Sony manager Kenta Honjo confirmed with very clear words that there will be new A-mount products and specifically new A-mount cameras in future. He also added that Sony also wants to improve the E-mount system so that it can support sport photographers. That means they want to release the right lenses and also improve the EVF so that it has virtually no lag.
Personal note: Thanks Kenta Honjo for mentioning SonyAlphaRumors community as a valuable source for spreading the “Alpha Gospel”. Thanks 🙂
162 Responses
come on… In this forum here everybody know the truth: A-mount is dead.
*grabs popcorn*
Are you sure that spoon is big enough?
Popcorn all the way!
What??? Copporn all the way!?!?
Find yourself another place to spread false info.
You also don’t like popcorn, right?
Nice try, but you used an argumentum ad populum…
The message is: E-mount will be improved to suite sport photographers!
I’ll see it when I believe it.
I know what I said.
Arguable on both accounts.
[He also added that Sony also wants to improve the E-mount system so that it can suite sport photographers.]
If Sony can drag the sluggishness out of the A7 series, it’ll be a true winner. Lossless RAW, UHS-II support, a faster processor, faster buffer clearing and a truly intuitive user interface, sort out the tracking (approaching targets) and low light AF, much quicker switch on time, and I think it’ll be there.
As much as I really cannot stand my A7r, I can see what Sony is trying to do and good on them for doing it.
Right now the closest Sony has (in terms of AF performance and framerates) to something suitable for sports photographers is the A6000.
Replacing the A6000 sensor with one that has BSI and releasing some long lenses along with adding IBIS would come close to this goal.
I picked an A6000 up recently for next to nothing (by camera standards). Yes, it’s a superb little camera. Got it set up for tracking AF-C with the 70-200/4 G OSS.
On what ground(s) do you exclude the a77Mii? I use it almost exclusively to shoot sports. It seems pretty “suitable” to me, but maybe I am just missing something(?)
I don’t know why Sony doesn’t start using XQD memory cards, instead of SD. They are very fast, compact, and Sony was one of the companies that invented them. I had a Nikon D4 a few years ago, and it had an XQD slot, and came with a free Sony XQD memory card. They are about 4 times faster than SD / C Flash cards.
Sports photographers also need good AF tracking.
I’m not asking for much…. just ONE MORE a-mount FF camera with today’s tech…. a99ii 50MP – then they can stop making a-mount cameras. An a68? Really? Come on, that is an insult!
Honjo- please answer the 5 W’s:
When
Where
Why
What
Who’s going to buy this thing?
I can answer the last question:
me
Yeah, me as well. Basically, I’ll take an A77II full frame. I’d just sell my A77II and rock the new guy when it arrives. I don’t need much else and I’ve even take 24MP.
Nah, I’ll just keep the A77II and add the FF.
What exactly are you going to buy?
E-mount body that is capable for sports-photography
+lenses
Me too…but will need. It to work for wildlfe too
300-600mm f4.8, 5, or 5.6
150mm barrell extender for Close up/macro mode
Drop in 1.8x teleconverter
To sell in mid $3000 range.
If this lens (or similar) will really be made, I will call it the “Barry-lens” 🙂
And call the Quanta sensor the Barry sensor..
BTW thanx for refferring me to quantum processors….did you you see my suggestion for color/wavelength differentiaton on each jot
00…none
I-…..red
10…..green
1+…..blue
That was based on your suggestion.
🙂
I just throw the name quantum cpu into the ring – because of a similar word.
The last time I tried how a quantum processor works, I failed. But at least I figured out that this (infinite state combination at the same time) is as impossible as I thougt. And currently the capabilities are very limited and probably this is a dead end technology. But it sounds too promising, so there is still money left for research.
Well then, I think you have accidently stumbled onto how to process all the quanta data as well as how to add color data to jots.
As of 2013 the most advanced q uhh antum computer was about 1000 bytes…I do not know what advances have been made since then.
Assuming the ability to measure 2 quantum states..-spin and + spin , and return to the home stat od 0 spin
Plus the 0 and 1 of conventional bits…that provides the 4 states necessary to determine color value at the jot level.
Maybe they just want to see animasbybarry eat a hat
Barry didn’t commit. I asked him if he’d eat his hat if A68 is released, and he tried to weasel his way out of it
When next week comes and goes without a new A mount camera what will become of your hat?
I have clearly stated on multiple occasions that I would like to be wrong about the future of A mount.
Except for SAR no one else is reporting or repeating rumors that there will be a nea A mount camera……furthermore there might even exist the posibility of an in between gray aeea where Sony simply repackages leftover old parts or unsold cameras with a new name and no new technolgy.
Show me the Camera.
“I would like to be wrong about the future of A mount.” You are, be happy.
“I have clearly stated on multiple occasions that I would like to be wrong about the future of A mount.”
You have also clearly stated, absolutely and definitively, on multiple occasions, that there will be no new A-mount cameras.
Show me the camera
Perhaps it will just be an underwater housing for the old camera.
It isn’t possible to show you a rumoured camera that may or may not see the light of day, and by extension, one that obviously hasn’t been announced yet.
That takes nothing away from the fact that you definitely said that A-mount is 100% dead.
Sony dosent make underwater housings.
Sure they do! Google is your friend. There is even one for an a7 model, but I think it was only released in Japan…
I guess Barry is getting his wish. He is wrong about the future of a mount.
Read my lips; No New Cameras. 🙂
Leftover old parts??
Have you ever heard of “just in time” and lean manufacturing? Sony only produce parts or get them produced when they need them so they can avoid a large stock of parts and avoid to tie up their capital on a stock. Believe me they have no old parts in stock they can make a camera from!
Just type “a68” in your favorite browser. Multiple hits . . .
He sounded very confident and actually brought it up himself that they are still developing the a-mount and for us not to worry. I feel a lot more satisfied about that, I just wish we knew when there was a new FF Body coming out.
This is the first matter of fact statement on A-mount made in the last year or so, Kenta is actually making a public commitment. Good news.
Do think when Sony released 24-70mm SSM II just for fun? Sigma and others still supports the A mount lens because they don’t know ? Some people just can’t use their brain to make sense. Sony and others spent million of dollars to develop A mount lenses and then stop? It is business and they don’t want to release any info. if they’re not ready because they never satisfy any of us. So, if you think Sony would stop support A mount, then you could go with Canon or Nikon who will release their cameras every few years with just or maybe minor updates, until then, stop your spreading with no fact.
Great news for A mountand FE mount users what about some more E mount lenses Sony? A compact 50-200mm telephoto to pair up with the small 16-50mm would be nice, as would a 60mm macro and a 24mm pancake 🙂
The 55-210 is pretty close to 50-200…
I listened very carefully to this entire loooong interview for this clear statement that there will be new A mount cameras…and it is just not there.
He makes a very general comment that they will ” continue to delope A mount” but Kenta does not even specify cameras, he just halheartedly mumpbles yes when askek by the interviewer if that includes cameras.
Except for those few seconds this entire interview is entirely centered around E mount, as if A mount does not even exist.
I think we are all guilty to some degree of hearing what we want or expect to hear.
Once again the topic of A mount is addressed only in a vague and carefully worded non specicic words.
Furthermore the body launguage clearly shouts evasiveness.
So while I would very much like to see newer better A mount cameras I will still believe it only when and if I actually se it.
Give it up Barry, A-mount is back and rocking.
Agree with the first part. Not so sure about the second part – that has yet to be established.
Show me the camera.
This would be a great time to retract your previous statements and maintain some level of dignity, you’re only making it worse.
Show me some sanity
You understand that this isn’t a product announcement right? I mean he didn’t show any new E-Mount cameras either. Are they being evasive about those because they are going to drop them as well?
“Presenting the A7s II for the first time in this country” – no new camera?
the conversation was about E mount… he specifically brought up the A Mount and to tell people not to worry as they were still developing it. Its very clear E Mount is a big success for Sony, that doesn’t mean A Mount won’t return strong off the back of the E Mount success.
He brought it up because of the marketing fiasco by Sony UK.
And you obviously doesn’t hear him say they continue to develop a-mount and will bring new a-mount cameras out!
Get over it!
I did NOT hear him say they “will bring new A mount cameras out”
Do you think they will develop and make a-mount cameras for fun?
As competent engineers Sony will likely consider and explore many new ideas , even those that will not go directly into thier current product line…probabbly going so far as to even build prototypes of products that may never actually be manufactured…including possible A mount prototypes.
That is what good engineers do, that is probably what good Sony engineers do.
That also clearly filfills the claim that Sony will continue to develope A moumt.
But in absolutele no manner way or form does a pledge to continue to develope A mount commit Sony to manufacturing a new A moint camera.
Sony has not promised you that they will make a new A mount camera…no matter how badly you want to believe it.
They sinply allow you to continue to believe what you want by not denieing it.
Thier comments always IMPLY new A mount stuff will come without ever actually saying it will.
If any Sony employee did actually promise a new A mount camera they would be fired.
If any Sony employee actually told you there will not be one…such as the two Sony sites sort of slipped…Sony would make statementslike this one for damage control.
Absolutely nothing in this intrview comes any closer to promising a new Sony A mount camera than thier older comments.
Thanks for your comments. FYI, There is no “e” on the end of the word “develop”
He said develope a mount
He did not say make a-mount camera
nor did he say bring new A mount cameras out.
Big differrence…you are hearing what you want to hear then changing his comment to fit.
When his words are so carefully and deliberately chosen it is particularly important to get them exactly rite.
I didn’t hear it at first either, but he DOES say “we’ll make new A-Mount cameras”. Listen again
Can somebody please give us some kind of clue when he says this. It’s a looooooooooooong video.
31:50
Thanks. Yes, he definitely says “that’s the reason we need to still develop A Mount cameras.” Which means they are still doing so.
I can’t watch the video at work. Regardless, I agree with much of what your saying and I think you’re being honest about the issue. Kudos.
You’ve gone from a “denier” to someone who just makes stuff up. Get over yourself . . .
for the first time i agree with you
Now I’m just curious to how they are going to handle the A – Mount… will it be mirrorless? will it still have SLT? will they make an adaptor for E mount lenses to go on A mount? (for those already invested in E Mount). Interesting times ahead.
E-mount lenses can never be adapted to A-mount. Educate yourself.
Just like they could never make a Full Frame E mount.
That is not really the same thing.
Everything is possibru if there’s glass in the adapter.
Please feel free to explain.
E to A adapter is possible, it’ll simply require additional lens inside the adapter to fix the short working distance.
Mirrorless A-mount does not make much sense – it would have zero advantage over E-mount and lens compatibility only goes one way. Once OSPDAF catches up to mirror/SLT, assuming it ever does, it game over for native A-mount cameras.
What if it was actually an E-Mount camera with an A-Mount adaptor included in a body that was similar in size to A65? Using the extra body size to provide space for bigger battery and whatever else they can add?
I still like the idea of a tilt shift sensor.
A mount cameras would have an advantage in lens design, as the flange-mount distance of e-mount condemns the possibility of having large aperture lenses (without them being exorbitantly large). Wonder why e-mount doesn’t have 2.8 zooms or 1.4 primes? People never touch on this no matter how many times it is brought up.
Oh really?
So far adding a simple extension tube to DSLR lenses seemed to work for lenses of any aperture. This does make them a bit longer, but calling that “exorbitantly large” is quite an overstatement. So the absolutely worst case scenario is the lenses being forced to be slightly longer.
Do not forget that many DSLR lens designs actually have rear group specifically designed to allow for long flange to sensor distance of DSLR. Those designs can be made smaller in mirrorless.
Also, E-mount does have fast primes – FE 35/1.4 and Samyang primes (135/2, 85/1.4 etc, but those are essentially DSLR lenses with extension tube and E-mount). F2.8 zooms are coming. Soon.
So you disagree that A-mount has an advantage in lens design and you truly believe absolutely no compromises in size/weight/lens design are made when designing the equivalent lenses for e-mount? I just want to hear it straight, and if you can convince me, I’d be glad to believe. I am reluctant to abandon A-mount until e-mount has a proper body (dual card slots, durable, better balanced, etc) and especially NATIVE lenses that can match the optical performance I am used to without compromise (adapter is just not a solution…and yes I use both – A7 with LA-EA4 and A99/A850)
Yes, I do believe that, and ability to adopt all existing DSLR lenses is a good indication that absolutely worst case scenario is that lenses will have to be slightly longer. Loxia and some of the AF FE lenses clearly show that relatively compact very high quality lenses are possible.
What I love about current FE primes I already own (55/1.8, 1.8/85, 90/2.8M) is that they are amazing wide open, unlike many older DSLR lenses which are faster, but are not great wide open, so in real life you usually stop them down a stop anyway.
I also believe that more lenses will be announced soon, and there will be both fast primes and also at least one F2.8 zoom.
As for optical performance of native A vs E lenses – FE 70-200/4 is SHARPER and has better micro-contrast than 70-200/2.8G at F4.
Right now I still use both mounts, I am missing an E-mount camera with dual card slots and snappier experience (mostly general speed, not AF in particular – AF is fine for most practical scenarios). I do believe that such camera will come and I will be able to finish my transition from A to E.
I seriously hope they release a larger body to balance these larger zooms and such- I tried shooting with the A7 for long lengths of time with my 2.8 zooms and flash gun/transceiver and it was just utterly painful, not ergonomic at all. The image quality is more than enough for me, just need the experience to be better. Hope you are right.
“an adapter for E-mount lenses to go on A-mount”
?
Barry spends lots of time every day convincing himself A-mount is dead.
He has a point though. I think he’s being fairly level headed about the issue today. Sony reps still respond evasively to the question. If you can’t come out and say- we are developing a full frame A mount camera- then what can you make of it. You sacrifice no competitive advantage in making such a statement. You’d only speak in such a fashion if you’re attempting to avoid anger amongst your current customer base. When that A mount base disappears though- different story.
What part of ‘we don’t talk about future products’ is so hard to understand?
Ask them if they’ll be more FE mount cameras in the future. The wording and amount of details you’d be given- drastically different then how they respond when asked about A mount. We don’t talk about future products is secondary to whether you can confirm a camera is in the future. Just confirm we can expect a full frame camera at some point! That’s all I want. I don’t care about the details but come on! That’s like asking dunkin donuts if they plan on making donuts tomorrow and being told- we don’t comment on future products. I didn’t ask if you’d be discontinuing the boston cream for crying out loud!
No you are asking your American donut brand if they will be releasing any new products, not the same as asking if they will continue to make the same ones they already do.
Sony only makes one donut. It’s called a99. The flavor is ok but the cream filling kind of sucks and it’s past it’s shelf life. Then maybe it’s more like saying, will you ever replace your expired donuts at some point with a new donut- since you only carry one donut and every one else has multiple donuts…
…..alright, this analogy isn’t working.
No, no it isn’t working is it ;). If it were a donut the design would be akin to a receipe, it stays the same and they ‘manufacture’ them every day. Sure people might get bored of the old receipes that are available and want something new, but it isn’t really about being an old donut that has been sitting there past its used-by.
My a77Mii is still fresh and tasty.
Any hope that Barry might retreat to his troll hole in the face of an official Sony statement from someone who has standing to speak for the company has been dashed. Barry and his ilk will continue to pollute this site with garbage. Even when he is holding an a-mount camera in his hands he will deny its existence.
Yes it will be delicious to see the “a-mount is dead” trolls shrivel up with pathetic excuses like ” but it doesn’t have… and it should have…. e mount is better because…”
The truth is many E mount users have small mount syndrome and wish sony to only concentrate on little small cameras for travel enthusiasts and sports parents so they can feel justified in their purchases. Don’t get me wrong I love E mount and flexibility it affords + amazing portability, yet: A mount is and always has been for the big boy photographers.
Speak up young lads,, any final words on Death of A mount??? … thats what I thought 🙂
small mount syndrome- You need to contact wiki and get that definition published.
It seems to me that A-Mounters are always compensating for something. Always have to come in here and tell everyone how bad E-Mount is and how superior A-Mount is. It’s quite sad overall how different Sony users treat each other (and yes there are those who do what you say above).
Oh, quit playing d’Artagnan.
You are being a little hypocritical talking down “A-mounters” in this very comment of yours.
I don’t give a s**t what camera system you use if you produce good work. I own both systems and I hope both thrive. This needless bashing of users depending on what they use is not only unnecessary, its fcking stupid and pathetic. What a waste of everyone’s time.
for the first time i agree with barry on his comment regarding this video. a99ii or equavalent is over due and sony still got nothing to show. words from sony don’t mean nothing no mo.
Give me a mirrorless camera with the capabilities and functionality of the A77ii and I’ll be a very happy sports photographer. I won’t mind slowly transitioning to the E-mount while continuing to work with A-mount if they are genuine about this. Very encouraging to hear this!
skip
A77R II please. You know you all want it.
A77III with all AF points cross-type and BSI sensor. Without R, same 24Mp is plenty.
I’d like a 50-140mm DT 2.8. IT’LL NEVER HAPPEN but I hope sigma fills in that gap.
They already have. Personally I cannot see the appeal.
Sigma may be able to incorporate some proprietary Canon lens tech as a result of some technology sharing negotiations…..Canon will get Foveon …this is a prediction, I do not have proof.
Really, have you ever tried Foveon? It has SERIOUS limitations.
Canon has been working on thier own multilayer organic sensor for many years now…and has many patents related to the technology…I am sure they have some improvements planned.
And they will work on it for many more years.
You have a habit of arguing things that you have zero comprehension of.
The other day you argued standard deviation of sample lenses…and when I gave you mathematacal proof you continued to arque wth absolutely no concept of what you were talking about.
I will explain this to you only once since you seenm immune to logic.
Canon offered 10x the fair market value to purchase sigma…2 weeks ago…Sigma turned them down.
Canon has since negotiated technology shreing agreements wit Sigma.
These are facts…but we do not know the details if these agreementss.
Canon knows just as much about Foveon tech as Sigma , but does not have the patents.
They have been resaerching multilayer sensors for over 10 years now.
Sony has been producing better sensors than Canon and that sensor gap is increasing…Canon desperately needs someting to fight back with.
Rumors of the last 2 days have surfaced everywhere of Canon testing a non-Canon sensor on a new camera….a week after Sigma negotiations concluded.
Just what do you think Sigma has that Canon was willing to pay 10x the value of thier company to obtain????
As I said before I have no proof for this prediction….but I also see no other possible explaination for this recent activity.
I have given you an answer…l will not answer any follow up comment from you on this subject because you have proven to me that it is futile to do so.
Boy if this isn’t a case of “the pot calling the kettle black.”
I think your phrase “You have a habit of arguing things that you have zero comprehension of” actually relies to you. Stop selling out your fantasies as a facts.
The only actual fact in your unrestrained verbal flow is “Sony has been producing better sensors than Canon and that sensor gap is increasing”.
P.S. Oh, and about standard deviation stuff. Your “mathematical proof” was complete bs. You didn’t even understand what I was talking about. Probably something in phrase “copy-to-copy comparison” has messed up in your head with “sony to canon comparison”. So when I saw you are clueless, I simply didn’t bother arguing.
Also I’d like separate AF adjust for every AF point, like Olympus has.
Sigma zooms suck btw.
18-35mm 1.8?
24-35mm f/2 ??
There is the A-Mount Sigma 50-150 f/2.8. I had it, very nice lens.
I have got Sigma 50-150 II HSM, excellent lens with Alpha 700 and hope to be even better with A77 II or any future camera (so far A700 is more than enough for my work, bought two of them second hand to replace SLTs and NEX stuff as wasn’t good compared to A700)
And no mirror
Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words.
Want to see quality products, not just quality words.
I absolutely agree with you!!! Sony recently updated their expensive Zeiss Zooms and Tamron brings new a-mount prime lenses.
This is for sure not for the new rumored A68 camera (as people purchasing such an updated “entry level camera” will not invest money in expensive Zeiss zooms or prime lenses)
How about A mount video cameras and in a year or two you will have 8k. Sorry I believe E mount is where Sony will be investing all their time for still imaging. A mount will be for professional video
a 36 min interview that should’ve been done in 10 min. he said yes to future a-mount cameras but not much more, and without being reassuring. all he did was keeping the debate of a-mount future alive. if the next a-mount is indeed a68, it still not looking good for a-mount. maybe “north korea” will hack sony again to get an answer
Glass half empty.
good for you to have faith in sony. sony can stop the debate if it wants to.
Didn’t Sony just do that? Mr. Honjo actually welcomes the question and emphatically states that Sony will continue to develop and produce a-mount cameras. You want more apparently, but to continue the debate after this point is borderline irrational behavior. Either he lying or that is where Sony is at present. Corporate direction can always change, no question, but for the moment the debate is over . . . deal with it!
deal with what? i’d like to get a99ii and deal with that. you should watch the video and listen. sony people have said the same things before couple years ago when a99ii rumor started, and the wait game started then. more specifics would be more reassuring but they ‘cannot comment on future products’. go get your a68 when it’s released and you won’t have to wait.
OK, but you’ve changed the focus of the thread. I watched the video beginning to end and came away very encouraged. A-mount is definitely alive. That is really beyond any legitimate debate now. Only the completely irrational crazies are arguing otherwise.
But where a-mount is heading is a legitimate question. Before the rumor about the a68, I would have said that Sony is going to reserve a-mount to the professionals and advanced enthusiasts, and continue to develop e-mount for the masses. But the a68 sounds like it might be a camera for the masses too, so now I am uncertain. What I took from the interview is that Sony knows it needs to step up in the sports photography realm. It would seem to me that a muscular camera such as a99ii is the most direct way to get there. Right now, the a7s are better suited to still life shooters and landscape photographers.
I also do not think Sony is responsible for anything that has been said about the a99Mii to date. All of that was unsubstantiated rumors which is the consequence of relying on a site like this for information. It is quite frequently wrong.
I’m tired of waiting for the a99ii too (if the a68 is what I think it is, I won’t be buying it). But I would rather have Sony turn over its camera models every 3-4 years rather than at the pace they have been going through the a7 series. An a99ii is due, certainly, but I wouldn’t say its overdue. And I can’t recall a time when Sony gave out “specifics” about any camera before it was officially announced.
Finally, don’t be surprised if the rumored a68 turns out to be something else . . .
“Finally, don’t be surprised if the rumored a68 turns out to be something else . . .”
That is only wishful thinking.
As for a more muscular camera needed from Sony, yes it is needed.
The current a99 is long in the tooth and offered very little improvement from the previous a900, all the a7 iterations are great gizmos, yes delivering outstanding image quality, yet they are a weak and slow in operation for professional use.
Bummer. And we all had such high hopes for it’s death. 🙂
I wonder if Kenta shoots with an A99 on his days off.
Yes, the A99II.
The AnimalsByBarry edition.
Zeiss Japan President OTOH…
https://youtu.be/i9TbnUoNEtw?t=35
He says (31:46):
“There’re some limitations to using E-mount lenses and we understand that, we understand the frustration, and that’s the reason why we still need to create A-Mount lenses… A-Mount cameras”.
Admin, could you please update the post and add this actual quote, to stop the arguing whether he said it or not? 😉
“that’s the reason why we still need to create A-Mount lenses” so once they feel they’ve got e-mount kit to the appropriate standard a-mount will be dropped.
That’s how I read it anyway.
Here’s a thought for Sony:
Please make a 24MP A88 A-mount FF camera using a BSI sensor with 300 PD AF points on it that can focus the existing A-Mount lenses as quickly as the A7SII can focus FE-mount lenses when there is no SLT in the path. That of course means that the SLT mirror will have to be movable to cater for screw-drive and older SSM lenses.
Make it come in at a price point of around $1700 – $1800, i.e. at about what one would pay for a Nikon D750 in the shop. Better would be aboult $1500 as on ebay – but that’s another story.
Do the same for an APS-C A78 except for the price at about $1100.
Nobody’s asking for miracles – just some sensible follow-up.
For that price you can get a AXX with the A7II sensor+IBIS, no 4k, no fast AF.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/27/canon-results-idUSL4N0SM25K20141027
It’s funny that people want that bad to Sony to join Canon in this sinking boat.
Ehmm… my first thought is the video can be interpreted in anyway you like it.
He gives some hope, but it’s like a girlfriend who said she will call you back….
Well, he says they need to keep developing A-mount cameras because of some limitations in the current adapter environment. That tells me that once they overcome those limitations, or have equivalent lenses in E-mount, they can then ditch A-mount, as they won’t need to bridge that gap anymore. So I think we have a camera or two coming in the short term, but long term it’s definitely on the way out.
FE 24-70 f/2.8. That’s the lifeline. If they ever announce that, I’d consider A-Mount dead, even if FE bodies stay in their current dumbed-down state.
Agreed.
So a better adapter or equivalent lenses in E-mount means end of A-mount camera’s. Not encouraging thought for spending 1500 euro on a new A-mount camera
Rishi is a bit clueless as interviewer.
Great in depth talk. Like the fact that sony is actually reading forums and listening.
At IBC I spoke to a few of the sony technical people from japan, and they we’re very interested in opinions on improvement and things that sony from my point of view got really right.
For the a-mount ppl I hope a good body is on it’s way. For me it’s too late, I sold my a99 and alpha stuff a year ago (sadly with quite a loss) to go the e-mount road. But with the exception of the cz24-70 2.8, I haven’t missed it at all.
Wished the interviewer asked for future firmware upgrades for at least current a7 line up. Hopefully it will include uncompressed raw just to stop the fuzz about it, but I wonder updates like AF-C eye af could be added through firmware update on an a7ii, 120 fps @ 720p or even zoom at focus point in playback would be a great new feature. And please sony, if possible enable custom white balance in video mode like a video camera would.
I think with the interview, you can take what ever you want from it.
Not the best way to do business by my view is :
Sony are not obliged to give any information about future product or development. They can just release a camera that is very good without notice. Consumers can just make the purchase if the new camera suits their purpose at the time or not.
With all the customers saying they will leave Sony. They might have to live with an inferior product.
Sony doesn’t owe any of it’s current customers anything other than supporting a current model to the specs it was designed for at release.
Sony’s Business model might be, build something that will people will want to buy and make profit off it. Not make products to cater for every individual’s needs.
Just curious if Rishi was given a list of questions he couldn’t ask or was not allowed to harp on about.
You’re right about cameras like RX. But not about the system cameras, where this ‘system’ usually costs more than the camera body, and is assembled by a customer over time.
I sort of agree with you. Sony would want to make money off a ‘system’ and would encourage customers to buy new cameras with new lenses to make money. Where they would not make as much money is off people that have 15 lenses bought 10 years ago, with no plans to buy more lenses and maybe just upgrade a body every 3-5 years and just whinge and whine about new sensors technology might not support their 10 year old lenses.
This is why I think the E-mount has been making more money. People are buying new cameras as well as new lenses to help resolve things like 36 or 42 megapixels.
This is the reason I don’t think things like Z-shift sensors will become reality, they don’t want people using old legacy lenses if possible. it’s just an icing on the cake if they cater for them, just the same as catering for adapted lenses (a-mount/ef/etc), but that’s going off topic.
Personally, I Iook forward to a new curved sensor mount dedicated for prime lenses with at least similar performance to A7RII for autofocus and resolution and higher fps. (but that could just be me)
Alright, watched this through finally. I get the impression from his comments that Sony is clearly aware of A mount users frustration. He seemed quick to want to acknowledge that. Hmm, should be an interesting next few months.
Unfortunately (maybe not so unfortunately) they will pop out an FF A mount body every 3 to 4 years. In the mean time they will flood the market with E mount bodies to sell new cheaper to make lenses.
In the mean time they are well aware that quite a few A mount owners will interim buy A7 cameras to use their A mount lenses on it.
Some A- mount people are buying those a7 bodies despite their professional use limitations and frankinstainish user experience. I have seen that most of them are not so happy….
Sony could not sell any to me though…
Dear trolls and other a-mount detractors, read this again please :)))
T H E R E W I L L B E N E W A-M O U N T P R O D U C T S.
Amen.
PS
there will be more improvements, more “wow” stuff inside in the a-mount.
IMHO, it is like this now:
A-mount slower updates but bigger steps forward (pro bodies may be even slower than that – pros do not need new upgraded model every two years, no? previous top A bodies, 5 years gap in between)
E-mount, more often new products, with smaller steps forward on improvements (consumer market needs “new” to feed the masses ;))
This guy will probably have an accident in the near future. Overrun by a Sony Promotion Truck… three times…
http://www.sony.com.br/camposony/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Sem-t%C3%ADtulo.png
“There will be new A mount cameras” = Minolta legacy lens prices just went up again.
a-mount is not optimized for video.
40 minutes with the Alpha product manager honcho and he talks less then 10 seconds of the a-mount, which were barely understandable, and you guys think there is a clear positive message for a-mount to be taken away from this video????