Email hosting is much like web hosting services. Getting hold of an email account is easy – sign up with an ISP, register with Google, buy a web hosting account – but free and standard packages won't always deliver the quality that professional users need.
Email hosting plans are an easy way to get a more efficient and reliable service. Exactly what's included depends on the provider, but you might get support for larger attachments (up to 50MB), 50GB or more storage space for your inbox, online storage for easy file sharing, bundled apps like Microsoft Office online, Exchange and Active Directory support for business users – not to mention 24/7 support if anything goes wrong.
Your email will work with a custom domain (address@yoursite.com), and it's typically straightforward to set up. You can use an email hosting plan to effectively replace your web host's service, or you can try one without having any hosting at all.
With quality services priced under $1 per month per user, and free trials available, it's easy for anyone to check out the email hosting market. Whether you're after an individual account or would like to cover your entire business, read on for five great providers that you might want to check out first.
If you are a small business with a small headcount and don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on email accounts, then consider this. From EIG-owned Bluehost comes an exclusive business email package for TechRadar readers where you get unlimited email accounts and email storage for as little as $2.75 when paying for three years; that’s a mere $99 for the duration of the term. Is it truly unlimited though?
Bluehost says that they do not enforce any official limitations. Furthermore, they add “while email account creation is unlimited, these rely on the file storage available on the account. Therefore customers need to be operating within the Terms of Service to ensure resources are available to fully enable email functionality. Customers operating within the Terms of Service have yet to come up against technical boundaries for email, domains, or websites”.
What’s the catch then? For a start, while you get POP3 and IMAP4 plus 24/7 support, this is more of a barebone solution. You get to choose between three webmail applications (the equivalent of Outlook.com or Gmail.com); Horde, Roundcube or Squirrelmail.
You can of course configure an email client like Mail for Windows 10 or Mozilla Thunderbird to read your emails offline. Creating a new email address is a doddle thanks to an easy user interface.
Texas-based cloud computing giant Rackspace has a wealth of hosted business-oriented email products for all levels of users.
Even the bottom-of-the-range Basic plan is well-specified, with 25GB mailboxes, spam and virus filters, and it’s accessible via Outlook, webmail, or by mobile users. Mailboxes are priced at $2.99 each per month with a minimum of four required per order, but there are no long-term contracts, just monthly bills which you can cancel whenever you like.
The next-step-up Plus account brings 30GB of cloud storage, ActiveSync support, Office-compatible apps and instant messaging for $3.99 a month, which is also better value than most.
An extended Plus account adds unlimited storage space via archiving. That might be handy if you think a 25GB inbox is too small, but we're unsure if it's really worth the $6.99 price tag.
More demanding users can check out Rackspace's Hosted Exchange 2016 plans. Specs include 100GB inboxes and support for 50MB attachments, and the starting price is $10.99 per mailbox per month.
There are cheaper services around, but quality matters, too, and Rackspace does better than most. All plans include a 100% uptime guarantee, and top-quality 24x7x365 support via chat, ticket or phone to quickly solve any issues that might crop up.
Email hosting can seem expensive, and that's largely because the big companies are forever competing to offer the largest amounts of inbox and file storage space. That's great if you need it, but not so much for light email users looking for a bargain.
Fasthosts Standard Email plan is a stripped-back email hosting plan which offers the bare essentials for a very low price.
Signing up gets you five Mail Lite accounts with a tiny 100MB inbox and a maximum of 10MB attachments, and two Mail Extra accounts with 4GB inboxes and support for attachments of up to 15MB. Both products give you webmail access only. That's limited, but look at the price: just $2.60 (£1.99) a month on the annual plan (at the time of writing, you can get 50% off). If your users genuinely don't need the gigabytes available elsewhere, Fasthosts more basic package could make a lot of sense.
Fasthosts also offers a more capable Exchange Email product with a 50GB inbox, access via Outlook's web app, and even a free domain for the first year. It's priced at $5.8 (£4.49) per month for 5 or more users with the annual contract. You can also choose a 100GB inbox for $13 (£9.99). As before, Fasthosts is focusing on price more than power, but if you only need a basic Exchange account, there's plenty of value here.
Microsoft Office 365 isn't just a powerful suite of productivity apps. It also throws in a very capable email package, and for less money than some providers charge for email alone, which could make the service worth a place on your shortlist.
Microsoft Office 365 Business Essentials offers support for 150MB attachments, for instance, three times the size allowed with even some premium competitors. 50GB of storage per user (and a custom email domain address) means you'll be able to keep your messages for a very long time, and there's 1TB of online storage available in your OneDrive account.
Access to Office Online enables working with Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint documents from within your browser, and there's a whole range of business-friendly extras: calendars, online conferencing, intelligent search, workflow automation and more.
If you don't have Office 365 already, the Business Essentials price of $5 a month (for annual billing) looks like good value to us. If you're solely interested in business class email, though, Microsoft's Exchange Online Plan 1 provides Exchange accounts for $4 per user per month on the annual plan.
Zoho Mail is a hosted email service with a bundled online office suite, and a stack of other extras. Several of the newest features Zoho Mail introduced, are: Offline Mode, undo mail, recall mail, huge attachments (up to 250MB) and a few others.
A free plan gives you 25 mailboxes with up to 5GB per user, a 20MB attachment limit and webmail access. A referral scheme could get you support for a further 25 mailboxes (at the time of writing the referral program wasn't available due to remodeling).
If that's too basic, the Standard plan gets you IMAP and POP support, 30MB attachments and 30GB of storage, 5GB file storage space, and support for working with multiple domains. That's more capable than some of the premium competition, and includes the same productivity tools as the free suite, yet still only costs $3 per user per month, billed annually.
Zoho's Professional plan gets you 100GB of storage (per user), 40MB attachments, support for Active Directory groups, and more. It's yours for $6 per user per month (billed annually), not bad at all for the storage space and features you're getting. Also, Lite plan is available with less features, but it's only $1 per user per month, billed annually.
If you want to host email accounts together with your website, then you should look at these email features before signup.
Most hosting companies will offer the ability to host your own email (something like email@yourdomain. com). Your package will include a number of email accounts – usually between 1-10 for basic hosting.
You’ll be given access to your own email control panel to set up your accounts. Using email requires two things: an email server and an email application, this could be an email client such as Outlook, or alternatively access to Webmail like Gmail or Yahoo.
The email server is a piece of software that runs on the server and is constantly connected to the internet. It receives and processes any mail sent to it and sends out any mail you send.
The email client is an app that runs on your PC, phone or tablet and enables you to send, receive and organise your emails, e.g. Microsoft Outlook. The client checks the mail server for messages and downloads them for viewing. It is a control panel for reading and writing messages.
The good news is that most email clients can connect with most email servers, you can even connect multiple email servers to work with multiple email accounts.
So your work and personal emails can be accessed from the same email client. The more popular email clients such as Outlook give you more features (calendars, tasks etc.) than using webmail.
Webmail is a web-based email interface that can be accessed in a web browser is often faster and more convenient because it accesses the stored data more directly without the user having to download software locally.
Emails can be checked from any device with access to the internet. Email protocols are a set of rules that help the client to send the information to or from the mail server. Two of the most common email protocols are POP and IMAP:
1. POP (Post office protocol) Applications like Outlook will use POP to download emails from the server to your computer and then delete them on the server.
2. IMAP (Internet message access protocol) IMAP is more advanced than POP, with IMAP, emails are stored in the mail server and can be accessed from any clients anywhere if they all use IMAP.
Mail data is kept on the server as well as your computer, until you delete the mail. When comparing hosting packages, be sure to choose one with full IMAP support.
Exchange Exchange is the gold standard email protocol – the most expensive option of the three, but for good reason. It’s a Microsoft protocol that gives you the power to sync tasks like IMAP does, but with the added ability to share contacts and calendars among employees.
If you can afford to pay the extra cost (around $9.99 per month per mailbox), you will reap the benefits of its advanced functionality and tools which can be used even when you are on the move.
You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:
The ability to print three dimensional objects has caught the imagination of millions. Now, a little-known Chinese company is selling what is possibly the cheapest 3D printer on the market.
The Tronxy X1 is a fine entry level model, but like many of its competitors does not come pre-assembled. This means you'll have to put it together it yourself using a video guide (which is at least better than a paper manual).
The machine usually retails for $108.99, but use the code V3C5D1885661D000 at checkout with Gearbest to bring the price down to $99.99 / £81.06 / AU$158.61.
The Tronxy X1 has a maximum printing volume of 150 x 150 x 150mm - great for an introduction to 3D printing - and uses widely available (and therefore cheap) PLA filaments. A 0.4mm nozzle is provided by default, but finer models all the way down to 0.1mm are also available.
You can either print directly via a computer or use an SD card to load your designs. Just bear in mind 3D printing involves a steep learning curve and every printer - unlike their inkjet counterparts - has its own quirks.
The price includes free shipping, although you won’t be able to use other voucher codes to further reduce the cost. While Gearbest ships globally, you may have to pay additional tax depending on your location.
Previous reports state that the Vivo Z6 5G will have two RAM variants and three storage options. There will be a quad camera setup on the back and a single selfie shooter.
from RSS Feeds | GAMES - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/38YFiJl
Xbox chief Phil Spencer has revealed that the Xbox Series X will deliver 12 Teraflops of GPU power and will support 120fps gameplay among other new capabilities.
from RSS Feeds | GAMES - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/393d1kU
Apple’s shareholders on Wednesday defeated a proposal critical of its removal of apps at the request of the Chinese government, but the proposal drew a much higher proportion of votes than similar proposals in previous years.
The US Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to back stricter deadlines for workers to sue retirement plans over alleged mismanagement, ruling Intel cannot avoid a suit accusing it of unlawfully making high-risk investments that cost retirement plan beneficiaries hundreds of millions of dollars.
Last year was something of a vintage year for new cameras, so could 2020 possibly match it? The latest camera rumors suggest there's a good chance it will, with a range of new models expected from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic and Olympus.
If anything, the latest camera rumors suggest that 2020 is going to be an even more exciting year for photographers, because the mirrorless competition has never been fiercer. Now that Canon, Nikon and Panasonic have fully entered the mirrorless fray, we'll start to see them build on their early offerings – which means more choice for everyone, from enthusiasts to pros.
Not that the DSLR is going anywhere, for now – new models like the Nikon D780 and Canon 1DX Mark III show that there's an appetite for producing 'hybrid' models that add a mirrorless icing to the traditional DSLR cake.
So what are the biggest and best camera rumors we've seen so far this year? We've combined everything we know about traditional refresh rates for certain lines with some of the latest leaks to give you this regularly updated round-up of the latest rumors for each manufacturer.
Canon has successfully revived the DSLR with the launch of three new models since 2019, but what about the compact PowerShot line? Is Canon still serious about those?
Rumors have begun circulating that Canon is working on a refreshed version of the affordable G9 X line. The third iteration is supposedly launching "relatively soon", as Canon Rumors reports, but details are currently scant.
However, a few expected specs include the latest Digic 8 processor – and why not, when it's performing so well in the likes of the EOS 90D and the EOS M6 Mark II. While it's been rumored that the sensor resolution will remain the same as in the current three-year-old G9 X Mark II, the refreshed version will apparently get a bigger zoom. Currently, the Mark II uses a 28-84mm f/2-4.9 lens which offers 3x optical zoom, and it would be great if the next iteration came with a wider angle like the G7 X Mark II's 24-100mm lens.
We think that at this point it would be safe to assume Canon will upgrade the video specs to 4K shooting at up to 30fps, but whether these upgrades would hike the price of the rumored camera is anyone's guess.
Canon EOS R6
Now Canon has officially made a development announcement for the EOS R5, will we soon see a more enthusiast-friendly sibling called the EOS R6?
Predicted specs: 20MP full-frame sensor | RF Lens mount | 4K/60p video | 20fps burst speed | Dual Pixel CMOS AF | IBIS
Now that the Canon EOS R5 is official, it's time to turn our attention to the other full-frame model that's supposedly in Canon's pipeline – the EOS R6.
Where this second model will fit in Canon’s mirrorless line-up isn't yet known, but the latest ‘leak’ gives a clearer indication that the R6 should be positioned as a more affordable, entry-level option. If true, this is further evidence that Canon will use its more established model numbering system for the R line – think R1, R5, R6, R7 – meaning we might not see Mark II models of the EOS R or RP.
Speculating on specs, Canon Rumors is confident that the R6 will ship in June – ahead of the R5 – equipped with a 20MP full-frame sensor, along with in-body image stabilization to match that of its superior sibling.
Similarly, the R6 will apparently offer the same 20fps continuous shooting speeds as the R5 using its electronic shutter (with 12fps possible with the mechanical shutter) – but video will be limited to 4K/60p, rather than the headline 8K offered by the flagship.
Beyond that, information about the R6 remains sparse. Canon Rumors believes there might be a new battery, which could be shared with the R5. It also seems likely that the R6 would use Canon’s new Digic X processor, but we won’t know anything for certain until the rumored May launch date rolls around.
Canon EOS R Mark II
There could well be two new Canon EOS R cameras in 2020. Will we see an updated version of the original camera, aimed at enthusiasts and pros?
Predicted specs: 32MP full-frame sensor | RF Lens mount | Uncropped 4K video with Dual Pixel AF | CFExpress slot and SD slot | IBIS
According to the latest whispers from Canon Rumors, there will be two new EOS R bodies coming in 2020 – with the other new model being an upgrade to the more enthusiast-friendly EOS R, possibly called the Canon EOS R Mark II.
There haven't been any leaks of the EOS R Mark II yet, but the rumors so far suggest it'll have both in-body image stabilization (IBIS) and offer uncropped 4K video with Dual Pixel AF.
That's not the end of the rumored specs either, with Canon Rumors suggesting it'll include 12fps burst shooting (most likely without AF/AE locking) and the combination of a 32MP sensor with Canon's new Digic X processor.
Lastly, it could apparently also include a new CFExpress card slot, which will sit alongside a standard SD card slot. This would all make it much more pro-friendly compared to the original EOS R and EOS RP. We'll update this page as soon as we hear any more rumors or official news, because this could be a big one in the great full-frame mirrorless battle of 2020.
Canon EOS M50 Mark II
The EOS M50 is perhaps one of the most underestimated Canon mirrorless cameras. But will it get a refresh?
Predicted specs: 32.5MP APS-C sensor | Digic 8 image processor | 14fps burst speed | uncropped 4K video to 30p | Dual Pixel CMOS AF
The EOS M6 Mark II laid down the benchmark for Canon's future APS-C mirrorless cameras, with it's superb 32.5MP sensor, it's fast 14fps burst speed and uncropped 4K video capabilities thanks to the Digic 8 processor under the hood.
With that compact snapper now well-established on shelves, the rumor mill has begun speculating on a refresh for the EOS M50. While we're not expecting it any time soon, it's already been rumored to be a camera to bridge the gap between the current model and the M6 Mark II.
Canon Rumors reckons that the M50 Mark II will inherit the same sensor and image processor from the new M6 Mark II while retaining the same EVF and vari-angle LCD display of the current M50.
It should also be able to handle video better than the current model if there's any truth to the upgraded specs. Where the M50 can shoot 4K with a 1.6x crop at 24/25p, there's speculation that the Mark II might be able to capture uncropped 4K footage at a more respectable 30fps, with Full HD (1080p) shooting at 120fps.
However, we'll likely be waiting till the second half of 2020 to see if the M50 Mark II becomes official or not, but until then the current EOS M50 is definitely one of the best mirrorless cameras you can get today.
Canon EOS M5 II
Canon EOS M5
With the EOS M6 Mark II now with us, is there any call for a model with an integrated viewfinder to replace the EOS M5?
Predicted specs: New 24MP APS-C sensor | 4K video recording | DIGIC 8 image processors | 30fps Raw Burst shooting
While Canon's been focusing its attention on its new EOS R full-frame mirrorless camera, it doesn't seem the company's EOS M range is going anywhere.
A replacement for the EOS M6, the EOS M6 II, joined the EOS M stable quite recently. But does that means an EOS M5 II update to the EOS M5 won't see the light of day? After all, the EOS M5 was essentially an M6 with a built-in viewfinder – but a viewfinder is available for the EOS M6 II, so is there any need for another alternative?
If it does arrive, we expect its spec sheet to mirror that of the EOS M6 II in many areas. We expect an updated 32MP sensor that support 4K video recording, and we also expect this will record without a crop like the EOS M6 II manages.
One thing we really want to see is some new native glass to make the APS-C mirrorless system as a whole more appealing. This is one area Canon is lagging behind the likes of Fujifilm, Panasonic, Olympus and Sony.
Canon EOS 5D X
Could Canon launch a rival to Nikon's D850 and Sony's Alpha A7R IV?
When it was launched back in 2016, Canon's EOS 5D Mark IV was our favourite DSLR. A well-rounded camera, it was (and still is) an incredibly versatile photographic tool. However, 2017 saw Nikon release the mighty 45.4MP D850, before the 45.7MP Z7 last year, while Sony launched the 61MP Alpha A7R IV earlier this year.
All of these cameras offer more pixels while matching or bettering the performance of the EOS 5D Mark IV. So, unless you're a die-hard Canon user and heavily invested in the system, the EOS 5D Mark IV is hard to recommend over the other two.
Then consider that the 50MP Canon EOS 5DS was launched in 2015 and we reckon Canon might consolidate its two lines into a single, multi-purpose DSLR that offers a high pixel count and high performance to rival the D850 and Alpha A7R IV.
We're speculating here, but this new DSLR could potentially be called the EOS 5D X and feature a new and improved 50MP full-frame sensor that was used in the EOS 5DS, now with a much broader and improved ISO range, while burst shooting could hit 8fps.
We reckon video might also get a hike in performance - the 1.64x crop when shooting 4K on the EOS 5D Mark IV is a bit of a turn off to many videographers. To aid shooting both stills and video, maybe we might also see the inclusion of a vari-angle touchscreen display.
Canon EOS 7D Mark III
The EOS 7D Mark II was an excellent DSLR, but does the arrival of the EOS 90D scupper the chances of a third-generation EOS 7D Mark III model?
Announced back in 2014, the EOS 7D Mark II is one of the oldest, if not the oldest DSLR in the EOS line-up. Will we see an EOS 7D Mark III before the year is up?
With the EOS 90D unveiled just recently, it seems even less certain. But if it does arrive, it will likely get the same 32.5MP sensor. It should also inherit the DIGIC 8 image processor, which means it should at least match the 10/11fps burst shooting mode of the EOS 90D.
The Canon EOS 7D Mark III should also see the inclusion of touchscreen functionality on the rear vari-angle display to real take advantage of Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS AF system for Live View.
What about video? 4K recording to 30p is now becoming a standard part of many Canon cameras, so we will no doubt see this here too, although quite to what standard we don't know. Of course, it's possible that Canon will focus elsewhere and will kill off the EOS 7D line, as has been reported.
We think we could see at flagship Z9 full-frame mirrorless camera in 2020?
Predicted specs: 61MP sensor | Z mount | 6K video recording | 5.76 million-dot viewfinder | Twin card slots
The Nikon Z7 is one of our favourite cameras right now, for many reasons. Yet, much like Canon's EOS R, it's perhaps not quite the flagship full-frame mirrorless camera many were expecting.
If we look at Sony's A7R IV and A9 models, for example, and Panasonic's video-centric S1H, we can see it's not quite at the top of the tree for pixel count, video specs or burst shooting. And rumors of a more pro-end Z series model, possibly called the Z9 or Z8, have been steadily building as soon as the initial excitement of the Z6 and Z7 had died down a little.
But will it be a sports-focused camera with a more modest sensor resolution or a megapixel beast? Our money is on the latter for two reasons. First, releasing a camera with an autofocus system that's on a par with Sony's Real Time Tracking technology – ie, a camera totally at home shooting action – is going to take some work. Sony is, after all, on its fourth generation of mirrorless camera, while Nikon's Z system has only just celebrated its first birthday.
Some may suspect Nikon will have a suitable sports-focused mirrorless camera in time for the 2020 Olympic Games, but it's unlikely to have a native lens selection to match before then. Particularly because Nikon has confirmed it's working on a DSLR update to the D5.
Second, with the arrival of the A7R IV, we know a modern 61MP full-frame sensor exists. It's quite possible that such a model would use a variation of this sensor, given that we know Sony supplies sensors to countless other manufacturers for their own products.
We reckon a high-resolution Z9 camera would arrive with stronger video specs than the Z6 and Z7, potentially even matching the Panasonic S1H in being capable of shooting 6K footage, although this would also require beefier processing power and better heat dissipation among other things. We'd also love to see the same kind of 5.76 million-dot electronic viewfinder as we have inside the likes of the Panasonic S1 and S1R, as this is a noticeable step up on the (still very good) 3.69 million-dot finders Nikon fitted its Z6 and Z7.
New Nikon Z-series lenses
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, 24mm f/1.8 and 20mm f/1.8 mock-up lenses.
Lots of new lenses for the Z-series cameras are due this year
What we know: At least three new lenses are due in 2020.
Nikon's new Z series camera system is now firmly established, with the Nikon Z6 riding high at the number one position in our best cameras list. The challenge now is to flesh that system out with exciting native lenses – and that's its plan for 2020.
Nikon has already released lenses that cover the most popular focal lengths, including the Z 24–70mm f/2.8 S, Z 85mm f/1.8 S, Z 50mm F1.8 S and Z 50mm f/1.8 S.
Next on the list for 2020 are four new lenses, starting with the Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S, which will be available from March. Perhaps even more exciting than that are the two incoming primes, the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S and Z 50mm f/1.2 S, which will be great for street snappers who mainly shoot in light.
The final new lens for 2020 will be a pro wide-angle zoom in the form of the Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S. And there's a lot more planned for 2021 too, with another nine lenses including everything fro a 28mm compact prime to a 200-600mm full-frame super-telephoto zoom.
The Sony A7 III remains one of the finest full-frame mirrorless cameras around, but will it soon be getting a successor?
Predicted specs: 24MP sensor | 5.76-million dot EVF | 5-axis stabilization | Real-time Eye AF | 6K video
The latest whispers from Sony Rumors suggest that the Sony will be announcing a new E-mount camera at the CP+ show. which starts on 27 February, and that this camera will be the Sony A7 IV. While these are just rumors, the timing would certainly make sense – the A7 III was announced at CP+ two years ago in 2018.
So what can we expect from the successor to the A7 III, which remains one of the best cameras you can buy? There have been no big, reliable leaks yet, but the latest speculation suggests the A7 IV will have the same design, EVF and autofocus system as the Sony A7R IV. Considering the viewfinder is one of the main aspects of the A7 III that we'd like to see upgraded, this is potentially very good news.
Some slightly more wild speculation (from Thailand, strangely), is that the A7 IV will have a fully articulating touchscreen. Sony's previous reasoning for not including one in the A7 series is the extra bulk it'd add to the body, but it's a possibility if Sony is indeed boosting the camera's size.
Aside from these specs, little is known about the A7 IV – we'll update this page as soon as we hear any more news.
Sony Alpha A7S III
Rumors of an A7S III, and update to Sony's video-focused full-frame mirrorless A7S II camera, continue to grow.
Predicted specs: 20MP+ sensor allowing for 6K video | Joystick AF control | Z-series battery
Is there a camera more anticipated than the Sony A7S III? The Alpha A7S II broke new ground at the time of its release, appealing to videographers who required excellent 4K footage and high-level control, together with low-light shooters who appreciated the more modest pixel count, low noise and wide dynamic range not offered by other mirrorless cameras at the time.
Since its release, Sony has given us all manner of other mirrorless Alpha models, from the enthusiast-focused A6400 through to the hugely popular (and rightly so) Alpha A7 III and the most recent 61MP Alpha A7R IV. The latter marks the start of the fourth generation of A7 models – so how come we're still on the Mark II here?
There's clearly massive demand for one, and we can predict many specs and features from those in models released since the A7S II. We don't see any call for a sensor resolution beyond 12MP, although if the camera breaks into 6K video recording – as Panasonic's S1H does – it will need 20MP at the very least.
Even if the model is capped at 4K video recording, we do expect a new sensor that performs to a higher standard than before, given the company's expertise in sensor design and build.
Handling refinements will no doubt include a dedicated AF joystick, AF-On button and touchscreen interface, all missing from the A7S II but introduced in subsequent models. The model is also highly likely to get a Z-series battery with much higher battery life than the NP-FW50 found inside the A7S II.
The biggest improvements should be seen in video performance. With Panasonic's Lumix GH5S, S1H and S1 models offering a wealth of advanced video features, we'd be disappointed if Sony didn't match or better these. The Alpha A7S II can record 4K 4:2:0 8-bit video, but could we see this increase to 4:2:2 10-bit like the GH5S? Could we see 4K capture at 60/50p possible as well? It would be surprising if not.
With the A6600 now with us, what might a more senior A7000 bring to the mirrorless party?
Predicted specs: 24MP APS-C sensor | Improved AF | Design similar to the Alpha A9
The Sony A6000 was a phenomenally successful model for Sony, and the A6000 line has been padded out since then with the more senior A6300, A6400 and A6500 models. More recently, we witnessed the A6100 and A6600 arrive to add lower-tier and upper-tier options to these, but some still suspect a model that sits between the A6600 and full-frame A7 series is being readied.
This could be a 'baby' Alpha A9, borrowing many of the features of the flagship camera that would then be distilled into a camera based around an APS-C sensor. This is something that Nikon has done with its D5 and D500 DSLR models.
Rumors suggest that it matches and in some aspects exceeds the performance of the Fujifilm X-T3, with better AF and in-body image stabilization, while it will match the 20fps burst shooting speed of the Alpha A9.
As for the sensor, Sony's just updated the database of sensors it manufactures, which includes a back-illuminated (BSI) 26MP APS-C sensor, which would be a good fit for the new camera. There's also talk of the Alpha A7000 using a 32MP APS-C sensor as well.
Sony has made great changes to its autofocusing systems in recent generations of camera too, and while the 425-point phase-detect AF system inside the A6500 is still a cracking performer, the eventual update will likely bring speed improvements and additional AF points to form a denser array, with better tracking capabilities.
Design-wise, it's likely the new camera will feature a similar DSLR inspired look to Sony's full-frame cameras, with a raised and centralised electronic viewfinder.
With four new cameras already under its belt, including one new instant camera, Fujifilm seems like it may have done what it can for the rest of the year. But will it rest and not refresh the X-H line?
Fujifilm has kept busy – with a few cameras launched in 2019, the Japanese camera maker followed it up with the X100V, X-T200 and the highly anticipated X-T4 in 2020. In fact, it even refreshed its popular Instax Mini instant camera range.
However, many speculated that with the launch of the X-T4 – which boasts 5-axis image stabilization – the X-H line would be forgotten – after all, it had a very lackluster reception when it was launched. Rumors suggest that is not so.
The X-H2, a follow-up to the video-centric X-H1, will apparently be announced... just not any time soon. According to Fuji Rumors, Fujifilm will hold off till 2021 to launch a second edition of the X-H series – the first Fujifilm camera to feature in-body image stabilization (IBIS).
Nothing is known about the possible specs of the rumored X-H2, but Fuji Addict reckons it might use a 43MP Sony-made sensor, although that may be unlikely. Video-centric cameras don't need high resolution sensors to produce topnotch results, but Fuji Addict is quite sure that the X-H2 will come with a new sensor and processor.
Whether it will match the Panasonic Lumix S1H in specs – just in an APS-C body – remains to be seen, but anything is possible.
The 20MP camera didn't meet sales expectations and now been discontinued
We've seen updates in the shape of the OM-D E-M1 Mark II and OM-D E-M10 Mark III and the OM-D E-M5 Mark III to get refreshed in the OM-D series, but fans of the Olympus PEN-F will be sorely disappointed to know that the this model has been discontinued.
It came in at a higher price than the mid-range E-M5 Mark II without a full feature set like weather sealing and connectivity. With lower-than-expected sales as a result, the Olympus PEN-F will not be refreshed.
However, the PEN E-PL10, a camera that was previously available in Europe, has now been launched in North America and Australia.
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO plus six further lenses
Olympus has already confirmed that it's working on the M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO, and this should be with us some time next year.
The company also updated its roadmap earlier this year to show that it will have seven further lenses on the way. While the focal lengths and specs of these have not been disclosed, the company confirmed that four of these – two telephoto zooms, one wide zoom and one standard zoom – would fall under its high-end 'Pro' label. These are set to be joined by a high-magnification zoom and super-telephoto zoom lenses.
A sizable collection of lenses to support the new S1R and S1 cameras is on its way
Predicted specs: At least 11 new lenses released throughout 2020
By rights, Panasonic is entitled to lay low for a while. After all, it only recently launched the S1R and S1, two full-frame mirrorless cameras in a brand new S system, followed by the 6K-capable S1H. Far from resting on its laurels, though, Panasonic has instead laid out plans to launch some eleven new lenses before the end of 2020.
The company has already confirmed that we’ll see a Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro O.I.S, an S PRO 50mm f/1.4 and an S PRO 70-200mm f/4 O.I.S in 2020, as well as using the launch of the S1H to formally announce that a 24-70mm f/2.8 option inbound. But it’s not stopping there. Also on the way are 70-200mm f/2.8 and 16-35mm f/4 optics, with at least seven further lenses due to launch before the year is out – including some with particularly wide apertures.
Two teleconverters are in the pipeline – a 1.4x and a 2x – along with two fixed focal-length lenses: an 85mm f/1.8 optic and a wide-angle to go with it. A super telephoto is due, too, as is a 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens, along with an additional standard zoom lens. The system might be young but, given its plans and how prolific it’s been with its G series cameras, Panasonic is giving us plenty of hope that the S system is set to flourish.
