Breaking news: Pic of Canon and Nikon managers after the Sony A7m2 launch… http://t.co/fat3Je4aRg Thx Roland 😉 pic.twitter.com/6XVPpGYGB4
— SonyAlphaRumors (@SonyAlphaRumors) November 20, 2014
Preorders:
Sony Alpha a7II (Body Only) for $1,698 at Amazon (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here), SonyStore (Click here).
Sony Alpha a7II with FE 28-70mm OSS Lens for $1,998 at Amazon (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), Adorama (Click here), SonyStore (Click here).
Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G SSM II Lens for $1,148 at BHphoto (Click here).
Sorry for the fun tweet on top but Sony really has shown they can make the impossible possible by adding 5 axis stabilization on the FE cameras. I am wondering how Canon and Nikon managers will feel now 🙂
Time to extend our Sony A7m2 roundup post. Here is all the news that matters!
Worldwide only preorder is at Amazon Japan.
Full spec list and videos on SAR.
Full english A7m2 features list on SAR.
Image samples here on Sony.net.
Real life Images of the A7m2 on SAR.
A7II press and images at Sony Japan.
Image samples here at Sony Japan.
A7m2 discussion on SonyAlphaForum.
Sony Japan Unveils the a7II Mirrorless Camera, 70-300mm G SSM II A-Mount Lens (BHphoto).
Sony Announces A7 II – Nail in Coffin for Nikon and Canon? (JorgeTorralba).
Thoughts on the A7m2 by TheDigitalDigest.
The main things you need to know about the A7m2:
1) Camera will be released in Japan on December 5 and cost 190,000 yen. It will ship in Europe in January for 1.799 Euro (no US price info yet).
2) It has an amazing 5axis on sensor stabilization. It works both in stills and video mode with up to 4,5 stop stabilization (CIPA standard).
3) The 5 axis stabilization is a world’s first on a FF camera and is also a Sony proprietary tech (not borrowed from the Olympus OMD). Source: SonyAlphaForum.
4) 5 axis stabilization works with all third party lenses (Source: SonyAlphaForum).
5) Sensor is the “almost” the same as the one used by the A7. But autofocus speed is 30% faster
6) The A7m2 has the shutter button on top of the grip and a new grip and texture on the A7 body.
7) It has a robust mount ring. No need to replace it with the Fotodiox solution 
8) A7m2 has XAVC-s and X-Log2
9) Picture of Nikon and Canon managers after the A7m2 launch (SAR twitter) 
Sony A7m2 vs Sony A7 perfect size comparison via CameraSize:
0 Responses
when will sony start to make money with cameras?
They probably will now since they got stabilization in body. All of the A mounters can now comfortably switch over to FE mount and so can all of the Canikons who were waiting for lighter fill frame kit.
Now that the shutter is in a better place and the body has been beefed up and reinforced maybe it will help with heat dissipation now.
Now all I’m waiting for is maybe a 16-24MP version of the A7S with in body 4K. Weather sealed. and A6000 AF. A few extra buttons on the body for custom functions would be most welcome.
Once the rest of the FE lens roadmap is complete then maybe CaNikon might actually come out with something to change peoples minds? LOL Who am I kidding. Canon and Nikon don’t give a shit about making something new. When Sony takes half the sales away from Nikon and Canon then maybe the big 2 will have something new.
when will you start making pictures with your camera?
Is the picture above suppose to symbolize A mount fans?
C: All of the above
sony managers have bigger problems….
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/sony-says-half-loss-balloons-070937918.html#FrJOWh1
At least they’ll have the A7II to take pictures while they burn to the ground. Maybe we’ll finally get some exciting 4K content.
It’s about smartphone, not photography.
Sony smartphone sucks…
hopefully the new sensor tech they just announced will change that…
So they bulked up the grip, but did not take the opportunity to create a higher capacity battery than the measly 1020mAh NP-FW50. Yeah, I know you can add the vertical grip pack, but not everyone wants to lug that around to every shoot.
i actually prefer the universal battery for all my NEX cameras, it means i don’t have to buy new batteries every time i upgrade!
THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
Yes..i believe it too…u can reused the old battery..easy for sony and consumer
yup.. wish they would have gone with the larger battery found in most (all?) Amount DSLRs
Well the a mount battery life is pretty poor alas.
The added depth must be to house the IBIS and related electronics. If the battery is the same capacity it may get less shots with IBIS in use.
You should contact Sony’s camera division and offer to help the design engineers improve the design, I’m sure you vast experience as design and engineering will be asset.
It wouldn’t be necessary for him to do that if Sony’s camera designers and engineers had an ounce of camera design ability, or common sense.
I think we need better battery life and not battery size comparison. Im super happy with the launch but there is still room for improvement. We need better battery life and better LAEA4 Mark II with wide AF points
yes!! these cameras would be a lot more interesting to me if the LEA4 was better to use my Amount glass. wider/more AF points and less bulky. at least make it so the camera can be set down normally without having to pivot on the adapter.
They may not admit to using the EM1 IBIS but they can’t deny borrowing the grip. 😉
I think if you examined both grips side by side the difference would be obvious. Hence; the grip is different and not borrowed. You’re in denial.
The point of the existence of the A7 and sons was the size … FULL FRAME power in a compact size camera. They got the size right, they just needed to improve features. So what’s the point of the A7M2 getting bulkier and leaving aside essentials like battery life …
original grip is uncomfortable. this is better. still shorter than most lenses anyway.
Mirrorless camera is small thus shorter grip. Put on bat grip to feel more grip..
Its still very small. Show me a FF DSLR that has IBIS? Thats right there is non. Mirrorless also has the EVF which a lot of people prefer (I for one much prefer an evf to an ovf). Compare this next to the d810 and you will see what I mean… (the A7r2 will be the same size as the a72).
Actually Sony’s A99 has IBIS and its full frame.
Nice post, admin. Now, that is quality trolling. Learn people, “wobble wobble” is a mediocre attempt.
That grip negates all size advantages!
All of this powered by a single AA battery? NICE!!!
lol!!!!!
what! why is the grip bigger? and the overall size a bit bigger? I thought cameras were supposed to be getting smaller…you know to accommodate for smaller feminized hands due to the increase of xenoestrogens in our environment.
I don’t get it. Why is it getting bigger? The advantage to a dslr, is to have a compact camera. Otherwise I there is no reason not to choose Canikon and to enjoy their better choice in lenses.
Please Sony, make a rangefinder full-frame with ibis in the size of the A6000!!!
it got bigger by such a negligible amount it would be hard to even tell a difference minus the bigger grip which is a plus in a lot of peoples eyes! and the added size is to fit in the 5 axis stabilization… it has to fit in somewhere and to me, its well worth it. if its not worth it for a certain user, then there is still the original A7.
Agreed. It’s really not much bigger at all, other than the grip, and that was the one bit that needed to get bigger, as the original grip was a little too small to be comfortable for many people (including me). The ergonomics of this look to be much better.
Yes, it’s only slightly bigger but it’s going in the wrong direction.
Go to any camera shop and compare the size of A7 with any full frame dslr and add few mm.
Regarding the picture:
Are Canon/Nikon managers bowing to the new A7 II?
Or are they burying their heads in the sand after the announcement?
🙂
regarding the picture, what on Earth are those people doing? Any clues? Honest question
Its written under the photo, Canikon and Fujisonic management at the Worldwide Losers’ Conference.
Hehe, kidding, looks like some sort of hippi surfer gathering …
Burying their heads in the sand.
Political mockery of the current Australia prime minister.
Neither. They are preparing to release some GAS!
So to dumb this down for the dummies…. The E-mount bodies are getting bigger and they now have IBS… So… What was the reason for the E-mount? Off yeah, To Sell you a body that you cant use the Glass you already own for A-Mount or a Minolta lens that you can pick up at a reasonable price for great quality optics and to sell all the suckers F4 lenses before they sell you F2.8 lenses, Before they Come out with 1.8 lenses, Before they Finally release a 1.4 Lens.
DONT BE A SUCKER, SUCKER.
Are you kidding? The a7m2 is still tiny compared to the monstrosity that is a99.
Wait until they are finally finished with the trail and error design ( est mkVIII)
Oh I forgot next massive improvment flippy screen on the mkIII
E-mount reduces the flange distance for mirrorless. How do you not know this?
looks like an amazing mix of the a99 and a7. I dig it. I’m not ready to ditch my a99 though.
1799 Euro wtf
190000 yen is around 1300 Euro, fuck this shit
That new design will certainly appeal to a typical Canikon user. The a7II looks now more like an ordinary DSLR, rather than minimalistic, stylish and modern-looking camera, like the original a7 used to be. I’m sure it’s much more ergonomic, but also bigger and uglier. And like my cameras good-looking. I don’t like the grainy plastic surface and that bump under the viewfinder particularly. And front grip. And dials. And everything, actually. Black painted hotshoe is a nice touch, though.
it got ~ 1cm deeper and ~1mm taller, a few minor layout changes and minor texture & paint differences.
If I didn’t know to look I’d probably not notice it wasn’t an A7
Actually it only looks like the original Nex-6. It’s so much better to have the shutter button on the hand-grip.
I am waiting for 7s mark2 !!!!! Nikon ,Canon all smash .
Hulk, is that you?
Hulk true identity 😉 forgot to switch accounts
Why is the top surface, left side, empty? Why not another control or two, or something else – anything? Something innovative. I don’t like the fact that these cameras (and RX100) are clearly enthusiast models but not laid out enough like an SLR (rx not at all) – i.e. for maximum usability. They’re still trying to make some meaningless ‘style’ statement, it seems.
Yeah..i agree..they can put in additional shortcut button for better customization.. But sometimes, something, someplace is better to leave it empty..
Because for the sake of the “Steady Shot Inside” label~
Because that an inaccessible part of the camera when shooting. And you don’t need to cover every blank surface with buttons. But they have added an additional custom button to the right side.
That’s true for people who don’t have left hands. Otherwise wth are you talking about.
My left hand is always on the follow focus, focus ring, or just palming the lens. That area would also be like a centimeter from the bridge of your nose – really should be kept clear. I suppose people coming from a phone or P&S that are used to holding the phone/camera out in front of them would disagree – horses for courses…
I’m betting that Beck45 holds his camera the same way… but I’m also willing to bet that both he and you don’t walk around with your camera glued to your eye. When you aren’t taking photos having some buttons that you need to use to make adjustments to your camera are more useful on the left side than they are all crammed on the right side… Most people are right handed and that means they tend to hold the camera in their right hand when they take it away from their eye, so buttons on the back or left are easier to access than on the right with your free left hand. It is called ergonomics and would have made the camera more ergonomical.
I’m not sure it would have made the camera more ergonomical. Holding the camera and actually using it will be the teller. Either way, they’ve added another custom button on the right side where it’s always accessible so that’s a plus. Complaining that every blank surface doesn’t have something “innovative” on it seems needlessly picky to me.
granted there is no need to have buttons on every possible point… the current layout of all the buttons and dials on the right side does seem a bit cluttered such that it might be easier if a dial or button had been moved to the other side that is empty. But that is more a personal preference from someone that doesn’t have tiny fingers and would enjoy having buttons spaced out a bit more.
I tend to agree with you about the clutter. I guess we’ll have to see how it holds when it’s released.
That’s true for idiot like you who hold camera with both hands like holding phone camera…
yes they could put an an on/off toggle button. or steadyshoot on/off. even with shortcut i have to push another button to de/activated, with switch button i can switch very very quick
Anyone know if there will be the silent shutter functionality? That would be important for me…really useful on the a7s
It will be on the mk III no firmware updates on mkII
Given that the “inferior” products from Nikon and Canon are still spanking Sony hard (they’re still making money, Sony is losing it), I think that tweet is misleading at best … hubris at worst.
Is Sony making a serious attempt to carve their own niche? Sure. Are they doing interesting things? You bet. Is it a shot across the bow for Canikon? Absolutely. Are Canikon managers bowing in tribute? Not likely. Sony doesn’t understand consistency and “system”; until they do, they will remain a marginal player compared to the big guys.
Conversely, hopefully what Nikon and Canon ARE doing is paying attention to Sony at the gates and readying serious mirrorless contenders of their own over the next 24 months.
At the risk of mixing metaphors, Canon and Nikon have been playing in this sandbox for a very, very long time. Sony will have one helluva fight dethroning them. Giving them a wake up call? Probably. Dethroning them? Highly doubtful. So far the big two are still playing from a position of strength.
And not to forget the core of the Sony base is disappointed by the way Sony handles loyal customers. A lot of changes on this camera should have been realised already on the first version. And by the way and not using the change of grip to improving the batterylife is very short sighted … or is Sony waiting to show them how to do this? Sony has to make a decision , are they profesionals or are they only looking to take money out of the customers pockets?
That’s what being professional means. It’s all about the money.
So Sony will vanish like a dust cloud in the wind since there is neither system nor loyalty behind
“vanish like dust” is a bit dramatic, innit, for the company that makes all Nikon sensors and then some. My loyalty to Nikon went the way of the Dodo after the unforgettable D600 experience. And, it is much easier to use manual focus Nikon lenses on a Sony A7 than any Nikon DSLR due to the lack of a proper focusing screen.
“…it is much easier to use manual focus Nikon lenses on a Sony A7 than any Nikon DSLR due to the lack of a proper focusing screen.”
Rubbish. I use my AIs lenses on my Nikon digital bodies all the time. The green confirmation dot works a treat.
Sony simply doesn’t have the experience building out a complete system that is comprehensive, reliable, ergonomic, and most of all, consistent. This is why they’re imaging division continues to lose money, even as Nikon and Canon are making a profit, albeit a smaller one.
Sony cameras are electronics appliances with lenses attached … and to a great extent they’re experimenting on their customers to see what works. To be fair, they’re gotten several things right: their sensors are excellent; their partnership with Zeiss was a great move; the RX1 was a well-sorted effort; and their implementation of certain technologies such as 4K and now this IBIS on full frame are impressive.
But they have a ways to go to become profitable and really challenge the Canikon duopoly … the question is do they have the stamina to stick with it, as opposed to just starting over again every six years, until finally throwing in the towel?
Consistency? System? Forgot the FD-mount of Canon before they went to EOS? The EOS mount is totally not backwards compatible to the older FD-Mount(used for decades) and now you complaining Sony leaving the A-Mount?
I guess the net is filled with camera techies without learning history
Well you don’t have allway to follow the mistakes of others. That’s why to follow is not allways a bad thing but you have to see the mistakes and see also the path of success. I guess Sony is blind because it as the tech but not the strategy nor the stamina to succeed
If Canon’s strategy of abandoning FD-mount is a mistake, Canon would be the first Kodak… At EOS launch, there is no adapters at all(except 1 for its long lenses, if you can afford the $1000 adapter), at least Sony released adapters for A to E-mount.. So Sony is just following Canon’s success on EOS with some extra benefit to legacy mount.. They have been pushing new tech that no other manufacturer has dared to take and I see that strategy is brilliant
Do you know why no others have dared to push the stuff? Because it’s bad. Sony is in bad waters and desperate times call for desperate measures.
Yeah, Canon abandoned the FD mount 26 YEARS AGO!
If Sony had been in the camera business for the past 26 years we would have had 12 different lens mounts by now. lol
Maybe it’s you who should learn history, or are all your arguments “selective”? I can put 30 year old lenses on my brand new Nikon and they just work. Nikon maintained almost a half-century of legacy while simultaneously pushing technology forward. That’s no small task. They are FAR more experienced at this than Sony will ever be.
Canon EOS? That’s been around since the late 1980s; there are no plans to change it for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, Sony changes up system support every few years.
Sony: Great sensors. Spotty camera development. Horrible ergonomics. Dreadful system support.
Bowing in tribute? Did you really not get that it’s a picture of people with their head in the sand?
Please understand why sony release too many camera body, while we still enjoy the A7 family, another upgrade are coming.
IMHO SONY want to close the door for canikon entering mirrorles world, after canon ceo said next year the want to enter mirrorless system, by releasing 5 axis and A9 pro level, new canikon mirrorless will be a joke for sony A9/A7 series.
some fanboy said canikon will enter milc and will crush sony, well… IF they had that technology and innovation im sure they will show it on their recent release dslr, but are there any?
NOOOOO,… I believe right now they DONT have superior tech that will crush A7/A9.
and im not talking about sensor yet, since when canon have advanced sensor tech to answer sony aggressive development.
I BET canikon will not enter mirrorless next year, not untill they have more advance mirrorless tech, and thats are ……..
I hope only that Sony has maid a survey on what a real pro camera is by checking the canikon stuff. Little improvement on a already highlevel camera makes it pro. Improving the firmware with new stuff makes it pro. Selling half baked stuff as quick as possible with impressive ideas put poorly executed makes it garbidge.
Well said.. Pushing out innovation at lightning speed can keep others at bay, since canikon wouldnt want to release a new product that is seriously out shined by sony
Your are right when the sun is shinning anything looks nice but as soon as the clouds are rolling in it looks like barbigde again. A good product needs time and serious engineering to make. Not only 20axis ibs
Adding IBIS to (F)E-mount was deemed impossible by many due to its mount design so adding it was a pretty serious engineering feat, not to mention the subtle changes that is important to the overall feel.. At least its better than waiting for 2-4 years for any considerable update to the tech list.. Anyway Sony is grabbing as much user base as it possibly can in FF mirrorless market before Canikon arrives.. I prefer Sony’s approach rather than Apple-style approach of others since it forces others to innovate than to iterate
Reality is Nikon and Canon use a different mindset than Sony does. Nikon and Canon have a long tradition of very good lenses… Those lenses weren’t aimed at mirrorless and from what we have seen with Sony’s solutions for getting a-mount lenses to auto focus on a different mount their is no easy solution. Sony also has very little invested in their DSLR mount lenses so it is certainly easier for them to throw away that market and go mirrorless.
To me sensor improvement hasn’t mattered for awhile now. Even when I was stuck with the 6mp cameras from 10 years ago I could get the shots that I wanted. Not as quickly as I can now but I’m not out there trying to shoot in total darkness or trying to shot 8 frame a second, so I don’t need newer super fast sensors… A lot of camera owners fall into that category, and a lot of them also have a lot of glass that they don’t want to spend a fortune replacing.
I think Nikon and Canon will eventually go mirrorless… but only when they can do so without forcing their existing owners to mortgage their first born for a complete new lens system. Will they produce a better camera than Sony when that happens? I don’t know… I honestly don’t even care because any of the 3 brand provide sensors that do what I need right now…
Now even though I currently own a mirrorless and DSLR Sony I wont be investing anymore money into them because of sensor upgrades the produce. Not because I don’t like their stuff, one of them has a better sensor than my Nikon if I only go by the specs…. But I simply have way more Nikon glass for where there is no good Sony equivalent… And forgive me but I’ve been spoilt on auto focus so I don’t really enjoy doing manual focus on a Sony mirrorless.
Frankly if Sony wanted to get more market share they might stop the sensor quest for a while and create some adapter for that would allow Nikon and Canon glass to focus quickly and automatically on their existing mirrorless line…. It would probably generate a lot more sale for them than another slightly improved sensor.
Owh, please Andrea.. don’t rub salt in the wound.. hahahaha
Can anyone confirm if the 59.7mm vs 48.2mm on the depth part is measured including the grip part? If so, than the body itself is not too much thicker right?
Has anyone an idea when the promised Flagship A99 II will be anounced? My budget bin is full to the top . I’m ready
Totally off-topic:
Whoever took that photo of “CaNikon’s head in the sand” should have taken a few steps to the right for a much better point of view…..what a pity….sigh….
Notice the bigger hump (or deeper, first picture), any improvements on the EVF? Nothing was mentioned though.
Your summary suggests what I had already guessed, that as the sensor is pretty well the same as the standard A7, the performance hike of the AF is likely to be purely down to firmware. This is more or less confirmed by the claims regarding Sony’s intelligent image processing being the reason for that speed.
Given that, one would assume that Sony could provide a very similar firmware to existing owners, although I know that is next to impossible!
It does also reinforce my opinion that this is not a sensible ‘upgrade’ for existing owners, as you get used to the shutter position and the stabilising is only really useful under limited conditions.
That’s quite a relief in some respects!
After looking at the picture above I’m really hungry for a sand-wich.