Sony Alpha NEX Cameras and E Mount Lenses

Sony A7r Eye AF in Action Here's a new feature included in the Sony A7 cameras . It's called Eye AF and it helps one capture that perfect focus for portraits with the camera locked onto the eye of the subject. We can't wait to test this out ourselves. Will it work with manual focus cameras? Another Sony A7 and A7r Eye AF Test

Sony A7r with Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 Sonnar One of the major differences between the Sony Alpha 7r ( A7r ) and the Alpha 7 ( A7 ) is their focusing systems. Both cameras have contrast-detection autofocus but the Sony A7 incorporates phase-detection autofocus for a hybrid system which adds speed and accuracy to locking focus. The videos show a slight difference in locking focus for both cameras. More information below. Sony A7 Focus Speed with Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 Sonnar Sony A7r Focus Speed with Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 Sonnar Sony Alpha 7r Sony Alpha 7 Focus system Type Contrast-detection AF Fast Hybrid AF (phase-detection AF/contrast-detection AF) Focus point 25 points 35mm full-frame:      117 points (phase-detection AF) APS-C:      99 points (phase-detection AF)      25 points (contrast-detection AF) Sony A7r vs A7 Focusing System Comparison Contrast Detect Autofocus of the Sony A7 and A7r The Sony A7r's autofocus system as explained by Sony: Fast Intelligent AF Fast Inte

Sony Cybershot RX1R Full Frame Sensor Sony RX1R Hands On with Olivia The Sony Cybershot RX1R , R = resolution, takes away the Sony RX1's optical low pass (anti-alias) filter to improve resolution. Other cameras that offer AA less cameras are Leica, Nikon, and Ricoh. The RX1R and RX1 will co-exist and share the same accessories. Here is the Sony RX1R press release. A new sister version of Sony’s acclaimed Cyber-shot™ RX1 full-frame compact camera satisfies the most critical photographer’s hunger for sharper, more detailed pictures. Building on the awesome imaging power of the RX1, the RX1R takes pixel-perfect picture quality to new heights. The model’s ‘R’ suffix denotes a further improvement in the pocket-sized camera’s already spectacular resolution. In common with many DSLR cameras, the original Cyber-shot™ RX1 features an optical low-pass filter (OLPF) in front of the sensor to suppress unwanted moiré and colour artefacts. The enthusiast-oriented RX1R removes this l

Sony RX100 II with Accessory Tilting Viewfinder The Sony DSC-RX100 II is an upgrade to the very popular RX100. The RX100 II gets more NEX like with an add on viewfinder and tilting rear lcd. Sony addressed the main complaints about the RX100 and added more features: Enhances the hugely popular RX100 with improved picture quality and convenient new features New 20.2 effective megapixel back-illuminated Exmor R 1.0-type CMOS sensor boosts sensitivity for better low-light images Wi-Fi and easy One-touch smartphone connection with NFC Add accessories with Multi Interface Shoe and Multi Terminal 3.0-type White Magic™ LCD tilts up or down Full HD 24p/25p movie for rich, cinematic video footage TRILUMINOS™ Colour for richer, more natural colours The Sony DSC-RX100 II will be available next month with an MSRP of $750. Sony DSC-RX100 II Specifications Key specifications Model RX100 II Image Sensor 1.0-type (13.2 x 8.8mm) Exmor R™ CMOS sensor with back illumination technology

Figure 1. Rear Button aka AF/MF Button Controls Autofocus. Here's a way to autofocus using the rear AF/MF button instead of the shutter button. You can then separate focus from locking exposure with the shutter button half press. This will also prevent the lens from prefocusing when in AF or DMF mode. Setting up the NEX-7 to use AF/MF Rear Button Focus. Set the camera to Manual Focus, Figure 2. Set the AF/MF Control to HOLD, Figure 3. Set the AF/MF Button to AF/MF Control, Figure 1. Set the Function Button to Focus Settings, Figure 4. This will let us control the focus point via Flexible Spot. You can also use Center focus point then Recompose. The camera must be in MF or DMF mode, Figure 2., to use Focus Settings. Figure 2. Set the camera to MANUAL FOCUS. Figure 3. Set the AF/MF Control to HOLD. Figure 4. Set Function Button to Focus Settings. Here is the Sony NEX-7 Manual for download for more info.

Delano Hotel South Beach Here are some shots from the Zeiss Touit 12mm Distagon from Miami. It was a quick trip and the weather did not cooperate. The 12mm Touit is a nice match for the NEX-7 due to its lightweight design yet being so well built. The lens was glued to the NEX-7 for most of the trip. The 18mm FOV will take more practice since it's such a wide perspective. Car Inside Trump Sunny Isles La Sandwicherie South Beach Mac's Club Deuce Airport Code: EWR

The plan: spend the 5 hr layover in Istanbul Ataturk Airport to visit the Asian side of Istanbul by ferry. The plan was devised by my friend and I with no planning. Our other companions stayed behind and wished us luck since we needed it. First one needs a $20 visa to enter Turkey, this took 15 minutes. Next was the passport check line, this took 25 minutes - we have 4 hrs and 20 mins left before our plane left to our final destination. The easiest way to get into Istanbul is by the Metro. We had to take the Subway then the tram to the ferry. Luckily we had no map and were depending on strangers to get us to our destination. We arrived at the ferry one hour later with no complications except for the slow and jam packed tram - 3 hrs and 20 mins to go. And the problems began. We were told that the ferry was free - it was not. We had to scramble to get tokens - where did the Turkish Liras go? We were rushing to catch the next ferry, and did not confirm its destination. We

Manufacturing of Zeiss Touit Lenses for NEX Cameras One Hundred Pieces Hand Assembled Carl Zeiss shows the time and care invested into each Zeiss Touit lens for your NEX Camera.

Compact Lens for a Compact NEX System Dr. Michael Pollmann Carl Zeiss Program Manager discusses the Touit Lens Line. Here is Dr. Pollmann of Carl Zeiss discussing the Touit lens concept. The Touit autofocus lenses are designed for NEX cameras as was the Zeiss 24mm Sonnar . With the introduction of the Touit line, NEX owners have access to Zeiss' legendary lens designs, Distagon, Planar, and Sonnar. The first Touit lenses will be available around June. Inner Workings of a Zeiss Touit Lens Pre-order the Zeiss Touit lenses from Unique Photo.

Carl Zeiss Touit 32mm Planar Touit, pronounced "do it," is the new name of Carl Zeiss autofocus lenses for NEX cameras. There will initially be three Touit lenses, 12mm, 32mm, and 50mm. They are expected to be available by the summer. From the Carl Zeiss camera lens blog : Touit is pronounced like the English “do it.” Touit stands for good visibility, agility, mobility and diversity, qualities which also aptly describe the new ZEISS lenses for mirrorless camera systems. The name Touit comes from the band-tailed parrots. This bird is very small and agile, and its plumage is deep green. The Touit parrots live in Latin America and the Caribbean in a wide range of different habitats, from damp-tropical island regions to lowland rainforests to thorn-bush savannas and even high in the Andes Mountains at altitudes of up to over 20,000 feet. Please check our previous post for details on the three Touit lenses from Carl Zeiss. Carl Zeiss Touit 32mm Planar mounted on Sony NE

Sony NEX-7 with Speed Booster vs Nikon D600 TheCameraStoreTV posted their hands on video with the Metabone Speed Booster for NEX cameras. They used the Canon EOS to NEX Speed Booster lens adapter on the NEX-7. In the video they compare the NEX-7 and the Nikon D600 , a full frame camera, to see if there are perceptible differences. They used a Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM lens on both cameras. The exposures were set to be equal at ISO 200 and aperture set at f/8. The NEX-7 with the Speed Booster registered and aperture of f/5.6 due to the full stop of light from the adapter. The D600 registered f/8. The image above is a side by side comparison at 400% enlargement. Would you be able to tell the difference? Check out the full hands on video with the Speed Booster below. Metabones Speed Booster Review by TheCamaeraStore Thanks Jordan and TheCamerStore ! The Metabones Speed Booster can be found here .

Leitz Wetzlar 35mm f/2 Summicron on a Sony NEX-6 Leica M 35mm Summicron Lens Autofocus via Contax G Adapter MxCamera posted their video of a Leica 35mm f/2 Summicron lens from 1960 on the Sony NEX-6 from 2012. The 52 year gap is bridged by a Contax G 28mm lens housing which has been modified to allow autofocus on NEX cameras. If only Dr. Mandler can see what his Summicron can do now. Thanks MXcamera HK!

Mockup of Sigma 60mm on NEX-7 Sigma is adding a third lens to their Digital Neo series for E-mount cameras. It is the 60mm f/2.8 macro in native E-mount. The lens is similar to the one found in Sigma's new DP3 Merrill. Here is Sigma's description of the 60mm DN. Sigma 60mm F2.8 DN- Featuring the natural perspective of mid-range telephoto lenses, together with a shallow depth of field, this lens allows the photographer to capture a single part of a subject with great bokeh effects. It has an angle of view equivalent to 90mm on the E-mount system (35mm equivalent focal length). The minimum focusing distance is 19.7 inches; the maximum magnification is 1:7.2. This lens also contains Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass, which helps minimize axial and transverse chromatic aberration. Mockup of Sigma 60mm on NEX-5R Sigma Corporation announces four new lenses at CP+ Camera and Photo Imaging Show 2013 YOKOHAMA, Japan — Jan. 29, 2013—Sigma Corporation of America a leading researc

Canon 50L Sample on NEX-7 with Metabones Speed Booster (effective 35mm f/0.9) LensRentals posted their review of the Metabones Speed Booster. The Speed Booster lens adapter tested was a Canon EOS to Sony E-mount variant mounted on a Sony NEX-7 . The lenses used were all Canon EF autofocus lenses, 14mm f/2.8 L II, 50mm f/1.2 L, and the 135mm f/2.0 L. The Speed Booster promises a one stop light improvement and a 0.7x focal length conversion. The lenses are effectively converted to 10mm f/2, 35mm f/0.9, and 95mm f/1.4 as seen by the Sony APS-C sensor. So what was their conclusion after their test? I think it was pretty obvious that I came armed for battle, ready to slam this product as some marketing overhype. I was wrong less correct than I might have been. The Speed Booster does what they claimed it would do, much to my shock and surprise. It creates a wider-angle, greater aperture lens while retaining resolution and acutance. Read the whole Metabones Speed Boooster review wi

New 20mm f/2.8 E-mount Lens for Sony NEX Cameras. Here is the new E-mount lens from Sony. The 20mm f/2.8 pancake lens, part number SEL20F28, from Sony is a native E-mount lens which means full compatibility, autofocus and auto-aperture, with all the NEX cameras. The 20mm pancake is 20mm in depth, the 16mm pancake is 22.5mm in depth. This means a slightly more compact package on NEX bodies, see the NEX-5R with 16mm below. The lens will provide an equivalent fov of 30mm when used on the APS-C sensor. The SEL20F28 20mm pancake lens will sell for $350 and will be available in April of this year. It makes the $250 16mm pancake seem like a bargain. NEX-5R with 16mm Pancake. 20mm Pancake (SEL20F28) Technical Specifications Sony SEL20F28 20mm f/2.8 Pancake Lens Lens Mount Sony E-mount Lens Configuration 6 groups, 6 elements Focal length (35mm equivalent) 30mm Aperture blades 7 Aperture Range f/2.8 to f/16 Maximum magnification 0.12x M

Fuji X100s Digital Split Image Focusing Demo Here's a nice feature of the upcoming Fuji X100s that we'd like to see in a future NEX camera. They are using the PDAF sensor to create a digital split image to mimic classic manual focus slrs and rangefinders. You can also see that they've finally included focus peaking to one of their cameras. All NEX cameras include focus peaking since June 2011 .

Get Both the Sigma 19mm and 30mm EX DN Lenses for $199 Here's a great deal from B&H Photo for the Sigma autofocus lenses for the Sony NEX system. Get the Sigma 19mm and 30mm EX Digital Neo lenses for $199 . Each are normally priced at $199. The kit shows as backordered but B&H states that they can be ordered and they will ship and charge when the Sigma lenses come into stock. Happy ordering.

NEX-7 with Metabones Speed Booster Lens Adapter with a Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens Metabones Speed Booster Sony NEX Lens Adapter Test by James Miller So what does the Metabones Speed Booster NEX lens adapter do? Increase aperture by 1 stop. e.g. f/1.4 becomes f/1.0, which means more light to the sensor. Increases MTF, which means better resolution all across the frame compared to a standard lens adapter. Provides a focal length multiplier of 0.71x, NEX's APS-C 1.5 * SB 0.71 = 1.065, a 35mm lens = 37.7mm equivalent focal length. Metabones Speed Boost Sony NEX Lens Adapter The EF E-mount Speed Booster Lens Adapter shown above also provides automatic electronic aperture control, image stabilization with IS lenses, EXIF information, and autofocus (albeit slow.) Read more about the Metabones Speed Booster from the Metabones web site and white paper . It's pretty amazing what the NEX has spawned from the third party manufacturers.

DEO Techart Contax G to E-mount AF Adapter by MX Camera. Contax G rangefinder fans take a seat. Your autofocus lenses have been brought back to life with an upcoming Sony NEX E-mount autofocus adapter. The video above from MX Camera shows the NEX-7 controlling the Contax G 45mm f/2 lens in autofocus mode. We hope to discover more about this adapter soon. We'll have to wait two weeks. We have the manual focus adapter for Contax G lenses and we love the images that come from the lenses by Carl Zeiss. Taken with a Contax G 90mm on Sony NEX-7.

It looks like Sony is still massaging the Sony DSC-RX1 features. The RX1's top shutter speed has been raised to 1/4000 sec when the aperture is f/5.6 or smaller on the Carl Zeiss 35mm Sonnar lens. The shutter speed is 1/2000s when the lens aperture is larger than f/5.6 down to f/2. Zeiss 35mm Sonnar's 9 Aperture Blades Create a Circular Shape The other revision to the RX1 is the focus wheel on the front of the camera. The production RX1 will let you select from Autofocus (AF), Direct Manual Focus (DMF), and Manual Focus (MF). DMF Mode allows the user to fine tune AF by adjusting the manual focus ring on the lens after the RX1 has locked focus. Focus Wheel Changed on Sony RX1 We found a few more images of some DSC-RX1 accessories. What Comes with the FDA-V1K Zeiss 35mm Optical Viewfinder RX1 Thumbgrip TGA-1 Swings Open to Access Buttons Here is a new sample image from the Sony RX1. Click for the full 24 mp, 6000x4000 pixel image. DSC-RX1 ISO 100 1/15s f/4.0 +0