Sony A99 from Nigel Barker on Vimeo.
Fashion photographers Nigel Baker and Frank Doorhof are using the A99 for their work. On top you can watch Nigel’s latest video. And Frank Doorhof is so excited about the A99 and writes: “Sony will be a serious player in this market, of course I cannot predict the future but when you listen to what’s gonna happen with the alpha series and when you see the quality of the A99 I think Sony is very serious about becoming number 1… now that will probably not happen over night for the simple reason that Canon and Nikon are so well known, but….. I think over time things will chance.”
Sounds promising!
SAR reader Eric sent me a link to a new A99 that has a small $50 price drop. it’s sold by [shoplink 15534 ebay]Electrostore eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]. I don’t know them so please read carefully their conditions. Keep in mind that if you buy it at Amazon (Click here) you will get a %2 back in reward!
A99 store links at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Jessops, Wex UK, Wex Germany, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH and more links at Alphacameradeals.
42 Responses
Sure, Sony can be serious about getting to No.1. Just a little matter of reality that needs to be overcome, unfortunately.
If they can solve the mirror-free Auto-Focus challenge [ that all manufacturers face ] as well as remove the anti-aliasing filter [ maybe borrow some technology from Fuji], they’ll stand a chance.
Also, if they were to create different bundles of attractively priced camera/lens combinations for serious amateurs and pros, e.g. A99+24-70Zeiss+70-200 or A99+24-70 Or even a A99/35mm+50mm+85mm package, things might begin to look up.
They should replace the 35mm f/1.4 or at least provide a new-styled SSM 35mm f/1.8 or f/2 alongside it.
Whilst simultaneously doing away with the awkard 85mm f/2.8 and replacing it with a new styled sharp SSM f/1.8.
BUT – will they listen?
Having a mirror wouldn’t stop Sony becoming number 1. Only geeks in forums concern themselves with such things. People working for a living just get on and use the tool in their hands.
What stops them becoming number 1 is marketing, which has been non-existent. Most dSLR users and buyers don’t know that Sony make them, there are no big Sony displays in the shops, no advertising on television etc., etc.
In addition, professional level service and support for working users is key in the pro market. Sony already do it for the pro video user, they need to do this for the stills user too.
Another thing is pro-support. Someone once told that Sony plans to extend it’s video support to Alpha still cameras, and it’d be definitely a game-changer for many pros.
Add to this new glass, with ambition to expand new territories (50mm STF / new T&S or Autofocus T&S working in CDAF / modern Soft Focus lens / dedicated IR or UV lenses / 5x macro / applications to use cellphones as remote screens / AF system covering 90% of frame / etc.etc.) and they might differ them selves on a market well enough to win a lot of ambitious photographers.
+1 to Frank and Sky Waker
Sony has a toehold in every major retailer, yet its mostly P&S cameras and camcorders. Large displays showcasing the Alpha line and a heavy advertising blitz would be costly, but increasing visibility is the only way its going to grow its market share. Most of my causal photographer friends see my A99 and ask if its CAnon or Nikon, then say they didn’t even know Sony made DSLR’s. With the holiday shopping season in the U.S. kicking off today, Sony needs to blanket the airwaves with ads.
Pro support along with a few more fast lenses like the upcoming 50, an improved 35, a 21, a better macro, T&S lenses and a few f/4 constant aperture zooms to compete with CaNikon’s.
Agreed. Today I received my Black Friday newspaper with a ton of advertisements. There were two glossy color multi-page advertisements from Canon and Nikon. Nothing from Sony. How many more cameras could Sony sell if they did this kind of marketing?
So what has Frank been told 🙂
…that his Sony kit comes with a HUGE discount? 😀
No.1 ?
Nor for Fitch Ratings at least!
http://www.fitchratings.com/web/en/dynamic/fitch-home.jsp
Which has NOTHING to do with being number 1 in photography. You do realise that Sony are doing very nicely in the imaging market, yes? Perhaps you don’t:
“Fitch believes that continuing weakness in the home entertainment and sound and mobile products and communications segments will offset the relatively stable music and pictures segments and improvement in the devices segment which makes semiconductors and components”
Not with the current jpeg engine.
Since when has shooting jpeg been a barrier so be a serious pro camera supplier?
Si
Number 1 in what? In dropping out of the market or in going bankrupt?
Since the A100, CaNikon morons have been predicting that Sony will not last.
You still get morons saying it 6 years later…
So right.
At Apple they have been listening to the same concert from the PC crowd for ages – “Apple will soon be extinct”.
.
True, Apple is also No.1 without selling the most devices. They just have the best products.
They don’t have the “best” products, they have the best marketing. 😉
I know what I am using Frank and I don’t care about marketing 😉
Apple geek. 😀
Apple hater 😀
I happen to like Golden Delicious…
those are my favourites, too!
Did rating agencies downgrade Sony to speculative grade with negative outlook 6 years ago? Given that, I find Doorhof’s prediction of Sony’s future overly optimistic.
http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/press_releases/detail.cfm?pr_id=770863&origin=home
You don’t appear to understand what these ratings mean or the effect on a business it has. They do NOT signal a failing business. If you bothered to read the text of the report it states:
“The downgrade reflects Fitch’s belief that meaningful recovery will be slow, given the company’s loss of technology leadership in key products, high competition, weak economic conditions in developed markets and the strong yen”
It isn’t just Sony that is going to see their rating drop due to the weak economy in developed markets and the strong yen. Stop making a mountain out of a mole-hill, it makes you look silly.
Sony is very serious about becoming number 1″
WOW – Best Joke SONY JOKES I have heard
Not with that Marketing Team
The release A99 a BIG camera product that is a #630 Amazon Rank for sales and popularity.
How poor is that?
I fail to see how Amazon rankings can be used as an indication whether the A99 is a success or not.
Not everyone buy from there. in my country, sony a99 sold out extremely fast, with every 2-3 days more than 10+ a99 come in stock and it straight away sold all out in one/two day in ONE SHOP. and of course i admit it might not sell as many as other BRANDS camera cause it’s just a starting for SONY release this really awesome camera, and many sony brand haters still HATE IT and NOT EVEN TRY out before judging. after i use this a99, it can admit it is really a camera that very very pro and useful in taking photos, some features also bring this camera to the top like AF RANGE, i love this feature. BUT the only thing i still dislike on this camera is in video setting still got more to improve, especially AF RANGE not include in VIDEO MODE which i truly disappointed. BUT in photo, i have no question, it really did a very good job which i hardly imagine before i get and shoot it.
i guess what he means is sony the sensormaker can be number 1, but wait isn´t sony allready? all sensors are sony including handys even iphone has a sony sensor
“Sony is very serious about becoming number 1″
lower you’re price!! then you’re gonna be no.1
> Lower you’re [sic] price! then you’re gonna be no. 1
Your comment is actually probably the closest to the truth. Best case, the DSLR market grows another 20% in size. More likely case: it begins to shrink within the next couple of years. Given that you have two companies, Canikon, that hold about 80% of the market share, they’ll use price to hold that share, and they have volume that can generate price leverage over the others. The only known way to beat an established duopoly in a flat market is price, and that generally means you’ll take a loss in doing so.
Which is Sony’s problem. It was their problem in TVs recently, remember? Sony can’t afford to try to use loss-enducing pricing across their consumer electronics line. They already have a negative ROI there. TVs, Game Consoles, Phones, and Cameras all lose money for them, so I don’t know how they reduce price to grab share.
Some will say that you just make better product. To do that, you’d better have a real advantage that the others can’t just copy. Otherwise you’re right back in the same problem: the others have volume with which to reduce their costs of doing the same thing.
The by-the-book method of competing against an existing duopoly is to invent a new niche and own it. To some degree, that’s what Sony has done with the SLT. Unfortunately, they didn’t quite execute on the marketing. They tried to use DSLR-like features (frame rates, for example) to compete with DSLRs. In other words, not much of a niche if it just does the same thing a different way. It’s like emphasizing the V in V6 versus V8 engines.
oh oh…now thats really not good if they want to be number 1 read this:
sonys share just went down the drain
http://news.orf.at/stories/2152395/2152401/
Sony and Panasonic going down and Samsung the “new star”? This just prooves that most people all over the world do not care about quality products anymore but buy the cheapest plastic-crap, Samsung thus…
well, i love my galaxy s3 handy, it´s great. but its very sad to read about sony. oh oh oh…
It’s a short-term blip while Sony changes focus towards more profitable areas of the business. This was predicted months ago when Sony said they were going to focus on imaging as one of their main profitable divisions.
All it means is that it’s going to take a while to turn the ship around, this is actually GOOD news for us as it means Sony will focus on what we want them to, cameras not televisions.
i hope your right! otherwise probably nikkon would buy sony dslr and produce nikkon slts
Nikon can’t afford it. Sony would swallow Nikon.
I don’t care if Sony ever becomes #1. However, it would be nice if they became the best.
Part 2 of Frank Doorhof’s a99 experiences:
http://www.frankdoorhof.com/site/2012/11/movement-workshop/#more-7484
Ah, sorry wrong link:
http://www.frankdoorhof.com/site/2012/11/new-york-update-2-more-on-the-a99-and-fuji/
Any can get to number 1 if they focus on their strength and fix their weaknesses. In the dslr.dslt market, they really have no advantage. In the Nex market, they have a huge advantage in that it’s still early and canikon isn’t serious about that market yet. They also need to shore up ther lens making department or keep them focused.
It’ll be interesting to see what all the camera makers do as the p&s market disappear and the dslr market shrinks. Canikon will eventually be forced to get serious about mirror less. Not sure why Sony wants to chase the shrinking dslr market. Dslrs market will be like medium format today. Sometimes you’ve got to cannibalize your own products to pursue new market. Creative destruction.
I got a camera error massage on my a99 !! after removing my battery its working fine.. is this a big problem for camera can any one tell me please..!!!
In my opinion, I think the simplest way to solve the problem of popularity of Sony’s pro system might be FF NEX + SLT adapter. No doubt, Sony is quite success on the NEX system and make the sales of SLT/SLR drop. If Sony is smart enough to fulfill different need for both beginner and pro-user, just produce NEX system and then add the SLT adapter. The pro-user should know how should they go for a better focus respond or FPS. But of course, it might discourage Sony to develop Alpha mount lenses. It must be the most difficult problem that Sony should solve.
In case people did not know, Taylor Swift is SONY’s spokesmodel. The above video is a SONY ad.