Sony has announced a number of cameras ahead of Photokina, including the long-awaited Alpha 99 D-SLR.
Like Sony's APS-C lineup, the full-frame body uses a fixed mirror and EVF for fast focus and burst shooting. Its EVF is the same OLED design that was first seen in the Alpha 77 and NEX-7See it at Amazon UK, and its sensor is 24 megapixels in resolution.
The Alpha 99 uses a Bionz image processor that is capable of 14-bit Raw capture or 8-bit JPG recording. Its autofocus is powered by dual-phase detection sensors, which allow it to effectively track objects three dimensionally. There are a total of 121 points, which make it possible to track even fast-moving subjects. You can set a distance range in-camera to prevent objects passing between your lens and subject from throwing off the focus. The camera can fire off shots at up to 10 frames per second in Speed Priority mode.
Video recording is a strong point of Sony's fixed-mirror SLR line, and the Alpha 99 is no exception. It can record footage in up to 1080p60 resolution with the same autofocus speed that you get when shooting stills. Like the Nikon D4SEE IT, its HDMI port outputs an uncompressed video feed, so you can send video to a field recorder. If you choose to record compressed video to a memory card, AVCHD format is used. The camera supports an optional XLR adapter, which slides into its hot shoe to provide balanced audio input. There's also a silent control dial, designed so you can adjust settings during recording without adding noise to your video's soundtrack.
The camera is set for an October release with a retail price of $2,799.99. A new Alpha lens, the 300mm F2.8 G SSM II, is also set for an October release, priced at $7,499.99. It is optically identical to the previous version of the lens, but features an improved motor for faster autofocus.
The Alpha 99 isn't the only full-frame camera in Sony's stable. The NEX-VG900 is the first E-mount camcorder with a 24 by 36mm image sensor. It will allow for shallower depth of field than previous APS-C camcorders, and includes an adapter that makes it compatible with Alpha-mount SLR lenses. Native E-mount lenses are also supported, although a 24-megapixel sensor will automatically crop the field of view to match the smaller APS-C image coverage provided by these lenses. If you aren't afraid of focusing manually, you can attach virtually any SLR lens to the camcorder via a third-party adapter—during my brief hands-on time with the camera I was able to mount a 35mm rangefinder lens, the Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH, to the camcorder, and it covered the entirety of the frame without a problem.
The NEX-VG900 uses the same OLED EVF that's found in other NEX cameras and the Alpha 99. It records video in 1080p60 or 1080p24 format, and can snap 24-megapixel stills in JPG and Raw. It will be available as a body only for $3,299.99.
Also joining the NEX camcorder family is the NEX-VG30, the successor to the VG20. The camera has a few enhancements, including an OLED EVF—the VG20 used an LCD finder—and support for an optional XLR audio adapter. It will be available in November in two versions. As a body only it is priced at $1,719.99, and it's also available with an 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 power zoom lens for $2,699.99.
Also joining the NEX family is the Alpha NEX-6. It doesn't look that different than the NEX-7 in design, although it does drop the Tri-Nav control system in favor of a physical Mode dial that doubles as a top control wheel and a rear control wheel similar to that of the rest of the NEX series. It uses the same pop-up flash as the NEX-7, and—in a first for the NEX series—features a standard ISO hot shoe. Its EVF is the same OLED designed used in recent Sony cameras. The 16-megapixel camera will be available in November for $999.99. The price includes the new E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS power zoom lens, which is only slightly deeper than Sony's smallest NEX lens, the 16mm f/2.8 pancake, and features in-lens optical stabilization. The NEX-6 will also sell as a body only for $849.99.
Initially the 16-50mm will be available only with the NEX-6, but Sony expects to sell it in kits along with other NEX cameras at a later date. Current NEX owners will be able to purchase the lens on its own starting in January for $349.99.
In addition to the 16-50mm,there are two new lenses joining the NEX family. The E 10-18mm F4 OSS is an optically stabilized zoom that covers a very wide angle 15-27mm field of view at a fixed f/4 aperture. The E 35mm F1.8 OSS, also stabilized, is a fast aperture lens with a classic normal-angle field of view. The 10-18mm is shipping in November for $849.99, with the 35mm following in December for $449.99.