But now, thanks to the wonder of changing language, translucent is also going to have to mean transparent, or semi-transparent. Pellicle, semi-silvered, whatever term you wish to use.

Unfortunately, for this writer the misuse of the word translucent stands as one of the biggest schoolboy howlers ever imposed on the entire world by the ignorance of a corporation. It’s such a glaring error I can hardly bring myself to use the term – others, like Dave Etchells, have happily assimilated the new meaning into their technical lexicon. And as the video above shows, they’ve made it into a trademark, a permanent part of the future of this technology.

Wiki, and pretty well every dictionary ever published, disagree with Sony’s imaginative use of a word from which they have now removed its exact meaning:

Wikipedia: “Transparent materials are clear, while translucent ones cannot be seen through clearly.”

Merriam-Webster:

trans·lu·cent/transˈlo͞osnt/

Adjective: (of a substance) Allowing light, but not detailed images, to pass through; semitransparent.

(the semi bit of semitransparent cited here seems to mean semi-detailed, vaguely delineated – not slightly darker; otherwise the primary definition of the word is diluted).

There has been some heated argument on dPreview forums about this post of mine (my view is shared by many). No-one has made the point that words evolve to have useful exact meanings. Transparent and translucent are words which may once have shared a common poetic meaning in 18th century descriptive writing, but whose meanings were refined with the progress of science and technology. This process in the course of over 200 years resulted in a useful distinction between the meanings of transparent and translucent. Sony’s commercial misuse of the word Translucent is damaging to the English language and to the scientific and technical lexicon; it predisposes future confusion about the meaning of the words.

It is also a fait accompli; there is no turning back, since Sony’s corporate stance is much like that of Mrs Thatcher; no u-turns and never admit to be being wrong. They have also no doubt invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the consultancy involved, and the registration of the term as a trademark, the creation of branding artwork.

They could have branded the mirror TransLumina® or, more usefully, just called it a transflecting mirror – transmitting-reflecting. That term is already used to describe the sort of mirrors used in ‘Big Brother’ with cameras behind them.

As to whether it’s a true pellicle mirror (a thin stretched film of vacuum coated Mylar or a similar polymer) no-one seems to be clear. It moves out of the way to allow sensor cleaning but could be relatively fragile. It certainly does not need to move to allow 10fps (Alpha 55) or 7fps (Alpha 33) continuous shooting. Sensor dust is often created within the camera by wear and tear on the shutter mechanism, so access for cleaning is essential and the mirror can not be designed to seal the sensor chamber. The Alpha models still have a shutter, that’s the next thing we shall see eliminated. That old rumour of the 15fps silent shooting Alpha DSLR seems to be more than a rumour; we are almost there.

For many users, the critical advantage of all four new Sony models will be HD Video with sensor-based in body image stabilisation. This will enable all kinds of lenses from macro to ultrawide or soft focus, manual adaptations and Minolta AF legacy glass to be used for video with confidence.

Welcome back the circular polariser, unlike mirrorless ILC cameras these new models will not allow the use of linear polarisers without AF efficiency reductions, but exposure should be unaffected as the sensor itself provides the metering with 1200 zones.

This will be one of the tests reviewers need to carry out on the new pellicle mirror Sony Alpha 33 and 55 models – to confront them with not only polarising filters, but conditions in which light is naturally polarised. How will they render sky gradations or reflections off water?

Two further Alpha models are being released, which are essentially updates for the 500/550 – the Alpha 580 which will hit the shops before the winter buying season, adding 16.2 megapixels and a 15-zone AF module, HD 1080p video and (non-video) Contrast Detect AF with all Alpha mount lenses. The 560 will not arrive until some time in 2011, using a 14.2 megapixel sensor.

Versatile features

More of a landmark than a benchmark, the inclusion of 10fps continuous shooting with active phase detect AF and 16.2 megapixel file size in the Alpha 55 is unprecedented and possibly unforeseen by competitors, in this class of sub-$1000 consumer DSLR (let’s continue to use the term, since they are clothed as DSLRs). The dual format card drive supports the 30Mb/s transfer rate of the latest Class 10 SDHC cards and Sony’s fastest MemoryStick Pro Duo generation. The HD video also has a reasonable 17mbps  bitrate.

The new technology has been well documented before the launch, but the fine detail of the new cameras is now clearer. The Alpha 55 is some markets will incorporate GPS geo-tagging for stills and videos (we wait to see whether raw files are tagged, and how accurate this is – the accessory Sony geo-tagging system available to date has only permitted JPEG tagging, and has not been accurate enough to know which street in a town the picture was taken in).

Rumours that the 33 and 55 bodies would be SSM/SAM only, with no internal focus drive, were unfounded as Sony states clearly that both are compatible with ‘the full range’ of over 30 Alpha lenses (indeed, the product shots of the 33 and 55 alone show the 18-200mm SAL DT lens fitted). The 55/33 1080i/60p (1080p in AVCHD camera archive format) video claims ‘smooth, precise’ phase detect auto focus during video shooting, but makes no reference to this being limited to in-lens motor lenses. Therefore we can assume it works with in-body AF drive lenses as well, and you just have to edit the soundtrack.

The new ISO 25,600 mode does not imply a radical sensor change as it is only available using Multi-Shot Noise Reduction, which requires a burst of 6 frames at the 10fps/7fps native maximum speed of the camera, and can not save raw files. The ISO range of the sensors is 100 to 12,800. Is this range quoted as absolute, or after accounting for the semi-silvered mirror light losses? If it’s the range before allowing for the mirror, then the 14.2 megapixel sensor of the Alpha 33 may be more like the Nikon 3100′s sensor than the NEX (ISO 200-12,800) is.

Thom Hogan has shown pixel dimensions and size data which support Nikon’s claim to have an entirely different sensor fab line of their own, compared to the A550/NEX sensor. But how about compared to the A33/560 sensor?

The 55′s new 16.2 megapixel CMOS will probably appear in the forthcoming Alpha 700 successor, which it is believed will form the main Sony exhibit at photokina (Cologne, September 21st-27th). Both models have a new 15-zone AF sensor with three cross sensors, but not f/2.8 sensors – all are designed to operate at f/5.6 virtual aperture. However, there is a hidden clue that the cross sensors may be f/3.5 capable, as the high-speed shooting modes with continuous AF set f/3.5 by default on any lens capable of this (if the lens is, say, only f/5.6 then the largest aperture is always set). Setting f/3.5 implies that this confers an advantage in focus sensitivity over f/5.6, f/4 or any other particular aperture – and that f/3.2, f/2.8 or wider would bring no benefit. That points to some of the sensors having an f/3.5 virtual aperture.

The new cameras are known as SLTs – Single Lens Translucent – instead of SLR. See my intro. Did they have no English speaking staff on their team? I’m sure there is a German word which describes their mirror correctly. I’d rather have the right German word than the wrong English one. Ah well, as the bloke leaning on the pub bar says, durchsprung vor technik…

Confusing aspects – Auto HDR is said to be available in P/A/S/M modes. I guess in M mode it must leave the aperture alone and change just the shutter speed. Regular bracketing is still limited to a disappointing 3 exposures at 0.7 EV intervals, maximum.

But you’ll love the direct D-Range button which gives access to D-Range and HDR options directly, and the direct Finder/Screen button which toggles between using the very high resolution EVF with its ‘virtual 1.1X’ 100% view of the subject – effective visual scale, larger than the Alpha 700 and larger than any previous Alpha digital model except the Alpha 900 and 850. That’s one of the benefits of the EVF, a relatively tiny display is viewed through a high magnification ocular and ends up with a ‘window’ on the world which beats the tiny tunnel vision of optical finders. Technically it is very similar to the last EVF produced by Konica Minolta on the Dimage A200, with the benefit of five years’ further development. It has the same 60Hz refresh rate and visually almost raster-free RGB.

Where the A550 and its earlier stablemates vary slightly around a viewfinder with an effective 0.50X scale (relative to a full frame 100% view using a 50mm lens), the A55 and A33 provide an effective 0.73X and that’s impressive. The ocular is set well back (remember the Konica Minolta A2, and the Sony Cybershot DSC R-1?) because it is a telescope design. This also gives it a very narrow range of possible eye positions, a common feature of EVFs. The eyepoint is close, and you must position your eye precisely.

The rear screen uses the same type of (Schott?) reinforced glass with (3M?) resin gel adhesive as Canon’s 7D – this totally seals to the LCD module itself eliminating air gaps, and improves contrast. It is a technology first seen in the 7D and becoming standard across the industry though the NEX has shown Sony to have the best implementation so far. It is scratch proof, by the way, and it can be cracked by impact like any other screen.

The tilt-swivel action is borrowed directly from the Nikon D5000. In fact, it’s so identical in articulation it even included the amazingly silly front facing mode where the screen is obscured by your tripod, hanging under the camera and preventing it from being placed on a flat surface for self-portraits or videos. But it has the same benefit as the Nikon, the screen can be flipped to face the camera and protected completely while you use the EVF.

Functions familiar from the NEX including Sweep Panorama and Sweep 3D Panorama are built-in and accessed from the main mode dial, which also provides physical settings for all the main modes. Depth of field preview is restored – with the usual button – because is can now actually work. It was always useless in real terms on optical viewfinder cameras, as the focusing screen never represented wide apertures correctly.

Now, with an EVF, for the first time ever an eye-level Alpha gives absolutely perfect and precise previewing of depth of field and bokeh effects whatever aperture you are working at – even at f/1.4, which was never possible and still isn’t with the A850 or A900 for that matter (which is why their Preview mode is useful).

You can also preview the exact image appearance. By pressing the AE lock button, the auto gain of the EVF or rear screen are turned off and replaced by an exposure-compensated view. So if you dial in -1 EV (using the adjacent dedicated button), and change the WB, and use a different picture style with more saturation and contrast just pressing AE-Lock will immediately preview your image with these adjustments applied. And you can enlarge in the usual two steps to check auto or manual focus.

The finder and screen also have a Nikon-style two axis spirit level (flight simulator horizon) display to help you get your horizontals straight and your verticals parallel. It can be activated on either, and does not have to appear on both simultaneously.

For movie makers, the binaural stereo microphones are a great move. Even on the NEX, the two small top aperture mics give excellent stereo. The 33/55 mics are placed either side of the ‘prism’ housing, rather like the ears on your head. This will give the stereo image created by these cameras a really natural quality. Natural, that is, to a pygmy marmoset monkey… but still, I will wager, the best stereo image of any DSLR/HybriD. And Sony provide a stereo 3.5mm mic jack socket, though without any manual control of gain levels.

I’m sure we will have to buy the A780 to get that. Click the picture above for a big version. Who says Sony does not have a range to match Nikon or Canon, whether or lenses or of cameras? From the left, the cameras show the current range before we even see the magnesium-bodied Alpha 700 replacement arrive. A900, A850, A580, A560, A55, A33, A390, A290.

- David Kilpatrick

Read Sony Press releases and full technical data:
Alpha 33 and 55 Press Release
Alpha 560 and 580 Press Release

It also proved very competent with the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 OS lens, the adaptor providing power for the OS which is fully functional, and also for auto exposure, leaving only manual magnified focusing to tackle. The OS Sigma has an internal motor for focusing on Alpha, not screw drive though it sounds and feels like it. It’s not HSM and almost certainly won’t be friends with any AF enabling update of the NEX/Lens Mount Adaptor firmware.

One lens I have obtained a coupled of sample of to experiment with, even if it means dismantling one. That is the Minolta Vectis 80-240mm f/4.5-5.6 APO, a miniature version of the 100-300mm APO made for 35mm, in the APS Vectis mount. This mount is all-electronic like the Vectis, but probably very different in the voltages required and the command protocol. But who knows? Maybe an AE adaptor with power for manual focus might be possible.

Using a Zenith 39mm (Leica type SLR) thread T-mount the Vectis 80-240mm nearly focused OK attached to the Leica adaptor of the NEX, but the bayonet was only just able to fit in a doctored T-mount and the combination with the NEX Leica screw adaptor was clearly a little too thick.

Using a Leica thread lens reversing ring (don’t ask, from my box of miscellaneous old rings and things – 49mm filter to Leica screw!) and duct tape, I was able to fit one of my two 80-240mm APO guinea-pigs to the mount within 1mm or so of correct register (38mm). It’s only taped, but solid enough. I do not want to cement the bits together at this stage.

Effectively it’s got a Leica screw mount taped as close to the Vectis lens mount as anything will allow. There is plenty of room to make a proper Vectis adaptor, with or without contact arrays at both ends and a chip to convert the signals. Without that, the lens is stuck forever at full aperture. If power could be supplied to the correct pins to enable the focus-by-wire action, that would complete the job with this Vectis lens – but other Vectis lenses don’t even have a manual electronic focusing option. As it is, wrenching the front tube round focuses the lens. Just like it did when you were fitting or removing the lens hood, a frustrating rotating front unit.

As it stands, the 80-240mm Vectis APO f/4.5-5.6 is a really neat size of lens for the NEX and Sony could do far worse than remake this in an OS version for NEX. At full aperture, performance up to 200mm is very good but a familiar softness (like the 100-300mm APO D at 300mm etc) creeps in at 240mm. For 1996, the lens is pretty amazing.

80mm wide open, http://www.pbase.com/davidkilpatrick/image/127009628/original.jpg for original

240mm wide open – http://www.pbase.com/davidkilpatrick/image/127009627/original.jpg

Close focus at around 135mm wide open (because the lens can not be stopped down):

http://www.pbase.com/davidkilpatrick/image/127009626/original.jpg

Around 100mm, same conditions apply:

http://www.pbase.com/davidkilpatrick/image/127009625/original.jpg

And at 240mm close focus again:

http://www.pbase.com/davidkilpatrick/image/127009624/original.jpg

This lens has some really good qualities, considering it is not even mounted correctly and is definitely not correctly set up for register, which alters the way the zoom/focus correction functions. It could no doubt be made to look better by picking a flat target and a medium distance, rather than homing in on garden close-ups with too much depth for the wide-open setting.

But the bokeh effects are not too bad, the point of focus is well defined, and the lens has few vices considering the imprecision of its mounting!

- David Kilpatrick

Sony is expanding its line-up of over 30 A-mount lenses with new models that will appeal to seasoned photographers and those new to DSLR cameras alike – a 35mm f/1.8 DT (APS-C) SAM, an 85mm f/2.8 full frame SAM, and the long-awaited 24mm f/2 Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 24mm f/2 for full frame with SSM ultrasonic focusing. In the interests of getting this report on line, it’s mainly Sony words, with a few added comments and edits.
The Distagon T* 24mm F2 ZA SSM (SAL24F20Z) features Carl Zeiss Distagon design and rounds out the existing Planar (SAL85F14Z) and Sonnar (SAL135F18Z) models also developed in conjunction with Carl Zeiss. It is intended to appeal to experienced photographers looking for a large-aperture wide-angle lens of real distinction.

The DT 35mm F1.8 SAM (SAL35F18) adds the important 35mm focal length to what Sony now calls the ‘Easy Choice’ series. ‘Easy Choice’ is intended to provide great value, compact and lightweight lenses that are attractive to entry-level and advanced photographers alike. Each lens in the series is selected for a specific purpose, for example portraiture or macro. – Sony definition.

The 85mm F2.8 SAM (SAL85F28) is another ‘Easy Choice’ lens, this time offering the 85mm focal length considered the standard for portraiture because of the natural perspective it provides. True to type it is extremely compact and light, weighing just 175g.

The Distagon T* 24mm F2 SSM (SAL24F20Z)

The Distagon T* 24mm F2 SSM (SAL24F20Z) functions as a wide-angle 24mm lens on full-frame cameras with 35mm sensors, or as a 36mm equivalent lens ideal for general use on cameras with APS-C sensors. Jointly developed with Carl Zeiss, it features the highly-regarded Carl Zeiss Distagon retrofocus lens configuration.

This lens is distinguished by its fast response focus and extremely quiet, very smooth operation thanks to its built-in SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor). It offers a focusing range from 0.19m (0.29X scale) to infinity, and a nine-blade circular aperture along with a large f/2 maximum aperture contributes to smooth, natural bokeh effects. The design uses 9 elements in 7 groups, with two aspherical and two ED glass (so it’s a modern Distagon derivative, nothing like a classic Distagon).

The all-metal lens barrel has been ‘finished to a very high standard resulting in a visibly high-quality appearance’. It takes 72mm filters, weighs 555g, is 78 x 76mm in overall size, and comes with a lenshood, case, front and rear caps.

The DT 35mm F1.8 SAM (SAL35F18)

The DT 35mm F1.8 SAM (SAL35F18) weighs just 170g. It can be added to a lens kit system and carried without noticeably increasing the weight of the bag.

With an approximately 50mm (35mm equivalent) focal length on an APS-C sensor, this lens is ideal for snapshots and portraits under a wide range of shooting conditions. The high-speed f/1.8 maximum aperture is particularly advantageous for hand held shooting in low light.

At just 0.23 metres (0.25X scale, so actually less good for close-ups than the 24mm, oddly), the DT 35mm F1.8 SAM (SAL35F18) has ‘the shortest minimum focus in its class, making it an excellent choice for dramatic close-ups too’. The internal Smooth Autofocus Motor (SAM) drives the focusing group directly and may, if all goes well, turn out to be compatible in future with continuous AF during video shooting.

It uses 6 elements in 5 groups, takes 55mm filters, is 70mm x 52mm in size, and comes with hood and caps.

The 85mm F2.8 SAM (SAL85F28)

This is the first full-frame lens in the ‘Easy Choice’ range, so its launch represents an important development of the line-up as a whole. The 85mm focal length is a standard for portraiture because of the natural perspective that it provides. On an APS-C sensor camera the 85mm F2.8 SAM (SAL85F28) functions as a 127.5mm (35mm equivalent) telephoto lens – and features a Sonnar-type optical design that is considered ideal for mid-range telephoto lenses.

The lens is sharp center to corner, and features smooth defocusing thanks to its f/2.8 maximum aperture and circular aperture design. At 0.6 metres (0.20X, so not as good for close-ups as either the 24mm or 35mm!), the minimum focusing distance is the shortest in its class, and SAM motor technology ensures smooth autofocus operation (see above, but bear in mind that SAM is basically a cheaper alternative to ring-type SSM).

‘The quality optical and mechanical features of the lens mean it is suitable for serious photography and should more than satisfy intermediate to advanced users’, add Sony.

It has 5 elements in 4 groups, takes 55mm filters, is 70 x 52mm in size and weighs only 175g; it comes with hood and caps. Maybe the classic MD 85mm f/2 would have been nicer to see in SAM form, but f/2.8 is plenty these days.

The prototype or dummy shown to the press in Croatia and other locations just two month ago turns out to have been little more than a rubber duck – a decoy to distract while the real thing was clearly already in production and looks very different. The real thing has an eye-level 1 megapixel-plus electronic viewfinder as well as a foldout screen, and the world’s most retro-tech microphone design.

Here is the press announcement from earlier this morning (GMT, I don’t man the computer at 6.17am but Sony’s Press Centre was wide awake and running). The guy in the Sony press pix obviously found 6.17am a bit rough, he looks worse for a long night out… he’s not even got himself in focus properly, let alone found out where he left his comb and razor…

“Camcorder Redefined” Sony unveils world’s first consumer interchangeable lens HD camcorder Handycam® NEX-VG10E captures cinematic Full HD movie and stereo sound with great depth

• 14.2 effective megapixel ExmorTM  APS HD CMOS sensor (19.5 times larger than conventional camcorder) for stunning HD movies with beautiful background defocus
• Accepts E-mount interchangeable lenses plus A-mount α DSLR lenses (via optional adaptor)
• High quality audio with Quad Capsule Spatial Array Stereo Microphone and external mic input
• 7.5cm (3 inch-type) Xtra Fine LCD and electronic viewfinder

Building on 25 years of continuous Handycam® innovation, Sony introduces the NEX-VG10E – the world’s first consumer HD camcorder with interchangeable lenses. It’s also the first Handycam® featuring an extra-large Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor that allows the creation of exquisitely cinematic background defocus effects.

Targeting video enthusiasts and photographers, the NEX-VG10E opens up unprecedented artistic possibilities not achievable with conventional consumer video cameras.

Compatible with a choice of high quality E-mount lenses, it’s the first consumer camcorder that offers the same breadth of creative expression enjoyed by DSLR photographers. Alongside the three currently available E-mount lenses, users of the NEX-VG10E can experience a wide variety of  A-mount DSLR optics by using the optional LA-EA1 mount adaptor. Picking from a choice of award-winning Sony G lenses, fixed-focal length Carl Zeiss portrait lenses and other models from macro to super-telephoto, videographers will have unprecedented freedom to explore an exciting world in movie creation.

At the heart of the NEX-VG10E is a 14.2 effective megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor that’s teamed with Sony’s powerful BIONZTM processor to capture very high resolution video and still images. Approximately 19.5 times bigger than the standard sensor found in other consumer camcorders, the APS-C sized imager also enables an extremely shallow depth of field. This allows videographers to achieve ‘cinematic’ results with beautiful background defocus (bokeh). In addition, the ability to capture DSLR-quality still images gives videographers extra shooting flexibility on assignment with less to carry.

Full HD 1920×1080 video images are captured in AVCHDTM format at up to the maximum 24 Mbps bit rate for superlative detail and clarity. Unlike many digital still cameras including DSLR that support HD video, there’s virtually no restriction on continuous shooting time. Just slip in your choice of either Memory Stick PRO DuoTM or SD media cards and capture Full HD video and JPEG still images for easy transfer into your existing PC storage and editing environment.

The NEX-VG10E comes supplied as standard with an image-stabilised E18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS lens that offers a powerful 11x optical zoom range. Because of its optimized design for video shooting, this high-quality E-mount lens offers smooth, ultra low noise autofocus and iris control. In-built Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation assures clearer video images when you’re shooting handheld. At wide angle settings, Active Mode enhances anti-shake performance even further, steadying jittery images even while walking. The lens also features a circular aperture for the creation of beautiful bokeh effects whether you’re shooting video or stills.

Reflecting the demands of serious videographers, sound quality matches the phenomenal imaging performance of the NEX-VG10E. The Quad Capsule Spatial Array Stereo Microphone uses advanced processing algorithms to combine signals from four separate omnidirectional microphone capsules. The result is exceptionally clear stereo audio with a highly directional response: this allows videographers to capture more sound from the subject they’re shooting, and less of distracting sounds around them. There’s also a jack for adding an optional external stereo mic, plus a headphone jack for audio monitoring.

With a photo-realistic 921k dot resolution, the 7.5cm/3 inch-type Xtra Fine LCD features TruBlackTM technology for an exceptionally detailed, high contrast view of images and menu settings. The LCD is supplemented by a high-resolution (1152k dot) electronic viewfinder that assists easy framing and monitoring. The viewfinder helps operator capture clear images in bright daylight and its angle can be easily adjusted for comfortable operation.

Despite its groundbreaking creative possibilities, the NEX-VG10E is compact, beautifully balanced and easy to handle, even for novice videographers. An intuitive jog dial and hotkeys make it easy to navigate camera menus and adjust shooting parameters. Videographers can also enjoy precise manual control over Iris, Shutter Speed, Gain and White Balance for professional results.

A range of official accessories includes the ECM-CG50 Shotgun Microphone that attaches to the camcorder’s accessory shoe. There’s also a choice of rechargeable battery options, including the NP-FV100 that provides power for up to 330 minutes continuous HD shooting. A dedicated soft carrying case LCS-VCD is also available as an option.

Offered to customers as a free download, Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 video editing software includes everything you need to produce spectacular HD movies. Powerful tools for video compositing, colour correction and sound mixing make it easy to achieve cinema-quality results in your own home studio. You can also upload movies to web, burn them to Blu-ray Disc™ or author DVDs with custom menus and graphics.

The Handycam® NEX-VG10E interchangeable lenses Full HD camcorder is available from October 2010.

Specifications are:

Model Name: NEX-VG10E
Image Sensor: APS-C type (23.4×15.6mm) Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor with RGB primary colour filters; 25P scanning
Gross Pixels: Approx.  14,600,000 pixels
Minimum Illumination: 11 lux. ( 1/25 Shutter Speed / F3.5)
Supplied Lens: SEL18200 Sony E-mount  E18-200mm F3.5-6.3 with in-lens Optical SteadyShot Active Mode
Zoom: 11x (optical, ring)
Focus: Auto/Manual (ring)
Focal length (35mm equivalent): Video mode – 32.4mm-360mm. Still photo mode – (3:2) 27mm-300mm /(16:9) 32.4mm-360mm
Shutter Speed: 1/4 – 1/4000 (video, manual control); 30 – 1/4000 (photo, manual control)
White Balance: AWB / Daylight / Shade / Cloudy / Incandescent / Fluorescent / Flash / C. Temp Filter / Custom
Recording Media: Memory Stick PRO Duo / Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo / SD / SDHC / SDXC (Class 4 or higher)
Recording Mode (AVCHD): FX (1920x1080i, 24Mbps); FH (1920x1080i, 16Mbps); HQ (1440x1080i, 9Mbps)
Still photo resolution (JPEG): 16:9 Mode; 4592×2576 (12M) /3:2 Mode; 4592×3056 (14M)
Audio Recording: Dolby Digital 2ch, via  Quad Capsule Spatial Array Stereo Microphone; External microphone input jack
LCD Monitor: 7.5cm / 3.0”-type, 921,600 dots (approx.) Xtra Fine LCD with TruBlack technology
Electronic Viewfinder: 1.1cm / 0.43”-type, 1,440K dots (approx.) Xtra Fine
Stamina: 330 min. continuous recording (with the optional NP-FV100, FH mode)
Interfaces: Accessory shoes; HDMI OUT jack; Stereo headphone jack; External stereo mic input jack; USB 2.0 (mini B / Hi-speed) jack; DC IN jack
Dimensions (D x H x W): 29.4 x 132 x 97 mm (inc. supplied lens and hood)
Weight (approx.): 1.3Kg (with SEL18200 lens, lens hood, NP-FV70 battery and Memory Stick Pro Duo)

The Leica M and screw mounts, with under 1mm difference between them, are 10mm greater than this at around 28mm. Screw mount Leica lenses can be adapted to M even though there is only 1mm difference. With 10mm difference, almost any lens ever made for any camera – even the Robot system, original Contax, maybe even the Pentax 110 SLR – can probably be adapted to fit the E-mount. In fact it will accept 16mm and 35mm (half-frame) ciné, C-mount CCTV lenses, and subminiature camera lenses.

You name it, the NEX will be able to do it. Telescopes, microscopes, endoscopes, whatever. And Alpha lenses, and MD lenses. There is even enough ROOM with over 25mm the spare to fit a true retrofocus format reduction converter – that is, a 0.66X optical unit which condenses the image from a full frame lens to fit the APS-C sensor. It is already done in the video and ciné world, and these converters have a wonderful bonus. Your 24-70mm f/2.8 SSM lens becomes, with a 0.66X reducing converter behind it, a 16-46mm f/2. That’s right – the same way a teleconverter loses you a stop or two, a format reduction converter gains you a stop.

The same converters also increase resolution, much as teleconverters reduce it. Zeiss can achieve 400 line pairs per millimetre from high grade 35mm format movie lenses when rear-converted to reduce on to 16mm or video.

Will Sony ever make such a converter? Do they even know that Zeiss have designs, and make exactly this type of converter for Arriflex and other systems via Angenieux? Do they realise that rear fitting format-reduction converters can also perform an AF function, allowing a manual focus lens from Nikon, Canon, Contax, Minolta or whoever to be mounted on a converter which has an ultrasonic AF mechanism of its own?

Imagine that – your 50mm f/1.2 Rokkor becomes an autofocus 33mm f/1.0 on the NEX. This is not blue sky thinking, it’s an optical practicality not a mere possibility. However, you don’t want to know the price of Zeiss converters, and for a system like NEX a universal converter might never be possible; it might have to be matched to the prime lens.

The NEX mount is almost as wide in the throat as an SLR mount; for some obscure reason, Sony chose to measure the outer diameter of the flange, which is not what matters, and came up with 62.6mm for the Alpha and 58.9mm for the NEX. Inner diameter of the bayonet, the bit which counts, was not stated. But it’s a wide throat and can cope with a huge potential range of adapted lenses.

Less of this ramble, and on to the plain vanilla – the camera.

Inside the camera there is a 14.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, capable of HD video and of course the vital live view and contrast-detection focusing on which the entire camera is based. This is fed to a 3 inch, 920,000 pixel TruBlack articulated rear screen and the user must compose, control and review everything on this screen. There are few buttons, no dials except a single control wheel, and everything is converted to a virtual control or a menu choice using a Sony-Ericsson developed graphical user interface.

The NEX5 camera, by some way the preferable model of the two, has a magnesium alloy body which matches the machined and brushed aluminium barrels of the lenses. It comes complete with a tiny camera-powered flashgun, screwed into an accessory slot on the camera top which has more contacts than a mere flash should need. Three, at least, must be for the stereo microphone audio interface which also draws Electret Condensor Microphone phantom power from the body’s battery.

At the end of less than 24 hours with the camera, I cleaned the white table on the hotel balcony and took a few pictures which will show you the camera in detail.

Here, you can see the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS (stabilised) kit lens to the left; the camera body is fitted with the (raised) flash and the 16mm f/2.8 E-mount non stabilised wide angle pancake lens. In front is a 49mm fit lens cap (for either), InfoLithium battery good for around 350 shots, a 4GB MemoryStick Pro Duo MkII, and the lens hood for the 18-55mm.

The NEX baseplate view reveals the steel tripod bush set into the mag alloy casing, the lens release in a slightly unfamiliar position, the size of the grip and the location of the new Sony factory making this system – in Thailand. It was rumoured that these lenses would be branded as Zeiss. Having used these two, I can’t say they would ever have deserved that. Both are very sharp centrally but pretty soft at the edges unless well stopped down, and both have fairly strong CA. The central sharpness is excellent, about as good as you could expect, perhaps aided by the Contrast Detect focusing which is entirely free of back or front focus.

Here’s the body, which is 24.2mm thick at its thinnest point, with the lens removed – the sensor is exposed. But that’s how it normally is, whether switched on or off. Turning the camera off does not closed the focal plane shutter (30s to 1/4000th, X at 1/160th, vertical travel). Dust removal is not going to be all that easy with the sensor cover glass sitting so well shielded and recessed behind the shutter gate. When a lens is fitted, the sun can come in and focus itself on the sensor. What issues will that cause for anyone careless enough to leave a NEX with a 16mm f/2.8 lens on its back, with no lenscap, in tropical mid-day sun? As people sometimes do, dining or drinking outdoors?

The lens will afford some protection when fitted. The well-machined metal mount should not admit dust too easily. There are ten contacts on the E-mount lenses (note the legend ‘E-mount’ etched on the flange). They transfer EXIF information about the lens, power for the ultrasonic focusing motor which is a silent ring type, power for the aperture adjustment via a stepper motor, and command and feedback signals to make these adjustments. Enough of the protocol is shared for the E to A mount adaptor LA-EA1 to have been designed to operate SSM and SAM Alpha lenses. At the launch conference, Sony admitted their engineers had failed to get reliable focusing, so AF was disabled in firmware. They hoped that a firmware update would restore the planned AF functionality with in-lens motor Alpha glass.

The ability to change aperture during video shooting is only offered with E-mount lenses, and is disabled when A-mount lenses are fitted via the adaptor. Sony does not make it clear whether different apertures can still be preset, before filming.

This is one of the lenses which might have proved interesting on the NEX – the Sony SAM 30mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro. You can see the difference in scale and engineering approach. Note the AF/MF switch on the SAM lens – it’s the only way to over-ride AF on the Alpha bodies. The E-mount lenses are far superior, they have full time manual focus over-ride which is ultra smooth, just turn the focus ring at any time to shift away from the autofocused point. When you do this, the rear screen instantly and automatically switches to an enlarged view to aid manual fine focusing.

Here’s a close-up of the 16mm lens iris. Whatever shape of aperture is claimed, there are only seven blades (probably to keep the action very light) and that minimum f/22 does not look especially circular to me – much like any other lens with a very small iris diaphragm. The blades are oddly asymmetrical too.

Here you have the 18-55mm naked on the body. It’s a really good cosmetic match but you can see how large even this lens is compared to the camera. The 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 which was not ready to be tried out is even larger. Note the position of the strap lug(s). They are placed down the body and angled so that when neckdangled or shoulderslung, the camera tends to hang with the lens aiming down and the screen facing up. This saves a lot of screen scuffing, gives quick access to the info there presented, and keeps the bigger lenses neatly placed.

Be warned, though, that you can’t expect to grab a shot from hanging position. If the camera is turned off, it takes a short delay to fire up and for the screen to brighten as the gain is adjusted (always from dark). If the camera is sleeping, first touch on the shutter button does the same, with the screen ready for use in a second or so. Then a firmer pressure acquires focus and re-adjusts the screen exposure; AF officially takes 0.3s, but I found you could easily have 2-3 seconds from the moment of raising the camera to being able to fire the shutter in confidence. I actually think my old Konica Minolta Dimage A2 is faster. I missed several candids and moving subjects when testing the NEX5.

This is just a shot with the petal lens hood fitted. You may notice that the 16mm lens, supplied without a hood, does have a bayonet as well as a 49mm filter thread. This is to enable two afocal front lens convertors to be fitted – the VCL-ECU1 is a 0.75X rectilinear converter, turning the 16mm into a 12mm ultrawide, while the VCL-ECF1 is a 0.62X fisheye converter creating a 10mm full frame curved view fisheye. Given that the 16mm is expected to be only around £200 (or much less in effect when bought with a body), and these converters are £100 and £120 respectively, a system will be no great weight on the pocket.

There is also an optical finder for the 16mm, which occupies the flash/mic shoe, and will cost £130. Eh?

Like the flash, shown above, it will use the 12-pin gold plated connector and thumbscrew to attach. But it’s not an electronic finder. No-one would answer whether this contact array will support an EVF attachment.

This is how you secure the flash, which stows by folding down flat. Raising it, as in this shot, turns it on.

This runs off the battery, which lives next to the dual-purpose card slot. Previous models have had twin slots. The NEX range uses a dual MSPro/SD slot which auto senses the type of card being used. An AC mains adaptor is available which uses a dummy battery and a cable emerging through a hinged portal in the battery door (above).

The rear screen is articulated very much like the Alpha 550, and does not turn to face forwards, or orient itself in any way to suit vertical compositions. It is very much geared to the landscape format trend created by video shooting, HD, mobile phones and so on. Though the camera has auto orientation sensing for photos, the display does not change like an Alpha and it’s not really designed well for vertical shots.

The downfacing position is pretty odd. It does not fold out in the usual way. I was able to shoot well enough holding the camera overhead. The screen articulation is, like the 550, a very rugged metal mechanism. It does not feel as vulnerable as many other (more versatile) swivel and tilt rear screens.

The GUI is exactly what GUI means – very much a graphical, not textual, user interface. The six main menu icons resemble mobile phone menus. You get to them by rotating the scroll wheel and pushing its centre button. Shortcuts are marked at the compass points of the wheel for outer rim press-clicks taking you to different options or changing the display mode. The LCD has a glass cover but Sony still offers both hard and adhesive protectors. I took photographs using the ‘Sunny’ brightness setting, not Auto. ‘Sunny’ really boosts the backlight well beyond the auto brightness maximum.

The Brightness/Color Menu includes the options for DRO+ and for HDR shooting. HDR is now three frame bracketing, with manual control up to 6EV span (plus/minus 3). The NEX has a very powerful new BIONZ processor and crunches 3 raw files into an HDR JPEG instantly – while also saving, at the same time, the middle bracketed exposure from your rapidfire 7fps burst as a standard choice. So you get two frames from your triple shutterburst, one normal, one HDR. There are also six-shot Night Scene and Anti Motion Blur modes, which synthesise a final low noise or minimum blur JPEG in-camera; I failed to test these, as the presentations made no real mention of them.

Here you can see the second shutter release, marked MOVIE. Press this and there is no waiting – filming starts immediately, so you either need to be in Continuous AF mode, or have pre-focused using the main shutter release. A second press ends the take. Unlike almost every other HD Video 1080p capable model yet made, the NEX5 will shoot continuously without clip length limits, up to around 29 minutes (filesize limit).

Select Shoot Mode, and an image of a virtual mode dial appears concentric with the control wheel. It turns in perfect sync with the wheel. So, without having a physical dial, Sony has given you one. Text information appears as you perform changes. Some more annoying repetitive cyber-advice can be turned off; other ‘tips’ are not optional. They follow you round for life.

The camera includes many functions aimed at happy young exuberant target-market users. I don’t think it is complete, as the Smile Detection menu has not made adequate allowance for Goths, neo-punks, or grumpy old folk with permanently inverted scowls. A future version for the legacy Alpha-owner generation should include ‘Not Frowning’ as a smile mode!

The Display mode change options include a semi-graphical exposure scale exactly along the lines of current Alpha models.

Alternatively, you can opt for a different set of info more aimed at the advanced user. I found that no matter what display mode I used, the screen became so cluttered I sometimes could not see parts of the subject I was keen to check for alignment, cut off or inclusion in the shot.

This – a very simple display indeed – was what I found most acceptable. It is interesting to note that with the exposure metered live from the CMOS, there was much less need for the plus-minus over-ride function using NEX. I was shooting raw, but even the JPEGs obtained alongside the raw files were pretty much perfectly exposed every time. For difficult subjects the JPEG-only shooter can use a three-shot HDR in-camera process, and this worked very well.

I have a gallery of 48 full size in-camera JPEGs taken during the photo shoot opportunity organised for the press, which involved two hours in sealed dirty-window ferry and bus plus half an hour wasted on a wine tasting (?!) session, for the sake of maybe an hour of pictures. They would have been better just bussing us into Split old city and telling us to meet later. Escorting a gaggle of journos round Hvar town was singularly unproductive!

http://www.pbase.com/davidkilpatrick/nex5_samples

48 full size in-camera JPEGs with peculiarly deficient EXIF data. Where it says 16mm, the 16mm was used. Everything else is on the 18-55mm. The NEX5 body was used.

The NEX system and the initial 3 and 5 model cameras needs much more writing about it, with many new functions and features. This has just been a small guided tour of the camera for you to see it in detail. We will be posting further reports as time permits, rush-blogging not being something I intend to do when there is so much detailed information to be digested. My quick reports from Croatia and during transit back home have already appeared on the BJP website:

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=874544

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=874550

You can see a short 720p HD movie (rescaled from the original 1080i for YouTube, edited using iMovie 09 on Mac) here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSl3jN2sk7Q

- David Kilpatrick

The Alpha System celebrates its Silver Jubilee or 25th Anniversary this month – though left uncelebrated by the inheritors of the Minolta AF legacy, Sony. They have no reason to draw fresh attention to the age of the system, as in four years they have taken it the same sort of distance that Minolta took the world’s first AF system in the late 1980s.

It’s not only Alpha’s 25th birthday. This is also the 25th birthday of modern AF SLR systems – all of them!

This is a multi-page article. See the links at the bottom of the page to Continue Reading after each page.

For Photoclubalpha and the historic Minolta Club of Great Britain, the anniversary does matter. A good many of you out there have been members since the launch of the system, often using the earlier SR and X manual focus systems before that. We still have a 1985 Minolta 7000AF and it’s still working just as it did when new.

25 years before the first Minolta SLRs appeared – a folding Minolta Six of 1935

I don’t mind showing my age to make a comparison. I was 11 in 1963 when I took my first pictures with an SLR camera. My father had bought himself a Pentax S3 – and the camera it replaced was 25 years old, a pre-war Zeiss Ikon Kolibri collapsible 16-on-127 model.

When the Kolibri was made, 127 was the ‘vest pocket’ format of choice. 35mm was on the rise, but 35mm SLRs had not yet arrived. They were as much a thing of the future as digital SLRs were when the Minolta 7000AF was launched.

But within that 25 years, there was hardly a single camera system made with interchangeable lenses that did not become obsolete. Only the ‘frozen assets’ of the cold war kept some systems, like the Exakta bayonet and the Praktina, alive. New brands were launched, from the British Wrayflex and Periflex to the Italian Rectaflex and many German oddities. It was not unusual for an entire system to be come and gone within a few years.

Even in the following quarter-century, the high years of the Japanese 35mm SLR, the succession of lens mount changes was bewildering. Independent lens makers like Tamron and Sigma were forced to make systems using interchangeable mounts not just because the public wanted it. A dozen or more mounts were made for every lens and in the 42mm screw thread fit alone there were endless variants – Praktica LLC (Pentacon Electric), Olympus FTL, Pentax ES and more.

It was more or less a 25-year cycle – the SR system was announced in 1958, and really got underway by 1960. It was to be another quarter century before the AF system arrived. We are now a further 25 years on – can we expect a totally new camera system, once again, in 2010?

Minolta’s SR bayonet mount, introduced in 1958/9, actually remained basically unchanged all the way through to 2005 when the last manual focus model, the X-370S, was available. It survives even now as a mount popular in China where the Seagull range from Shanghai Optical includes Minolta fit models. That mount only ever had one major revision, to add a linkage for open aperture TTL metering. The introduction of programmed exposure and shutter priority was cleverly enabled by using the existing design of lens mechanism and improving its accuracy, while adding a simple reference lug to the ƒ-stop setting ring.

Nikon’s 1959 F-mount proved similarly easy to improve without any basic modification. Both these bayonet mounts celebrated half a century of production in 2008/9 – another landmark, which Nikon was able to celebrate but Minolta of course could not.

In brief, the A450 is an A200 update with an A550 14 megapixel CMOS sensor (the A500 being effectively an A300 update to 12 megapixel CMOS). None of the complaints levelled at the A500/550 or contemporary models are corrected; the same limits apply to EV bracketing, self-timer and mirror up (lacking) functions, control over the range of auto ISO, program shift, functions of controls and buttons, and so on. There may be some surprises present when examined, but the listed specification indicates this camera is exactly what it appears to be.

Camera sets – in every line the first has a fixed rear screen and no quick live view, the second has a quick live view and an articulated screen, the third has a higher pixel count sensor:

A200     A300     A350

A230     A330     A380

A450     A500     A550

The 450 breaks the pattern by using the 550 sensor not the 500 sensor, leaving possible room for a 12 megapixel A400. It’s unlikely we shall see a 14 megapixel A280, but that’s what the model number would be if it was made. In line with speculation, logical models A600, A650, A750 are possible introductions but the Ax30 and Ax80 designations could apply.

It is not an A230-330 style body, but an A5xx-style body, and uses the larger battery – hence the excellent shot count per charge. At the time of posting this information, no further images were available from Sony’s UK press media library.

The logic of this camera may be questioned, but a lot will depend on the viewfinder eyepoint. By choosing a relatively small and safe viewfinder magnification, and removing the articulated screen which forces your eye away from the eyepiece, Sony may come closer to the comfort factor of the Nikon D5000 which despite having an articulated screen allows a closer eyepoint and better visibility of the finder. Until buyers pick up this camera and try it, we can’t be sure. It may just hit the mark perfectly.

The press release follows.

The newest addition to the Sony α family of DSLR cameras teams flawless imaging with generous creative options and is ideal for consumers new to DSLR photography who want the best possible image quality.

Powerful yet easy to use, the DSLR-A450 is a perfect all-rounder when you’re ready to take your passion for great pictures to the next level. Ideal for active shooters, it’s at home in any shooting situation, from relaxed portraits to fast-moving sports action.

Inside the α450 is a high-resolution 14.2 (approx.) effective megapixel Exmor™ CMOS sensor. It’s teamed with the powerful BIONZ processor to deliver highly detailed, ultra-low noise images. Sensitivity extends right up to ISO 12800, allowing you to capture beautifully natural handheld images in low light without flash.

With a generous 95% field of view, the bright optical viewfinder makes framing and composition a pleasure. As an extra refinement, Manual Focus Check Live View previews clear, bright full-resolution images on the 6.7cm (2.7”) Clear Photo LCD screen. With selectable 7x/14x on-screen image enlargement it’s ideal for confirming pin-sharp focus with portraits, still life, macro and architectural scenes.

The powerful BIONZ image processor enables high-speed continuous shooting at up to 5 fps (maximum – approx. figure). In Speed Priority mode (with AF and AE set at start of burst) this increases to an amazing 7 fps (maximum – actual speed depends on shooting conditions and media card). More than enough to catch sports and fast-moving action with ease.

Creative options are enhanced with Auto HDR mode that accommodates bright highlights and dark shadow details in a single frame. Two successive frames shot handheld at different exposure values are merged automatically by the camera. The result is a detail-packed High Dynamic Range image – with no need for a PC image editor and specialist skills. In addition to fully automatic operation, the exposure difference between frames can be manually set up to 3EV, in 0.5EV increments.

Featured right across the DSLR line-up by Sony, SteadyShot INSIDE™ offers up to 4 steps of anti-shake correction with the full range of 30 α lenses and two teleconvertors, as well as compatible A-mount optics by Konica-Minolta.

The α450 also offers the most impressive shooting stamina of any DSLR camera by Sony to date. The high-capacity battery allows up to 1,050 shots between charges* – plenty for a busy weekend’s sightseeing.

Slots for Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo and SD/SDHC memory cards (sold separately) are offered to suit users’ personal shooting preferences.

Connect the α450 to any HD Ready TV for a breathtaking big-screen view of your photos. PhotoTV HD optimises still image reproduction on compatible BRAVIA™ models, while BRAVIA™ Sync allows control of slideshow and other camera playback functions using your TV remote.

Supplied software includes Image Data Converter SR; Image Data Lightbox SR; and PMB (Picture Motion Browser) for easy image management. The α450 is also compatible with the wide range of high-quality DSLR accessories by Sony, including flashes, carry cases, batteries and chargers, GPS and more.

The DSLR-A450 digital SLR camera by Sony is available from the beginning of February 2010.
Features: DSLR-Α450
Effective Megapixels – Approx. 14.2
Lens compatibility – Sony α lens, Minolta and Konica Minolta AF lens
Image sensor – APS-C size (23.4×15.6mm) CMOS sensor “Exmor” with RGB primary colour filters
Processor – BIONZ™ image processor
ISO Sensitivity Range – 200-12,800 ISO
Image Quality Modes – JPEG (fine, standard), raw, raw + JPEG
HDMI connector and Bravia Sync – HDMI  mini connector (Type C), BRAVIA Sync (Sync menu), PhotoTV HD
Image Size: 3:2 (pixels) – L size:  4592×3056 (14M); M size:  3344×2224 (7.4M); S size:  2288×1520 (3.5M)
Viewfinder Type – Fixed eye-level, pentamirror (porroprism)
LCD – 6.7cm (2.7”) type, TFT Clear Photo LCD (230,400 dots)
Manual Focus Check Live View – YES
SteadyShot INSIDE – YES
Anti-dust System – Coating on low pass filter, plus image-sensor vibration cleaning cycle
Focus Modes – AF/MF selectable. AF modes: Single-shot AF, Automatic AF, Continuous AF
Autofocus – TTL phase detection system; CCD line sensors
Focus Points – 9 points (all line, no cross)
Exposure Modes – Programmed AE (AUTO, AUTO – Flash Off, P), Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual, Scene selection
Exposure Metering Sensor – 40-segment honeycomb-pattern SPC
Exposure Metering Modes – Multi-segment, Centre-weighted, Spot
Scene Selection – Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports, Sunset, Night portrait/Night view
Creative Style Settings – Standard, Vivid, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, B/W
Shutter Speed – 1/4000-30sec, Bulb
Exposure Bracketing – 3 continuous exposures, in 0.3 or 0.7 EV steps
White Balance Settings – Auto / 6 presets / Colour Temperature/Colour Filter /  Custom WB
Continuous Advance Shooting – Up to 5 fps and 7 fps in speed priority mode.
Approx. no. of shots – Approx. 1050 shots
Built-in Flash – Auto pop-up – GN 12 at ISO 100, FOV coverage up to 18mm
Flash Modes – Flash-off, Auto, Fill-flash, Slow sync, Rear Sync., Wireless*, Hi-speed sync.*,
*With external flash HVL-F58AM, HVL-F56AM, HVL-F42AM, HVL-F36AM
Media – Memory Stick PRO Duo / PRO-HG Duo / SD memory card / SDHC memory card
Dimensions (W x H x D) – Approx. 137 x 104 x 81mm (W/H/D, excluding protrusions)
Weight – Approx. 520g

No price information has been released.

There are 11 pages in this review, please use the Next Page navigation at the end of each page to continue reading. A sponsor link appears before the end of each page – “Get camera lenses at Shopping.com’s affordable deals.” Our thanks to Shopping.com for spotting and sponsoring this review!

This review has been updated August 2010 – see the second to last page for new Adobe Camera Raw Process 2010 results, a massive improvement with Alpha 550 files.

The 500 was promised to me a week before writing this, but has not been sent by Sony. The Alpha 550 is mine; they have not been issued for reviews yet, and to get one, I had to buy one.
It’s both one of the best £600 purchases I’ve made and one of the worst. Find out why!

The literature and application CD included with the Alpha 550

The accessories included with the Alpha 550 – the neckstrap is slightly less sharp-edged than the very cheap version provided with the A200 to A380 models.

I have always valued the superb low ISO performance of the Alpha digital cameras – from Konica Minolta Dynax 7D onwards. The Alpha 100 remains unmatched for the crispness of its detail at ISO 100 when processed from raw, if you are lucky enough to get accurate focus.

The Alpha 350 had the same intensive test treatment that was planned for the 550. I left my Alpha 700 behind, and took only the 350 for a week shooting Gran Canaria. It didn’t disappoint; we knew the high ISO performance was a limitation, but shots at 400 and 800 were commercially usable. Those at 100-200 had a great colour quality and smooth, noise-free sky and neutral tones.

The 700 and 900 have both been a mixed experience. The base ISO 100 image in both cases lacks the finesse of either the Alpha 100/200/230 10 megapixel sensor, or the Alpha 350/380 14.2 megapixel CCD. However, both respond well to using settings or 160 or 320 (not 200 or 400) with Adobe Camera Raw/Lightroom processing.

The Alpha 550 has a 14.2 megapixel CMOS sensor so might be expected to behave a little more like the 700 and 900, with strong anti-aliasing and heavy noise reduction applied to the raw file (in effect) by processes built in to the sensor itself, and the BIONZ processor.

Get camera lenses at Shopping.com’s affordable deals.

The good news is that all Sony Alpha DSLRs from the 100 on are included in a different list of RECOMMENDED cameras – all are confirmed as being capable of providing adequate images.

Here’s the Cyber-shot blacklist:

Please note at present Alamy does not accept any images from the following Sony digital cameras.

Now Samsung got in there by mistake, I think, but it includes some cameras I once thought were adequate such as the Cyber-shot F-828. Not surprisingly, the similarly specified Konica Minolta Dimage cameras are also blacklisted:

It’s sad to see the A2 and A200 – both providing .MRW raw files which can be of exceptional quality at ISO 64 with careful handling – included in such a list. But this is reality. Earlier this year, I included in our own Alamy submissions a great set of 60 images by my friend Peter Fry who had visited the Caribbean and Central America using a Sony F-828. I liked his people pix enough to feature them in Photoworld, and they reproduced excellently. But they resulted in the first ever total rejection of a batch of files I have had from Alamy.

More controversial is the Alamy list for Sigma – even the latest (or almost-latest) SD-14 and the popular pocketable DP-1 are banned:

Well, in fact I have many images taken on the SD-9, SD-10 and SD-14 on Alamy and submitted as complete batches too, not hiding amongst a submission. My entire set from one trip to Turkey was shot on the SD-9, and all the files were duly taken up to 48MB. They have sold, as well, and no complaints or refunds have ever followed the sales. For owners of the DP-1 expecting to use it as a stock-photo notebook camera, this latest list is a knock-back.

And, in the Kodak list, the DCS760 is blackballed. This beautifully made Nikon F5 based DSLR has one of the best 6 megapixel sensors ever designed, within its limited working ISO range. With a 1.3X factor, it has very large pixels and uses very narrow-cut colour filters producing superb colour quality. I have owned one for a few months, and of course, there are a few Alamy pix from it. I would have to rate the quality higher than my Konica Minolta Dynax 7D or 5D six megapixels in some respects.

Also, the excellent Ricoh GR Digital and GR II are both rejected. Again, I have an entire set of images taken using this GR, an optically superb fix focal length wide angle 8 megapixel compact, which went on to Alamy as a set in the past without question. They are still some of the best-looking files for colour and the performance of that 28mm-equvalent lens. Even the pics with the 21mm-equivalent wide angle converter are up to DSLR standard.

What exactly is sharp enough for Alamy?

Here is an example of what is NOT sharp enough:

This is a picture of Stormont, the Belfast Northern Ireland Assembly building, taken by Ailsa Kilpatrick when she visited the Assembly earlier in the year. She used a Sony Alpha A350 with 16-105mm SAL lens. It’s been straightened up a touch and distortion removed (though it was at the long end of the lens, and this was just a minor verticals correction). Contrast has been increased greatly to give it some impact. The point of focus, as you would expect, is on the columns and facade of the building, but this is the result which Alamy QC rejected, when enlarged to 48MB size (5120 pixels high):

Bear in mind that no capture sharpening or unsharp masking can be used when sending files to Alamy, so some natural softness will be present due to AA filter and deBayer operations. I would have said, looking at the detail shown in the upper egg and dart string of the course above the column’s capital, that although the 16-105mm has produced a slightly ‘dirty’ rendering, it’s well up to the sharpness of any of the 6 or 8 megapixel shots I have filed in past years. But when sent the clip (because this was the image they rejected, taking with it several dozen others which are automatically kicked back if you get one in the batch failed) they confirmed that they upheld their QC decision.

This is no great worry, Ailsa took many other pictures some of which are already accepted and on-line, and many are that little bit cleaner and sharper than this. But when asked, Alamy’s staff stated that standards for QC have not changed. What was once accepted (6 megapixels enlarged to 17 megapixels, the 48MB size required) was still accepted. There had been no shift in standards created by the effect on staff of seeing so many 14, 16, 21, and 24 megapixel files arriving today. I found this hard to believe, because my own standards have changed after using the Alpha 900. My earlier work no longer looks sharp enough!

A few days later, the list of unacceptable cameras appeared on Alamy’s blog. They may not have been willing to be drawn into making any comment about improving standards, but their action speaks louder than words. In the list of non-approved cameras are several mainstays of early Alamy shooters – successful ones as well. The Konica Minolta Dimage A2 and A200, the Canon PowerShot S1 Pro, the Ricoh GR Digital… all these were purchased in their dozens (even sought for on the used market) by travelling Alamy contributors wanting raw files from a lightweight versatile camera with 8 megapixels.

Now that era is passed. If you are planning on trying Alamy, study the example above. It was, I am told, a borderline case but nevertheless not good enough. If you can’t get something visibly better than this (and it makes a perfectly sharp looking A2 print!) don’t bank on getting your Sony Alpha, or any other, images past Alamy Quality Control.

- David Kilpatrick

Full-frame DSLR shooting for a wider audience
New Sony Alpha α850 with 24.6 megapixels and pro-style features

* Full-frame 24.6 effective megapixel Exmor™ CMOS sensor and dual BIONZ processors for detail-packed, low-noise images with high sensitivity up to ISO 6400 (with expanded ISO range)
* Bright optical glass pentaprism viewfinder with 98% coverage
* SteadyShot INSIDE™ offers up to 4.0 steps anti-shake performance with all lenses
* Photo quality (921k dot) 3.0-inch Xtra Fine LCD
* Fast, high-accuracy 9-point AF with 10 focus assist points

The new DSLR-α850 from Sony offers serious photo enthusiasts a  compelling step up to the creative possibilities of full-frame imaging.

Ruggedly built for unflinching pro-style handling and performance, the α850 shares the same 24.6 megapixel sensor and virtually all features of the flagship DSLR-α900, introduced last year. Like its full-frame sibling, the α850 fully exploits the creative possibilities of the α family of lenses that includes premium full-frame optics from Carl Zeiss, plus five high-performance G Lens models.

At the heart of the α850 is a full frame 24.6 effective megapixel Exmor™ CMOS sensor that captures flawless, detail-packed images with vibrant, lifelike colours and fine textures.

The purity of high-resolution image data captured by the full-frame sensor is optimised by two-stage noise reduction in both analogue and digital domains. Noise reduction is first applied as the full-frame sensor converts light to electronic signals. Dual BIONZ™ image engines process large amounts of digital data, applying finely-tuned noise reduction during image processing to deliver pictures with extremely high level of sharpness and minimal noise level. This combination of high native sensor resolution and powerful noise control techniques ensures superlative image quality, even at high sensitivity settings up to a maximum ISO 6400 (with expanded ISO range).

The camera’s optical glass pentaprism viewfinder aids accurate shot composition, offering an extremely bright view with minimal distortion and an approximate 98% field coverage.

Serious enthusiasts will also prize the camera’s fast, high-accuracy autofocus system that provides excellent framing freedom while making it easier to achieve optimum focus with moving subjects. The 9-point AF system is supplemented by 10 focus assist points to assist subject detection, improved out-of-focus detection to reduce focus hunting and a dedicated f/2.8 sensor for enhanced AF accuracy with wide aperture lenses.

Shots can be viewed on the large, high contrast 3.0-inch Xtra Fine LCD that offers an exceptionally high  resolution (921k dot) for critical evaluation – even outdoors or in bright ambient light.

For greater creative control, an Intelligent Preview function indicates the effects of exposure, white balance, and D-Range Optimiser adjustments prior to shooting. This Preview is invaluable when composing complex scenes that may typically combine multiple light sources with different colour temperatures.

Touching the Fn button switches the display to Quick Navi mode, allowing convenient one-handed adjustment of key shooting parameters. A secondary backlit LCD panel on the top of the camera body gives useful confirmation of major settings, even when the main LCD is turned off.

In common with all other DSLR cameras from Sony, the α850 features SteadyShot INSIDE™. This in-body optical stabilisation system delivers up to 4 steps of anti-shake correction with all compatible lenses, opening up even greater creative possibilities when shooting handheld.

Like its full-frame sibling, the α850 is ruggedly built for dependable performance in gruelling conditions with a high-tensile aluminium chassis and all-magnesium alloy body shell. Viewfinder, card slots, controls and other sensitive areas are protected from dust and moisture by rubber seals. In addition, an anti-dust system guards the full-frame sensor from the effects of dust entering the body during lens exchange.

The supplied high-capacity InfoLITHIUM™ rechargeable Battery Pack (NP-FM500H) delivers power for up to 880 shots (approx.) per charge. Battery levels can be monitored in precise 1% increments, eliminating uncertainty about remaining shooting time.

The camera can be connected to your BRAVIA™ or any HD TV (requires optional HDMI cable) for a big-screen view of your shots. On-screen image quality is optimised for superbly lifelike reproduction on BRAVIA™ models supporting PhotoTV HD. On-screen playback can be controlled via an optional wireless remote commander (RMT-DSLR1).

The α850 is fully compatible with the range of official accessories by Sony for the flagship A900.

The choice of full-frame lenses to complement the α850 is enhanced with the new 28-75mm f/2.8 SAM. This compact, easy-to-carry lens is ideal for photo enthusiasts looking to add a bright, general purpose zoom to their collection of full-frame optics. Delivering excellent imaging quality, this zoom offers a wide f/2.8 aperture. Ideal for day-to-day shooting tasks, its bright maximum aperture makes the 28-75mm F2.8 SAM particularly valuable for interior scenes and available-light portraits.

Also, with Memory Stick™ at the heart of the Sony alpha, you have every advantage. The advanced Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX (4GB, 8GB, 16GB or 32GB) is the perfect tool for continuous shooting mode, with the ideal combination of massive storage capacity and blisteringly fast operation. Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX 32GB will never miss the key shot because the number of pictures taken in 1 min is approx 160* photos (in RAW+JPEG/L (24M)).

Delivered with USB Adaptor, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX 32GB is ideal for users who want to transfer data in high speed: approx. 660[1] pictures in L (24M) size at RAW+JPEG mode in 26 minutes.

The DSLR-α850 full-frame digital SLR camera is available from September 2009 and the 28-75mm lens will be available from November 2009.

Specification table follows on the next page.