Judges Announced for 2017 Sony World Photography Awards, The World’s Largest Photography Competition

• Competitions, including new categories, open for entries now until January 2017
• 2017 is the 10^th anniversary of world's largest photography competition
• New selection of images available for publication via worldphoto.org/press

(SINGAPORE, 15 September 2016) – The judges for the 10^th anniversary of the world's largest photography competition, the Sony World Photography Awards, are announced today.

Esteemed experts from across the photographic industry will come together to uncover and celebrate the best images shot in 2016 across the awards’ Professional, Open, Youth, National Award, and Student Focus competitions.

The chosen winners will not only receive the latest Sony digital imaging equipment and fantastic cash prizes, but their works will also be exhibited globally. Most importantly, all winners and shortlisted entries will receive world-wide exposure and recognition.

Speaking about his experience winning the 2016 Professional Conceptual category, Julien Mauve said, "With the visibility you get in all types of media and the people you meet, the Sony World Photography Awards is a major award in any photographer's journey and cannot be overlooked. I really enjoyed the experience, which did not stop after the night of the award ceremony but continued throughout the year."

Created by the World Photography Organisation, the 2017 Sony World Photography Awards will include new categories, pushing photographers’ creative boundaries, and invites photographers from all the corners of the world, of all abilities and styles, to enter their best images for free via www.worldphoto.org.

2017 Jury

The judges of the Professional competition are: Zelda Cheatle (Chair) Curator (UK); Allegra Cordero di Montezemolo, Curator and Head of Exhibitions, Centro de la Imagen (Mexico); Russ O'Connell, Picture Editor, The Sunday Times Magazine (UK); Aida Muluneh, Photographer and Cultural Entrepreneur (Ethiopia); Denis Curti, Creative Director, Tre Oci Foundation (Italy) and Francoise Callier, Program Director at Angkor Photo Festival & Workshops (France).

The Open and Youth competitions will be chaired by journalist and photographer Damien Demolder (UK), who will also judge the National Awards competition which runs across 61 countries worldwide. The Student Focus competition will be judged by a selection of judges including Andrea Kurland, Editor-in-Chief, Huck (UK), Dan Rubin, photographer and Creative Director (UK) and Jennifer Shaw, founder and Creative Director, PhotoNOLA (US). 

Zelda Cheatle, Chair of the Professional competition, said, "I will be looking for originality of thought and execution, clarity of vision – a clear concept that translates well into pictures on the wall or on the screen. Simplicity, good craftsmanship and sometimes its wit, or compassion, ingenuity, luck or good judgement – but a good picture always stops you in your tracks."

Prizes

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on 20 April 2017. Prizes include the latest Sony digital imaging equipment, inclusion in the 2017 awards’ book, as well as cash prizes of $25,000 (USD) for the overall Professional winner and $5,000 (USD) for the overall Open winner.

In addition, the annual PR campaign for the awards’ winners and shortlisted photographers secures invaluable international exposure with the world’s most prestigious magazines and newspapers, as well as the most read websites and key photographic trade titles. Online articles about the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards alone resulted in 14 billion opportunities to read across the globe. 

All winning and shortlisted images will be exhibited as part of the 2017 Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House, London from 21 April to 7 May 2017. 

Competition deadlines

·         5 December 2016: Student Focus competition closes

·         5 January 2017: Open, National Award and Youth competitions close

·         10 January 2017: Professional competition closes

The 2016 Sony World Photography Awards received a record-breaking number of submissions: 230,103 images from 186 countries, a 33 per cent increase in entries from 2015. 

An exclusive selection of entries from the 2017 awards is available for publication at www.worldphoto.org/press.

Key dates

• 28 February 2017: Shortlist for Professional, Open, Youth and Student Focus competitions revealed
• 28 March 2017: Open, Youth and National Award winners revealed
• 20 April 2017: Photographer of the Year plus Professional category winners and Open, Youth and Student competition winners revealed at ceremony held in Londo
• 21 April to 7 May 2017: Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House, London

Sony’s New Pico Projector Offers Enhanced Features for Personal and Business Use

MP-CL1A Short-Throw Portable HD Projector is Bluetooth® Enabled for

Additional Audio Connectivity Options

MP-CL1A

(SINGAPORE, 15 September 2016) – Sony is expanding its presence in the Pico Projector market with the MP-CL1A Mobile Projector. 

An upgrade from the MP-CL1, this new projector offers enhanced features and accessories[1] including Bluetooth® audio out connectivity, a new colour option, a kickstand that doubles as a lens cover, as well as a carrying pouch.

The MP-CL1A Mobile Projector uses Laser Beam Scanning (LBS) which provides HD resolution (1920p x 720p) and focus free projection, contributing to its portability and lightweight of 210g. It delivers high quality and high contrast (80,000:1) imagery that enables rich and accurate colours, along with a 16:9 aspect ratio for an improved HD viewing experience.

The MP-CL1A Mobile Projector is capable of displaying a screen size of up to 120 inches at a distance of 3.45 metres, and a 40 inch screen size from 1.15 metres; making sure that it is ideal for a range of setups and scenarios. The projector is also best suited to be used in dark environments in both indoors and outdoors including camping, movie nights and gaming, home-viewing and dorm use, as well as for business presentations[2].

The MP-CL1A Mobile Projector has a number of connectivity options. Besides connecting to an output source such as laptops, Blu-ray players or game consoles via HDMI, the MP-CL1A is able to connect to a smartphone or tablet device via MHL, allowing unprecedented connectivity for work and play. At the same time, its built-in Wi-Fi (Screen mirroring)[3] function allows you to wirelessly mirror content from a smartphone or tablet device.

Another key highlight of the MP-CL1A Mobile Projector is keystone correction, which enables vertical and horizontal adjustments to maintain screen uniformity.

The MP-CL1A Mobile Projector comes with a USB cable and features a built-in 3,400mAh battery, which can also be used to charge your mobile phone or tablet via the USB port.

The MP-CL1A mobile projector will be available in grey and gold colours at Sony Stores, Sony Centres and selected Sony authorised dealers from October 2016.

Specification sheet

Specifications	Detail
Dimensions (W x H x L) mm	Approx. 77 x 149.5 x 13 mm
Weight	Approx. 210 g
Output Resolution	1,920 x 720
Audio Output	ɸ3.5 Audio Jack Bluetooth®
Diagonal Projection Image Size[4]	120 inches at projection distance of 3.45m
Aspect Ratio	16:9
Contrast Ratio	80,000:1
Battery Capacity	3,400 mAh
Bundled Accessory	USB Cable Lens Cover Stand Carrying Pouch

---

[1] Optional accessories will be sold separately.

[2] Sony recommends a screen size of 25-inches, in well-lit environment.

[3] Android devices only.

[4] Under completely dark circumstances.

Canon celebrates significant milestone with production of 120 million interchangeable EF lenses

SINGAPORE, 14 September 2016 – Canon today announced the achievement of a new lens-manufacturing milestone with the production on August 26, 2016, of the Company’s 120-millionth EF-series interchangeable lens for EOS cameras—an EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM telephoto zoom lens.

Production of interchangeable EF lenses for Canon EOS-series AF (Autofocus) single-lens reflex film cameras began in 1987 at the Company’s Utsunomiya Plant. Over the years, EF lenses have gained support from a wide range of users and production has since expanded to a total of four manufacturing bases, including Canon Inc., Taiwan; Canon Opto (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.; and Oita Canon Inc. in southern Japan.

EF lens production passed the 10-million-unit mark in 1995 and crossed the 50-million-unit threshold in 2009. In April 2014, the Company celebrated its first-in-the-world achievement of having manufactured 100 million EF lenses, and now, setting a new world record for the most interchangeable lenses produced, Canon manufactured its 120-millionth EF lens in August 2016. What's more, Canon’s interchangeable-lens digital cameras (digital SLR and compact-system cameras), which utilize EF lenses, have maintained the No. 1 share of the global market for 13 consecutive years since 2003.1

Canon’s proprietary EF lenses, launched in March 1987 along with the EOS SLR camera system, have continued to evolve since their introduction, leading the industry through the incorporation of a wide range of innovative technologies, including such world’s firsts as the Ultrasonic Motor (USM), Image Stabilizer (IS) technology, a multilayered diffractive optical (DO) element, and Subwavelength Structure Coating (SWC) anti-reflection technology. The Company’s extensive EF lens-series lineup currently comprises a total of 97 models,2 including EF Cinema Lenses for digital cinematography.3

Canon will continue refining its imaging technologies centered on its EF lens lineup, striving to cater to the varying needs of photographers—from first-time users to advanced amateurs and professionals—while contributing to expanding the photographic and video imaging culture.

1 As of March 29, 2016, based on a Canon survey.

2 Including two EF lens extenders and three models available outside of Japan. As of September 7, 2016.

3 For more information visit “The Eyes of EOS” Canon EF lens portal site at www.canon.com/the-eyes-of-eos/

Canon EF lenses equipped with world’s-first technologies

Model name	Main features and technologies	Launch date
EF300mm f/2.8L USM1	World’s first2 use of a lens-based Ultrasonic Motor (USM)	Nov. 1987
	USM technology delivers fast autofocusing thanks to its high torque and responsiveness. By converting ultrasonic vibrations into rotational energy, the technology makes possible quiet, smooth AF drive performance.
EF75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM3	World’s first2 use of Image Stabilizer (IS) technology	Sep. 1995
	Users can see the results of IS technology through the viewfinder. Delivering high precision and stability for exceptional image stabilization results, this technology expands the possibilities for handheld photography.
EF400mm f/4 DO IS USM4	World’s first2 use of a diffractive optical (DO) lens element	Dec. 2001
	Diffraction is an optical phenomenon in which light waves bend as they pass around the edges of an object. DO lens elements use this phenomenon to correct for a variety of aberrations by controlling the path that light travels.
EF24mm f/1.4L II USM	World’s first5 use of Subwavelength Structure Coating (SWC)	Dec. 2008
	SWC technology minimizes reflections by aligning countless wedge-shaped structures more minute than the wavelength of visible light on the surface of a camera lens.
EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM	World’s first2 use of Hybrid IS, which compensates for both angle camera shake and shift camera shake	Oct. 2009
	Employing a newly developed algorithm, Hybrid IS optimally adjusts for camera shake based on information gathered by two sensors located in the lens. By precisely driving the optical correction system, the technology simultaneously corrects for angle and shift camera shake.
EF8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM	World’s first2 fisheye lens to deliver both 180-degree diagonal angle of view and 180-degree circular fisheye	Jul. 2011
	The EF8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM enables the capture of images with dramatic deformations, exaggerated perspectives and extreme depths of field, making possible images that are significantly distorted, similar to what a fish might see were it to look skyward from under the water surface.
EF200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x	World’s first2 super-telephoto zoom lens to employ an internal extender	May 2013
	Featuring a built-in 1.4x extender, the EF200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x’s zoom range can be expanded with a simple one-touch operation even in locations where users are unable to switch lenses.
EF11-24mm f/4L USM	World’s first2 lens offering ultra-wide-angle 11 mm minimum focal length	Feb. 2015
	In addition to achieving the world’s widest angle of view starting at a minimum focal length of 11 mm, the EF11-24mm f/4L USM effectively corrects for aberrations commonly associated with ultra-wide-angle lenses, delivering superior image-quality performance.

1         As of September 7, 2016, production for this lens has already been discontinued. Successor: EF300mm f/2.8L IS II USM (launched in August 2011).

2         Among interchangeable SLR camera lenses.

3         As of September 7, 2016, production for this lens has already been discontinued. Successor: EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM (launched in September 2005).

4         As of September 7, 2016, production for this lens has already been discontinued. Successor: EF400 f/4 DO IS II USM (launched in November 2014).

5         Among photography lenses.

Sony Introduces 18-110mm Super 35mm / APS-C Lens With Power Zoom Capability

·         E PZ 18-110mm F4 G OSS (SELP18110G) with 6.1x high zoom ratio

·         High resolution suited for professional 4K movie production

·         Smooth Motion Optics (SMO) design and construction to minimise unwanted focus and image shifts during focusing or zooming

·         Advanced operability including three separate focus, iris and zoom rings for professional operation

·         Optical SteadyShot™ in-lens image stabilisation

·         Compact, lightweight design with dust and moisture resistance[1]

(SINGAPORE, 9 September 2016) – Offering moviemakers a powerful new creative tool, Sony has developed a new advanced Super 35mm / APS-C format power zoom lens that starts at 18mm wide angle and extends to 110mm at the telephoto end (27mm – 165mm equivalent in 35mm format[2]), with 6.1x high zoom ratio even with inner focus; while maintaining a constant F4 aperture throughout for beautiful depth of field effects and stable exposure control across the entire standard zoom range.

From the PXW-FS7 professional camcorder to interchangeable-lens cameras such as α7 series and α6300, the SEL18110G top quality G Lens^TM delivers image quality that will satisfy the most demanding of professional users. It consists of 18 elements in 15 groups, including 6 aspherical elements and 3 Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass elements. It also features a highly intricate 7 blade circular aperture design that delivers extremely high resolution image quality, particularly suited to professional 4K movie shooting.

The SELP18110G is the second lens[3] to benefit from Sony’s Smooth Motion Optics (SMO) design and construction, which has been developed to eliminate unwanted image shifts while operating the lens during movie shooting. SMO addresses three particular aspects on lens operation that can have a significant impact on movie quality: Focus Breathing, where shifts in angle of view during focusing are minimised by an internal focus mechanism; Focus Shift, where small shifts in focus that can occur while zooming are eliminated by precise focus tracking adjustment; and Axial Shift, where axial image shifts while zooming, are minimised by a constant length design.

The high level of operability and quiet operation of the new lens make it a compelling proposition for its integration into professional movie production environments. Its three separate rings offer control over focus, zoom, and aperture, with optimal torque for a satisfying responsive, professional feel. Both servo and responsive manual mechanical zoom are fully supported and the zoom ring direction is switchable to match individual user preferences. The lens length remains constant during any changes making it easy to use with matte boxes and other lens accessories. A first for α lenses, the SELP18110G has a 0.8mm pitch focus gear built right onto the lens, providing direct compatibility with standard focusing accessories.

Optimum optical performance and operability are complemented by a dust and moisture-resistant design¹, making the lens ideal for location use. The SELP18110G further offers extra versatility thanks to Optical SteadyShot™ technology that provides in-lens image stabilisation during handheld shooting. Its compact and lightweight[4] design also means that it is a truly mobile solution. Users can also achieve added flexibility when the lens is paired with the SEL14TC and SEL20TC teleconverters for 1.4x and 2.0x extension of focal range respectively.

The SELP18110G Super 35mm / APS-C power zoom lens for professional movie-makers and photographers will be available at all Sony Stores, Sony Centres and selected Sony authorised dealers from December 2016.

---

[1] Not guaranteed to be 100 per cent dust and moisture proof.

[2] With interchangeable-lens digital camera incorporating an APS-C type image sensor.

[3] The only other lens to benefit from SMO technology is the SELP28135G.

[4] 1105g without tripod mount.