Next week Sony will announce the new HX50 and no new E-mount or A-mount camera or lens will be announced yet. The A78 is off the roadmap while the NEX-7 successor is coming within the next few months.
But we will have new E-mount stuff soon from two other comapnies. Hasselblad will announce the new Lunar and Zeiss the two lenses:
Hasselblad:
Leo Edwards (Click here) wrote a harsh critique against the Lunar: “Will Hasselblad become to Sony what AMG is to Mercedes or Alpina to BMW? lets compare. A top of the line AMG conversion essentially doubles the price of a stock mercedes – what do you get for your 100% premium? A completely re-mapped, engineered and tuned engine, a massive brake, wheel and suspension overhaul, custom interior leather, wood and carbon fibre, exclusive paint – oh and a body kit. What do you get with the Hasselblad / Sony combo at a 600% premium, errrmm, a body kit…….! Suddenly an AMG Mercedes seems like the best value on the planet with considerably more wood, leather and carbon fibre thrown in for good measure!”
Zeiss:
I have been told by a source that the Zeiss Planar 32mm f/1.8 and the Distagon 12mm f/2.8 will ship from June. If you want to learn more about the tech and philosphy behind the “Pana” and “Distagon” deifnition you may read the two pdf files found by our read BIll (Thanks!):
Planar: http://blogs.zeiss.com/photo/en/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/en_CLB_40_Nasse_Lens_Names_Planar.pdf
Distagon: http://blogs.zeiss.com/photo/en/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/en_CLB41_Nasse_LensNames_Distagon.pdf
24 Responses
With A78 off the map it seem like a pretty slow year release wise, whatever happened to further A mount lens updates like the 70-200? What is Sony going to replace in the mid-range to compete with the Canon 70D, and 7D Mark II?
Im hoping Sony do what a few other manufacturers have done (Canon for one) in the same situation and release a large firmware update for current models to get an ‘end of life’ sales blip.
For example, with the pro end focus on 4k video, maybe Sony may consider seriously updating the current SLT video (esp bitrates and frame rates), as this will no longer impact on their high end video line. Goes without saying that headline updates to the JPEG engine would also be welcome.
4K updates are impossible on current cameras, XAVC is an entirely different codec that require new chips, so new cameras are needed for that.
‘4K updates are impossible on current cameras’
No that’s not what I mean. I mean as 1080p is no longer the pro standard for new equipment, Sony could start beefing up 1080p features in current cameras and it wouldn’t affect their 4k pro range.
4k is mostly gimmick in the current cameras anyway. I’d prefer if they’d release FW update focusing around video sharpness than playing with higher resolutions (even if it’d be only 2k).
4K RAW capturing for cinema and 1080p for video & TV will stay as standards for a comparatively long time, while the gimmickry aspect only is 4K becoming affordable for consumers these days.
Really hoping the same for SEL-1228Z…
They should compete with Firmware updates to make existing cameras better. Instead of buying a new camera, sony clients will see that sony supports their products and can spend the money on lenses instead of bodies. My thinking could be “fairy-tail-thinking” but I think this is the way to succeed.
Olaf, I like your thinking! Maybe if new bodies have been sidelined, the firmware programming team won’t have much else to do other than tinker with the current firmwares…
Much of photographic equipment sold today is made to look like precision scientific equipment (lots of numbers and dials), when a lot of it (especially lenses) is actually made by hand using surprisingly little automation.
Perhaps if more photographic equipment was built to reflect its true manufacture process (i.e. precision hand crafted), people would better understand the price of high end optical equipment.
More to the point, do you really want all your lenses to continue looking like 1980’s lab equipment?
The ‘I don’t care, I want optical quality’ brigade will of course come in with an alternative opinion, but I still feel the outer craftsmanship needs to reflect the interior optical workmanship a lot better than it currently does.
Of course, the Lunar is an extreme example (higher price JUST for the outer styling), but current high end optics needs to catch up on the game.
So you missed that the New Zeiss 32 1.8 Planar Lens just won a golden IF Design award?
http://www.cameraegg.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/1.8_32_X_ZEISS.jpg
http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj524/picrumors/856838_573868725956705_1099569543_o_zps1d0781cc.jpg
I think especially the E-Mount version could not look more simplistic and beautiful. Same for the already existing 24 1.8 Zeiss. When I received mine and opened the package I immediately thought it just looks and feels like its price class. I would never say that about all the Canon and Nikon lenses, no matter how much they cost, they are all ugly.
There is a lot of design involved in the styling of many high-end lenses like Zeiss or Leica, for example. I am not sure I understand what you mean by “looking like 1980’s lab equipment.
Except these white long telephoto lenses especially from Canon I’ve never seen lenses looking like 80’s lab equipment and watching my E-Mounts beside my still wonderful Canon FDs I’m having nothing to complain about design and built quality Sony delivers around 30 years later now including Auto Focus and often Image Stabilisation. I only wish the Image Quality would be constantly like the SEL-50F18 with its very best value for money so far.
The most ridiculous part of this whole thing is that it’s shipped with the E mount kit zoom according to their website. Don’t get me wrong, the kit zooms is nice for what it is but seriously, anyone in the position to buy a Lunar (and caring for IQ) could just get a random consumer mirrorless and buy top glass for the difference.
I think that ppl who buy Lunar don’t care at all about about your “difference”. They are more interested in design and brand than buying “random” mirrorless, even with top glass.
Still though I think that the market for this camera is mostly satisfied by Leica M (240) with it’s own lenses and Full Frame sensor. I hardly can see anything to justify Lunar (regardless of it’s price) with E-mount and APS-C sensor, perhaps AF and better grip? I doubt it outweighs FF sensor and Leica glass.
Of course people still care about differences, even in those price brackets or do you think that everybody buying exclusive stuff such as Leica are automatically wealthy? Why do these people still try to squeeze out the last $$$ when reselling their stuff on ebay and such?
Besides I don’t get why you write a response to my post when you want to talk about people who are brand and design focused. I just wrote from an IQ perspective, nothing more. And guess what, people in those price brackets may actually be concerned with IQ… which the Hasselblad name is supposed to stand for.
Well, when you have a choice – this or Leica – an obvious choice for image quality is Full Frame Lecia with Leica glass. So complaining about Lunar being shipped with kit or not a kit lens is silly. That’s one point I had in mind.
And another is that most of people buying this camera won’t care about price tag like you imagine, certainly not to a degree where they’ll try to pixel-peep pictures for 1 or 2 EV of dynamic range, or whine about 1/3EV noise level differences like most people here do. It’s not a gear made for people who are not wealthy. Just like Leica à la carte also isn’t made for people who are not wealthy.
“Why do these people still try to squeeze out the last $$$ when reselling their stuff on ebay and such?” – If you think that people will play charity on e-bay just because they have money and want to sell their used gear – you are cheating yourself.
“IQ… which Hasselblad name is supposed to stand for” – Hasselblad name stands mostly for tradition. I doubt right now you can release on market any small mirrorless compact that would fulfil quality standards one would expect from Hasselblad, cause that implies medium format, and medium format isn’t compact to begin with (H4D sensor is taller than whole NEX7).
The most ridiculous part is that Sony never told Hasselblad that iISO flash shoe has been discontinued.
While me as an a77 owner truly wish Sony would release a great FW update… I do believe it is in Sonys interest to put out new cameras with e.g. the new flash hotshoe to start the transition…
Amen brother…
The Nasse technical articles have fallen off the front of the Zeiss blog, but I think there were five or six in the series, including a very good one on depth of field and bokeh. If you want to see Dr. Nasse via video he his the one in the Zeiss video on the new 55mm f/1.4 lens.
http://youtu.be/8mEj6CqZWMk
Here
http://www.zeiss.com/c12567a8003b8b6f/embedtitelintern/cln_35_bokeh_en/$file/cln35_bokeh_en.pdf
http://blogs.zeiss.com/photo/en/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/en_CLB_40_Nasse_Lens_Names_Planar.pdf
http://www.zeiss.com/C12567A8003B8B6F/EmbedTitelIntern/CLN_39_en_Tessar/$File/CLN39_en_tessar.pdf
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!
No, wait…
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!
Ridiculous concept & design… lol… I would prefer the new Leica … That is an amazing boaster camera … and a good camera with excellent lenses …