alpha7
Latest
Sony's upcoming Alpha 7 and 7R updates will speed up your photo shoots
Sony's Alpha 7 cameras shook up the photography world by offering full-frame shooting in a small body, but they also have their fair share of quirks, such as slow startup times and subpar JPEG images. Some of those problems may vanish very soon, though, as Sony plans to roll out big firmware updates for both the Alpha 7 and 7R on March 19th. The two cameras should start faster, and they'll also get a nebulous "image quality improvement" -- hopefully, that means better JPEG output. The upgrade will also unlock more features when using the PlayMemories Mobile app to control either camera, and there's better support for a recent 70-200mm telephoto lens. We're not seeing any attempts to speed up the Alphas' sometimes pokey autofocusing, but the updates should still help early adopters who've had to live with some noticeable flaws for the past few months.
Engadget's 2013 Holiday Gift Guide: Cameras
Welcome to Engadget's holiday gift guide! Head back to our hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. With smartphones like the Nokia Lumia 1020 offering outstanding photo performance, you may wonder why you'd want a standalone camera at all. Leave it to the professionals and photo enthusiasts here at Engadget to clarify why a devoted shooter is still your best bet if snapping stills and video is a serious hobby -- you won't find many of these specs in a phone any time soon.
Sony Alpha 7 and 7R: the full-frame mirrorless ILC is finally here (update: hands-on photos!)
Photo junkies, brace yourselves for some very big news. Sony has finally announced its much-anticipated (and leaked) mirrorless camera, debuting not one, but two feature-packed models. The $1,700 Alpha 7, which is positioned as a step-up cam for APS-C interchangeable-lens camera owners, includes a 24.3-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor. The $2,300 Alpha 7R, for its part, will be of particular interest to professionals -- that flagship model packs a 36.3-megapixel sensor without a low-pass filter. Both cameras ship with a new BIONZ X processor, enabling 14-bit RAW, a 25,600 top ISO, improved area-specific noise reduction, upgraded detail reproduction and diffraction-reduction technology that helps eliminate the blurriness you may experience when shooting at higher apertures. Despite their gigantic sensors, both the Alpha 7 and 7R (Sony's dropping NEX from the branding here) include a footprint not much larger than other models in the company's mirrorless lineup. Externally, the duo is identical, with resolution representing the chief differentiator here. They use the same E-mount that you'll find on existing cameras and lenses, but you'll need to upgrade your glass to take full advantage of the new sensor. You can also use existing optics, either with significant cropping or some heavy vignetting, but if you're investing in either camera, it's definitely worth boosting your lens collection, too. Join us past the break for a closer look at Sony's exciting new Alphas. Update: We've got some hands-on pics delivered all the way from Hong Kong. Enjoy!
