Sony took the wraps off two new cameras yesterday: a new Alpha digital SLR camera as well as a compact interchangeable lens NEX model, along with a new macro lens and external flash accessory for the NEX line of cameras. Check them out:
Sony took the wraps off their latest Alpha digital SLR model with a unique semi-transparent mirror today.
Sony Alpha SLT-A35
(Entry-level digital SLR camera)
- 16.2 effective megapixels (EXMOR APS-C CMOS sensor, 1.5X crop)
- Sony Alpha mount (1.5X crop factor)
- Translucent mirror technology (semi transparent mirror) allows fast and continuous autofocus, even in movie mode
- 3 inch fixed LCD (921,000 pixels); electronic viewfinder (1.15 million pixels)
- Conventional proprietary Sony hotshoe
Camera has built-in wireless flash control
- ISO speed range of 100 – 12800 (expandable to ISO 25600)
- Full time live view; face and smile detection available
- Sweep Panorama mode automatically creates panoramas as you pan the camera; panorama photos can be created in 2D or 3D
- 5.5 FPS continuous shooting mode at full resolution (can be boosted to 7 FPS at 8.4 megapixel setting)
- Full manual controls
- Picture Effects menu allows you to apply effects to photos (ala Olympus Art Filters); including retro, high key, miniature and posterize effects
- 1080p Full HD (1920 x 1080) movie mode at 30 FPS with stereo sound recording, continuous AF and dedicated start/stop button
Movies recorded in AVCHD codec at 1080p, MPEG4 at lower settings
Port available for stereo microphone input
- Supports both SD/SDHC/SDXC and Memory Stick Duo memory cards
- Uses a lithium-ion battery (NP-FH50)
- Available in August for $600 (body only) or $700 (with 18-55 mm kit lens)
Sony has just announced their next-generation camera in their mirrorless NEX camera system. It’s a fairly evolutionary update, with a higher resolution EXMOR CMOS sensor and slightly tweaked design.
Sony NEX-C3
(Compact interchangeable lens camera)
- 16.2 effective megapixels (EXMOR APS-C CMOS sensor, 1.5X crop)
- Sony E-mount (1.5X crop factor); compatible with Alpha lenses (minus autofocus ability) via adapter
- 3 inch LCD (921,000 pixels) with two separate hinges for tilting
- Proprietary “Smart Accessory Terminal” port where you can attach an external ‘popup’ flash or optical viewfinder
- ISO speed range of 100 – 12800 (no ISO expansion)
- Full time live view; face and smile detection available
- Auto HDR (High dynamic range) takes several pictures and combines them into one for improved dynamic range
- Handheld twilight and anti-blur modes takes and combines multiple photos into lower noise/sharper pictures
- Sweep Panorama mode automatically creates panoramas as you pan the camera; panorama photos can be created in 2D or 3D
- Full manual controls
An (optionally toggled) beginner oriented ‘Photo Creativity’ interface allows simplified but still flexible adjustment of manual exposure settings
- 720p standard HD (1280 x 720) movie mode with stereo sound recording, continuous AF, optical image stabilizer and dedicated start/stop button
- Single memory slot allows for both SD/SDHC/SDXC and Memory Stick Duo cards
- Uses a lithium-ion battery (NP-FM50)
- Available in August for $600 (with 16 mm pancake lens) or $650 (with 18-55 mm image-stabilized kit lens)
- Comes in your choice of silver, black or pink
Sony E-mount 30mm f3.5 Macro
Sony has brought out a new lens for the E-mount used by their line of NEX cameras. The 30 mm f3.5 Macro has a minimum focusing distance of 0.95 inches, or 2.4 centimeters, which allows for 1:1 magnification of your subject.
The lens sports one ED glass element and 3 aspherical elements pair with an internal silent autofocus mechanism and comes standard with a lens hood.
The Sony E-mount 30 mm f3.5 Macro will be available for $250 in October.
Sony HVL-F20S external flash
Sony has just announced the release of a new external flash for NEX and E-mount cameras, the HVL-F20S flash. This moderately sized flash is designed to be a more powerful alternative to the tiny popup flash attachment that Sony bundles with their NEX cameras without being as bulky as a ‘full-sized’ external flash for traditional SLR cameras.
The Sony HVL-F20S flash, in addition to having a name which is a mouthful to say, has a guide number of 20 meters (at ISO 100, 50 mm). The unique feature of the flash is that it requires no batteries; instead being powered by your NEX camera (and in that case, be prepared to bring an extra battery or two for your camera instead!). The flash head can be rotated upwards for bouncing light off ceilings and other surfaces.
This flash will be available in August for a relatively affordable $150.
Panasonic Lumix G3
Panasonic announced the successor to their Lumix G2 interchangeable lens camera, appropriately named the Lumix G3. The Panasonic Lumix G3 is smaller than its predecessor, has a higher resolution image sensor and comes in your choice of several colors. It has the features and flexibility you’d expect from an entry-level digital SLR model with a much more compact body and array of lenses.
Panasonic Lumix G3
(Compact interchangeable lens camera)
- 16 megapixel Live MOS sensor (Micro Four Thirds, 2.0X crop factor)
- Micro Four Thirds lens mount (adapters available for normal Four Thirds and Leica lenses)
- Venus Engine FHD image processor
- Dust reduction
- 3 inch rotating touchscreen LCD (460k pixels)
Electronic viewfinder (1.4X magnification, 100% coverage, 480k pixels)
Things you can do with the touchscreen: Autofocus point selection, touch shutter, navigating menus and playback mode
- Intelligent Auto (your standard ‘camera automatically selects the right settings’ mode) and Auto Plus modes
- Full manual controls with RAW mode and flash hotshoe
- High speed autofocusing, what Panasonic calls”Light Speed AF”
- 4 FPS burst mode
- 1080p Full HD (1920 x 1080 at 30 FPS) movie mode with stereo sound
Continuous autofocus, exposure and audio level adjustment and windfilter available while recording
- Takes SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards
- Uses a lithium-ion battery
- Available in June for $600 (body only) and $700 (with 14-42 mm IS lens)
- Comes in your choice of black, white, red or brown
Panasonic Lumix FH7
Panasonic has unveiled a basic compact camera, the Lumix FH7. It looks to be a camera that appeals to those with basic needs for a camera at an affordable price.
Panasonic Lumix FH7
(Compact digital camera)
- 16 effective megapixels
- 28 – 112 mm (f3.1 – f6.5) 4X optical zoom lens
- Optical image stabilization (older Mega OIS variant)
- 3 inch touchscreen LCD (230,000 pixels)
- Intelligent Auto with scene modes; no manual controls
- 720p (1280 x 720) 24 FPS movie mode with sound
- Takes SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards
- Uses a lithium-ion battery
- Availability and price to be announced
Fujifilm FinePix Z900 EXR
Fujifilm announced a new ultra-slim camera that uses their new 16 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor we first saw on some of their other cameras earlier this year at CES 2011. The special sensor allows for better image resolution, improved noise and higher dynamic range (although you can only select one of three at any given time)
- 16 megapixel backlit EXR CMOS sensor
- 28 – 140 mm (f3.9 – f4.9) 5X optical zoom lens
- Sensor-shift image stabilization
- 3.5 inch wide touchscreen LCD (460,000 pixels)
- EXR sensor modes: High resolution, high sensitivity or high dynamic range
- Motion Panorama automatically captures a panoramic image (360 degrees) as you pan the camera
- 1080p Full HD (1920 x 1080) 30 FPS movie mode with stereo sound and optical zoom
- Takes SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards
- Uses a lithium-ion battery
- Available in May for $280
- Comes in your choice of black, blue or red
