(High credibility rumor) The new Leica mirrorless non-rangefinder camera could be named “Leica SL”!

(High credibility rumor):

Leica_SL
The current Leicaflex SL (on sale on eBay).

The Taiwan government agency NCC and the Russian agency Novacert registered a new Leica camera which has yet not been announced. The Taiwan government requires all new Wifi capable devices to be registered before they go on sale.

The new Leica camera name is “Leica SL“. This is highly likely going to be the name of Leica’s first Full Frame (non-rangefinder) mirrorles system camera! The camera will be announced in October. And if you wonder why Leica di chose the “SL” appendix than the answer is that one:

Our sources told us the new Leica camera will have a design inspired by the “Leicaflex SL” system (camera here on eBay). The Leicaflex was a camera with mirror but the new Leica SL will simply be a mirrorless camera with EVF in the middle of the body.

A couple of weeks ago one of those sources sent me this:

Coming soon: An interchangeable lens version of the Leica Q, with AF lenses. Due out in time for Photo Plus, in October.
This will not be the replacement to the M240 but rather a new system with new AF lenses, bulkier than the Q or M lines, with an EVF and lighter build despite the bulk. Sensor will be similar, if not the same, as the Q’s sensor. Anticipate that it will come bundled with a 50 mm f/2 Summicron lens and retail around $8,000 USD. Build quality will be comparable to the M line and Q line…much of the Q’s tech, including in body image stabilization, electronic shutter, and built in high res EVF, will be included. The camera may harken in design to Leicaflex bodies of years gone by…like a bulkier XT-1 with more simplified layout. This may end up being called the new “R” camera and may well take old R lenses via adapter, along with new AF R lenses. Not sure that it will take M lenses.

That sounds cool…and expensive!

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NCC link found via Digicameinfo. Novacert link via Mistral. Thanks!

Sony news: A6xxx launch delayed, A7rII firmware update, phase detection patent.

I have three short Sony news to report today:

1) One source reports the Sony A6xxx launch got again(!) delayed til early 2016. The reason seems to be the unexpected huge amount of A7rII preorders that Sony has to fulfill. Capacity has to be used to produce more units. Also because Sony has a higher win margin on those kind of cameras. Plus sensor production is already at 100% so even there they have to limit the production of new camera sensors.

2) The A7rII firmware got updated. But still no 14Bit RAW yet. More at SonyAlphaRumors.

3) Sony is working to improve their phase detection autofocus. A new patent has been spotted by Egami that can double the current autofocus speed! More at Imaging Rsource.

Sony Europe launches Gold Box deals through Amazon!

SonyGermanyGoldBox

European E-mount camera owners will be very happy to read this! Today and for a very limited quantity you got the chance to buy seven E-mount lenses as a Gold Box deal on Amazon Germany. Just check those links at that specific hour and you wills ee how much Sony discounts them:
FE 35mm at 14:00 (Click here),
E-mount 16-50mm at 14:00 (Click here),
FE 55mm at 16:00 (Click here),
FE 28-70mm at 16:00 (Click here),
E-mount 16mm at 18:00 (Click here),
FE 24-70mm at 18:00 (Click here),
FE 16-35mm at 18:00 (Click here).

Canon ME20F-SH to ship end of October for $15,000?

Canon-ME20F-SH-Video-Camera-Clapway
Promotionhire claims that the actual price of the Canon ME20F-SH Full Frame mirrorless camera will be much less than the rumored $30,00 price. Actually it will cost exactly half of it! And shipment is expected to start earlier too, by end of October already!

Here is a presentation of the camera made by Cinema5D:

Can the A7s be hacked to unlock full 4K internal and 4:2:2 recording?

Nabil Fatih says he is working on new Sony A7s hack which unlocks the full camera potential. This means internal 4K, 10 Bit 4:2:2 recording and a lot of other goodies. On the comments of the vimeo video he posted:

Sony Statements are often BS. So it doesn’t matter what Sony say or not.
The 8bit 420 lock was made in purpose to push you buying pro cameras like the FS7 for example, same goes to the micro transaction with 4K upgrade and co on different camera, for example the future update for FS5, Sony will ask you to pay to add DCI 4K, they call their camera 4K when they are not, 3840 = 3K Horizontal line and 2160p still remains 2K Vertical lines, DCI 4K is what supposed to be 4K, real 4K = Square 4096×4096, so when Sony or other brand said 4K camera, do you think is a correct information ?.
A7S is totally capable of offering 10bit 422 without any problem.