Sony News

Sony UK Webchat
Yesterday Sony UK had a live video webchat with Sony Rep Paul Genge. I only caught some of it, but here's my notes:

He showed the LA-EA2 A-mount to E-mount adapter. It’s got a translucent mirror in it and the base houses the auto-focus module. It will be compatible with previous models he says, but the cameras will require a firmware upgrade. It’s coming in a couple of months and a firmware upgrade will come then too.

Someone asked about overheating. He said that the overheating issue of the A55 was caused by the steadyshot mechanism moving the shift mechanism, contributing to the overheating. This caused a thermostat warning to appear quite quickly. If you turned off steadyshot you got the full 29 minutes of recording. They have reverted to an electronic image stabilization system to counteract the overheating.

He noted that you can record for "the full" 29 minutes. An earlier article suggested that the 29 minute limit was technology related, but it sounds like it is a forced limit caused by the added tax on video recording devices that record for more than 29 minutes.

The touch screen on the NEX-5n was highlighted, though it was noted that the NEX-7 doesn't have a touch system, because, he said, it has the "NAVI System."



A77 & A65
Sony’s new A77 – So close yet so far | Dan Chung | DSLR News Shooter
Dan is concerned about two issues with the A77, which is supposed to have really good video, BUT no manual audio controls, and:
DPreview has a full rundown of the camera here and notes that the A77 only does AF in Program mode and not manual exposure, due to the need for the camera to control aperture. They also note that there is a sensor crop when entering movie mode that is greater than just a regular 16×9 crop of the S35 sensor.


Sony A77 – No moire but HDMI output not full HD? | Andrew Reid | EOSHD
Andrew sat in on the live webchat too, and asked about the HDMI output from the A77. He got some answers (with a few caveats.)
The camera was hooked up to a Sony Bravia during the talk and there was a lot of shooting info cluttering the screen but the feed didn’t seem to change resolution when record was hit – instead a black box appeared for a few second saying that recording was starting – but the video feed then didn’t become full screen and all the display info was still visible including AF points.


NEX Cameras
First Look: New Sony Alpha NEX-5N mirrorless camera is surprisingly fast
| Theano Nikitas | Macworld
A generally favorable first look at the NEX-5n:
In movie mode, focus automatically adjusts as the camera moves across and through a scene. Again, and as expected, focus adjustments are faster when you're shooting at wide angle. In my trials at close range, while using midrange and telephoto focal lengths of the 18 mm to 55mm lens, I found the focus slightly slower to catch up during panning but not excruciatingly so. And I saw little noticeable, distracting focus search.


Sony NEX 5N – Video dark horse? | Andrew Reid | EOSHD
Andrew likes the look of the NEX-5n:
Full manual control in video mode – this is a huge surprise. We knew the A77 and A65 had it from the leaks. I was relieved when I saw the NEX-7 had it. I am frankly over the moon to see the affordable NEX-5 with it


Sony NEX-5N replaces NEX-5, adds 16.1 MP sensor, 25,600 max ISO, OLED viewfinder option (video) | Zach Honig | Engadget
A good image of the OLED add-on viewfinder for the NEX-5n; it only works with the NEX-5n, and the NEX-7 has a similar viewfinder built-in. At $350, it might be a bit of a luxury.


Introducing the new NEX-5n | YouTube
A Sony commercial for the NEX-5n

B & H: Alpha NEX-5N Digital Camera (Body Only) [$599.99]
B & H: Alpha NEX-5N Digital Camera with 18-55mm Lens (Black)[$699.99]

Sony Alpha NEX-7 preview | Gordon Laing | Camera Labs
A preview of the NEX-7:
Those who were frustrated by the automatic nature of the previous NEX-5 will be delighted to learn the NEX-7 now supports PASM modes for video, allowing full manual control over exposure, and while there's still no standard microphone input, Sony says you can still connect the optional ECM-SST1 microphone accessory.


NEX-VG20 Promotional Video:




Roundups
Sony unleashes new interchangeable-lens camera lineup | Tim Moynihan
| PCWorld
An overview of all the products.

Sneak Peek New Sony NEX-7, NEX-5N, a65, NEX-VG20 Cameras | Sony Electronics | Vimeo
A promotional video, but it's actually interesting. For example, I hadn't realized that the NEX-7 has the OLED viewfinder built-in (one is available for ~$350 for the NEX-5n.) Close-ups on the LA-EA2.


Sneak Peek New Sony NEX-7, NEX-5N, a65, NEX-VG20 Cameras from SonyElectronics on Vimeo.

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