Big price drop on the A99 today at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here). $300 off and free vertical grip included too! If you take into account the price of the sole grip you pay little bit above $1,600 only for the A99.
P.S.: As far as I know there is no A99II coming within the next 2-3 months.
Thanks Ken for finding and sharing this!
0 Responses
@Admin
Sign of incomming Mark 2?
When do we likely here more about Mark 2?
Agreed. Sign of higher version of a99 is coming. Fingers crossed. 🙂
Obviously selling off remaining stock.
Remains to be seen if because of new model coming, or because A-mount is being phased out…
I’m afraid it is probably the beginning of the end… look at the other 2 A-mount price drops… looks to me the A-mount is about to become the betamax of camera mounts for Sony.
If they were doing away with it they wouldn’t be marking them down. They’d keep them as high as possible to milk as much profit as possible.
Marking them down clears inventory so distributors complain less about getting price protections on markdowns.
Not necessarily, I’ve been in companies where when a decision was made to eliminate a product line they didn’t try to milk anything from it, they cut the prices to the point they were almost giving them away.
I am more inclined to believe it is game over not only because of these price cuts, but because of a lack of a known or even rumored successor to the a99. Doesn’t bode well in my opinion for the a-mount.
Only Sony doesn’t do that. You’ll still see “new/refurbed” A900’s and such show up time to time for big money and people always respond with “OMG WHY SO EXPENSIVE”. It makes no sense to blow out the old if there’s nothing new coming… they can hold the old for the people who currently love the A99 like old users love the A900, etc. If you love it you’ll pay money for a replacement down the road.
Yes Sony does do that all the time, the A900 is a different situation. It’s for stalwarts that insist on having an OVF and are willing to pay a premium for it.
The lack of rumours is nothing to do with the future of A-mount. It is simply because Sony sources have dried up!
Actually beta lived on for quite a long time as the de facto standard for professionals.
A-mount isn’t being phased out, how many times do Sony have to say it?
The A99 and A58 are simply due to be discontinued. The A99 will get a new AF system and the A58 may be replaced or the A77II may be the only APS-C. It’s not rocket science.
I love how people pull statements like this out of their a$s without any facts to back it up. Keep your uninformed gloom and doom predictions to yourself.
With free vertical grip? Wow, I’d certainly go for it, it’s probably the best vertical grip ever made. If only I could say the same about the camera 😉
It is great, I wish they would add wifi / Ethernet (with FTP) to it along with a double size battery for it.
You can’t say anything about the camera because you have never owned or used one. Maybe you can afford the grip, so you can pretend you’re taking pictures with it and report on its functionality.
ugh, how did you know? check the exif, moron.
check the exif 😉 https://plus.google.com/photos/114275558680108795631/albums/6065620456473986177?authkey=CIiHzvSssOGc7gE
A99 II is right around the corner!
this is tempting! but i know the instant i break down and get this, the mark2 will come out. im holding out for that!
Oh yeah, very familiar feeling. It definitely will 🙂
Waiting patiently for A99II, but A99 at this price is a steal.
Adorama has the best price, at $1998 with a free grip and TWO free batteries. If you like using a VG, this is an absolute steal of a price. I recently bought my A99, so I cant afford an A99ii, if it comes out soon.
How are you enjoying the camera?
Prepare you wallets for the mark 2…
Yes, and you will need a lot more than $1998. Likely close to the $3000 mark.
THE SKY IS FALLING, THE SKY IS FALLING
Still $2.058 body only in cheapest local stores. $2517 body only in Sony Store.
Guess this is once again only for the Americans, who don’t need it in the first place.
Hey if you want it at that price I’ll gladly buy it and resell it to you for 2400… your still saving over 100…
But seriously, the reason our prices always seem much lower is in large part due to the VAT tax most other countries in Europe impose. We in America get taxed out the backside upfront, plus we get hit with a sales tax that can be over 10% in some cities. So when you factor in the fact that I have to earn about 2600 in order to have 2000 after taxes… and then get the privilege of paying an additional 10% in sales taxes… well I think in all honesty you folks in Europe are getting a cheaper deal on the camera.
And a year extra warranty (2 year total), which Sony has to factor in too, left or right.
its been under $2k with grip in San Diego Sony stores for months…
Huge price drop on the A99 => A99 II anouncement is imminent
Does the A99 have the same sensor as the A7 or is the A7’s sensor newer? They are the same sensor, right?
Pretty much the same sensor.
Sames sensor in a99, RX1, a7 and Nikon d600.
And D610, and D750.
The A77 had huge price drops going on for over a year before the replacement was announced….
If anything, I think the current pricing is just a reflection of the market. Hard to sell a 2-year-old A99 for $2300, when the brand new D750 is $2300… and the 6D and the D610 are in the $1600-$1800 range.
Admin, you said no info about A99ii in the next 2-3 months..
Is there strong chatter about a full frame A-mount with the big January news, or is that all looking like a high MP E-mount camera?
Whatever is coming with high MP etc I don’t think it will be the A99 II, seems more likely they will drop an A99 replacement sometime before which is probably sensible, after the rush of announcements for photokina but before they drop the high MP in Jan.
Adam, you repeatedly misstate the facts; The A99 was priced at $2298 with a grip and two extra batteries (which you keep failing to mention) . No it’s down to $1998 with a grip and two batteries. The 6D & D610 are cheap mostly plastic bodies, cheap shutters with lower cycle count and limited to 1/4000 sec. The D750 still has the mostly plastic body and cheap shutter. None have an electronic viewfinder and associated focusing aids (viewfinder zoom and focus peaking) and are almost useless with manual lenses.
If you’re going to keep shilling and trolling for other brands get your facts straight or if necessary learn the facts first before posting.
Yes, I guess my facts are all wrong. The vastly superior iq, AF system, and other benefits of the D750 are worthless. Everyone would agree that the a99 is a far better camera and therefore far better value than the d750. That’s why the a99 has skyrocketed past the d750 in the Amazon sales rankings… Oh… Wait… Time to come back to reality.
The D750 has a Nikon badge, that’s why it sells. If the A99 had a Nikon badge its sales would be MUCH higher than the D750.
The D750 and a99 are both fine cameras tha are capable of excellent results. I do not care for any Canon or Nikon offerings because of their OVF. I truly enjoy the shooting experience of composjng, adjusting and reviewing the results of the shot in the viewfinder. Wysiwyg is awesome. I have not had to do any exposure bracketing in 3 years. I do not use the LCD outdoors at all anymore.. I also lately show a client the results of the shot through the viewfinder when outdoors it gives a nice and clear representation of the picture itself because no LCD works well outdoors just too much glare. We should thank Panasonic for their willingness to give customers more features for their money. Why have people had to spend so much for af speed and tracking and good video anyway in the past. I love mirror less cameras as well.
You won’t get any disagreement from me about the value of EVF. It’s a factor in making me want to stay with a-mount. But it’s just one factor — it doesn’t trump all other factors, it doesn’t add infinite dollar value to a camera. If the a58 was $2300, and the d750 was $500, which would you buy??? Would you be willing to sacrifice just about everything else just for EVF?
For that matter, in the dSLR market, many still prefer OVFs. So that had to factor in to pricing.
And then you even need to factor in competition from the a77ii– brand new prosumer aps-c with just about every feature found in the 2-year-old a99, plus more. Gap in sensor performance closed to within about a half stop. Even at 2k, it’s hard to justify paying twice as much for a camera that is inferior except for a half-stop better iq. (In comparison, Canon 6d is actually priced below the 7dii)
Getting back to the d750 vs a99…
Start them both at the same price… Then add, how much extra are most consumers (not just EVF diehards) willing to pay for EVF? (Looking at the a58, a77ii, e-mount… I don’t see Sony being able to charge more just because of EVF). How much extra for 1/8000 shutter speed over 1/4000, and slightly faster flash synch? How much extra for a fully articulated LCD vs tilting? Now to the d750, how much extra for a far superior AF system? How much extra for superior iq? How much extra for slightly better burst shooting? (A buffer that gets 87 jpegs before slowing down). How much extra for in camera flash? How much extra for wifi? How much extra better brand recognition, better lens lineup, and access to better flash system?
Once you start looking at everything, it’s hard to say with a straight face that the a99 is worth as much as the d750. That’s not a knock on the a99— its 2 years old. One would expect a brand new prosumer ff camera to surpass the 2-year old prosumer ff.
I agree on the AF system but if you think you will get vastly superior IQ from a D750 then I don’t think that is correct.
And sales is hardly an indicator of quality. Mcdonalds sell the most burgers but I wouldn’t even consider them in the top 1000 burgers on earth.
A fanboy cherry-picking facts? The entry level D600/D610’s claim to fame is IQ. They and the a99 are pretty even until you compare ISO where the a99 clearly stumbles and falls.
http://thenewcamera.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Nikon-D600-vs-Sony-A99.jpg
The D750 is alleged to up the ‘budget’ FF ISO game. I’ve seen mixed things on this.
To be frank, manual focus sucks on DSLRs. I have an a65 with focus peaking. You’re right that it’s much better than the D800 which has a klugy system of indicators you’ve focused too near or too far with a dot indicating your in focus. But, IMHO, both suck compared to the ancient old ‘ground glass’ (technically, laser cut plastic but the term stuck) split focus screen with my old Olympus OM film bodies. Allegedly, my D800 can swap screens but I haven’t really looked into it and suspect it may be a hack. Though it is tempting to try.
The a99 has a distinctive advantage in shutter cycle testing over a D750: 200,000 vs. 150,000 but I wouldn’t call that ‘cheap’. 150,000 is pretty standard for entry-level, consumer-grade bodies (not saying a pro can’t use a D750). If 1/4000th shutter is the killer feature for you (I doubt it is for many) then, sure, the D750 sucks for you.
Nikon has the distinct advantage of a better system backing it, better 3rd party support, and you won’t read nervous Nikon DSLR owners fretting over the ‘death of the F mount’.
I should add, the D750 is an attempt by Nikon to slim down the FF DSLR a bit. So it’s interesting to compare it to the a99 which Sony boasts on their web site as “the lightest heavyweight ever.” It seems Sony can hold onto that claim to fame still weighing in 28 grams lighter but is a hair larger in its dimensions.
http://j.mp/1vbhxDd
Adan Brown – AKA Nikon Troll Fanboy.
Sony. Strong chatter about full frame A-mount. Make believe.
If it had the 36 MP sensor, a quick-return mirror instead of SLT and the Minolta-quality OVF, it might even be an interesting camera.
You won’t be interested in it.
Interesting for 2008, not in 2015.
Oh man. I’m guessing you know why SLR’s were invented, right? I assume you can deduce that it solves a problem that no longer exists will electronic sensors?
But hey, if you want to stick with last century technical solutions and mechanical complexity, there’s always Canon or Nikon.
Are you driving a Tesla or has your car a mechanically complex internal combustion engine from the last century?
I got rid of my car. Nasty, smelly things.
Plus, a car analogy? smh
I know EVFs have their advantages, too, but I have yet to see an EVF that delivers a similarly natural, high-resolution, clear, flicker-free, lag-free, non-jerking image, and I have seen the best EVFs currently available (A7R, Fuji X-T1, Olympus E-M1).
Not every new sh!t is automatically superior to existing technology. And while I’m quite sure the EVF once will be, an OVF still has its advantages. Which, by the way, is why the latest and most sophisticated viewfinder design yet includes both (Fuji X-100, X-Pro).
If Sony would at least get rid of the inherently stupid SLT mirror which throws away a third EV of light and reduces image quality, too, if only slightly. Real sensor-based PDAF (like the Olympus E-M1 does it) would be the better solution, and for E-Mount bodies as well, which would then have a much more painless option to adapt A-Mount lenses. (Then add IBIS to E-Mount and Sony could start to call their line-up sensible.)
This camera is called Nikon D810.
The D810 has no A-Mount, though (neither have its lenses any real A-or E-Mount compatibility, for that matter).
The new model is supposed to be released at PhotoPlus 14 in NYC.
Some say spring of next year.
Wasn’t that the Canon high MP camera?
Looks like the A99II is around the corner. Any time now….
fingers crossed!!
Either A99 II is around the corner or they’re really trying to get rid of that A-mount inventory.
True, they can’t announce A-mount’s death if they still need to sell inventory… Hopefully it means the (A99) replacement is coming, though.
A99II with the A77II’s auto focus and 36MP would be spectacular. A proper SLT to really use all of that beautiful FF glory. Don’t need anything else- I’ll be all set for a long time.
This would be nice and not hard to do, so best guess is this is what is coming.
Personally I’ll be disappointed and may not upgrade if Sony recycles the a77-2 AF system as they did with the a77-a99. The poor coverage has meant less useable shots for me and it adversely affects my framing.
I would be disappointed too, but AF may coverage may still be somewhat sufficient given that it’s much wider with the A77-II.
This. The A77 is already pretty narrow so on the A99 is tiny (same with LA-EA4) but the A77 II is fairly wide so should provide decent if not spectacular coverage.
Yes, correction- I meant to say I hope it’s “like” the a77II’s auto focus. I hope it’s updated and features the same quantum leap the A77II has- but designed for the A99II’s sensor coverage.
FYI to anyone here:
http://cameras.reviewed.com/content/canon-powershot-g7-x-digital-camera-review
It is interesting to see that Canon has made a camera that, in essence, delivers what the RX100s do. I think it will not be a fruitless endeavour since many Canon users, fans or whatever, will probably choose to go with the G7X as a way of not feeling like they are having an affair with another brand. Sad for Sony because that’s just that little bit of a market share that they could have kept on eating.
Canon also seems to have gone for the feature and price strategy (longer lens at 2.8, cheaper than mark III) to differentiate itself more from the RX100m3 but Digic is (first time I hear) slower than Bionz on processing photographs.
Last point to note is that, according to the review but I would love to see samples, Canon’s RAW photos deliver more details at high ISO. This may be good ammunition for those who advocate for a less compressed RAW file from Sony (I am in that camp, but I am not as militant on it)
Other than that, it seems that the RX100m3 is still king of the 1″ kingdom. What I would have liked to see was a lens comparison since the mark 3 has a better lens than the previous two RX100s.
Also missing the EVF and better video of the RX100 III. But G7X looks decent enough and includes a touch screen that the RX100’s don’t.
Yes! For playing cool games and such! Wish my HX400V had touchy screen!
Not a fan of touch screens, really. But I do see your point since I had a 5n before (great for changing the position of the flexible spot)
Thank you for the information Mr. Canon shill, but it has nothing to do with the topic of this thread and no one here cares about this cheesy little camera the G7X.
Canon shill…me? People read what they want to read.
Buy the G7X and live happily ever after in fantasy land.
Another one…
LImaging Resources has just posted samples and comparison between g7x and rx100iii. It seems like thr Canon fails miserably, especially at the wide end.
Gonna check that.
RAW compression doesn’t really affect details, it only affects rare cases of extreme shadow pushing with highlights in those shadows possibly showing rougher transitions.
And no EVF or EVF option, no sale for me.
Good to know that about RAW compression. Thanks for the info.
My bet is that A99 II is good to roll, the holdup is marketing and deciding the best launch window. Usually higher ups are the most tight lipped about products they are going to imminently release. A99 II isn’t a complicated product for Sony to launch and it is good they are going to a more incremental updates path after the long waits for A77 and A99, but I would also imagine that moving away from many entry bodies in A-Mount frees up some resources to getting A-Mount cameras out the gate.
I paid $29 for my A99 grip… still sitting around waiting for a body.
it had you for a body 🙂
I’m waiting for the A9s full sized mirrorless E Mount body!
I hope they sell it for over 4K. From the sounds of it a camera like this would allow them to soak every fanbody on SAR.
a99II will have 24mp sensor slightly tweaked, like a77II.
Won’t see best sensor in real Alpha until Sony denies Nikon exclusive 36mp contract for DSLR style cameras. a7R is a workaround to the contract, and is the only way Sony can provide it to their own users. And if Sony does put 36mp into a99II, it will only be for the reason that they give a bigger better one to Nikon for competing against Canon new offering.
Get ready for a big disappointment with a99II, sometime within the next three years. Sony just won’t go all the way with it, especially now with E-Mount getting best tech first.
You are probably right but the people that own the a77II seam to love it so I would still get the A99II
My understanding is the Nikon provides Sony with steppers and Sony provides some- not all- of Nikon’s sensors. I’m sure it would hurt Sony more if they both decided on parting separate ways. I’d rather see Sony trade sensors for output processing as Nikon still does it better with Sony’s own sensors. If that were the case I’ll take “just” 36MP’s at this point if it means “catching up.” It’s more than enough for me and the trend for a lot of users on here who’ve dabbled with the A7R is to completely go in the other direction with the A7S. Point is, 36MP is enough for many of us waiting on a proper Sony SLT variant of their current tech. Just wrap it with a revised AF and menu upgrade.
If a 46 and 54MP sensor are in the rumor mill we can expect to see at least one ends up a FF option. A kill for A mount users would be that the 46MP goes to FE and the 54MP goes to a fixed MF cybershot-esque type offering. Even though 36MP for the A99II as I mentioned above is plenty- seeing once again the higher end technology go to a less than two year old system would speak volumes to an A mount user like me. That would be a killer blow- especially if they pan it off with a 36MP Sony with zero marketing. I’d rather see a 36MP A mount and a 50MP medium format offering. If there are actually two higher MP cameras in the works- well, who knows. I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
MP isnt the only reason to upgrade a camera. The A77ii has a completely reworked AF, can AF in lower light, has a better sensor, larger buffer… etc. If the A99ii has those upgrades, it will be worth an upgrade.
The “exclusive contract” myth again. Cute.
If Sony is silent on the subject, why they give three versions of their best sensor to OUR competition, yet do not equip Alpha users with the same or better tools, with all the advantages that proper Alpha benefit, then we are left with nothing more than our most sensible speculations to explain why.
Money, money, money…
If I recall, a SAR quoted a Sony exec who said something along the lines of some designs they sell, some they sell after using it exclusively for some period of time, and some they keep for their exclusive use.
“OUR competition”? You mean Sonys competition right? Think this is the point where we should stop thinking but starting to take photographs, it is not a war were we photographers should fight, maybe a financial one for the big companies. The 36mpx sensor in Nikon DSLR can not stop you to take the best photographs of the world with any of the current Alpha cameras!
IIRC, it was already mentioned both by “trusted sources” months before release and by an official after release, that the 36MP sensor at the time of A99 release was not ready for fulltime LV implementations yet, due to more overheating issues.
Not to mention the fact that even to date, no revision (third is out in the D810) of the sensor has yet shown capable of on sensor PDAF. Especially in the A7R version, that was quite telling since the A7 using the A99 sensor, is capable of on sensor PDAF. Likely due to differences in read out speeds (OSPDAF requires extremely fast readout).
And lastly, there would be little incentive for Nikon to demand such an “exclusive” to begin with, since Sony has never really threatened (or eaten much of) their DSLR sales numbers.
But yes, let’s continue using speculation as some kind of “fact” to base future predictions on instead.
The price it should have had at launch, now too late
this is the same price and deal that has been at both Sony stores in San Diego for a couple months. its a shame, because the A99 is a brilliant camera, aside from its viewfinder and some of the ergonomics/menus/etc. still, the output from this thing is phenomenal, just over-priced and underwhelming.
I have been waiting and waiting for a true Minolta-styled replacement in A-Mount. this was close, but hopefully there’s something new on the horizon.
please note, to all of the trolls who live to make snarky comments: this is a good camera that could have been great. unfortunately is was a little handicapped, and a lot overpriced from the get-go.
Keep at it, Sony!!!
I certainly hope the a99II will be coming soon but SAR_admin has not heard a thing – so don’t build up your hopes. It seems the big announcement will be January (now February) next year.
Meanwhile, the 5d mkiii hasn’t dropped less than 2600 and still sells lole hot cakes.
Dell Computers outsells Apple Macintoshes. Most photographers put little thought into the equipment they buy.
Alpha users aren’t drones we won’t conform, because we can think for themselves.
I like my alpha, because it stands out from the crowd.
Are you sure your on the right forum?
Except dell laptops are cheaper than apple’s, you kinda miss the point. And yes as A7 owner I think I am on the right forum.
It’s not the price that drives Dell sales. People buy them because they operate the industry standard operating system, and office suite.
People buy Canon’s because they are a safe choice. They are the industry standard professional camera.
Only a few of us have the guts to try something different, like Mac Users.
Claiming that people don’t buy Dell over Apple because of price is simply wrong. Yes, there may be a few in that camp. However, most people who are prepared to pay the price of Apple kit will opt for a better PC than what Dell gives. I write this from my Macbook, running Windows 7…
SR0 (I just made it up because I liked the idea): There will be two versions of A99II, one with the 36MP sensor and one with 12MP.
I will buy the 12MP in secs if it comes out.
NO ! ! !
just when i was about to sell my a99 (not that i want the the new a99ii)
im going to E
bodies are plentfully to chose (cheaper than A bodies its a plus)
E lenses, i just researched, men! they are 35% cheaper in average (plus OSS and new design/coat/motor)
not to mention the roadmap of E, its awesome
i bet that in 5 years AF will be close to A speed rather than bet that in 5 years i will find a good A body or lense
well…anyone want an a99 for, let say… $1700 (sorry, just body, im not selling my lenses yet)
PD
1. sony wont develop a new AF for the new a99ii, it will be the same of the a77ii, and thats a good thing (the tinier the AF sensor the more acurate) besides the a99 was just an a77 with a ff sensor, the a99ii will follow that formula
2. cameras with more megapixeles could arrive soon, they will top at 50mp +/-, why? like i said a few years ago, megapixeles in a camera are not determined because of the sensor but for the chips that process it, it took longer than ever to shrink current chips, to double their power, to be able to process even more pixels, if sony power up their exmor (shrinking it and doubling their power) they could sell 50mp cameras in same bodies with same thermal design and same power needs, and you will wait 2-4 years to get 100mp cameras until sony shrink their exmor again, sensor design its irrelevant to the number of pixels (no i dont speak with a sony executive like some readers here) but i can see clearly what can be done and what can not be done with current technology
3. better think… you want a camera with 50mp,100mp or 200mp? cause if you need an Otus to deliver 36mp, what size would you need to deliver 100mp? past f2.8 and difraction will degrade every photo you take, ISO noise ratio will be equal to a cheap smartphone camera, and then the 1,000,000 question… to print an image the size of 600″ x 400″, what should look better? a 24mp with current ff dinamic range, noise, etc upscaled to that size or a 200mp with smartphone dinamic range, noise, etc upscaled to that size? imposible to answer, theres no 200mp ff now, but lets get close: what would look better a 12mp from a sony a7s upscaled to 40mp vs a 40mp from a nokia pureview camera (because we all know that everybody ask for more pixels because they need to print big, what would look better a poster printed from a7s 12mp or nokia pureview 40mp)
Great decision if f/4 zooms, annoyingly slow auto focus systems, no inbody stabilization, no stabilized prime lenses, shutter shock, no weather sealing, a FF bust rate less slower than the A850 and lack of native lens support are the key features that are important to you.
That’s because A-mount is super successful and Sonys number one priority.
If new rumors of both a 46 and 54mp sensor are true then maybyy one is ff and the other is C or H format.
If Sony are going to release new A mount stuff, be it lenses or cameras or both, and, as someone says, are waiting for the right time, I ask this question.
Have Sony ever heard of Christmas? It’s a time when people buy presents, treat themselves and spend money. A time when people say, awww, go on then, you (or I) deserve it.
Come on Sony, get your act together, stop messing around and tell us something definite regarding A mount instead of avoiding the subject. Give us a clue or some kind of roadmap even if you can’t give out any secrets, tell us something is coming. What happened to the A mount lenses we heard were coming? You can’t hide from this so do something positive for once.
Get yourself a D750 for Christmas and have a Very Merry Christmas.
Of course you’ll also have to spend thousands of dollars extra on new lenses, flashes, and filters just to use the D750.
In the new year the A-Mount users will get their 46mp or 54mp camera, and those who jump ship between now and then will be feeling pretty dense.
You won’t have a Happy New Year, if you jump ship. Please seek therapy from a gear aquisition syndrome (gas) specialist (luddite) in order to a prevent yourself from making a catastrophic mistake (canon/nikon/mirrorless purchase).
I’d love to see the A-mount continue, as I love the system and have much invested in it. However, I think more and more that it’s just not happening. At this point I’ll almost be surprised if an A99II is released, and if it is, I imagine it will the last of its ilk.
I just went to the Sony site, and under their cameras section, clicked on the “Alpha DSLR Cameras” category link. This is the page that comes up: http://store.sony.com/alpha-inter-changeable-lens-cameras/cat-27-catid-Alpha-Mirrorless-Cameras
Hell, you can tell a lot just by the URL – “…-Alpha-Mirrorless-Cameras”. Then, look at the page! Prominent flagship at the top is the A7s, not the A99. Scroll down the page and you see image after image displaying A7 and NEX bodies, but only one small image of a DSLR(T) – an A77II – and even that is paired with an A7 in the image. There’s also only one tiny mention of the A77II in the page text, extolling it’s AF, but even there, it’s an “oh yeah, the A77II has this, too” after first touting it on the a6000.
I think Sony is giving us all the clues we need. I don’t think anyone needs to panic – your A-mount bodies aren’t going to stop working tomorrow, and when they do finally require replacement, your lenses will easily adapt to the E-mount system. However, know that it is most likely happening…
Latest rumors today are that the new Canon rebel..mid 2015..will have electronic viewfinder…I can see only one reason for that…mirrorless?
And will Sony respomd with mirrorless A mount?
No Barry. Canon has been working on a pellicle mirror DSLR since the launch of the A55, five years ago. They’re responding to mirror-less by adding a EVF without sacrificing autofocus performance.
Canon is buying Sony sensors that are designed for operation in pellicle based cameras. Canon has been working on a camera with a pellicle mirror.
They’re going to launch a SLT equivalent camera, that’ll probably outsell most mirror-less cameras. The combination of a dedicated PDAF, and mirror-less technology will entice a large percentage of Canon users.
So your prepiction is that Canon will have a SLT like system.
That sounds possible.
When it’s launched its going take the wind out off mirror-less, and low end Nikon sales. I think there putting a Pellix mirror into the new rebel in order to beef up its video capabilities.
Can I play too?
Canon will make a low end basic DSLT with sony sensor to compete on price.
They will also make a more upmarket mirrorless APS stills/video camera to combat the GH4. This will have three AF options:
– Their split pixel sensor for video (it’s the only AF worth using for video) and final tuning of still focus (it’s more accurate than DSLT)
– A pellicule mirror with their usual PDAF module for DSLR grade action
– The pellicule mirror (they’re fragile things) will gently fold up when the self timer is used, for that extra 20% light on the sensor
I’ve used the A77II, and it’s A79 AF system is far superior to Split Pixel Sensors, but it’s not enough to get people to switch.
Canon doesn’t really care what Sony does with the A-Mount platform, because it’s market share is too small. A-Mount market penetration is a non-issue for them.
Canon’s only real competition is Nikon, and their decision making process reflects this. The pellicle mirror is their way of increasing their technical lead in DSLR video performance against their only competition, which is Nikon.
The Sony A-Mount, and Pentax K-Mount, are outstanding platforms. They are profitable, and have a very strong (but tiny) user base, but they are not mainstream cameras, and cater to users with very specific needs.
Finally, they are trying to compete with D600. Now MAYBE they get a second look from somebody.