Well, if the just announced Sony A68 was supposed to get back some “confidence” in the A-mount system well it seems it’s definitely not enough. A couple of things that not look…right are:
- The new Sony A68 can be predordered in Europe only (See Technikdirekt). There is yet zero info if the camera will be ever available in other regions.
- Sony Australia officially said they will no more sell A-mount stuff. That seems to hint that no major A-mount stuff is supposed to be announced in future?
So we are back again at the start: What’s Sony’s real plan with A-mount? Please Sony give us some “solid” answer. A new A99II example would do just fine 🙂
194 Responses
The A68 is available somewhere in March 2016 only. I can imagine that pre ordering is not very useful yet, so no conclusions can be drawn as of yet!
“What’s Sony’s real plan with A-mount?”
I think it’s pretty obvious that the real strategy is to slowly starve the beast until they can peacefully kill it – very similar to what Olympus did with the original 4/3 mount. They will tell you that they are fully committed to it right to the day where they announce the end of it’s life. Doing anything else would immediately kill all sales. Sure they may still introduce some products that were long in the pipeline where design and tooling was already complete giving the illusion that it is alive, but it’s really a body just waiting for its last breath. I really don’t think, from a business strategy perspective, that anything else makes sense.
With this statement you kill the illusion that Sony is totally committed to A-mount and A77mk3 and A99mk2 will be announced, soon.
i had hoped they would atleast do something with a99ii and a77iii, but for whatever reason they dont want too.
would take them minimal effort to knock out some great a mount cameras, but nope, stupid.
I stay because of the cost and I don’t want to trade off to another DSLR system. With that said, I’ll probably finally sell of my A mount glass and just keep the A77II with the 16-50 because frankly- it’s a fantastic piece of kit. It ends their though. The Zeiss glass will just have to go as I have no interest in living off adapters.
TBH- I’m waiting on a Nikon or Canon response to Sony’s FF. Heck, I’d be interested in Fuji as well but that’s not going to happen.
Sony didn’t launch A68 in other regions yet, so obviously no preorders. Wait for its launch and then question the strategy
OMG! It’s a big conspiracy. Not.
Sony Australia = Joke!,
So Disappointed with them…
Sony has not launched A68 nowhere. One store has pre-orders that may be full filled in June 2016…..who cares? I do not think the store policy has anything to do with Sony.
Sony Australia are free to stock whatever products they can sell. If A mount is dead in Australia well that is a fact live with it.
Sony killed A mount in Australia, speak to just about any camera store and they all think Sony Australia was an absolute joke with the A Mount system, often did not have stock of all items or kits or when they ran a promotion, pricing use to be ridiculous, information did not flow to stores… Just chat to your local store and ask them what they though of Sony and some still do… It’s Sony Australia’s fault were A-Mount is locally as it could have done allot better if they wanted it to and ran with a better strategy (or any for that matter!)
… some of these issues have been addressed now they are more focused on the E-Mount but it’s just very sad how they have kicked all existing A-Mount users to the side, hell it took us over 4 weeks to even get an e-mount to a-mount adapter from Sony Australia… what a joke! we spoke to a few local camera stores and a few of them told us they have also been chasing them down for other customers but just can’t get stock!
Sony Australia is to blame the most of the poor performance of A-Mount, simple!
The specs for the A68 suggest it is simply a ‘parts clearance’ of leftover bits from older models (Mount, EVF and LCD from A58; Body from A65, Sensor, Chipset and PDAF module from A77II)
The 4 month wait before availability in March 2016 is also very unusual. Normally the announcements are made when all the certifications have been achieved and the units are already in production and either ready to ship or actually shipping. Clearly not the case here…
So what is actually going-on here? I have a horrible suspicion that this may basically be a ‘dirty trick’ by Sony’s Marketing Dept and that a last minute ‘go-ahead’ was given to this model in order to prevent concerns over Sony’s commitment to their older product lines from impacting sales of the ‘beloved’ FE FF Emount range over Christmas. ie. Do I really want to spend $3000 on an A7rII if Sony are going to drop it in the future in the way they seem to be dropping A-mount? Oh look, the A68 release shows they still love and support A-mount so I feel safe buying the A7rII !
A lot can happen in 4 months (‘product release cancelled due to lack of customer interest?’), and even if the camera does get released (in Europe) how long will it stay in production… will it survive after all the ‘leftover bits’ are used-up?
As said in the article, we now need an A99II announcement to feel confident of Sony’s commitment to A-mount
While I don’t disagree with your cynicism, it is a bit exaggerated. I think the “A-mount is dead” talk got loud enough, Sony realized they hasn’t released or announced an A-mount at all in 2015, not since early 2014… They realized it was time to “poop or get off the pot” — If they didn’t do SOMETHING A-mount soon, then the market really would conclude A-mount was dead. And Sony is not quite ready to officially kill off the A-mount, so they had to do SOMETHING. So they did the BARE MINIMUM… it’s a way to string along A-mount for at least a couple more years. They announce a camera in 2015, proving the A-mount is alive. They release it in 2016, proving the A-mount is alive. They can claim the A-mount is still active, at least through 2017 now. So they have bought themselves more time.
Those were also my initial feelings: ‘Any A-Mount is a good A-mount’ for exactly the reasons you state
I also wonder if there isn’t a bit of internal politics going on here in the background to this launch between various product managers and execs. However closer examination of the specs, the four-month lead-time and the European-only availability (I actually noticed this when it was announced but didn’t highlight it then as I didn’t want to ‘curse its birth’) lead to the scepticism I listed above. But maybe you are right and I am being over-cynical (though my long-time analysis of a company run by an ambitious exec who only cares about his RX and FE-mount ‘babies’, and wants to kill the progeny of the previous execs fits their observed behaviour towards A-mount and APS-C E-mount depressingly closely)
Whatever – I hope the A68 does make it to production and then, assuming it does finally ‘struggle blinking into the light’ in March next year, manages to stay in production for at least 18 or 24 months without Kimio Maki’s boot coming down firmly on its neck…
Might mean nothing. Several more months till release, other regions have plenty of time to jump in.
Or could indeed be meaningful: I always got the impression Europe was the strongest a-mount market. The press release of the a68 focused on being a new camera for your “precious lens collection.” — this could be a minor release just to fill the demand in Europe, which is the only region left that has sufficient demand to sustain any new a-mount bodies. It’s possible that the other Sony regions do indeed give up on a-mount. The “death” of a-mount may be a region by region decision.
Depends on who they intend to sell it to. If it’s existing A-mount users, then strong push in Europe makes most sense as it is historically the strongest A-mount market, dating back to days of Minolta. If it’s new customers, then they need a whole lot more of revolutionary products and marketing to revive the product line.
How is A-mount doing in other regions?
– Australia – already pulled the plug due to non-existent market share, shifting focus to mirrorless;
– Japan – lost all the ground there, from double digit to zero market share since 2008. Sony is leading mirrorless there, however, and will probably keep focused on that;
– Asia – no significant DSLR market share there, plus the mirrorless are doing reasonably well in the region. Sony is likely to focus on mirrorless there;
– N.America – entrenched and conservative DSLR market, ruled by the big two. EVF and SLT is a tough sell, just like mirrorless, but they do have some market share and some existing users to appeal to.
Are you sure about Asia? One thing is market share, other is sales in a certain period. Are you telling me that thousands of Sony cameras simply dissapeared or were thrown in recycle bins in Japan and Asia? That’s simply nonsense.
They clearly intend the product for existing a-mounters, it’s not an attempt to expand the market. Read the opening of the press release. They may as well have said, “for those of you who are clinging to your old lenses, we’ve thrown together a new body”
As a former a-mount shooter in the USA, it’s hard to say how much of a market remains. I’ve seen a fair amount of e-mount adoption. There is still a bias towards big dslrs, but e-mount is certainly growing among pros, enthusiasts, and amateurs. Meanwhile, a-mount can no longer be found in any of the electronics stores – only in some specialty camera shops. A-mount has gotten zero advertising and marketing in the USA for years. It’s becoming rarer and rarer to see anyone shooting a-mount in the USA.
I feel what’s happened to the US market:
Entry level users still just go to Best Buy and see what looks good. Since a-mount isn’t even on the shelves there, entry level users aren’t buying a-mount. Research alone isn’t going to compel them to buy an a58, sight unseen.
Higher level users: some of the existing a-mount enthusiasts certainly bought the a77ii. But American enthusiasts have been transitioning to full frame, as those cameras become affordable. But Canon, Nikon, and Sony FE each offer 4-6 full frame models, some newer and some older. A-mount only offer 1 full frame model, that is 3+ years old, and in many ways, trails newer and cheaper models. (Worst ISO performance of any current full frame, among the poorer AF systems among current full frame. And lacks the newer mirrorless features being promoted in the a7 series)
If you want a top performing traditional dslr, Canon and Nikon have you covered. If you want a top performing EVF dslr, there are now 6 A7 models to choose from, all 6 are newer than the a99, and several of them are cheaper than the a99.
So I feel like the American market has largely moved on from a-mount.
As one point – One of the largest brick-and-mortar electronics retailers in the USA (Best Buy) features Sony’s APS-C E-mount bodies MUCH more prominently than any other camera they sell in most locations, with a full-size aisle endcap dedicated specifically to only those products as opposed to just sharing the “yeah here’s all of our ILCs in no particular arrangement/order” aisle which can be difficult to find.
BBY has ZERO A-mount products, on the other hand – at least not in any store I’ve visited.
Obviously this may partly be Sony’s decision by paying more money to Best Buy, but it’s clearly deemed worth the expense by Sony.
Indeed, I have contacts in Spain and they tell Sony users in other regions that buying Minolta lenses in Europe is so much easier and safe than in other regions because there are plenty of repair shops which takes and support Minolta era A-mount lenses. So there are plenty of legacy users in Europe.
I know this because I don’t buy Minolta lenses over 300USD because I’m afraid that if something doesn’t work, then I will be left out with a paperweight. And that’s true in several countries in Latin American region.
They only have enough leftover spare parts to make a very limited number of these cameras.
A company like Sony does not manufacture cameras from stocks of spare parts.
You appear to be unaware of the concept of the lean production or just-in-time philosophies.
A company like Sony also does not build a new entry level camera with absolutely no new features for a system that is being discontinued…but apparently they are.
Preorder asap or you may not get one….if you actually want one.
Way to change the subject.
I don’t want one. I was simply pointing out your ignorance of modern manufacturing methods.
I have not changed the subject.
A couple of employees cobble together a few cameras out of mostly unsold inventory at minimal expense and great personel satisfaction.
I’m not sure which, but you are either the forum jester or village idiot.
In case you are actually serious and not just trolling, and because your original post implied as much, there is no such thing as unsold inventory in modern manufacturing.
Are you actually naive enough to believe that Sony will actually set up multiiple manufactuing opperations and manufacture multiple new parts just for an entry level camera that will have almost zero sales…????
Your “conventional ” model of how cameras are manufactured…whether correct or not…simply does not apply.
This is simply a ” lets shut up the critics” camera, and not a real production camera at all.
Production and sales of this camera will both be highly limited.
My query has certainly been answered.
I agree, this camera is not made for selling purposes, if it sells, ok, but the meaning is to deny(or fake) the death of A mount, but i still think they will launch an ultra high end A-mount. If they choose the right specs and the right price it can co-exist with the FE- system. Mirrorless can be a niche and can be a distraticion, for the consumers when sony angariates time and money to build the ultimate weapon machine DSLR sized.
I believe Sony needs to offer a pro style body for thier E mount camera line in addition to the amatuar/consumer body the A7 series currently offers as thier onl choice.
Sony wants to convert Canikon users to E mount, and unless they offer a pro body option this will not happen.
What we now have is a pro level camera system trapped inside amateur level body.
I do not suggest discontinuing the current consumer level bodies..because they are great for consumers…but add a pro level for those who want or need it.
No matter how good a camera Sony makes they will not take the lead unless they do this.
Yeah, but i feel they are not not ready yet, the AF still has problems compared to the DSLRs ones, and they will always lose when it comes to battery life. They seems to be waiting the correct moment when they have chances to compete directly, and those who really cares about perfect handling ultra sealed body and more weight are mostly pro sports photographers, not the usual sony ones. On that front for now they will loose money.
I am not at all surprised that you do not want one of these cameras.
Its not being made from pallets of old LCD’s and sensors lying around – but its being made with a bunch of cheap tech from existing models, so very little upfront development costs. The EVF and LCD are bottom end cheap parts from other cameras, the control dial is straight from the E-mount cameras, the sensor from the A77 and so on.
I’m aware of the parts required for the camera and that the development costs will have been minimal. My post was intended to contradict animalsbybarry’s claim that this camera IS being made from old parts that were “lying around”.
You simply have no idea of how a manufacturing company works.
You simply have no idea how human emotions work.
This camera is not being built to make a profit.
WTH. You talk about manufacturing process and now you’re blabling about human emotions?
The most prominent thing that doesn’t look right is the plastic mount, though.
Sony are obviously phasing out A-Mount and trying to move users to FE.
Unfortunately, with their current offerings users would rather move to Nikon, which may be offset by some other Canikon users migrating to mirrorless.
So instead of competing Sony have carved out a niche for themselves… but I’d rather we had a DSLR-quality EVF system out there.
I’m pretty biased here, but give me a reasonably big FE-camera with a SLT-free lens adapter that works with all A-mount lenses, including screw driven, and I’ll be fine. And quiet. And willing to pay Sony surprisingly much for that product.
In a few years time, when there are enough FE lenses, I’ll be ready to make the rest of that transition.
true, but the A-mount was a small niche itself. Sony A-mount never managed to break into the Nikon/Canon duopoly. So, as sad as it is for people who like the A-mount system, by a pure business perspective Sony doesn’t have much choice but to slowly phase it out.
Sony did have 17% of the DSLR market. Does that not count as “breaking into the Nikon/Canon duopoly”?
If I remember correctly, not really, because 17% refers to digital cameras, not DSLR. Sony never went above 8-10%.
I totally agree, and that may eventually come in E-mount form (A9 or what-have-you). Since my A-mount gear still works fine, I’m going to stay on the ride a while and see what comes next. There may yet be a good transition camera for me.
I own both A and E (FF) mount and started my transition to E with the first A7 roughly more than a year ago. My A77II works great and I still don’t feel the need to change it. Sony has to be able to put in the A7 series just some ergonomics and AF speed found in the A77II.
I don’t expect to spend $3,200 on a top A7RII but with pleasure I will on the new (possible for next year) A7III as long as it has matched the A77II AF, better ISO performance and last but not least a swivel rear LCD (it does make a diff in some shots)
I left Nikon D600 and D700 to go for Sony A7. So you can guess that all your write up is very subjective.
I did say that some people would move in the opposite direction…
Avalanche of anger in 3… 2… 1…
Avalanche of anger?
If anyone reading this actually plans to buy one pleasee post a response saying so …so Sony knows to make one for you.
An avalanche with no snow?
Not even a rumor. Just admin keeping the a-mount discussion alive. A click bait . SR -5.
*IF* it’s true, then Sony’s plan is pretty clear (and somehow logical).
Some facts to consider:
1) Sony failed to compete with Nikon and Canon in the traditional DSLR market. They were able to attract some customers, but not in the numbers that they were hoping for.
2) Sony managed to become more relevant with the introduction of the A7 series which may not be perfect, but it’s definitely enjoying more success than the “traditional” Sony A-mount ever had.
3) Maintaining 2 different camera systems and lens mounts, especially in a declining market, is totally crazy in the long run.
Possible/probable outcome (one of many, I guess): Sony will decrease the introduction of A-mount models to try and keep the existing customer base from moving to another system, while discouraging new customers to adopt A-mount cameras by putting way more emphasis, marketing money and r&d on E-mount. They may as well introduce a “bridge” camera to help the switch between the A- and E-mount, if it’s worth it.
Sony’s hope is probably to convince existing A-mount users to move to E-mount when they need to upgrade their gear, but if that’s an overall small percentage of users, while they sell more and more e-mount cameras and lenses, they’ll just let their old customers go.
As far as “bridge” cameras – that’s what Sony’s intent clearly has been with the A7RII and the new A7II firmware upgrade that both offer greatly improved AF with A-mount lenses.
I agree. A real “bridge” camera, as in a new a-mount body to convince to migrate to e-mount cameras, wouldn’t really make sense financially.
Agree with what you’re saying and I’ve been saying it for a long time – I just don’t believe the A-mount is anywhere near profitable for Sony. Until the success of the A7’s, imaging was losing tons of cash. The fact that the A-mount has never been close to class leading since the A900 – which was completely overshadowed by the video from the 5d2 and went completely unnoticed – tells us everything. The 36mp sensor never even made it into an A-mount body, despite being the best sensor on the market by a wide margin. Instead the A99 got a pedestrian 24mp sensor and was a complete dud.
The 36mp sensor skipped the A-mount and went right to the A7r. For years this has been the most telling sign Sony abandoned the A-mount. 3.5 years after the d800 was announced it still can’t find its way into an A-mount body, and its a previous generation.
R.I.P A-mount…
Why would we need a 36Mp sensor? And what’s ‘pedestrian’ about a 24Mp one?
12Mp sensor in A99II would be great. Sensitivity and speed is what matters.
Why do you think top Canikon bodies have 16-18 Mp?
Landscape photographers already got their slow high-Mp A7R, don’t bring this to A-Mount.
In Chris’s statement you can replace the the 36mp sensor by the 12mp sensor as well. Fact is simply that A99 got by far the weakest and oldest FF sensor from Sony. With the 36mp sensor it is just more obvious that Sony does not pay any attention to A-mount, because it is older and Nikon got it for 3 models.
Sony was the 3 place in the dslr segment, and mostly because of the vision of it having toys for most of the photographers, Sony would continue loosing money launching “dslrs” and would make people worried about the mirrorless development and seriousness. The 24mpx was a very good balance overall to keep costs down and to meet the selling numbers they needed.
Judging by d800 sales, a lot of photographers don’t share your view.
The 5d2/3 has more than 16mp, the 1dx is a niche body. Your argument makes no sense.
I don’t really agree with your reasons, one thing should be clear for consumers, they were taking mirrorless seriously. In the beggining seemed like a side step camera market, many reviewers said that. When they stoped the A-mount development and advanced with the e-mount they got more credibility. It doesn’t mean that the A mount was abandoned forever .I guess there are 2 possibilities,
1. They will end A mount because the cost of keeping A and E maintaining development is too high.
2. They noticed that people want to buy high end products, they will elevate the A-mount to another price level, and make less A-mount cameras but ultra high end ones, and mirrorless will be there beta test cameras.
But why they didn’t launched any A-mount until now?
Because they were not selling well enough to propose this; Canikon did not made any significant leap ahead to make them need this launch.
The launch of A68 seems a very strange indicative that A-mount could be really ending. But the rumors of the ultra hi end a-mount suggest the other way.
High end DSLR buyers are already heavily invested in CaNikon, a $4000 A-mount body would be DOA. That’s why I believe its never going to happen. There’s little to entice people to switch. Mirrorless offers something different.
A large part of the attraction to the FE cameras is the adaptability – something Sony actively promotes to attract users in other camps. Its clearly working.
Yes, but theres something between the lines. People who heavily invested in top end DSLRs have money, many of the people who invested in the E-mount have already high end dslrs, Leica sells ultra expensive cameras, still have its buyers.
There are many many reasons to launch a ultra high end ultra expensive DSLR system with A-mount.
One is people started to like sony more, to accept that it is a camera maker and a sensor maker that make truly good and inovative products.
Other launching a uber high end camera means a Total win over Canikon, thats good for the brand, and will be noticed.
Many already has sony products that accept not only sony lenses, so they will start a new “collection” of lenses without having to sell their canon or nikon lenses, because they work on the e-mount system.
Those who heavily investd in Canikon will die eventualy and newcomers will arrive so if they don’t do that this will be forever a duopoly, they have to do it once.
The A-mount body will be 6000 or more.
Sorry, not going to happen. The camera market volume is one third of what it was 5 years ago, and it keeps going down. There’s no way the introduction of a “uber high end camera” would move customers from Canon and Nikon to Sony, and there’s little to no room in the very high end customer niche to gain a substantial percentage of new customers.
7 people out of 10 are buying either Nikon or Canon dslrs, for a number of very different reasons, and the majority of those are not D4 or 1Dx. Very high end cameras are a niche, and what you’re suggesting is trying to break in a niche. Like Toyota trying to grab a few customers from Ferrari.
Sony is sending very clear messages when it comes to E-mount products, and no messages (or very confusing ones) for A-mount. There’s a simple explanation for that: E-mount has more potential in the long run (dominating in the mirrorless market) and it’s selling well. A-mount is not.
Ok, but you know who had the best revenue of all cameras brands last semester don’t you?
The camera market is shrinking but not everybody is loosing money with it.
I ve already explained that the high value products are selling well and sony is pursuinng it, and as i explained already too, they will just jump they don’t need to switch, because their lenses will work on e-mount systems that many of them have.
Its totaly possible with well made strategy, nothing is unbeateable…
Many of newcomers are going with sony now, question of time.
True, they’re not losing money because of prices going up and variations in exchange rates, but that’s not really a good long-term strategy. If overall volume keeps declining (very possible), they would have to increase prices by quite a bit in order to compensate and make a profit, which means that some customers will feel discouraged to buy and/or will hang onto their gear for a longer time. Hence, even less volume and less money in camera manufacturers’ pockets.
What’s going to happen, once the market finds its new, mature balance in the next 5 years (maybe less), is that camera manufacturers will have to find a way to survive under the new conditions. The way I see it, that means less camera models introduced per year, and perhaps even very high end, very expensive, specialty, niche products every once in a while.
Yes, i agree with you, so the time to change is now.
I don’t have sources that confirm what i will say, but, the most problematic thing in dslr market today i guess is the lack of inovation from the canikon primarily.
http://nikonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/latest-CIPA-data-for-Europe.jpeg
Many entered in the boom of cameras and hybrids, but now only we(wich are truly ethusiasts) are the ones that will sustain the market, until a new leap in technology appear. Many of us know the potential that sony system is achieving and want to buy something really special, most of us don’t need 100 mpx/ISO 1 million/ 30fps or so. The way we are is good enough for the most part. Now the next step will be in High Dynamic range and tonal range i guess.
Sony is leading the pack so many of dslr owners will stop and stare to the new tech. Sony has got their atention. AX pro body will be launched only when sony equaled or surpassed the dslr performance in all or almost all of its strenghs, or as you said, it will be DOA.
The A-Mount cameras still have some edge in AF, and thats key for sports photographers, the ones who have 1dx, d4s.
Well im talking about possibilities.
People tend to blame the lack of innovation, but the truth is we’ve seen a lot of innovation in the few years the digital camera market came out of nowhere, peaked and now it’s declining to “normal” levels. Compare the first digital cameras to the ones currently available, and it’s pretty much the equivalent of going from inventing the airplane to landing on the moon, in a matter of years.
Canon and Nikon basically have had a 10-year long Christmas.
Now things are going back to normal: pretty much everyone who wants a camera has it, and actually has one that greatly exceeds their needs, and even those who don’t want one have it in their phones.
It also means that in order to survive, camera manufacturers will have to slow down and introduce less camera models per year, and give a good reason to customers to upgrade their already-pretty-amazing gear. In other words, it will be the new stable-ish and more mature market to push for greater innovation, but at a slower pace.
Sony is in the right place, because by choosing to concentrate on mirrorless, it has picked the newer technology, one where innovation is definitely more potentially abundant than in the “traditional” dslr camera model. Canon and Nikon are stuck in re-iterating the same camera, by adding bits here and there. The problem is, their top-end cameras are so good and full of features, that they have a hard time selling small innovations to their customers. And by not adding stuff like wi-fi transmission or touch screens, they actually look like they’re stuck in the past. In other words, Sony has momentum right now, Canon and Nikon don’t.
A-mount will have a future only if it makes sense for Sony, mostly financially and in the long term. And frankly, as of November 2015, it doesn’t.
What rummors about a really high end A mount…???
I have seen no credible rumors to that effect.
oh yeah, people missed you on that post i will dig and find, but is between the last 7 days.
A-mount appeared DOA along time ago, but people just keep hoping and wishing. If you are a member of SonyRewards you’ll notice that they have been trying to dump the a99 inventory for almost a year, it’s been paired with free add-ons to try and move it and it still can’t be pushed out.
Oh man. Here we go again.
If Sony Australia will not stock any more of something, it doesn’t mean Australia will not have supplies of that Sony something. The sales section of Sony Country-X does not represent the supply of Sony products as as whole for that country. Why don’t you get this?
Only idiots buy from Sony UK instead of, say, Warehouse Express because often Sony UK will have RRP pricing and not the more realistic street pricing of other suppliers. Same thing with the former Sony Centres. They were just franchises not run by Sony. Whatever they stocked had no effect whatsoever on the stock of other stores.
Let’s not get thick headed with this, point 2) is not representative.
So they killed it after the announcement.
Sony announced it for march 2016. There is plenty of time to roll it out for preorder. A68 is not dead (but A-mount is)
Nobody noticed because nobody wants to buy it anyway.
Correct…this was not a rational business decision…it was simple an emotional decision by a few Sony people fed up with listening to endless critisizm for their lack of a clear commitment to either make new A mount cameras or officially kill it off.
There is absolutely no intention by Sony to make money on this camera.
At best it is damage control for terrible marketing decisions.
Fortunately for Sony its a parts bin camera, so there are virtually no development costs, its a bunch of old tech slapped in a cheap body.
I think the fact that the uber-niche and small selling RX1 got a refresh with the new sensor before the long rumored A99II drops tells you everything you need to know about the A-mount.
Its dead.
Nothing?
This is starting to look a lot like the samsung camera divison rumor…first a rumor…then some stores somewhere… then more stores elsewhere… then it’s official. I think they are delaying the official until the A9 release and new pdaf adaptor. That is what I would do…
Much speculation, such drama.
Four months is a lot of time for a lot of things to change, and do take note that it is a fact that this is an announced camera. Come march, there might even be up to 3 new A-mount cameras.
They might even delay and then cancel this camera.
That will reduce costs even more.
After browsing your website and posting history, it appears you are a 50-something-year-old who has nothing better to do than spam this messageboard with repetitive trolling comments.
You certainly contradict the stereotypical image of the average internet troll as being a 14-year-old sitting in his mom’s basement.
How pathetic.
My comments are on topic and often are about things that some people are simply unwilling or not ready to deal with.
If you choose to consider whatever you cannot accept as trolling then that is indeed pathetic.
Perhaps you can take comfort in the fact that there are others like you and just as pathetic.
I posted a single comment…you posted a long string of comments disputing me, and I answered your comments…you now look at a long string of comments generated by yourself and call me “troll”
Do you belive that the fear of being called a troll by you will make me change my mind and agree with you?
Unbalanced as well, it would seem.
Yay for siege mentality. “Everyone is against me!”.
So if I do not change my mind and agree with you I am a troll, pathetic, and I am unbalenced.
Your mommy will be home soon, better turn off the computer now before she catches you.
Sorry, your comment is much more pathetic to my eyes, than anything I have ever read from Barry.
Well, life sucks for someone who just bought into a system and can’t stop complaining about it so much to the point that he had to keep spamming pointless attacks on the A-mount day and night in the slightest hopes that Sony will actually listen to him and develop more of the e-mount.
I don’t know if a lot of people are going to pre order something that won’t be available for four months. I don’t think Sony has enough production capacity to produce everything simultaneously. Which may be a sign that there is something else is ready to be introduced.
Shameless. This post is pure unadulterated clickbait. Recognize it for what it is, and move on
Since everyone is so enthusiastic about speculating stuff and slowly becoming very very professional market analyst/specialist, here are my two cents on Sony’s current strategy:
Sony plans to keep both the A-mount and E-mount because having options is good (as mentioned by Kenta). Priority had been given to E-mount because of profitability at a certain period of time. With budget only may the development of A-mount proceed.
Sony tried to make a dual-mount camera but they could not realize it. Sony needed to revive the A-mount and did not want it to fail like the last time, hence the new A-mount cameras needed to be revolutionary. But after reaching a dead end with the dual mount, Sony needed to reconsider the technology used in the A-mount, hence even more time was required to make new A-mount cameras, which is is why the lack of new A-mount cameras for the past year.
Sony has no plans to make E-mount cameras with larger batteries, or lenses with large f2.8 zooms because it will overlap with current A-mount offerings, but they just say that it is possible just to keep you interested.
The reason Sony introduced the A68 was to calm existing A-mount users, attempting to convince them to keep waiting. And the reason for such a long waiting time before the A68 arrives at stores is because Sony also has a semi-pro and a FF A-mount camera planned for the release in March 2016. Sony needed to make a statement that the A-mount was alive NOW hence they announced the camera with the most confirmed specifications first. The specifications for the semi-pro and FF were not yet finalized hence you will only see them get announced come March 2016.
Paired with all the current updated premium A-mount Zeiss lenses, Sony’s new A-mount line up and FF flagship cameras will be placed above the it’s E-mount offerings. The A-mount will solve all current E-mount issues and satisfy the real professionals.
“Sony has no plans to make E-mount cameras with larger batteries, or lenses with large f2.8 zooms”, 2.8 zoom is already in the works…
And you know this how..?
Already reported.
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr3-new-fixed-lens-f2-8-constant-zoom-aps-c-e-mount-lens-coming-too/
A lot of things have been reported here. Like The Year of A-Mount. We all remember that one %)
Thst was a sony rep who said that. It has some value over the unknown figures.
I think it must have been a typo, and he had meant “year of a mount” instead of “year of A mount”, and that mount was the E-mount. 😉
Until the announcement of A7Rmk2, Sony had no plans to make a FF-BSI sensor. Maybe with f2.8 lenses and bigger battery bodies this will be the same.
Who knows?
Only time will tell, I guess.
In the first 3-4 months of 2016 we’ll see the introduction of new flagship cameras by Nikon and Canon, right on time for the Olympic Games.
If Sony releases a fast, A-mount, “sports” camera, then that will be proof they’re committed to keeping that product line alive. If they don’t, that’ll mean they are focusing 100% on the e-mount.
As for “having options is good”….absolutely, if you’re a photographer. It’s slightly different, if you’re the company making those options available, and only if you can afford it and if customers buy so many cameras and lenses that you make a pretty big profit.
If you have 2 very similar products, aimed at the same type of customer, with 2 separate and different designing and engineering approaches behind them, keeping both of them alive is going to be quite costly. Even more so when one of those products sells very well, and the other just does not. And even more in a market where sales have been steadily (and strongly) declining for the last 5 years.
But Sony doesn’t currently offer anything close to a DSLR system in E-Mount. It’s not the ‘same type of customer’ who wants compactness above all. So either they do continue the A-Mount, or bring the big guns for FE!
I agree. There lies their dilemma.
But it really depends on what they want to do. They could try and compete with Canon & Nikon on their battleground, i.e. dslrs, or just leave that and concentrate on a market segment they have better potential to dominate, i.e. mirrorless. If this was 2009, I would’ve said there was a 50-50 chance for Sony to really step in an try and compete with the duopoly. Since it’s 2015, IMHO it’s much more difficult and it makes much less sense from a strategic and long-term financial standpoint.
But what about big EVF-based cameras?
If they only make compact mirrorless, and Canikon make OVF-based DSLRs, what’s there to fill in the niche that SLT occupied?
The problem with SLT is that it’s a great idea that never reached the popularity it deserved. Right now we have 2 main different approaches: mirror vs no mirror. The 2 approach will feed each other for a while, borrowing features from each other. Eventually, mirrorless will probably come out as a winner, because it’s just cheaper to make, but it probably won’t be mirrorless as we know it today.
I see approaches ‘mirror vs. no mirror’, ‘OVF vs. EVF’, ‘big vs. small’.
So we have ‘mirror, OVF, big’ and ‘no mirror, EVF, small’.
But while the ‘big, EVF, mirror’ is being phased out, the ‘big, EVF, no mirror’ is non-existent!
Personally, I don’t really care about mirorr/no mirror anymore… A99II, A9, whatever.
But the current DSLR vs. A7x duopoly doesn’t cover the whole range.
the new Leica SL is “big/evf/no mirror”.
And, as weird as it sounds, most people tend to want smaller cameras, not bigger (even because you can make a small camera bigger but adding a grip, but not the other way around). That’s why the majority of Canon and Nikon cameras are small dslrs.
I’m not saying they won’t eventually put dslr-sized mirrorless to the market, but it will depend on the demand for such cameras.
Well, that post was pointless.
With phase detection autofocus available and constantly improving in mirrorless cameras, why have an SLT let alone SLR for Pete’s sake? What is more, you can adapt a Sigma 2.8 120-300 for example to your new Sony E-mount camera and autofocus it. If the A68 is any indication of where the A-mount is going, it is out of the window. Most pro-style third party lenses are not available for A-Mount. And Sigma will apparently not even make the superb consumer version of its 150-600 zoom available for it. For this reason alone, the A-mount sucks big time.
Sigma lens and e-mount suck!
Right, the Art series prime lenses and especially the 18-35/1.8 suck. Terrible lenses! FACEPALM
I forgot the 30/2.8 DN. Small, cheap and sharp. What a terrible combination.
Sounds like you have never used an A-mount camera before.
>Sony has no plans to make E-mount cameras with larger batteries, or lenses with large f2.8 zooms because it will overlap with current A-mount offerings
So what makes you think they won’t simply discontinue A-mount precisely for this reason?
We will see.
“Sony has no plans to make E-mount cameras with larger batteries, or lenses with large f2.8 zooms because it will overlap with current A-mount offerings…”
Well, you’re obviously completely clueless. Prototypes for a large body e-mount are already being tested with big batteries, and fast 2.8 zooms for e-mount are going to be announced in the next couple months.
And, for the record, a professional grade a9 with a larger body, larger battery, dual memory slots, 10 fps, etc. will be announced next year.
Says you.
Folks I apologize. The reason it’s not available is that I currently hold all of the pre-orders for North America. I plan on re-selling them at twice the profit. Think…PS3 release.
Not the best investment but ummm ok. 🙂
True story
I think you’d have better luck with PS3’s…. 😉
Cool idea.
Only 599 for a camera with plastic mount is too good to be true.
Following in the footsteps of Lehman Bros?
Everybody here seems to juxtapose “DSLRs” (big, full functionality) with “mirrorless” (compact system with EVF), saying that the latter is more profitable for Sony, and they couldn’t compete in the former.
But what about the big cameras with EVF??
You know, the niche that SLT occupied?
I don’t care for either OVF-based or compact systems…
I think when people generically refer to DSLR, they’re including DSLT.
But Canikon make no DSLTs!
So, if Sony only focuses on compact mirrorless, what new customers buy who wanted an A99 type of camera are expected to buy?
“…new customers … who wanted an A99 type of camera…” is an almost entirely theoretical construct.
What Fonk was trying to say is, people usually refer to DSLR as both, DSLR (w OVF) and SLT.
Surely we do exist.
Big lenses like 24-70 f/2.8 are very popular.
EVFs are getting a lot of positive feedback.
So it’s only natural to want a full-sized EVF system.
I thought you are not a new customer.
The coming a9… full size, just like a DSLR… only far sexier and more advanced tech!
When, where and according to whom is it “coming”?
When? It will be announced next year.
Where? Globally.
According to whom? You heard it first here, baby! 😉
I agree with Fonk. Majority of people see DSLT as a sub-group of DSLR. Let’s see if this works with A99:
D = Digital: check
SL = Single-Lens : check
R = Reflex : check
The terminology doesn’t make a DSLR into an SLT, nor does it make ‘just buy Canikon’ a valid answer for those who want A99II.
SLT technology is barely understood by the DSLR users in general, because Sony never marketed the advantages of this technology. It reminds me of Apple’s poor Macintosh sales throughout the 1990s and up until the release of the first iPod. Look at the Mac sales today.
A7 series will drive future SLT sales. Many of us who’ve transitioned from Canon or Nikon to Sony’s A7 series have also bought A99 cameras.
I personally didn’t know the A99, Sony/Zeiss 24-70, Sony/Zeiss 135mm even existed until last year.
Now I have two A-Mount bodies and five Sony/Zeiss A-Mount lenses that are used professionally on a daily basis.
I’ve met professional photographers who have very little clue about Sony mirrorless and the a7 Series. A professional wedding photographer I was talking to thought all Sony mirrorless cameras were crop frame; he didn’t believe me that the a7 Series was full-frame. “No… if you want full frame you have to go Canon or Nikon… I think Sony has some full-frame cameras, but they’re toys. There is no full frame mirrorless.” Another photographer I spoke to didn’t really understand what DSLT or mirrorless was. Many people don’t understand or are surprisingly unaware of new technology.
People who don’t know anything about Sony products, pro photographers or amateurs, have blinders on and believe that their camera system is the only camera system that exists on the planet. If they were “real” photographers regardless of skill level they would be “aware” of at least some of the many different technologies and have a basic knowledge of some of the tech out there. I personally would love to get a Pentax medium format DSLR that they have available to add to my current stuff, but the cost is simply out of my reach.
I too have run into some “pro” photographers and all they do is piss on any camera system that isn’t their own. It’s a shame really. I’ve scored awesome photographs with my Maxxum 5D and Sony A700. Now with an A77II. Other people with other camera brands get pissed off at me when they see some of my photos versus some similar photos of theirs. Some are made on the same day and same subject matter and we are shooting right next to one another. Yet they still try to shame me by saying I have the lesser system. Well, maybe it’s me or perhaps it’s my camera. Either way, I scored better pictures than they did with a Sony DSLR or DSLT….. Ha!
It’d be easy to make a BIG e-mount body with a BIG battery. Then, why have a-mount or SLT? Sony’s mirrorless tech replaces DSLT/DSLR technology.
This supposed body is non-existent yet and not even rumored to be in development
I’ve seen three different prototypes. Why wouldn’t they build a large body with big battery?
I doubt it. Sony made all those with early access to the newer cameras sign an NDA In order to see the prototypes.
They’ll probably sell both. I can see the A9’s appeal for those in the alpha community who don’t need the auto-focusing speed or rapid shooting capability DSLT’s offer.
A big body mirror-less full frame with great ergonomics, dual-card slots and decent ISO performance would sell well.
Starting to panic now. Thought for sure I would have upgrade from a57 finally. I had been considering selling my gear on EBay and going with a pre owned Canon or Nikon from B and H since I know they wouldn’t leave me in the dark . But then the a68 was announced and thought I would just stay with Sony now thinking about going with a Canikon again
I suggest reading “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”.
It was announced with a march release. You will be able to buy it.
But I am in USA. Would prefer not to buy grey market
If you can afford it, buy a used A77II. You won’t regret it! The original A77 is also a fine upgrade for you by the way.
Go for it.
I will hold off until after new year to make any decisions. If Sony doesn’t announce the a68 in US I may just sell it now while still has some value. A 77ii is out of my range. Main reason I would go with canon and Nikon is they are always going to have low end cameras that are an upgrade and l won’t have to worry about the lens mount being phased out. Sony seems to be focusing on upper mid and high end here in US
If Sony could produce a hybrid e mount a mount camera I would be all over that .
This post is just kicking up dirt. Sony isn’t going to cancel the a68. Maybe not in Australia, but it will be available in the USA.
you are hilarious, a post like this actually influences your purchase? Let me be the first to hold your hand and tell you that everything is going to be ok. Life must be tough being so skittish 🙂
I love it, a little something something to stir up the pot this morning 😀
I was surprised by the a68, as I’m sure most of you were.
Many photographers are looking forward to an updated a99. But I think very few consumers are looking forward to a mid-level, mid-priced aps-c body from Sony. The a77m2 is already out and did far worse than it deserved.
Rather than a long-term strategy for a-mount, Sony seem to be using short-term tacticts. The purpose of a68 can only be to give owners of older a-mount systems an affordable upgrade option. This would then stop them from selling off their a-mount gear cheaply on eBay.
If the A77 II is hands down the best camera in its category (which I agree with) then the A68 is hands down the best camera in the next category down and that is the point. Lower than A77 class cameras usually have to slum it with fairly dodgy well everything. The A68 looks like a stellar entry-mid camera. It also puts to shame many more expensive mirrorless cameras but with many of the same live view advantages.
It’s a great great camera for what it is, put down by people who clearly don’t understand it.
I could care less that it’ll have a plastic mount. I mean, come on- look at that wobbly a7. It makes no difference and the price is really good.
put down by people who didn’t and don’t buy it.
The A-mount discussion seems to always revolve around the full-frame A99. However, Canikon sells a lot of APS-C DSLR’s. Sony’s offerings in this arena, especially the A77ii, still compare very favorably to Canikon’s APS-C products so there is no reason for Sony to make any rash/rush changes. In other words, if Sony can’t compete nicely with the A77ii then there’s not much hope for the future in this segment.
Why would a new photographer, someone who hasn’t invested in equipment already, invest in a-mount? What does a-mount offer that e-mount doesn’t, or won’t in the near future? A bulky, DSLR style body? Longer battery life? Those are little issues for some that I think will be resolved in a yet to be released e-mount a9.
I think DSLR tech is being replaced by mirrorless tech… and I think a-mount is being replaced by e-mount. What is the need for both?
I use both a-mount and e-mount. Both has its advantages but I use the SLT more often. It has better ergonomics and faster shooting. (Actually, I bought my a7R from a guy who just couldn’t hold it steady enough to get sharp shots. Not everyone’s problem, but still…) Also with a-mount you get cheaper, faster lenses with better uniformity.
I do understand the success of the a7 series, and it is well-deserved. But with some smarts, Sony could do the same in the DSLR/SLT market too.
They tried, maybe, and they couldn’t really position themselves as a “serious” dslr manufacturer. I’m talking about market perception, not cameras, which are/were more than competitive with Nikon and Canon.
As I wrote before, SLT is/was a great idea, but it failed to attract the attention of a larger part of potential customers. It looks like Sony has moved in another direction: if they release a top-of-the-line a-mount camera next year, it means they still have plans for that line of products. If all they do is release mini-iterations with small improvements of a-mount cameras, then it means they’re just not interested in keeping those products alive.
Yeah, but the NEX system didn’t work for Sony in the beginning either. Now, Sony has had it’s big break-through as a (stills) camera manufacturer. Pros and enthusiasts alike are making the jump. The market should be ready for SLT if you work it right. There is so much more choice for a-mount lenses, and good adaptability with the e-mount system. Sony has all the cards to win, but will they play them right?
Sony has had its big break as mirrorless camera manufacturer with the A7 line. Pros and enthusiasts making the jump are doing so because of those products, not SLT cameras. Mirrorless is perceived differently, while most potential customers just can’t see the advantage of buying SLT cameras. That train has never truly left the station. People didn’t show much interest in it when it was introduced (and the market was at its peak back then), they won’t see it now that 1/3 of that volume of cameras is being sold.
Considering the amount of money that Sony would have to spend in marketing to promote new SLT cameras, it would be a pretty stupid move, even more so since they’re enjoying their new found relevant position in the mirrorless market, while DSLR volume sales keep going down (-5% this year alone).
People just had to get used to the idea of Sony being a real competitor.
Now they’re used to it and the specs and performance of Sony’s recent SLTs will speak for itself.
The specs spoke for themselves a long time ago, and didn’t make a splash, even if the SLT system was, in theory, competitive. The point is, even in a declining market, 3 sold cameras out of 4 are still dslr, and almost 80% of them are Nikon and Canon. For Sony to be a real competitor in the DSLR market, you’d need a significant increase in overall demand (not going to happen), and an amazing effort by Sony to convince existing Canon and Nikon user to sell all of their gear and switch. Even if you convince all new DSLR customers, it’s going to be one hell of an effort.
Meanwhile, Sony would also have to keep doing what they already are, i.e. heavily promoting and developing the A7 line. In other words, Sony would have to spend an awful amount of money to promote a line of products in a declining market already dominated by 2 other camera companies, when it could just concentrate on the segment they’re currently dominating (which is exactly what’s happening). That’s just not financially wise in the long term.
I’m looking forward to the next FF A-Mounts.
I bought into Sony’s mirror-less, and its Digital Single Lens Translucent systems. Had I known about the A99 sooner I wouldn’t be operating two systems. I generally find myself using the A99 and Sony/Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8 and Sony/Zeiss 50mm F/1.4 for almost every job I do.
The A-Mount has the lenses I want, and the Auto-focusing Speed/Ergonomics/WeatherSealing/EFV/Dual-Card-Slots/Battery Life that I need.
As always, I’ll refer you to my awesome table:
Your table is outdated.
No, everything still applies.
It may do, but that’s not the point. A camera manufacturer introduces a number of products, and then concentrates on the ones that are successful, and drops the ones that are not. From their point of view, it doesn’t really matter if a-mount cameras are better than e-mount. The fact is, Sony was never able to position itself as a leader in dslr-style cameras. When customers want a dslr, 8 out of 10 pick a Canon or a Nikon. When it comes to mirrorless, it looks like Sony has finally found a way to be more relevant (some may say “dominant” at the moment). From their perspective, it makes much more sense financially and strategically to invest and reinforce the leading position they’ve achieved in mirrorless, instead of trying to gain more customers in the dslr market, especially when the volume of camera sales keeps going down.
What about those customers who don’t want either DSLR (OVF) or mirrorless?
Get a pencil and paper and paint
If there’s many (or at least enough) of them, I’m sure Sony or other camera manufacturers will have something they’ll want to buy. By what I see around, and it could be just me, there’s never been enough interest in Sony DSLT to justify the commitment to it by Sony(and as I wrote before, that has nothing to do with the quality of the system itself). If Sony decides that it’s not a profitable part of their product line, they’ll let it die.
As for those customers you’re referring to, they’ll either “adapt” to DSLR or mirrorless. And if they absolutely positively need a DSLT camera in order to take photographs and can’t do it with any other tool, maybe their problem is with photography and not with the tool itself.
Your perception is not entirely accurate, but your needs are different than mine so it may be best that you buy the tool that best suits you. Nothing is perfect but I am sure you can find a system you can live with. Choice is a good thing,
This table is silly.
Why would it be silly? There are benefits to each “camp”, so to speak. Personally i just went back to a A77II, from a bunch of months with Fuji and a bunch of lenses. Had a A7 before that, and a few other cameras.
I got two kids, 3 and 7, and it’s such a difference shooting them with the A77II compared to all the mirrorless cameras, even the A6000. Keeper rate on everything not involving them standing/sitting still is a lot higher. Obviously i hope Sony won’t abandon A-mount, and finally release a A99II. But i’ll use A-mount for as long as i feel i can.
The A77II is still an amazing camera for its price, and i love the AF (my biggest boon with mirrorless). I also love the grip on the body. At 6’6″ i got pretty big hands, and Sony has the best grip in the business.
It is silly in its try, to show us how superior DSLR/DSLT still is, and it does it by listing the benefits of it only. It’s the wishlist of a random DSLR/DSLT user. This table is the desperate attempt to fight the equally silly “DSLR is obsolete”-trolls with their own weapons.
No trolls, just people who can see what is next. DSLRs are obsolete. They offer no significant advantage over mirrorless cameras. The very opposite is true, in fact. Try to adapt your favorite Canon lens to a Nikon DSLR body for example. With the new generation of mirrorless cameras, your choice of lens manufacturers multiplies. And it is the lenses that ultimately count more than the camera body when photography is about taking superb photographs rather than about showing off having more money than sense. I remember seeing a gentleman many years ago with an Olympus OM4Ti hanging around his neck. It had a Tokina 3,5-4,5 35-70mm lens attached to it. The camera body had cost him almost 10x as much as he had paid for the lens.
You have to accept that there are people who have quite different desires than you.
I give a f*ck about how many lenses (with no working automatic aperture whatsoever) can be adapted to my mirrorless camera. I just need 3-4 good native lenses.
I hate the EVF shortcomings (lag, smearing, low resolution, overblown contrast etc.). And yes, compared to an OVF, the resolution of even the best EVF is laughable. I like to see the real thing. As many others do.
If you are looking to the whole society, not just system camera buyers, then you are absolutely right, DSLR is as obsolete as any mirrorless, rangefinder or whatever.
What I absolutely not understand is, what you mean with that OM4Ti story. What has this story to do with the DSLR obsolescence?
Mind your language! What cave did you escape from? If you have problems understanding what I wrote, go back to school and try again. It has nothing (or everything depending which way you look at it) to do with DSLR obsolescence but with the importance of having good lenses rather than overengineered camera bodies designed to take as much money off us as possible. Mirrorless cameras allow you to adapt the best lenses available from any manufacturer. DSLRs do not! Get it??? DSLR is an obsolete technology, like it or not.
You perfectly illustrate what I meant by “DSLR is obsolete”-trolls.
Can you see the redundancy in the column title (DSLR/SLT)? There are two great DSLR systems. DSLT (the whole system) brings not enough to the table to really compete with CaNikon. That’s why Sony will kill it sooner or later.
+1
Exactly.
Now duott surely will point out, that Sony SLT have IBIS, whereas Canon and Nikon don’t have. But there is a youtube-video about planned Nikon D5, ant it says: IBIS. Don’t know if this was a real official Nikon-clip.
I think not. Currently (and in a foreseeable future) mirrorless will not replace DSLR. It will replace many DSLR’s of owners who had no better choice before.
I love mirrorless. I think the NEX 3/5 (and Sigma DP1) was the best innovation happened to the photo gear universe in recent 20 years. But for now I can’t imagine any mirrorless will replace my DSLR. Apples and oranges.
My guess: DSLR, mirrorless, rangefinders, all will coexist in a rapidly shrinking niche market. The bad thing is, the prices will go to the roof.
Maybe mirrorless will not replace DSLR.
But mirrorless wil replace DSLT.
And anybody who wants a classic big-body, many lenses, mature system, can go for Canon or Nikon. There is no need to go for Sony-DSLT anymore. It is a dying system. It is a system planned to be replaced by E-mount.
I agree with most of what you say. We’re already getting there. The market decline I keep referring to (any chance I have, sorry) is not as severe as it was last year or 2 years ago. There are signs pointing at the market stabilizing on more “normal” or “mature” levels in the next 3 to 5 years. In the meantime, mirrorless sales are steady, while DSLR are still falling, though they still outsell mirrorless 3 to 1. When the market stabilize, we could have a 2 to 1 ratio, or even 1 to 1. In other words, for the time being, DSLR and mirrorless will coexist (rangefinders are such a niche market that don’t really count). Only time will tell if mirrorless will become the de-facto synonym for “camera”.
DSLRs are more expensive to manufacture than mirrorless cameras. This nasty little fact alone will drive them to extinction. It is just a matter of time.
I know all the benefits of mirrorless, but there are some things making the A7-line less competitive to DSLR owners: handling (if you prefer the bigger grip)/Af-speed/battery life/lens range (fast lenses). Those things will come in a high end sony body. Either an e-munt OR an A-mount body. Doesn’t really matter when you think of it. I’m an A-mount shooter, but I believe the next high end e-mount camera will make the e-mount vs a-mount debate obsolete. If they make a pro level, full size, , speedy e-mount camera with bigger batteries and a killer a-mount adapter the systems are practically unified from there on.
Why has Sony (or mirrorless in general) to be competitive to DSLR owners? Obviously, mirrorless attracts customers who are NOT satisfied with a DSLR. Before mirrorless, millions of hobbyists and regular vacation shooters had only the choice between small P&S (poor IQ) and big, clunky DSLR (good IQ). Sony found a new market, which is great! Why on earth should they return to competition in the DSLR market? They already failed in this market.
I fully understand the pain of current A-Mount users. Many have made big investments in the platform. But if you think big, for customers who like the handling of a bigger body (DSLR), the ruggedness and physical “pro” features, there are two systems (Canon, Nikon) which perfectly fit their needs.
Sony found a new market and dominates it. Why should they leave and go back to DSLR competition? I don’t get it. Sorry.
Sony had a hard time in the DSLR-market because of the lock-in effect. For users with nice Canon or Nikon lenses, it is harder to make the jump to Sony, than to upgrade the exisiting system.
The e-mount was completely new and therefore you could buy it as a back-up system initially. But, NEX wasn’t an immediate success, it took some time.
I used to shoot mainly Canon DSLR and had a NEX-7 for backup. When I got a a7R, I so enjoyed shooting with Sony that I sold my Canon gear and got an a77m2. One of the benefits was that I could replace my third party EF lenses with the same lenses for a-mount.
With the a7-series more and more people are making the jump, and I believe that it makes commercial sense for Sony to use that momentum to grab a share of the DSLR market.
I will never use only mirrorless, so if a-mount dies, I will jump to Nikon.
Jeez… please don’t start with this “NO MORE A MOUNT!” drama. 🙂 They will clearly release more a-mounts as well as a successor to the a99 –just maybe not in the timeframe we would like.
From your lips to God’s ears.
Yeah, except for those of us with a few expensive APS-C lenses.. Like the Sigma 18-35 1.8. Which becomes basically useless on full frame in crop mode.
And no, i can’t afford the A7RII 😛
I have 15 A-mount lens that are screw drive focus and on e-munt they focus like sheet!
Why do you think this post was written? Answer: To generate clicks. Don’t get sucked in.
Look down, there is a nice discussion. I have plenty of fun getting sucked in by this kind of post. That’s what I love about the interwebs, everything is voluntary.
I know. Me too. My post was intended to be a reply to the guy who was bemoaning another e-mount versus a-mount flame war. (Operator error.) This “story” seems solely intended to fan the flames in order to generate more clicks (so he could choose not to engage).
Sony has already done the r&d for the SLT system and absorbed the losses. So now they have a great system and a good standing as a camera manufacturer. It would be a shame to throw it all away, just because some people’s opinions. NEX was faltering, but people who bought an a7 often bought an a6000 as a backup camera. From there it’s just another step to get a SLT for the fast work.
sure, it’d definitely be a shame if it happened, considering the quality of the system. But, unfortunately, the success of a system doesn’t exclusively depend on its greatness. There are plenty of examples of excellent products that simply didn’t become mainstream and couldn’t compete with more established brands. The Sony A-mount cameras belong to that category. It would be a lot different if this was 2010, but it’s not. The demand is just not there anymore.
Take a look at Sony’s own digital magazine: how many articles and ads you see for a-mount cameras? I haven’t seen *one* in 6 different issues. And how many promoting the A7 cameras and lenses? Basically the whole magazine is designed around those. When a company doesn’t show any interest in promoting its own products, you know what’s going to happen.
You pinpointed the problem. Sony isn’t promoting the a-mount. Therefore it isn’t selling.
The a77m2 was a 7Dm2-beater, but they just plonked it in the market and left it to die. They could have done loads of marketing, including sponsoring sports and action photographers.
It is quite obvious that they are strangling the product to get an excuse to kill it.
Exactly. All Sony has to do is wait till the old customers abandon the system. Once they’re gone, it’s going to quietly disappear.