Well, I am happy to see that I am not the only one have big “???” over the A-mount future. Matt Granger made this great video to try to give us an answer about that question. Well Sony officially says:
1) A-mount body and lens development will continue. But they cannot share any details about the future roadmap.
2) E-mount has a roadmap because it’s anew system and they need to create confidence. While A-mount is already a “mature” system therefore no roadmap is needed.
But as Matt noticed it’s very strange Sony did not show A-mount stuff at all during Photokina. No A77II, the two A99 camera hidden…why don’t you wanna promote those Sony?
P.S.: Thanks Matt for your work! I am very curious to read SAR readers comments on your video 🙂
0 Responses
Fairly obvious, though, isn’t it?
E mount needs lenses, more mature tech regarding AF and what not.
A mount has plenty of lenses already, although a few need updating, but the importance of updating a range that has many products already for it isn’t as critical as quickly building a compelling offering of a product range no one else has that you want to keep ahead with.
Only thing I see A-mount really lacking compared to E is 4K video.
People seem to forget that SLT is just as unique as FE.
No other company makes Full Frame mirrorless.
No other company makes DSLR with EVF.
You didn’t get what I said.
A mount has a lot of add-ons and other paraphernalia pertaining to that form factor and mount that it doesn’t “need” maturing. It is a system, far more complete than E mount.
E mount is very new. FE is even newer.
Pushing the younger system into a fuller system is a better investment of internal resources than half an effort in the younger system and half an effort in the older system (that doesn’t “need” much)
I get the ‘new’ part.
I was referring to the ‘a product range no one else has’ part.
Ah!, my bad.
That being said, to the user base of those brands, SLT is just another way or saying SLR.
Sony has created a zero-sum game which not only is creating all the tensions you see between the 2 camps but it is also completely undermining their a-mount system by feeding the “death if the a-mount” hysteria.
You sound angry and your comment is senseless.
Sony creating a zero-sum game?
Market share has always been zero-sum, with or without Sony.
It wasn’t as if between all other companies you could had 105% total market for the taking.
Feeding the death of the a-mount hysteria?
Where do you get all this?
It almost sounds like you want to say something that sounds clever, but it isn’t.
If you’ve missed all the folks jumping up and down and shouting about killing off the a-mount on SAR you simply aren’t paying attention. If you think product development and even market share is a zero-sum game you wouldn’t get out of an introductory marketing class with a passing grade.
Yes! Sony Alpha SLT was designed with video in mind, it was kind of its reason to be (constant focusing in video despite being a mirror DSLR, and the A99 even came out with video centric addons, XLR etc). Sony can claim that Alpha mount is mature and doesn’t need a roadmap, but they cannot argue against Sony Alpha SLT missing its mark for video and being superceded for video against A7/GH4/5D, A6000.and even Sony bridge cameras(!). That’s about being left behind, and I cant think of any counterargument for that one other than ‘that’s not important to us anymore’.
The Sony Rep was not giving an official statement.
The Sony Rep looked incredibly uncomfortable with some of those questions.
Even if Sony intends to continue it today, there’s no doubt it’s on the back burner, with the flame turned down really low. To the point that they seemed embarrassed to even display A-mount at Photokina. Now consider the dire financial situation just announced at Sony…what’s going to get cut? It seems obvious.
Kudos to Matt Granger for doing his best to get answers, but yet again, Sony blows some smoke at us and tells us nothing valuable.
Sony users need three things to have confidence in the future of A-mount (and the company):
1) A clear roadmap
2) An official press release addressing concerns
3) Product releases
None of that is occurring.
I would change your list of things to have confidence in the future of A-mount:
1) Releases of bodies
2) Releases of lenses
3) Roadmap
With roadmap (another “promise”) being less important than releases (actually doing something).
Elpha’s are cutish
Alpha’s are brutish
The lineup is fuller that way
Cute may adapt
Brutish is scrapped
A victim of Sony foul play
If you make it a Haiku, Sony marketing will hire you in a heartbeat!
It is Photokina
No love for A-Mount
What gives?
Is Photokina everything?
No, it’s the Haiku
5-7-5
Yours is:
6-5 (love counting as one) -2 (what and gives count as one)
Then again, maybe if you give me the “on” in Japanese of what you said you may have the 5-7-5 and I will be wrong.
Otherwise, English Haiku, more or less by general consensus, needs 5-7-5 syllables.
Just sayin’
I share your concern, Andrea, but that is natural when there is a bit of a mystery, isn’t it? From a marketing point of view, it is always most important to drive the hot product–and the A7 series is very hot. It has caught the attention of professional Canikon users like no previous Sony camera, and has the potential to be a game-changer because of that. Meanwhile, tell us what you know of what is happening in January. Does it not involve A-mmount?
“professional Canikon users like no previous Sony camera” – I dare to say bollocks. RX100 got attention of pro-photographers by far more than A7 ever will. Heck: the number of pros owning RX100 probably is at least an order of magnitude higher than number of pros owning any variant of the A7.
That’s a cheap cam that is not meant to make other brand users switch.
Unrelated comment.
a7s got my attention. a6000 – i got one. NX1 – got defintily my attention already checked Sammys lens lineup, pretty descent.
Why no 4K/pro codec in a77II Sony?
I think it’s high time for Sony to bring out a cheaper 4K camera with APS-C sensor.
That one : the NX1 scared Sony, releasing the first (?) 4K apsc DSLR H265 (full pixel read out).
Not for paid work it didn’t. That’s the point. The A7 is a completely different beast to the RX100 and it is silly to make the comparison.
RX1 did also.
The following comment posted recently here is from a Photokina visitor who said there were in fact several A-mount cameras and lenses on display at the Sony booth:
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sony-we-want-to-keep-developing-both-the-a-mount-and-the-e-mount-systemy/#comment-1594500915
“1) A-mount body and lens development will continue”
For what I know this is enough for me. All the rest are non-sense speculations…
Finally. A man with reason.
Nothing has changed…people will have doubts about aA mount no matter whar Sony says…why….because we are walking on a highwire without a safety net.
If Sony were to have full high speed autofocus compatabilty with non native E mount lenses it would allow Canikon users to painlessly transition into Sony simply by buying anE mount camera that is fully compatable with thier system.
A mount can use the LAEA4 , with some light loss but doable…however they cannot do so without losing image stabilzation.
As a result of the uncertainty however neither consumers or 3rd party manufacturers can confidentlybuy or support the system.
Many are switching…and most damaging of all no Amount user will reccomend the A mount
What I find amusing is some of the trolls screaming “death of the a-mount” with glee about a year ago when I first started following SAR are arguing against me now that I’ve pretty much tossed in the towel and declared a-mount a dead man walking.
The VP clearly is telling us the e-mount is planned to replace the a-mount. He’s just looking at his watch and saying now’s not the time.
Agreed.
Sorry. The guy was not VP. He is said to be “Technical Marketing Manager”. That is NOT a high position.
See my comment above, sock puppet.
How did the guy clearly say that?
You sound paranoid, bro.
Your reply to me below and this other comment really drives hysteria…not Sony driving hysteria as you say.
Let me clarify, the VP I’m referring to is the one Andrea posted about earlier and here’s his quote:
“For the moment, we cannot see mirrorless technology overtaking the translucent sensor technology. Therefore, we want to keep developing both the A mount system and the E mount system. And in Europe, thanks to the Minolta heritage, many customers own Alpha lenses and these customers still want to use their lenses on current Alpha bodies. That’s why this summer we announced the Alpha 77 MK II and we strongly believe that its performance is very good.”
The Sony sales guy Granger is talking to is a low to mid level talking head who isn’t privy to the big picture or have authority to leave his script. He’s obviously tap dancing and hoping he doesn’t slip and step into something he shouldn’t.
He did not say that, clearly or otherwise.
The boat is sinking. Some people just can’t accept the fact and jump. Some of them even imagining that the boat can fly some days.
You jump first, off a bridge jack*as.
Agreed. The only question for me now is A7-style, Fuji, or RX-style, or some combo.
Ship can fly, if you willing to put some new technology in it.
They call it space ship. ;-P
An interesting developnent..Canon may be introducing a new mount..specifically for sensors smaller than C size…mayby that means a 1″ ILC system?
or 1.5 like in G1X
Hadn’t heard. Interesting to see if they can do a better job than Nikon who, IMHO, is struggling with their Nikon 1 system.
They are also working on a largeer sensor superzoom.
body language says he is lying.
yes more fuel to the fire of the conspiracy theorists!
Don’t fool yourselves! A Tech Marketing Manager would get fired in seconds if he said something else. All A mount sales would end at once and so would he!
It’s not trolls talk to say A mount is running out. It’s quite obvious. I just hope it doesn’t hurt Sony and E mount, because that is the future for all you A mountaineers as well.
I think that’s why some of the e-mount fans who used to love screaming”death of the a-mount” are reversing themselves for this very reason. In part, I think they smugly assumed we’d join them but missed the fact a-mount and DSLR owners in general have had plenty of time to make the switch. SLT owners who haven’t or want DSLRs to complement their mirrorless system will run to Canikon when squeezed hard by Sony marketing.
Maybe Sony brass is picking up some of the blowback and will prioritize some a-mount gear.
Exactly. If Sony announces A-Mount is dead then everything on the shelf wont sell and that will piss off business owners who have A-Mount stuff in stock and if they do that they may not carry E-Mount either so Sony obviously don’t want that.
The is nothing wrong with A-mount. E-mount is a more revenue generating platform for Sony so they are focused on it at the moment. Reading SAR nowdays is the same as listening to NPR: apocalypse is “definitely” coming and “we all gonna die”.
Hell fire guys, let’s wait for the ‘BIG ANNOUNCEMENT’ in January before cutting our wrists, but if nothing comes from that it is probably game over for A-mount!
I saw a Nikon D810 in a shop window today and I’m sure it winked at me as I walked away.
I think secrecy is endemic within Sony and not even regional representatives know what’s going on. I believe senior staff at Sony UK were as suprised by the abandonment of the A750 and the development of the A77 as anyone – so this poor bloke was put in a position where he couldn’t really answer any questions.
Also worth mentioning (again) that I reckon the success of the A7 series has taken Sony by suprise, and with the constant criticism that there’s very few native FE lenses it’s not suprising that that’s their main priority at the moment.
the future is in the future.
And past is prologue.
I have to commend Matt Granger for taking interest in this. He’s expressed appreciation for sony alpha mount products in the past, but we all know he’s a Nikon guy. Despite that, I think he’s a real stand up individual and at least someone was willing to do some leg work out there for us. He definitely earned some serious points in my book today.
Isn’t he another “Ken Rockwell” guy?
I don’t actually care who does the interview as long as they ask the pressing questions. 🙂
LOL 🙂
I so wish when the Sony rep said Sony Alpha is mature and doesn’t need a roadmap that Matt pressed home with ‘but the reason d’etre of Sony Alpha SLT is video (via constant focusing), yet Sony Alpha is now behind even Sony bridge cameras on video overall… could you tell us what the thinking on that is?’
Who uses a road map anymore now that we have GPS.
…except if you have the A77II
No way, not even close. I also think people harp to much on Ken. He makes it clear how he earns his living, it’s literally plastered on every page and review he does. Matt though is a serious tech nerd, and I think he shows a lot of genuine enthusiasm.
You can check his website and youtube channel, he’s posting great things and his lightning courses are great.
Thank you, I will.
No!
Absolutely not. Rockwell is truly out of his mind, Granger is the real deal.
Yes, he’s a Nikon guy who I’ve started to depend on because he’s fair and no fan boy plus he’s on top of stuff with solid reviews. Canon Rumors features his Photokina 7D2 and 400mm reviews. Very nice. No bias.
I thought it was another one of those Sony mangers or vice presidents. A Nikon reviewer? Hmm..
Well said!
Matt Granger great job *Thumb*
Finally someone find an a-mount camera in the Photokina.
Two a-mount camera put under the table 😛
That interview reminded me of a story I just read of Russian soldiers being killed in the Ukraine and the government denials of any Russians fighting except on vacation…the big lie propaganda machine is alive and well at Sony.
You have a broad view. Should focus.
You can read what you like into the guys reaction, he could know that A-mount isn’t being developed, he could know that something big is about to be launched, or he could know nothing at all.
You’d get the same uncomfortable reaction from anybody not in a position to directly answer the question, people are reading into his reaction what THEY want to believe.
the video is only good for one thing: to keep the discussion alive on this site.
Right, which is why even comments of reassurance from folks at Sony don’t seem to carry much weight: everyone is going to project their own feelings (positive or negative) into them. The only thing that talks are products, and we’ll have to either wait to see if those are forthcoming, or panic now and leave.
Or the third option, which I suspect a lot of people are going to do: panic AND wait.
Well I have a 4 month old Sony A77II that says A-mount is very much alive. 😉
And that’s why I’m hanging on, too. I’ve shot the ever-living eff outta my A850 and A99, and would love to see an A99ii. All I need are the same upgrades they applied to the A77ii. That would be perfect for me. So I’ll wait, because if it does come out it’ll be worth it. In the meantime, as long as my A99 keeps going, I’m okay.
Can’t wait to see the A99II as well. Hopefully in a few month this is gonna happen, tired to use adapters on the A7r (but must admin I’m enjoying some great Canon and ZE lenses on it 🙂
The 4D focus tech is surely coming to both the A99mkii and the E-mount FF cameras. It’s a new fabrication effort that doesn’t happen overnight. I think Sony was ready early this year to announce A99mkii but decided to wait so they could get 4d into it.
4D = BS
TrustedSouce=Bull Shi*ter.
You are a wretched troll.
TrustedSource is a sensor envy troll.
STILL Trying to keep the re-sale value up on that thing? Please Stop.
Why would I want to sell the A77II? It is the best APS-C camera I have used and my 70-400G is an excellent match for it.
I wanna say bye bye A mount but I’m afraid in two years someone will come and say bye bye E mount
You can bet that nobody will be saying bye bye Canon/Nikon. So go to them if you are losing sleep over it.
Gosh, people here are very sensitive 🙂
Maybe. But A77II is just an idiot.
Aww are you butt hurt because you called an imbecile? Bless!
No. I’m just pointing out that you’re an idiot.
I can’t be an idiot for point you out to be an imbecile that can’t read and comprehend comments, that doesn’t make sense.
Sensitive about what? If you are losing sleep over a product that you worry about, then swap to something else. You are the one being sensitive about the future of A-mount, not me. Life is too short to worry about stuff like that, just swap.
Yes, E Mount is dead. Sell everything before it’s too late.
YUP, SONY SAID THEY HAVE TO DISCONTINUE THE E-MOUNT BECAUSE THEY GOT AHEAD OF THEMSELVES AND FORGOT B-MOUNT AND C-MOUNT. THEN THEY WILL BRING OUT D-MOUNT WHEN THEY ARE THROUGH WITH B AND C. SORRY E-MOUNT USERS.
People like small camera big lens.
This is the future.
Sony will put their FF sensor in their Xperia phone Z99.
You can attach the new 70-200 2.8 X lens into it and it call the X-mount.
And get sued by Fuji, LOL.
Already posted for sale but nobody is buying.
No, that was not very convincing. I’d like to believe them, but this interview did little to dispel the insecurity. There must be various very well paid sales managers organizing the Photokina stand – still such absolutely, totally foreseeable beginner’s mistakes! Makes me wonder if they are really ever going to get it at all. Always rushing, rushing, rushing to the next technical novelty – Sony really needs some consolidation in the imaging department.
SORRY, THAT GUY CREATED EVEN LESS CONFIDENCE IN THE A-MOUNT WITH NO REAL ANSWERS. NO REAL DIRECTION. VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HIS ANSWERS, LIKE HE DONT BELIEVE WHAT HE’S SAYING.
redfern: Give the guy a break. Clearly he has no idea about Amount strategy but he can’t say that on camera–so he did the next best thing and rather than say “I Don’t Know, he provided a positive market-speak response ( basic marketing). IF Sony is really no longer expanding their Amount system for what ever reasons, chances are this guy has no clue one way or the other and neither would any of the other thousands of employees that work for Sony.
Wait, who are you responding to? I never said anything of the sort. Something seems jacked with the commenting system here. Half the time I respond to a comment and then the name on the original comment changes…
Yeah it’s a bug with Disqus and a PITA.
True; people that are already hysterical will become more so, until they receive a sharp slap in the face, a sedative or in extreme cases (like yours) shock therapy.
?
So the roadmap also only contains FE lenses, no APS-C lenses, right ?
Right.
tbh if sony wants to spend most of its efforts on fe, then set a couple of guys to go to 3rd party guys like sigma, tokina, tamron, and get them to slap a sony sticker on there product and help them get the advanced features like the focusing stuff incorpirated. body wise they might be able to share some of the design.
what aps-c exclusive lenses do people want from e mount anyways?
Something affordable – dump Zeiss, give us a pancake that rivals the Fuji 23mm X100s, a decent macro that’s not $1500, a wideangle that’s not dependent on attachments, a constant aperture 70-200 equiv. Nothing, NOTHING, for FE costs under $500, and most are $1000 and above. I see Zeiss and just groan – Sigma rivals Zeiss in quality for 1/3 the price.
theres a 30mm macro, cheap extension tubes with auto, raynox, adapted lenses too will hurt less for macro… and the 11-18 ? and the 50-150 sigma was discontinued so im not sure if that sold well (dslr lens), i guess most people just buy a 70-200 even on crop. no idea how popular equivilents are on m4/3 etc.
a great pancake lens would be good, thats true
Thank you Matt Granger.
Let’s wait until January…
Only hope for us A-Mount users.
My lenses:
Minolta
35105AF (with Macro)
70210F4
Sony DT
SAL1855-2
SAL18250
Sony FF
CZ1635F28
CZ2470F28
70200GF28
70300G
70400G
16F28 (fisheye)
50F14
85F28
135STF
OUCH. Poor guy. That could have been retirement.
Sell everything and flood the market, thank you.
Can I haz Ur 135STF and 70-200G?
Why in the world would you have a 70-300 AND 70-400 AND 85/2.8??? Thats quite an overlap…
And I’m not even asking why you have a DT kit and a superzoom… The superzoom is complete trash! Are you collecting lenses or something?
Having both the 70-300 and 70-400 is perfectly sensible. I don’t see what the 85mm has got to do with either of them either, so what’s your point there?
There is more to lens choice than focal length coverage!
You guys do realize the obvious don’t you….
If Sony announces A-Mount is dead then everything A-Mount on the shelf wont sell and that will piss off business owners who have A-Mount stuff in stock and if they do that they may not carry E-Mount either so Sony obviously don’t want that. So, Sony CANT announce A-Mount is dead.
I don’t think they can openly lie?
This guy just said they are gonna develop new bodies and lenses.
maybe they will develop one last a-mount to e-mount adapter lol… there will no more a-mount lens for sure
You are trolling for sure. You have no info.
About as reliable as that BRWAT guy…
Yes, I’m sure they will come out with an a99II since its probably near completion to milk a little more money from A-Mount owners. So its not a lie. Just no Future in it.
I’d buy A99II, a set of lenses and turn off all camera news for a looong. time.
That’s actually not a bad idea for non-professionals.
I’m thinking about buying an A850 or A900 for my personal shooting to use with a handful of lenses I saved, and then obviously using my just aquired Nikon system for paid work (because it does have a future).
If the camera was the Perfect camera for YOU and your Expectations. But they never are. That’s why you are asking for a a99II and not happy with an a99. They will never produce the perfect camera for YOU. They wont have anything to sell you next year so come back to reality. Just ask the Nikon users that were waiting on the D750. Great camera but it wasn’t what THEY wanted the same way the a99II won be exactly what YOU want. Saying you would buy something unreleased and unseen with no idea what the price or specs are is kinda silly too, Don’t you think?
I’m not sure it was legally an “official statement”.
Besides, the worst that can happen is Sony doesnt like what he said, apologizes that he was misinformed, and replaces him. It’s not like they can really get in ‘trouble’ for saying things like that if they turn out to be untrue.
yes, like some A-mount users refused to believe that… that A mount is dead : )
But… The E-Mount didn’t help the 2 local “Sony Style” stores stay in business (Both Closed) even though E-Mount Stuff was everywhere. Those stores are actual Sony owned stores so they are taking an item from manufacturing cost, to full retail and still cant stay in business. Unlike a camera store who buys items at wholesale and sells them for retail. Still Confident E-Mount Lovers?
Sony Style stores are franchises, not Sony.
The other obvious is Sony is purposely letting people know they are not supporting it without saying it. If they Even cared they would have properly displayed and mentioned all of the A-Mount stuff and just went through the motions but they didn’t. Its their way of telling you, without Telling you.
What’s your problem, didn’t your mommy let you suck her titie when you were a baby?
Wrong. It was your mommy.
And I still get the pleasure of that from time to time. 😉
Seriously you two…this isnt third grade. Let’s get back on topic, shall we?
Exactly. Maybe they ARE in third grade.
I shouldn’t find this funny…but I unfortunately do.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with A-mount, but I think the Samsung NX1 scared them a little and they postponed the A-mount anouncements. That thing is “ready” for 7k/8k already (full pixel read out)!
Speaking of Samsung… Samsung, Please buy the Alpha Mount from Sony. The NX1 with an alpha mount and the A-Mount lens line-up out of the gates would smash on a 7DII or any other aps-c setup now.
NX1 is a mirrorless camera. It’s a totally different beast to 7DII.
That said, I agree, if Samsung bought A-Mount, things could turn interesting.
Samsung, ahh ha ha ha ahah ha ha ha.
Number9 = Sony Rep. One of the actual reps working Photokina… How he got his name was he was the 9th Sony guy who ignored me and acted like he didn’t know what an A-mount is. And tried to show me some E-Mount toy camera and proceeded to tell me how small, amateurish, uncomfortable with big lenses, and overpriced it is.
Samsung, ahh ha ha ha ahah ha ha ha.
You’re a postage stamp size format troll, get over it.
‘TrustedSewer’ is the same guy as ‘Number9’
His screen names all just changed.
Just want to see how good is the
Samsung new APSC 28MP back side illuminated sensor ?
A-mount is dead, like all those screw drive focus lens, rotating front element lense, noisy and slow SAM lens, all are obsolete technology. E-mount is the future.
A-mount is fine, just needing lenses refreshes (and some tele sport lenses) and refreshed FF body.
What is lacking in A-mount that hurt your photography?
OHHH. The Alpha Mount is SOOO mature. The have what, 5 slt bodies? Which is where their effort is(Was) in dslr type cameras. Sounds sooo mature that they can do a roadmap huh? You people are so gullible .
Sensor envy, I think there is a support group for that.
*Cant
who the hell is matt granger?
is the guy who created “the simpons”???
With a lifetime for a lens of 15 years, releasing a new lens every 6th months would give a lens lineup of 30 lenses, and that is a bit low for a serious system. Add a few years will add lenses.
But one every 6th months is a minimum.
Do the math, how many lenses have we seen the last 5 years?
From 01/01/09 on A-mount? 19 from Sony alone, no idea from other manufacturers.
“No A77II, the two A99”
Sorry to say, but there were a lot A77 II at the Photokina today, paired with 300 2.8 SSM, the 70-400 II a few A99 with 500mm and other Alpha stuff…. and you could try them all.
There were all A-Mount lenses, some technical infos about the STF, the SSM and so on…
Edit: I wonder if this Matt was at Photokina at all…
If true, it is possible Sony is rushing in an A-mount presence, as they’re finally becoming aware of the panic going round the web. Matt’s a good guy; he wouldn’t lie about what he saw when he was there.
‘panic going round the web’
lol you amuse me, thank you.
You must be really dense. Have you not read any of these forums? Some of them are 500+ PAGES long.
http://community.sony.com/t5/Alpha-SLT-DSLR-Cameras/Is-Sony-killing-the-A-mount/m-p/443880#U443880
http://community.sony.com/t5/Alpha-SLT-DSLR-Cameras/The-future-of-Sony-a-mount-DSLT/m-p/443978#U443978
http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/76-non-pentax-cameras-canon-nikon-etc/273315-sony-mount-dead.html
http://www.sonyuserforum.de/forum/showthread.php?t=150937
http://www.sonyuserforum.de/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=25
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/the-a-mount-frustration-post-what-should-sony-do/
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sony-announces-the-new-fe-lenses/
http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/sony-photokina-no-love-for-amount_topic109020.html
http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/has-sony-forgotten-about-alpha-camera-lens-users_topic108789.html
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/54367837
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/54388876
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/54393464
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3727482
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3727105
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-29249100
And many many more. I think that’s a panic if I ever saw one.
The posts you see are from a few people who are a tiny drop in the Sony numbers. The VAST majority of Sony users don’t know anything about what is being said in this or any other forum.
You’re missing the point. We’re looking at RELATIVE numbers.
The VAST majority of Sony users are consumer level shooters who do not give a rat’s a$$ what happens. I think what’s happening in those links constitutes a very good big picture view of the fear, and yes, panic that’s going on now.
No I am not missing the point.
There are a large number of A99, A900, A850, A77, A77II and A700 users out there with top-end glass that are certainly not “consumer level shooters”. The numbers are VAST compared to a few loud moaners in the usual forums making it appear like there is some panic.
The silent majority simply shake their head at the loons and carry on taking photographs.
Troll’n Troll’n troll’n…keep those trolls a troll’n. Troll on!
Haha, funny! There was a balcony full of A-Mount stuff and about 25 quadrat metres of A mount lenses and two stands with A-Mount stuff and a vitrine 10 metres long displaying stuff like the STF, SSM and other technical information yesterday. You really think Sony did not have this on the first day? Really? LOL
There were at least 10-20 Sony Alphas on the balcony with 300 2.8, 70-400, 500 and other lenses.
This whole gloom and doom thing I’m afraid is caused by an oversight by Sony. They should fire the person responsible for making the decision to focus solely on FE and ignore the A-mount totally for this Photokina. This is like one step forward and two steps back. FE indeed bring in money and attracted some Canikon pros, but Sony should know that once an A-mount user switched to Canikon, chances of him coming back to A-mount is almost zero. Not sure how many A-mount users have already sold their gears and jump ship to Canikon. There are many geniuses in Sony, but sad to say that they truly lack of top brains in the management team. Just my 2 cents.
The A mount panic has been ignored too long and has now reached damaging proportions.
It is and will hurt sales of BOTH A mount and E mount.
There needs to be a truly compatible conversion and it is needed yesterday.
Both for A mount lenses and for Canikon lenses because many of the lenses we want are not being made in Sony mount.
I plan to buy a 150-600 sigma and want the sport version…which is not going to be made for Sony…nor are the new teliconverters going to be made for sony.
If A mount were fully compatable…fast focus…with E mount…then at least Sony would be a possible option…its not!!!
I dont think we should say A mount is dead anymore…we should be saying Sony is dead.
Sony = The next Enron.
Don’t Invest.
Enron – they take your money, and run)))
Do you mean never buy gas or never buy Enron stocks? Those are two different things!
Had you invested in Sony stock a couple of years ago you’d be sitting on a nice pile of cash today. Sony stocks trend is UP not down.
They’re still alive and kicking right now as we speak, but it is very possible. I’ve been doing some research into their financial situation, and while comparable companies have pulled out of similar situations in the past, it could definitely go either way at this point. One thing that they definitely dont need right now is a controversy over one of their pillar product lines, which can spread worry to the other ones. And that’s exactly what they’ve got.
‘I’ve been doing some research into their financial situation’
nerd rage…
Thank you for contributing your important insight for us all to read. Your wisdom is quite invaluable to this discussion.
I like to try to dive in and learn about things that are important, not just read the headlines.
wow you take this imaginary sony crisis really serious? you are just a handful of people with overactive fantasy (or too much time).
It’s our opinion. It’s our take on it. I’ve been around a fair number of years, and I’ve seen similar things go down. It’s not always a pretty sight to see. No company is too big to fail. Maybe I’m wrong – I very well could be. But let’s just say I’m sure the Sony Corporate players are not sleeping well at night right now.
WTF? Let me guess…this guy ^ cant read too well, and he’s jealous.
They make picture books for you illiterates, ya know.
COVER YOUR SONY LOGO WITH TAPE
Show support for the dying A mount
All over the world cover your logo.
Using a different camera..cover your logo too..show us your support.
Hi Barry – I would be able to if it were not for the fact that I don’t currently own a Sony camera anymore. I sold all of my Sony gear, aside from 3 lenses I wanted to hold on to. Perhaps I should change my avatar on here though to something less “Sony”….
Show us your support..whatever camera you use cover your logo with tape.
Believe it or not, but I usually did that anyway. A lot of people do while photographing in less than ideal locations – it helps reduce theft.
Now do it to support us and spread the word.
True. Just look at their big money maker the Playstation. When the PS3 came out you couldn’t get your hands on one. When the PS4 came out you could go into any store and there would be 4 or 5 of them just sitting there.
PS4 is selling incredibly well. But Sony admitted that they are clueless as to why.
http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/20/sony-doesnt-know-why-the-ps4-is-doing-well
Anyway, Steam Machines is the future of gaming, so Playstation won’t be relevant anymore.
ROTFL
He called the e-mounters insecure. It’s so true read their posts.
little miss drama queen
COVER YOUR LOGO WITH TAPE
Let sony know you are dissatisfied with what they are doing to a mount users.
Any tape..or be creative and tell us your tape story.
Using a differrent camera..cover your logo with tape too in support of the dying A mount.
E-mount is dead. Why don’t you guys just admit it.
Hello Sony Fans,
I am a Canon Professional photographer from Seattle, WA, and I just wanted to give you my take on this whole thing, hopefully without sounding like a troll. It’s not intended that way.
I use my Canon 5DIII and 1Ds cameras for sports and wildlife photography and am totally satisfied with the kit. I am also a member of CPS, which has been very important in my career. As a surprise to me, I recently came from Photokina, and I spent about an hour and a half at the Sony booth, out of my own curiosity.
The A7 series is actually not a bad bit of kit. I was impressed with the A7s and the A7r both. I could see adding an A7s to my bag, for sure. Even more enticing is the ability to not need to buy any Sony lenses and use my L’s with adapters. I think I might actually do this.
But I do agree with other posters here about the future of Sony. First off, I honestly didn’t even realize that A-mount was still around. I guess it just faded off into oblivion after Minolta sold off. I never gave it a second thought and it never comes up in the Canon circles. So, that’s not good it’s still around and largely unknown. There were not any A-mount cameras at Photokina – it was never brought up at all.
Sony is in dire straights from the news I’ve seen, so even thought they’re doing some really sweet (different!) things with the E-mount, and even I’m interested, I would feel very nervous investing in Sony anything as a system. Buying a purpose driven body, like the A7s, and using adapters for lenses makes a lot of sense.
Anyway, I hope this is well received. I give Sony major applause for their mirrorless efforts, some of that gear is really sweet. But it’s still not good enough to convert people like me to switch gears completely, and the prospect of the entire company folding is far too great a worry.
Jason L McCullough
Canon LA Photo Club, CPS.
Jason. What is your motive for “swinging by and posting?”
I don’t get it.
It doesn’t matter that you don’t know about it, it’s the third biggest player in the game whether you’re watching or not. Very egocentric. But hey, maybe Ford should quit making cars since they’re third behind gm and Toyota.
No one would look at the popularity of leica and judge it to be a failure because so few cameras get sold, and yet Sony alpha mount routinely gets hammered for bringing home the bronze.
There are no points for second (or third) place.
But there is plenty of money and it’s money not points that matter in the real World.
But do you how far behind from the second?
how far does it matter? is it worse than K mount? Leica? Fuji? m4/3? SAMSUNG for petes sake? how many of those companies are gonna pick up their ball and go home? Samsung must not be making anyhere near sony, and yet on they go to the great benefit of us all.
i swear if all you had were canon and nikon, we’d all still being paying 5000 for an entry level DSLR and walgreens would still develop film.
Why do A-mount users have to worry? No A99 successor? But A99 is only 2 years old. 5Dm3 is older. A77-2 was intoduced 5 months ago. 7D shooters had been waiting for 6(!) years. No new lenses for A-mount? It was said that there would be an announcement in 3 months. Some A-mount lenses are a bit outdated? Canon cameras have outdated sensors, so what? Nowadays all photocompanies have hard times and can’t make new cameras and lenses every month. E-mount is much younger and popular than A-mount, that’s why we have much more new lenses and cameras with E.
Jason,
Are you playing games! Give us a link to your professional work?
Just for fun! Tell us who you are?
Barry
E-Mounters, who say A-Mount is outdated and old, remind me of automotive motor discussions, where pro-OHC people keep saying that pushrod is old and outdated.
Just like the fact that today, a pushrod V8 in a Corvette outperforms a turbo DOHC in M3 in both power, weight, size, everyday driveability and fuel economy, The same way A-Mount cameras outperform E-Mount in low light AF, low contrast AF, customization/usability and egronomics. Sure, things like customization/usability and egronomics could be quickly mitigated by increasing camera size to DSLR level and adding more custom buttons, but AF still has a long way to go.
Well that’s just it. It’s not outdated. It’s hard for any camera these days to be “outdated” especially when we are reaching the the limits in terms of resolution that few FF lenses can handle. I think the format in general has plateaued.
Any new sensor technology can be put in existing bodies. A mount can always be updated. Sure, it may not be suited for OSPDAF but does it matter? I suggest that it doesn’t. Most screw drive lenses are just as fast if not faster than at least SSM.
That’s why I don’t want FE. There aren’t any serious advantages and your hindered with the size and limited lenses. Even if it did have the lenses, so what? It still wouldn’t blow away anything A mount can do. It’s just a matter of what people are willing to buy and what’s hot in the market- SLT’s aren’t really it.
My major complaint with E-mount’s design, is the same “strength” that’s being touted. Ergonomics really need to be improved. The A7 feels “ok” in hand, though a bit awkward, with a small lens. With anything larger on the front of it, and it’s got abysmal handling. It reminded me of when I last went to the Netherlands and put on some wooden clogs in a tourist shop, and then went back to my sneakers. That’s the same feeling you get when you hold an A7 with a 70-200 on it, and then go back to an A99 with a 70-200 on it.
The e-mounters are very insecure. To hammer on the third largest SLR mount endlessly hoping others will convert to mirror-less is utter insanity.
Its just not gonna to happen, most A-Mount users will switch to Nikon, before buying a mirror-less camera.
They may have similar sized sensors, but SLR should be considered a different format altogether, for photographers that shoot a different styles of photography.
The sad part is that it’s not really the E-mount users saying that. It’s the A-mount users that are crying. They’re all talking about selling their gear or making a mistake by investing into A-mount.
If Sony were committed to a mount they should stop being coy and throwing us into a panic and just say “yes, we’re working on the a99ii” or “yes, you can expect xyz”.
Thin assurances of Good can sound a lot like thick assurances of bad.
Its what the anti-alpha users do. The Maxxum/Alpha is close to 30 years old, and its still the same trolls on the same sites that say things over and over again.
I think most of them suffer from mental health conditions.
The A-Mount still generates more revenue than the Sony’s mirror-less cameras. It has a larger user base, and A-Mount users continue to enjoy are terrific SLT or DSLR cameras.
I think that dynamic is quickly shifting, though, and like any smart company, they’re going to focus on the growing segment, not the shrinking one. How many people do you know that dumped their Canikon equipment for DSLT? I’m sure you can find a couple, but certainly not many. The A7 line, though? People are coming at that from every brand, because they don’t have to ditch their old lenses to do it.
A-Mount is actually growing between 7 to 10% annually. If you don’t believe me watch the A77II launch video on http://www.youtube.com.
Only consumer (sub-$500.00) SLR sales are shrinking, which is why Sony switched to SLT over five years ago.
BTW mirror-less isn’t the reason for the drop in SLR sales, smart phones are.
It’s just as much a possibility that they drop an A mount bomb in January…as in giant 46MP sensor, all new revised AF. They totally ignored the cybershot line as well- are they ditching this? I don’t think so. There is just no way to figure out what in the world Sony is thinking. It’s just so frustrating. I’m not going to throw myself into yet another system so I wait.
Last year Canon took a hit and it resulted in a 9 percent decline in brand value. However, they were still estimated at a worth of 11 billion. As of May Nikon hit an all time 3 year low in stock value. Go on DPreview this week and guess what??? Nikon and Canon owners are complaining about the lackluster and late to market products from both of them at Photokina. I’ve talked with my local camera store and same thing….people aren’t as interested in DSLR’s and they want to know about this “mirrorless” stuff. They’ve also stated sales are at an all time low for camera gear.
Go to any tourist hot spot and what do you see? People taking pictures with their cell phones and IPAD’s. And we know both Sony and Samsung are working hard on taking cellphone picture quality to another level in the next few years. No one wants a dedicated DSLR anymore. Even many pro’s are questioning the value of it when APSC has just gotten so dang good. Even fuji’s remarkable cameras and lenses are blurring the line of what should be considered PRO.
There is no where to hide unfortunately. It’s like Kodak repeating itself all over. To many players in the market, way to many options and a dying demand= BAD. Pro’s are going to stick with what they have because it works. But even then, as demand decreases in 10 years it could be a different story. DSLR users are the new generation of film shooters.
It’s the same story for every other SLR camera. We get tired of using the same equipment day after day and we to try something new. When it isn’t there we complain, whine, and some users might actually be crying.
Its called GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), and we all suffer from it.
I know I suffer from it. Film has helped me get back to basics though. Instead of investing in one system I’ve adopted multiple systems and thus different styles. Medium format, 35mm film, M43- it’s all good. I have about 2200.00 dollars worth of Olympus M43 gear and sometimes it freaks me out just how good it can be. Is it A7R with Zeiss quality? No, not exactly, but dang it can get pretty close. I’ve realized that bigger may be better but often doesn’t matter.
I have much more fun working around each systems weaknesses and trying to maximize what I can out of it. For the first time in over 6 years I’ve stopped buying endless series of lenses and full frame digital cameras…it’s overstated how much the equipment really matters.
Grab a 135 STF and a couple rolls of film, and you’ll see a light, and day difference in the photos you’ve taken. I prefer Black and White.
I had a tourist ask me to take a picture of her and her children with her iPad recently, As she handed over the iPad she politely asked that I take care not to shake the iPad while taking the picture. I kindly put my camera in my bag and proceeded to oblige taking care to hold the iPad steady. 🙂
Canikon have certainly taken a hit and you’re right to assert that it’s because competition has heated up.. But where you’re wrong is to think DSLR is going away so fast. There has never and will never be a huge market for four-figure cameras. 1000, 2000, 5000 dollar cameras NEVER sold well. You’re comparing the success of mirrorless against DSLR and, for better or worse, people have made the SAME COMPARISON of DSLR to P&S.
everyone buys a phone. Not long ago, just about everyone had a P&S. SLRs and DSLRs have been around longer than that and have NEVER been more popular. so why is it only now you ring the death knell? because mirrorless cameras have interchangable lenses and good IQ? that’s trendy, being “pro tog” is in vouge. But when the tweenies and college students grow up, how many do you suppose will be making money with their mirrorless cams? I’ll tell you right now, mirrorless cameras are the best thing that ever happened to the rockabilly revival mom who wanted to take pictures of her kids and pininfarina designed coffee makers, but no one prepared to spend 3k on a camera is changing their mind.
I agree 100% as I struggle with accepting my new ZA lens that just arrived. When I attended my Class Reunion 2-years ago I was the only person in attendance that had a real camera. I’m at age where the future doesn’t really matter anymore, so this replaces what my father used to do, and that was to collect stamps and old coins.
I know exactly what you mean.
I’ve had the 135mm 1.8 for a few years now. No regrets, it just kills every frame. I could take a picture of a doorstop and I swear it looks good with that lens. Now, the 50mm 1.4 Zeiss- great, but I slightly regret the price. I sold a lot of lenses to get it. I’m not dissapointed, but I’m thinking the 85mm 1.4 might have been a better option for me. I’ve just been waiting for SSM.
My kit to date is the A900, ZA135, ZA50 and as of yesterday, the ZA24. This may be as far as I go unless they release an updated ZA85 with SSM. Even then I’ll have to think hard about it given the current state of things’.
Yeah, the 24mm is on my list. I have the minolta 24mm 2.8- sharp stopped down but flares like an SOB. Nice line up:)
How do you like the ZA24?
While its a little early to tell my initial impression is that I like it! It fills a huge hole that I had in my lens set and it’s very sharp for it’s intended purpose.
Same thing happens to cameras that did to smartphones. Samsung Galaxy S4 and S5 are for all intents and purposes the same; there’s just nothing to improve dramatically.
1DX and D4S are probably as good as DSLR is going to get. Now features start to filter down the line, with 7D Mark II getting 1DX AF and all. What else could they offer? 46Mp? Meh.
Mirrorless is just the same thing in a smaller package.
Canon and Nikon will probably be hit the hardest. They have strong professional line-ups, but they made most money from selling entry-level crappy kits. Everybody automatically bought a 550D 18-55 if they wanted to take photos. Not anymore.
The photographic ‘boom’ that started with going digital has ended.
Professionals will be the ones who will continue to buy high-end expensive gear. That’s why when Sony was rumored to move A-Mount to professional segment, it made a lot of sense.
I wish they did.
This week I was picking up some film and saw someone buying a Canon Rebel…I was like WTF? People are STILL buying those? They make me want to vomit, but cheap is cheap. Can’t argue with that.
Surely there’s a joke in there somewhere.
Usually there is…oddly enough this isn’t one of them. I’m scaring myself:)
Well, that was good enough for me, especially since I can’t really manage a system change ‘again’. I lost my a$$ when I switched from Leica (dumb move) to Sony.
I can’t turn my ship around that easily. So I’m pressing on regardless. So wake me up when its over.
This is your wakeup call from Nikon. You did place an order for a body with Sony’s best sensor? ;^)
it’s not dumb if you go to mirrorless next.. flange distants allows mirrorless to enjoy all sorts of lenses..
The real question is: “after spending so much on leica and sony, is a mirrorless camera really an ‘upgrade’..? ” If you were a leica shooter, I imagine the answer is decidedly “no”.
@danielortego:disqus
In addition to keeping all my A-mount gear, I decided to get an A7s with both FF Sony Adapters – LA-EA3 & 4. An interesting thing happened when I first attached one of the adapters; it [finally] occurred to me that I am not stuck using Sony glass as long as I have the right type of adapter. Part of my brain already knew that, but part of my brain wouldn’t have considered buying glass for a different mount, then adding an adapter. It seemed to clunky. Having this “aha!” moment, I am free to look at other brand glass – The Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G looks pretty good to me. I just need to make sure I get an adapter with an aperture ring.
Interestingly, had they made a A99IIs with the same sensor as the A7s, I
would have bought that, (even with the SLT), and continued to buy CZ or G lenses. So, by Sony prioritizing other development above the A-mount, they have opened a doorway for me to explore other brand’s lenses. I don’t think it was their intention. I wonder if other A-mount shooters had this experience when trying the FE-mounts.
Bottom line – At the right time, you might consider one of the FE cameras – For me it opened up a bunch of new options I hadn’t considered before.
This is how they’ll take over the camera world – killer sensors and total lens agnosticism! There is a beauty to it. I just hope they’ll eventually release a DSLR-style body, too, as I do believe there’s still a place for that.
Leica gear doesn’t hold it’s value well in the resale market?
Well, perhaps you’re talking about their camera bodies because that certainly is not the case with their lenses. A 50 1,4 Lux’ I bought in 2008 for around 2600 is now selling for over 4000 on B&H
You wrote that you lost your a$$ when you switched. I a$$umed you were referring to losing money.
is it me or doesn’t make your post any sense?
Empty statements, they wouldn’t disclose negative decisions anyway. There is no point in asking those questions. You can only measure Sony by their A-mount portfolio of the last 12 months…
12 months isn’t a fair assessment as they have obviously been concentrating on FE development.
In 2 years they have released the 50mm f1.4, 18-55II, 70-200G2, 70-400G2, 300G2, 55-300 and a couple of months over 2 years the 18-135 and 500 f4. With the A99, A58 and A77II bodies.
So the last TWO years has seen plenty of A-mount activity.
But they didn’t release anything last month…
/sarcasm
Funny, when the 70-200G2 was released, that was the primary indicator to me that “wow, they really are killing off A-mount”; the reason simply being the price. A 50% price bump, making the lens now cost $3k, and the only real improvement is a barely measurable (by lab test, and not even noticeable in practice) increase in AF speed? It was like throwing something out there to not make all the A-mount fishes jump ship yet, but pricing it so they wouldn’t actually have to produce and move a lot of them (due to decreased demand). Plus, most of those lenses you mention were all released before the A7 series, and thus before its wild success. I’m sure they’ve been doing a little reassessment since then…
Yeah and the last 3 years even more.
okay final verdict, A mount… is dead dead dead.
So clever Dan.
damn, you are smart…
COVER YOUR LOGO WITH TAPE
Show Sony we are unhappy but do no harm.
Cover your SONY LOGO with tape to show your dissatisfaction with how A mount users are being excluded from Sony’s future.
Cover the SONY with tape..any tape…or be creative and share your tape story.
If you have a differrent camera and want to support us cover your logo too.
When cameras around the world appear with the logo taped over Sony will know its in honor of the dying A mount.
All my cameras have the logos covered with camo tape
WTF? How about someone covers you up in tape and sends you to a lab for intensive study? Seriously bro, you trippin’ on something.
This man is out of his flippin’ mind. Like, seriously effed up.
:O
I’d rather put that effort into organising shoots and taking photos.
I don’t whinge on here very often – maybe that’s why my A77ii counter is on 8236 – the second time around…
Nah that’s just because your keeper rate is so low. 😀
(joking Andy I like your stuff)
what about we cover your mouth with a tape instead? to show that we don’t listen and believe your made up non sense stories lololol
This is an odd suggestion. I’d rather do that AFTER I sell my lenses and get my money back. In respect to other Sony users, I wouldn’t want to do anything to attract attention to a possibly dying system. A lot of users have some serious coin in their gear.
Now, if you want to petition Sony to change their logo to ‘WTF?” I’m all for that:)
I dont want to kill A mount I want to save it.
Sony needs to fix this problem but first they need to wake up and see they have a problem.
Sony cannot miss cameras around the world with tape over thier logos.
Oh, look everyone. We now have a self appointed savior for the A-mount system.
It has to start somewhere
Cover your logo with tape..
And spread the word.
Just email, tweet, post on their Facebook page, call or otherwise contact Sony. An old trick I’ve tried in years past (as in many) once or twice is snail mail the president or CEO. Certainly they won’t read it but some assistant will make sure it’s routed to the proper manager who might since it’s coming inter-office from the big guy’s office.
Tape on lenses nobody’s going to get or care about.
I posted on their forums but not really planning anything else because I think the decision on a-mount being a dead man walking is deep in Sony’s DNA and goes back to the original e-mount product development. I imagine their only shock is loyalists clinging on for so long after they obviously quit really planning for it (thus no roadmap).
Here’s the forum thread link another SAR regular started. Supposedly Sony staff monitor these discussions and will try to chime in with answers and resolutions. Not keeping my hopes up because this topic is probably too politically sensitive.
http://community.sony.com/t5/Alpha-SLT-DSLR-Cameras/Is-Sony-killing-the-A-mount/m-p/444420#M4411
Cover the logo and spread the word..cant hurt.
Check out sigma rumors too.
In fact Covering the Sony logo can hurt the A-mount line. We all should be open that we use the Sony A-mount. We shopuld show the world and Sony how great the A-mount is. We should ask Sony to keep the A-mount alife. And maybe the strangest thing top tell: We should trust Sony when the tell us they will continue to develop A-mount cameras and lenses…
I am more concerned about me the consumer than Sony corporate profits…if Sony wants to stsy in business they will need to learn to do the same.
Dear Barry,
Maybe it is time you take off the tapes on the giftwrap your brains came in and start using it!
You say in this line of posts that you want to save the A-mount, that is nice, you try to save a mount that don’t need saving as it is alife and kicking! This year the new A77m2 came out, Sony is telling that they keep on developping the A-mount cameras and lenses along with the E-mount.
On the Sony booth, allong with the E-mount there where a lot of A-mount cameras too, why would they place A-mount cameras out there to the public when the A-mount is dead?
Ahd just think for a moment. Let’s say EVERY Sony user will cover the brand name with some tape, do your ealy think that Sony will notice that and think: let’s tell the people what we are planning for the future? Please think twice!
The better thing you could do is telling people to make a beautifull picture with your A-mount camera and show everybody that you love your A-mount cameras for all ther great quality is in the camera range. Then send that picture to Sony with your own lovestory and ask them to keep the A-mount alife!
Covering the Sony logo will make more people think the A-mount is dead and will let them go to an other camera brand, making it easier for Sony to stop developping the A-mount cameras…
You have forgotten to take your medicine today, Barry!
You should go to the Photokina to the Sony booth and than read this article again and lough about Matt Granger. He must be blind. This is the best example you shouldn’t trust everything you read on the web.
Barry please relax, take your medicine like Dirk told you, and go out and take some pictures with your old and dying A77II.
Correction: Full frame E-mount has a roadmap.
There is a rumor on “Canon Watch” today that says they are seriously considering a new mount for a mirrorless camera. They may even be considering joining forces with Olympus and Panasonic and designing M43 cameras. Even Canon is feeling the heat as DSLR’s cool down.
Smart move to try M43s to create a bit more separation. Sony designed their mirrorless line to cannibalize and ultimately replace a-mounts. Nikon went Canon’s path but went a bit too far with 1″ though I see the Nikon 1 system to maybe have some untapped potential if Nikon ever sorts things out with it.
“Sony designed their mirrorless line to cannibalize and ultimately replace a-mounts.”
Nonsense.
See my quote by the Sony VP above. They clearly expect their mirrorless products to replace SLTs. To pretend they didn’t plan this from the start is naive.
Agreed. Nikon has a different mount, but it’s no threat to replace their standard F mount, and you don’t see Nikon neglecting the promotion of their DSLR line to focus on the 1 series. With Sony, though, you see them releasing all their new high-end, full-frame glass in the E-mount, and promoting that mount and that glass almost exclusively. If one buys into a Nikon 1, it doesn’t really satisfy the needs of one who needs a DSLR; it’s more of a secondary system. If you get the new Zeiss and G lenses for the A7, though, why the hell would you need an A-mount DSLR (maybe sports shooters for now, but that will change w/ increased tech on the e-mount side)? Hell, I don’t blame them for it, even though it does affect me negatively (as one who wants continued A-mount DSLR development), as it really makes sense – go with the winning horse. I think those that are denying it’s happening are just sticking their heads in the sand because they don’t want to believe it’s true.
They’re diversifying their product line to include both SLR, and mirror-less, which makes complete sense. They’re for two very distinct target audiences, and M43 kinda makes sense, because it shouldn’t cannibalize SLR sales.
It’s actually a brilliant move.
It is too early to say so. and the there are pros and cons.
for instance, M43 will make them cannot use back EF. but sony FE can use back Amount. and now sony mirrorless start get more and more lenses while canon still in the talk.
after sometime, gadget cycling is come. people start to look into high end model. at that time, sony already have FF mirrorless and FE/Amount lenses to play while canon does not have can do beast in still and video.
another example: ust like the QX series, it is now already comes with APSC, soon it gonna hit FF before the ultimate FF smartphone (maybe curve sensor type) was introduced. it is just a matter of time…
besides, sony always can fight their apsc mirrorless price point head to head with m43 mirrorless. apsc sound better choice here…
unless canon put the foveon a-like sensor in m43, then that is another interesting chapter in photography [s]story[/s] history…
“Mature system” is a term used in software maintenance. I am not sure if Sony was using this analogy intentionally, but if they did, alarm bells should be ringing. If you have a “mature system” in IT, it means you no longer get any regular support for it because end of life has been reached. If you need any change, this is impossible unless you insert LOTS of coins. There is no further development of a “mature system”.
In orther words: using a “mature system” in IT means that you should migrate away from it as soon as possible. The vendor has no more interest in it and has moved on.
He’s calling it basically a legacy system. You know, nearing end of life.
Nikon and Canon dSLR are a “mature system” and they aren’t about to be dropped.
People are reading FAR too much into this interview.
Cameras & lenses are not IT and Sony does not operate in the IT business.
What’s with all the A mount is dead posts? The A77II dropped this year, there have been updates to A mount lenses like the 70-200g and the 70-400 – and SLR product cycles are longer. The A900 lasted 4 years before the A99, which is only just over 2.5 years old. There will be a 4k body with the A7 sensors. IMO that’s what we’ll see soon, along with a heavy 4k push.
It is a mature system, meaning it has a pretty comprehensive lens lineup, not implying its being shuttered. Good lord, what would you guys have said if you owned a 5 year old 7d last month?
Because we see the writing on the wall? Look, the A77II dropped more recently than the A7/r, they’re claiming it as their “proof” to being committed to A-mount, and yet they didn’t even have a *single* copy on display at their Photokina booth? It looked like there were plenty of A7’s on display… I think that actually speaks volumes about what they’re trying to push.
Read the comments above, there are PLENTY of A77II at Photokina.
They ignore the posts of people who really were at the Photokina. They are just trolling.
My girlfriend liked the a77 II with 300mm and 70-400 II lenses and the A99 with the 500mm lens until I told her about the price…
No, just hadn’t seen those posts yet when I responded to this one. Way to go, though, also making a statement w/o knowing key facts.
Have you visit the Photokina? I did. On the Sony booth there where plenty of A-mount cameras, both the A99 as the A77m2. The person in the interview didn’t realy visit the booth or had its eyes closed when passing by the A99 and A77 cameras or he don’t know how they look like in real life…
No, I was basing off Granger’s report. That’s a *little* more reassuring then…
Everybody is just talking about the high and a-mount A77 II, a99 etcs… but what about the a5x series? There is no innovation at that level. It can show how sony treats the a-mount these days…
I suspect that there isn’t any money in the low to mid-range A-mounts, Canon and Nikon have got that well sewn up and that market is under pressure from camera phones and mirrorless as well.
Sony dropped the A3x SLT in favour of the A3000 E-mount, they merged the A3x and A5x lines into the A58. We might see an A58II but it isn’t looking good. Judging from the high-end A-mount glass refreshes I reckon Sony are pushing A-mount for A7x and A9x and leaving anything less to APS-C E-mount.
Having said all that I do think we need the A58II to match the equivalent Canon and Nikon, but I am not Sony. 😉
DPreview is reporting that Nikon is consolidating the phenomenal successs of the D800 by releasing the upgraded D810, sales are up and its the camera of choice for Pros and semi pros. Yet there are always idiots here touting the end of the DSLR market, death of the optical viewfinder etc. Sony has deliberatly dropped the ball, if they wanted to be a player in the hi end DSLR market they would be, simple as that. They have the tech, production means and a few fine precedents to build on, my preference being the A900 rather than the stopgap A99. Like many other photographers I flip my cameras regularly and upgrade, generally hold onto the lenses and purchace new better bodies as they become avaliable, I like good equipment and always go for the best option that produces the best result. The A900 was a great solid, smart and practical workhorse, the body was bulletproof, if it had evolved with better tech and Sonys 36mpxl sensor it would still be the benchmark workhorse and still kicking today. I bought an A900 late based upon the presumption that I was buying into an evolving and well supported system, I expected a significant upgrade within a few years, I then began to purchace and invest in the wonderful CZ Sony lenses, the lenses clinched the deal, combination of a great body supporting optically amazing glass. But Sony choked, expectations were not met and the camera development stalled. Looking at the situation now its obvious that Sony hasnt got its heart in the Pro end of the market and wants to concentrate on high turnover tech bling or the video market which it understands very well, its heartland.
The Pro DSLR market has never been a part of Sonys spitual legacy or its history, they havent show the commitment to see this any other way. I lecture in photography and have been a working Pro for 25 years, like most I’m pragmatic about equipment, if its better I buy it, I’m fascinated by photography and I’ve had a lot of cameras. I sold my A900 last week as I honestly dont see the Sonys having a future, I need more resolution, got fed up with waiting and I folded to the pressure. Yet when a student dissed Sony (not a real camera) I found myself defending the lenses but unfortunatly could only muster a defense of the old A900. Unfortunatly though its now outclassed by Nikon and Canon who fundamentally know what they are doing and are committed to pro camera development. Realistically if a student asks me what camera system I would reccomend as an ongoing investment, something to seed and grow, based upon finances its usually ‘buy a great lens and the get body you can afford’, hold onto the lens as its money well spent and evolve the body when you can, so what camera manufacturer is doing that ? its Nikon not Sony.
Have you fully used the A99? I have been using the alpha camera line up for weddings, portraits and I am absolutely loving them (A7r, A7s, A77II, A99). For me I just find it more easier and comfortable for what I have to use these camera in workflow.
WALL OF TEXT
Really, no A77II at their stand? That cannot be.
There are plenty of them, really
It would be nice if people were sticking to the facts, although it is a rumor site. I have been at Photokina for 2 full days. The A-mount cameras are not hidden at the Sony stands. There is in fact one Alpha-booth, next to the Action Cam and Video booths. At the Alpha-booth, the A7’s are standing brotherly next to the A77II and the A99 and the A6000, two each of them, photographing the same. On the upper gallery, next to the World Photo Award winners, plenty of A77II and A99 with telezooms. And on the main stage, regularly during the day A77II shoots with BMX-stunters and lanyard jump team. So, apart from not releasing a new A-camera, is the problem There is no new E-camera either. Compared to the Canon-arena and the Nikon-stand, Sony, but also Samsung and Panasonic look much more dynamic.
I agree if people say that Sony should make clear what the status of the A-mount will be. But the colors of the pictures taken with the A7’s are still Minolta, plenty of colours, no other company can match. Shooting with adapter, yes there are standard on the booths at Sony, is not as bad as it may seem. And have we forgotten that with Nikon D800, plenty of people had to change their expensive lenses, as they did not work with the D800. Ours will still work, albeit with an adapter.
I think it is not only time for Sony to make up its mind. It also is for us, the consumers. If you like Minolta/Sony pictures, stick with them and take the adapter. If you don’t like the pictures, jump over to Canon, Nikon, Pentax or whatever you like, that’s fair. But stop talking Sony dead. Sonyalpharumors used to be fun, now it is only getting worse, bashing Sony. Grow up!!!
Finally that’s what I wanted to hear. It’s interesting that the a77II and a99 are next to the ActionCam & Video booths. I believe the a-mount camera division has been merged into Sony’s professional (broadcast?) division, which includes video & action cameras. So it makes sense that the booth is there.
Good to know that they did bring the a-mount to Photokina! Even better would be some indicator of where they are heading with it – a road map would be nice. Preferably before January 2015.
Like I said before – Matt Granger is blind or wasn’t at the Photokina…
I’m fine with you until you say “but stop talking Sony dead” because I’m not seeing that. The concern is with the a-mount, obviously.
And for Dirk (below) claiming “Matt Granger is blind or wasn’t at the Photokina” the obvious problem with that knee-jerk fanboy response to Sony criticism is he actually filmed himself at the Sony booth interviewing a Sony marketing guy and he photographed the a-mounts sitting in the cabinet. Sure, his timing might be off and 5 minutes later whoever hid them away for whatever reason put them back on display or handed them out to somebody. But I’ve been following his stuff for a while and he’s a straight-shooter all the way.
Sony is a victim of their own neglect.
The A850/A900 was like divine inspiration. Amazing viewfinder, intuitive to work with, built to last, great quality files (uncompressed RAWs, best in class DR etc.). They even had the market’s best glass to go with it (ZA lenses). And even a flash which didn’t overheat ;-).
Still today, when I take it in my hands I feel impressed. I use an A7 nowadays, but in a few years from now, when the A7 reaches the end of its useful life, the A850 will still be going strong.
What went wrong? Neglect. They failed to show commitment, lost focus, did not build on what customers expected. They should have been pushing and kicking. It’s clear to anybody sane that you cannot just throw a product in a market and hope everything will work out fine by itself.
Seems like they’ve listened to the outrage from their users and are now adjusting strategy for FE-mount. At least there’s a roadmap, even if it’s only a bunch of grey lines on a calendar. There’s even the long announced pro support. But who needs pro support for consumer grade products. Support was needed for professional grade products. Too little too late.
A-mount is not lost. It can still be reinvented and promoted to compete with Canon and Nikon. It just needs some love from Sony. Too bad they have none. It’s all about E-mount now.
… perhaps when the novelty wears off, and when people realize how huge the newly announced lenses are (and that they just don’t handle well on a small camera body), we’ll see the comeback of A-mount
Did you realy listen to the interview? Sony is still developping cameras and lenses for the A-mount. The A-mount is not dead, or dying.
I find it strange how people keep on telling this.
And don’t think that Sony or Pentax can ever come close to Canon and Nikon in the DSLR market. Those brands are to big there. When someone wants to buy a new DSLR and they ask a photographer in their family or freinds with a DSLR for advice, what is the change that that person is a Sony user? Strange thing is, as a Sony user I told many people who wanted my advice the great things of the A-mount cameras. Like the IBIS, the great lenses etc. But I also told them to try cameras in the store to go with the one they liked best. Many of them came out with a Sony camera.I think that when I had a Canon or Nikon camera that would have been the camera they had.
“For the moment, we cannot see mirrorless technology overtaking the translucent sensor technology. Therefore, we want to keep developing both the A mount system and the E mount system. And in Europe, thanks to the Minolta heritage, many customers own Alpha lenses and these customers still want to use their lenses on current Alpha bodies. That’s why this summer we announced the Alpha 77 MK II and we strongly believe that its performance is very good.” – Yosuke Aoki – Vice President (Digital Imaging Pan European Product Marketing)
Emphasis added to clearly point out Sony sees a-mount going bye-bye down the road. They’re just looking at their watch at this moment in time and saying, “Drat, we haven’t convinced the a-mount fans to switch yet.” Now, apologists will say, sure, all technologies die. Mirrorless is the future. So what? But when you combine that with Sony’s behavior it’s obvious a-mount is nearing end of life, is a dead man walking. The much lower level talking head Granger is interviewing at Photokina is obviously caught with his pants down and tap dancing. So he’s putting lipstick on the pig of the issue of why Sony doesn’t have a roadmap for a-mount, why they really are doing very little in this space.
I doubt we have seen the last a-mount product released by Sony but the question everyone needs to ask is how much more do you want to invest in a-mount? People will have different reactions. Certainly Sony would like us all to run to e-mounts and have given us adapters as a migration path. I suspect most of the people interested in mirrorless have long since bought into e-mounts. So the remaining “diehards” as e-mount fanboys call us have a hard choice. Stick with Sony for now or cut bait and that decision will obviously revolve around how seriously you need to upgrade.
Sony can’t be so stupid to not have picked up all the buzz over customers and potential customers fretting over the future of the a-mount for the last couple of years (coincidently ran into SAR post from late 2012 where Andrea was clarifying he didn’t say the a-mount was dead). Yet, they don’t really seem to care which doesn’t exactly instill confidence.
For one, I’m very surprised what Pentax is still doing in the DSLR market. Do they really make profit?
I believe DSLRs stand no chance long term in competition to mirrorless in the consumer electronics market. The additional costs of metering module, AF module, mirror with its mechanics, viewfinder assembly and so on will be simply too large to compete with mirrorless. At the same time the mirrorless will be bursting 12fps with continuous tracking, 1/16000 shutter (electronic) shutter speed while offering larger and clearer viewfinders – things which cheap DSLRs will never achieve.
There is room in the pro market for more than two players, but this needs a good plan and a strong marketing offensive. If Sony wants to exists in this market, they have to put their feet firm on the ground and launch an attack. Proper hardware, proper support and safe future to their customer base. All this while at the same time offering better technology than the competition. At the moment, Sony has only the technology, nothing more. This is not enough for the pro market.
@Nevercat:disqus
I agree A-mount is not dead. However, it has just been re-prioritized, downward. Why do I say this? A few years ago, Sony consolidated their R&D into a shared-service and it appeared they have consolidated product development through some re-organizations. As part of all of this, they re-located one of their larger R&D groups to another city. All of this means they lost corporate engineering knowledge and have fewer people to help develop their products. Now, Sony, at the higher corporate level, has to make decisions as to which raw technology gets into R&D and which products gets through the product development pipeline.
For whatever reason, they decided to use the e-mount to introduced the new A7 line sensors instead of using the a-mount. That was a management decision. They could have introduced all of those great new sensors in A-mount cameras. Heck, they could have even created a mirror-less A-mount camera, albeit larger than the e-mount, admittedly, it would look a lot like an e-mount with an adapter on it. I don’t see any downside to having introduced an A7s/A7r range along with an A99IIs/A99IIr range with the same sensors. Sure the a-mount has SLT which would impact sensor performance, but that would be the choice for the consumer.
Just so you know, now, after the awesome A7 series has been released, Sony wouldn’t introduce an A9 that is an A-mount. It would be too confusing to the consumer. So, the ultimate in Sony’s camera *ideal* line up, an A9, appears that it would be an FE-mount.
So, our concern is that Sony corporate made some silly decisions – Think about it, imagine you’re one of these brand new, young Sony execs who wants to make a name for himself. Your company has fewer resources to get any product through the pipeline, you no longer have a dedicated set of R&D engineers, you have to borrow development staff for your project, so what is the decision? Lets keep the house divided between two mounts. … hmmm … I think somebody said something about a divided house at some-point … what was that quote?
Have a look at:
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2014/09/sony-to-keep-developing-both-a-mount-and-e-mount-systems/
Wow the future of a-mount has really been handled well in this article (sarcasm alert). Unfortunately already heard this, so nothing really new.
I don’t know if this was Sony’s plan but all they’ve done with this whole “We’ll keep developing stuff for A-mount, you know, when we’re bored or something” nonsense is to spark a potential “civil war” between A mounters who want Sony to show real commitment and not just nice words and E mounters who have a serious urge for people to drop A mount cameras and go mirrorless.
So way to go, Sony. That was the big mistake that your competitors were waiting for. How many users will you lose to competitors for dragging your feet on this issue?
Is the same mistake Nikon did by neglecting DX users and pushing everyone to FX when not everyone needs it or can afford it. They went somewhere else.
I dont think it is a war (or will be) between a-mount users vs. e-mount users. Its only about Sony vs. a part of a-mount users 🙂
He’s right, the a-mount users are absolutely sick of the e-mount rhetoric.
I initially was considering a Sony mirror-less camera, but came to despise the negative comments (and those posting them) from the e-mount community towards the a-mount, so I bought the A77II instead. It compliments my A900.
I am now more likely to buy a FF Nikon rather, or a Fuji mirror-less rather than a Sony mirror-less product.
Hay Has anyone got the A77II ? The multi frame ISO noise reduction .Is it on the new one ? Also can a exposure be takeing remotely or with the timer delay .I had this Idea that I could shoot star scapes with this stacking feature but .On my current A77 it forces me to press the shutter release that then causes the the camra to shake arround on the trypod ; (
Ask A77II (obviously) or Barry.
The interchangeable lens market is diversifying, rather than one camera format replacing another. SLR, mirror-less, and medium format cameras will coexist for the foreseeable future.
The next wave of interchangeable lens cameras that will likely disrupt the market will be affordable medium format cameras like the Pentax 645Z. As medium format prices drop is very likely that some of us will begin adopting this technology, and our dependency on FF 35mm sensors will be further reduced.
This supposed war between SLR, and mirror-less is laughable, when the real shift in technology will likely be between 35mm sensors, and medium format sensors for those of us who are professional.
“We’re still interested in A-mount” is not very confidence inspiring. How about something like we’re still 100% committed to A-mount as the go-to choice for the professional photographer! I love my A99 but am seriously considering ditching Sony because they’ve fractured their own market between A & E-mount. Lenses are easily my biggest investment and I ought to be able to stay current with the latest body innovations.