From left: Hiroyasu Sugiyama, Managing Director, Sony Middle East and Africa; renowned photographer David Nightingale; Lebanese singer and Alpha NEX ambassador Maya Diab; and another Sony Middle East executive during the new interchangeable lens cameras launch in Dubai. DUBAI — Sony, the leading consumer electronics and entertainment brand, is all set to launch in Saudi Arabia “by the end of November” this year its latest cameras – the Alpha SLT-A99, the NEX-5R and the NEX-6 – after successfully unveiling here in Dubai last week. The new interchangeable lens cameras, with industry leading technologies that revolutionize digital photography, were strongly endorsed by market luminaries and product aficionados during the unveiling at the Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre, on Nov. 6. Showcasing its commitment to inspire and support photographers through the power of imaging, the launch of the new cameras was a prelude to the four-day FOTOWEEKEND 2012 – a partnership between Sony and Gulf Photo Plus – that started on Nov. 7. Mohamed Somji, Chairman, Gulf Photo Plus, said: “Sony has made significant progress in the photography segment, revolutionizing the technology available to photographers. Collaborating with Sony will help us offer innovative solutions to participants.” Renowned photographer David Nightingale unveiled the Alpha SLT-A99, while Lebanese singing sensation and Alpha NEX ambassador Maya Diab unveiled the NEX-5R. Nightingale shared his personal experience with the Alpha A99. In addition to highlighting the handiest features of the camera, he also exhibited a selection of photographs that he captured using the Alpha A99. Hiroyasu Sugiyama, Managing Director, Sony Middle East and Africa, said: “The new Alpha A99 camera is the ultimate combination of Sony's expertise and rich history of image sensor production coupled with our truly innovative approach to camera design. It redefines what can be accomplished with a full frame professional camera.” Benefitting from Sony's deep heritage in the digital imaging segment, the new cameras feature extraordinary quality and creative flexibility and reaffirms Sony's commitment to offering excellence in performance and design. “And with the NEX-5R and NEX-6, we are revolutionizing the world of compact system cameras by bringing a full DSLR experience – fast focus, enhanced control and an “eye-level” shooting style - to consumers in compact size. Add the convenience of Wi-Fi connectivity and it becomes a truly compelling product unlike anything else in market today. It's the perfect balance of size, performance and quality.” Sugiyama added; “Digital imaging will be one of Sony's core businesses and a very significant portion of our R & D investments have been allocated to developing unique Sony – only technologies in the fields of Signal Processing, Image Sensors & Lenses. These new Sony technologies have brought about a paradigm shift in the world of Consumer & Professional imaging” The A99 allows serious photographers to explore the creative possibilities of full-frame imaging and the responsiveness of translucent mirror technology. The eagerly awaited successor to the flagship Sony Alpha A900 DSLR, the new A99 is the first camera with translucent mirror technology from Sony to feature a full-frame 35mm image sensor. Translucent mirror technology is an innovative optical system that opens up dramatic new shooting possibilities such as high- speed shooting and quick auto-focus. Ruggedly built to cope with tough assignments, the A99 sets new standards of imaging performance, creative options, user-focused ergonomics and reliability to satisfy demanding enthusiasts. The A99 also debuts an advanced new AF-D continuous autofocus mode that is supremely effective with moving subjects. The 19-point AF system provides reliable depth focusing information. It is complemented by the 102-point multi-point focal plane phase-detection AF sensor to seamlessly manage subjects traversing the focal plane. Unique to the A99, a newly developed full-frame EXMOR CMOS sensor with 24.3 effective megapixels is teamed with a highly advanced BIONZ image processing engine. This powerful sensor/processor combination guarantees ultimate image quality which never goes out of focus. Sony's acclaimed NEX compact system camera range continues to expand with the enthusiast-focused NEX-5R and NEX-6. Packing the imaging quality and responses of a DSLR into compact mirror-less camera, these models offers the benefits of DSLR-quality imaging with less to carry. Both the models feature a resolution of 16.1 megapixels, an APS-C image sensor in the ultra-compact body and a new, fast, hybrid autofocus system, enabling users to catch precious moments in DSLR quality. In a first for compact interchangeable lens cameras by Sony, Fast Hybrid Auto Focus (AF) combines phase and contrast detection autofocus methods to suit the demands of any shooting situation. First, phase-detection AF quickly detects subject distance; then contrast-detection activates to confirm extremely fine, precise focus, enabling DSLR-like focusing responses when capturing fast moving action and high-speed burst shooting at up to 10 frames per second. The NEX-5R and NEX-6 feature built-in Wi-Fi support for transferring photos directly to smartphones and tablet PCs. Additionally, the NEX 6 sports a built in viewfinder, mode dial and a multi-interface shoe giving intuitive DSLR-like operability. At a press conference following the launch, Sugiyama was optimistic about Sony's market outlook, noting that Sony has fully recovered from the impact of tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011. He said Sony's latest figures of volume of sales in the consumer electronics market in the GCC region increased in the range of 25-45 percent, with Saudi Arabia registering the highest at 45 percent. In the video camera segment alone, sales in the Kingdom surged by 72.4 percent, while the compact camera segment saw an increase of 37. 9 percent. In thee interchangeable division, it has recorded a 4 percent share, while noting that in the mirrorless camera sector, which is the fastest growing market globally, Sony is dominant, cornering 70 percent of sales, including in the Middle East. Against a robust performance, Sugiyama forecast a 15 percent growth in 2013 for its mirrorless interchangeable cameras. He added that Sony has raked in $2.5 billion in gross sales in all products across the Middle East and North Africa region. Globally, its gross sales totaled $7.9 billion as of March 31, 2012. He also gave a glimpse of Sony's plans for 2014, saying that the company maps out Sony tablet expansion and further strengthening its core business, digital and high-end TVs. Sony's innovative technology would leapfrog the company into a sales position, Sugiyama further averred. In terms of corporate social responsibility, Sony, he added, plays an active role in transferring technical skills to Saudis, noting its tireless participation in the Saudi Electronics and Home Appliances Institute vocational program for Saudi youth, among others. — By Querubin J. Mi?as .
