Sony isn't about to be left behind in any facet of video technology, be it camera, console, or display. They've got a model at every conceivable price point for every person out there. There have been some leaks of a new budget mirrorless camera, and now we finally have our first glimpse. Sony has unveiled the A58, a digital SLT (single lens translucent mirror), and the least expensive E-mount mirrorless camera in their lineup, the NEX-3N. They're cheap, they're light, and they'll render "vivid, ultra-realistic colors" on special OLED displays. Read on for some details and beauty shots.
Sony SLT-A58
Specs:
- 20.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS Sensor
- Sony Alpha/A-mount
- AVCHD video at 1920×1080 50i/25p and 60i/30p/24p
- ISO 100 - 16,000 (25,600 with Multi-Frame NR)
- 5 frames-per-second burst mode
- "An improved BIONZ image processing engine" for better noise performance and clarity up to ISO 16000
- "First-ever A-mount interchangeable lens camera from Sony that offers support for new 'TRILUMINOS Color.' You’ll experience a dramatically expanded palette of vivid, ultra-realistic colours when videos and still images are played back on any BRAVIA TV with support for 'TRILUMINOS' [OLED] Display."
There have also been a few new A-mount lenses announced, courtesy SonyAlphaRumors:
- 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II telephoto zoom – $2750
- Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM – $2000
- DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM II zoom – $275
Pricing should set the A58 under $700, including a new 18-55mm SAM II lens (no promises). Footage shot with this camera will be very interesting to see in Triluminos-vision, even with its limited platform-specific support. The same can be said for the other camera Sony's announced:
Sony NEX-3N Mirrorless
Specs:
- 16.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS Sensor
- Sony E-mount
- AVCHD video at 1920×1080 50i/25p and 60i/30p/24p
- ISO 200 – 16000 for stills, ISO 200 – 3200 equivalent in movie mode
- 180-degree tiltable LCD screen
- HDMI Type D-out
- "Weighing ~210g, the NEX-3N is the world’s smallest, lightest interchangeable-lens camera with a large APS-C sized sensor among interchangeable-lens cameras with anAPS-C sensor and pop-up flash, as of Feb 2013"
- "The NEX-3N is also the first NEX interchangeable lens camera from Sony that offers support for new 'TRILUMINOS Colour' [OLED] displays"
It doesn't seem like any of these will be world cameras based on the spec sheet, so the frame rates are what we would expect as a combination from both of them. It also doesn't look like either offers 60p or 50p based on the spec sheets offered so far.
Sony hasn't announced definite pricing, but Gizmodo wagers the NEX-3N will be priced around $500-$600. It's also not entirely clear what implications the Triluminos Color 'expanded gamut' will have on the quality of imaging, other than exactly what's been stated: i.e., the stuff will look beautiful on applicable display screens. What effects, if any, this will have on these cameras' viability, buyability, or desirability to DSLR-genre filmmakers will definitely be something we'll be keeping you in the loop about.
For more of what's already out there regarding these cameras, SonyAlphaRumors has (and still is, from the looks of things) compiling a strong hub of links on all of this. If you're interested, check out links below.
Links:
- Never miss the moment: the new α58 from Sony
- Easy to handle, easy to use: the new NEX-3N by Sony puts pro-quality images in everyone’s reach
- (Continually updated) Sony A58 and NEX-3n officially announced! And new A-mount lenses too! -- SonyAlphaRumors
[via The Verge]
