pellicle

Most SLR cameras feature a mirror lock-up mode that allows photographers to eliminate the vibration (and blur) caused by the mirror flapping up and down whenever a shot is snapped. Sony's SLT cameras don't offer this when it comes to the pellicle mirror found inside -- not yet, at least.

A Sony patent filed back in 2009 and published earlier this week shows that the company has been tinkering with the feature. sonyalpharumors is also hearing from a source that it's something the next generation of Sony SLT cameras will offer.

A user over on the Chinese forum Xitek has leaked the first sample photographs captured using the Sony A99, the company's upcoming flagship SLT (i.e. pellicle mirror) camera. The images are 100% crops of straight-out-of-camera JPEGs, with noise reduction completely turned off.

Here’s the first leaked photograph of Sony’s upcoming high-end full-frame single-lens-translucent DSLR, the A99.

Sony has announced the Alpha A57 pellicle mirror camera, the successor to its A55 released a year and a half ago. While the sensor resolution is still 16-megapixels -- no megapixel war here -- the new camera has an increased ISO limit of 16,000 (up from 12,800), a faster continuous shooting rate of 12fps (up from 10), and an improved 15-point AF system with enhanced object-tracking and snappy AF during HD video recording. It can also capture full HD video at 60p, 60i, and 24p. It'll be priced at $700 for the body only (or $800 with a 18-55mm kit lens) when it hits store shelves next month.

Curious as to what Sony’s A77 pellicle mirror looks like on the inside? Here’s an interesting look at the …

After damaging the pellicle mirror in his Sony A55 with cleaning fluid, a guy named Dario decided to look …

Mike Johnston of TOP explains why Sony shouldn’t call its pellicle mirror “translucent”: …

You've probably read plenty of articles touting the benefits of Sony's translucent mirror technology (e.g. high fps, AF for video, quietness, etc...), but what about the cons? One of the main downsides to having a translucent mirror is that the light hitting the sensor passes through an additional layer (the translucent mirror), which reduces the amount of light and the image quality.

Lost in the commotion of Sony’s awesome camera announcements was the official unveiling of the LA-EA2 A-mount …

After photographs of the cameras were leaked back in April 2011, Sony has now officially announced its A35 translucent mirror camera to replace the A33 and the NEX-C3. The A35 has the same resolution as the A55 -- 16.2 megapixels -- and can shoot 1080/60 video and 7 frames per second for stills (though resolution is reduced to 8.4MP at this rate. ISO goes up to 25600, and there's a large 3-inch touchscreen on the back. The A35 will be available in August for $600, or $700 if you want the standard 18-55mm kit lens included.

Here’s an interesting look at the guts of the pellicle mirror Sony A55 and how the camera works. The …

Sony and Olympus are headed in very different directions when it comes to DSLR cameras. While Olympus …

SonyAlphaRumors received a pretty interesting tip yesterday regarding the design of the upcoming Sony Alpha A77 (which is still a rumor at this point). The anonymous tipster wrote that the camera -- successor to the A700 -- will have an innovative design that boasts a hybrid viewfinder by blending optical and electronic images:

Yesterday Sony explained the new system that will be used for the incoming a77 (the a750 will use a regular SLR design). Practically the are using two semi-transparent mirrors and a high-resolution EVF to reinforced the live image. They are using a reflexive technology design called 70/30, between each semi-transparent mirrors.

The final image in the viewfinder will have 30% of original image and 70% of electronic reinforced image through the new EVF.

Sony has issued an "important notice" that shooting HD video for semi-long periods of time with the A33 and A55 may cause the sensor to overheat, shutting off the camera. How long the camera lasts depends on ambient temperature and image stabilization is enabled. If it's 30° C (~86° F) the A55 can only go 6 minutes with IS turned on.

Sony dropped quite an announcement today with its new pellicle mirror DSLRs, but Canon doesn’t want us to …

The rumors that have been circulating in recent weeks were spot on: Sony has just announced four new DSLR cameras: the A33, A55, A560, and A580. As expected, the A33 and A55 are the world's first pellicle mirror DSLRs, and have the features and specs we posted just yesterday: phase-detect autofocus while recording HD video or shooting 7fps or 10fps respectively.

The above is supposedly a leaked photo of the not-yet-announced Sony A33 and its …

Here's what the next couple weeks are going to look like in terms of press events possibly related to DSLR announcements: Nikon goes first on August 19th, Sony does theirs on August 24th, and Canon has one scheduled August 26th. Nikon will likely be announcing the D3100, while Canon drops the 60D during theirs.

A big rumor regarding Sony's upcoming unveiling is that they're going to be showing us the world's first pellicle mirror system on a DSLR camera. This means instead of a traditional bulky mirror that swings out of the way -- as found in current DSLRs -- the Sony DSLR will have an ultra-thin and ultra-lightweight semitransparent mirror that allows photos to be shot without the mirror swinging out the way.