14 DAY TRIAL // Without a doubt, Sony's interchangeable-lens Handycam NEX-VG10E Full HD camcorder has been one of the hottest products of this type to be unveiled in 2010, the imager leveraging the interchangeable lens technology introduced with the company's NEX series of pocket DSLRs (the E-mount). However, since the number of E-mount lenses available on the market is still rather limited, the devices from the NEX series also support lenses from the much better-known A-mount line, used by the rest of Sony's alpha DSLRs. And now, Sony has just revealed the fact that the latest firmware upgrade for the NEX-VG10E will enable autofocus operation when using their camcorder with a wide range of optional A-mount interchangeable lenses. As expected, compatibility of the NEX-VG10E with A-mount lenses requires the optional LA-EA1 Mount Adaptor, plus a separate firmware upgrade for the LA-EA1. The upgrade lets videographers enjoy smooth, accurate AF operation with the family of A-mount optics that includes telephotos, primes and zooms by Sony and Carl Zeiss. And we're really talking about a large number of lenses, whether we're talking about SAM lenses (DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM [SAL1855], DT 28-75mm F2.8 SAM [SAL2875], DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 SAM [SAL55200-2], DT 30mm F2.8 Macro SAM [SAL30M28], DT 35mm F1.8 SAM [SAL35F18], DT 50mm F1.8 SAM [SAL50F18] and 85mm F2.8 SAM [SAL85F28]) or SSM ones (Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM [SAL1635Z], Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM [SAL2470Z], Distagon T* 24mm F2 ZA SSM [SAL24F20Z], 70-200mm F2.8 G [SAL70200G], 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM [SAL70300G], 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM [SAL70400G], 300mm F2.8 G [SAL300F28G]). The firmware upgrade process should be a pretty simple one, but will require an Internet connection in order to download the update and will prompt users to connect the NEX to a computer, via USB. All we can say, for the time being, is that we're eagerly looking forward to seeing the results of the upgrade in action, although we're sort of willing to bet that the number of NEX-VG10E owners is still quite limited.
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