UPDATE: Announced!
Preorders:
Sony A77 body in USA at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Sony Store (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
Sony A77 with 16-50mm lens at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Sony Store (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
Sony A77 body in Europe at Sony Germany, Sony UK, Sony France, Sony IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, PT, NO, SE, FI.
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A Chinese reader sent me that A77MII image he got from Xitek. I asked my sources and this image is legit. And these more detailed specs I got via trusted source:
A-mount SLT camera
Bionz X processor
24 megapixel “Exmor” CMOS sensor with primary color filters
14 Bit RAW
50-51200 ISO
12fps with up to 60 JPEG image buffer
Records video in AVCHD 2.0
79 points (15 points cross type). with center F2.8 sensor and -2EV. Covers 40% of the frame.
1.2 Million dot 3 inch LCD (not touchscreen). 3 way tiltable.
2.3 Million dot OLED viewfinder
Shutter 1/8000 up to 30sec
On sensor stabilization for stills (electronic for movies)
WiFi and NFC
Up to 3 Memory Recall settings. 11 customizable buttons.
Dust and moisture resistant and magnesium body
$1199(1200 Euro for the body and shipment in June
I am surprised the camera doesn’t record XAVC-S! But I have been told the camera is all about delivering the best possible autofocusing experience. And it’s very impressive in that!
UPDATE: More images via The.me. Thanks!
Follow the A77MII announcement live here on SonyAlphaRumors on May 1 at:
– 2am (02:00) San Francisco
– 5am (05:00) New York time
– 10 am (10:00) London time
– 11 am (11:00) Berlin time
– 8 pm (20:00) Tokyo time
RX100M3 announcement likely on May 15!
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Message to sources: You can send me more info anonymously by using the contact form you see on the very right of your browser. You can also contact me directly at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com.
For readers: Subscribe the RSS feed (Click here) and Twitter (Click here) stream and the Facebook fan page (Click here) in order to not miss any news!
——–
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
Is it mirrorless or SLT or what???
SLT
Will it offer better ISO?
Should I wait for Nikon D9300?
Wait for the Nikon? That’s compeltely antoehr system. You don’t decide for a system just by looking at marginal high iso differences 🙂
Yes..Please wait for the Nikon D9300. It will have not 79 Focus Points, but 80!
duh…! Sore…
What about the lens, any changes or improvements? Also, how many of those focus points are on the sensor Vs dedicated AF points?
only marginal changes ot the lens.
HDMI Clean Output?
A few quick, obvious observations; no AF assist lamp (good riddance) and a locking mode dial!
My interest is piqued for sure. And that price…excellent.
SLT =…. meh :/
Has there been any talk of updates to the a65?
no.
Any talk of an a58 update?
hmmm 🙂
Confirmed: I have been told right now the A65 will not get a replacement.
I love you Andrea
no GPS?
What you can’t see the GPS cover genius ??
Why can’t sony make a camera like Canon 70D with fast live view focus without slt mirror?
You mean like the A 6000?
Cause Alpha users believe in innovation not sh!tty clones of last years models.
I bet they can. It just isn’t needed.
Thats mainly because many Sony lenses are screw driven lenses while all canon lenses have the focusing in the lens.
Also the Canon fast live view is impressive only for single shot AF. For tracking focus it sucks. You need to keep switching between viewfinder and LCD if you wish to track focus.
Agree. Canon’s live view sucked when it was introduced, and it sucks now.
you already have a camera like that aka a6000
Are any of those 79 focus points on the sensor? ( as with the a99) or all in the main AF module?
no.
Andrea, I’m not stating that your image is a fake, but I suspect it has been retouched.
I’d assume Sony would keep the frame very similar to that of the A77. Your photo is missing a screw above the mount on the right. On both photos, it looks like the other screw is half visible, so this seems to confirm that this photo has been doctored.
possible the chinese touched it for some reason. Yes. Probably there was a mark there like a writing or so. But otherwise the camera image is real.
I just looked at your image on my desktop monitor, and it appears there is a faint shadow indicating a screw head.
I’m calling my first post a likely false alarm.
No, not false alarm, parts of that image are most definitely chopped. The lighting/shadows are mismatched in a few places. Also, the entire front glass element is a 100% direct copy from the current A77 shot on Sony website, except for the housing. I’m not saying this image is not representative of the new camera… many of these images are composites from manufacturers anyway.
It is difficult to call mismatched lighting; most product shots are done with many, many light sources, and then dodged and burned in post.
To compare the two photos, look at the texture of the paint between the two. It appears to have texture blotches in different spots.
But I do still get a small vibe that some areas of the photo just don’t seem 100%. Like you said, this may not mean anything except for a rushed job by Sony illustrators/marketers.
Any details when this will be released?
June.
even new rx using new code but why A-mount big body still using avchd? Still SLT, mean auto focus in video still limit and stuck with f3.5? But hope for the best before really see it, no muddy look anymore in video with sony a-mount camera i will be happy, if not i think i will slowly jump into nex soon, seem they release good video spec in nex and plan to release higher quality cine lenses on nex too.
The max iso is 2 stops higher than the a77 but the more important question is how much higher is the usable clean iso?
I use my a77 at 1600 and I wonder at what ISO I can expect comparable image quality.
Sensor has primary color filters? I am guessing that means cyan magenta and yellow as opposed to red green and blue?
Im not sure what the significance of that is but I presume we will be told tomorrow
I doubt there will be any serious improvements in ISO.
Similar to the step from Nex-7 to A6000, I guess…
Are my eyes deceiving me, or does it look a little smaller. Hoping.
Dual slot card?
HDMI Clean Output?
Clean ISO until 1600?
AF-D?
It appears from the rear image recently posted by the Admin that it has only one SD card slot.
Would be great if they put on the a77II
Let’s be honest.. Disappointing all around, sorry.
As a somewhat more aggressive sidenote, f*cking AVCHD, what the f*ck are they thinking!?!?!?!?!?!?!? No I don’t care that it is “2.0”. Sony must be smoking some heavy crack, I imagine this camera won’ do very well in sales.. All their innovation is in their mirrorless lineup.. Even fanboy alpha shooters should be able to admit that.
AVCHD is very good
and if the camera have clean HDMI output it’ll be fine for more demanding video grading
The A77 shot in AVCHD 2.0 as well… and it is one of the worst cameras available for video. The entire spec of this camera seems pointless for an upgrade, what’s the point of a slightly larger buffer and touting JPEGs if the JPEG engine is still utterly useless.
Also from the description I bet it’s still impossible to turn off the Software stabilisation in Video mode like the existing A77.
Got to admit I’m very dubious entirely about the specs and photos of this… it seems entirely too lazy to be true.
.They could have at least added a knob similar to the a99 on front for customisable ISO changing. This would at least give us some form of Tri-Navi.
Will just have to wait and see what becomes of this and if the image quality alone is a giant upgrade… I doubt there’s going to be a great difference though if the spec/body is so lazily “upgraded”
Wake up Sony and get your arse in gear.
the avchd 2 from the a6000 is pretty good, better then any sony nexalpha camera released so far in terms of clean image with no artifacts.
Shouldn’t this have XAVC-S as well?
Anyone knows if original A77 has 2.8 center sensor? … this looks like very nice improvement.
AFAIK, no camera after the A850 has f2.8 AF sensors, until the A77II
Stupid question probably, but what does that mean?
Well, it means it’s more accurate but only when using lenses of f2.8 and faster.
Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the info.
Tethering ? Tethering ? Tethering ? Tethering ?
And Gps ?
Updated flash ?
its got wifi….. so probably yes
Nevermind ..
Uncompressed Raw ?
Fake 14 bit Raw or Real Raw ?
Betting it is real compressed raw.
so disappointing. why make a 77 II?? whats the point? how long do the people who invested in A mount glass have to wait for Sony’s very first PRO camera? why the 77 II ?? why not A99 II? all these dinky little gimmick cameras, when is Sony going to enter the PRO MARKET FAACK
Sony could make a camera with double the specs of the 5DMIII and you’d still bitch.
You don’t know what you’re talking about.
Uhmm… Pros don’t shoot APS-C? What’s missing from the a77 ii? Or the a99 for that matter?
Sony themselves ( their alpha reps ) call their A-Mount lineup ” prosumer ” cameras. and they are prosumer. how does sony release the CZ 50mm 1.4 less than a year ago and only have 1 half decent camera to mount it on??
it makes no sense they have a 50 mp sensor in a freakin pentax camera.
why isnt there a FF 50 mpx camera for A mount system why? i have the a900, the a77 and the a99. i have invested in a lot of glass. i guess i am looking at another a99. very disappointing.
How Sony calls it is irrelevant. If your definition of a pro camera is a 50MP MF sensor, then only Pentax and the other MF manufacturers have pro offers. And, by the way, Sony has 3 FF perfectly decent cameras on which you can mount your CZ and use it to its full potential.
He’s either severely ignorant or a troll.
how am i ignorant, troll? maybe you like little e mount cameras because they fit in your purse.
OOOHHH…thems fightin words!
He said the “T” word!!!!
really. 2 of those 3 models belong in a museum.
all these e mount cameras… while the a mount users sit and wait…
there needs to be another FF a mount camera this is not much to ask for .
There isn’t a FF 50mp camera anywhere dummy. The 50mp sensor is MF. The reason there isn’t a 50mp FF camera in the A mount is that it’s only 2014. You’re going to have to wait a few years for that to be a reality. I’m sure that at that point, you’ll also complain though. Maybe instead of complaining you should go out and take photos and relax.
first of all, dont be one of those behind the keyboard warriors calling others names. we both know in person i would fold you neatly with even creases if you spoke to me like that. you wouldnt speak to me or anyone else like that so why here.
second, we both know i am talking about a camera that is even remotely comparable to that pentax with the 50 mp sensor that sony made. i didnt claim to know it inside out, however sony has nothing at all like that in its line up and yes, that pisses anyone off who would have invested in amount of glass like i have.
Sorry, but I call it as I see it. You’re saying dumb things.
As for the 50mp sensor, you should probably do some research. It’s medium format. Nobody but Pentax, Hasselblad and Phase One has that sensor at this point. That sensor will never make it into A mount, as IT’S MEDIUM FORMAT!
I’ll say it again so that you understand: THE 50MP SENSOR SONY HAS IS MEDIUM FORMAT! THERE IS CURRENTLY NO SUCH THING AS A 50MP FULL FRAME SENSOR MADE BY SONY OR ANYONE ELSE THAT I CAN THINK OF. SONY DOESN’T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN IT’S LINEUP BECAUSE SONY HASN’T VENTURED INTO MEDIUM FORMAT YET.
At this point, it just seems like you want to complain about something. How about, instead of whining incessantly that Sony doesn’t have anything with imaginary yet awesome sensors in it, you take the three FF cameras you already have and take some damned photos. My guess is you aren’t a pro and don’t have any need for anything more than what you already have. If you can’t get it done with the A99, you probably can’t get it done with anything.
Feel free to threaten to track me down or whatever else internet tough guys tend to do, but the truth is, if you were a pro, you’d realize the difference between Medium Format and Full Frame and maybe stop complaining.
again, i will say it again, i didnt claim i knew the specs on the pentax camera. what i DO know is that there are 9 aps-c cameras and only 1 freakin FF a mount cameras while out of the blue there are 3 FF e-mount cameras. how does someone with half a brain not understand why this wouldnt piss off a-mount users who have invested in tons of prime glass.
and for the record, you were the one who started calling names, internet tough guy. you wouldnt speak to someone this way in person so why would you do it behind your keyboard. retard, guys like you who suffer from small dick syndrome like to be internet warriors all safe in your basement of your parents house.
the a99 is fine, my dilemma, if you can read, is do i freaking buy another 99 or wait forever for them to MAYBE released another ff a mount camera.
do you understand??
You know what they say about opinions….
yes and i think that A77 II must have the same system that has the a6000, mirrorles hybrid AF system, for ultra low light perfomance !!
i thought the A77ii will use the A99 LCD articulating mechanism, but seems like it’s the A77 version.
They are the same, no?
a99 does’t have the “truss” at the 2 sides of the lcd.
Gotcha.
As long as it does resort back to the a7 hinge I’m fine.
“On sensor stabilization for stills” – does this mean that the sensor moves, as in the last one, or that it is all done on-sensor with processing? I’m hoping they didn’t lose the moving sensor arrangement.
It’s meant to separate it from the stabilization for movies, which is done electronically. So the sensor moves only for stills. Same as the a77.
Sound out ?
Manual gain ?
Dials with more firm clicks, to prevent accidental adjustments ?
(And damn new hotshoe !)
40% coverage only?
the other cameras have less than 40% coverage, like nikon’s DLSR !!!
I’m referring to a6000. Thanks for your reply.
It’ll still probably be faster than the A6000, as it’s actual PDAF rather than OSPDAF.
We’ve gotta see that the AF module can DO first before we knock it.
I haven’t “knock” it out, but curious if compare to the a6000. Cheers!
14 bit RAW? did they always say that? Or does this mean real uncompressed 14 bits….
no wifi/nfc sticker? it’s probably not the real thing then..
I think A mount is coming to an end. This camera will not sell well at all. This really reminds me of when Olympus was still introducing a few regular uninspired 4/3 bodies. The only people who might buy this are those already invested in A mount glass.
Yep, and Olympus is still alive and kicking. Good analogy.
Yes, alive and kicking and making MICRO Four Thirds cameras, not the regular four thirds cameras or lenses. I didn’t say Sony is going out of business, just that A mount is slowly going to go away. If you think this is a worthy upgrade, well, okay, that’s your opinion. And mine is this camera is going to not fare well at all, especially when compared to the A6000. This camera is very meh.
Well, mirrors will go away one way or another. It is a question of time, so I think we just disagree on how fast that will happen. Imho, a-mount is safe for the next 3-4 years.
this is NOT a worthy upgrade.
Not for you, but you’re looking for a FF camera. Of course this isn’t a worthy upgrade for someone looking for a FF camera, as that’s not what it is. For someone looking to upgrade from one of Sony’s older APS-C DSLTs, that’s an entirely different story.
No, thanks to their camera division , which has been losing money for years , If it was not for their successful medical division, Olympus cameras would be dead and buried.
You know what they say about opinions…
I see:
Vastly improved AF
New sensor
New hot shoe
New mode dial
New buffer
Many more improvements
I think its CERTAINLY a worthy upgrade.
A mount isn’t coming to an end….it’s just getting started!
I have very serious doubts it will be a new sensor , just yet another tweaked one where the only advance will be due to software processing.It says it all when you think a mode dial and hot shoe connector are worthy upgrades.
Seeing as I have new flashes that mate with the new standard shoe, yeah, it means something to me.
What about the AF?
I maintain my position. I will buy it for SURE.
AF and better IQ are the ONLY upgrades that are needed for a camera.
Bigger buffer is great too
And there are many of us, as long as High ISO is better than old model, I’ll be one happy camper. Just waiting for test and to see it in a store.
For those who don’t like it, well, what are you doing here? I certainly don’t visit Canon site and bother others.
No AF illuminator seems weird, first time for that in pro-grade alpha camera.
Has a pro ever used an AF illuminator? Do canon pro models have one?
AF light is in the flash for canon
Bingo…!
So they always lost focus in low light, don’t you see the Canon photographers with their 5D2/3 always mounted the flash on top,but they only want the AF illuminator on the flash gun. AF illminator also make benefit when shooting on low contrast object, you can never focus on a white wall with 7D/D300s by their own focusing system, but a77 can do it.
When I lose focus in those situations, I switch to manual focus.
That’s what that big ring on the lens is for. I’m just saying that stupid AF light was hardly worth it and I’m glad to see it gone.
also AF was only for center focus anyway, it sucked
The best focusing point for alpha camera is the center point, since long long time ago.
Most people are unaware of the (d) lenses
I agree, that seems weird. But I hope and think it has improved low light focusing. After all, it will now focus at EV-2 in stead of EV-1 of the A77I.
Doesn’t appear to address basically any of the shortcomings of the original A77 (which is a very good camera).
Having 400 AF points in a small area in the center of the frame helps nobody.
I hate to add to the chorus, and I know you like to double and triple check every rumour that comes your way (very kind of you, Andrea), but I was curious whenabouts an update for the A99 might be coming around. I guess I’m looking to upgrade from my A77, but don’t know when a good time would be…
i dont even understand why they would update the 77 when they can look at the 99 and update from there. sony only has 1 legit ff a mount camera.
Well I am not impressed, thinking of buying the A6000 instead of this camera.
Who ordered this trivial comment?
Bueller?
I’ll have to agree on this one. Everyone on this forum has the right to their own opinions of course, but honestly, I’m actually a tad confused by Chris’ comment since in mind, the two cameras approach two totally different types of users. Either you’re in the market for a small and portable system for travel or casual, personal use, or you’re looking for a DSLR-type shape and size that balances better with the requisite high-speed zoom lenses and flash units for more professional applications. There’s always exceptions to these “rules” but that’s generally how I classify the A and E mount lines.
Well the A6000 has proven to deliver very a good image up to ISO 3200 even ISO 6400 is usable, that can not be done with the curren A77 , and if the A77m2 could do the same I would reconsider that camera, this has nothing to do with type of camera, only performance in low light, see the DxO rathings.
I totally agree with you G or Z if Chris is looking at ISO performance but he made no mention to what exactly he was looking for in this update that left him unsatisfied with the rumored spec sheet, therefore, I just went with the form factor comparison of the two models. Maybe he mentioned his needs for high ISO quality elsewhere in this forum?? I didn’t notice it though
oh wow…So apparently…I thought someone else made the above comment about ISO performance. Ok, I get it now hahaha. It’s 2:40 for me here in NY, I must need sleep or something. Thanks for explaining though chris.
The difference can be split into 3(4) major items:
– Sensor generation. That will catch up now.
– jpeg engine. BionzX will be used and it will catch up.
– SLT mirror, rumors talk about a less intrusive mirror, but it will be there.
(- Sensor cooling. IBIS does not allow for the same cooling of sensor, which may or may not affect noise levels.) Not sure about this one.
So, expect images from the a77@ISO3200 to be as a6000@ISO4000 or there abouts.
Does it use A77 vertical grip and wired remote control?
I think so
This would be a very smart move on Sony’s part. I hope so too.
Why doesn’t it have AF-RAnge? Highly useful feature
Good question, I was kinda expecting that to be in place.
But OTOH, what we see is that the button from AF-D is missing, that’s all.
It could still be there somehow.
A bit disappointed with this spec, coz:
No 5 axis IBIS
No MLU
No XAVCs
No AF illuminator
Same LCD hinge as a77
That was nothing to attract me for moving back to APS from current a99 🙁
Why would anyone in their right mind want to find reasons to move from Full Frame BACK to APS-C??
WUT???
APS-C is the best acessory for a ff owner
1,5x crop / fast fps…
But if i had to chosse between a99 and a77II, the a99 is the winner by far.
Accessory =/= “moving back” to APS-C
Main camera
a99
When extra reach is necessary or to shot sports
a77
I just bought the a6000 recently, love the size and reasonable pricing. I own 2x a99 and the a850 as well. If a77m2 improved it’s recording quality, such as XAVCs/FHD 120p/5 axis IBIS then I will interested for that, unfortunately none of that happened.
My expectation is exactly the same as yours, ahshing. 🙂
You want MLU on a fixed mirror camera ? 😛
And the LCD hinge is far better than any other camera on the market. What changes are you expecting on that ?
Agree on the lack of an AF illuminator though.
MLU for translucent mirror, you can choose the light loss or not.
Even the LPF from the sensor can be removed, the SLT may do the same job of LPF, or lock it up for more resolution.
LCD hinge of a99 is better than a77, I don’t like the hinge arm at the side of LCD.
Oh wow, you really need to go out and shoot more !
All these minor things are barely worth mentioning.
If you want good IQ you need FF. No APS-C camera is going to give you what you want.
I have yet to see any APS-C camera give me significantly better IQ than my A55 regardless of brand. What I really wanted was better AF which the A77 MK II will hopefully deliver.
For best IQ on a budget you NEED FF.
“Same LCD hinge as a77”
You must be the only one seeing this as a ‘con’. I was for sure happy to see that it was still there, after being absent on some other cameras.
Pathetic update. But then again, A-mount is dead and this is more proof. So it makes perfect sense.
This is more proor?
What is proor? Nice troll fail. Flat on your “trolr” face
Nice try. I doubt I’m a troll with several Sony cameras and Lenses. And learn how to spell while you ‘re at num nuts, unless you’re about 5 years old. Which is probably an insult to 5 year old’s.
Nice try but you did misspell poor ! 🙂
You are a disappointing looser
Did I burst your little bubble? Must have touched a raw nerve there tosser. But wake up to reality because you just don’t see it. Muppets like you rarely do.
It’s for a reality check tosser. Must have touched a raw nerve. And did I burst your little bubble? Because you clearly can’t see what’s happening. Muppets rarely do.
Poster makes a valid point and you throw insults. Because you don’t have anything constructive to say? How sad.
All of the updated things make good sense to me. I have no idea how this update can be pathetic or how A-Mount can be called dead.
and you are brain dead with that comment when a new A camera is about to be released.
Apparently pathetic e-trolls, shills, and canon/nikon fanboys are already attacking the A77M2.
We are all aware that some of you are paid by marketing firms to do exactly this so go away until the first reviews are in.
We are aware some of you have some immature hate for people who choose cameras that are different, innovative. So back off.
Its amazing how many of the paid guns are out tonight. I wonder who’s footing the bill for them.
They wouldn’t have the guts to say.
I’ll say it. Nikon is paying me tonight to sit on my ass and annoy the hell out of you. And I’m doing it.
Would you expect anything else. Canon, and Nikon know this camera is better than anything they can design or build. And the e-mounters are just full of anti-alpha hate.
They’re like a jealous second born.
Well most of the e-mount users can’t afford a $1299.99 camera. Don’t they buy them at COSCO
Just to be fair though, there are currently no E mount models that even come close to the $1299 mark, and if you consider the A7 line, then obviously those users have more than enough money to throw into completely new and untested waters. So is it really that those users can’t afford more expensive cameras, or that they see a use in E mount that they don’t see in A mount or any DSLR for that matter?
Just tossin my voice in the mix from the E mount gene pool, but I personally hope this update is a sizable update and shows Sony’s commitment to the A mount line. Sure I would love it if they also released some new FE lenses tomorrow, or at least updated their roadmap to show the basic category of lenses they’re working on, but even though I’m a dedicated E mount fan, in my mind, anything Sony does to A mount reveals their true perspective towards an older and loyal fan base, and what they may possibly mean for the E mount down the road once they start a new pet project.
I’m really just an E mount lover because of the size and honestly, F1.8 gives me shallow enough DOF for my work, but I have to admit, the A77 has always been a true joy to hold for me. So amazingly comfortable. If I were a professional, that may be my go-to camera just for its ergonomics. So as you can see, this E-mounter also has a genuine interest in this announcement 😉
If more of the e-mount community was like you Sony’s future would be very bright.
I appreciate the comment, thanks Ben fan! Seriously though both camera lines are needed and serve wholly different communities and uses. I just don’t see a growing Sony camera base if they completely dumped the A mount line, or stopped their progress on E mount and completely reverted back to A mount. As difficult as it might be for them, they really just have to keep innovating on both fronts with full force if they want to finally take a sizable chunk out of Canon and Nikon.
I have a sony nex, and don´t hate A mount, initially I was leaning towards the A mount because the lens selection plus the cheap minolta lenses, but since I´m a bit of a videographer and the video is superior on the E mount cameras I choose the E mount, but only because video, if not I would have got myself an A mount camera.
I honestly don’t see the e-mounters being full of alpha hate. If anything it seems to go the other way around. Anytime anything E mount gets released there’s a huge wave of “but what about A mount” and “we need more A mount lenses/cameras, stop making E mount” and “so much for the year of the A mount, clearly A mount is dead” crying that goes on here. A few trolls seem to have taken the whining that happens by A mount users and run with it. I’d be surprised if any of them owned anything from either system, and if they do, they probably aren’t all that invested in them.
I’ll say it. Nikon is paying me tonight to sit on my butt and annoy the living heck out of you all. And I’m doing it.
Cause your pathetic. Oh well looks like the Alpha is hitting back hard.
Really what did you expect the trolls need to get their diggs in, because when the press starts pumping out the awesome reviews they’re going to look dumber than usual
are you seriously not disappointed in the lack of FF A mount cameras?
so what are we supposed to do. i have the a900, the a77 and the a99. i need another ff camera for my weddings. my 900 is old so i keep it as a backup. am i supposed to buy another 99 or wait forever??
it pisses me off to see all these e mount dinky cameras and lenses being made while the a mount users sit and wait for something ANYTHING –only to see that they update the 77. this is retarded. why not start at the 99 and go up why the 77 why?
Why would I care I already have a A99, and A900
The A99 is anything but old and it will be probably another year before there will be a successor. The A77 was older so it’s quite logical that Sony updated that one earlier. Buy a second A99 if you need another FF for work. If you sell your A900, you basically can get the A99 cheaper.
Keep them all. Just buy a large Pelican case.
this is my dilemma. i want a FF A mount. i see no logic in upating the 77 when there was a65 a77 and a few lower models and just one FF camera the a99. i just dont see the logic in sticking with the 77 update when they can build on the 99 being the only recent ff model.
do i wait? do i buy another 99?
I’d update. It really sucks laying out the cash to buy all new lenses that are compatible for the A99. My 2470 cost more than the A77, and 1650.
ugh. i have the cz 24/70 the 70-200 the new cz 50 mm 1.4 and just last week i picked up the sigma 35mm 1.4 and the 85mm as well.
these lenses are way better on the 99 then they are on the 77
this is what i mean. what the heck is the point updating the 77 when they could do something with the 99 and go forward ?? it really pisses me off
i only bought the 77 at the time because i needed to update from my a900 and didnt want to buy another 900.
i dont know what to do buy another 99 or wait
I don’t get your frustration at all ? The A99 is a newer model than the A77. The A77 was launched in Aug 2011 and so is replaced now. The A99 was launched in 2012 Sept and so will probably be up for replacement next year only.
The D800 was launched in March 2012 even earlier than the A99 and there is no rumors that it is being replaced anytime this year.
this is my frustration. when was the a900 launched? and was the a99 launched? in between how many full frame e mounts were launched?
what are they doing for the a mount users that want ff cameras? NOTHING.
so now, i have all these wonderful A mount lenses. i want them on FF cameras. Sony only has ONE legit FF a mount camera.
do u understand my dilemma now?
Sounds like you don’t have a dilemma…just buy the damned A99 and stop worrying about it.
i already have the 99. it would be nice to have a better camera at the pro level and not the prosumer level, as sony themselves call it.
i am handcuffed into purchasing another 99 now just like i was handcuffed into purchasing the 77 when it came out because there was absolutely nothing else at the time.
now ill sit back and watch them make even more ff e-mount cameras while i wait.
Why purchase another camera when you already have three? Seems unneccesary.
i need another ff for my weddings. the lenses i have suffer in the 77. my 900 is old, as i got it when it was released. the a99 is the only worthy camera. i need at least one more ff, at this point i am going to sell my 77 and buy another 99 because i have no other choice.
i need minimum 3 ff cameras for when i work.
They sell a lot more A77s than A99s. The A77 is older so logically updated first. Buy your second A99 but you’ll have to wait another year for the A99II. Or look at the Sony A7 as a different addition to your camera bag.
Probably because the 99 is relatively new, camera progression-wise. It’s been out since what, late 2012? Updating the A99 without touching the A77 would have had a huge outpour of whining about how the A mount is dead, just like updating the A77 has.
There’s really no pleasing half of the people here. It’s ridiculous the lengths people on this site will go to to complain about everything.
how is that so? there are 9 aps-c cameras. there are 3 e-mount FF cameras. there is one. ONLY ONE FF A-mount camera.
you dont see where the pros who invested in prime a mount lenses are coming from, really?
Hm… Nic powalajacego, taki facelifting. Kto ma model w wersji 1, ten nie zamieni. Kto nie ma i sie zastanawial, bedzie zadowolony.
Totally disappointing. Not an upgrade at all. I would even call it a downgrade. Rather than being photography-oriented and creative, it is simply becoming more and more a bland troll-infested comment section. Some mere 40% of the coverage are centered and stabilized enough to be worth reading, everything else is old mirrored opinions.
Vlad your an e-mount troll. I hope Sony doesn’t release any lenses for you crappy camera system tomorrow.
Keep in mind disqus is messing the names up again. I dont think Vlad posted that.
Hmm, I though my comment wouldn’t be subtle enough, but apparently it is too subtle. May I suggest that you reread it and find the subject, which wasn’t the a77.
I guess 79 AF points cover most area of the image sensor, but 15 Cross AF sensor
will only cover 40% of that, just like what happened in a99.
Actually its the same as the current A77 so there is no change really. Oh and nobody complained about the A77’s.
+1
I guess taking pictures from under a bridge can get boring.
hmm same old hot shoe …
Yeah. they are all now equipped with the old ISO hot shoe from 1910s, but with lots of added contacts (MI). The modern Minolta shoe is gone now
As a Sony user I am dissapointed. Same body and layout. I hoped they would go a bit back to a900 style.
Know I ask myself is a-mount dead?
I hope not and believe not. I guess we will have to wait until the thing is presented and reviewed.
Why did they remove the AF-illuminator? Stupid decision.
I think we can say that Sony did a Canon here.
The illuminator isn’t required. Its a hold over from the A100, and the new AF system doesn’t require its use whatsoever.
That would be wery strange if that was the reason. I don’t think the AF is that effective.
You have no way of knowing that unless we see some tests considering its a completely redesigned AF system.
No but have you ever seen anything like that. No. But let’s see.
If that’s true and it can focus just as good without it then that’s okay with me. But focusing without one in low light with every other camera I’ve tried that didn’t have an AF assist lamp was extremely annoying.
If it wasn’t they wouldn’t have removed it dumbs
Dont call me dumbs or anything again! YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY. REMEMBER THAT.
And to answer you. It’s not the first time Sony removed some usefull features from the camera as for instance the also on the MKII missing button for changing between spot, centre weighted, and multi point light measurement.
That’s a little bit like saying “I know you are, but what am I?” isn’t it?
+1
Well, why would they change the body? It is one of the best bodies available today, regarding ergonomics, grip and feel.
Edit: by removing the AF illuminator they display confidence in the upgraded AF system with better low light ability.
He’s probably a shill or another annoying troll.
No I am a a-mount user. And don’t ever call me anything again!
Don’t out a troll they’ll bite hard
Well not for me. I for instance find the on/off button misplaced around the shutter button.
An industry standard is “misplaced?” Hmm…
The A100-A900 location on the back left of the body was somewhat “misplaced”. It took me a while to get used to the shutter located power switch. So I do understand if that is the issue.
Well an industry standard!! Show me the applicable ISO norm then!
The on/off button around the shutter is actually the best position I can think of. I can’t think of one reason why it shouldn’t be there?
It just annoys me and irritates my finger because of the edge the on/off button creates. Try a a700 or a900 and you will feel the difference. But maybe you already used them. I don’t know. Anyway the on/off button placement it’s not my cup of tea.
Yes, I have an A850. I think I am more accustomed to the newer design which I like, because with one smooth movement you can switch on the camera and bring it to your eye. With the A850, I need two hands for that. I can understand it feels less smooth though, because the shutter button isn’t as flush with the grip.
Maybe it’s just something you have to get used to and eventually I have too if Sony still uses this placement in the future ;-).I don’t want to change camera system as I can’t see what else I should choose.
I wonder how many people actually use the AF illuminator..? Every time I initialize a new camera, turning the AF illuminator off is one of the first things I do. It just seems like such an annoying feature, of very limited use, but hey, that’s just my opinion. I don’t mind seeing it go away.
No one uses it. If your lenses have eight contact points (d) then they have a more advanced system integrated into them.
They’re just trolls looking to take shots at an obviously superior product.
Most of these clown own cameras they bought at either Walmart, or Staples
An AF illumminator has nothing to do with the lens’s contact points.
What if you tried to have some manners and not call other people clowns.
We have a saying in Denmark that goes: What you say or write you are your self!
Why is it annoying. It actually worked wery well on those cameras. I have been using it many times on my a900. I know i could just use my flash’s AF illuminator but it’s quite annoying to Pull up the flash just for that reason.
I’ve just never seen anyone use it before, and I always found it was easier to manually focus in low light, especially with the big bright finder of my A850. Perhaps we shoot in different situations, and what works for me doesn’t for you. That’s why I said it’s my opinion. If you used the AF illuminator, more power to you. I can certainly respect that.
Ok. Then I wish I had your eyes. Because for me it’s a necessity or atleast faster and easier than manual focus in the dark.
Why do you say more power to me. I just say my opinion.
I agree it works very well on the A850/900. Much better than the LED eye-ball-scorching AF illuminator of E-mount cameras.
Precisely !
This camera looks like its going to destroy its competition tomorrow. I really feel sorry for the Canon Nikon types. They’ll be whining as always.
Followed by the pathetic e-whinners. I real hop Sony doesn’t launch any e-mount lenses tomorrow.
Trolls trolling trolls all the way down.
I doubt too many are going to find this camera exciting. Are there any new A mount primes from Sony on the horizon?
Yup there’s plenty of new A-Mount primes being readied. They just held off their releases for the A7. Now that that’s done Sony’s ready to rock.
There are two Vlads here??
That sucks!!! Which one is the troll?
No , disqus messes up with poster names, try F5 to reveal the true identity behind the poster…
Ok thanks, now I see. Weird.
I hope you’re right. I’m an E mount lover but honestly, I’m so tired of this silly bickering between A and E mount users. We’re all Sony fans here people, any innovation for either mount is a positive for us all since it can often mean a similar innovation or application to the other line somewhere down the road. If there are new A mount lenses in the works then hopefully that will shut the many E mount users up from saying “A mount is dead”.
Will admit though, I am seriously hoping they also introduce more FE lenses tomorrow or at the RX reveal. Or at the very least, update their roadmap so we can at least get a glimpse of the category of lenses we can expect.
The entire Zeiss line-up will be getting SSM II, and weather sealing in the near future. The G-Series is getting the 400mm this year.
A few questions (that I’m sure will be answered in the next 24 hours):
60 JPEG image buffer. That’s great. What about RAW?
Do we FINALLY get tethering?
Current vertical grip compatible?
ISO improved past 1600?
RAW buffer is already mentioned above. 25 RAW+JPEG and 26 RAW frames.
Its highly likely that the current VG will be compatible considering the bodies look the same.
ISO performance improvements should be only slightly better. My main hope is that color noise is kept under control.
Didn’t see that mention of RAW buffer above. Although it is 2am, so it’s possible my vision is currently impaired.
If I could just get decent ISO performance up to 6400 I would be satisfied. I’ve been shooting Dressage events and the local indoor arenas are terrible as far as lighting is concerned. Improved ISO performance would be enough reason for me to upgrade.
So you want better performance than a D800E out of a $1299.99 camera
Is that so much to ask? 🙂
Sorry you are correct. The RAW buffer wasn’t mentioned above. It was from a different thread on this site. Don’t know why that spec mentioned on that thread wasn’t mentioned here. 😛
Well the 60 image buffer seems more impressive, maybe that’s why it was mentioned instead of the RAW buffer. I got excited when I saw the number 60 and the word “buffer” near each other, then went full-frown when I saw it was JPEG.
But still, 26 RAW frames is better than what I get now! I’ll take it.
Just what we needed. Another new camera body from Sony.
so whats missing on A mount?
I feel the same, I’ve been taking cover for ages from all the a-mount bodies falling out of the sky last year.
That a good one 😉
Shouldn’t they just let a-mount rest and focus on e-mount.
Why. There is many a-mount users and many of us love that system. But I see the advantages of e-mount and would love to own an a7r as an extra compact camera.
??
I thought this was supposed to be an E-mount model? 😉
I wonder if this is a better choice than a Canon 70D? I want to do macro, action, and travel shooting mainly. Currently don’t own any SLT or lenses, so starting from scratch. I’ve used Canon DR before but new to SLT. Please tell me your thoughts.
The 70D isn’t that great for macro. The original A77 was a stellar performer.
And you can use Focus peaking and zoom into the live Picture even using the viewfinder for better Manual focussing (which is the better way for macro).
Canon 70D as a camera is probably not better but Canon does have better lenses. The Sigma 150mm f2.8 , Canon 100mm f2.8 IS are excellent lenses and Sony has no real equivalents.
Yes the minolta 200mm F/4.0 macro. No marco lens to date has ever matched its performance.
It not even that old. It came out in 1998, and was awe inspiring.
G-Series at its best. Its still worth $2500 second hand.
I have tried that lens. Not bad but its an old optic and its contrast cannot match a modern lens like a Sigma 180mm f2.8 OS or even a Canon 100mm f2.8 IS.
And current used prices are wacked !
Though its a lens that can really really last.
Sony has no 100mm 2.8?
weird since I have one…
Me too, and a 50mm, and the minolta g-series 200mm f/4
The Sony 100mm f2.8 has got a super slow screw drive motor while the Canon 100mm f2.8 L IS has much much faster AF. The Sony 100mm is based on a very old Minolta 100mmf 2.8 optic design. The Canon 100mm f2.8 L IS is a modern optical design.
Yeah. We could use some new macro lenses together with a 300 f/4 and a 200 f/2,8. A new 24-105 f/4 would also be nice but now Sigma has one which is a great performer I guess that one is not important.
Sigma has the 180mm f2.8 OS for Sony but its an expensive lens. The cheaper 150mm f2.8 wasn’t available for Sony mount. Only Canon or Nikon mount.
Why do you need a “modern” optical design!? It is not that much has been revolutionized in opticas the last 50 years!?
Also who cares about AF in macro lenses!?
^^ You clearly don’t shoot much macros. People don’t shoot just 1:1 and beyond all the time. I shoot butterflies and other large insects. Fast AF is very useful in such scenarios.
Friend moved from Sony to Canon just for the 100mm f2.8 IS lens and his photos are better for it.
I am not a primary macro shooter so I am happy with my Tamron 90mm f2.8 but I have missed many photos as I couldn’t focus fast enough either manually or with AF.
Except the Sony has less CA less Vignetting a limiter And is a sweet lens
Plus it has no IS to bend the light in the lens and mess with the Bokeh..
You obviously have never shot with the Canon 100mm f2.8 IS and are basing your views purely on website reviews.
I have used both lenses and I know which one I would pick in a heartbeat if given a choice.
Maybe a few Canon lenses are better than their Sony cousins, but on the other side Sony has some lenses that are definitely outperforming Canon versions. E.g. Zeiss 24-70 F2.8 or 16-35 F2.8 or *any* Zeiss for that matter.
None of the lenses you mentioned above outperform the current Canon equivalent lenses. The Canon 24-70mm f2.8 Mk II is sharper than the Zeiss and the 16-35mm f2.8 MK II Canon is about the same as the Zeiss.
A friend moved from Sony to Canon for better service and the only lens he really misses is the Zeiss 85mm f1.4 as he liked the output better than the 85mm f1.2 of the Canon but otherwise he finds the Canon lenses just better.
I had the 24-70 but hated it’s lousy edge to edge sharpness from 50-70 mm even @ f/8. Furthèr more the SSM was broken when I recieved it as brand new and Sony wouldn’t exchange it for a new. But the 16-35 I have heard should be better than the 24-70.
I wonder.. what is that in my Camera bag.. OMG its a 100mm F2.8 Macro.. that is stabilized and has a focus limiter.. So yes Sony does have a VERY NICE 100mm F2,8 …Nice try
Many also have other stabilized primes that Canon simply doesn’t have…
Not saying 70D, classical 7D is better than A77 for STILL; A77 are better for MOVIE (FAST Trcking AF); But 7D have ultimate firmware from Canon which gave you lot of fun.
sic— NO FF. So what is the impetus to upgrade.
thats what i am crying about
Get the D610 and stop crying. Easy.
Yeah or the now heavily discounted a99.
It’s an A77 it’s not meant to be a FF FFS
I guess first objective of the camera is to stay competitive for a58 upgraders. I don’t Think a77 upgraders are the primary focus.
But having said that; bigger buffer, new hotshoe, BionzX withits new jpegs, better AF system … it all adds up to a competent camera.
If this delivers,what options are there out there for a as action sportshooter, at that pricepoint? Try using the LCD for low level fat acton with any other camera. 🙂
And add to that, that does action video with one of the best AF systems out there.
I think one of its strongest points is that most people have got over the fear-of-EVF-phase, and can judge the camera for what it delivers.
I will stick with my A77 for some time on, until there’s a real new model coming out. But hope theres som new lenses coming. Hoping….. 🙂
Whats a ‘real’ new model ? 😛
This camera has a new sensor and new AF module ? What more do you expect from a ‘real’ new model ?
Like a a78-79, not just a pimped a77
I agree with you. How Canon replaced the 550D with 600D and the 600D with 700D. 🙂
Anyone knows if original A77 had f 2.8 center sensor AF? This looks like nice improvement.
It had as far as I know. The a700 and a900 has a double cross f/2.8 sensor.
You know, at the rumored $1,200 for the new body I’ll get it if the AF and noise really improve. Wifi, updated hot shoe, improved buffer… why not? A77 is a well made product, nothing wrong with marginal upgrades to get this thing close to being an excellent camera. I’d say it is shaping up to do well with action and wildlife photography where speed is often critical. Pair it to the new 70-200 MKII or 70-400 MKII and you’re ready for safari with that extra reach on the crop sensor. Totally see a worthy addition to my current A77 and A99.
On a side note, if anyone cares, I ventured into Fuji with the X-T1 recently, got the whole kit with the incredible 56mm 1.2 and the kick-ass 10-24mm, but the QC of Fuji left a lot to be desired. After getting two completely defective bodies and one defective 10-24, I’ve given up. Back to having just one system. Just wish for an updated UWD glass from Sony.
Sorry to hear about the fujis. I must admit I am dissapointed but maybe if as you say the IQ and noise together with the AF are better then it’s ok I guess. But nothing to be ecstatic about for the current a77 user as I see it.
So, this is all that has been announced yesterday?? No new A-Mount lenses??
No af assist lamp?
Nope ! 🙁
does the net AF system to -2 EV need it? how many times did the lens or a hand get in the way of that.. I am excited that Sony improved the tool not just added more MP..
I think it need it and it was usefull for me. But let’s see.
The A77 with AF assist can be pushed to -4 EV
^^ Source ???
Best yet! The ‘?’ is now customizable !
And the addition of convex and concave button will make it easier to handle without looking.
What about GPS? Old a77 had it, and now theres never been a word about it regarding A77-2. Is this one of the famous downgrades we have seen with Sony successors?
It *should* have GPS. I can’t believe they would add Wifi and NFC and remove GPS.
Lets wait for the official launch.
More importantly, will it have GPS or GPS/GLONASS.
In Russia, they removed GPS from A99 because of no GLONASS.
It didn’t mention a card slot in the leaked specs either OMG It only holds 60 images in the buffer and has no card slot!! Panic!!!! Maybe that list mostly the NEW stuff.. so GPS is not listed as I would not BE NEW
I’m more worried that no rumor have confirmed it has a shutter button.
I use it frequently and would surely miss it.
It has 3 receivers with which you can pick up either NDB or VOR signals, and a dial with which you can tune them in. The triangulated position appears on the screen or the EFV, so you’ll always know where you are. It will have just some little error… LOL
A-mount bodies are so ugly and out fashioned, this is for the boring older people. I can’t imagine any younger generation would like this instead of the beautiful E-mount bodies like Nex-5t, 6000, 7, A7… So long, A-mount, rip.
Here comes Barry again with his bs…
tell me a dlsr camera body that looks good iyho
Well I think it’s ok looking. But my favorite is the a900. With the a99 as a close second
I mean I guess *in theory* the Nikon Df looks good…
No cinnabar logo? Bad idea!
RIP Sony a-mount.
Lets hope it isn’t dead. But it’s feels that way althougt we will have to wait for the announcement and reviews.
I am sure the firmware 2.0 upgrade will be included as well and, of course, available for all A77 owners as well. Thank you very much…:)
If it was up to me, they could have removed the top-plate LCD and added extra button there.
I agree. I never use the top plate lcd on my a900 and never did miss it on the a700.
It is there because a lot of people screamed about Minolta omitting it on the 7D nd leter on the a700.
And for me it is a bit of a retro-flirt al’a Nikon Df, and makes very little real sense.
Not a good idea, unless you have hyper elastic fingers. Besides, this A77II has 11 customizable buttons so it’ll already do anything you want.
True that, but even if I never used those extra buttons, it would still not be less useful that the top-lcd to me.
On that subject, I hope they allow all functions on all buttons, and not as it is now; Some function allowed on this button, and some others on that, which seems like an unnecessary limitation and annoying when setting the camera up.
The a77 looks good, but imo they could have redesign it a little bit to look fresh.
My thought too. A small face lift.
Wait, why is this still a rumor? Wasn’t the official announcement supposed to be yesterday?
Yes.
Read the post. The camera will be officially announced at 10:00 am London time.
One important feature I didn’t realize until I looked carefully is the dedicated [1][2][3] memory banks on the mode dial. I like that an it may be a first on A-mount APS-C…
The KonicaMinolta Dynax 7D had it. It was removed from the a700 and onwards except for the a850 and a900.
Not a dealbreaker, but I agree. It would be nice to see the return of them.
The novelty of 12fps, 3D and pano-mode is gone, so they don’t deserve the place of prime realestate anymore.
Hahaha AVCHD. I have to laugh, poor Sony. This camera will be a total flop. The people holding the original A77.
Then they wonder why they sell Panasonic. 1200 Euro … Be the GH4 is also located at 1450 Euro. People take the GH4, and to them we are all other levels of both photos that video. We are a truly professional level with video from pure cinema, and photos that rivals the famed APSC.
Sony has not failed by entering the codec XAVC-S 4k internal format, and output from HDMI 4:2:2 10bit that has GH4 🙂
Yeah a total dissapointment if true.
Needless to defend the sony GH4 is a unique hybrid today. The sony is very good at releasing products with open hanged only one tenth of their true potential.
Take the example of the A6000. It features the best APS sensor that exists. But unfortunately it is an object hanging from the absurd logic of the market sony
The A6000 is no step forward in image quality it is not even on par with the Nikon D5300 with its Toshiba sensor. It has about the same high ISO but loses almost a stop in DR.
http://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare/Side-by-side/Sony-A6000-versus-Nikon-D5300___942_919
I am not saying that the A6000 is not a good performer for it is. But sadly the image quality is simply not moving forward in any format, What we get is better AF , minor tweaks to processing and they tell us it is an amazing new sensor , the A7r is just the old D800/E sensor in a small under performing body.
http://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare/Side-by-side/Sony-A7R-versus-Nikon-D800E___917_814
As for the GH4 it looks to be an excellent video camera but looking at the RAW files compared to my GH3 the still image quality is same old same old. As a video camera it looks to be a winner for stills look elsewhere
The A6000 is a step forward in IQ, which has both been proven with RAW comparisons (less noise and a pattern with less visual impact, which cannot be measured by DXO) and DXO measurements (don’t look at single data points when the majority of their data points throughout the ISO range show improvements between 1/3 and 1/2 EV, which is about as good as it gets from one to the next generation).
The difference in base ISO DR compared to the Nikon is mostly due to 12 vs 14 bit RAW
You do realise that this camera isn’t primarly aimed at shooting video, with 4K rolling shutter do you?
This is about a sport and action shooter with an AF system that can handle that.
Please show us a series 12 fps full frontal shoots for 4-5 seconds of an athletic running the 110 hurdles from your precious GH4. And please shoot it with something like a 200-300/2.8 fast action tele or zoom. And then we’ll talk.
It doesn’t make GH4 video worse in any way, they’re just different tools.
What is better, a Porsche or a Ford F-150? Geeez …
glad you’re happy with you frankenstein wannabe dlsr with tiny sensor in a plastic body plus bad iq, if anyone wants good photos in a wannabee body a 250$ sony a3000 will be a much better option.
No hybrid AF taken from the A99 means no upgrade for my A77, I have the SSM lenses to support it. The A6000 AF points cover most of the frame and it’s a pity if Sony don’t do the same on their flagship APS-C.
Let’s hope it gets hybrid AF for Sonys sake.
Now that you understand why they have not announced along with the RX100MK3.
Why RX1000Mk3 with the specifications that we know today, this surpasses A77mk2 in every aspect starting from XAVC-S.
^^ Oh yes, RX100Mk3 has the larger sensor size, better IQ, bigger LCD , better viewfinder, ability to change lenses.. oh wait.
It probably has the same IQ. Or close to at least.But I don’t understand that it is without XAVC-S.
^^ Oh and how many great videos have you produced ?
This isn’t a video camera. Its a still camera that shoots some video.
If you want a proper video camera get the A7s for serious work.
And if you think a 20 MP 1 inch sensor can match a modern 24 MP APS-C sensor then you really have no clue about IQ.
On the flip side, it means all of your lenses benefit from the af improvements, rather than the few Sony decides to support in firmware… I don’t know about you, but 2/3 of my lenses are Sigma or Minolta, so there’s no way they’d be supported.
You make a good point re: Sigma. It does indeed mean ALL lenses get the benefit of the the AF points and that is a very good thing indeed.
To be fair on Sony after seeing the horizontal AF point coverage and reading the tech behind it I am more encouraged and shall wait for the reviews on how the AF performs. I read that it does get the AF range limiter from the A99 and that is a definite bonus for me too. If it throws in Auto ISO in manual, it might be a winner for me.
In my haste I think what I meant was that had the A77MKII had the Hybird AF and coverage of the A6000 points I would have placed an order TODAY. 😉
The AF assist will be missed by me – typical scenario:
“Beauty Shoot” at the client’s home. Full size studio strobes can be intimidating and take up too much space so use flashguns on stands. Turn off incandescent lighting so it doesn’t bugger up the white balance and it can be pretty dark and, without AF assist, difficult to focus – even manually. The alternative is to gel the strobes I guess but that doesn’t work as well with the modern mix of traditional incandescent bulbs and “energy saving” glowy things…
Well if you use flash guns on stands ,u have the internal flash popped, so it will most probably provide AF assist.
No I don’t, I use radio triggers
ok.
I would wager a small AF assist beam hitting a person wouldn’t be the most pleasant feeling for a person.
If the center cross focus point can focus down to -3 EV like the 6D then I think you can dispense with the focus assist light.
Do you find flashlight pleasant ? The AF illuminator is magnitudes less annoying than a flashlight.
Ok, Is a flash contributing to the final photo ? – Yes
Is the AF illuminator necessary to take the photo ? Nope.
So if I can remove one deterrent that will be a good thing.
I agree that with earlier cameras, using the AF lamp might have been necessary more so because previous AF systems couldn’t focus in low light but Sony would have removed this light from their flagship APS-C camera for a reason other than to save a few pennies.
Not any of those people I have photographed have complained about the AF illuminator. And it is not always people you have to shoot nor point the AF-assist lamp on.
I personally cant live without it. I take pics at clubs that are very dark and would not be able to do anything without it. You can always turn it off if you don’t need it.
er.. it’s just a red light not a super power laser or anything
Its an annoyance. If you can do without an annoyance why not ? Its not adding anything to the photograph like a flash.
Isn’t manual focus an option? I imagine the person will be quite still, and with peaking and magnification it would be quite easy.
Oh, and my A77 really is on its last legs – “Camera Error” every 10 minutes (the shutter seems to be sticking) so I hope there’s reviews before release so I can decide whether to replace with another A77, an A77m2, A6000 or possibly A7
Can you replace the shutter assembly ? I am assuming your warranty has expired.
How much does Sony charge for such a repair ? Over here in my country we don’t have such an option. 🙁
Probably – but I can’t be cameraless while it’s being repaired – and my backup A700 has developed a fault too – so I need to get a new camera THEN get the other 2 repaired (if possible) one at a time then sell one of them…
I woul by a used or discounted a99 instead unless you need the full 24 MP together with a long focal length.
Not unless they get significantly cheaper 🙁
Patiently waiting for the rx100III pics to leak.
Me too.
No GPS (mentioned), no touchscreen, same EVF resolution as previous model- but if things are faster and more refined than the original A77 such as improved EVF response time, better battery (fingers crossed), improved AF, improved startup/general response times, and finally better ISO – this was a huge issue with the A77, then i think this will be a worthy successor
I won’t upgrade, but I agree. I like that they stick to the original design purpose:
A fast action shooter with a lot of cropping potential. And providing all that performance with LiveView.
And focus on tuning the things that makes it excel in that field.
Instead of trying to be best at everything including video and whatnot.
I agree – it’s good too see something stills orientated. And to be fair, if you need 4k then the a77 probably isn’t the camera for you in the 1st place.
Not impressed either with no GPS, poor show Sony…
In the time Sony has had to put the A77MII together I expected allot more… I still think they should have rather delayed this camera another year and get things right and feature rich and NOT removed features already in the current model (they already removed Tether support then the A77 came out as the A700 replacement)…
My point is do things right and take the time to ensure it’s right… 1 more year would not have hurt and i”m sure many would have been happy to wait, I know I sure would have appreciated it more..
I hope there is more too this ‘upgrade’ so far it’s looking rather disappointing compared to the current A77… Lets hope the image quality/sensor, responsiveness and JPEG engine is greatly improved (most of which I still believe could have been achieved with a firmware update (obviously besides the sensor upgraded.. haha)…
If this is final specs I would have much preferred Sony to wait another year and bring out the next revolutionary A77 replacement as flagship camera’s like this generally get refreshed every 3-5 years and this does not feel worthy of a top of the line APS-C update…
Lets wait and see what if officially announced and wait for the sample pics and improvements to find out 🙂
In my book, the a77 only needs relatively minor tweaks in the first place. As long as af, low iso noise and sane iso noise are improved (along with fixed flash performance), I’ll be a happy bunny. There’s no sweeping changes, so the mk i price shouldn’t take too much of a hit in eBay hopefully…
Hi Andrew, I agree that that camera hardware is good but many updates/tweaks could have been done via firmware, also I HOPE this new version does includes some of the features you mentioned such as improved ISO noise…etc.. FYI, this was my ‘wish list’ on some of the improvements I would have liked to have seen and some are includes and for others we’ll have to wait for a hands on preview as they might be includes as well (fingers crossed!
– Change screen brightness quickly by long press display button (as with other older Sony cameras)
– Change flash exposure setting quickly by long pressing the +/- exposure button.
– “preview” setting for the image to only auto preview IF your eye is removed from the EVF and only on the back screen for x amount of seconds then the screen will go off and not be used/powered to save battery and remove the need to have it turned inwards most of the time to help save battery.
– 2 levels of preview zoom, eg, if default zoom is 100% a 50% zoom first would be good then press again to get 100% zoom.
– Zoom in/out and zoom scrolling needs to be faster and more responsive.
– Fix flash consistency issues
– Faster switching between LCD and EVF
– display both videos and photos in display mode (together)
– 720p and 4K video modes
– Let users specify set PAL or NTSC mode
– Improved video quality and low light performance
– Tether support
– Wifi support
– Enhanced Tether support such as: remote live view, full access to all camera settings and changes, Native Adobe Lightroom support (release open standards for developers to use)..etc..etc..
– Customizable “?” button
– Improved start-up and shutdown times
– In general improved reaction/response times with camera operations and changes
– Higher ISO limit in video mode
– Improved buffer handling and faster flushing of cache to memory, it seems even with the slower fps’s settings the A77 does not cope as well as it perhaps could?
– Ability to save camera serial number in EXIF (if a user chooses to enable the option)
– Timelapse photo mode (eg, app support)
– GPS (Keep the GPS do NOT get rid of it, I have not purchased a NEX only due to it missing the GPS feature yet my other Sony point and shoots have GPS!)
– Better kit lens quality (I’ve had two 16-50 F2.8 lenses become VERY stiff over time!)
– Improved battery life when using rear LCD
– Faster refresh rate and higher resolution/quality EVF
– More accurate LCD and EVF colours/brightness (often when reviewing images on the camera they don’t look right, eg, too dark but on PC they are fine!)
– Slightly smaller body than A77 but little larger than A65 (Personal preference)
– Reduced A77II pricing especially for existing A77 owners (eg, upgrade promotion from Sony?)
– 2x SD slots
Sony has done it again, taking out what has become a standard and fantastic feature… this time it’s GPS… last time it was Teather support… Come on Sony get your act together!
You guys should be happy. Canon updates their rebel series each year and the only thing that changes is the name (ok, they added a touchscreen a while back, but that’s about it).
This is not a flagship camera…
This is not rebel class camera its comparable with the 7D and D300s which by the way haven’t been updated for a long time.
Most brands flagship camera’s are updated only every 3-5 years (as they should be IMHO).
This means you ‘should’ get good support, spares continuity, accessories, high hardware specs initially improved firmwares and tweaks during the life of the camera (and hopefully at lest 1 generation behind but I don’t think this happens much) but these are the things I would expect from flagship camera gear.
I took for granted that this one would get support for remote control apps developed here:
https://developer.sony.com/develop/cameras/
But I don’t see the a-58 as a supported model.
Can we expect that this camera have the remote API?
Or aren’t Sony bothering on a-mount cameras?
Its modest but afordable and the Cannon 7Dmk 2 is roumerd to be arround 2k .Im glad theirs no Hybrid AF this means the A77 ii will be faster than the A6000 and it will be just as fast with 3rd party lenses ; D if thy made it Hybrid I was going to leave the Alpha camp as I am infacuated with Sigmas lenses at the moment ; D Good move sony
Hybrid AF has no effect on lenses that aren’t supported so I have no idea why you would be bothered about having it or not, your Sigma lenses would AF exactly as they do now using the cameras mirror and dedicated PDAF module. I think you mean MIRRORLESS with OSPDAF which is not the same thing at all.
The A99 already has a hybrid AF system and the A77MKII should have had it too.
+1 to puretide
Point is, we want to have a camera that would use ALL of its AF capabilities with any lens, especially those wonderful Sigma Art pieces. A Canikon camera can use all of their AF points with those, but A99’s 102 points won’t work.
I too hope that A99-II won’t have OSPDAF and will rely completely on a dedicated PDAF module, that will work with any AF lenses.
What’s a Cannon?
DPReview has first impressions
The biggest thing coming out of this replacement is NO “?” BUTTON! It is now as it always should have been, a “C” button like the A700 had (in a different place).
I reckon that the existing A77 VG will be compatible too.
FINALLY A REGULAR HOT SHOE! I’m buying it for that… 😀
It doesn’t have one. Some ISO triggers are known not to fit it.
What the… “GPS is gone and NFC is in”
That’s a deal breaker for me … Sony you suck!
LOVE the GPS in the A77 and A99 why are you taking it out… WHY WHY WHY????
Exactly !!!! Thats a real deal breaker for me too !
Having worked with the A77 and got used to the features and advantages with a cam with GPS in combination with maps and places in PP-software, then this is one of the main deal breakers for NOT buying an upgraded A77.
That is also the main reason for why i haven’t bought into nex or A7.
SONY !!!! WHATS is GOING ON ?
They probably don’t want to produce GPS/no GPS versions for different countries (they had to do it due to legislation problems), and separate GPS/GLONASS modules aren’t probably availible for cameras yet.
what! no xavc/s? forget it.
Here’s a comparison I made. It’s not 100% finished nor perfect, but it’s good for starters. The A77II is quite improved from the original. The ISO should probably be perfectly clean to 3200, and I’m sure 16000 on the II will be a TON better.
I am pretty sure the original A77 didn’t have the Bionz X processor, only plain Bionz.
True. Well I told you it wasn’t perfect… 😀
The original a77 also goes down to ISO50.
“3-way tiltable”
Can we all just agree to call a screen that “only goes up and down” a TILTABLE screen and one that “also goes sideways” a “tilt and FLIP” screen.
That is pretty much standard and very clear. 3-way tiltable is neither here nor there.
So with this model the victims of what I have coined the “boardroom feature raffle” seem to have been XAVC-S video encoding and GPS. Sony does it again with a few baffling omissions on an otherwise very well-specced camera indeed.
But why? WHY provide cheap points to critics/reviewers? Why give your competition an easy one-up on you? Why provide simple reasons for people to say “deal-breaker”? It is truly mind-boggling…
No GPS? Oh, it is very unfortunate…
Screw this, I’m just going to buy another a99. What a waste.
I think you should wait at least till September I would be surprised if Sony don’t renew the A99 as well, it will be about 2 years since the A99 announcement.
I need another ff camera now. It’s an absolute waste to have upgraded the 77. To only have only 1 full frame camera in your line up since the a900 is ridiculous.
How do we make use of the prime lenses like the CZ 50mm or the sigma 35mm lens and so on?
They are doing nothing for professional photographers and everything for the gimmick e mount enthusiasts and prosumers.
I am super disappointed. Now I have to purchase another 99 and sell my a77 which I only bought at the time because they had no other a mount camera on the horizon and didn’t want to purchase the soon to be discontinued a900.
I have the a77 and might have upgraded, but they eliminated one of my favorite features . . . on board GPS. Why would they do that? It is such a sensible feature, and I really missed having it on my dsc-rx1 during a recent trip to Europe. I have been debating whether to wait for the a99 replacement, and I really think this is the decisive factor. I hope they don’t eliminate the GPS function on that camera also! Don’t do it Sony!