Month: August 2009

Could Sony get 'DxO Inside'?

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I don’t have an Alpha 500 or 550 here yet, even though Photoclubalpha has been second in the Google search results for ‘Sony Alpha 550’ for some time and remains so as I write (the New York Times is first). That’s not bad for a WordPress blog website which does NOT employ the services of the dozen or so ‘search engine optimisation’ experts who contact us each week! Hopefully we’ll have a review camera very soon, preferably the 550.
In the meantime, a few samples have been posted on various sites which show the raw conversion engine of the camera/s (not necessarily the JPEG compression stage, as always seems to be assumed) has been radically revised. Sony call this ‘enhanced BIONZ’ and I think there’s a clue to how it has been enhanced in the relationship of Sony Europe and DxO Labs, the French company which specialises in in-camera process analysis and development.
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4
Cameras (DSLR), DK's ramblings, Software Reviews

Alpha 850 official press release

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Sony has announced the Alpha 850 today, without a press conference, but via email to editors. The press release follows, confirming pretty much everything we have already been able to reveal about the 850. One exception – it does have dual BIONZ processor, not single, just a slower image throughput perhaps due to clock speed, buffer, processing firmware changes. We must hope that the slower capture rate is accompanied by superior image quality, as that is a real possibility. I have marked in bold any phrases which I think might indicate something new. Apparently the body-only deal is to appear one month before the kit.
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2
Cameras (DSLR), Lenses - Alpha Mount, News

New Alpha A500, A550 official news release

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Sony has announced the Alpha 500 and 550 today with an official release to all press. No press conference was held for the UK press and any advance information received has been given indivudally to journalists. There is a press event tonight in London but this is VERY specifically stated to be for trying out the new Cyber-Shot models at twilight. The official release follows.
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0
Cameras (DSLR), News

7fps – marketing point or real benefit?

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ALL the current DSLRs made – whether by Canon, Nikon or even Sony with the A700 and A900 – state their maximum fps continuous shooting speed as being with NO autofocus, and NO exposure metering changes. There’s a lot of talk on forums about the 7fps of the new Alpha 550 – 14.3 megapixel CMOS APS-C with a good high ISO capacity – being in some way crippled because it has been made clear by Sony that this speed applies to a ‘lockdown’ of focus and exposure with the first frame. This is not surprising as it’s a quiet, mirror-up mode using the off-sensor live view to maintain contact.
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5
Cameras (DSLR), DK's ramblings, Photo Techniques

Sensor-feed Live View in new Alpha 500

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ACCORDING to specifications revealed on a German site, the new Sony Alpha 500 will have a 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor capable of providing Live View to the rear 3 inch medium resolution screen – with Manual Focusing at 14X magnification. The in-prism based Quick AF Live View is retained, giving a choice between two entirely different systems of Live View, Sony’s innovative and easy solution scanning the focus screen, and a critically accurate alternative for tripod work. The camera may sell for just €50 more than the Alpha 380 – or break the £500 body only barrier in the UK right from the start.
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1
Cameras (DSLR), DK's ramblings, News

Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM

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Tamron’s 18-250mm lens – later adopted by Sony – was so good that it really takes some effort to beat it. Sigma has put that effort in, but the cost is a very much larger and heavier lens. If all you got was some better performance, it might not be all that exciting. But you get potentially superior anti-shake through its built-in OS, and faster focusing with HSM, the Sigma equivalent of SSM. And you can buy it for under $430, and it works fine on the NEX A-mount adaptor for stabilised videos too – with some degree of autofocus tracking during filming.
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Accessories - 3rd party, Equipment Reviews, Lenses - Alpha Mount

Master Photography awards deadline extended

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The deadline for entries to the 2009 Master Photography Awards has been extended to August 12th, 2009.

All entries must be received at MPA – Jubilee House, 1 Chancery Lane, Darlington DL1 5QP – by close of business on Wednesday August 12th. Each entry should consist of an unmounted print (10 x 8 or A4) which either shows the image area only of a final print, to be mounted and sized appropriately on a 20 x 16 mount; or shows a 1/4 size reproduction of the finished 20 x 16 exhibition print. This must be made from the same image file to be used for the final print, on the same materials, with the same finish (but not mounted).

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News, Uncategorized

British Journal Awards entry open now

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British Journal of Photography is calling for entries to its International Photography Award – a juried competition with a total prize fund worth more than £13,000. There are two categories, providing two opportunities to exhibit at a leading London gallery and have your work printed by one of Europe’s leading fine art printers. The winners will also win professional camera kit worth £5000 and a feature in BJP.

Single image prize: Last year Walter Astrada, an Argentinian World Press Photo award-winner picked up the single image prize for his stark shot of murder in Guatemala.

Copyright Beso Uznadze-web

Portfolio prize: Beso Uznadze (©photo above) won the portfolio prize for his stunning series of portraits of Georgians, shot after the conflict with Russia in 2008.

The International Photography Award is judged by a panel of internationally-recognised photographers, picture editors and curators. Photographers may submit multiple entries into either category and the contest is open to all.

Entry is £5 (or $8 or €6) for the single image category and £25 (or $40 or €30) for the portfolio category. The deadline is 11 September. For more information and to enter, visit bjp-online.com/ipa.

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News, Press Releases, Uncategorized

Exmor R hits the High Street – new Cyber-shots

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SONY puts two 10.2 megapixel consumer digicams on the market in September 2009 using the back-illuminated Exmor R sensor. This CMOS sensor architecture takes the ‘sandwich’ which forms the light-sensitive pixel wells, and reverses it so that the side previously used for connections now faces the image-forming light. This change allows more light to be captured, resulting in improved high ISO performance. So far, the Exmor R technology has only been used in video cameras and this is the first appearance of it in still cameras. The cameras can shoot at 10 frames per second.
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Uncategorized
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