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Exaclty One Yeard and One day ago Sony announced the last A-mount camera, the [shoplink 24708 ebay]Sony A58[/shoplink]. I know some of you complained that I was bringing to many E-mount news but as you see, this happens only because Sony decided to focus on the E-mount and RX camera development.
But now the long wait has an end and my trusted sources confirmed new A-mount cameras will come very soon. I am not 100% sure yet but the first camera could be announced in late March or early April. What we also know for sure is that the new A-mount cameras will focus on speed. EVF refresh rate much improved, Hybrid AF even a tiny bit faster than the one used on the A6000, on sensor phase detection pixels and likely same A7 and A7r resolution sensor.
The big question is: Will they have SLT tech? I know Sony developed both, completely mirrorless and SLT A-mount cameras. Latest I heard is that it has SLT btu I am still not sure about it.
Stay tuned, some exciting time ahead of us! And finally some smiles for A-mount lovers 🙂
0 Responses
About time!!!
You might want to change that to “latest” … or do you know something that we all should know? 😉
+1, I got a little bit scared there for a moment.
last A-mount camera… Goodbye A-mount~ Hello e-mount~
troll … die!
A little harsh
nope, serves him right
now on sensor phase detection speed matches SLT speed, A-mount will live on a to e mount adapter for a while and will be gone sooner or later.
I just want to have a body with a good handling. If the translucent mirror is no longer needed any more, forget about it, I don’t care.
It shouldn’t be a problem to just put the whole A6000 into a bigger body with A-Mount. Let’s say, use the camera as an adapter for the tech… And I do want to use my lenses native, without an extra adapter.
@Peter
Until Sony figures out how to AF A-Mount glass without the mirror, the mirror will be there. Just like all E-Mount cameras, as soon as you put an A-Mount glass on it, each switches back to CDAF mode. Even the mighty A99, for which A-Mount glass is native, supports only a handful of lenses in AF-D mode.
Yes, that’s true. But I said “IF the mirror is no longer needed”. What I wanted to say is I don’t really care about what tech they use as long as it’s a native A-mount and as long as it’s an improvement.
You have zero proof of that happening. And with more SLT bodies coming up soon the A mount will get further impetus.
If Sony abandons A mount (and I highly doubt they will anytime soon) then most pros will abandon Sony and Sony will be become a brand synonymous with soccer moms and hipsters who only buy cameras and not lenses.
4K in any of these cams? 120p HD?
Yep Admin can you be more precise ? Full Frame, A77, 4K .. ? what will be announced exactly
I am sure the admin would have posted that if he had some concrete info. We want more SR4/SR5 rumours than an SR2/SR3 rumors which can be false.
I think it might be the last SLT A mount.. But it may not be the last A mount camera 🙂
Hey Barry. Are you a trusted source now? 🙂
I only rate a SR2
SR2 is a bit optimistic.
Alleluja!
If they remove the slt, how will they be named? ILC-A?
April 1st around the corner?
Since Sony has no significantly outdated A mount bodies, and with all the crying about neeeeding new bodies… We now will get a modest, incremental upgrade that will tweak some specs on the surface and provide basically the same image quality.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we allowed them a normal camera life cycle and got something more compelling when the time was right???
P.S.
1. Watch out if they use basically the same APSc sensor and use ‘software enhancements’ to improve noise performance
2. When I hear ‘focus on speed’ I hear ‘more aggressive RAW compression’
Sony… Take your time and build us something amazing.
I must admit, I’m getting a bit scared, al around the place there’s e-mount, hardly any a-mount. If I sell now, and switch to let’s say Nikon, I might still get some money from my old gear (don’t want to switch, but don’t want to be surprised with buying a new a-mout body only to find out that’s the end of the a-mount line.)
I think the bigger issue is that SLR as a technology is going the way of the dodo bird…. Canikon will get there too.. just a matter of time….
New 32mp C size A mount
New 24 and 36mp ff A mounts
New hybrid with 5 axis ibis and z-shift.
New stacked sensor in 2015
SLT is not that important provided cameras focus as good (which would be unbelievable achievement). The real question is will they support screwdriver or not?
Ain’t gonna happen. A-mount lenses aren’t designed for on-sensor AF. They’d have to store all the lens information in firmware or update the lenses and I doubt they will do that for EVERY A-mount lens, just a few. Third-party lenses wouldn’t be supported so would be slow.
That would be a pity. I think they need to make a farewell camera, an ultimate a99 successor fully compatible with new and legacy glass, make it to last and make it affordable. That would keep their userbase around for ages. (However, something tells me that a99 was that kind of camera).
Well if they kept the A99 mirror, increased the number of AF points, spread them out a bit more so they aren’t grouped in the centre of the frame and then improved the AF algorithms, they wouldn’t need the additional hybrid AF points and lens compatibility updates!
Sony is aware of that problem and plans to fix it on future models.. most 3rd party lenses will be supported
They have absolutely no reason to support Sigma as Sigma don’t pay for the A-mount specs, they reverse engineer the mount. This is why Sigma lenses have compatibility issues and need re-chipping.
Tamron maybe, they have shares in it and license the mount, but Sony aren’t about to support old Tamron and Minolta glass in firmware, not when they can sell you a new lens instead and they barely support their own Sony lenses.
Sony cannot compete for economy lenses and people will not buy into the system unless there is a good selection of lenses available.
Far too few people would buy a Sony camera if only sony lenses worked on them.
I certainly would not.
Sony considers 3rd party lens availability an important part of thier success.
Remember..sony wants to be a part of the photo industry but does not want to dominate the industry.
They make far more money selling sensors to everyone than they do with cameras and lenses.
Here is an example
Sigma uses the revelutionary Foveon sensor on thier camera therefore they should dominate the camera industry
The camera however does not sell well compared to other manufacturers.
Sigma cameras only use Sigma lenses and even though Sigma has one of the biggest lens selection in the industry people will not buy into a system that does not accept 3rd party lenses.
I posted A LOT OF NEW A MOUNT INFO IN YESTERDAYS A6000 PAGE
REALLY GOOD STUFF..CHECK IT OUT.
Hi, you said “3 new A mount cameras anoncing real soon.A79..36mp C
24mp ff
36mp ff
New hybrid camera will have z shift and 5 axis ibis.”
You speak about 3 new camera soon. But then you speak about a hybrid camera with IBIS. Do you mean all of the 3 cameras will get IBIS, or is this a 4th camera to come later that will have IBIS ?
I only asked about the hybrid
I do however believe that all currentt A mount cameras do have IBIS.
Yes but they don’t have 5 axis…. So the hybrid is planed to be released way later..?
I was not told when hybrid will be anounced.
If you really did speak to a Sony Exec (whatever you mean by Exec), and I’m not entirely convinced that you did, then you better hope he was telling the truth. If not, your reputation here will be destroyed – and it’s not that great as it is.
32mp C
36 was a typo..i have corrected it..sorry.
Could you please copy-paste?
Too much stuff
Follow link above to PREVIOS POST
Thank you for sharing that and I hope your source was correct. It’s encouraging on 2 fronts for a hobbyist such as myself.
One, I had pretty much rejected the a79 since I have an a65. I was leaning towards toying with FF. However, if Sony does 36mp right in APS-C (as they pretty much did with the FF a7R) and boost the useable ISO to 3200 (I can dream for 6400 but won’t be greedy because I almost never go that high) it’s an attractive package in the $1k ballpark for the body.
Two, a 24mp entry-level FF could be very tempting as well as it tracks my original line of thinking: Stick with the a65 for my cropped needs and add an FF system to my system. The key here is it has to build on the IQ strengths of the a7/a7R without making serious compromises like no IBIS, mediocre AF, etc.
Decisions, decisions. ;^)
32mp C
36 was a typo…i have corrected it.
Still, amazing pixel density for APS-C. I expect a-mount delays partially due to huge engineering task of doing this right. I’d rather wait than some nice try like the not quite compelling a7/a7R.
No, animalsbybarry prefers to troll into E-Mount news, because he hates E-Mount so much.
They can’t drop the mirror and keep fast AF with all A-mount lenses.
By “all” do you mean including screw-driven lenses?
Providing Sony could replace their best screwdriven lenses, e.g. 85/1.4, 135/1.8, with new SSM versions in a suitable timeframe, I would happily accept an SSM/SAM only mirrorless A-mount camera.
Sony don’t need to replace lenses, just tell the camera the lens information through firmware updates like they did for the A99.
What I mean by “all” is Minolta and all third-party lenses. I doubt Sony is going to support those!
They will need to replace lenses if any future mirrorless A-mount camera no longer supports screw-driven lenses.
Obviously.
Well apparently it wasn’t.
It gets worse, whenever a page is slow to load, I could see everyone email addresses instead of names. That was weird as hell.
Why did your name change from Adi to AlphaGuy?
Huh?
The comment that says “Obviously”. The name above it was “adi” at first, but then it changed to AlphaGuy.
Not me. Buggy software I guess.
You can say that again. Your name was Dennis a minute ago.
If the very fast on-sensor AF tech can be implemented but screw driven lenses cannot properly support it then Sony certainly should stop making screw driven AF lenses and move on. Eventually some legacy hardware has to be dropped in the name of progress. The screw drive is from the 80s, SSM and SAM are superior. Would you expect your computer to have 80s serial ports or USB3?
Plus a smaller a to e mount adapter could be made without the screw mechanism that supports the faster sensor AF.
Yes, that’s why they will slowly phase out those old a-mount lens and replace them with new e-mount lens. A-mount lens are like VCD/DVDs, while e-mounts are the future proof blu-rays.
The last thing Sony needs to do is undermine any of their lens systems. Seriously, Sony is such a laggard in this space. The a-mount system is the only one that’s remotely complete and their track record of releasing new lenses even for bodies like the a7/a7R which are on top of their priority list isn’t impressive. Heck, they basically released the a7R initially with no native FF lens available for it. :^(
I own a lot of Minolta glass. It’s an affordable extension of their rather meager selection of a-mount lenses that they would be foolish to abandon.
Are we going to end up in a comical set-up where people buy an a-mount adapter to use with legacy a-mount lenses on an a-mount body? ;^)
Sony’s screw driven lenses will remain. Most are quick enough to do the job they were designed for.
Ignore the E-Trolls. The rabid e-mount fans live in a mirror-less bubble that does not reflect the camera market or reality in general.
97% of interchangeable lens users do not use the e-mount.
Sony, drop the A mount, concentrate on the E mount, that’s the future. Olympus droped 43 in favor of m43 and the same will happen to A mount sooner or later.
exactly.
*put fire on Fuel*
Admin: please restore the old comment system, it’s annoying to have to re-type the name & email every time
*put fire on Fuel*
Right, the brighter I will shine!
I blame Sony’s pitiful marketing department for sentiment like this. Sony has created an atmosphere of a zero-sum game where devoted fans of one system get angry at other Sony systems and hope for them to fail in the selfish belief killing off one system means Sony will give them the attention they crave. Sony’s lack of a coherent roadmap fuels this (pun intended). Sony needs to understand they’re undermining confidence in their systems – ALL THEIR SYSTEMS.
If I’d read SAR prior to investing heavily into Sony/Minolta equipment back in 2011 I’d probably would have gone Nikon instead. Seriously, it was a close decision.
Well, let the blaming begin. Seriously, I don’t think that it is a sane strategy to have so many lens line-ups to build. With well implemented PDAF on sensor you get AF compatibility with most A mount lenses (as fas as I understood), so the transition is not as hard as it was when Minolta came out with its AF camera(s) in the 80s. By the way, I have no real investments in either mount. (Well, I have an old Minolta AF from the 80s and two lenses which are rather poor on digital.) But the A7r is tempting as a camera, but the lenses are not there at the moment to go this route, So to convince a Canon shooter like me to invest in Sony, I need trust that there is a system that gives me the lenses I want. And by the way 2: With the E mount Sony may well ahve an advantage compared with Canikon: They still have to think about how to make the transition to mirrorless. Canon could (maybe) go the M route to have slimer bodies or they keep them thicker to keep the mount as is. But it doesn’t seem they figured already out what to do, while Sony has taken decision, though halfhearted decissions it seems to me.
Sony needs full system support. E-mounts aren’t the end-all, be-all system many think they are.Sony’s compact NEX/axxx ergonomics suck badly. I doubt that system will ever offer as full lens support as the a-mount as it’s been pointed out many times before the customer base won’t support it. Too many point and shoot yuppies wanting a better compact toy.
What customer base? Sony didn’t manage to get any relevant market share from Canikon. They wanted 20% when they took over from KM and failed badly. Sure, they still can sell some caneras because there are enough a mount lenses out there. But get these lenses work with an e mount camera and move on. Concentrate on one mount, build a system. Sooner or later there will be a business decision and the roi will be the relevant factor. How you like the ui or if some owners of a mount lenses will be disapointed is only relevant when it translates into high enough sales and roi. It’s all about business.
Sony’s marketing is incompetent. At least here in America. I can’t speak for the rest of the world. Seriously.
The problem, IMHO, is they’re a massive, bureaucratic consumer electronics company that decided to treat the enthusiast and pro camera market to their standard model: The Sony ‘premium’ name and some better tech will do the selling. Their first mistake was dumping the Minolta brand which had a huge reputation in SLRs here. Fast-forward to today and pretty much nobody here associates Sony with DSLRs. Sure, the in-the-know photo nerd readers of SAR know all the ins and outs of Sony DSLRs but the big-box retailers here like Best Buy, H H Gregg, Target, and Wal-Mart don’t carry Sony DSLRs. Just Canikon. A co-worker of mine with 2 old Minolta film bodies and some lenses had no idea Sony made DSLRs and that they were compatible with his gear until I told him.
Only Best Buy here carries NEXs and Sony has to PAY them for shelf space. How do I know? Because it’s a classic example of a ‘special’ display that always costs manufacturers. Guess where it is. With the DSLRs you claim they compete with? Not on you life. They’ll part of the point and shoot display. Yep.
So Sony has fouled up on 2 counts. One, they’ve totally neglected marketing DSLRs here. You can flap your arms all you want they’ve tried to build bodies but building stuff isn’t marketing stuff and Sony’s incompetence in marketing DSLRs can’t be argued against. I’m not even sure they tried. Two, IMHO, the money they’ve spent here on NEXs leaves the impression it’s just an expensive high-end point and shoot. It probably explains why execs at Tamron and Sigma who know this business explain their disinterest in e-mounts because this crowd doesn’t tend to buy lenses.
Worse, e-mount fans who don’t like ‘bulky’ DSLRs don’t get DSLRs. For example, Canon has been putting it’s red-hot selling Rebel Txi line on a diet for the last couple of revs. The fact that they’ll never be as tiny as NEXs or axxxs doesn’t really matter because for most serious photographers the point isn’t tiny for the sake of tiny. The point is ergonomics and there’s a point of diminishing returns as you keep shrinking down bodies. NEX ergonomics suck raw eggs and even some fan reviews of NEX cameras I’ve read lament they’re giving up better handling for a tiny body.
Then the e-mount has a fundamental lens problem. It’s pointed out in one of the new SAR 24-70mm Zeiss reviews. E-mount fanboys gushing over their teensy tiny bodies start getting their panties in a knot when they have to mate it to a ‘bulky’ 24-70mm Zeiss lens. Oh, whaaa!
So you’ll never see the vast universe of a-mount lens formats pushed in an e-mount because the exact teensy tiny, uber light NEX/axxx characteristic that sends a thrill up your leg doesn’t work with so many lenses like really fast zooms and anything longer than moderate telephoto.
I’m not bashing e-mounts. Unlike many (most) e-mounters I don’t want the other system to fail. Tech like Sony’s fast AF in the a6000 can be shared across so many systems. I see synergy in multiple systems if developed and marketed properly (okay, we can predict Sony’s epic fail here).
Sony keeps thinking if it builds a better mousetrap like better liveview or puts IBIS in DSLR bodies (credit Minolta really for that) photogs will knock their doors down to buy it. Nope. Obviously, they need a bit better a-mount ecosystem and competitive equipment but the real failure is how they market DSLRs. They need brand awareness on top of their superior engineering (at least here in the states where it’s next to zilch with your average consumer).
+1
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
E-Mount fans who scream the death of A-Mount just don’t get it. If A-Mount fails, E-Mount goes right after at faster than the speed of light.
Sony had plenty of NEX cameras in San Francisco bay area local Best Buys, during the time when A55 was around. Big corner displays with lenses and everything right there for all to see. What happened Sony? Why didn’t you advertize with the same passion on TV? Now the only stores here that still have your cameras are Fry’s Electronics stores and even then, not every single one of them and most of the time these cameras are not connected to power supply. I’m not even talking about E-Mount cameras, that just plainly don’t exist on shelves almost anywhere.
I never said that I want e mount to fail. But I think it’s not a good business decision to support two mounts. And I think with e mount Sony got more grip within the interchangeable lens market than with a mount. Olympus killed 43 for m43. They tried to allow 43 users to make a smooth transition, but they droped 43. And I think this will happen to the a mount too sooner or later. And it’s possible to build a more DSLR like e mount camera than a nex and it’s also possible to improve the ui. They already did with the A7.
Sorry, wanted to say, I never wanted a mount to fail. I have no feelings for one or the other.
Interesting read: http://www.dslrbodies.com/newsviews/why-legacy-is-so-tough-to.html
Is this the a mount camera that Sony is going to show at the National Assosiation of Broadcasters Convention in Vegas?
Can’t wait to see new A mount cameras with the new said-to-be super duper AF and improved EVF to be announced. I don’t see A mount be abandoned yet. Not all markets accept mirrorless instead of DSLR in their entirety.
E mount lens pricing is still a showstopper. There may be excellent and reasonably priced E mount glass but all in all pricing is a bit steep for AF lenses. The system lacks 3rd party and legacy AF (not MF) lenses.
For example, how would I recommend a wonderful tiny NEX to a family member as a step up from compact if superzoom prices are up to the roof (E mount 600+ EUR vs. A mount 200 EUR+)? Let’s be honest a former compact user doing small prints only does neither ever buy a second lens not bother about the shortcomings of a superzoom. E mount ain’t there yet, and it won’t for a couple of years.
Sony focussing on a growth market where they can establish a brand is only logical. They tried with DSLR, it did not take off. Doesn’t mean they won’t try ever again nor they abandon DSLR-style/A-mount…. A mount seems still in its SLT transition phase.
Sony is reading SAR? so cool!
Dear Sony Engineers, if you can read this letter PLEASE design us a camera that is dedicated for wedding photography w/ the following features:
-24MP FF Sensor w/ a clean and usable image up to ISO6400 for low light photography. Please dont make it no more than 24MP so it will be easy for us to edit in lightroom. If you can tweak the sensor for ISO performance instead of Dynamic Range since we dont do much of shadow restoration for wedding photography but we do need a very usable image in high ISO for natural ambient light.
-please make a dedicated toggleable button for LIVEVIEW. it sucks going to the menu to switch the liveview feature on and off. Please put the button somewhere near the aperture preview button so it wont be confusing.
-please make the camera body very LIGHTWEIGHT as possible. make it a light plastic material since wedding photographers dont shoot in the rain or snow. Most of us shoot indoor for 6 hours long so we have no need for weatherproofing but we do need the camera in our hands to be lightweight so our hands wont get tired from holding it for hours.
-please upgrade your Sony NP-FM500H InfoLithium Battery to a higher mAh. currently its at 1650mAh. please make it up to 2700mAh or higher so we dont have to go through 4 camera batteries in session.
-please give us a good 3-way flash system with BUILT-IN RADIO TRIGGER so we can mount one external flash on camera as fill/bounce and the other two external flashes on stands/umbrellas. most of us use manual setting on flash for exposure consistency so give us full manual control since TTL is unreliable sometimes.
-your current Sony HVL-F60M External Flash overheats too fast and it isnt too reliable/useable after firing it 10 -15 times in a row. In order to fix the the heating problem in design simply move the thermometer away from the battery bay and use a large capacitor like that of ViVitar 285HV.
-If it possible to have an option to purchase a removable eyecup. Sometimes it is good to have an option to have a rounded eyecup like that of Nikon D800 because we are constantly switching from landscape to portrait in wedding photography so I think a rounded eyecup will be more comfortable for our eyes in longer hours of use.
-we dont need touchscreen, wifi, remote setting control, NFC, GPS as wedding shooters. You can cut those features off and focus on desinging us the best low light camera ever for capturing the ambient light that can be combined with our external flash for picture perfect shot 🙂
Thank you Sony! Im your biggest fan and I’m here to make more fans for you! I love the OLED EVF on my camera and it enables me to see in the dark when shooting a reception (liveview off+wireless flash). I dont think I will ever go back using an optical VF again for wedding shoot because EVF is so crucial for wedding photography to capture in split second that very special moment! THANK YOU I LOVE YOU!
Why aren’t you using a Canon full frame?
We are currently using Canon 5DmarkIII for video along with Sony A99 for coverage…But I find that the EVF on A99 more awesome than an optical viewfinder. I can see my subjects in the dark and I can focus accurately with it and the tiltable LCD screen enables me to shoot in low angle and or high angle. I just love everything about it because it gives me the freedom to shooot how I want.
I believe EVF is the future of wedding photography. It gives you the power and capabilities to see the actual shot before you take the it. It saves you the time adjusting thinigs and gives you the highest chance of capturing the right moment.
I just wish it has toggleble button for live view and longer battery life.
Interesting comment. Thanks.
If I may ask what is toggleble button for live view ? Isn’t live view on the LCD on by default and switches over to EVF when you put your eye on the viewfinder ?
Live View -> Effects (ISO, speed, f) applied to the screen before you take the image
Live View OFF -> You see what your eyes see, and the camera only shows the EV -2 – 0 +2
You notice how you see your shutter/aperture preview adjustment on LCD/EVF if the liveview option in the menu is turned ON but if you turn it OFF then it acts as if you’re looking through an enhanced optical viewfinder?
I’m asking for a toggleable button so that if I put my aperture to f/8 @ISO100 w/ my multiple flash system on then it wont be so dark when I look through the EVF. If the liveview is turned OFF then it will allow me to see the subject as if im looking through the lens. I want to be able to switch back and forth quickly without going to the menu so I wont miss any moment when I needed the liveview mode to compose a shot
You can do that:
Menu – Live view (settings section, gear icon) – Preview display
on is for WYSIWYG or off for a more OVF view ( good if you are using strobes, on in studio)
I’ve programed Menu item #4 = Preview Button = Shot.Result Preview…would this give you the same effect as a live view toggle on and off switch hold the preview button down and you get a live view preview of the shot, lift your finger off and it’s back to normal.
exactly! it’s a press and hold button. I want to be toggleable so i dont have to press and hold the button. I like how the old Alpha DSLR models have a dedicated switch to turn Steady Shot ON/OFF. I find it so annoying to go to the menu just to turn it off. a simple switch or custom button option for it would make strobing on location much easier and faster.
Got it ! So basically you are referring to the ‘Setting Effect’ being on or off ?
As Ryan says you can set a customizable button for Shot result preview that works great. 🙂
New commenting system….. again?
I’d like to thank Admin for it. I like that I can edit my posts and no more quirky captcha plug-in.
This one doesn’t seem bad, actually. I’m just wondering if this is a definite change or a temporary one (like previous times, when WP comment system got bugged or something like that).
I want a couple of things with a possible new camera. Mirrorless, Accurate autofokus ( means more than the fastest ), No AA filter, Weather sealed, Many focus points and the possibillity to switch to the one i want, The best iso on high iso there is, and a battery that last long time
I think the A77/A65 are going to be replaced first. They are the two best sellers and the oldest two models in the A-Mount line up.
You might want to change that title. Do you have any idea what chaos this is going to cause over on dpreview ?
I agree. “Last” means there isn’t going to be one anymore. “Latest” would be more appropraite. It means the most recent camera.
please be a FF camera with at least 1/250 sync speed…and would it be to much to ask for Sony to add a multi exposure option?!? i feel like the latest and greatest camera should be able to at least do the things done on film….
AFAIK all Sony semi pro cameras – A77, A99 etc have a 1/250 flash sync speed.
i would consider the A7 and A7r to be a semi pro camera and they do not have 1/250 sync. if they plan to go mirrorless for the new A mount and drop the translucent mirror, then i hope they figure out a way to get the sync speed up higher then the A7/r.
Did you try HSS with the flash in the upright 90 degree position?
when i shoot flash its off camera so i never user TTL. plus i mostly use studio lights outside so that’s why the sync speed is important to me.
160 to 250 was no big differ, get a decent ND filter
TTL / on or off camera doesn’t matter. For the Sony f60 flash. (And possibly others ) the flash has to be in the 90 degree orientation for higher sync speeds.
The A7 has 1/250.
ah i think you are right. its just the A7r that has 1/160 i think
The A7 syncs at 1/250. The A7r has a different shutter…
Shutter curtain can also depend on the flash you are using as well. If you are shooting with a rubbish flash with a long flash duration (generally maxed out at full power) such as a Hensel Porty. You may still see shutter curtain even within your assumed sync speed as the flash is still firing as the second curtain is closing…
While true based on specs, and I can confirm the A77 works at 1/250s (both on and off camera), the A99 has been known to introduce a black shutter curtain bar into the image when shooting at 1/250s with off camera flashes/strobes. Shooting in the studio, users of the A99 need to slow the shutter down to 1/200s to avoid the seeing the shutter curtain in the image.
However, shooting with a Sony on camera hotshoe flash this isn’t a problem.
” . . . and likely same A7 and A7r resolution sensor.”? That doesn’t make sense. I feel sure that Sony will not muddy the waters by giving us an A7x camera with a full frame sensor when only the center portion of the sensor would be used with APS-C lenses giving us an effective APS-C pixel count that’s less than the A77.
My own hopes for this new camera include maximum image quality, improved AF (though what we have is very good), MUCH better firmware support and the ability to recognize third party lenses. And, though I know this is probably asking for too much, it would be nice to be able to connect the camera to a USB port and be able to manage all the settings for the camera, especially the preset configurations.
Finally, as I continue to dream, I would like to see Sony’s HDR capability upgraded. By that I mean that the camera would store all the HDR data for later processing when the shooting rate is too quick for immediate processing. Obviously, we would need a larger buffer to hold this data until shooting stops and the camera has time to process the HDR data.
Admin did not specify that this was the A77 replacement.
I think the only two things keeping DSLR/SLT cameras the default pro photographer tool is AF speed and the perception of safety the bulky body gives to the photographer (and client sometimes). After AF speed catches up (hopefully A6k is the beginning, but FF fast camera is needed as well) the balance will start to gradually shift with time to mirrorless cameras. Sony might continue to maintain both A & E mounts, but would most likely be mirrorless cameras in a SLR shell.
I look forward to the future A-mount!
I have a alpha 57 but I want to move to the next level !!! 😉
Alpha 78, 79, 88, 100 … I do not know!
In any case I love the alpha and hopefully Sony will evolve the video!
I would like to:
. Best codecs (XAVC, ProRes …)
. Bitrates (100 Mb/s minimum … look GH4)
. Less aliasing and moiré
. Stailisation 5 axes
. Slow Motion in HD
. 2.5 K
. Waterproof
. Cinema lens (such as Rokinon 85mm T1.4 Cine)
Please Mrs. Mr. & Sony
To continue to take pictures and movies …!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFthcXgJceA
I’d rather see A mount dominate the market than EF mount.
Here i am ,Waiting for a57 replacement
IBIS for A-mount, and OSS for e-mount is still something I think needs to be addressed. I hope they can find room in the e-mount bodies for IBIS (if even 3 axis) to allow better comparability with A-mount lenses on e-mount bodies (especially since they seem to be moving forward with the 5 axis on a-mount bodies)
The iPhone has gone well over a year before a new model was announced (3GS to 4). I think apple still makes those…
Sony, do you know why people are not committed to buy your A-mount cameras? Its because the lenses are HUGELY MORE EXPENSIVE! Body is cheap and totally destroy Canon and Nikon BUT the prices of the lenses are a big joke. Sony is the best in CSC department with Nex cameras but the lenses are very very expensive there too. While you will find equally as good lenses to Canon and Nikon for less than half the prices of most Sony lenses. That is just ridiculous. I was thinking of getting a Nex-6 then I saw the prices of the lenses. I then focus on A57/A58, but saw the prices of the lenses once again….. This is the reason why I own Canon 600D+18-135mm+bag+memory card+tripod+extra battery instead. I got all that for the same price as Sony A58+kit lens or Sony Nex-6+kit lens. That is just stupid marketing from Sony. No wonder Canon and Nikon is leading the race. Soon Nikon and Canon will release kick-ass CSC too with far more competitive prices.
Bullshit, the minolta af lens are pretty cheap.
Yeah? Then comes the other problem which is those are most likely not optimized for the new sony A-mount cameras meaning AF will be bad. And they are kind a hard to find too. I have been looking for cheap good lenses for A and E-mount cameras for Sony but not the easiest. Compare to lenses with Nikon or Canon… its like day and night. I love Sony but I want them to understand the lenses should be in the same price range as Nikon and canon.
You just found a wrong dealer…
Please I looked it from all the big stores and second hand sellers. It was a hard find and 100% more expensive than any Nikon or Canon choice. I wanted to buy Nex6 or 3N but now I am glad I got my Canon 600D. One day when I am not broke I promise, I will buy a Sony Nex-modell with a good lens.
Just for the record – Minolta AF lenses work really well with a-mount cameras without issues. They could be hard to find in regular second hand camera stores. eBay is where you fins them.
Still though lenses are expensive and not as easy to buy like Canon or Nikon. I love mine 600D but would be a lot happier with a Sony nex, a6000 or a57 and up. Hopefully one day they realize the prices needs to drop a bit. Most people I know mean Nikon or Canon when they talk about DSLRs. They don’t even let Sony a chance to prove themselves.
I’m not trying to be a naysayer…but after reading what the “Sony Exec” disclosed to Barry, seems more likely it was just a customer support tech that reads SAR. After working for a few large corporations, Execs barely inform company workers what’s down the pipeline. They aren’t known to make customer calls unless you’re a dying 10 year old and they can make a press release about it. Considering it’s a Japanese company, it’s even less likely execs make customer calls to spill the beans on the next year’s roadmap. They would probably get axed for doing so.
True it is very unlikely but thats what happened.
Believe what you want.
Tell me, Barry, where was this exec based? Do you know his name?
Did he voluntarily call you back after you called Sony? How exactly did you get to speak to this guy?
Yes, it is very unlikely.
Please put a built-in intervalometer!
Intervalometers were built in a long time ago into cameras. They allow a 2s or a 10s wait time. Did you mean something else by Intervalometer or did you mean a custom timer?
You are thinking more of the shutter delay feature in cameras, which only allows you to delay a single shot by 2s or 10s while being limited to just the in camera settings. A true intervalometer allows you to trip the shutter at regular intervals for a set amount of time, producing several shots, and can also be used to force longer exposures than what can be done in camera (ie, longer than 30s).
An intervalometer would be great for doing a series of long exposures for astrophotography or timelapse photography. You cannot achieve that with most cameras with this accessory.
Got it! Thanks. So the one built into cameras is half baked comparing to a standalone intervalometer. Yeah, makes sense.
I do amateur photography with friends and family type of stuff. But I always wanted to be able to set a shutter delay and then shoot a burst of a few images. While the need is not as complex as what you’ve mentioned, it sounds like I’ve found a tool for the job.
I second the intervalometer! The Pentax K-3 has the best setup for intervalometer, Raw HDR and Multiple Exposure features I have seen. I wish my A77 had this kind of capability built in. Here is a example of it in use! http://www.lukeobrien.com.au/pentax-k3-astrophotography-interval-composite-mode and here is the K-3 brochure page that gives very nice examples! http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/products/k-3/feature/03.html Sony Please give me these features in the next A-Mount camera!
“A-mount lovers” … now that sounds a bit dirty :)’
It is a sad thing that the A-mount is dead just like the 4/3 mount. I always liked what Sony did with the A-mount body’s to compete with Canikon. To bad the lens-lineup wasn’t good enough to take some serieus marketshare.
“the lens-lineup wasn’t good enough” – are you serious?
The lens selection is lacking certain lenses, yes. But not being good enough? Really? Good enough for who? We all know that the majority of the canikon consumers never upgrade from the kit lens. Sony can definitely compete with that. And in case you want to upgrade, you have:
– 24mm f/2.0 Zeiss – an excellent lens
– 50mm f/1.4 Zeiss unmatched by canikon
– 85mm f/1.4 Zeiss arguably unmatched
– 135mm f/1.8 Zeiss unmatched
– 135mm STF – unique to Sony, noone else has this lens
– 500mm autofocus Reflex – unique again, noone else has this
– 70-400G SSMII – arguably unmatched, the Nikon 80-400 gets close, while Canon is biting the dust
– 24-70 f/2.8 Zeiss – an excellent lens, no doubt about it
– 16-50 f/2.8 – absolutely outstanding, I doubt canikon can beat it
I might be missing some more, but the point is – really, the above list is not good enough for you? I wonder what is. And honestly, any gaps you might find in the lineup are easily filled by excellent Sigma and Tamron offerings.
I have 13 lenses and can guarantee you that SONY’s lens system is outstanding, despite lacking certain focal lengths. Do you have any hands-on experience, or are you just reading reviews online and complaining about SONY’s lenses not being good enough?
Yes, I am very serieus. Compared to the Canon and Nikon lens-lineup it wasn’t good enough. Sony failed to make the A-mount attractive enough in spite of some really good body’s. They failed in the lens department.
If Sony got its act together, at least in North America, and offered real professional services and real product service, real people for pros to contact, a real place for pros to get gear from on a moment’s notice, overnight service for pros, etc, then people would see professional photographers at major events using Sony cameras and the Sony name would move from a nearly 100% consumer space to a pro space in people’s minds. This in turn would have people that are wanting to purchase gear give Sony a better look. I don’t think it’s nearly as much about lenses as it is about not putting a professional image out. As they say in cars, “race wins on Sunday turn into sales on Monday”. in the camera world, seeing a photo pit of Sony cameras and lenses on the sidelines of sport events would translate into more sales and put professional image quality in the minds of photographers…
UK could do with it too. And ffs service minolta lenses too!
You DO realize that there were plenty of A mount lenses in existence before Sony was involved, right?
I do realize that. And it makes my point stronger. Konica-Minolta had some really nice lenses, Sony did upgrade and rename some but Sony as a lens maker isn’t as good as the other company’s. They make nice body’s but lack in the lenses department. Now they have 4 ranges of lenses (A-mount APS-C/FF and E-mount APS-C/FF) that they can’t cover.
Sony will concentrate on 1 mount and it will be E-mount and drop A-mount. Just like Olympus has dropt 4/3 and continues with m4/3. It’s a shame but the marketshare of A-mount is to low to keep investing in for Sony. They can’t compete with A-mount against Canikon.
Canon and Nikon lens line-ups may be impressive on paper but lose their luster when you look at them critically.
Nikon, for example, keeps around manual focus lenses and because they retained the same mount across their MF and AF bodies, there’s a lot of hit or miss with regards to which lenses will meter or focus on which bodies.
Canon keeps around a lot of redundant models – for example, adding IS or USM and keeping the older version of the lens around just for kicks. It would be like Sony keeping around both versions I and II of their 70-200/2.8 G and 70-400/4-5.6 G. But Sony doesn’t do that.
At the end of the day, yes, Canon and Nikon have more lenses but when you look at their lens line-ups from the eyes of a photographer rather than the eyes of a fanboy, you will quickly realize that Sony’s lens line-up leave little to be desired.
Plus, one of the benefits of Sony is in-body stabilization so when you look specifically at stabilized lenses, Sony is way ahead of both Canon and Nikon and has a more fully fleshed out lens line-up than Pentax or Olympus 4/3.
Yes, this is not good enough.
A simple example is lack of SSM and WR in all top Sony lenses. Sony charges a lot more for their lenses than Canon, so why no SSM and WR in their Zeisses?
I’ve got no problems with the A-mount lens line. By the time I’ve upgraded my lens line, I’ll have continuous focal length coverage from 16-900mm. I’m very excited about the coming Tamron 16-300/3.5-6.3. I just hope Sony allows Tamron and other lenses to be recognized by the camera. It’s a PITA that the A77 doesn’t do this.
Stupid Post. A-mount is not Dead never has been. Sony is #1 or #2 in mirror less cameras. So its smart business to focus on them it funds the overall camera business. Non of the A-mount bodies is overdue for replacement. They do need 1-2 bodies before summer and a 36 MP FF by November. But A-mount release in the last 2 years is 8 that matches the most released in 2 years since the initial 18 Minolta lenses were announced. as I said above.. Even Nikon had a year in 2011 with only one consumer DSLR and 2 Nikon 1. It happens… Sony is #3 it will never have all the old, niche, special use lenses. But it has lenses that meet the needs of 80-90% of shooters and being #3 you can’t win on numbers because the cost of carrying that inventory will kill you. So you innovate. How many DSLRs under $3000 do 12 FPS, have powerful EVF etc.
The A-mount is not dead. Sony has said several times that they will continue cameras in this mount and lenses as well. E-mount is getting more attention because it’s new and adopters need available lenses. Most people on the A-mount system have pretty much what they need.
What a crazy long wait for next A mount
in 2011 Nikon’s Product cycles where more expensive cameras renew in in 2-4 years and consumer models renew yearly created a year where they released only one new Nikon DSLR but 2 new Nikon 1 cameras. A77 is not late yet, A99 is less than 18 months old. A58 is now just a year old. When you are in 3rd so can support a smaller line to start.. you will get times line this where cameras are not needed.
Given the new tech we are seeing in the E-mount this year with A6000 and A7/A7r + Pricing of A77/A65 I expect to see them replaced soon. I expect an A99r or something with the 36 MP sensor, and they could do an A99MkII etc. I have never had any worry about a-mount.. I would if there is not 1-2 new cameras announced by Summer. But you don’t want them all at once they cannibalize each others PR>
Most A mount users are low end DSLR who want yearly updates to the A65 and below. If they were higher end users, they would see that canikon also have long release cycles. Apparently, these guys think Canikon updates the 5D, D800, 7D, and D7100 every year. Like I said, low end users.
Most of the people I know own A77s or A99s. That doesn’t come across as low end user majority to me.
The problem is that we are in a day and age where people want today, now, yesterday. A time of immediate gratification and the desire want something shiny and new at every moment. This idea has bled over from other sections of the tech sector (for example: phones, tablets, computers) into the camera sector.
Expectations today, while not very realistic, have changed. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I feel the camera market should comply with that. I don’t have the money to keep up with upgrades that frequent. ;-p
I think the a-mount is evolving into a different beast these days – likewise when I see people shooting a-mount, it’s almost exclusively a77 and a99. That means people who will spend on lenses and accessories and who expect a certain level of support (but upgrade bodies less frequently) … My guess is Sony has realised that the low end/kit lens only market isn’t the direction they should be headed in (hence we’ve not seen an a58 replacement).
I agree with VIRTUALMIRAGE, the A-mount user is not a low-end user.
Low end users? The canon 7d II and a canon high megapixel camera are due to be announced soon. The nikon d4s is to be announced soon…The d800 was originally introduced nearly the same time as the d4, so maybe its replacement is coming soon as well. With Sony being this quiet about the 36mp FF, they may see people jump to nikon or canon in the coming months.
I have never seen any camera owners so antsy as A-mount users. I owned the D800E for 2 years and never got anxious over rumors of the D900. I owned the original 5D for 3 years and never worried. But these A-mount owners whine and cry if they are not assured there is a new A-mount camera every year. NEX-7 owners waited 2 years
You guys need to calm down about A-mount cameras. I’m pretty sure you guys will get at least one more round of updates. Lenses may be slow in coming if they still do, but if you’re happy with the lenses you already own, why care? Go out and shoot like canikon and NEX owners instead of worrying about yearly upgrades. Sony is not going to upgrade the A99 every year. You guys are impossibly unrealistic.
You are putting words in peoples’ mouths. Nobody’s talking about yearly updates…and as far as I can tell the only one whining is you…
“Low end users” . . . what are they, chumps? Then again, most of us were “low end users” at one time, eh? It doesn’t seem likely that a “low end user” would be sophisticated enough to know or care about firmware updates.
I hope Sony doesn’t feel the same about entry level photographers as you seem to.
What a mind boggling time to be in the market for a DSLR! Sony, Canon, and Nikon are all set to announce new DSLR bodies within the next couple of months…
It’d be a lot more important to have a good way of connecting my arduino to my Sony alpha. The old minolta remote was fine – why isn’t there a convertor available???
I may just be spit-balling here but wouldn’t it make sense for Sony to release an A88, basically an A7 with IBIS and an A-mount and no mirror but with an A6000 speed focus? It seems like a natural progression from what they have done the last year.
to add on your thought…having an a88 and then an a99 as the upgraded model like the a7r that shoots 4k video
I’d definitely go for the a88!
A-Mount lenses won’t probably work with the A6000’s AF
An A7 with IBIS and an A to E-mount adaptor welded to it? What is the advantage of welded adaptors to removable ones?
I think the upgrades to come for the a99 and other a-mount cameras will still have the slt mirror in the body. This is because the a mount lenses have functioned (auto focus) only with with mirror. Even when you place an a mount lens on an e mount camera the adapter (to use auto focus) has the translucent mirror inside it.
I think Sony will continue to use the translucent mirror to improve auto focus in the a mount line.
Nice to hear that Sony will do something with the ‘A-mount’. I’m always amazed when I read a post with verbiage that contains ‘most users’ or ‘80-90’ percent, blah, blah, and blah.
When I decided to sell my Leica gear and buy a Sony A-Mount I was very skeptical but so far, I’m hanging in there. Sure, I would like to see more Zeiss options for the ‘A-mount’ but for the time being I manage to stay plenty broke just with the two I have.
In fact, I’m quite content with just adding the basic accessories, which by the way, is where the real money is spent in this hobby. I average about $3k a year on my Sony kit. Be it a new tripod or accessories, bags, filters, etc., it all adds up. The last thing I want to do, is to switch systems again, because I remember all too well just how expensive that can be.
Very good point. I am excited to see what Sony have to offer on them. I have good feeling its going to be some awesome A-mount camera(s) release soon. I am also in need of an upgrade. I currently have the A580. It was my first actual ‘DSLR’ and would like to step up to a more advance camera no that I’ve exhausted all my current camera’s functions, the last 4 years now.
Wow.. sorry for the typos/grammar. I was typing too fast. LOL
Last A-Mount camera A58… probably the last too.
Hell yea, die sony A-mount, die!!!! Screw all the A-mount owners!
wait a few month`s , and see what happens 🙂
This guy is fun. Reminds me of some E-Mount owners 🙂
Whistling past the graveyard?
in shops round the body sits in 349,-$….not so bad.
But idiots out like to buy fooor much more money…and as
all chikken they will discuss it 345 mega-mesages long..
oh.. wahts up is outbought/killed
heeelp waht should we do with the poooooor chikks.
the camera itselve is castrated nonsens with awfull video-qauli and a
suburban codec.. like most canons and balck-smear nikons.
so…the funny game goes on
and important is taht you build product-churches for the product-masses.
and product-church-blogs with product-church-doctors who think for the
masses….who have lost brain and sense in this second a new wounderbraaaaaaaaaaaaaa
is incoming.
and jet.. i will not trop old sony f3 expensive it was….
for foto old canon 550 old sony nex 5 so much it does…
but only if you do not hear the PROPAGANDA…
a 10 bit R7 with crisp full hd ( photo is clear and fine) and kill
the whole production nonensen- the R7 = 500 ,-$
out
A99 is too thick. I hope there is no tilt LCD on the new machine, but there could be a plug in tilt LCD with large screen at least 4 inch to the left side of the body.
Yes indeed screw all you old Sony /Minolta owners and your old Minolta lenses,, we need new money in our business,, now you HAVE to buy new lenses! BWAHAHAHAHA!