The South African blog Htxt.co.za got the official confirmation from Sony that the A3500 will be announced soon and ship in April already. This means the camera will be announced before the A77II which will be announced in early May. HTXT writes:
Sony’s Alpha 3500, a new E-mount mirrorless camera to replaces the A3000 (which has been the entry-level camera in the Sony range up until now) is coming to SA in April 2014.
Very little that has changed – it’s the same 20MP APS-C sized sensor with the lowest resolution electronic viewfinder and LCD screen of the entire Alpha range.
What is important for Sony, particularly in the South African market, is the price point. This mirrorless camera looks like a DSLR, something many local consumers are still keen on, and will hit the price point of just R3999. This puts the Sony Alpha 3500 in the same range as the coveted Nikon D3100 and Canon EOS 1100D.
The Sony Alpha 3500 will come with a new 18-50mm lens and at that 4k price point, we are keen to get a hands-on with it soon.
Important note: The last couple of days I got plenty fo rumors about A and E-mount stuff plus new RX cameras (or sort of RX cameras) I Thank all sources for sharing the info. As usual please understand that I try to double or triple check rumors before to post them. Thanks!
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Reminder (SR = Sonyrumor):
SR1=probably fake rumor
SR2=rumor from unknown sources
SR3=50% chance it is correct
SR4=rumor from known sources
SR5=almost certainly correct!
0 Responses
whoa more zeros, must be better
i think there’s a zero too much in the title 😉
ops!
Btw: what about the A7II you mentioned in the title? Any guess when this will happen? (i’m looking forward to buy an A7 in July, so maybe that’s (3 months ahead of photokina) the time for the A7II presentation?
He meant a77II.
Ha, now it makes sense 🙂
A7II !!!! Too soooooooon!!!
A7II or A77II ?
Ops sorry, was a typo. A77 II A-mount 🙂
A3500 as a kit is an amazing camera. It unifies everything we never wanted in a single camera:
– large form factor as in DSLR
– slow CDAF as in mirrorless cameras
– worst specced APS-C kit lens EVER
– EVF resolution isn’t even mentioned
– good old 230400-pixel LCD
– 2.5 frames per second! More than A200!
– buffer lasts for 6 images!
Seriously, I have no clue who would buy this stuff. The list of specifications screams “crap” with every line. This camera will be a good subject for comparison for people saying “My smartphone takes better pictures than my friend’s DSLR!” (And yes, I know it’s supposed to be a cheap camera. But the good-old cheap NEX-3 models were far more appealing cameras than this plastic mutant hero.)
Well, obviously it costs MORE to build this thing than to build a NEX-3 (more dials, EVF even when it’s unusable) which is the core of the problem: It’s shittier than an NEX-3, yet costs more to produce and also costs more to buy.
But seriously, placing this thing at the same price as real DSLR is outrageous
Its shittier than an NEX-3n in things like LCD and lens size. However IQ is better and its launch price is cheaper than the NEX-3n. Currently the NEX3n is discounted as its an older model.
No DSLR has been released that is as cheap as the A3500 at launch. NONE.
Compared to an outdated camera like a Canon T3i this is generally better in a lot of aspects.
plus, to the uninformed public, this would look a lot more professional than a NEX-3, the uninformed public are less worried about specs, as long as they think it takes good pictures….
it takes good pictures with a good lens, believe me, it takes hella good pictures. Go on pbase.com, seek the model a3000 in the camera data base and look what it does, and you will be surprised.
lol!
isn’t the worst specced is Leica’s Vario Elmar 18-46 mm f/3.5-6.4 ASPH?
it’s like the last days of WW2. Forward people, let’s go back!
This helps all those who complain about Nex bodies being too small, especially when used with dslr lenses. They will likely overlook the AF too because it won’t be there or be useful with most adapted lenses. The kit lens is just a fancy body cap that might give them a taste of what a native lens can do. And 2.5fps is more than enough for anyone who thinks and times before shooting. I’ve used some cameras for years and sold them without ever putting them on the continuous shooting mode.
Just because a camera is cheap not everyone will use it like a cheap camera.
the price is not what makes it, since it is targetting newbies and presents for children, what is a good thing to bring young people in a somewhat better photography equipment than a smartphone. But then, why do we not see a similar camera with high skills, better material, performance, focus peaking, and so on? A58 was an entry level 20 mpix dslr, and after that ……nuts. A65 or A77 is not the next step, and if Sony thinks that they are, they are as wrong as they are when they say that a6000 replaces NEX-7. In find that recently Sony is wrong in many statements and actions.
Whats a sort-of-RX-camera ?
🙂
a completely new kind of camera where I don’t know if it will get the “RX” badge. But from the specs I got the answer must be yes…
OK. This makes me think ‘RX-1 with a zoom’….
No. It’s REALLY weird. That’s why I don’t know if it’s a correct rumor. Too strange 🙂
Don’t tease us. Just post the crazy rumors 🙂
Maybe dual lens RX camera ?
I think it is Q1 following the Q10 and the Q100.
If the answer is no then we would need some specifics. 😉
you should share it with us in the comments section, that way its not like an official announcement or anything! 😀
give us a teaser of what weird thing to expect from the next sort-of-RX-camera please! 😀
No offense, but rumors don’t have to be correct. Thats what we have SR1-4 for …
Is it a lensless camera, which takes black photos? 😉
used to rival the Nikon d3300? looks like a very good competitive package from Sony!
minipixels.net | Automotive Photography + Design
A3x series was much better competitor than this “thing”. It had a better handling, better EVF, it was stabilized. Who cares that it was clean up to ISO 800 and not ISO 1000 due to SLT? The market that it was targeting would have never been bothered by it anyways, but it gave Sony a much better image at the low end, as well as allowed Sony to keep its potential customers. It was A55 that made me stay with Sony.
This thing is atrocious in every way. Sure, it will give cleaner image than any point and shoot, but that EVF will be a huge turn off, and no OIS means that many more pictures will turn out to be smudged, resulting in a negative response from the market, when the user of this contraption feels like it is time to update his/her camera. The most probable outcome will be that the user will just move on to another brand.
On the other hand, low resolution EVF could potentially be the only downside, when you look at the target market. A user of this camera will for sure use it in Auto or Auto+ mode. These modes have automatic flash control, which means that the camera can be tuned, so that the shutter speed is never lower than the reciprocal of the current focal length*1.5. With a flash sync of 1/160 that seems like a real possibility. So it is possible that Sony is onto something with this camera. I just wish they upgraded that horrible EVF.
You sound rather clueless…
Newbies who solely rely on dpreview and dxomark because they have very little shooting experience worry about little differences in ISO performance and things like that a lot more than experienced users.
But there’s also type of newbie that buys cameras based on available lenses that they’ll never get. Canon and Nikon stay on top of the entry-level game this way.
The quality of the EVF is also a non-issue for newbies because they have nothing else to compare with other than against some crappy evf in a megazoom at best.
Also why would photos taken with this camera be blurred? Heaps of E mount lenses have OSS.
SLT is fundamentally a hack job that came about in the 1960s… Sony putting it in the form of an adapter to use only when necessary is rather genius though. Why fool around with SLR-sized SLTs that also have EVFs, have a quality and light reducing slanted mirror in the middle and no good AF when you can just skip ahead to mirrorless or get a real AF camera from Canon or Nikon? Is the mirror black out such a scary thing when machine-gunning?
You completely missed my point. It went right over your head as soon as you saw me mention SLT A3x series camera was better against D3300.
To answer you paragraphs:
Newbies do not rely on DPReview and DXOmark. They either take classes, in which case they are almost likely indoctrinated into Canon. Or they walk into the store, where depending on sales associate, they might select what they like or could get brainwashed by sales associate on commision.
Newbies know nothing about prospective available lenses that they will never get. They buy a camera because someone might have recommended them a specific brand for whatever reason.
All EVF based DSLTs and mirrorless cameras are in the same place in any store, which is right next to Canon and Nikon DSLRs. Direct comparision is the OVF camera right next to it. Quality of EVF will play a big role in a purchase decision.
Anyone, who buys this camera, will not buy body only and will not buy any other lenses. It will most likely sit in the closet, until that special occasion comes around. Why blurred? If shutter speed gets too low, there is a very good chance, but I already explained a possible workaround that Sony has probably implemented anyways and probably has it in every one of their cameras, when you switch to Auto mode. Which is the mode that a newbie will use.
A newbie doesn’t know about the difference between a mirrorless A3500 or a DSLR sized SLT camera like A35. All a newbie knows is what they are holding in their hands.
All of this above is what I experienced in the store. I came to buy a camera, knowing nothing about cameras. And I chose A55 when comparing to Nikon D5100 side by side. I dismissed Canon on the spot, because I didn’t like its egronomocs. My friends, newbies, bought Nikons, Canons, Pentaxes, etc, not because of available lenses, SLT/SLR design, possible ISO levels or anything that we care about. They simply liked one camera more than the other for whatever reason.
I started upgrading my A55, while they kept their cameras and still use them with a kit lens, 5 years later, and are only thinking about upgrading to a new camera because of the “cool new features” <– quoting them directly. They are possibly going to stay within the same brand or might move to a different brand. All depends whether they'll like a camera in the store or not.
Don't confuse SAR, DPReview and DXOMark readers with newbies. These people start at amateur level, not a newbie level.
What is the point of all these shit cameras.
Just get the A7r or A99. That’s it.
This is their way of saying “just get the a7r or a99” 😉
It’s their way if saying “we are going bankrupt and this is the best we can do, offer less for more.”
I wouldn’t be surprised if the a7/a7r pair turned out to be the most popular “first full frame” for a lot of people. Equally important is the number of Nikon and Canon DSLR users who bought one to have on the side.
The reduced prices can be seen across all brands. It’s not a sign of everyone going bankrupt LOL It’s a sign of everyone waking up and doing what Samyang has been doing all along… selling good products at very competitive prices.
The dumbest post I’ve seen in quite a while.
Its like saying, why get a Toyota Corolla or Ford Focus, just get a Koneissegg Agera R…
*Koenigsegg.
Totally misstyped that one. Should have used a Pagani instead. Much easier to remember how to spell. lol.
Sad, Stan and crews banter are the only redeeming read on this post.
Year of the A-mount! Who sad A-mount is dead? Whoops, that was me 🙂
Dan
You have your right to your beliefs, no-one is stopping you. But you have to look at things objectively. If Sony kills A-mount, they will have the largest migration of perspective buyers to other systems. It will be the death of Sony Imaging Systems business as a whole. The only thing that they will sell from there on will be just photo sensors. They can build as many cameras as they want, but the only thing people will buy is the RX series and below. E-Mount is completely incapable of replacing A-Mount as a whole. Its missing a whole range of lenses and a host of features. I’d love to move to A7 and A7r, but two things that are stopping me is the lack of IBIS and lack of lens selection. My next upgrade could be a FF A-Mount camera, or maybe even a FF from Canikon. I just hate to abandon EVF. Can’t picture my next camera without it.
Funny coming from someone making the dumbest analogies.
Doesn’t even make sense or have any relevance to what I’m saying.
it makes perfect sense.
some people just want a car to get them from A to B, doesn’t need to be fancy or high end, not everyone has the money (or is willing to put in all that money) for a high end decked out people mover
My analogue perfectly mirrors yours. If you can’t see the similarity, then you’re even dumber than I thought.
Not everyone needs, wants or can afford A7r or A99. I, for one, am happy with my A65. Someone else is happy with their old A33, someone else with NEX5R, yet others need, want and can afford higher end models like A7, A7r, A99 A900, etc. If someone wants a point and shoot with a better image quality, without spending a fortune, this is their next best thing, not the top end equipment, that they will use in Auto or Auto+ mode 100% of the time.
Get that through your thick scull, maybe your IQ will go up enough and you actually will be able to compare 2 analogues.
Darn auto-correct. I guess I should finally register, so that I can fix my own posts.
*analogy
*analogies…
You’re in no position to think anyone is dumber than you, which is bottom of the barrel retarded
I wasn’t making any analogies. I was making a statement. You’re the only one attempting to make what appears to be a pretty dumb one. Learn what an analogy is before you make yourself look dumber than you are.
Sony had already covered the shit/cheap camera market. They don’t need anymore. Camera bodies shouldn’t be like shoe sizes.
That was my bad, I got a little carried away after reading your response. But even then, I wasn’t saying that you’re dumber than me.
I’m going to calm down a bit and respond properly:
What I meant to say was that your statement was downright stupid. You can’t offer someone a top end model, when they are looking for a low end cheap crap. My analogy was right down the alley to your statement. Yes, it could have been better. I could have said, why buy Lexus ISF, when you can get Lexus LFA, Or a Nissan 350z vs Nissan GTR, or Honda S2000 or Lotus Elise vs a Ferrari/Lambo or any other supercar out there. Or it could have been even closer to photography, which I hope is easier for you to understand – Canon T3i vs Canon 5Dmk3 or Nikon D3300 vs D800e
The point was that a cheap camera has its own niche, just like any full frame camera. And your original statement made no sense whatsoever in current discussion. I’m going to quote it:
“What is the point of all these shit cameras. ”
“Just get the A7r or A99. That’s it.”
1) Which all these shit cameras? The only one that Sony made was A3000 which is being replaced by A3500
2) Just get an expensive Full Frame high-end model instead of a cheap APSC low-end model. Right… And that was targeted at a user, who’s probably upgrading from point and shoot camera…
“very little has changed”. Well, the only change I’ve found so far is the name tag.
You know Sony is in trouble when they make Samsung look good.
I think none of the people reading SAR will be interested in reading this. Rather, we will be more interested in reading SR2, 3, 4 rumors other than this. I’m not saying that admin should not post this, this should be posted for completeness purpose. But please consider posting some SR2,3,4 rumors so that when we see things like this, we can also read something more interesting.
i’d like to know more about the RX2 😀
the RX1 is an amazing camera, I hope Sony takes a lot of the feedback from people and improve on it to make the RX2
Never mind the body, it’s the lens that has me stumped.
18-50mm, max aperture f/4, no optical image stabilisation?
That’s gonna need some serious redeeming features (which I doubt it will have). Why not simply stick the 16-50 PZ on and use economy of scale to make that work, cost-wise? Why spend money developing such a lens? Why, Sony, why?
what if the 18-50mm is already using economy of scale by using lens elements from the 18-55mm? and then redesigned the case to have less stuff inside (i.e no OIS)
Possible. But then my first reaction is, why (again) not use the already-collapsible, already 16-50mm, lens instead? Replace the PZ with a manual screw and fix the OSS elements. Seems easier than having to redesign another lens to change the focal lengths and the aperture.
But I guess we’ll see when the thing comes out.
you’re right! maybe it actually is using glass lenses from the 16-50mm without the PZ and no OSS and they just stopped the widest focal length at 18mm 😛
YES! FINALLY! Finally I’ve realised where Sony’s going to! How como NONE of you realised that before? It’s SO obvious!
After Sony failed to beat Canikon on the Pro market, Advanced Amateur market and Entry Level market, they’ve come up with another strategy (and THIS one WILL take the cake): the most BORING and UNNECESSARY camera market!
If you thought that the Rebels and D3xxx where boring -yearly- upgrades of their former selves, now Sony comes with something sooner than a year, even MORE boring and with features you can’t even call “upgrades”.
See? That’s all part of a bigger plan.
Don’t need to thank me 🙂
(Kodak is awaiting for you, Sony)
So a cheaper, mostly identical version of an awful camera, packaged with a crappier kit lens.
Wonder who will actually buy this thing, the only good thing about the A3000 kit was getting the pretty decent 18-55 on the cheap and then flipping the crap body on CL to pay for the taxes.
I was actually talking to the owner of my local store, he’s met one A3000 buyer, the one who sold him the one on his used shelf.
A pity, if Sony had simply made an E mount version of the A55 or A58 they would have had a nice little camera, but they had to go and cripple it with a lousy EVF, lousy rear LCD and difficult to reach control wheel (the placement works fine on a NEX-3/5 style body but is far more difficult to reach on the chunkier A3000).
Unfortunately most buyers of such cameras aren’t photographers. Most are first time buyers who have no clue that a previous model with a better kit lens was available for less. Most will see that this is a higher model no and buy. 🙁
we can live without it
so, the A3000 is how old? and is replaced by a model which doesn’t seem to feature any improvements? The 1200D and whatever Nikon have in this range isn’t impressive but this is even less so.