TranslucentMirrorTechnology
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Sony Alpha A99 poses for someone else's camera, no optical viewfinder in sight
Technical details of Sony's rumored Alpha A99 have been overflowing. The actual camera, however, has been elusive until now. A press photo just spotted on Xitek (and passed along to Sony Alpha Rumors) is believed to be authentic and speaks volumes about Sony's pro camera strategy: as shown, there's no obvious space for an optical viewfinder, hinting that the company's full-frame shooter is going with an OLED-based electronic eyepiece like that of its crop-frame A77 precursor. The image doesn't show much more than that and a conspicuous orange ring to remind us that we're gazing upon an Alpha, but it's tough to ignore that more compact (and hopefully lighter) body. Whatever the cosmetics are like, rumors now assert that the 24.3-megapixel, translucent-mirrored A99's early September release has been locked down to September 12th; if that's true, it may give photographers as much reason to be happy that day as phone buyers.
Sony LA-EA2 lens adapter gets ready for its close-up in 'leaked' render
Hey Sony, you hear that? Sounds like you might have another leak on your hands. We got our fourth unofficial look at Sony's Alpha A77 this morning, and now it's time for a little accessorizing. What you see above is reportedly a shot of a new lens adapter called the LA-EA2, which would apparently bring the outfit's translucent mirror technology to its range of little NEX shooters. As you might recall, that mini-mirror brings with it continuous phase-detect autofocus. Of course, this is just a rumor, but it does lines up with previous reports of a forthcoming NEX-7. You know we enjoy a leak as much as the next guy, but we like hard facts even more. So what's it going to be Sony?
Unreleased Sony Alpha A77 already nominated for Good Design Award, reveals several new features
Sony may have yet to officially announce its upcoming Alpha A77 camera, but thanks to a nomination page ahead of this month's Good Design Expo, we can finally get a glimpse of what this imager will pack internally. Indeed, the A77 will come with a 24 megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor, along with a translucent mirror that enables full-time continuous autofocus. Additionally, with the help of its new BIONZ engine, we have a "world's fastest" burst rate of 12 frames per second, which goes nicely alongside the camera's 60p and 24p video recording modes (presumably in AVCHD). What also caught our eyes was this "world's first" XGA OLED electronic viewfinder, while the A55 and A35 come with just LCD versions. Well, only time will tell whether this camera lives up to expectations -- by the sound of it, we'll probably be able to play with one within a few weeks from now. [Thanks, pontsuku.] Update: And just like that, the nomination page has promptly been taken down. Good thing we saved a copy, though -- check it out after the break, if you want to practise your Japanese.
Sony announces NEX-C3 and Alpha A35 cameras, new macro lens
We've been (impatiently) waiting for Sony to update its NEX line of digital cameras since the NEX-3 was discontinued earlier this year, and it looks like a worthy successor has finally been named. Announced today, the NEX-C3 appears identical to the model leaked in April, and uses the same format APS-C image sensor as its predecessor, bumping resolution to 16.2 megapixels in a camera body smaller than the NEX-5. Sony says the new entry-level cam is designed to fill the gap between point-and-shoot and DSLR cameras, and is the smallest body to pack an APS-C sensor, offering DSLR-level image quality -- the same 16.2 MP chip is also included in its new full-size Alpha A35, which replaces the A33. Both cameras can shoot at up to 5.5 fps (the A35 adds a 7 fps mode at 8.4 megapixels), and include 3-inch LCDs, with the NEX keeping its hallmark tilt display, and the A35 adding Sony's Translucent Mirror live-view mode, and an electronic viewfinder. We have plenty more to share, including a new lens and flash, along with pricing and availability for all, so jump past the break for the juicy details. %Gallery-125282%
Sony's see-through Alpha DSLR gets the hands-on treatment, probably won't get a launch date
We've been teasing you with images of this see-through beauty since Sony announced plans to bring its translucent mirror to the A77. Unfortunately, we've still yet to get our dirty paws on its hard shell, but we're happy to live vicariously through Pocket-lint's hands-on of Sony's clear-bodied Alpha camera. According to its post, the concept DSLR is based on a heretofore unidentified mid-range camera that touts an Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor and "fast continuous autofocus." The camera is slated for a late 2011 release, but chances are it won't come with that sweet transparent body. So soak it up while you can, because this could be the last you see of the crystalline casing -- hit the source link for even more eye candy.
Sony Alpha A55 and A33 hands-on
You didn't expect us to let something as delicious as Sony's all-new Translucent Mirror Technology slide by without us playing with it, did you? The freshly announced and priced A55 and A33 Alpha DSLRs slipped out in Taipei this morning, where our crack Engadget Chinese reporters were at the ready with their own picture-taking equipment. Early feedback describes the electronic viewfinder on these shooters as beautiful and very bright, though some rainbow-effect artifacting starts to become apparent if you shift your viewpoint. The bodies of the two new cameras appeared identical in the hand, with the big differences contained within, such as the A55's faster 10fps burst mode. The A33 is still no slouch at 7fps, though, and video of it chewing through pictures at that rate can be seen after the break. We've also got a sample from the camera itself showing off that fast continuous autofocus. All in all, our Chinese brethren found themselves mildly disappointed that Sony didn't go for a radical physical redesign given the internal rearrangements, but the performance and feature sets were nothing to complain about.%Gallery-100249%
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.
