Alphatracks

June 10, 2010: Remember when Sony waited a full 18 months to introduce a new dSLR after releasing the A100? Now it seems they seldom wait more than 18 days before releasing a new model. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but the Sony dSLR factory will soon be cranking out two new entry-level models: the A290 and A390.

Sony is aiming the new A-mount cameras at first time dSLR users, and the specs are similar to earlier Alpha starter dSLRs. The new cameras are obviously closely related, the principle difference being the tilting live view system on the A390.

Both cameras will use a 14.2 megapixel sensor, and they include the usual Sony Alpha feature set: Steady Shot image stabilization, Sony and Minolta A-mount lens compatibility, pop-up flash and 9-point auotfocus system.

A couple of things set the new modles apart from earlier editions. There is a new grip design, which Sony claims is more comfortable to use. in addition, both cameras include HDMI output and BRAVIA Sync, so you can view images on your big-screen television if you are so inclined.

Because Sony is targeting first time dSLR buyers with these cameras, both models include Sony’s on-screen Help Guide and Graphic Display program.

The tilting live-view follows the design first offered in the A350 and A300.

Sony of Europe has announced that the A290 and A390 will be available in Summer 2010. Will the new cameras be sold in the United States? So far, there is no mention of the new cameras on Sony’s US web site. The Sony A450, profiled here some months back, has been on the market for several months…but it is not sold in the US.

Will Sony offer the A290/A390 in the USA? Or do they have something else in mind?

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One of the most intriguing things about the Sony Alpha NEX-5 and NEX-3 cameras is that you can use your existing A-mount lenses on the new models. Well, sort of. You need the Sony LA-EA1 adapter to mount an A-mount lens on the NEX system, and that involves some minor sacrifices. Overall, however, your current lenses should deliver great images on the NEX system.

The LA-EA1 is a far cry from the simple adapters used to mount non A-mount lenses on the Sony Alpha. It differs from the typical simple machined ring found in  MC to A-mount adapters or M-42 lens conversion mounts. The A-mount to NEX adapter is a sophisticated piece of electronics.

Unlike Minolta Rokkor or M-42 lenses, A-mount lenses from Sony and Minolta do not have an aperture adjusting ring, Older style lenses have a mechanical ring that allows the user to change the aperture opening manually. When Minolta introduced the Maxxum cameras in 1985, however, they did away with the aperture ring and used electronics inside the camera to regulate the aperture. If desired, the photographer could still manipulate the aperture manually, but it had to be done through a menu on the camera body.

This makes a conversion adapter for A-mount lenses more challenging to design. Conventional adapters rely on the user manually setting the aperture. Since there is no external method for changing the aperture on an A-mount lens, any useful adapter needs to provide a way for the camera to actually control the lens electronically.

Admittedly, it isn’t difficult to pass electrical information through an adapter. but the adapter needs to be designed so the camera’s aperture control can control the lens.

The LA-EA1 can do just that, providing automatic — and presumably manual — control of the lens from the camera’s  controls. Since the auto-diaphragm on the A-mount lenses is also controlled electronically, the new adapter will provide auto-diaphragm capability as well.

What the adapter will not provide, however is auto-focusing. The overwhelming majority of A-mount lenses do not have internal focusing motors, so the adapter is not designed to offer auto-focus.

The other limitation is image stabilization. Sony Alpha dSLRs are famous for having image stabilization built into the body. In order to make the NEX bodies as small as possible, however, Sony engineered the small cameras to use in-lens stabilization. As a result, A-mount lenses mounted to the NEX series cameras will not have stabilization.

One other interesting feature of the adapter is the built-in tripod collar. The NEX series cameras are so small that there might be problems using a heavy lens on the camera while it is on a tripod. Sony eliminated the problem by incorporating a standard tripod mount within the adapter. You merely hang the camera body on the adapter, while all the weight of the lens is borne by the adapter.

The LA-EA1 is available for pre-order at Sony Style for $199.00.

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E-Mount Lenses for the Alpha NEX series

May 17, 2010 Sony has introduced a brand new lens mount for the NEX series, which will be known as the E-Mount. Older A-mount lenses from Sony and Minolta can be used through the LA-EA1 NEX Alpha Camera Mount Adapter, but if you want Auto-Focus and Image Stabilization, you will need E-mount lenses,

Sony is introducing the NEX cameras with catalog of three lenses. Undoubtedly the E-mount lens line will grow, but for the time being the available lenses include:

16mm f/2.8 Pancake lens

The smallest and lightest E-mount lens is the 16mm f/2.8 pancake prime lens. The term pancake referrers to the narrow appearance when attached to the camera. This is one of the two “kit” lenses offered for the NEX series.

Like all cameras with APS-C sensors, the 16mm focal length doesn’t provide as wide a view as a 16mm lens on a 35mm, full-frame camera. The crop factor is 1.5, which means that the 16mm lens will provide the view of a 24mm lens on a 35mm camera.

Besides being the widest lens in the E-Mount series, the 16mm lens is also the fastest at f/2.8. This is suitable for shooting in poor light, but you will need to increase the ISO to match the low-light capabilities of the f/1.8 or f/1/4 A-Mount dSLR lenses.

Unlike the Sony Alpha dSLRs, which have in-body image-stabilization, the NEX cameras require in-lens stabilization. Sony has built stabilization into all of the initial E-Mount lenses, including the 16mm f/2.8

You should consider this lens if you want to shoot with available light, shoot wide-angle views (real-estate interiors, scenic vistas) or want to carry your NEX camera in a (large) pocket.

The SEL16F28 will list for $250.

Sony has announced two auxiliary converters for the NEX 16mm f/2.8. One converts the lens to a fisheye, while the other creates a much wider view. I’ll discuss the converters in another post

18-55mm f/F3.5-F5.6 zoom lens

The other available kit lens is the 18-55mm f/3.5-5/6 zoom lens. Although not as wide or as fast as the 16mm pancake, the 18-55mm lens offers a convienent wide-angle to short-telephoto zoom range. At the wide end, the 18mm setting will yield roughly the same field of view as a 27mm lens on a 35mm camera. At the other side of the scale, the 55mm length will be equivalent to 82.5mm on a full frame SLR.

The lens isn’t a speed demon, as the maximum aperture at the wide end is f/3.5, while at the telephoto side the aperture drops to f/5.6. Still, with the built image stabilization, the lens should be fast enough for most photography situations.

The minimum focusing distance is a respectable 9.8″ (0.25m). The filter ring diameter is 49mm.

Chose this lens for portrait or all around shooting in good light. It is isn’t as pocketable as the 16mm pancake, but it offers more versatility.

List price for the SEL1855 lenses will be $300.

18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 zoom lens

If you want or need longer telephoto capabilities, Sony will be adding a 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 zoom to the E-mount line up in the fall of 2010. This will not be offered in a kit package, at least initially. Since Sony currently doesn’t market the NEX models in a body-only package, buyers will need to buy a camera with a lens, then purchase the 18-200mm zoom as an accessory.

Since the big zoom completely overlaps the 18-55mm lens, it makes little sense to buy the 18-55mm kit lens, then buy the 18-200 zoom. To my mind, it would make much more sense to buy the kit with the 16mm prime lens if you plan to buy the 18-200mm zoom.

The crop factor on this lens makes it equivalent to 27-300mm lens on a 35mm camera. This lens also features the Active Mode image stabilization that Sony claims makes it possible to shoot movies while walking.

Of course all lenses are compromise and the big zoom has a slow maximum aperture of f/6.3 at the 200mm focal length. That is fine for outdoor shooting in bright sunlight, but don’t expect to shoot indoor basketball action at f/6.3.

The SEL18200 zoom lens should be available this fall for about $800.

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May 12, 2010: As expected, Sony formally announced their new mirror-less digicams, the Nex-3 and Nex-5 on Tuesday. Both cameras carry the Alpha brand, but aside from the Alpha logo and sensor size, they don’t share anything with the Sony dSLR models.

Both EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder, Interchangeable Lens)  models use the same 14.2 mp, APS-C Exmor sensor. The primary difference between the two models is video. The Nex-3 captures 720p MP4 High Definition video, while the Nex-5 can record AVCHD files in Full HD (1920 x 1080i).

The body on the Nex-3 is polycarbonate, while the Nex-5 is crafted from magnesium alloy.

The new cameras share a new lens system, while Sony has dubbed the E-Mount. Sony hasn’t forgotten A-Mount Alpha users, however, as there will be an extra cost adapter that will mate A-Mount lenses to the Nex models.

The adapter is far more advanced than the adapters used to mount MD/MC and M42 lenses on Alpha dSLRs. Because the Alpha mount lenses have no manual aperture control, the adapter has to send signals from the camera to the lens to regulate the f/stop. Sony hasn’t provided full details on the adapter as yet, but the release suggests that legacy A-mount images will be manual focus only.

They have shown the adapter, however. It incorporates  a solid tripod mount, so you will be able to use your heaviest A-Mount lenses on the Nex twins without fear of straining the tiny camera body. No word on whether auto-diaphragm will operate with A-Mount lenses.

Sony has announced three E-Mount lenses: a 16mm f/2.8 pancake prime, a 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom and a nice 18-200 f/3.5-6.3 zoom. Apparently rumors that the new cameras will use in-lens stabilization is true as the zooms offer Sony’s Optical Steady Shot, similar to what is used in Sony Handicam camcorders.

There are many situations where composing on the rear LCD won’t cut it, especially if you have to use manual focus with legacy glass. I recently had to chance to play with the extra-cost, eye-level viewfinder on an Olympus 4/3 camera, and it made a huge difference in usability. I was afraid that Sony might ignore this need, but Nex accessories include the FDA-SV1 Optical Viewfinder. Sony isn’t offering much info on the optical viewfinder, but I will be hugely disappointed if it doesn’t equal the one Olympus offers.

Flash options are a bit of a mystery. Some of the press images show a flash above the lens, but there are no flashes shown in the accessory options. Will there be a popup flash? How will an auxiliary flash attach to the camera? Can you use off-camera flash? Sony isn’t saying, so we will have determine this as the Nex models become available.

Other accessories include an auxiliary stereo microphone and an AC adapter. Both camera’s include built-in stereo recording abilities, but the accessory mic apparently provides superior sound quality.

Equipped with the SEL16F28 lens, the Nex-3 will list about $550, with the Nex-5 selling for about $100 more. NEX-5K and NEX-3K cameras, come with the SEL1855 lens will list around $700 and $600 respectively. Sony has not published prices for the lens mount adapter, auxiliary viewfinder and the other accessories.

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May 10, 2010 If you’ve been caught up in the excitement of the imminent Nex-3 and Nex-5 EVIL cameras from Sony, you may have overlooked the bells tolling for the A900.

Several rumor sites are claiming that Sony’s Hong Kong site is listing the A900 as discontinued.

Curious, I checked the site myself. I couldn’t find anything expressly saying  the A900 was discontinued, but significantly, the A900 was not listed among the Alpha dSLRs offered for sale. The site lists the top model as the A850.

It could be a simple error, but I am inclined the rumors have at least some truth to them, I don’t have access to sales figures, but I would guess that A900 sales have flatlined since the introduction of the Sony A850. The cameras are nearly identical, but the A850 can save you several hundred dollars. Unless you really, really need the faster frame rate of the A900, the A850 is a much better bargain.

Does this mean the A850 is the new flagship? I doubt it. I would assume that there is a new flagship on the launching ways, and Sony will replace the A900 with something better. At least I hope that is the case.

Some of the rumor sites are expecting an A900 replacement to be announced along side the new Sony EVIL twins.

I’m not so sure about that. I think a brand new top-of-the-line dSLR deserves it’s own special day. At the same time, a completely new camera system should have it’s own special day.

I could be wrong, but I would expect we will see the Sony Nex models first, with a new full-frame dSLR (if there is one coming soon) following some time afterward.

We may know as soon as tomorrow, as Sony has apparently chosen May 11 to announce the Nex system.

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April 28, 2010: Website SonyAlphaRumors has posted photos they say they received from an anonymous reader. The source claims to have snapped the images in a bar in Asia. While the story sounds a bit like the recent Gizmoto-Apple iPhone dustup, apparently the Nex3 was not left at the bar and no one tried to sell the prototype to anyone.

Like any prototype/rumor story, there is no way to confirm that the camera in the photos will resemble the final product, but I would guess it is pretty close. The word is that Sony will introduce the new cameras on May 11, so it would seem that any real-world testing would involve prototypes that are very close to the real deal.

SonyAlphaRumors expects there will be two models at launch, the Nex3 and Nex5. The principle difference between the two will be the video capabilities, with the Nex5 shooting at 1080p, and the Nex3 limited to 720p. Both cameras will use a APS-C size, 14mp ExmorHD sensor.

SAR is also claiming that unlike the Sony Alpha dSLRs, the Nex models will not have image stabilization in the body. They claim the 16mm 2.8 lens shown in the photos has image stabilization built in to it. SAR theorizes that this will make it easier to add stabilization for video recording.

While most commentators are obsessed with the lens, I was much more intrigued by the flash unit. I had assumed that the new cameras would have some sort of pop-up flash, but the camera in the bar shots is using what appears to be a small, detachable external flash. The flash doesn’t resemble any current Sony Alpha flash, so it will apparently be a new design. Since the mockups at the PMA show did not have a hot shoe, I’m not sure how the flash attaches to the Nex3 and Nex5.

There may still be a small pop-up flash on the cameras, with the external flash providing better flash range. On the other hand, it is possible that there is no popup flash and you will need an external flash for any auxiliary illumination. If so, I hope Sony offers an off-camera cord so users can move the flash away from the camera.

Finally, I am really hoping Sony will offer an external viewfinder, similar to the one Olympus sells for their micro four-thirds models. I was able to play with one of these recently and the extra-cost viewfinder made a real difference when shooting in direct sunlight.

Time will tell, as May 11 is less than two weeks away. Bring it!

Visit the Nex3 and Nex5 pages at SonyAlphaRumors.

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April 22. 2010 A few weeks ago, I attended the “Picture Perfect” weekend at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. The program included several photo workshops and gear demonstrations. After the workshop concluded, I wandered over to the Orchid Conservatory and collected some new images.

The conservatory is great location for photographs. In the first place, it is filled with exotic, colorful flowers, most of which you won’t see in the average garden. So the conservatory offers up an almost unlimited array of vivid subjects.

Beyond that, the lighting at the DSBG Conservatory is fantastic. There is glass in nearly every direction, and the resulting shadow-free light can turn an ordinary snapshot into a portfolio photo.

Finally, because you are indoors, there is no breeze to disturb the leaves and petals. Don’t get me wrong, I love taking my Sony Alpha dSLR outdoors and capturing nature photos. But when you are trying to capture razor sharp close-ups, any kind of breeze becomes a frustration. You get the composition just right, then a cats paw comes up and shifts your subject around.

Inside a conservatory, there are no sudden gusts, so the flowers remain stationary while you arrange your shot. You can take all the time you need to set up your image, confident that the focus and composition won’t change.

I put together a gallery of my best images from the DSBG Orchid Conservatory. While there was plenty of light to shoot hand-held, I used a tripod for the bulk of the shooting that day. Because my subjects were unlikely to move, placing the camera on a tripod allowed me to set critical focus knowing I wouldn’t shift the lens toward or away from the flowers.

Although I used a wide-ange lens to capture some establishing shots, photographing orchids is work for long lenses. I used the Minolta 70-210 f/4 “beercan” for the majority of my gallery images. The beercan features a close-focusing mode, as well as wonderful bokeh in the out of focus areas.

I’m pretty happy with my results. If there is an indoor conservatory in your area, grab a tripod, your camera and some long, close-focusing lenses. If it is anything liker the Daniel Stowe Conservatory, you will come away with some great photos!

View the DSBG Orchid Gallery

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BarCamp Charlotte returned to Area 15 in Charlotte’s NODA district, and I was on hand for the third edition. BarCampCLT just keeps getting better, and I really enjoyed my time at the “un-conference.”

I’ve posted galleries of the pervious Charlotte Bar Camps on Alphatracks. For the third edition, I choose to shoot everything with available light; no flash. I also wound up shooting the entire day without using a single A-mount lens. My lenses for this shoot were the Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.4, the Rokkor 16mm f/2.8 and the Vivitar 135mm f/2.8.

I chose these lenses over my comparable A-mount lenses because they were the fastest lenses I own for their particular focal length. Most of my A-mount zooms feature a maximum aperture of f/3.5 or f/4 and I needed more aperture. So I used my older lenses with an A-mount adapter and would up setting the exposure manually for everything.

I wasn’t trying to be cute by limiting myself to non-auto-focus A-mount glass, it simply worked out that my fastest lenses for the task proved to be manual-focus lenses attached to the Sony Alpha A350 with an adapter.

I did bring a couple of flash units, but I elected not to use them, in-part because I had gotten nice available results at Area 15 in the past. Since the last time I was at the facility, however, the main room was extensively refurbished.

In the past, the walls were cream painted cinderblock and the ceiling beams were natural wood. Over the winter the artists at Area 15 gave the room a complete makeover. The walls are now covered in dark green and purple hues, while a dark brown color covers the ceiling.

The darker colors required shooting at a higher ISO, even with fast glass. I’m not suggesting the room itself is dark, as it is well-lit and airy. But the dark tones absorbed all the stray light, requiring me to use a higher ISO to capture the feel I was looking for.

Higher ISO, of course, creates more noise. The images still look good, but I think the flash images I shot in the past were cleaner overall. Still, it was nice to shoot candids without the flash alerting my subjects they were being photographed.

If you look through the entire BarCamp Charlotte 3 gallery, you’ll note the ISO I used varied between 200 and 1600. I shot RAW and processed everything in Adobe Lightroom. I used Lightroom’s noise reduction settings to clean up the noise in the 800 and 1600 ISO images.

Overall, I was pleased with the available light images. For the next Bar Camp, however, I think I may return to bouncing electronic flash off the ceiling for certain images.

Here is the Bar Camp Charlotte 3 photo gallery

The official Bar Camp Charlotte website

The Area 15 Website

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March 17, 2010 If you’ve got a strong stomach, you might want to take a look at the A200 photo essay on the English Russia website.

The photos examine a very mangled Sony Alpha A200 dSLR. I don’t know what happened to this camera, but it’s demise was very violent. It wasn’t just dropped or knocked off an end table.

Since the site doesn’t explain how the camera got in this state, I let my imagination fill in the blanks. It might have been tossed off the observation deck of a very tall building, or someone may have left it on the roof of their car and it flew off at 70mph. It might have been run over by a truck. My favorite theory is that a paparazzi tired to surprise Chuck Norris and Norris deftly dismantled his camera with his feet.

Whatever happened to the poor A200, its days as a fine photographic instrument are over. The only thing this wreck of a camera could capture is dust.

But that isn’t to say the dSLR is completely useless. It will never record an image to a memory card again, but it can serve as a learning tool. The people at the English Russia site grabbed a screwdriver and a working camera and proceeded with a thorough autopsy of the dead dSLR.

If you love fine cameras, the photos are disturbing, but fascinating. These photos may be a little too graphic for A200 owners. Consider this a warning. If you have nightmares after visiting the site, don’t blame me.

Not a dSLR repair manual

This is not a disassembly manual. These photos won’t teach you how to repair your Sony Alpha A200.

Instead, these images are reminiscent of a high-school biology class, where the students dissect a frog to see what is inside. The students don’t intend to put the frog back together afterward, so they simply cut away muscle and sinew to get to the more interesting bits underneath.

That’s exactly what happened with the A200. They dismembered the camera to see what was inside, knowing they couldn’t hurt anything. The camera was dead, repairing it wasn’t an option. So they delved deep into the innards and recorded what they found.

I’ve seen pristine cut-away cameras from Sony and other manufacturers. Those photos don’t have the impact the photos (apparently taken by Jollypix.com) have. Looking at the guts of the camera, you gain a deeper appreciation of the complexity inside an ordinary dSLR. Don’t forget that the A200 has fewer features than Sony’s high-end dSLRs. What would the innards of an Alpha A900 or A850 look like?

My original Minolta SRT was a fully mechanical camera. The only electronic hardware was in the meter. Each subsequent SLR I bought added additional circuitry, becoming more and more electronic inside.

Examining these amazing photos shows just how far cameras have advanced from the old mechanical cameras of the past. It also makes me wonder how the inside of my dSLR can be so packed with circuits and ribbon cable, yet be so reliable. It seems like there are all manner of things that could go wrong. Yet my cameras continue to function well and record outstanding images under very demanding conditions.

These images should make all of us appreciate our cameras and how special they are. They are also a reminder to the paparazzi in us all to keep our dSLRs away from Chuck Norris!

See the Sony dSLR dissection at the English Russia website.

Additional photo at Jollypix.com

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Probably the most controversial Sony PMA offering is the “mirroless” interchangeable lens camera. Many people are really excited about the mockups, while others are less than enthusiastic about them. Me?  I am squarely in the middle.

I am a huge SLR enthusiast, and I have yet to look through a electronic view finder (EVF) that approached the quality of a typical optical viewfinder. So, right off the bat, I am not a part of the target market for these new cameras, which many people have nick-named EVIL, after the EVF.

On the other hand, I am sure Sony must have done sufficient studies to justify creating this new line. If creating a new line of cameras helps drive bigger and better things from Sony’s photographic division, then I am all for it. There has been an incredible amount of interest in the EVF mock-ups, so if Sony brings them to market at the right price and feature set, they could be a true game changer.

It has been widely reported that the EVF models will have a APS-C size sensor. This is the same size as most of the Alpha dSLRs, and should yield very good image quality.

I am still concerned that the EVF cameras will apparently bear the Alpha brand. If the new cameras accept Alpha lenses, then this is a no brainer. If in fact, the new mini Alphas use a different lens mount, I think that is a problem.

Currently, with a few rare exceptions, all Sony Alphas can use the same lenses and accessories. The DT (APS-C coverage) lenses are not designed to cover the full-frame sensor on the premier A900 and A850. But Sony has made a provision so users can use these lenses on the full-frame models; you won’t get full frame coverage or the entire megapixel count, but the lenses are usable.

If the new cameras use an entirely different mount, then Sony will be developing two separate interchangeable lens lines. Again, if that drives the Alpha brand forward, then well and good. I worry however, that resources needed to expand the Sony dSLR line will be diverted to the new electronic viewfinder models.

In addition, a separate lens line creates a barrier wall between the two camera lines. If the new EVF cameras use the A-mount, then this is a excellent buyer retention strategy. New users may start with the EVF model. When they are ready to move up to a camera with more features, they will look for a dSLR. If the lenses and accessories carry over, this is a great way to encourage users to choose a Sony Alpha.

If the lens mounts differ, however, there is a barrier wall in place. If some one has a large selection of Sony Alpha EVF lenses, moving to the dSLR model is problematic. Do you simply expand your EVF system or dump everything and start from scratch?

If you do start from scratch, then there is no need to stick with the Sony Alpha. Since nothing carries over, you are free to choose any dSLR system you want. There might be some brand loyalty that keeps users in the Alpha camp, but unlike owning a quiver of A-mount lenses, there is no physical reason to remain with Sony.

The barrier wall works both ways. I have no interest in adding another system to my existing A-mount collection. It is difficult enough to stay current on the entire Alpha dSLR system without adding a whole new collection of cameras, lenses and accessories.

If however, I could leverage my current lens line with one of these EVF cams, I might consider it. I could keep one in the glove compartment so I would always have a quality camera handy. I could pack a small bag with some of my existing lenses for nature hikes. This is only mildly attractive for me me, however, if my current lenses work with the new cameras. If the A-Mount lenses don’t fit, there is no compelling reason for me to consider one of these cameras. I could achieve most of the benefits from a smaller point and shoot. No, I wouldn’t have the option of using interchangeable lenses, but if I want lens variety I will just haul out one of my Alpha dSLRs. Case closed.

If you look at the mockup photo, the lens mount doesn’t appear to be an Alpha mount. It is possible, since this is a mockup, that the actual camera might sport a different mount. But I’m not sure there is enough physical room to attach a typical A-mount lens to that mount. In addition, the sensor is probably to close to rear element for an A-mount lens to focus correctly. So I am guessing that the best we can hope for is a lens adapter that will allow A-mount optics to work on the EVF cameras.

Interestingly enough, there are no electrical contacts visible in the photos. To offer the auto focus and auto exposure capabilities that we have come to expect in a digital camera, there has to be a way for the camera to talk to the lens. So either the mount is unfinished on the mockups or Sony has a new way to pass information from camera to lens.

I have some other concerns about the EVF cameras. For one, I don’t see a hot shoe or a PC sync port. Hopefully, because these are just concepts, Sony will rectify this omission before the real things ship.

There is a large rectangular cover on the top of the camera, which I assume houses a popup flash. Without a hot shoe or sync port, however, there is no way to use off camera flash. After preaching about the benefits of off camera flash for years, I’m not ready to buy into a system that forces you to use the popup flash or nothing.

Frankly I am more than a little puzzled by the lack of a hot shoe. I have to believe there is a need for a flash that can be bounced, swiveled or located away from the camera. By including an Alpha style hot shoe, Sony could expand the market for their current flash units and flash accessories. They wouldn’t have to develop a new flash unit, as the current Alpha flash system would work on the EVF models. If and when these buyers move up to a dSLR, these flash components could create buyer retention.

“Hmm. I already have a flash and remote cord that fits the Sony Alpha. If I buy some other brand I will need to buy a new flash unit. Guess I’ll stick with Sony.”

So to me, an Alpha hot shoe is a no brainer. I did notice there are two dimples on either side of the alleged popup flash. I have no clue what purpose they serve. Perhaps Sony intends to develop some sort of clip-on external flash shoe that attaches to these openings?

I am also concerned about the lack of external controls on the mockups. If this is the final design, that will mean all controls are accessed by LCD menus. I could live with that, provided the LCD can be viewed in bright sunlight. Most LCDs are useless in full sun, although some manufacturers claim to have eliminated this problem. If the EVF models need to be controlled almost entirely by menu, then we Sony needs to include a screen that can be read at noon on a hot July day.

I not trying to pan the EVF Alphas or suggest that Sony should abandon the idea of a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. I’m sure they will sell well.

As shown, however, they are not a real replacement for a dSLR. Give us a proper A-mount, an Alpha hot shoe and a LCD menu that can be read in bright sunlight and then we’ll talk. Otherwise, they might just be EVIL at that.

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