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Hey all, just thought I would throw up some stuff from visiting the Sony office today to see some new products. When I am not busy being a keyboard warrior, I can be a little bit of a skeptic so today was a good insight to see how things have been progressing.
My background has always been surrounded by photography and the automotive industry and one thing that always jumps out at me is the term "Function over form". It was good to see that put into practice.
First of all, my favourite area, Digital Imaging. Now to most people, a photo is a photo. Any camera can take a good photo but hopefully through my photos, I hope to change at least one persons mind.
Image quality to the majority of people is paramount. I mean we look at the smartphones of today, they take great photos but I find that something is always lacking (putting aside the terrible filters and wonky angles that you see on Instagram).
From what the specialists Ben and Sam managed to have on display was actually quite interesting as it seems that Sony are going further away from the trend and trying to educate and entice users at every step. Now being a Canon photographer, this was quite an usual concept but when I got some time to spend time with the products, the more it made sense.
From what has evolved over the past few years from Sony, there is a lot more features being introduced to cater for the novice who may want to try and be creative but does not know where to start. One some of the new models, there are some quirky features which may not appeal to everyone but at the same time, put some fun back into your photos and make them that little bit unique. Some of these features include a double exposure mode which may appeal to the photographers who enjoy "lomo" style photos to a starburst style filter among many more.
For someone more advance, there are time lapse modes which have been around for a while but few cameras offer it as a feature that you can do all from the menus. With many other apps available and planned, I hate to say it as I am reluctant to change, these are positive steps forward. Same with the whole idea of basic corrections via one of the applications means you can straighten or crop a photo there and then without having to wait to do it all on a PC.
Now to look at some products that caught my eye. The above is the new RX10. Its quite an unusual looking camera since its form is a little DSLRish but has no interchangeable lens system as you get on the RX1. Its great to hold and the lens as you can see is pretty large so suspecting it will pack a punch in terms of stills and video.
As with the RX1, it comes with a manual aperture ring which on first handling was smooth without the regular clicking as you expect. Not something that you would expect especially if you have used older lenses. Turns out that it has a switch to enable/disable the click in the event a videographer picks it up. As videography is not something I have really dabbled too much into, it sounds like a good feature.
As I was guided through some of the features it aims to deliver, it sounds like a very powerful yet compact video recording system. A product that initially I was not too keen on but now my interest has sparked to see how it would be in the real world.
Full frame has been nirvana for so many photogahers. Full frame sensored cameras have the same size sensor that you find in traditional 35mm film cameras so since they are larger, they tend to be found in the higher end models due to the costs involved, its not always going to be cost friendly. Most cameras have a slightly smaller sensor making it cheaper and more affordable.
One of the biggest advantages of a full frame sensor is the image quality and depth of field is great and one of the reasons to try it out if you have not done so. Sony originally started pushing the boundaries with the RX1 putting that full frame sensor into a compact camera style body. Needless to say, it seems to have ignited something with their designers to push it further and im actually glad they did.
I have always been a fan of the evolution of products and the launch of the new A7 and A7R has potentially hit the spot. Mirrorless interchangable lens cameras have really taken off and are becoming quite popular. Fujifilm and Olympus have been making some cracking mirrorless cameras but the problem I found was that there was nothing to cater for the niche of users who wanted a larger sensor.
Sticking a full frame sensor in a smaller interchangeble lens system is not without its difficulties but im glad Sony have actually stuck with it and created something quite unique. Their new A7 and A7R is what a lot of people have been wanted without actually knowing it. Full frame cameras are expensive so in the past its not really been seen to be something everyone would want to own but having seen the samples and the plan for a future lens lineup, it has a very positive future to look forward to.
Other imaging products that stood out for me was the new Alpha 5000 which hasn't changed much design wise since the NEX-C3 but what it does do is appeal in a more softer approach to a photographer who wants everything without lugging around bags of gear everywhere.
With you 180 degree screen you can take those selfies for Facebook and Instagram which was no interest to me however the new trend of adding in Wi-Fi has been one of the cooler things purely in the sense you can transfer the photos to you phone and then do what you want. Keep them, edit them even more or just post them where you like. For some it may sound like a gimmick but it will have its uses. Couple that with dedicated apps, you can edit all on camera before doing what you want with it.
It's not only their cameras which had been given a full frame injection but its spreading over to the videography side also. Will be very interesting to try and hunt down some content. That will be my next mission!
After the Imaging Masterclass was over, it was time to check out some of the new features coming along to TV. As someone who only watches it rather than spent time on the technology side, it was soon to be an eye opener.
The overall trend with TV's for some time now has been a simple and sleek design. Something where there is no frame and the picture goes right to the edge and is as thin as possible but the biggest tradeoff has been poor tinny sound. Nothing is worse than having a killer looking TV only for it to squeak whenever you want to watch anything with an explosion so as before, Sony have applied the function over form idea here and created what I would say the/my perfect TV.
Throwing away the idea of an ideal looking LCD TV, their new wedge shape serves a simple purpose which is simple allowing more space for more powerful speakers allowing fuller and richer sound. To compensate by using a surround system is one way but it is not always going to be ideal so housing it into the TV just makes far more sense. Being given a demonstration made it obvious that the new design has a purpose and it serves it very well. Rest assured for the more simple design lovers as that is still going to be around.
Above you can see the new shape in all its glory. Sure for some its going to be like marmite but it does stand out among the others in the lineup. Not only that but being such a premier product, advancements to the imaging system means that the image is clear and vibrant at all times. As a photographer, this was apparent pretty much straight away. Iv'e not tried any camera trickery here intentionally but hopefully it gives you some idea.
From spending a few hours going over some of these new products and ideas alongside talking to members of staff, there seems to have been a big shift in their attitude as a company to electronics. The majority of the products that were on show seemed to be products that had broken away from the trends and creating products which they would want in their home or in their bag with a more defined purpose. Sure there may be quirky features that not eveyrone will use but that is the nature of electronics as a whole.
Hopefully we can see more of this in more if not all future products. The easiest way to explain the experience is seeing the products for yourself. It is worth spending even 10 minutes having a quick look as it has left quite an impression, especially the new TV design.
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