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Life after Photokina: Sony’s unreachable wonder.
One of the most impressive announcements at Photokina was Sony’s Cyber-shot RX1, which is basically a point-and-shoot with a full-frame sensor.
The RX1 is the first full-frame Leica-imitating AF rangefinder-style camera. Sony posted some “specification changes” two days ago, which might explain why this camera was the only one on my very long “shopping list” that was only visible behind glass.
With a fast but very limiting fixed 35mm f/2 lens and a $2,800 price tag, which becomes close to $4,000 once a lens shade and EVF are added, this potentially great system will only be accessible to very few photographers. The image quality, according to this Flickr gallery, is very high.
In case you missed it, we previously wrote about the good and bad about Sony’s announcements here. We will definitively dig deeper into these systems on our upcoming Google Hangout on Monday October 15 at 1pm EST.
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The company also announced the Alpha SLT-A99, Sony’s first translucent-mirror full-frame camera. This camera effectively replaces Sony’s flagship Alpha A900 DSLR.
Another super interesting announcement was the Handycam NEX-VG900, a new high-end mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera that offers built-in Wi-Fi and the ability to run apps like Sony’s NEX-6. The VG900 is the company’s first full-frame camcorder, and it shares the same E-mount system used by the Alpha NEX line of mirrorless still cameras. The VG900 shoots full-frame, 24-megapixel still photos (including RAW) and AVCHD 24p – 60p video and will sell for around $3,300. This system confirms, in our opinion, the definite arrival of 24 x 36 mm format not only for still but also cinematography.
