30mm f2.8 DT Macro
(Credit: Sony)Today, Sony announced two new lenses, the 30mm f2.8 DT Macro lens (SAL30M28) and the 28-75mm f2.8 SAM lens (SAL2875) along with three new dSLRs. Providing an inexpensive entry into macro photography is the new 30mm f2.8 DT Macro lens which will sell for about $200 when it becomes available in October 2009. The lens is a DT series for Sony's APS-C sensor size cameras such as the new Alpha a550 and Alpha a500 announced today, as well as the Alpha a380 and Alpha a330. It features a distance scale in both feet and meters. Reflecting its economical price are a plastic lens mount and a small manual focusing ring.
28-75mm f2.8 SAM
(Credit: Sony)Adding to its already extensive line-up of full-frame lenses, Sony also announced the new full-frame 28-75mm f2.8 SAM lens along with the A850 full-frame camera today. A normal range telephoto zoom with a fast, constant 2.8 aperture, making it useful for portraits and available light shooting. The lens has a 42-113mm 35mm equivalent when used on a Sony APS-C camera body. It features a zoom-lock switch, circular aperture blades, and four aspherical lens elements. As well as a metal lens mount there is also a distance scale in feet and meters. There is a minimum aperture of f32 and a 67mm filter diameter. The new 28-75mm f2.8 lens will be available in September 2009 for about $800.
Toshiba Satellite L515
(Credit: Toshiba)The Satellite L series, Toshiba's student-targeted budget line of laptops, comes in three flavors, all with 16x9 TruBrite LED-backlit displays and a large variety of configurations (AMD Turion, Intel Pentium or Core 2 Duo processors, optional ATI Radeon 3100 graphics, hard drives starting at 250 GB, RAM from 1 to 4 GB).
The Satellite L500/505 (starting at $549.99) - comes with a 15.1-inch screen
The Satellite L510/515 (starting at $649.99) - has a 13.4-inch screen, but a thinner chassis
The Satellite L550/555 (starting at $649.99) - 16.4-inch screen
Other features include:
- 720p screen resolution
- Fusion finish with Breeze pattern in a graphite color (for those who can comprehend stylespeak)
- PC Health monitor and power-saving Eco utitlites
- Numeric keypads for 15.6-inch models and larger
- Recyclable packaging and mercury-free LED displays
OK, now for the other four lines. The Satellite M, U, A and P series all got updates too. Deep breath, and...
While the L series is the pure budget line, consider the M, U, A and P lines to be the more stylish Satellites. The Satellite U500/505 (starting at $849.99) and M500/505 (starting at $699.99) headline the lighter, more mobile Satellite class of '09, while the Satellite A500/505 (starting at $749.99) and P500/505 (starting at $799.99) add harmon/kardon speakers, LED-backlit media touch-keys, slot-loading DVD drives, and edge-to-edge glass displays in 16 and 18.4 inches.
It can all get a little numbing, especially when each line can be customized to order. We've got our eyes on the A and P line as the prettiest of the Q3 Satellite bumper crop, at least in terms of design. More when we get our hands on them ourselves.
All are currently available in the U.S.
Given that the timing is right for manufacturers to update various models, it should come as no surprise that the rumors are leaking left and right--especially at sites whose stock-in-trade is tracking these types of rumors.
According to the Canon Rumors blogger, "If this is real, I'll eat a worm."
(Credit: lpazxxsh/Fred Miranda forums)My favorite of the moment is over at Canon Rumors, which repeats info suggested in the forums at Fred Miranda. A favorite not because I think the specs are particularly accurate--a full frame 16-megapixel sensor, or maybe 18 megapixels, HD video, 12fps burst, 65-zone metering, 48 AF points (think the AF will get fewer complaints with all those points?), better viewfinder and built-in Wi-Fi--but because the blogger on Canon Rumors said that if the accompanying photo was real he'd "eat a worm."
Last week, Nikon Rumors posted a couple of (most likely faux) photos and specs for a D400 and D750. Most notably, if they're true, are 16- to 18-megapixel sensors, Vari-angle LCDs and 24fps 1080p video. While the blogger doubts their veracity, he did not volunteer to eat a worm.
Next on the rumor trail is the Sony Alpha DSLR-A500, which comes to us from Photogenius, a Russian site, via Google Translate and the Panasonic and Olympus rumor site, 43rumors.com. It sounds as if the A500 replaces the A350 or possibly the older A700, with a 17.2-megapixel sensor of indeterminate type, 1080p HD video, max ISO 12,800, 4fps burst and a 2.7-inch tilting LCD.
And finally, winning points for utter vagueness, is the rumor about a new dSLR spotted on a Pentax family group shot watermarked ivyjopy.spaces.live.com that RiceHigh's Pentax Blog says is a K7D. Or maybe a K30D (more likely, in my opinion). One of the forum participants speculates that the camera will use a Relay Finder viewfinder--as far as I can tell, it uses lenses in addition to the prism in order to shrink the viewfinder while maintaining magnification and eye point--which Pentax patented back in September.
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