On the 8th of June 2011, Sony announced two new entry level cameras to their NEX and Digital Single Lens Translucent (DSLT) lineup, the a35 and NEX-C3.
The Sony a35 replaces the a33 that was announced last year and is the second generation of cameras from Sony to incorporate a translucent mirror. The following are a few upgrades to this camera from its predecssor:
- improved sensor (16.2 megapixels from 14.2megapixels)
- new feature tele-zoom high speed shooting at 7fps
- new feature picture effects for stills and HD video
- camera battery consumption is redefined for longer shooting
- slightly lighter
Sony a35 with 18-55mm lens attached
This camera does not have a tilt screen like the a33 but it does cut the cost down for a more affordable price for people wanting to step up from their compact cameras. However, the a35 does retrain all its other features from its predecessor such as sweep panorama (2D and 3D), HDR, Hand-Held twilight, continuous autofocus on stills and video and more. Its a modest update to the a33 and with its new features added to this model, it is sure to be a great, stand-out camera for its class.
a35 body (back)
The NEX-C3 replaces its predecessor, the NEX-3 that was released last year. The C in the name stands for compact and as of the time of this posting, it is the world's smallest and lightest interchangeable lens camera with an APS-C sized sensor.
Press release for the a35 can be found here.
Press release for the a35 can be found here.
NEX-C3 with 18-55mm lens attached
The NEX-C3 retains all of its stand out features but adds the picture effects and a special mode called peaking which assists in manual focus. Battery life is also more efficient and is able to shoot at about 400 shots per charge.
NEX-C3 (back)
Press release for the NEX-C3 with additional info and specs can be found here.
30mm f3.5 Macro Lens for E-Mount
Sony also released a couple of accessories, one of them the 30mm f3.5 macro lens for the E-mount system. This lens offers the chance to take real life macro images with a magnification ratio of 1:1. It also offers smooth and silent auto-focus and gives a minimum working distance of 2.4cm. This lens is also supplied with a lens hood.
HVL-F20S Flash
Lastly, the HVL-F20S flash for the NEX system was announced to boost the number of accessories available. This flash clips onto the accessory terminal on top of any NEX camera and offers a guide number of 20 as opposed to the supplied flash with a guide number of 7. The flash can also bounce and zoom for different effects with your photos. This flash does not require any batteries.
A firmware update was also announced for the a33 and a55 cameras to enable the following:
- Addition of the Picture Effect function (7 Effects, 11 Variations)
- Programmability of the D-RANGE button (on the top panel) to access 14 functions (Drive Mode, Flash Mode, Auto Focus Mode, AF area, Face Detection, Smile Shutter, ISO, Metering Mode, Flash EV Comp, White Balance, DRO/Auto HDR, Creative Style, SCN/Picture Effect, Sweep Shooting)
- Addition of a new mode to turn off display parameters
- Improved operability of the Menu (the ability to return to last selected item instead of menu top)
- Enable High-Speed Sync when using compatible external flash wirelessly (only α55 – α33 already has this feature)
- Addition of Digital level gauge display (on the HDMI output) when using the optional external monitor (like CLM-V55 LCD Monitor)
A firmware update was also announced for the NEX-3 and NEX-5 to enable the following:
- Addition of the Picture Effects function (7 Effects, 11 Variations)
- Addition of the Manual Focus Peaking function
- Very minor – when turning off the camera, the “α” logo will be displayed on the LCD
Thanks for reading!
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