Big Sony savings ending on June 3!

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The big Sony rebates run til June 3 6am at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama. Some special mentions:

Cameras:

Lenses:

Accessories:

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You won’t believe this: Kodak now leads the digital camera market in Japan!

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You know what camera is selling best in Japan according to the latest April sales data from BCN? It’s that low quality and boring model I never heard of before (Click here). It’s currently being hyped by the younger generation and influencers. They want affordable and compact cameras that give you a pixelated and more stylish image quality!

BCN reports:

  • In April 2024, KODAK captured a 22.5% sales share in the overall digital camera market, which combines compact digital cameras (compact digital cameras), mirrorless single-lens cameras, and single-lens reflex cameras. This was the first time that KODAK had ranked first in monthly market share by manufacturer since BCN began compiling digital camera data, according to the “BCN Ranking,” which compiles actual sales data from electronics retailers and online stores.
  • The three products that drove KODAK’s market share were the PIXPRO FZ55, PIXPRO FZ45, and PIXPRO WPZ2. All of them were ranked in the top 10 in sales by series for all digital cameras in April 2012. In particular, the PIXPRO FZ55 took the top spot, accounting for more than 10% of the market share. The average unit price is less than 20,000 yen, and its strength is that it is easy to purchase and use.
  • Major camera companies have shifted their focus to expensive mirrorless single-lens cameras, and have reduced the handling of inexpensive compact digital cameras or withdrawn from the market. On the other hand, the demand for easy-to-use compact digital cameras remains. Furthermore, due to the influence of the retro boom in recent years, inexpensive compact digital cameras have become a hot topic on social media, and their popularity has increased, especially among young people. KODAK has made great strides by tapping into such niche needs. (BCN Research Institute, Kakei Saito)

Here are the the top 10 best selling cameras:

  1. Kodak PixPro FZ55 (11% share)
  2. Sony ZV-E10 (8.2% share)
  3. Kodak PixPro FZ45 (6% share)
  4. Instax MIni EVO (5.5% share)
  5. Kodak PixPro WPZ2 (5.1% share)
  6. Canon IXY 650 (4.9% share)
  7. Canon EOS R50 (4.0% share)
  8. Kenko KC-03TY (2.7% share)
  9. Canon EOS R10 (2.4% share)
  10. Nikon Z30 (2.3% share)

Between Kodak, Kenko and the IXY we have 5 super cheap compact cameras on top! We don’t have such accurate data in the US and Europe. So let me show the crazy unknown cameras selling hot on Amazon (Click here to see the full bestseller list).

I have been in the camera business for 15 years and I never thought I would see a comeback of the ugly, cheap compact cameras! Also because I did not foresee the advent of the crazy world of social-influencers. This is a ‘world’ based on pure irrationality and an emotional rollercoaster. Now I feel like dropping everything and becoming a farmer in a lonely valley :)

Source: BCN

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Sony Announces Major Update to Monitor & Control App with Expanded Compatibility and Enhanced Features

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Press text:

SAN DIEGO, CA – May 30, 2024. Sony Electronics announces the release of Monitor & Control (M&C) app version 2.0.0, an updated offering for Creators’ Cloud for individuals, bringing a suite of powerful new features and expanded compatibility for filmmakers and content creators. This latest update underscores Sony’s commitment to delivering innovative tools that enhance the creative process.

The “Monitor & Control” mobile app for visual content creators supports a myriad of Cinema Line and Alpha cameras, and enables wireless monitoring, precise exposure adjustment, and intuitive focus control on smartphones and tablets, effectively transforming these devices into wireless monitors with professional camera controls. Key features include real-time exposure monitoring, customizable histograms and waveforms, remote control of camera settings, and advanced color settings, providing creators with a more flexible workflow without needing a separate external monitor. It also offers intuitive focus controls, enabling touch focus, autofocus sensitivity adjustments, and Real-time Tracking directly from a mobile device. The on-screen control bar provides precise manual focus adjustments, with configurable settings for focus transition speeds, limits, and magnification.

Expanded Compatibility:

The M&C v2.0.0 app now supports a wider range of camera models, including BURANO, FX6, FX3, FX30, α1, α9 III, and α7S III. This expansion ensures more creators can benefit from the advanced monitoring and control capabilities offered by M&C.

Multi-Camera Monitoring:

Exclusive to iPad OS, the Multi-Camera Monitoring feature allows setting adjustments, control and display of up to four cameras. This function supports both wired and wireless connections through Wi-Fi routers or hotspots, providing flexibility for various shooting environments.

Key Improvements for BURANO and FX6:

  • Monitoring Resolution: Enhanced support for FX6, bringing it on par with other high-end models.
  • Exposure Monitoring: New support for BURANO and FX6, enabling precise exposure adjustments with tools like waveform, false color, histogram and zebra.
  • LUT Import: FX6 now supports Look-Up Table (LUT) import directly from mobile devices, allowing real-time application to live view.

Enhanced Monitoring Features:

  • Full Screen Monitoring: Provides an unobstructed view of live images across all supported models.
  • Focus Map: Available for FX6, this feature offers intuitive focus control by visualizing depth settings.

User Interface Improvements:

  • Simple UI: The updated interface matches the camera body design of CineAlta cameras, ensuring an intuitive user experience.
  • Intuitive Controls: Frequently used settings can easily be controlled from a smartphone or tablet including; frame rate, sensitivity, shutter speed, ND filter2, look, and white balance.
  • Focus Modes Integration: Seamlessly control focus while monitoring.
  • Improved White Balance Settings UI: Allows for more accurate adjustments of Kelvin scale.
  • Anamorphic De-Squeeze Display: Correctly displays images shot with anamorphic lenses.
  • Grid Line: Assists in composing shots with a thirds grid overlay.

Tool Menu Enhancements:

Users can select and customize up to three tools for their screen, including advanced adjustments for options like waveform, histogram, false color, zebra, de-squeeze, grid lines, and rotation.

The “Monitor & Control” ​ mobile app is available for iOS and Android devices.1

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LEAKED: New Tamron 50-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD

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Tamron will announce this new lens on June 6! Basically this is a much more compact version of the existing Tamron 50-400mm lens. The wight will be 665g compared ot the 1,2kg of the longer tele lens.

Here is the leaked press text:

TAMRON’s new 50-300mm VC zooms provides a wide 50mm starting option. Although it extends to 300mm at the telephoto end, the 50-300mm F4.5-6.3 VC features an extremely compact size with a length of just 150mm (5.9″) and a class-leading light weight[1] of 665g (23.5 oz). The compact size also produces outstanding balance when paired with an APS-C camera for 75-450mm equivalent. The expert arrangement of special lens elements effectively controls aberrations and produces high image quality throughout the entire zoom range. The lens is equipped with a VXD linear motor focus mechanism that delivers excellent quietness and agile autofocus performance, while the VC image stabilization mechanism provides powerful support for every aspect of shooting. At the 50mm wide end, the lens attains an MOD of 0.22m (8.7″) for a remarkable maximum magnification ratio of 1:2 allowing users to enjoy the world of half-macro shooting. The 50-300mm VC is packed with features that support an enriched shooting experience, such as Moisture-Resistant Construction, Fluorine Coating, 67mm filter size, and the connector port for the dedicated TAMRON Lens UtilityTM software developed in-house by TAMRON. This Ultra Multi Focal Length all-in one zoom lens empowers users to enjoy serious photography in a user-friendly package and expands the potential for creative expression.

  • Unique telephoto lens with 50mm at the wide end
  • High-speed and high-precision AF with superb subject tracking performance
  • Amazing half-macro shooting with an MOD of 0.22m (8.7in) at the 50mm wide end and a magnification ratio of 1:2
  • Equipped with TAMRON’s proprietary VC mechanism
  • TAMRON Lens Utility™ expands the possibilities of still photography and video shooting
  • Proprietary software tool TAMRON Lens Utility for lens function customization and firmware updates
  • Focus Set Button for lens function customization via the TAMRON Lens Utility
  • Zoom Lock Mechanism
  • Moisture-Resistant Construction and Fluorine Coating
  • Ø67mm filter diameter for system convenience

[1] Among full-frame mirrorless compatible 300mm telephoto zoom lenses equipped with Vibration Compensation (As of June 2024: TAMRON)

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