Sony will soon announce the new “Sony A7C” super compact FF E-mount camera

SonyAlphaRumors shared the specs of the next new Full Frame E-mount camera:

Sony A7c specs:

  • In mid September Sony will announce the new “Sony A7c” entry level Full Frame compact camera
  • similar Sony A7III specs (SAR note: I guess it means same 24MP sensor and same AF performance)
  • It has the same A7sIII fully articulating screen
  • body size of the A6600
  • The camera will be marketed for vloggers and youtubers
  • Battery is NP-FZ100,
  • USB is Type-C.
  • it has a single SD card slot
  • It has both a mic-in and a headphone jack
  • Wi-Fi (11a/b/g/n/ac) and Bluetooth
  • price will be above A7III (slightly above $2,000)
  • New lens line will be announced too: The compact lenses will have the code “V”

Is the vlogger market really the main market now?

Press text leaked: Fujinon XF 50mm f/1.0 Press Text – World’s First F1.0 Autofocus Mirrorless Lens

This is the press text for the new Fujinon XF 50mm f/1.0 lens that will be announced on Sept 3:

World’s First F1.0 Autofocus Lens for Mirrorless Cameras

As the world’s first autofocus F1.0 lens made for any mirrorless system, including full-frame, XF50mm F1.0 brings more light to the sensor than any previous XF lens, making it possible for the autofocus to operate at -7EV luminance level. The previous limit of -6EV luminance level was achieved using lenses with a maximum aperture of F1.4, X Series users now have fast and precise low-light autofocus, even in near-darkness. With the added benefits of on-sensor Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF), Face/ Eye AF and a powerful DC motor, precise and fast autofocus at shallow depths of field is now a possibility.

Incredibly Shallow Depth-of-Field

The XF50mm F1.0 R WR consists of 12 lens elements in nine groups and also contains one aspherical element and two ED elements to achieve optimum control of spherical aberration. Used at or near to its maximum F1.0 aperture, XF50mmF1.0 R WR can produce an astonishingly narrow depth-of-field. Its precision-engineered, rounded diaphragm produces large, smooth bokeh for a professional look, allowing photographers to create portraits with a striking simplicity and an almost three-dimensional quality with wonderful edge-to-edge sharpness. Photographers can use this new power in selective focus to keep only the subject’s eyes in focus and make captivating close-up character studies. But it’s not just for portraits. Take this lens out onto the street or into a lifestyle session and one can turn cluttered locations into clean backdrops with unrivaled subject separation.

Great in low-light

The very wide maximum aperture on XF50mmF1.0 R WR means there are more options when it comes to making images in low-light conditions. At night, or in darkened interiors, XF50mmF1.0 R WR offers the widest apertures yet seen on an XF lens, allowing more light to be drawn in to make an image. XF50mmF1.0 R WR lens also easily achieves fast shutter speeds that freeze movement and keep ISO settings lower for detail-rich results. Alternatively, combine high ISO settings with the F1.0 aperture for incredible versatility and use in other low-light applications like astrophotography.

Precise Focus

To make the most of its super-shallow depth-of-field, focusing must be precise. As a result, XF50mmF1.0 has a focus ring that is eight times more accurate than any previous XF lens. This makes it possible to change the focus from the minimum focusing distance to infinity very precisely. For this, XF50mm F1.0 R WR uses 120o of rotation in its focusing ring to let users focus manually without error – and achieve accurate focus when using an X Series camera’s Focus Peaking and Focus Assist modes. The 120o of rotation also makes autofocus movements notably precise and deliberate, while the lens’s engineering is designed to minimise focus shift effects when making images.

Weather resistant

This lens is sealed in 11 locations to protect against moisture and dust, as well as being capable of use in temperatures down to -10°C

via nokishita via Fujirumors

Panasonic manager confesses: Compact fixed lens camera business is “going down”

Say goodby to the LX100 line :(

In an interview released by Imaging Resource Panasonic admitted the fixed lens camera business is no more:

“this category is affected by the smartphone’s expansion. But still, there are people who continue to use this model. But we have to admit that this category will be going down. And so as a camera business, we have to decide the priority of the development resources, which category is the most important. We have to study for the future.”

They also said this about their system cameras:

  1. Micro Four Thirds will focus on hybrid shooters and telephoto segment
  2. They want L-mount to become the main platform for video shooters (and dethrone PL-mount)

It ain’t going to be easy. Canon and Sony are pushing hard in the video orld too!