Cameras and Camcorders

2 New Entry Levels Alphas: The Sony A390 and A290

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 10, 2010 | 3 comments

Today, Sony is updating its entry Alpha lineup with the A390 and the A290. While they both look similar, there are some noticeable differences between the two that some of the other blogs have missed.

Both units do indeed come with a 14.2MP sensor but while the A290 ($500) will come with a 18-55 mm lens and sport a 0.83x magnification with a slightly larger screen, its higher-end sister, the A390 ($600), will actually come with a 0.74x magnification and slightly smaller LCD. However, the A390 makes it up with its 2.7-inch Quick AF Live View. This will be a very familiar feature for those (including me) who owned the Sony-A717. This basically allows you to tilt the LCD down or up, so if you are looking to crouch or shoot over a crowd or object with your hand up in the air, you can just tilt the LCD to your given position and still take the picture you want. It’s easily worth the extra $100. Look for these units to hit in July.

Hit the jump for a spec sheet picture.

Sony Alpha Cameras To Gain 3D?

by Sohrab Osati | Jun 9, 2010 | 0 comments

Last week, during its annual Computex press conference, NVIDIA unveiled technology that would give DSLR cameras the capability to turn images into 3D with a post process conversion. This basically eliminates the idea of needing different lenses for your pictures although there isn’t a lot of detail whether this is done in camera or later on via a software. Of course the surprise (or now lack thereof) was that NVIDIA is teaming up with Sony to deliver this technology. Sony is of course going to be offering this feature in its high end Alpha series (sorry Cybershot fans). Beyond that, there is not a lot of information, but I think that this is a fantastic move on Sony’s end. Sony really needs to stick behind 3D and leverage its different brands. So far, its giving the PS3 3D capabilities, individual Blu-ray players, as well as its 3D televisions, camcorders and of course, its releasing 3D movies as well. This just expands the idea of 3D one more level and into the hands of the consumer.

[Via Engadget]

Should You Buy the Sony Cyber-shot W330?

by Sohrab Osati | May 31, 2010 | 7 comments

As we continue to gear up our site and do more reviews, I’ve sat back and analyzed how other sites do reviews, when they are able to gain access to them and what they offer in them. It first becomes clear to me that the major tech blogs all get their products for free to review before they are released, while we are purchasing our products for review (yikes). More so, the reviews I’ve found are in depth, but many times are not useful. Here is what I mean; many reviews get extremely technical and in depth, and that might be great for the tech crowd, but chances are that crowd already knows about the products and their likes and dislikes. This leaves those who really need the reviews to decide if this is the right product for them. This crowd has nowhere to turn to. They don’t need to know about the processor versus last year, versus 8 other products. They want to know about this product, what it does, and how it does it. With that information they can make up their mind about the product.

For this reason, I’m introducing a new series if reviews called “The Everyday Review”. The goal of this review is to take a product and start looking at it from an everyday consumer’s eyes. I’ll ask questions like: How easy is it to set up when you take it out of the box? How is the layout of the device? Can I easily integrate it into my other products, and how might it handle during day-to-day use? For example, although there will be some talks about features, the idea of my Sony W330 review was simple. The person who is buying this is looking for a good budget-friendly camera. They are not looking for 100 different settings and options. They want to know: When I take this camera out of the box, what can I do with it? How does it handle when I take it outside for a trip and shoot some normal pictures (not sit there and compare ISO settings in one light vs another vs 5 other cameras). And that’s exactly what I did. After the basic setup, I took the camera out for two days and just took pictures like most people would. Here is my experience with the camera after a 2 day shooting spree and another week of intermediate use.

Hit the jump for the full review and sample pictures.

Sony Alpha NEX-5 Hands On

by Sohrab Osati | May 26, 2010 | 2 comments

Ok yea, we wish it was us. We’re hoping one day, Sony will use the Contact Us button and actually give us units to look and review and post about here. Until then though, we wont be shunning you from experiencing any Sony news. So remember the NEX series we have been covering and drooling over? Well here is a little video to further entice you. I can’t wait to see what the NEX-7 can do then.

Japan Will Finally Get Sony DSC-H55

by Sohrab Osati | May 26, 2010 | 7 comments

So, you know how Sony has a tendency of giving Japan things first now and then? We finally strike back! USA! USA! We have had the Sony DSC-H55 for a while now, but Japan is set to get this unit on June 4th. Some specs of the DSC-H55 are:

14.1 Megapixel Super HAD CCD Camera
3-inch LCD
10x Optical Zoom (25-250mm)
Sony G Lens
HD Video in MPEG-4 720/30p
Face detection
Support SD, SDHC and SDXC cards.

I’m still torn between the TX7 and the HX5 for the replacement of my T300. Normally, I would go with the TX7 hands down, except that the HX5 has a built in GPS and I love geo-tagging my photos and then viewing them on iPhoto on my iPad and being able to see where they were taken. Decisions, decisions. Although, Sony could make this easy on me and give me both to review? What do you say, Sony? Contact Us?

Sony Cybershot Time Travels To Leica II Camera Era. Skynet Follows

by Sohrab Osati | May 20, 2010 | 2 comments

Remember the good old days of the Leica II camera and lugers and fresh milk being delivered to your door? Neither do I. but at least one person did, and thought, “Huh, a digital camera back then would have been more convenient”. This then turned into “How can I stuff a cybershot DSX-WX1 into the body of a Leica II camera?”

Watch the video after the jump!

First Sony Alpha 290 Images And Specs

by Sohrab Osati | May 19, 2010 | 0 comments

It’s been a long time coming, but the successor to the entry level Alpha 230 looks to be the A290. Although there is no word on the pricing since Sony has not revealed the unit yet, there are quite a few specs that we can report on. The Alpha comes with:

14 megapixel CCD with a BIONZ image processor
a maximum 3200 ISO
2.7-inch LCD
2.5fps maximum shooting speed.

The Alpha 290 can use the Sony Memory Stick or SDHC and will come with a 18 – 55mm lens. Good time to upgrade to the new Memory Sticks huh?

[Via SonyAlphaRumors]

Sony NEX-7 With 1080p Video?

by Sohrab Osati | May 14, 2010 | 71 comments

So we brought you news of the upcoming Sony NEX-3 and NEX-5 cameras. Of course besides its beautiful design, what makes these cameras to amazing is its lens capability and the option to shoot up to 1080i. But what about us video whores who like 1080p? Well there might be an option for us too. Rumor has it that the NEX-7 will be able to shoot 1080p at up to 60fps, or 720p at 120fps vs the NEX-3 and NEX-5 shooting 720p/1080i video. All you might need for your next vacation is just a NEX camera? Of course, the NEX3 and 5 will be out by mid June where the NEX-7 isnt expected till late this year.

Even Faster Memory Stick Pro Duos Are Coming

by Sohrab Osati | May 13, 2010 | 6 comments

There is already two series in the Memory Stick Pro Duo family. First, is just the good old fashioned Memory Stick Pro Duo which is what I use in my Sony T300 and now W330 and previous units as well. It’s the slower of the family but for a point and shoot, more then enough. Then comes the higher end, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo HX. Those are the faster of the series currently which are aimed at those who use DSLR like the Alpha series or for your HD Camcorder. You will also note that they have an orange dash on them as oppose to being all black so if you have both, you dont accidently grab the wrong one. Well, things are about to get faster and that dosent mean there will be a Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo HX-Type R. Nope, Sony is just pumping up the speeds to these units. The new will offer maximum capacity of 32GB and transfer rates of 30MB/s which will be faster then any SD card out there which only offer a max of 20MB/s. Expect these units to land in late Summer.

Now how would you like to hit the jump to ready about the press release?

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New Sony Alpha NEX-5 and NEX-3 Hybrid Cameras

by Sohrab Osati | May 12, 2010 | 4 comments

Announced yesterday was Sony’s new interchangeable-lens cameras and they look good. The two new Alpha models are the NEX-3 and the NEX-5 and will be available in July. These cameras are impressively compact and sleek which will appeal to DSLR buyers who don’t want the bulk or weight of a normal DSLR. Both models will be 14.2 megapixels with a tilting 3″ LCD screen, great for video recording. I feel many will be drawn to the hybrid design that Sony has created and its affordability. I personally have a point and shoot camera but would like more of the manual functions and professional feel of interchanging lenses. This is a great solution to this issue that many have and it’s the first type of interchangeable that is small enough to feel like a point and shoot.

Both the NEX-5 and NEX-3 will support SD, SDHC and SDXC cards as well as a memory stick. One slot in the camera will take both formats. You can also record HD video on these with a dedicated movie record button and show it off on an HDTV with the HDMI out port. The NEX-5 will record HD video in 1080i while the NEX-3 will record up to 720p. Below are the pricing options for the two model kits:

NEX-3

$550 with flash and 16mm prime lens
$600 with flash and 18mm prime lens
Polycarbonite body available in silver, black and red color

NEX-5

$650 with flash and 16mm prime lens
$700 with flash and 18mm prime lens
Magnesium alloy w body with larger grip

A wide variety of E mount lenses will be available to purchase from Sony. One drawback is the flash is an additional add-on that will cost consumers. But wait! Thankfully Sony will include a flash with the camera and it’s no issue at all. Other add-on accessories can also be purchased for the top slot like a stereo microphone for enhanced sound when recording video or an optical viewfinder. I can’t wait to try the NEX cameras hands-on and see for myself DLSR quality photos in such a small and compact size. Santa might be seeing one of these on my list this year.

If you are ready to purchase one of these beauties or want to check out accessories and lenses Sony will offer for these cameras, go to Sony Style. Click the jump for more photos and a video trailer for the NEX-5 which shows more features the camera can do.

Sony Camcorders To Get Interchangeable Lenses

by Sohrab Osati | May 11, 2010 | 57 comments

Now this is what I’m talking about. For too long, Sony has had so many different segments that didn’t talk to each other and didn’t complement each other, other then the fact that they both would probably use a Memory Stick. Meet the new Sony HD Camcorders that are to be released this Fall. What makes these guys unique is that they are equipped with the new APC-C sized sensors for sharper quality, as well as low light sensitivity and accuracy. Better yet, these units can sport the Exmor APC HD CMOS sensor and E Mount interchangeable lenses which also happens to be what the Sony Alphas currently use.

The reason I’m excited about this is a two parted. One, the quality on these new lenses and the new image sensor that Sony uses is superb. But from a business stand point, as a consumer, I would be more likely to stick within the Sony family if I know my Alpha lens benefits my Camcorder and vise versa. Bravo Sony.

Hit the jump as always for another shot and a video.

Leaked: Sony EX3 prototype 3D camcorder

by Sohrab Osati | May 7, 2010 | 21 comments

The guys over at Engadget have a very juicy story about the prototype Sony EX3 3D camcorder. What makes this camera so beautiful is that the size is something very manageable, so this camera can give smaller studios, news rooms, productions, and films all-access to 3D. This is something that Sony is very much on the forefront with their 3D televisions and the PS3 gaining 3D. Of course, all of this comes hot on the heels of Sony announcing their own Red Camera competitor.

What’s more fascinating about this camera that is also gives you the option to interchange its lenses to gain the shot that you want. This also means that you don’t need to own multiple 3D cameras. This one camera can adapt to your shooting style with just a change of the lens.

Some of the details are:
three half-inch CMOS eyeballs that stream 4:2:0 MPEG-2 video at 1080p to SxS memory cards at 35Mbps per eye,
or send uncompressed 4:4:4 footage over a new pair of HD-SDI outputs.

[Via Engadget]

Sony DSLR Concept

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 27, 2010 | 1 comment

Industrial design student Ryan David Francis has created this Sony DSLR concept that is based around the idea of people who really prefer to use the view finder as oppose to the LCD. As you can see, the back curvature of the camera is designed to align with your face for a more comfortable sitting. I love it.

Hit the jump for more shots.

New Marketing Strategy For Sony

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 26, 2010 | 73 comments

Starting Monday (today), Sony is going to kick off a new year long ad campaign that includes many of its portfolio stars, starting off with Taylor Swift, showing off the Cyber-shot DSC-TX7. This will be a series of star-studded spots that Sony ( SNE – news – people ) plans to roll out this year, as a part of a $100-million-plus TV, print and digital ad campaign. Each ad will feature a Sony-affiliated celebrity to pitch its electronic products, such as its 3-D television and its e-reader. The idea of this new campaign is that instead of focusing in on the many products that Sony makes, it will aim for a particular market and let them know of the product. For example, in 2008 Sony spent nearly $5 billion on their global ad campaigns that ranged from laptops to DVD players.

First, I have to say that I’m floored by this. I’m wondering if of that $5 billion, $4.9 billion was spent outside of the states. Ask any Playstation owner and they will tell you that Sony has had no air presence whatsoever; Microsoft has dominated the airwaves with its Xbox ads. No matter what show or channel you watch, when they produced a big game (i.e. Halo or Gears of War), they had endless commercials running. Most of all, the sheer number of commercials and TV shows that the 360 is in as product placement is insane. This of course has been something that has hurt the PS3 and the PSP and thus, their software sales. I will give it to Sony though for their efforts with Kevin Butler in the past year. Those ads are fantastic and hilarious. My issue in this case is: where were they the other 3 years? I also mention this because the PlayStation brand is one important aspect of their business but Sony is fighting off too many players in too many markets. In the TV market you see Samsung commercials left and right. Computers and cell phones and it’s either iPhone/Droid or MacBook/HP. And for cameras, Canon and Nikon. Yet, we never see any form of Sony add showing us off their products.

Sony Counters RED Camera

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 19, 2010 | 7 comments

The RED Camera is something that has won the hearts and minds of independent film makers and local TV stations alike. This is a professional grade, 24fps, full 1080p camera. Sure it might not give the quality and features that professional studio cameras that Sony itself makes, but for the market that it targets, it offers everything and more at a price that has been very affordable compared to the alternative.

Now enters Sony, who showed off a prototype “entry level 35mm” camcorder at this years NAB. Sony has promised that the camera will be for everybody and will indeed be ready by this time next year. The things we currently don’t know about the camera are resolution, codec support, dynamic range, etc but just the announcement alone is noteworthy because of the quality everybody has come to expect from Sony camcorders in the professional world. Plus, for the target audience we mentioned, this presents another choice and competition is always a good thing (for the consumer, anyway).