Digital Cameras

Sony Patents New Camera Grip Concept

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 16, 2011 | 33 comments

Pocket camera’s are great little devices to take around. They can snap up fantastic pictures and videos and slide right back into our pocket. However, unless you can duel grip the camera, the shaky hand syndrome quickly comes into the picture and soon after, blurry photos are born. Sony’s new patent aims to change this by using the lens sliding cover as a means of a grip. Once slide away from the lens and the front cover extends outwards and gives the camera user a proper grip in the palm of their hands and therefor reducing the amount of shake that is transferred to the camera. As always, don’t expect a product to actually be made from a patent but I for one like the idea.

[Via USPTO]

Sony Makes $887 Million Net Profit in Q3, Sees Rise in Sales in Most Divisions

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 3, 2011 | 0 comments

Sony has just announced their Q3 Holiday results with ¥137.5 billion (approximately US $1.68b) operating income and a total of $887 million in net profit. Compared to 2009, this is actually down by nearly 6% though this is mostly due to a 5% stronger yen and not an actual reflection of the companies performance. Sony’s Consumer, Professional and Devices division dropped 47 percent to ¥26.8b ($327.3m) as margins have shrunk, thanks to the global recession, factored with already fierce competition between rivals like Samsung and LG. On the other hand, Sony’s Networked Products and Services (which includes the PlayStation brand) saw a dramatic 134% jump to ¥45.7b ($559.78), helping offset the decline of the consumer products.

The good news for Sony is that in midsts of all the woes mentioned above, the electronic giant was able to raise unit sales in almost all divisions compared to 2009. Bravia sales were up 2.5 million, totaling 7.9 million. Video cameras was able to sell only .1 million more, an expected decline with most portable devices now having some form of video capturing method built in while Compact Digital Cameras saw a 1 million unit sales increase. The now profitable PlayStation division saw the PS3 lose .2 million units compared to the 2009 Q3 but is ahead of 2009 sales. The PlayStation 3 saw a total of 13 million unit sales in 2009 while the company now sits at a healthy 15 million units sold and still has another quarter to go. The same cannot be said for the PlayStation Portable which saw sales slip .6 million units, down to 3.6 million units. Now in its 11th year, the PlayStation 2 still managed to sell 2.1 million units, on par with the year prior.

Software sales on the other hand were a completely different story with sales raising both on the PS3 and the PSP. PlayStation 3 software sales were up an amazing 10 million units, with 57.6 million pieces of software sold. The PSP, though down in hardware sales also saw an increase in software consumption with a 1.5 million unit increase to sit at 16.5 million units of software sold. The PS2 on the other hand took a big hit, seeing a 5.9 million unit drop, down to 5.3 million.

[Via Sony]

Sony Introduced the CLM-V55, a 5-inch LCD for your DSLR and Camcorder

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 2, 2011 | 15 comments

Those of us who have been shooting with DSRLs like the Sony Alpha and smaller siblings like the NEX know that while they might be great for taking pictures, filming on them is not only a joy, but you also get some damn impressive quality. Still, the problem with these types of cameras, including those from the likes of Nikon, Canon and others, is that the LCD display tends to be too small to appropriately view the scene or play back what you just recorded.

Finally, there is a solution for those who take their video seriously: the CLM-V55, a 5-inch LCD video monitor that’s compatible with interchangeable lens cameras from Sony and other manufacturers that use ISO or auto-lock accessory shoes. The 5-inch LCD comes with an 800 x 480 resolution, allows for tilt, and swivels to various angles to accommodate different shooting styles and angles. Another great feature for the photographer in you is the ability to zoom in on scenes for a “pixel-perfect view” of the HD image in order to adjust parameters like colors and brightness. Though a price has not been announced yet, a date is, so mark March 2011 on your calendar and expect a price as we near it.

Hit the jump for an official press release and some additional shots.

Sony Cybershot HX9V Leaked, Offers 16X Optical Zoom!

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 28, 2011 | 1 comment

So here is a late friday leak for you. If you’ve been considering getting a compact camera but have always been turned off by their low optical zoom factor which usually sits around 5x with some higher end models giving you 10x, Sony’s upcoming Cybershot DSC-HX9V will have the cure for your blues. This tiny pocket sized camera is capable of offering 16 megapixel with 16X optical zoom which is quite different then digital zoom which takes away from your picture quality. This high level zoom, mixed with a Sony G Lens and Exmor R CMOS means that your pocket camera can not only deliver beautiful photos, but handle them in low light situations as well, making it great for vacations when you don’t care to take a DSRL with you. The camera is rumored to record in 1080p at 10fps but we have yet to verify that. Now hit the jump for additional details!

Sony Teams Up with Goldmember, Offers NEX-5 in Gold

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 28, 2011 | 3 comments

There is just nothing to stop Sony and their latest groove (see what I did there, another Austin Powers reference) when it comes to the NEX series. Hot on the heels of updating the series with a new firmware, giving them 3D capabilities and Autofocus for A Mount lenses, Sony has just announced that the NEX-5 will also come in Gold. Sony is no stranger to offering products in different colors as the NEX-3 got a taste of pink in months prior and the company has shown off the NEX lineup is a series of different colors, though they have yet to be released. Sadly, this new offering is only for Japan though depending on demand, that could change.

Hit the jump for a better picture of this unit.

Sony Aims to Make 3D Personal in 2011

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 24, 2011 | 2 comments

It was just a little over a year ago when a little movie, one which audiences and critics alike were unsure if it was going to flop or not due to its reported $300-$500 million budget, came into theaters in 3D. Now, with nearly $3 billion in the bank from just the tickets, Avatar is the highest-grossing movie of all time and will probably be for a decade to come. But Avatar’s effect was not just limited to the film industry where we can just write it off as a Hollywood blockbuster. Instead, Avatar has affected the way we watch movies, the kind of televisions we buy, and the technology that will be in your next camera, camcorder and handheld portable. Just a little over a year after the film’s release, manufacturers like LG, Toshiba, Samsung, and Sony are out in full arsenal with their 3D televisions, so you can watch a movie like Avatar or Despicable Me in 3D at home. In 2011, 16 out of Sony’s 27 Bravia televisions will feature built-in 3D with no 3D transmitter bar needed. In two months’ time, Nintendo is releasing the 3DS, their next handheld portable gaming machine that will display games in 3D. Just in case you get pulled into a 3D event, you can now look good and not need to borrow a pair of glasses as Oakley and other high end companies will be releasing their own stylish 3D glasses. Sure 2010 might have had some sour points with films like Clash of the Titan (though I enjoyed the movie myself) and The Last Airbender with their horrible last minute rush job of up converting a movie that was not made in 3D to be in 3D. Still look how far we have come already. Tron was a smash hit with it’s 3D and Alice in Wonderland, another post converted movie hit the $1 billion mark as well and animated films like Pixars Toy Story 3 and How to Train a Dragon which were all also released in 3D. Now we are seeing more and more movies being filmed in 3D from the beginning like the up coming Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the Sony Pictures Spider-man reboot and we are seeing some of Hollywoods top directors like Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg plan their upcoming projects with 3D in mind.

Of course as I pointed out, 3D is not going to be limited to just the movie experience. Nintendo will indeed be pushing out their Nintendo 3DS in two months and that will introduce 3D to a large audience, who will grow up with 3D as just the standard just like how kids in the last 7-10 years might view HD as nothing new. Remember how much flack HD got when it was first introduced and many wrote it and Blu-ray off as just a gimmick and a fad. Fast forward a few years and both are the industry and consumer accepted standard. Lets also not forget Sony when it comes to gaming and 3D, Sony is making sure that their AAA games like Gran Turismo 5, LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3 and Uncharted 3, along with their new gaming attachment, the PlayStation Move are offered to consumers in 3D. If you haven’t had a chance to view these games in 3D, I highly recommend you visit your nearest Sony Style store as they will blow you away with how crisp, deep and beautiful they are. Still, when all is said and done, gaming is just another avenue of 3D that is being catered to the audiences by those who have the power to create them; big companies and it was apparent during CES that Sony understood, that in order for 3D to succeed, they needed to bring the technology down to the consumer level and give the public the capability to create 3D for themselves for cheap. After watching and playing with their 2011 arsenal of products, I now believe.

You see, for any real product to catch on, it cannot be something that is just controlled by the elite. Sure all products come to market higher priced than what consumers might want, but like all technologies, it will eventually get cheaper as consumers adapt and newer and better versions of them are released. Years ago, you couldn’t get a 3D TV for under $5,000, and now you cannot find a TV that is not HD. Even the $500 television you find at Wal-mart is in fact HD (now this isn’t insinuating that all HD is the same, but rather the fact that anybody can have access to it). But that’s really only one avenue to view HD in; how about recording? Every single camera on the market now has some form of HD recording in it. From the thinnest smart phone on the market, the iPhone 4, which can record 720p video, to pocket camcorders, like the Flip HD, which can be bought for $150 with 8GB of memory, consumers can record HD in all sorts of ways without really thinking about them. If you own a Mac, you can open iMovie and start editing your HD video in minutes and soon after that be posting it to sites like YouTube and Facebook. Through the consumer, HD has become the norm and the standard, due to its ease of handling and low entry price point. I’m here to tell you that 3D will be the same and Sony is leading the way.

Sony Bloggie Goes 3D for Cheap, 1080p Video Capture

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 14, 2011 | 10 comments

I have to say that one of my favorite Sony products from CES 2011 was not only one that I didn’t see coming, but also one of the cheapest offerings in their lineup. I had written previously that the Bloggie Touch would more than likely get an update, and I was right on that matter. In fact, there will be two different Bloggie models coming out in the next two months. What I didn’t expect was for one to offer 3D recording and to be priced so low.

First I will get what I consider the more boring of the series out of the way. The next generation of the Bloggie is being dubbed the Bloggie Duo (MHS-FS2) which sports two different LCD lenses. The first is a 2.7-inch on the back for video and picture playback and 2.0-inch on the front under the lens, perfect for when you want to utilize the 5.1 megapixel built in camera to take some self portrait shots. The Duo will now come with a LED light and be available in violet, green, pink, and white for $170 for the 4GB model in March. Next up is actually the new entry model Bloggie (MHS-FS1) which is thinner then the previous Bloggie and the new Bloggie Duo. Coming in at $150 for the 4GB, this white and black only model comes with just the single back 2.7-inch LCD. It should be noted that both models come with Sony’s Sensitive Exmor™ CMOS sensor and Auto Focus/Auto Macro lenses. Now hit the jump to read all about one of my favorite CES products, the Bloggie 3D.

New Cybershots and Bloggie from Sony During CES?

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 3, 2011 | 2 comments

As we get closer to CES 2011, the rumor mills tend to work in overdrive, sometimes delivering very credible insider information and other times, nothing more then a fanboys dream. The good news is with CES less then a week away, we won’t have to wait long to find out how much weight these rumors have. So without further wait, I give you Sony CES rumors.

First off, Sony is expected to renew its Cybershot fleet with all new models and 3D is rumored to play a part in the higher end versions. However, Sony is not expected to make any changes to the current NEX and Alpha lineup, though there might be some software update announcement. Outside of that, the current and well received Bloggies are to get a update and expect to see plenty of new 2D and 3D camcorders from Sony. The one hot rumor is that there might be some kind of showing, all be it prototype of the NEX-7 and Alpha77 but I personally won’t put too much though into that.

Sony, Sandisk, and Nikon Want to Make 2TB Memory Card with 500MBps Speeds

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 8, 2010 | 1 comment

Currently, the leading standard and speed from the CompactFlash association is set at a maximum transfer rate of 167MB per second, something that Sony, Sandisk and Nikon are not happy with. With Sony and Nikon making top DSRL camera’s and Sandisk making every from of Memory Card out there, the trio are looking for bigger memory cards and faster transfer speeds. Currently, all memory cards use the PATA serial interface to transfer information around. Under the new proposal, companies would shift to the newer, PCI Express serial interface which would give them speeds up to 500MPs for transferring and up to 2TB storage space, which blows away the current 32GB and 64GB sizes that are still hard to find and afford. This will not only benefit DSLR users who want to transfer their RAW files faster to the computer, but will help out the on going Megapixel war and allow users to go on full trips without needing a new card. If this new standard is also approved, this can help Camcorder manufactures like Sony as well, who currently offer plenty of hard drive based camcorders. Now a user can just buy the storage space they want, much like they would with a digital camera. According to Engadget, The CompactFlash Association has already announced a new workgroup to study the proposal. Canon’s Shigeto Kanda, CFA chairman of the board, had this to say about the proposal:

Future professional photography and video applications will require memory cards with faster read/write speeds. The development of a new high-performance card standard with a serial interface will meet the needs of the professional imaging industry for years to come and open the door for exciting new applications.

As always, hit the jump for a full press release.

More Colors for the Sony NEX Lineup?

by Sohrab Osati | Nov 1, 2010 | 13 comments

If you are a fan of the NEX lineup like we are, then you’re going to be thrilled that there might be more colors in the pipeline from Sony. Hot on the heels of their Pink NEX-3, Sony has shown off more colors for its NEX cameras. Though to be fair, Sony has yet to announce that they are serious about offering these extra colors. So in the meantime, we have to do with the Black, Silver, Red and Pink NEX cameras. Expect a CES announcement if these colors are to happen.

[Via Engadget]

New York Times David Pogue Praises Sony Alpha A55

by Sohrab Osati | Oct 20, 2010 | 22 comments

Recently, the New York Times David Pogue got his hands on the Sony Alpha A55 and he has nothing but praise for camera, calling it a game changer and declaring Sony has got its “mojo” back. Hit link to read the full article from NYT which does a really nice job breaking down what’s new and different about this camera. Now we might not be David Pogue but come on Sony, we would love to test out your camera too! Contact us?

[New York Times]

Sony Adds Pink to NEX-3

by Sohrab Osati | Oct 20, 2010 | 30 comments

Remember, Remember the 19th of November. The NEX-3 and Pink and Sony Plot. I see of no reason, why the 19th of November should ever be forgot. Just in time for Holiday shopping, on November 19th, Sony will be giving you a new color for your NEX-3 camera. Along the already available Silver, Black and Red, Pink will be the new girl on the block. Outside of that, nothing too exciting or different to report. Although, I must say, I never understand the whole “offer gadgets in pink and girls will buy” argument. I have plenty of females around me who are into tech and I’ve never seen them own a pink laptop or camera or whatever else. So when companies go out of their way to create products like this, I just tilt my head in confusion. I mean, lets not look any further then Apple, a company that caters to females. There is no pink Macbook or iPod Nano. But for pink lovers, mark November 19th!

[Via Sony Japan]

Sony Gives NEX-3 and NEX-5 Autofocus for A-mount Lenses Via Firmware Update

by Sohrab Osati | Oct 15, 2010 | 4 comments

NEX owners, it’s time to rejoice with this new firmware update from Sony. Currently,those who used the different lenses that are made for the NEX have the capability to use Autofocus or Manual focus. But those who wanted more flexibility and decided to get an A-mount lens from Sony, noticed that the camera could only do manuel focus. Via this new firmware, all A-mount lenses will now give you the capability to use Manual or Autofocus, giving you access to now 14 different lenses for your NEX.

Those who own an old beast from Sony, the A717 will remember this new feature as well, via the firmware, you camera on screen will give you an extra zoomed in picture in the corner, so you can focus on exactly the point you want to focus upon while zooming in. Other tidbits are a more streamlined UI (user interface) as well as manual focus made a little easier. Checkout the previous firmware upgrade as well.

Hit the jump for a press release from Sony, as well as the link for the firmware download.

Sony Alpha A77 at CES 2011, E-Firmware Update Soon?

by Sohrab Osati | Oct 5, 2010 | 4 comments

Sony has recently been going around and showing off its prototype Alpha, dubbed “Advances Model”, though it wouldn’t be a hard stretch to assume from its features and designs that this will indeed by the Sony Alpha A77. Rumors put it that the camera will be officially unveiled at CES 2011 and on sale sometime after that. Building off the translucent mirror technology that Sony has used in its A55 and A33, the A77 is said to have full HD video mode, recording in AVCHD. Furthermore, expect an Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor, as Sony is noting that it will be “far more powerful than the a55,” with goals to target “serious enthusiast photographers.”

Now for all you NEX owners (and I hope to be one of them by CES), Sony is looking to release a new firmware update mid October to bring “autofocus support to A-mount lenses used on E-mount cameras, aperture control in video mode and customizable keys.” In order to give users even more flexibility, Sony is looking to introduce a total of 10 new A-mount lenses by 2012 and is said to be looking for some partners to offer even a more extensive lineup. More options can never hurt, right?

Sony Alpha A55/A33 Having Sensor Overheating Issues?

by Sohrab Osati | Oct 5, 2010 | 4 comments

Various websites are pointing out that the recently-launched Sony A55 and A33 are having sensor overheating issues while recording video. That is to say, if you are recording with Image Stabilization on for a continuous 11 minutes, with temperatures higher than 70F (20C), you will notice the heat from your unit and it will probably shut down on you. This is actually caused by the new translucent mirror technology that Sony is using which has a hard time in high usage. Nikon has the same exact issue, so their solution is to just limit your video shooting to 5 minutes clips. The solution for Sony users? There are a few, actually. First, there is no video recording limit, so feel free to record as long as you feel like it until you actually notice a heat issue, and remember, this is for continuous video recording only. Shooting in few minute bursts is not an issue at all. Second, if you turn off Image Stabilization, your camera can achieve 30 minutes of continuous video recording with no problem.