCHD and will be compatible with a vertical grip. Moreover, it'll ship with a translucent mirror (as found in the A55 and A33) and an Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor. At the company's Photokina press conference, an executive noted that the cam will be "far more powerful than the a55," and that it'll be aimed at "serious enthusiast photographers." A slew of concept / prototype lenses were also encased (including a comically large 500mm f/4 cannon) at Sony's booth, not to mention a few that'll definitely be available from 2011 and 2012. Back at the presser, we were informed that a grand total of ten A-mount (Alpha DSLR compatible) lenses will be on sale by 2012, and it's also considering working with a number of partners in order to develop third-party E-mount lenses for the NEX range. Moreover, a firmware update is slated for mid-October to bring autofocus support to A-mount lenses used on E-mount cameras, aperture control in video mode and customizable keys, while the NEX-VG10 Handycam will see an A-mount lens firmware update in November. Speaking of E-mount cameras, Sony's also developing its own micro flash for use in low(er)-light situations, and considering that it recently grabbed a full 50 percent of the mirrorless market share in Europe, we'd guess it's nowhere near slowing down on the innovation. Smiles all around, right? %Gallery-102896% %Gallery-102902%
Sony Alpha A55 and A33 official: translucent mirror, Full HD video, continuous autofocus
We told you August 24 would be a significant day for Sony, and sure enough, the company has let the translucent mirror cat out of the bag nice and early today. The A55 and A33 offer Sony's brand spanking new Translucent Mirror Technology, which allows for such fine things as continuous phase-detect autofocus while shooting at up to 10fps (7fps on the A33) or recording Full HD AVCHD video. A newly developed 15-point autofocus system is also included, with 16.2 and 14.2 megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensors for the A55 and A33, respectively. Both shooters come with a fully articulated, 920k-dot, 3-inch LCD screen, while 3D panoramas, automated HDR shot creation, and an Auto+ mode fill out the software goodies. Prices are set at $750 for the A55 in October and $650 for the A33 in September -- you can figure out if they're worth it by checking out the early previews below.
Sony NEX-VG10 HD camcorder preview
Well, that was quick. Right after yesterday's surprising announcement, Sony flew its yet-to-be-released NEX-VG10 camcorder into London just in time for today's showcase event. Naturally, we had to get our hands on this shiny baby, and boy we were impressed. In case you missed the news, this snazzy device is the world's first consumer HandyCam with interchangeable lens, meaning you can share E-mount lenses with your young NEX DSLRs, or take advantage of the abundant A-mount lenses with the help of an adapter (which will cost you extra, mind you). Likewise, there are also hot and cold shoe mounts on the mic shaft to cater your current camera accessories. Read on for our thoughts on the rest of the camcorder -- we've put together a little sample clip for you at the end as well.%Gallery-97582%
Sony issues NEX-VG10: first interchangeable lens HD Handycam camcorder
What a way to celebrate 25 years of the Handycam brand, right? Out of absolutely (almost) nowhere, Sony has just upended the entire prosumer camcorder universe, and it may very well sway you from purchasing that Canon EOS 7D for video purposes. For all intents and purposes, this is Micro Four Thirds for your camcorder, but since Olympus and Panasonic own that specific technology, Sony's left calling the NEX-VG10 an "interchangeable lens HD camcorder." Moreover, it's the first Handycam to sport an Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor (the same one found in the NEX-5 and NEX-3), and it'll shoot 1080p (1,920 x 1,080/60i at 24Mbps, if we're being precise) with a wealth of E-mount and A-mount lenses. When not handling live action, it's also capable of snapping stills at 14.2 megapixels, and the 18-200mm lens that's bundled with it is about as versatile as they come. Budding videographers will also appreciate the Quad Capsule Spatial Array Stereo Microphone (yes, seriously), not to mention the 3-inch swivel display, Optical Steadyshot image stabilization, BIONZ processor and twin accessory shoes. There's no internal storage to speak of, but it will accept SDHC / SDXC (huzzah!) in addition to MS Pro Duo. Get ready to get wowed this September when it lands for around $2,000. %Gallery-97452%
Sony teases high-end camcorder with Exmor APC HD sensor and interchangeable lenses (video)
Like Sony's new NEX3 and NEX5 compact cameras with APC-C-sized sensors? Then check out this tease for a Sony camcorder. The AVCHD shooter will feature the same Exmor APC HD CMOS sensor and E Mount interchangeable lenses. Better yet, it'll also work with A Mount lenses built for Sony's existing Alpha DSLRs. Coming this fall, that's when.
Sony's ultra-compact concept shooter will come with an APS sensor, UI shows up on video
Yesterday we brought you pictures of the touchscreen-loving user interface on Sony's genre-straddling camera concept, so what better way to improve on that than with video and a few specs? Beyond the break you shall find one of those excessively stylized promotional vids you know and love to hate, but tolerating the fluff with reward you with some nice hints about how the shooter is operated plus finally some word on what's inside. An Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor is touted, along with the accompanying capability to shoot 1080p AVCHD video. While we still find the design of these interchangeable lens cameras ridiculously appealing, there is one thing we have to complain about and that's the clunky naming scheme. Please Sony, give us something sexier to call it than an "ultra-compact camera concept" -- how about the Sony Beta, it comes after Alpha and is typically used to denote an unfinished product. You can have that one for free.
Sony Alpha ultra-compact concept hands-off: leaves much to the imagination
We'd love nothing more than to extol the merits of Sony's Alpha ultra-compact concept with an interchangeable lens -- which bears a striking resemblance at face value to Olympus and Panasonic's Micro Four Thirds standard -- but alas, the little device is hidden behind glass. Furthermore, all the Sony reps we managed to corner wouldn't answer our questions. Will the lenses be interchangeable with Sony's current Alpha DSLR line, or any of the MFT lenses? What's been cut from traditional Four Thirds models to accommodate for the drop in size? Radio silence, save for a repeat of this morning's information and a finger point to the adjacent " Exmor APS HD CMOS" sign -- which, as we know from this morning, is larger than a Four Thirds sensor, but we're not sure how much. Still, enjoy the pics we managed to take from behind the glass -- and also be sure to enjoy the shots of this morning's other Sony announcements, the Super Telephoto Lens (500mm F4 G) and the prototype Distagon T 24mm F2 ZA SSM. %Gallery-86128% %Gallery-86129%
Sony intros Alpha DSLR concepts, 'ultra-compact' interchangeable lens model included
PMA is just kicking off in earnest down in Anaheim, and it looks like Sony has arrived in a big way. Looking to make a splash in a DSLR world dominated by Canon and Nikon, the outfit has brought a few of its best and brightest concepts to SoCal. Up first is an ultra-compact "interchangeable lens" concept, which is no doubt Sony's attempt to get in on the fledgling Micro Four Thirds game before it blows up big. Few details on the device are available, but we'll be doing our best to pry whatever specifications we can from the booth representatives in short order. Moving on, there's a conceptual model of the Alpha A700 replacement, complete with an Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor that promises full AVCHD video capabilities. There's also a prototype of a Super Telephoto Lens (500mm F4 G) as well as a prototype Distagon T 24mm F2 ZA SSM, which ought to make wide angle junkies drool profusely. The company's also dishing out a raft of accessories, including underwater housing devices, HD lenses and output cables, tripods / accessory packs and a Compact PictureStation photo printing kiosk. Stay tuned for some hands-on action from the show floor. %Gallery-86122%
Sony DSC-TX5 waterproof camera sprung from a leak
Think Sony would be happy with just making its latest shooter waterproof and calling it a day? Not a chance. Early information on this as yet unannounced compact indicates a 10fps burst mode, 4x optical zoom with optical image stabilization, an intriguing image stacking mode for reduced noise in high ISO shots, and full 1080p MPEG-4 movie recording. 1080i / 60fps AVCHD video is also possible, apparently, and if recent trends are continued the DSC-TX5 will also be able to store media on SD cards. Hallelujah. You'll find a couple more water-soaked images after the break, and the official launch is expected to take place at PMA 2010.
Sony unveils two new 1080p Handycams
Nothing too remarkable about Sony's latest HD camcorders, but the new 64GB HDR-CX520V and 32GB HDR-CX500V are solid updates nonetheless. Identical apart from the built-in storage, both feature an Exmor R CMOS sensor with BIONZ processing that should offer solid low-light performance and decent 12 megapixel stills, Optical SteadyShot with a new active mode and three-way shake cancellation, Face Touch autofocus that allows you to simply point at faces to prioritize focus in order, and, most notably, 60p output, which'll interpolate your footage to 60 progressive frames per second when connected to a compatible HDTV. Not a bad piece of kit, but they'll cost ya: the HDR-CX500V will run $1,100 and the HDR-CX520V will be $1,300 when they arrive in September.
Sony announces new CMOS sensors, 12+ megapixel cameraphones coming soon
If you've enjoyed the point-and-shoot megapixel race, which has pushed sensor resolutions in your average 3X zoom compact cam well into the teens -- leaving a sad trail of dark and noisy holiday pictures in its wake -- you're going to just love the mobile phone megapixel race. Samsung's 10 megapixel SCH-B600 currently holds the lead, but Sony's got a ringer chomping at the bit with the Exmor IMX060PQ CMOS sensor, which, paired with its matching auto-focus lens module, will turn some lucky handset into a 12.25 megapixel shooter when it enters the race in March. Sony has also announced 5.15 and 8.11 megapixel sensors, but really, anything not in double digits is so last year.[Via Akihabara News]
Sony launches the A900 full-frame DSLR
Sony's been showing off the full-frame Alpha A900 DSLR since February, and after popping up in ads and in the wild last week, it's official today, right on cue. Same basic specs you've known forever: 24.6 Exmor CMOS sensor, dual BIONZ image processors, ISO 6400 sensitivity, 3.0-inch LCD, 5fps shooting, and SteadyShot INSIDE in-body optical image stabilization. Sony's also launching a few new Alpha lenses to complement this beast, including a Carl Zeiss 70-400mm f4-5.6 zoom. Early impressions from CNET are that it's a bit slow to autofocus and didn't wow with image quality, but dpreview was impressed overall, so we'll wait for some in-depth reviews to hit before making a final judgment. You're looking at a $3,000 outlay when this thing goes on sale in October -- check out more pics in the gallery, and a quick video after the break.Read - Sony A900 press releaseRead - CNET hands-onRead - dpreview hands-on %Gallery-31499%
