Image on top shows the silhoutte of the current Sony A77.
The A-mount A77II will be announced around May 1-2 and so far we know it has an updated 24 MP sensor and that everything on the camera has been trimmed for speed. A trusted source told me that he saw the camera and he confirmed there is no revolutionary feature on it. He said that what Sony did is to improve every single aspect of the camera. I have to say I like that 🙂
Stay tuned on SAR!
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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
needs wifi remote control just like in the nex.
they are still great cameras. besides the pentax they are the only apc-s cameras with ibis!
and the only full frame with ibis are from sony.
I hope they don’t ditch this system.
imo they should create an hybrid alpha/E mount camera with ibis.
bs all the a mount cameras have ibis
I think you misread what risky said 😐
all made by sony.
It’s only revolutionary feature could be that it’s A-mount.
But then again…
(SR5) A7II is actually an E-mount camera. It will come with a special shape A-E mount adapter, unlike the regular LAEA1 or LAEA3.
Actually, I would like that but that would certainly considered revolutionary. I take it that you just make this stuff up to yank our chains, right?
(SR5) Yes, he does.
LOL
Dave.
Knowing what you do
Unless you want to wait another year for the 54mp camera this camera will probably be good for you.
P.S.
Your hummingbirds would look good as an avatar for you..you can even change them once in. A while.
What’s the matter; you don’t like my face? 🙂
My work, like yours, shows off detail. That is lost in a tiny avatar. My face looks better with less detail.
Your face is georgeous but it cant compete with your hummingbirds..and the white bg will look good here.
Choose one with feathers spread so the composition alone will be enough to make it look good.
But its your avatar and your decision..you can always put your face back later gravatar saves all your pictures.
Okay, Okay….. Humm…… I need to pick on that is more square so the tip is not clipped. next time.
Looks good..try one with the tail feathers spread out.
When you update it sometmes takes up to a day to appear but it will.
Okay I’m giving it a rest. I call this one “Don’t shoot!
Looks good.
How about the one that looks like its swimming?
Sweet! I’d love that!
Good news! Hope that a99 II will be also incremental. Speedier, better ISO, responsive joystick, more image buffer.
No 5 axis Olympus IBIS, no 4MP EVIL???
Must not have got the A6000 focus working with screw drive lenses, so just new faster processor, new hot shoe. Maybe larger buffer, newer mirror, focus system more like A99, remote operation via wifi or usb. The only problem is if they went with the new processor the firmware is likely not directly compatible and may mean no A77 feature update firmware.
My guess some indecision on what to release in terms of features, a A77 with modest upgrades could have came out last fall.
E mount will only fast focus with native E mount lenses..nothing else.
At some point the same focus tech as the A6000 will make it to A-mount. I was not talking about focusing screw driven lenses on an E-mount. On A-mount they will either have to do some sort of hybrid system that retains the current PDAF module and only uses the sensor PDAF only for new lenses, sort of like the A99, or they have to perfect the sensor based focus system to use screw-mount, or drop support of screw focus lenses.
I am pretty sure that this news combined with the e-mount road map (btw; nothing to be excited with the lenses on that map) will bring the “a mount is dead” discussion to this thread, too. but before; have a look at Canon; they do exactly the same, enhancing good cameras. So, is the Canon EF mount dead? No…
What I would like to see (and I bet most of you do think the same) is a “a99II R” with the 36 MPix sensor of the a7R and a “a99II S” with the a7S sensor (and image processing). All other parts can remain the same; a major upgrade for customers, a minor upgrade on a workload point-of-view for engineers… Make it happen, Sony, in 2014 🙂
Then that A99 II will be price point of the D4s or 1DX.
Fair enough.
Then. People will make noise again. Saying its expensive. LoL
I’d love to see this idea come to fruition. I shoot multi cam video (in addition to stills), and own several Sony and Panasonic cameras. It’s a real shame that my most expensive camera body, the A99, shoots by far the worst looking video of my inventory. (GH3, GH2, A57, NEX5n and VG20 all shoot better video).
However, the a 99 is otherwise a fantastic stills camera and very well laid out for video as well. I already own the best lenses from the A-mount line, and love the IBIS. An A99 “S” model that avoids pixel binning and improves high ISO performance through lower megapixel count would be great.
last gen slt dslr
sounds disappointing
Months ago SAR reported a Sony exec as saying that they would only replace a camera if it had a significant improvement in technology so this rumour is confusing as it goes against the statement. The A77 is a great camera so improving every aspect for speed is perhaps why the new camera will be called A7711 and not A79. Perhaps the A79 will come next year with significant new technology.
The A77 has serious noise even at ISO 100. If the A77ii is as good as Sony’s newest cameras (A6000) that will be 100% improvement in the technology.
The difference between both sensors is between 1/3 and half a stop. If you’re complaining about ISO 100 now, good luck shooting beyond ISO 160 on the expected update. 😉
You’re talking about the mirror which has nothing to do with the noise.
A) I didn’t mention any mirrors, I was talking about the differences between the A77/NEX7 and A6000 sensors.
B) the mirror does have something to do with noise too (about 0.5 EV), but that’s indeed a different discussion which I didn’t touch.
Okay it’s obvious you don’t know what you’re talking about then 🙂
Do elaborate, because sofar you’ve missed the mark on every one of your comments yourself sofar.
My comments are supported by RAW files available and DXO measurements. Your turn.
Zohee35, I’m sorry but you are clearly one of those people who just zooms in 100%, doesn’t compare at same output sizes, and can’t possibly make a living off of his images. You know there was a day when pros shot with much less right? The A77 IQ slaughters your A700, are you JOKING lol. Iso 100 noise, christ now THAT is hilarious. . . too moronic to grant you a proper response.
Frankie, please check the person you’re replying to. I didn’t intially mention the A700, “Whistler” did.
He made the false noise claims, I actually just posted an example proving him wrong. And I always compare at the same output size. 😉
My bad, fixed. I was blinded with rage.
Zohee not it isn’t just look at the DXO ratings A6000 ISO rating is about a half stop more than A77. The fantasy that the A77 is too noisy to use is from people obsessed with 1:1. The A6000 JPG engine is better as would be expected with better processor and advances in the code etc.
I don’t pay attention to their ratings, I look at their actual measurements instead. Between 0.7 and 0.8 EV in midtones and highlights throughout most of the ISO scale (see SNR graphs), between 0.8 and 0.9 EV in shadows (see DR graphs) throughout most of the ISO scale.
I must admit I would be happy if we could get the A77II to the same high ISO performance as the Nikon D7100. Though arguments rage about what fraction of a stop the difference is . In reality the difference is very clear. This is a straight comparison between A77 and D7100 RAW files no NR ,exact same exposure, AT 3200iso shadows pushed for demonstration purposes.
The A77 indeed is more noisy even at ISO 100. This is not only caused by the mirror. The heat noise caused by constant reading of the sensor for the EVF is not helping either. My A700 can produce decent images even at ISO 640, the A77 can not.
This is proven false. I have shot both side by side and it shows the A77 to be cleaner, especially at higher ISO’s due to less read noise (which includes thermal noise from constant LV). The A700 suffers quite a bit more from hot pixels, a shift towards blue and in general shadows falling apart as you move up the ISO scale.
See the example below (default Adobe conversions):
http://1.static.img-dpreview.com/files/p/E~forums/53513889/b39b23d514404df9acee6ddf01cb9e2a
One thing is studio conditions, one thing is real life. The results might differ.
It’s not shot in a studio or with studio light, it’s with natural light.
That would be the photographer’s problem I print and post images from the A77 at ISO 1600 with no added NR beyond the default color LR5 adds. The number of people who are unable to use advanced gear and blame the gear is silly.
I’ve owned both the A700 and A77 and that is not true.
The A700 is a nice camera, but the A77 is better. ISO 100 looks great on the A77. For the A700, base ISO is 200 and I never wanted to go above ISO 800 with it.
The A77 is better at higher ISOs too. And if you take an A77 picture and scale it down to the A700 size, the perceived noise (or lack of) is an even larger improvement than the A700.
As for the Live View adding heat and impacting picture quality, the amount of impact it creates is minimal to the point where it isn’t very noticeable (if at all). This has been proven by other people and review sites where they have taken mirror based SLRs and used them in live view for extended periods of time to measure if there is an increase in noise due to added heat. The results came up nil.
Hey quit beating up on Jeff, He is actually right about the noise for certain work… I wouldn’t call it serious for most users and I absolutely love my A77, however in my case it’s no match for even an old Canon T2i for low noise long exposure astrophotography. The noise builds up over time on my A77 and I don’t use it for that because of it.
And the 5DMIII has incredibly serious noise compared to the A7s.
What’s your point?
Not necessarily. A product can still be a significant improvement while still be an evolutionary vs revolutionary product.
Just because the resolution stays the same doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t a large improvement. Think of what improvements have been done inside the camera.
Tweaking to perfect, not throwing a bunch of new stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks.
That’s why they call it a RUMOR.
Instead of improving the firmware of the current model, announces a model II with nothing, This is Sony.
I know, Nikon (D610) or Canon (G1XmkII) would never do such a thing. 😉
Canon has almost entirely replaced G1X, it has NEW (faster) LENS, LEAF SHUTTER, NO OVF, TILTABLE LCD, OPTIONAL EVF
It wasn’t so much about what the replacement is or is not, it was about support of the previous model. The G1X has serious lag issues, especially when it comes to focusing (one of the slowest on the market).
This is where the mkII supposedly made big improvements. The G1X owners feel left behind.
I don’t think I have to explain the D600 to D610 story….
Don’T forget EOS-M2, which is not even available in North america.
Nikon never claimed the d610 was a new sensor only a physically cleaner one lol, I wish that they would be honest and say improved sensor, as it will not be a “new” sensor and any minor differences will be down to processing and hopefully an improved SLT .
Sony’ve actually not announced anything yet. You are commenting on a rumour!
If they put in the A6000 sensor and BionzX processor, updated with a faster EVF should be a decent hardware upgrade, isn’t it?
OMG.. I wish ford would issue more recalls on their cars to prove they care. The A77 works great no firmware needed firmware is a BUG fix and sometimes to address design errors.. Are Canon and Nikon users as whiny and clueless
I consider all items below as design errors:
1) Allow ISO 3200 and up in video, letting us chose the amount of noise we have to deal with? Your Ford analogy would match, if Ford gave full engine power in transmission “D” mode, and only 50% in “S” mode. I’d be really pissed if my Mustang had that.
2) Or how about Focus Zoom, or whatever its called, in video mode. Focus peaking isn’t always working right. Some contrast situations confuse it and cause it to show “In Focus” from focus distance to infinity.
3) Or how about allowing us to remap the useless “?” button. I don’t need any suggestions that Sony has crammed in there.
None of these things are impossible in the current model and there are plenty more that can be added. Its just that Sony chooses not to do it!
I agree with you on all of these, but they’re not bugs. They were INTENTIONALLY designed that way into the A77. So that means Sony engineers would never see them as in need of being ‘fixed.’
Well, I never said they were bugs, I said design errors.
I work in software myself. Trust me, we get plenty of requests from customers to address or change one or another feature on already finished product, because the way our design team saw it, isn’t how customers want it or use it. A “?” button would be a perfect example of that.
A bug would be the flash issue that A65/A77 had, and still occasionaly have after 2 firmware releases. My A65 still sometimes under or over exposes the image when shooting with flash. And this is a hot shoe mounted flash, bounced from the ceiling, so quite a bit of power is lost when bouncing light.
We’re in agreement then. You are correct.
the Dead of A mount..
The imminent release of a new A-mount camera is the “death of A-mount.”
When there’s no news of A-mount, its the “death of A-mount”.
You people are impossible fools.
There is no news of a new A-mount. Pretending that a revolving/recycling rumor is news is like saying the National Enquirer is a referred journal or CNN. This news is the same [news] that has been reported time and again for over a year, without actually a product coming to market. Heck, didn’t we already have a rumor from Barry that is would be 32+ megapixels? I’m waiting for the [news] that ISO up the hundreds of thousands for the A77II. A-mount is dead, dead, dead.
LOL
The A77 is from the get go a feature laden camera. Only the execution could be better. If the following items are addressed then we have a very decent SLT camera:
– More responsive in general
– EVF with less lag
– Much larger buffer (like the A7/R or even bigger)
– A pellicle mirror stealing less light
Bonus:
– XAVDs video format
– The A6000 AF for AF-C tracking along with the PDAF AF system
Improved low-light performance and better focus speed. I am game for it
So the question is when will we actually get a new A mount camera…this is obviosly not one but just another run of a77with minor improvements.
It is looking like the next real new A mount will be in 2015 with the new 54mp stacked sensor.
2014 will be the year of the nothing new for A mount.
Correction..make that the second year of nothing new for A mount.
You are annoying. when the new camera A-mount you will be whining about it.
No
People like you are annoying.
People incapable of deciding what to read who tell others not to say what they dont want to read.
For every comment on sar theras at least one of you telling them dont say that…I dont want to read it.
I guess you will have to read this too because you are not capable of not reading it.
Maybe you should try to set up a rival site I guess? We will look on to which one is going to give more accurate rumours.
Definitely not interested.
Too much work
And Admin does too good a job…no one would choose my site over SAR.
Dang right! he’s awesome!!!! I vote we send him a donation… no i’m not the admin posing as a normal user 😀
Please do not expect this often
I totally agree with you.
Barry,
I’m going to say this as respectfully as I can. Please change your tactics or leave SAR and dont come back.
People like you do nothing to enhance the community, you just bring us down. People like you give us Sony shooters a bad rap. People like you, repetitive whiners, just annoy everyone around you.
People like you are NEVER satisfied with anything. Sony could release a 72 inch 4K Television and you’d complain that you need a 200 inch 8K television. Sony could release a 54mp sensor camera tomorrow, and in a WEEK you’d be on these boards complaining that it isnt enough resolution. Or that you didnt like the button layout, or that Sony ‘failed you.’
Let me tell you something, this isnt about you. Sony doesnt revolve around you, and neither does SAR.
Maybe if you had a little more imagination and talent, and a little less attitude and ego, you’d be a pleasant person to bounce ideas around with. Because you do have good ideas sometimes, they’re just wrapped up in a disastrous delivery.
One more person incapable of choosing what to read.
Read my response to Roxie..it will save me the effort of saying it again for you.
I am capable of choosing what to read. But when I read things that are nonsensical and repeated dozens of times, I sometimes feel I have to speak up. Did anything I say make sense to you?
You want to read something thats nonsensicle and reapeated over and over read your own commenents.
Thenread through SAR and see that half the coments here are telling the other half not to comment.
A mounters saying dont talk abot E mount
E mounters saying dont talk about A mount
Others say dont post news
Others saying dont post rumors that arent news yet
Others saying dont post deals
There is not a thing posted on sar without someone saying dont post it.
My views and opinions revolve around what I want..thats why they are my vies and opinions.
You may read them if you want to
You can not read them if you dont want to
But you cant shut me up.
No one wants to “shut you up.” And I agree with you on the fact that you cant make everyone happy. But why do you feel the need to never be satisfied with anything. I think this is why people call you annoying. Its not what you’re saying, it’s how you’re saying it.
Try to offer suggestions rather than issue demands
Try to avoid stating the obvious and then complaining about it
Try to understand that Sony is in it for the majority, not the minority.
I’ve said my bit, I’m gonna hope you’ll understand.
You acuse me of repeating myself..well have made it perfectly clear that my highest priority is inncreased resolution..if I get that I will be happy otherwise I wont
Sony is in it for the majority..well if thats true sony will make higher res because thats what the majority wants..a7r sales exceed a7 sales
But sony needs to make cameras for everyone if the wish to gain market share..
The A7 concept of making the same camera with different sensor/feature combos is a good one that hopefull will be done in A mount too.
If you look at my comments there are at least as many positive as negative commwnts and I cover many subject..but mostly those that interst me.
I continually make suggestions..recent ones include
Battery grip/4k recorder for a7s
1.4x tel wide field adaptor for mf ilc
Variable extension tube /mount adaptor for E mount.
Z shift for hybrid macro focus
Shape the hybrid camera like video to allow more z shift movement
70-200 f2.8 macro lens
100-300 f3.8-f4 macro
Off axis high quality mirror lens
And many others
Maybe sony will make A77II, A77IIr and A77IIs, each with a “flip mirror” mode.
Most probably not, but that would be awesome. Barry would be happy.
“Low resolution rules” people would be happy. There would be one camera for each group.
Until sony told me there would be a 32mp c camera I was predicting no more than 24mp c and 32mp ff because next year the higher resolution stacked sensors will replace everything.
Now I want it as something worthwhile until then.
If this camera is sopposed to be a slight improvement on all features than there should also be a slight improvement in resolution.
I do not look forward to waiting another year.
Lucky you, I actually do look forward in waiting another year. With wedding and stuff looming, I can’t really afford to upgrade my A65 just yet.
Then don’t read it dumb A**! Asking people to leave someone else’s house that you are only a guest at makes you sound like a little brat child. Obviously you are a child, but the brat part is the problem.
And you’re being the epitome of being a positive member of the SAR community, Sunshine? ;^)
i’m not expecting any revolution from sony 😉
There isnt any from Canon, so why should Sony even bother.
Go run back to that Canon camp you came from….
Real improvements in technology take time to developed and incorporate into a product, it’s a difficult endeavor. You don’t just pull it out of your ass and put it out there like a comment on a message board.
Compared to 10 years ago, EVERY release is revolutionary. We’re just too greedy and unrealistic now.
Canon is about as boring as you can get. They’ve packaged the same camera guts in sequential models for years now.
Nikon isn’t much better. Only half of their cameras have quality control problems….lol.
I’m not sure what this means, but I hope Sony gets this right: improved mirror, better AF or AF algorithm settings (although that would be revolutionary, but I think Sony could do a mix of A99 style AF-D with A6000 OSPDAF), new hotshoe, WiFi and NFC, larger buffer and improved high speed EVF. Ah well, only 2 weeks waiting left, then we know all this….;)
You miss-understood, that announcement is when they will announce the next delay in the announcement. If you would have been paying attention to past announcements you would know that’s how this is done. Ha Ha wouldn’t that be funny if I was right. That’s funny Cuckoo, not funny ha ha.
No one has delayed ANYTHING..Just bad rumors.. Really Important to remember Sony has said nothing except in some decks in the last few months that new A-mount cameras were coming.. All the dates etc have been errors by SAR not changes by Sony
There are no announcements here. Sony does the announcements, everybody else repeats them. And I’ve never seen an announcement from Sony that camera xyz was delayed. It’s SAR who does a slightly educated guess, and sometimes it’s educated indeed and sometimes not.
In general, I don’t get all the whining here; perhaps it’s time to call this site SonyAlphaWhiners.com, would fit the comment section better.
It’s Sony Alpha Rants, or SAR for short
You guy’s are right, thanks for the sanity check!
I just need someone to sell me an A99 for $1500.
If you find a99 for $1500 .. I’ll buy it for $1600.. I sold mine and now I regret it
No, you ‘want’ someone to sell you an A99 for $1500.
Not the same thing.
New sensor. But still SLT phase detect AF.
ISO/multi-interface hotshoe.
BionzX
Hopefully newer firmware with the better audio level control.
Hopefully the better implementation of the video codec from A6000.
Wifi/NFC? Probably.
But no 4K.
Still, a nice update. Might be worth the upgarde from my A700.
My current a77 works native mount with countless dumb studio strobes + dumb slaves, and smart iISO flashes, HSS/TTL radio slaves, Off Camera Cables made by Minolta, Sony, Sunpak, Vivitar, Nissin, Yongnuo, Metz, etc… all current and since the early 1990’s… without wireless delay or a two cap non locking fragile adapter preventing Stroboframe, Laser Sites, Softbox Mounts from being used.
How will the new MIS Hot Shoe improve upon that? Oh, a microphone adapter that requires a cable and bracket… An external EVF that doesn’t work with this model… A “locking” thumb grip for RX-1 that also doesn’t work with this camera. Now that’s progress!
Perhaps they put the SSS button back onto the body (instead of menu) and moved the PC port back to the front of camera where it belongs, to accommodate horizontal and vertical shooting without cable stress (instead of behind side door crunching into hand in vert orientation).
Economics!
Assuming Sony want to keep selling DSLRs for the next 12 months until some superduper hybrid/4k beast is ready, then it makes sense to shift to the components that are currently being manufactured.
To keep producing the old bionz processor, minolta hotshoes and the previous generation of sensor would be more expensive than swapping bits out for the tech found in the A5000, A6000 and A7 range.
They’ll sell a few more cameras too, but this is about ensuring they are keeping production costs down.
They’ve probably run out of the old components, so need to go to Mk2 using the latest bits.
comparison with new 24MP (A6000) found here http://klubkm.pl/forum/showthread.php?t=50325&page=24
All I’m asking for is a low light performance better or at least the same as Nikon D7100 and no AA filter .. With those two features it will be a revolutionary A-mount for me.
in other words the same old 24mp sensor from the Nex7 with some tweaking and marginal { if any differences in image quality}. Sensors seem to be grinding to a halt . The A6000 is a .4 of a stop better at high ISO than the NEX 7 while being a .3 behind in DR.
http://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare/Side-by-side/Sony-A6000-versus-Sony-NEX-7___942_736
Same story in FF with the 24mp a7 and 36mp A7r being on par with the Nikon bodies using those sensors
I love all that dxo freaks. I need no dxo, i look at shots made with cameras to see what fits me. I bet you spend your nights dreaming to shoot at 750000 ISO clean as well.
I love my NEX-7, and since i manually focus only, it is all I need. A6000 is senseless to me.
There are literally hundreds of RAW test files available from all the various review sites taken in reasonably controlled situations. Though this will only be of help for folk who can see past their “loved” camera.
Your jump in to defend the honor of your love is quite amusing. If you had actually taken the time to read my post you would see that I was saying that the A6000 is pretty much on a par with the Nex7 , bit better high ISO a bit worse DR . With you declaring your “love” for your camera I can unfortunately imagine what you dream about lol
True, but many of the small but easily measurable by laboratory equipment differences have little meaning in the real world.
The A6000 has on sensor PDAF which the NEX 7 sensor does not. The only reason for a better DR score at low ISO in the NEX 7 is the availability of a 14 bit mode (the A6000 does not). Which the A77 also had….
At higher ISO’s the DR is up to about half a stop higher (read: lower shadow noise), until the RAW smoothing of the NEX 7 kicks in at ISO 6400. Half a stop is at the top of the progress range from one generation to the next sensor in general.
Neither the A77 nor the NEX-7 had a 14-bit mode, they were 12-bit only. 14-bit was not introduced until the A99 and it was only limited to single shot mode. Continuous shot mode was 12-bit.
After three years, what’s so “nice” about an incremental update?
Sounds more like sabotage… purposely keeping camera from evolving, expecting low sales, then using that as excuse to kill A-Mount altogether.
You can’t expect them to always do a revolutionary upgrade, they are humans after all. Both Nikon and Canon didn’t do that revolution you’re talking about, so Sony could chill out a little.
No, it’s not sabotage. And it wont have low sales.
Have you ever heard of a self fulfilling prophesy? Let’s not do that to A-mount.
Please Sony… A medium sized pro level mirrorless native Alpha Mount. Is that so hard?
Since It’s all about ‘speed’ then I know what kind of camera I am expecting. 24MP, IQ similar to the incremental upgrade shown by the a6000, no way beating D7100’s H ISO settings, better AF system, more efficient SLT tech (less Ev Compensation), Bionz X and probably 14 frame/s. I doubt 4K is going to come and I doubt that it’s going to lose the AA filter, although it still could lose.
I actually like the sound of that. As the A77 stands against what is out there now, it still a pretty good camera. Sure, some of its capabilities may not be top of the class anymore when compared to the competition (noise, dynamic range, focusing, buffer), but it still holds up pretty well.
I don’t feel we need more MP in APS-C (yet), so keeping to 24MP is a smart move. I like the idea of the next camera being more evolutionary than revolutionary. Improve on what we have established, work towards perfection.
Here is what I would like to see improved over the existing A77:
-Updated 24MP sensor with improved noise, dynamic range, and tonal response.
-If still SLT, improve the translucent mirror with less of a light penalty (already rumored).
-New Bionz X processor(s).
-Improved OLED EVF (current A77 res or higher, lower lag, increased dynamic range, larger size like Fuji’s X-T1).
-Same WRGB LCD found on the A99.
-14-bit image capture in all shooting modes (not just single shot).
-Improved RAW file handling. I’d love to have a RAW file that is not compressed.
-Improve the noise characteristics so that it is more pleasing to the eye even when present (ie, more film grain-like similar Nikon without the noticeable color loss)
-Improved focusing capabilities. This can be either by on sensor PDAF, a newer dedicated PDAF sensor, or a hybrid of the two.
-Improved MFA options. Allow the ability to input two MFA values for zooms, identify lenses by serial number and not just by lens ID.
-Keep the body the same or similar to the existing A77/A99 but update the hotshoe and some of the other buttons/wheels (like the silent jog wheel and locking dial found on the A99). Personally, I would like for it to be capable of using the same vertical grip the current A77 uses. Not a deal breaker, but would be nice.
-Fix the flash exposure inconsistencies the A77 has been known for.
-Add tethering capabilities via cable and wifi/bluetooth.
-Shooting speeds don’t need to be faster, but double the buffer size and add a middle 5fps option between the current 3fps and 8fps.
-Improve the SSS, The Olympus 5-axis stabilization would be nice.
-Allow the ability to map a SSS toggle to one of the buttons. Great for those that use tripods.
-SDHC-II card support.
-Two memory card slots like the A99.
-The Dual mode as seen in the Fuji X-T1 would be nice.
-A feature similar to the Astrotracer option found in the Pentax K-5 II(s) would be nice. Will require a 3 or 5 axis sensor stabilization along with the existing GPS.
-Give a view option that displays both the spirit levels as well as a live histogram.
-Improved video quality with higher bit rate options. 1080P is still fine.
-Allow a no crop option when SSS is turned off for video, like the A99 offers.
-Backlit buttons.
-Maintain the ability to AF in video while giving the option to change the aperture instead of being stuck and F/3.5 for lenses faster than F/4. Ability to change from F/1.4 through F/8 and maintain AF would be nice.
-More color options for focus peaking. Blue, for example.
-Add zebra pattern capability.
-Improve weather seals around battery and memory card doors.
-Add ability to “lock” the memory card door.
Outside of the camera, I would like to see Adobe simulate the different picture modes for the camera (Standard, Neutral, Vivid, etc.) as they have been doing with many other models but failed to do so with the A77.
If to achieve my wish list means the camera will be priced between the cost of the 70D, D7100, K-3 and the A77 when it first came out (so between $1100-$1400), I am fine with that. I think it would be worth it.
A mount is a dead mount walking. Everyone knows it. Some just wont admit it. If I burst your bubble, too bad. And I’m not sorry either.
I used to believe that, but I no longer do. There are lots of lenses out there, and lens manufacturers continue to produce.
But the fact that nothing in other mounts, including E, FE, (MF?), and all Panny/Nikon/Canon/Fuji/etc., has been announced with anything new in sensor technology, speaks volumes.
Sony clearly leads on sensors. There is, as Barry keeps alluding to, a change coming in sensors, and I believe that it is the A-mount (and fixed MF mount) that will receive this technology. There is nothing really significant about a CMOS MF sensor, it is merely incremental.
Stacked sensors are interesting and have good possibilities, and can extract lots of information from a given exposure area, hence they will be perfect for A-mount, when compared to MF. The other, and bigger, revolution will be curved sensors, probably applied to dedicated-lens systems. Whether the curved sensor can use stacking is something I don’t know that is being worked towards.
I see A-mount as the mount of choice to receive these new technologies, especially the stacked sensor. Everything else is just sort of languishing along at the apex of old-style sensor design. This is evident in the differentiation of the A7 series, Sony playing around within the old sensor envelope.
I now see real promise in the A-mount, the only question is when it will be released, and if it will be dedicated A-mount or hybrid. My money is on hybrid, the only question is how clunky it will be. Maybe there will be 2 versions, one with a hybrid mount and one with a dedicated A-mount.
The coming A-mount will, however, be SEARINGLY expensive, to the point where a fixed-lens CMOS MF will look pretty attractive in many situations, especially if that MF can be curved.
Whether this next generation will be a commercial success remains to be seen, but among all manufacturers, it is Sony who point the direction, as they are the king of sensors. Look at what is happening with the CMOS MF.
Long live A-mount, even if hybrid hopefully there is a more elegant implementation.
If no more FF A-mount announcing soon, I am consider switching. The A7S and A6000, great in features but not good for my big hands. On top of that, I need to get new lenses for E-mount and my A-mount lenses, turning into white elephants. (CZ16-35, CZ135 etc) I don’t like the idea of using the adapter when the grip on E-mount bodies are shallow, not so good for holding to big lenses after some time.
I totally agree with this too, I am on the cusp of dumping everything and going Fuji. I can’t stand the adapter on the FE bodies.
It makes no sense for Sony to introduce a new A-Mount camera until significant technological improvements can be incorporated. This holds true for all the manufactures of full sized camera bodies. The current crop of A7 cameras use existing technology engineered into a smaller package, so the packaging is new but not really anything else.
The likely upgrades to the current A-Mount cameras will be new and improved sensors exhibiting better ISO performance, with on sensor phase detection focusing systems that equal or beat the current mirror based systems. Until these goals are achievable Sony will not release a new A-Mount body.
I agree, which is why we won’t see a real new A-mount until 2015 at the soonest. The A77II doesn’t count.
A99 doesn’t really need significant technological improvements. It needs a new AF module (developed for FF, not from A77-A77II), new mirror with lesser light loss etc.
I agree, and I think that the new real A-mount will not be a re-work of the A99.
I would buy an A99 with minor modifications: a tilting and pivoting screen (minor), a flippable mirror (a must), and an OVF option. Or just an A99 with a real mirror and OVF. Or, essentially, an A850/900 with a live view implementation.
I don’t believe that’s gonna happen… We can debate about A-Mount, but the OVF is surely gone for good.
The only bubble that exists is the one you’re living in, when the new A-Mount models are announced what will you do then?
Lets see how many new A-mount models are released vs E-mount and MF. Lets have a little chat then shall we?
That would make sense if both systems were starting from scratch. A-mount already has a very established line of FF lenses. E-mount does not.
Do you not understand how to think logically about what you’re saying before you make comments?
You just answered it yourself. “A-mount already has a very established line” — of heavy, large, out-of-date lenses. You may own A mount lenses and find it hard to come to terms that the world is moving forward. Did a little hammer just burst you ivory bubble?
Eyeroll….
Gordon, you’re an idiot.
There are many idiots in this world. None more so than those who can’t handle the facts.
Gordon, you seem to miss the point, that those, large, heavy, outdated lenses, outperform their E-Mount equivalents in every way except size and weight. Of course that’s where equivalents are present, which is like what, 10% of A-Mount lens line?
Who cares if its being phased out. It’s not dead until people stop using it. It’s not dead for me until I say it’s dead.
With that kind of logic, every single camera system in the world is a dead system walking. Do you really think E-mount, or Canon’s EF-mount or Nikons mount will really be around forever?! There’s no way.
You’re a fool. Get over yourself.
You are in a deluded bubble if you think A-mount is going to be the No.1 priority for Sony. I just burst it and you’re crying over it. Get a grip – FF E-mount and MF is the future direction. Whether you want to accept it or not is not my problem.
I am not thinking anything of the sort. I would never expect A-mount to be Sony’s #1 priority…where did that tidbit of rubbish come from?
I’m not crying over anything, and I have a solid grip.
You may be right that E-mount is the immediate future, but E-mount is not going to be around forever. It will go away just like A-mount will, someday. Hopefully some immature brat comes at you with the same dribble you’re spewing now, when the time comes for E-mount to go away. At the current pace of technology, it wont be that long at all.
Enjoy.
Thank you for validating that you are up-tight and need to breathe and chill out. Yes, your A-mount is very yesterday. Wake up. Smell the roses. Yes, that’s E-mount you’re smelling. Isn’t it just better on the other side of the fence?
That’s definitely not what I smell…
I need to move upwind of you. =)
Have a nice day, I wish you well.
It’s not me that you need to move up from. It’s your beloved A-mount. i truly hope this reality check has given you pause for thought. I also wish you well.
There is no need to move up for most using A-mount cameras (only a few). Most of our cameras have many working years ahead of us, some of those may even survive the majority in here.
You’re confusing need with a projected desire.
both my A700 and A77 are near death I fear 🙁
So yes – I need a new A-Mount camera
Why is your A77 “near dead”?
Both Amazon UK and USA still have A77 bodies in stock for a bargain price.
no revolutionary, no Sony.
Meaning what?
Meaning the guy is unreasonable or entitled.
In my circles, we call that a human policy. Humans spend there time by repolishing old shrines, gold plating old copper, and digging out the death of the past to bundle them to the living of today. This is Canikon system, repolishing old DSLR’s without any noticeable change. Now, if the AF will be really as fast or faster than a6000, if there is higher burst rate and a buffer that can be called one, it can be a progress. The sensor is worth it and the technology of the body as well. Remains the price, will it follow a6000 downwards?
Exactly as expected. No problem with this.
I really wish my A77 wasn’t as noisy at the pixel level at low ISOs like 160 or 200. And off with the AA filter. That’s all. If I’m shooting birds at ISO 160 and need to crop – I don’t want shadow noise and a digitally-grainy look. Why have a 24MP APS-C camera when you have to downsample to 16-18MP? Fix that – and it’s a nice little update.
Expecting a “revolution” every 2-3 years is just silly at this point. Maybe expecting them every 2-3 releases is reasonable.
Isn’t that the fundamental issue? Conventional wisdom is the a-mount doesn’t have that many release cycles left! ;^)
If by conventional wisdom you mean baseless opinions made by the serially misinformed then yes.
When I 1st joined SAR there was so much ‘death of the a-mount’ hysteria I got caught up in it but eventually calmed down to fight off the hordes. However, over the months it’s becoming obvious all the positive, hopeful SAR rumors regarding a-mounts have faced long delays, been offset by more reliable rumors of cancelled a-mount products, or scaled back specs (like the a77II). This feeds the flames of the renewed ‘death of the a-mount’ hysteria.
Maybe Admin should run a poll as to what SAR readers see as the a-mount’s future. ;^)
How many things in our ever changing world DO have many release cycles left?
Think about it. If you’re the kind of person (I know I am) who likes system stability and, you’d better avoid technology from now on.
From 1960-2000, how many major technological advances were made with SLR systems? One? Maybe two? Autofocus? Burst rate? But basically, a camera from 1960 did the SAME THING a camera did in 2000. Same underlying technology, and the EXACT SAME picture quality.
Then came digital. It’s been exponential growth in the digital era, and it’s not going to stop. Camera technology is going to evolve faster and faster. And systems will be shorter and shorter lived, as we keep finding ‘better’ ways to do things.
The days of “buying into a camera mount” are OVER for everyone, it’s just that not everyone has realized it yet.
They aren’t really over, because bodies and lenses are still expensive. Most people can’t afford to buy an FF camera with 3-4 lenses, and then just dump them and buy the same from another manufacturer.
You got that right!
Baloney. It’s one thing to say bodies and lenses churn with updates but I don’t expect Canikon to be as cavalier as Sony’s Mount of the Day Club. Maybe pros making a living off gear and with business tax write-offs can chuck $10,000 (pick a number) systems every couple of years but most consumers will see it for the profit-churning scam it is and give ’em the 1-finger salute.
So does that mean no firmware update to the current A77?
I’m assuming that’s some heavy handed sarcasm.
Sony stated that the A77 works exactly as they intended. No firmware for U
Just curious! Do any of you people work a normal job, some of you are always on the site lol not complaining I think it’s great!!!
Yea I work at a cattle ranch and I’m on SAR all the time, through my iphone, ipad.
NICE! I love cattle ranches, had the privilege of spending a lot of my youth on one. Hell I LOVE the smell of cow manure !!!
Nice! I love cattle ranches and the smell of cow manure (have to grow up with it I guess) from my child hood. Post some pics of some cows please, from your phone is fine.
We are all bots, implemented by Admin to make his site appear more active so it’s not just cattle ranchers on here.
I have a “normal” job and have 24/7 web access.
I’m not really upset as I thought I’d be. The A77II is what it should be- tweaked. It’s already a much better all around performer than any of the e-mount cameras. I would hope the full frame alpha would offer two models- mabye a A7S type and of course a high resolution camera. Those should already be available.
If Sony releases new sensor technology next year first in e-mount they can kiss their a-mount user base goodbye. The a-mount should be offering newer technologies first as a premium line- it isn’t. I see this as the main concern. I think Sony doesn’t really know what to do with the a mount and is trying to buy time until newer technology makes it worth while.
I hear what you’re saying, but I think it’s ok for SONY to release new tech in e-mount first. Let the test-bunnies have at it, flush out any glitches with the new tech. Then ~6 months later, release the new a-mount cameras with all those glitches cleaned up + all other benefits that come naturally with a-mount. This way we have a much more stable and dependable a-mount camera, which we can use professionally, rather than treating it as a gadget or a toy.
Great point guys, I think this will actually be what base my decisions on as well. It’s time for A-Mount, you have just described the acid test for A-Mount. I’m holding breath… starting now! poof… ugg oh screw that I’ll just patiently wait.
Max, lets say you are right. So, after the A7s, Sony should have a competitor to say the Nikon D4s… a not-so-high-MP full frame sensor with nice low-light performance and good for sports… but we are talking about a A77 mkII… that does not seem to fit the profile for what you are saying…
“If Sony releases new sensor technology next year first in e-mount they can kiss their a-mount user base goodbye.” <— So basically the 3 people who come on here that have to mention how bad Emount cameras are to make them feel better about their camera decisions. I think Sony will be ok with that?
I never said e-mount cameras are bad- quite the opposite. I just don’t want it and like many alpha shooters have no need. No fast native lenses, lack of lens options, tiny body….yada yada. The IQ sure makes up for this for most shooters. Under the right circumstances the e-mount cameras are simply fantastic. The point is for many of us it simply does not replace many of the advantages of using a DSLR.
There is simply not enough sense of urgency from Sony to provide cutting edge technology when it is available in alpha mount as they are showing with e-mount cameras. That to me is the issue.
^ Everything he said
So glad I went ahead and upgraded to A99 rather than wait for what I hoped the A77ii would be.
You’ll be sorry you said that when the A77II outperforms the A99…
Dont make blind statements.
An APS-C out performing a FF… now Sony would need their heads checked if that were true. I would have to have both then 🙂
You just dont know – it may be surprising, but it’s not impossible.
Why would Sony need to have it’s head checked? How old are you?
LOL good point, Sony has made a blunder or two in the past!
Anyone else ever talk to someone only after the fact you realize you’re being trolled for no purpose?
Thanks JustMe.
Is that like those old troll dolls from the 60’s or like your a fish and I dangle a lure and you keep following me, suddenly wham your on the damn floor of the boat floppin around …. eyes wide open … where the HELL am I now!!! son of a …, get me outa here! No seriously Why would Sony make their FF A99 obsolete already… makes no sense to me unless they have gone mad… again ?
I may be right behind you! hmm maybe if we scare some of the A99 owners into selling them off I can get on at a good price … hehehe oops did I say that outloud!
They are not really competing cameras. The A77 II would have better AF than the A99, higher fps, larger buffer (possibly) and will be much cheaper.
The A99 being a FF camera will have better IQ. You can’t really compare the two.
I own them both… I can compare the two. Since I bought my A99 I literally have not touched the A77. Everything I previously shot with A77 gets shot with the A99 and I’ve missed nothing frame rate wise, focus speed wise, or speed of performance wise. Previous skateboarding action I shoot still gets covered fine with the A99 and thats fast enough for me.
Yes, more buffer, etc would be nice, but the difference in image quality MORE than makes up for any difference. Even if I was still only using the A77, these improvements would not be enough to make me replace it with a new version that I expect with be $1600+.
Pricing is going to be everything on this camera. If they come in at $1500 USD again this thing will flop. Under 1K and it might get traction.
Practically zero chance of under $1k.
I am betting a $1200 body only price. Maybe max $1100.
+1
It will definitely be between 1000 and 1500 to be logical.
The closer it gets to 1000, the better the chance it’s gonna be a crazy good seller for upgraders and new buyers alike.
The A77 launched at $1400 body only , now it is aiming at a smaller market which seldom causes a drop in price.
$648….same as a6000.
No way unless it’s a plastic body, dont you think?
And by “dont you think” I mean “dont you agree?”
No chance of 648 USD. Twice that body only is more likely.
You are still on that rumor? I thought you distanced yourself from that claim
Perhaps he started smoking the good stuff again.
Keeping my options open
Not ready to give up till I have no choice
if it was 648$ I would be all over it, with all those cheap minolta lens hmmmmmm, dam E mount lenses are expensive..except for the sigmas
Just how much did you expect with all the new bodies Sony has dumped on the market since the a77 came out? I was hoping for something closer to the a99 but that was a mistake. I just wish I had bought the a99 when they had the grip/flash deal a few months ago.
Save a stack of cash and buy a used one, there are plenty being dumped on the market.
God. New A-mount camera and the bitching doesn’t stop.
Great A-mount community.
If the A-mount dies I can see why Sony would want to kill it. I wouldn’t blame them.
This is why you should only take rumors with a grain of salt…..too many people expected a more drastic change for the A77ii but as usual they are more tweeks than anything
minipixels.net | Automotive Photography + Design
I would rather have all the functions and technologies working correctly than fancy new techs that are unusable/not practical…
OK. A-mount gets a new camera and the bit!”£ng doesn’t stop.
If A-mount is dead, is because its own community killed it with their sheer lack of love.
I wouldn’t blame Sony if they pull the plug on it. Probably A-mount users deserve it with such constant moaning.
Buy this man a beer!
+10
Michelob Ultra?
How about a Hürlimann’s Samichlaus.
I love Leffe. Please, a pint of Leffe!
get a pentax.gets you the same stuff plus remote live view and some other goodies and a shitload of lenses. no more need for sony overpriced lenses.
Go to dyxum.com – plenty of love without the endless cynicism or complaints over there.
There has been a rapid decline in Sony’s share of the DSLR market , caused in no small part by the adoption of SLT, Not necessarily because it was a significant weakness but rather due to perception. So where do they go full throttle into mirrorless where they are amongst the biggest players, or spend more R&D chasing a small share of the DSLR market.
Sony’s dSLR/SLT sales It have NEVER been about technology, that’s utter nonsense. The problem has been lack of MARKETING.
The fact is that most photographers starting out haven’t got a clue that Sony actually do dSLR/SLT bodies. They see wall-to-wall Canon and Nikon in the shops, on the web and in the photography magazines.
Mass market acceptance of EVF technology in on the rise. A-Mount adoption is increasing due to its (DSLR) competitors inability to incorporate this tech into their current designs.
Only an idiot on a naive E-Mount user would suggest Sony leave the 82% of the market that matters.
Sony is capitalizing on this rise with its EFV DSLR (in name only) equipped cameras.
Sony’s DSLRs are on here to stay.
I really hope Canon and Nikon would incorporate EVF into their cameras very soon. This way there will be nothing but IBIS holding me in Sony camp. I’m sure I can live without it, given a wide array of OIS lenses from Canikon.
I like your enthusiasm, but since 1985 I have NEVER seen a Sony dSLR being used when I am out and I hang around with hundreds of dSLR shooters every year.
CaNikon shooters give me a puzzled look when they see the Sony badge and some have been amazed at the EVF, one thought it was a pentaprism until I pointed out what it was.
The fact remains though that to the vast majority of dSLR people starting out, Sony are not on their shopping list. That is a MARKETING problem, not a technology one.
You are right that the problem is marketing and perception. But also keep in mind that for most of the time from 1985 to the present, the Sonys were actually (Konica) Minoltas. As for me, I have seen some Sony SLTs out there. But those people were not pros. Maybe the photographers who hang out together tend to be stodgy and conservative. Do you see more photographers using film cameras than Sony cameras? If so, that may be due to the composition of that group, and not society in general.
Many posts above diverted from the point I tried to make. Or at least I thought I tried to make.
I was directing my comment straight to the people that say A-mount is dead, or that Sony is not paying enough attention to A-mount, or A-mount [insert negative comment], etc etc
It is my believe a good chunk of those are already A-mount owners. Therefore, they must have seen the benefit of SLT, or any feature, or the lenses that Sony offered at the time of their purchase of an A-mount camera.
Now, seeing that they have already “seen the light” and ignored the wall to wall Canikon showroom and the competition, why would they invest so much of their energy complaining for X Y Z anything they can grab on to diminish their purchase?
Are they invested in the failure of their own equipment? Or are they just jealous that Canikon users swallow anything spat down (read marginal improvements on non-evolutionary systems) from those companies and are eternally grateful and forever loyal to those brands?
Many here sound eternally ungrateful and forever unhappy when it comes to anything A-mount related.
I’ve seen a few. Know a guy using a77 for birding. On travels have bumped into a few fellow a65 users. At work, co-workers all shoot Canikon. They didn’t even know Sony made DSLRs. Good luck finding Sony DSLR in stores here even 100+ miles from my house. I’ve only once seen a Sony compact mirrorless in the wild. America still DSLR territory despite them paying Best Buy big bucks for premium NEX display space in stores.
As I always point out, Sony marketing of DSLRs in America is incompetent.
The A-Mount (1985-2002) was a Minolta camera, Sony acquired it in 2001-02. So your right Sony is a small player very much like Pentax.
Being a small player is really a good thing, just like Apple Sony isn’t afraid of being different. The A77, and A99 are perfect examples of doing things right.
However the shills on this web site will attack anything A-Mount. I honestly believe this web forum is contaminated my Nikon, and Canon marketing.
+1 to AlphaGuy about wall-to-wall Canikon in the shops, at least here in the USA.
And to A7Rhas, it would be easy enough to deal with the perception by making the mirror flippable. Yes I know it allegedly sn’t as robust as a glass mirror, so the flipping implementation would need to be more gentle. So what. If it is an issue of perception, problem solved, at least in part.
SLT is exactly why I chose Sony, and it’s exactly THE feature that gives Sony an edge over Canon/Nikon DSLRs.
It sucks they rushed into mirrorless instead of marketing this amazing tech in a proper way.
I cannot give a source, but I think I recall reading somewhere that the Sony SLTs sold more than the SLRs.
I am really hoping since they don´t make A mount lenses more as it seems that they would put a A7 camera into a A 77 mk II body. Give me the possebility to use FE lenses on a A 77 mk II. In that way i can use a tilt and shift from Canon on this camera
Technically (that is, translated to practise) Impossible, sadly.
Not if they put the sensor forward
That’s what the practise part was referring to. The mirror would have to move out of the way, which would require at least a double hinging mechansism since a single one would make it pop out of the mount. Second, the whole mount would need to be different since the contacts and diameter of the E mount are different. Not to mention the flexibility required of all the connecting electronics for the sensor to be able to move that much forward and yet allow stabilization. And then there’s the issue of safety, the sensor being in forward position and someone trying to mount a native A-mount lens… ouch. All can be solved, but the consumer price could easily quadrupple.
Sony has a patent for a flip up mirror..it is not double hinged..nor were any minota or sony slr cameras double hinged to flip up.
Wrong, the A900/A850 mirror is double hinged for similar reasons:
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/sony-alpha-a900-digital-slr-review-10214
And the patent you’re referring to only describes a mirror flip up mode in general in an SLT (angles etc), not how the hinging is technically executed for it to still fit within the mount in practise. The current mirrors, would stick out quite a bit with a single hinged system. If you remove most of the frame holding the mirror in place, to reduce size, you loose strength, which especially for an SLT mirror that gets flipped quite a bit, doesn’t sound like a good idea.
We do not expect rocket engine inside.
But it would be nice to see: better SN ratio, better picture buffer, gape-less switch between lcd and evf…
Multi-Interface Shoe is expected but it would be welcome to have mic and ear jack also.
A99 successor- let’s get some more rumors on this.
I’ve been waiting a year for Sony to announce a new A mount camera. I’m itching to dump my Canon 60D, but need better low light performance than what I’m hearing concerning the current A77… and will not consider any of the new E mounts because I need IBIS and faster lenses for sports.
I’m worried that this A77 II update is going to fall short of what I would like. Is a reduced priced A99 worth considering for my needs? Or does it also suffer from some of the low light performance issues? I’m not sure I can afford any possible future upgrade to the A99…
Why would you *need* IBIS for sports? Your 60D with fast glass should be perfectly fine for sports, if I was you I’d be investing in Canon glass, not Sony bodies.
I know I could consider buying faster lenses for my Canon, but I’m kind of tired of living in the Canon stagnant ecosystem. I like what Sony’s doing, so I figure since I haven’t invested heavily into Canon lenses, I can jump ship, start fresh and take advantage of more cutting edge technology.
That would be a mistake. You have a perfectly capable camera and can invest in a system that is fully supported and will be around for DECADES.
I strongly advise you to stick with Canon for sports shooting, it’s all about the glass, go and buy some fast glass.
And I agree with you, pkchoo. Actually, I don’t have a Sony system camera, but I’ve been checking this site for at least two years and I’ve known that the follow-up to the A77 would be the camera for me. Ever since the SLTs came out, I’ve been most interested in Sony. I love the ability to preview photos through an EVF before they are taken. With an optical viewfinder, you really don’t know exactly what you’ll get. There are many other good things that Sony is doing, and unless this camera is a great let-down, which I don’t think it will be, I think it will be a great idea to get into this system.
Please don’t advise people to lose money by swapping systems when they are already with the best system for sports. It is pkchoo’s money, but sticking with Canon and buying fast glass is the absolute best thing to do. That glass can then be used on a used 7D or a future 7D replacement as pkchoo grows out of the 60D, there is no doubt over Canon’s commitment to their dSLR system.
A Sony forum is the wrong place for somebody wanting unbiased advice and it is unfortunate that some here can not get over their fanboy attitude. I will recommend my A77 to people who it suits, but pkchoo will be disappointed to find no difference, less choice of glass and an uncertain future of their investment.
Swapping from Canon to Sony for sports is a BAD IDEA.
I hope by “fanboy”, you are not referring to me, as I already stated that I do not even have a Sony yet…not A-mount or E-mount! So I guess I’m a fanboy before even buying one. I’m just expressing MY opinions. I don’t think I ever insulted you in my comment. Now, pkchoo has two opinions and can decide between them. If it’s totally for sports, you might have a point, but it you are talking about IBIS and a general feeling of wanting to mix things up a bit, well my opinions might be useful, too.
60D has rubbish AF…
No it doesn’t and I know because I have first-hand experience with it compared to my A77. I could easily keep up with footy under floodlights and motor-sport.
The 60D with fast glass is easily able to keep up with sports using it’s 9 cross types, the 7D would be ideal of course, but the 60D with a fast lens is a fine camera.
For sports there are few, if any, benefits for a 60D user swapping to Sony but there are plenty of negatives!
60D with only 9 auto focus points (8 of those only using f5.6) and perhaps a deal breaker for most people. No autofocus calibration. As most canon autofocus/lens combinations are out (I have only ever seen 1 canon lens that was correctly calibrated to a particular camera out of the box). You will have to live with slightly out of focus images forever. No ability to fix it….That alone makes the 60D autofocus simply not a serious option.
Nonsense. It makes absolutely ZERO sense to swap from Canon to Sony for sports. You are spreading fanboy FUD.
So am I wrong?? Is it not true that you can’t calibrate your focus on the 60D?? I hardly think it is “fanboy” material to simply point out a pretty basic flaw in that particular camera….I wouldn’t dream of using a camera that I can’t fix an AF focus calibration issue with…That is just a basic oversight by canon…
What does FUD even mean?!?
the 60D live view autofocus is terrible
You use liveview for sports? Er, yeah, ok…
A7rhas thanks for your input. Glad to hear from a A99 user. It’ll be helpful when I actually get to see what’s released.
Has anyone else noticed, that there is way more B**ching and whining ever since this site has switched to the new comment system?
Anybody else see the irony?
Wait. Comments are now approved/filtered/censored? That’s obnoxious.
Not filtering them is more obnoxious. Obnoxious people are obnoxious.
I’d have the lesser of the two obnoxious. Obnoxii. Obnoxsees. Ugh…now I’m being obnoxious.
test
just for the 1st time you comment
Honestly, if the A77 added audio levels, fixed some of the UX quirks (e.g. all features work in all modes), improved AF slightly, and generally polishing it up a little bit, I’d be very happy.
The a55 was a lemon. By the a77, the technology was pretty good.
Since the new A77 is only incremental updates, I hope that current accessories like the vertical grip can still be used and we are not forced to buy a new one.
I really want this
+1
That means you’ll get an A6000 with an A- mount wrapped in an A77 body. All for a price that’s only a few hundred $ more than an A6000 would cost, what a deal.
qgaysi si anabdt sidhoab abidysiyabag tgat aga gaiydgaiiydaggtiyw,
Totally agree with you :/
If this new A77m2 has only incremental updates ?? it seems more and more that Sony is not much longer interested in the A-mount development and future !!!, I hope that at least it has the A6000 capability’s of AF speed and AF system, otherwise it was not even worth to wait that long for it !!!
What Canon DSLR in a series has not been an incremental update? OK, maybe that one with the dual pixel autofocus, but besides that, there’s not much. Almost every update from every company is incremental. At least the sensor will be new. (BTW, the A7 was not an incremental update, but rather a revolution, yet it still uses the A99 sensor.) Canon often re-uses sensors for years at a time on different models. I’d rather have a similar form factor and slightly improved functions, along with a new sensor (even if it might be the new A6000 sensor), and this is what Sony seems to be giving us.
Its called A77-II for a reason. Of course its an incremental update, thats what the name suggests.
You guys are funny…
Yep, take RX100 vs RX100 II as a very good sample, of what’s to come.
We are talking about almost 3 years since a77 was released and 1 whole year without any A-mount SLT release .. And all that wait for incremental changes.
Why not make it into an E-mount in a DSLR type body and call it the a7000 instead? use the a6000 sensor, add IBIS and give free adapter for the A-mount users. Is this technologically impossible?
No, not impossible. Sony doesn’t make money on Canon lenses. So they will not build an E-Mount with IBIS. That would mean that their OIS lenses are no longer sought for as much.
And, whoever doesn’t know how IS works, will for sure try to use IBIS and OIS together, not knowing that when used together they cancel each other out. That means more poor reviews online. It would also make the camera much much thicker, since IBIS takes up quite a bit of space.
On top of that, from what I understand, based of countless discussions, FF sensor doesn’t have enough throat clearance, to incorporate sensor shift stabilization. And we don’t know if FE lenses have sufficient image circle for that.
So, summary:
1) Less Income from lenses
2) More negative reviews.
3) thicker bodies
4) FF sensor confusion
I’m sure there is something else that i’m missing here as well.
On-sensor AF does not work through current adapters, adapters also introduce compatibility issues and yet another point of failure.
There are plenty of E-mount bodies, you might want another but I want an A-mount that works with ALL A-mount lenses, not just the ones that Sony support. I can do without Sigma lenses not working again due to the mount specs changing. 😉
I’m guessing the updates will be the following features: multi interface shoe, 24mp (a6000) sensor, bigger buffer rate, BIONZ X image processor and the app store.
Seriously, why not make it into an E-mount DSLR body type with IBIS so we can use Canon and Nikon lenses via adapter?
Is it STL ??? Will the contrast detect work with sigma glass ????
It will be SLT. If you mean hybrid-af then only supported lenses will work as they do on the A99. Forget about Sigma.
Thanks man ……….I can see A6000 with Adaptor .If the A7 batter grip is compatable I think this will be my next move
Battery grips rarely are cross compatible.
What id like to see is sony finally merging their mounting systems like the rumors said “hybrid a/e”, doing this we wouldn’t have these stupid issues. Take a beefed up a6000 add ibis put it into a compact a77mkii e-mount body with a-mount adapter, remove mirror add touch screen gps all the bells and whistles e-mount cameras should have but sacrifice due to size. Make it similar to a Gh4 but better and bam! sony won’t have to trash their awesome FF a-mount Zeiss. Then both A-mount/e-mount owners can share lenses and forums!
Problem solved.
Easier said than done. Ideas are easy, execution is difficult. I’m sure sony’s engineers have had this discussion at length and money has been put into its r&d. There are technical hurdles to overcome if it is to be a true hybrid mounting system and not just a camera with an adaptor. Ibis is probably the most complicating factor, but there are others such as the screw drive mechanism and whether or not the sensor should shift back / forward to compensate for the flange distance.
Considering that the 5D mark 3 was an incremental update of the 5D mark 2…I don’t see a problem with this camera…Looking forward to seeing how it performs…Great stuff!!
How is the Mk 3 an incremental upgrade ? New sensor, completely newer AF system, bigger 100% viewfinder, new metering system, less shutter lag, more storage slots, new LCD, new body etc etc.
There is practically nothing that the 5D Mk 3 didn’t improve upon.
Comparatively the D800 and D700 have almost the same AF system and the D700 has higher fps to boot.
Basically after 41/2 years between the mark 2 and mark 3, canon gave us a better AF system…That is about it….
The image quality is not much of an improvement at all….Very disappointing video improvement considering what shooters were crying out for…No improvement in metering that I have noticed….And when it was released it was 1/3 more expensive than the mark 2….
The 5D mark 3 was an exercise in minimal improvements for maximum profits
So yeah I would class that as incremental…
That’s weird, I just noticed my previous post was deleted for some reason.
all I said was. I wonder if these people complaining about the so called ‘serious noise issue at iso 100’ for the A77, could they pick out the the A77 from 10 photos from 10 different cameras at iso100 wihout exif everytime if it was that serious.
Oh you are talking about me ! Yes I can identify a77’s photos if you showed me a %100 zoom of a 200 ISO photo taken by a77 .. Wanna bet ?
A couple of things
-Nope it was not you, the post is still below commenting ‘The A77 has serious noise even at ISO 100’
-The comment was about ISO 100, not 200
-No need to bet, I am now convinced that there are engineers and pixel gurus (probably like yourself) out there that only look at pictures at %100 that give us the awesome technology that we have today.
-And I am also mistaken the point about ‘Serious’ I forgot ‘Serious’ is subjective. Most people would find losing an arm serious, but to the black knight it is only a flesh wound.
Hey.. take is easy black knight, I’m still using my a77 it is a great camera but it have an issue with noise even at ISO 100 and you know it, so we are hoping for a better performance from the new successor that’s all do you want a new a77 with the same low light performance ? I don’t think so, we are not engineers and yes we are all checking our photos at %100 for noise and proper focus
You know talking down the camera really is self defeating, especially when you’re complaining about that which will never been seen as part of the final image. There is *no* noise issue at ISO200, not even at 100% crop, it’s pretty much as good as a 5D at that point. Higher than 400 and maybe it’s pixel peeping worse but you won’t see it in a properly PP full image/print until about 1600. I’ll bet your composition is far more of a limiting factor than the noise performance. Have a look at the noise in Bresson’s photos and then wish you could take a photo 1/10th as good.
Would I like lower noise as higher ISO? Yes. And I’d also like a better EVF, and more pixels (so I can crop harder because my composition is also poor) 😉
I knew about the noise issue before I bought the a77 , and I decided it wasn’t a big deal for me and there were so many reasons that kept pushing me to buy the a77 whenever I compare it to Cannon 7D or Nikon D7000 at that time.. Like (in body stabilization, 12 fps , EVF , lens micro adjustment , focus peaking even the kit lens was great 16-50 2.8 ) and much more , made me forget about that noise performance , but after I started getting into bird photography , the noise issue was bugging me , for bird photography I need to crop more .. It’s hard to take a photo of a bird in flight without keeping a distance .. You won’t be able to follow the bird in flight and keep its full body in frame, but for landscape, portrait or macro noise is not an issue at all Because I don’t need that much of cropping needed for birding.
You know what , I won’t sell my a77 because I love the noise for black and white photos .. It gives the photo an organic feel .. It makes the photo looks like it was taken with a film camera.
BUT NOT FOR BIRDS :p
Can someone please tell me the advantages of getting a7 over a99. Should I go for a FF A-mount with IBIS or Compact FF A7 with bad battery life and no IS
A7: Better image quality..Lenses that need stabilisation have it…Smaller lighter…
A99: Slightly better auto focus…Bigger heavier..worse image quality…
A7 battery life is a pretty over blown issue. Even shooting on heavy days it is only 3 batteries used. Those batteries are 1/2 the size of a 5D battery so don’t take up much room in your kit…
A99 and a7 have the same sensor, while the noise level at a high ISO will be slightly better on the a7 the rest is mostly equal. Corner sharpness on wide lenses may be superior on the a99.
Yes noise levels at high ISO are a lot better thanks to the new image processor in the A7. Have not seen any corner sharp issues at all on the 35mm but i haven’t tried the 24-70mm zoom
Thanks for the information Gav. My second question is which lens to get if I were to buy a7. Should I go for 55mm for portrait bokeh and better low light or the wider 35mm for convenience so I dont have to step back wehn shooting group picture. Also can I go over 1000+ shots with a VG and will the A7 overheat and shuts down if I were to use as a workhorse?
I’m eyeing both a99 and a7 but it seems like A-mount is not getting any love from Sony so I’m afraid of buying an A-mount because it might be abandoned and not be supported in the future.
I really like both lenses. But I always reach for the 55mm f1.8 if I can. The image quality is fantastic even wide open it is pin sharp…Really spectacular…But yeah all depends on what you are shooting.
The A7 never over heats. They are made to run all day no worries..
By VG do you mean the grip? Battery life all depends on how you use the camera. Example, shot a casting last week machine gunning talent jumping around ending up with over 5000 images and used 2 and a bit batteries. But conversely if I had the camera on all day shooting not much. I would get a lot less frames per battery due to the EVF using power. But I do think the whole battery thing is way exaggerated. The only exception would be video..That will eat batteries just like it does on any camera…
I was in the same spot deciding between the A99 and the A7. For me the A7 suits my shooting. The only advantage the A99 has is better tracking AF…But I am happy to wait for the next FE gen to get that. Have not looked at any other camera and thought I brought the wrong system. Quite the opposite…
A7R- shutter shock so worse image quality. A7 too light, so IQ with longer lenses- good luck getting anything out of it. A99 better auto focus so more pics you’ll actually keep.
Battery life sucks on both. Don’t like go buy a Mamiya 7 and shoot film.
Stop talking nonsense there is no shutter issues on the A7….Do your research…If you are describing the A7r…Simple put the battery grip on. Problem solved…..
The AF on the A7 is actually really good. The weak point is tracking subject moving quickly towards camera. But unless you are shooting sports not really an issue…You have obviously never actually used the camera…
I shouldn’t have to put a battery grip on to solve a problem. That’s just an admission of guilt. Shutter shock is a welld documented issue on the net. Even if the end result is due to the lightness of the camera that further proves my point. The advantages of smaller mirrorless cameras are less apparent. I’ve used the camera as well.
Nice re-edit…..Good to see you stand by what you say…
I edited before anyone left a comment. I added a comment about the A7 with the re-edit. Where’s the funny business in that???
Hey .. I use the a7 with minolta 600mm f4 lens .. Funny combo but a killer IQ too
Just that fact that you own the 600mm. I salute you sir.
I have used both a99 and a7 .. I sold the a99 because image quality of a7 is better than a99 by a fraction, afterall it depends on what you want to photograph, i will try to keep it simple .. If you want a camera for (sports, birds ,any fast moving subject then get the a99 for better AF tracking) .. (Portrait and Street photography, landscape , architecture ,still life subjects then get a7) .. For macro i prefer APS-C sensors but if you want FF for macro you can get any 1 of them.. About battery life just get 2 extra batteries not a big deal.. Tell us what you want the FF camera for and you will get a detailed answer
Thank you so much for great information! I’m currently an APSC A-mount user with sets of crop only lenses and I have been using my camera to do small events. I would like to move on and go full frame this time for better low light performance and wider dynamic range. As of now I’m looking for a camera that can handle the work load of shooting multiple times on moving subjects. I’m a little bit skeptical about a7 because it looks small and it might overheat with the type of shooting that I currently do. The a99 on the other hand is already outdated with an old processor and I heard it breaks down easily when put in heavy uses.
the new bionz x processor, better IQ and super sharp 55mmare the thing that makes me want to get the a7 but the lack of IBIS and bad battery life of a single charge is what’s turnig me off.
the a99 has IBIS and triple battery bay for longer shooting but the a7 sensor has better low light performance according to DXO
Well, personally I didn’t have any overheating issue with the a7.. I always carry 3 batteries and sometimes I use them all .. I mostly shoot birds so I keep the a7 ON for more than 6 hours without any problem.. It would be better If you can find a near by store that would let you try the camera to put your SD card and shoot some photos .. I think that the a7 is the camera that will fit your needs.. You can check image quality of my photos on 500px if you want
Ok so I just went and checked out your 500px and I see that you only shoot birds. By the way, I have another question which is not camera related if you don’t mind. Do people actually buy your print and if so do you recommend me using 500px as a medium for clients?
I wanted you to check image quality thats all 🙂
About selling on 500px .. Personally I didn’t try it and my photos are not for sale on 500px .. But it’s one of the best websites that will give you peace of mind for selling .. All you need to do is to post the photo and they will handle any buying request .. I don’t know about the financial part .. Try to read about it if you want.
I’m actually blown away by the quality of the minolta lens + A7. The sharpness and contrast is ridiculous in a good way. It looks like you guys have already convinced me into buying the A7. I’m now sold to e-mount. Thanks and oh nice truck!
Lol .. Thanks 🙂
I fell in love with this little camera and I hope that you will love it too.. Great IQ and Low light performance ..which will force you to choose good glass to get the most out of the camera .. Good luck my friend
Hey admin .. Did you see me selling a Sony a7 to a customer up there ? Try to talk to Sony about me please .. Show them my skills 😀
Maybe they will choose me to be the middle east selling manager or something :/
will you consider A7s still capability (isolate video portion) if you yet hold A7…?
A7 is enough for me .. But the a7s low light capability looks yummy but not for me .. I would go for a7R though with such a great price on ebay
Is a7 good for low light weddings with LAE4? Or should I buy the a99? AF Speed concerns me…
For low light a7 is the best .. But AF speed with LAEA4 sucks .. I tried this combo with Sony 70-300 SSM lens + a7 + LAEA4 !! It’s so slow that will make you use manual focus for better speed.
But a7 focus speed with FE lenses is good with no issues
The a99 has horrible AF. I’m an AF fan and stopped trying to use it after weeks of frustration.
Really ? You may have had a defective piece. My friend is a wedding pro and uses mainly D4 and D800 cameras. He was gifted an A99 by Sony as he gives talks at some Sony sponsored seminars.
I asked him what he thought of the A99 in light of using a D4 and he says the A99 still impressed him. He never complained about focusing or anything and in my country weddings take place at night under artificial lighting so focusing systems are tested.
Hmm, you said he was gifted the A99… hmm now I am suspicious… I wouldn’t complain either if it were given to me or I would upset Sony and that would be the LAST camera they give me. You better ask a non-biased source. I really don’t know and would like to hear more on the subject now because I am going back and forth between the A99 and the A7
Its a completely different thing if he publicly mentioned that he likes the A99. He told me privately that he does. I would trust his judgment much more than most people as I know him to be an honest person.
I also know another wedding guy who sold off his A99 and moved to Canon. He likes the A99 and never had an issue with the AF but he liked Canon’s far better support system and so sold off all his A mount gear.
I have 2 a99s. One has AF problems with one lens CZ ZA24 f2. Cant fix it with adjustments
You have a defective piece which is bad considering its an expensive item. But its an electronic device. You do get lemons.
My friend has a defective 1DX that Canon hasn’t been able to fix after 3 trips to the service center. That doesn’t mean the 1DX is a crap camera.
No large sensor mirrorless is suitable if you require fast and RELIABLE AF. People saying mirrorless have fast AF in all lighting conditions are clueless.
That is just silly… the A7 nails focus more consistently than my Canons ever did. Simply because it is reading focus straight off the sensor..If the camera says it is sharp..it is sharp. The AF is fast and accurate….even in very low light it is pretty darn good…
True, some people have very short memory and forget how poor Canon/Nikon/Pentax PDAF was at low light only a few years back. Also even with the best classic PDAF sensor it is still a question of calibration how accurate the focus of the image projected on the sensor is.
Only the latest OS-PDAF technology ensures that the PDAF and sensor are looking at the same image.
Sony AF on the other hand one more issue before the BionzX – they tended to often focus on the wrong subject, the background, etc. But with the BionzX this seems to have been resolved.
You have actual experience? E.g. With the a6000?
The photograper that shot my wedding now uses A7/A7r for all weddings. Keeps loads of batteries at the ready – but he doesn’t miss shots. Anyone who says that mirrorless cameras don’t provide sufficient and capable focusing aids to nail shots in all lighting conditions are clueless. (And apparently never took photos before 2009)
Do you know if he uses E or A lenses? I do actually have 24f20z, 2470z, 70300g, 100m28.
The only news Ive been checking this site for is more A-mount cameras and lenses 🙂
Atleast it seems something is happening soon.
+1 totally agree
So we still talk about:
-BionzX engine and its jpegs & nr.
-Much larger buffer.
-Somewhat better mirror.
-A6000 sensor with ospdaf.
-new hotshoe.
-Speedier evf
-Maybe a99’s af-d mode.
And please: a hi speed video mode 🙂
I.e. Nothing new in itself but a good refresh and nice packaging of all available technology.
I am hoping that the AF is significantly improved especially tracking. The competition in this segment is really good that even a 5 year old model like the 7D is still a good buy today as its AF capabilities is impressive as is its shooting speed and buffer.
Sony needs to match the buffer of the 7D and at least try to match the AF speed and tracking of a 5 year old camera.
Hmmm, another mess with naming 😀
I heard they will call it the “f2x III” We don’t know why yet, but it makes sense to Sony.
If Sony come out with revolutionary products they get slated because they are “inconsistent” or “abandoning [insert product x-1]” or “trying everything to see what sticks” or “experimenting too much” or “releasing another immature product”.
If Sony come out with an evolutionary product they get slated because it’s “not enough of an improvement” or “where is [insert supposedly essential feature y]?”.
It’s kinda hard for Sony to do anything right isn’t it?
And of course when Canon or Nikon release the same old warmed up products (insert product…5D mark 3, D4s, DF…etc) they are hailed as a revolution in the history of photography…
Sony’s DSLR range need to move the needle to make any traction against Canikon. Since Sony’s marketing is incompetent we rely on Sony engineers to do something interesting to at least generate some buzz with photo nerd sites and reviewers.
I don’t think Sony needs revolutionary tech to do this but what disturbs me is over the months SAR a77 replacement rumors continually scale back. The a77II is starting to smell like a marginally better body which means it’ll be another 3 years for their a-mount ASP-C line-up to escape also-ran status. Which naturally means suffering 3 more years of ‘death of the a-mount’ comments on SAR. ;^)
In 3 years time, the A mount will be history. This is obviously not where Sony is putting its money (however much or little they have available). I would not mind. Mirrors are obsolete. This also applies to Canon and Nikon.
Obsolete? Just because Sony abandoned them? LOL. Who died and made Sony king of photography? As long as the Big 2 make them, and as long as they continue to outsell Sony, they are not obsolete. Keep hope alive though, because maybe one day. Just not today.
I only hope:
-AF array is not tiny as in A77! and, if possible, OSPDAF like A6000, but for ALL A-mount lenses, not only Sony’s!
-Buffer size is decent
-Noise is improved, better than A77
I hope:
– better EVF
– better high ISO performance
– better JPG engine
– better buffer
– wi-fi and remote control
– double sd card slot
…and a firmware update for the “old” A77 that make it all! 😀
Double SD slots? No way. Think minor improvements, like an iPhone 5 to a 5s
You will probably get a slight increase in ISO through the improved mirror technology only. The only improvement in the EVF should be the response time when you put your face up to the VF. Yes it should have a better buffer, I agree, last buffer size was the bases for of jokes during reviews. Wi-Fi is a good guess and nice. Double SD Slots, not likely 🙁 but possible :-). Obviously the Flash Hot shoe will be upgraded as well. THis is not enough for me need to upgrade my awesome A77 but, a welcomed improvement for new buyers !!! Get ONE or TWO 🙂 *This message approved by Sony Fan Boys all over the world*
4k video?
Not only no… but HELL no! lol
How about Sony just release a ‘decent’ firmware update for the current ‘flagship’ A77 and release the next ‘revolution’ A77x camera next year if it’s ready then?
Stick a full frame sensor into that body and call it an A87 already.