Nearly incredible, Sony let the cat out with information scooped on their Sony Style web site: New mid-range digital single lens reflex cameras. Not one, but two of them! One Alpha 300 with 10 mega-pixels and one Alpha 350 with 14.2 mega-pixels.

Beware, they will be quite easy to recognize because they bring LiveView (no need for the viewfinder, like on most compact point-n-shoot cameras) and a widely-orientable LCD screen.

See the images published here a few days ago.

After the shock of finding this rear screen there is another surprise. The race for more pixels has not ended for entry-level and medium-range cameras, even if the more expensive cameras for the enthusiasts and pros are more moderate and target more quality instead of more pixels (like the Sony Alpha 700).

During quite some time people have been speaking of Sony Alpha 200 as the name of the new high-level prosumer digital SLR camera. But when Sony presented it, the name was Sony Alpha 700. We should have been listening a little more to the rumour. The Alpha 200 name was actually real, but it was describing the new replacement for the entry level.

The Alpha 100 is dead, long live the Alpha 200!

Technical charactéristics:

• 10.2 Mega-Pixel APS-C sensor (x1.5 coefficient)
• 100 – 3200 ISO sensitivity
• 9 sensor AF. The central one is a cross (more precise), 1.7 faster than Alpha 100
• 3 frames per sec (on 6 images)
• Image recording: Raw and JPEG
• 2.7″ LCD screen of 230000 pixels
• Sensor cleaning by vibration & antistatic treatment of the reflex chamber
• Memory cards: Compact Flash type I/II (with optional MemoryStick Duo adapter)
• 131 x 98.5 x 71 mm
• 532g
• Kit 18-70 mm f3.5-5.6 for 700 US$
• Kit 18-70 mm f3.5-5.6 + 75-300 mm f4.5-5.6 for 900 US$

This is not Earth-shattering, but the camera will be a strong technical contender with a really nice price. It should be able to set the pace for the competition. The Alpha 200 will replace usefully the Alpha 100 which was still a good camera but was perceived as a bit old now.

Current owners of the Alpha 100 will not run to buy the new Sony Alpha 200 (except if they spotted the increased sensitivity ISO range), but this is a camera which will strengthen the market share of Sony just where most buyers are.

Canon has been a major manufacturer of photo cameras for many years. Is this worth a museum? I don’t know but they decided that they could not wait for somebody else to build it. Canon opened an online virtual museum of its cameras: the Canon camera museum.

The Camera Hall is a database of historical facts about Canon film cameras, digital cameras, digital camcorders, still video cameras and lenses.

In the Design Hall, rediscover the visual appeal of Canon many products through the years.

The Technology Hall explains the many advanced technologies incorporated into Canon cameras and takes you on a tour through a virtual lens plant.

And the History Hall introduces historical facts about Canon cameras and the technologies that have gone into them.