The Olympic Games deliver a few of the most gifted athletes to a world stage – and a few extremely gifted sports activities photographers together with them. The Olympics, then, naturally typically function proving grounds for up-and-coming sports activities cameras – which makes this disguised Sony digital camera noticed on the sidelines all of the extra intriguing.
Getty and photographer Eyes Wide Open shared a photograph of two Sony cameras resting on a ledge in what seems to be just like the press field throughout a preliminary spherical of Women’s Ice Hockey between Germany and Japan on February 07, in Milan, Italy.
The caption identifies the camera as “A Sony photo camera in prototype design.” A Sony brand is clearly seen on the digital camera’s battery grip, and there’s the orange ‘G’ brand related to Sony’s G Master optics seen on the lens as nicely.
The cameras are carrying a pores and skin generally generally known as dazzle camouflage – it’s a black-and-white intricate sample that’s designed to cover options and physique strains. It’s generally used to cover prototype automobiles, however may be used to disguise cameras.
While the black-and-white pattern is often used for hiding a prototype design, it’s worth noting that custom camera skins like this exist and are easy to purchase – so it’s fully potential that the digital camera is only a Sony A9 III carrying a flowery outfit, a lot in the identical means that Olympic followers gown up for the occasion.
Another digital camera sits behind it in an reverse design – it could possibly be a photographer’s technique for rapidly figuring out two of the identical mannequin cameras.
But, on the identical time, it wouldn’t be too uncommon to check a brand new prototype at such a high-caliber occasion. The Canon EOS R3, for instance, was used on the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo previous to the digital camera’s full launch, as was the Nikon Z9.
While the angle and sample obscure a lot of the digital camera’s options, the picture nonetheless presents a handful of hints. There’s a dial on the left-hand facet of the highest of the digital camera. The Sony A7R sequence doesn’t have a dial on this facet, however the Sony A9 III and A1 II do – it homes burst mode settings. The doorways masking the ports on the facet of the thriller digital camera are a greater match for the A9 III than the A1 II.
But, the Sony A9 III started delivery in early 2024 – which appears a bit early for an replace. The Sony A1 II is even newer, launching on the finish of 2024.
The pro-level Sony digital camera with probably the most rumors circulating is arguably the Sony A7R VI. The present Sony A7R V doesn’t have the dial proven within the picture, however that doesn’t essentially imply that an replace wouldn’t tweak the design of the sequence.
The thriller digital camera might fairly presumably have been misidentified as a prototype by Getty – it could possibly be only a Sony A9 III all dressed up for the video games. But the disguised digital camera might additionally trace that Sony is utilizing the 2026 Winter Olympics because the proving floor for a brand new mirrorless digital camera…
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