Sony Adds Alpha DSLR A290 and A390 to beginner lineup

Sony Europe announced at a press conference this afternoon at Photo kina that a forthcoming NEX firmware upgrade will provide AF capability with some alpha lenses. Sony also released more details about the advanced DSLR Sony Camcorder Chargers teased earlier this year.
The A280's 10.2 megapixel sensor is dropped in favor of a 14.2 megapixel APS-C size sensor. Like the Alpha A390 announced today, the A290 will be SD/SDHC compatible and will still accept Sony's Memory Stick Pro media cards. Most other specs are consistent with the Alpha A230. The A290 features a Sony a-mount for compatibility with Alpha lenses and offers a 9-point AF system, a 2.7-inch 230,400-dot LCD, and sensor shift Steady shot image stabilization.
Along with expanded SD/SDHC compatibility, the A390 offers a 2.7-inch tilting LCD, 2.5 fps burst shooting mode, and built-in sensor shift Steady shot.
Also reported by Mr. Quasimodo is that the advanced model DSLR we were promised at PMA this year will use translucent mirror technology. Like the a55 and a33, this model will utilize full-time phase-detect AF with an electronic viewfinder for extremely fast focus and shooting performance. Other details revealed about the camera are that it will use a CMOS sensor and offer full HD video recording in AVCHD.
The larger sensor size will result in a slight reduction in battery life, according to Sony. The A290 Sony Battery Chargers will record a CIPA-rated 500 images per fully charged battery while the A230 was rated for 510 images. The Sony A390 offers just a few upgrades from the previous A380, which is currently unavailable from Sony's online store. It retains the 14.2 megapixel APS-C size sensor and adds wireless compatibility with the HVL-F20AM flash unit. Additionally, the A390 is Windows 7 compatible via USB connection.
Sony calls the new system Translucent Mirror Technology. A traditional DSLR uses a mirror placed in front of the camera's sensor to bounce an image up to the optical viewfinder. When the shutter is released, the mirror is pulled out of the way, cutting off the image in the viewfinder and allowing the sensor to capture light from the lens.
In place of a traditional mirror, the a55 and a33 contain a piece of optical film. This makes it possible for light to pass through the mirror to the Exmore APS HD sensor as light is simultaneously reflected up to a 15-point phase-detect AF chip Sony Chargers. The stream of light to the sensor and the auto focus mechanism is never interrupted.

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