9/7/10
Apparently, Sony has decided to pull back the A560/580 release for the immediate future. The cameras are no longer listed on Sony’s US website. This is really weird, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen that happen before, at least with Sony. Another item that seems odd is the absence of the NEX 18-200mm lens which was supposed to be released this month. It hasn’t appeared on Sony’s US website yet. A possible firmware update on the NEX system to support AF on SAM/SSM lenses? For more questions and possible accurate answers, go to Sonyalpharumors.com. The guy that runs this site must have some inside contacts from Sony’s camera department, because it looks to me like there may be more than just a kernel of truth to some of the rumors.
In unrelated news; an upcoming article I’m working on contains a study of optical inconsistencies as a result of normal lens/camera-mount play. I’ve been wondering about this issue for quite some time, and have finally found some time to collect my thoughts and put pencil to paper. At first glance this probably seems like a really boring read, but everyone concerned about peripheral sharpness will definitely want to check it out, it’ll be quite surprising!
The general thought line on this subject is how the machining/assembly tolerances of camera/lens mating surfaces on mass produced cameras and lenses will ultimately limit the optical resolution along the sides, and corners of an image.