d4rkholeang3l: Niiice! I like her skirt mod.

clivengu: Fill light is the same thing. Use that instead of DRO.

Of course, different RAW software does their fill light differently, so pick the one that looks best to you. Personally having seen DxO and Lightroom... strong DRO can look bad with skintones.

d4rkholeang3l: I like #4. I see that you're trying to go for the ambient light mixed in... though you could do that when the light is stronger than that. Like warm light from the street lamp versus flourescent light from a shop signboard. Have her stand in between those for example.

This post has been edited by albnok: Sep 2 2010, 12:43 AM

I asked the following question at the media question-and-answer session:

Will the future advanced models have translucent technology?

Naoi Sudo, Managing Director of Sony Malaysia, said:

Once it is well accepted in the market, why not, we will definitely continue. This is a first step for us. But we cannot promise all the models will be like this in the future.

We are expecting that this will be one of the most important technology in the future.

Retail prices as announced today:

Sony SLT-A55V = RM2499
Sony SLT-A55V + Sony 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 DT SAM = RM2799
Sony SLT-A33 + Sony 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 DT SAM = RM2399
Sony SLT-A33 + Sony 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 DT SAM + Sony 55-200mm F4-5.6 DT SAM = RM2699
Sony Cybershot TX9 = RM1499
Sony Cybershot WX5 = RM1199
Sony Cybershot T99 = RM999
Sony Cybershot T99D = RM1099
Sony Handycam NEX-VG10 + Sony E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 with Active OSS = RM7999

The D suffix for the T99D means it's got extra bling on the front. It looks real nice.

The V suffix for the A55V means it has GPS.

Other quick nibblets:

The Sony E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 Active OSS is fantastic! The Active OSS makes it much like the Handycams. The Sony NEX-VG10, because it has the same sensor as the NEX-5, also exhibits very little rolling shutter.

The A55, however, had very obvious rolling shutter. Also, the RGB tearing is obvious in the EVF when you're pointing at a high contrast scene (people standing against pier) and you're panning.


Here's the SLT-A55V with Sony Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 24mm F2.0 ZA SSM. This is the exact combination I want to get! The 24mm is light and balances well.

The A55 grip is good in my hands.


A55 with Zeiss 24mm F2.0 with the Sony A900 with Minolta 24-105mm F3.5-4.5(D) on the right.

signither: No price for the SEL18200 yet but it is reckoned to be RM2000.

A55V with kit lens = USD 850 retail
A55V with kit lens = RM 2799 retail
Zeiss 24mm F2.0 = USD1250 retail

We can then conclude the retail price in Malaysia.

wingster: How so? It has the best AF for video. However the rolling shutter is a problem (but then, if you've noticed, videographers do not pan quickly - it is bad technique.)

8tvt: The NEX does not look like a professional camera, fortunately.

Anly: On the contrary, the A55 and A900 are very different in size:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyesthruthele...57624708533899/

It is only because I shot it from above that it doesn't look obvious.

The A55 and 24mm will be available in October.

lencent: The ghosting/tearing is colorful and occurs when panning with high-contrast situations. Not something that would turn me off the camera though, it just reminds me of Robocop vision.

ProX: Refer to my earlier posting about the Sony Retail prices in Malaysia. Yes the 18-55mm can focus pretty close but not as close as a true macro - just make sure you zoom to the 55mm end to get maximum magnification.

ieR: Intelligent Preview is only on the A850/A900.

Smart Navi GUI is made redundant with the interface to the left and right of the EVF and LCD (like the A550.)

The A560/A580 adds some things that were missing on the A550 - mirror lock up on 2 second timer, DOF preview, and shutter release without lens (to allow Aperture Priority with M42 and other unchipped lenses.)

clivengu: Honestly, the A55 is solid enough for me. So is the NEX-5.

IwanAGP: 1/3rd of a stop is the difference between F11 and F13. Or F1.4 and F1.6. You tell me if that is a lot.

I went for the Sony Power of Digital Imaging launch at Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside Hotel, Malaysia on the 2nd of September 2010, where they launched a few products simultaneously. Of course, I really was there for the A55. And the NEX-VG10. And the Zeiss 24mm F2.0.

None of these shots were with the A55 - some of them will have EXIF data. I'll post the A55 shots later.


Sony NEX-VG10 with Sony E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 Active OSS.


With the Sony E 16mm F2.8 pancake, it looks like a regular Handycam with an undetachable mike.


I have to say, I am not sure exactly which market this is for - the Handycam market, or the pro market? Videographers were gushing over the quad spatial mikes, but I'm not too sure they are excited about the video spec.

And yes, you can control aperture, shutter and gain (in steps of 3 decibels) in video.

The Sony E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 Active OSS is fantastic! The Active OSS makes it much like the Handycams. The Sony NEX-VG10, because it has the same sensor as the NEX-5, also exhibits very little rolling shutter.


Here's the SLT-A55V with Sony Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 24mm F2.0 ZA SSM. This is the exact combination I want to get! The 24mm is light and balances well, and the A55 grip is good in my hands.

The A55, however, had very obvious rolling shutter. Also, the RGB tearing is obvious in the EVF when you're pointing at a high contrast scene (people standing against pier) and you're panning.


A55 with Zeiss 24mm F2.0 with the Sony A900 with Minolta 24-105mm F3.5-4.5(D) on the right.


In sunny Putrajaya, the event organizers were chilling in front of the fan.


Malaysia notably did not launch the A560 and A580. I was looking forward to seeing it do contrast detect AF!

The A560/A580 bring back the depth of field preview button, mirror lock up with 2-second timer and shutter release without lens. Oh and video, which the A550 does not have, and 3D Sweep Panorama, Sweep Panorama, 6 EV Auto HDR, Multi-frame NR, Hand-held Twilight, 15 AF points (with 3 cross-type), losing only the Smart Teleconverter button.


The lakeside was chosen to show the A55's AF tracking capabilities with sports. A55 and A33 bodies were chained to a table, equipped with the 70-200mm F2.8G SSM, 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G SSM and 70-400mm F4-5.6G SSM.

However, this was shot with the A900 and screw-driven Zeiss 135mm F1.8, which was more than able to track with the center point. It is not even a 100% crop!


The Sony Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 24mm F2.0 ZA SSM is everything I ever wanted - an extremely close-range focusing wide-angle lens with Zeiss sharpness and contrast, wide open! This was shot with the A900 and the subject is an A55 with Zeiss 135mm F1.8.


The A55 does have Release w/o Lens so you can use your unchipped adapted lenses (e.g. M42 mount) in Aperture Priority mode. Thank you Sony for reintroducing this in the NEX-3/NEX-5/NEX-VG10/A33/A55/A560/A580!

A cutaway of the A55 (or was it the A33, since there was no GPS label on the left?) How does the mirror look like?


Let's enhance!

What happens to translucent mirrors that get touched? They get donated to science. Yep, it does appear to be a thin membrane.


Another shot. It does not appear to be completely flat (but it could have lost tension or could be a prototype.)

Now I have no idea how you'd fix backfocus/frontfocus if it happens...


The electronic viewfinder. Note that the flash pops up in front of the hotshoe.


The TX9 with 3D Sweep Multi Angle, which works as advertised! You do a normal 3D Sweep Panorama - but when you view the picture you can tilt the camera to simulate you moving around the subject.

However your sweep should not be at a complex angle or it will have a warped tilt. I totally forgot to try Background Defocus mode, though!


Yes, people at Sony do read DPReview!

Later, at the media question-and-answer session, I asked:

"Will the future advanced models have translucent technology?"

Naoi Sudo, Managing Director of Sony Malaysia, said:

"Once it is well accepted in the market, why not, we will definitely continue. This is a first step for us. But we cannot promise all the models will be like this in the future.

We are expecting that this will be one of the most important technology in the future."


The S-Frame launched that day also plays AVCHD videos! So it's like... an iPad without the apps and phone. It uses batteries instead of being connected to a wall socket all the time.


Of course, Sony also makes bigger wall-socketed photo frames...

In the distance, I spotted something not many paid attention to.


The Sony 35mm F1.8 DT SAM! This was shot on the A33 at F1.8, which was on -2 EV ISO200 JPG only and I forgot to check. So I brought it back up in Photoshop.


100% crop. Effectively, bringing up the -2 EV shot made it ISO800. This was a JPG. Go easy, pixel-peepers!


The 35mm at close focus.

There was also the Sony 85mm F2.8 SAM, but unfortunately they had locked it in the glass display case so I didn't get to try it.

I tried to record a video with the 35mm F1.8 DT SAM but the A33 wouldn't let me - probably because I was running out of space. So I couldn't find out if the SAM motor is quieter, and whether the SAM mechanism in manual focus makes a gear-ish sound. (My friend wants a 50mm F1.4 because manual focusing a Sony 50mm F1.8 DT SAM is audible on the NEX.)

On the A55, I tried the 10 FPS mode with my Zeiss 135mm F1.8 - no problems tracking a walking subject and no dropped frames. However it loses steam after 28 frames and starts writing. If you burst just 5 frames and stop, it will start writing also. So it is critical that you know when to start.

I don't remember setting Focus Priority or Release Priority, but it seems that 10 FPS works in Release Priority. Then again I was testing it on a wakeboarder and 70-400mm F4-5.6G SSM - so the waves will register as 'in focus' and the camera will fire anyway.

More to be posted soon!

8tvt: I have not compared the 35mm F1.8 DT SAM to the 30mm F2.8 DT SAM Macro.

The 35mm F1.8 is USD200, and the 85mm F2.8 is USD250.

Mikeshashimi: Thanks!

evilhomura89: Probably not. They didn't announce the A55 without GPS price. Also, you can turn it off... and if you find the GPS icon on the left distracting, you can apply black tape to cover it.

fansoption: Yes 100% viewfinder coverage in the A33 and A55, and bigger than an APS-C viewfinder.

e-jump: Not that much smaller than the A900 viewfinder. However there is a black frame around the EVF for some reason.

porkchop: Yup, exactly - you can see WB and EV in the EVF!

signither: Yeah LOL!

kmarc: The AF point selection is very nice - you press the AF button and you move the AF point around with the D-pad. No more accidentally nudging the AF point!

Anyway the AF points are a lot better due to the 3 cross sensors and hidden AF assist points.

porkchop: Aiyo this one must tell you all ah. I already gave the price of the A550V with kit lens in USD and RM - you can figure out what calculation they use.

wingster: That's a bit far, according to my calculations.

ahpingko: Interesting framing, though I'd crop off the top bit. (Leaf series #1).

Mikeshashimi: Meh, not double rainbow. Why were you shooting at F6.3 anyway?

Weird, dust in the lens does not appear as dust on the sensor but more like loss of contrast. Send to the dealer who will send it to Futuromic.

eugenechiuu: A Carl Zeiss 49mm UV MC Protector is RM160 or so but you should be able to get a Hoya 49mm UV for RM50 or so.

Eh, the twin kit does come with one rear cap for the 16mm F2.8 - check with your seller!

Kul | Mo0: Ouch! Get well soon yo.

e-jump: Nicely done on Takeshita Street (though minor perspective correction would make it better.)

d4rkholeang3l: I like #5 and #6, but for the rest, there is no explanation why she is there.

This post has been edited by albnok: Sep 6 2010, 12:53 AM

signither: Alamak ter-confused! Edited.

Mikeshashimi: Send it to the shop where you bought it, who will send it to Futuromic. I have no idea how much this will cost.

kuro0314: Buy another battery, and get into the 'rhythm' of the battery - I went for the A33/A55 product launch with heavy usage from 1pm and ended up with 34% at 8pm. Soon you'll be able to budget your battery power wisely.

evilhomura89: I would say - go on with regular stuff and don't be preoccupied with shooting everything you see. You only shoot when you know you absolutely have to and you'd miss THE picture otherwise.

I don't count it by hours, but by shots taken. I put my MSPD in other cameras (the A33, A55, TX9) but I counted only shots from the NEX-5. Pictures numbered:

4013-4120, 9496-9738
4120-4013 = 107
9738-9496 = 242

107+242 = 349 shots took up 66%, therefore I get about 528 shots per battery. Make sure the shot is worthy - we don't upload all 528 pictures to Facebook do we?

eddybeh: I don't like the term 'small' or 'big' because aperture is really a fraction and people get it backwards all the time.

F2.0 = 1:2.0 = f/2.0 but spelt differently.

For a 50mm lens set to F2.0 or f/2.0 or F1:2.0 the actual diameter of the aperture blade iris opening is 50mm/2.0 = 25mm.

So when you say 'bigger' some people think F22 is big when it's actually 1/22 (and is smaller).

And when you say 'smaller' some people think F1.4 when it's actually 1/1.4 (and is a bigger number).

I prefer to use 'bright' or 'dark' aperture. You know for sure that a bright aperture is F1.4 and a dark aperture is F22!

Jet23sky: The A33 is a beginner level budget camera, while the A55 is an intermediate entry level camera.

kysham: Nice! A weaker contrast would make for a video game poster.

8tvt: A33/A55/A560/A580 have ISO100.

fyrogenesis: Sony bodies are pretty darn consistent when it comes to color. The difference in IQ between the CMOS APS-C sensors are negligible. It's totally up to which form factor you want.

signither: 150K will buy you 68 NEX-5 + 16mm F2.8 cameras. You could ask the dealer to throw in a free RMT-DSLR1 to trigger all of them at the same time!

kuro0314: Aiyo you must update to V2! Big difference in battery life yo.

esmonde: The NEX-3 and NEX-5 can use Alpha lenses with the LA-EA1 adapter. Currently it is manual focus only for screw-drive, SSM and SAM lenses. The supposed firmware upgrade will allow AF with SSM and SAM lenses.

wingster: Yes the A55V will be sold in Malaysia.

http://www.sony.com.my/productcategory/dslr-camera

ywkwy: Funny you should ask, as I just realized there is no way to turn the LCD off. Bear in mind the optical viewfinder does not zoom and is fixed to the angle of view of the 16mm F2.8 pancake. It will not be appropriate for the 18-55mm. It also does not show you what is in focus because there is no connection to the camera!

Also, you will get parallax error from having a higher viewpoint than the lens itself. So don't buy it if you just intend to save battery - buy it if you like being old school with an external optical viewfinder.

evilhomura89: The CIPA rating may not match your camera usage pattern.

For example if you shoot a lot of bursts, you will find you don't use as much battery as if you took the same number of pictures over a long period of time.

fas29: Try superimposing both! Either the smoke on boots or boots on smoke.

Mikeshashimi: Yes that's the one. Dunno if it is free of charge or not.

kevinwcw: You have the 16-35mm already yes?

Bear in mind that the Zeiss 135mm is screw-driven and will not AF on the NEX-5 + LA-EA1. Also it's too long on the NEX-5, and not stabilized, which affects video (you can get by with a fast shutter speed for photos, but body motion will be obvious in video.)

The 24mm makes more sense on a supposed firmware upgraded NEX-5 + LA-EA1 but you already have the 16-35mm.

I would rather get the Sigma 85mm F1.4 EX DG HSM.

zstan: Not an absolute truth; there are fast-focusing primes with in-lens motors, and there are also primes with slower in-lens motors than the screw-drive version (Nikkor 50mm F1.4 AF-D versus 50mm F1.4 AF-S comes to mind.)

kevinwcw: Affordable FF telephoto? The Minolta 70-210mm F4 beercan.

Mikeshashimi: Yes, they won't have camera bodies lying around to test the lens with.

ahtsong: The 550D does offer more manual control over video - aperture, shutter, ISO etc. The A55 however sweeps it away in AF in video.

wingster: Depends on whether you want to shoot video for

1) news/documentation and social events
2) planned video where you know what is going to happen and have already set the focus markings on the lens

Str33tBoY: Yes the HVL-F7S flash comes with the NEX-3 and NEX-5.

electron: The NEX-5 does 1080p25 (but wrapped in a 1080i50 container).

edwardgsk: 7 FPS not enough ah? I find it hard to find many examples where it is useful in an everyday sense. I have 10 FPS on my Cybershot WX-1 but also, not many scenarios where I can use all 10 frames in a useful dissection of motion. It does make for some fun stop motion though.

Only time I've really needed high FPS was when trying to catch an arrow exiting a bow - I can't read the archer's rhythm! For anything else, we can just observe and press the shutter when it is time.

ieR: Eh that is not off topic what. Other people come here and talk about Canon and Nikon also.

mastering89: Sweet!

lanusb: Keep it in the dry box for security since it has a lock and key.

cassplayer: Something about the picture makes me say 'imba'.

ahpingko: I would go for one with 27mm wide angle (which is quite like 18mm on your A550) as it does help with group shots.

cassplayer: No I mean the framing is really off and so is the watermarking. Also diffraction from F22 is obvious on her. Didn't even look at the EXIF until you suggested it.

zstan: Eh, point-and-shoots have good quality also! I always liked the output from my Canon Powershot A520.

Banzai: But you can see when the guy is going to kick, and click your shutter then.

ieR: On the contrary, mirrorless being closer to the sensor allows them to build a lens with less distortion.

However because they made the 16mm a pancake, some optical compromises had to be made.

Str33tBoY: The NEX-5 has 2 colors; the NEX-3 has 4 colors. 6 models in total. Then you can choose 16mm only, 18-55mm only, or 16mm+18-55mm. That makes 18 combinations!

Anyway, my current everyday kit is the black NEX-5 with 16mm pancake, and a LA-EA1 adapter, with the Minolta 50mm F1.4 on it. Of course, the 50mm is manual focus because the LA-EA1 adapter does not have a screw-drive. So I get 16mm F2.8 and 50mm F1.4 (instead of 55mm F5.6).

Str33tBoY: Ah, now I see what you mean:

http://www.sony.com.my/productcategory/e-mount-camera

The NEX-3K/W (white NEX-3 + kitlens) and NEX-3K/R (red NEX-3 + kitlens) are not on the site.

However you can get the NEX-3D/W (white NEX-3 + kitlens + pancake) or NEX-3D/R (red NEX-3 + kitlens + pancake).

Note that none of the Sony official websites are very reliable (the US and UK one, apparently, have a lot of mistakes).

Despite the mistakes, it could be that Sony Malaysia really does not bring in the white and red NEX-3K. Different countries will pick which model to sell here. For example, Japan does not sell the A850 because Japanese apparently don't want or need a lower-spec cheaper camera. Malaysia did not sell the A380 and A500 officially.