The new weird Sony strategy also confused me and some of my sources! The last months I got rumors about an ILCE-7, NEX-7r, NEX-FF, A7, A7R, Alpha FullFrame, ILCE-5000 and an NEX -U212. And here is the answer about what is what:
1) The NEX-FF, NEX-7r, Alpha Full Frame and the ILCE-7 rumors I got are actually for the same camera….the A7/A7R!
2) The ILCE-5000 or A5000 is just the NEX-5T
3) And the NEX-U212 is….a new micro SD card! (I didn’t post that rumor on SAR before).
This is important to know because basically because it means:
1) There is no NEX-7r APS-C camera. The Sony fashion photographer that wrote about the “NEX-7r” camera was talking about the A7r! This also explains why one source was confused by the name and told me the NEX-7 successor is coming (he didn’t know at that time that it was an FF camera).
2) The rumors I got from a trusted source saying that in October there would be new Alpha cameras….well was also referring to the A7 and A7r and not A-mount cameras. The “real” A-mount FF are coming in early 2014.
3) The rumors I got from news sources saying that Sony would drop the “NEX” name on semi pro and pro cameras was correct. I didn’t post that rumor because I try to post as less SR2 rumors as possible. But these rumors are correct! The two new sources are now… trusted sources 🙂
4) In general all E-mount cameras will have as internal code the “ILCE” prefix. And A-mount cameras will have the internal code “ILCA“. So whenever a source sent me an info on an Alpha camera he may specify if it’s an ILCE or ILCA camera type!
It’s already a hard job to get rumors. Now imagine how crazy it was for me to get rumor about different names and cameras and then learning that basically all different names where for the same camera. I didn’t believe that Sony could mess the names in that way.
169 Responses
don’t care about all this semantics, all I want to know is will there be a ILCE-9 with the NEX-7 form factor
lol.
If I follow this thread correctly.
Sony will introduce 2 new cameras next week and will ship before Thanksgiving.
Which means:
a) Concept was shown sometime early last spring.
b) Proof of concept at least early summer (June)
c) Prototype late July
d) Non-serial late August. (These are the internal use cameras, some are only mock-up to shoot the advertising material, others goes to the torture benches.)
a. This is when you shoot the advertising material. And there are limits to Photoshop.
e) Pre-serial. These actually goes outside of the door, they must be fully functional and are used by NDA users (A.K.A. Hacks) and shown to trusted ‘friends’ and major dealers worldwide. The B&H and Adorama of the USA and others elsewhere on the planet, they were also shown a) b) c). You see, its lost here for most, but there is something called budgeting in most business, and a major dealer who will commit hundreds of thousands when not millions on a product need some lead time.
a. Advertising must also be ready in numerous languages, especially Polish which as become as sort of an inside joke for Sony and others as it always the Polish site that leaks the first pictures. Then the UK one release the real spec.
f) Serials, which must be ready by now, maybe up to 1.0 plus firmware. But boxes are not filled yet.
a. When you do serials you need:
i. Boxes
ii. Accessories (which are always subcontracted)
iii. Printed materials in 5 to 10 versions.
1. Which means localisation (inside the camera, what you see in your viewfinder when you change language and Sony is top in this field)
2. Translation of instruction
iv. Printed advertising material. Most photo magazine needs space reservation for their December issue NOW, and material later this month.
Which means, that right now, a couple hundred people (not counting the one in manufacturing, where by way?) have seen and hold these cameras. Seems that the NDA are working pretty well.
Now back to reality. Why haven’t we seen a picture of these marvels. Why haven’t we seen the new Iphone before announcement? Or the real specs?
For purely legal reason, SEC and other regulatory agencies rules, SONY cannot disclose material facts in advance. Well too far in advance would be better said. And it CANNOT LEAK directly, a no-no. And it cannot be linked to ‘intermediaries’ either, but then nobody can force an employee, or a PR guy, not to be nice to someone, like a rumors site, or in the good old days a magazine.
Then, unless you live in a dream world and cannot phantom what competition is, the competition is usually aware of all of this by the time we speak. If the competitor product is a dud, don’t worry, they will gladly let their ‘intermediaries’ spread the word. Especially so close to the critical Xmas season, when overprice gadgets are sold. Then calling a camera a gadget is blasphemy here, so will call them essential cultural enhancement products. ECEP for short. Or maybe important cultural enhancement products which would be Icep, more trendy.
So, in my reasoning and almost 50 years in the news and PR biz, the new cameras are worth the ‘pre-released’ bull… If they weren’t, the competitions (who cannot afford to miss Xmas) would gladly have spread the negatives around.
Wow!
Very insightful indeed with several things that haven’t crossed my mind.
It makes sense what you write and that means that we probably can look forward to something really excellent from Sony this time.
/Mats
++++++++++x10e99
+100
+∞
all the above x2
what happens to the rumors about the sensor shift?
+1
This is for 2014 cameras. Olympus IBIS, A-mount, hybrid cameras and Z-sensor shift is all for 2014 stuff!
Now we’re talking. I can’t wait!
So I will have to wait for 2014 for a new camera . No IBIS = No Buy
+1
… no Z-shift …
🙁
Admin
Any high res cameras on the horizon?
The A7R is a high res-camera. In fact it shares the distinction of being the highest resolution camera in 35mm photography alongside the d800.
you mean 50+ MP?
The a7r is a LOW resolution camera.
While it has more megapixels than the nex7 or a77 it has only the same RESOLUTION that a 16mp c size camera would have.
While this distinction may be unimportant to some people it is VERY IMPORTANT in applications where depth of field is important.
Particularly it is important for macro, telephoto and close up photography.
Except for some small sensor point and shoot cameras the current highest resolution available is still a 24mp c size.
Resolution in a camera is measured at the film plane in pixels/mm.
If Sony make a high res camera, I can not imagine how horrible it would be. They have to learn to build better processors even for their “low” res. and run of the mill sensors first.
That’s a rather strange terminology you’re using there. What you call resolution, most people would call pixel density. Your monitor’s resolution is independent of its physical dimensions and so is the resolution of your camera’s sensor, wouldn’t you agree?
No, Barry, there isn’t.
Sony do not currently build cameras exclusively for animal artists with OCD.
Al, Barry doesn’t think like other people. Nobody in their right mind would call a 36mp camera low resolution.
Resolution is indeed a quite vague term, when it is used to count the number of pixels. But it is true that in today’s language resolution of an imaging sensor is usually referred to like this. But pixel density can also be called spatial resolution.
But, as we talked about it already, a significantly higher pixel density in FF though could happen in principle, but probably it’s not going to materialize very soon with mirrorless cameras, due to the increasing technical complexity of the lens-sensor interplay that would result in sky-rocketing prices. If you need significantly higher pixel number, either you go MF, or wait for a Canon/Nikon DSLR that would hit that benchmark – this might happen not too far in the future. But it should be seen that having something over 36 mpixels, could already push a camera towards a niche market, which might not be in the interest of the core players in camera manufacturing. There are much more people who are perfectly satisfied with 20-30 Mpixels, but want better low light capability, or compactness (like Sony Nex-FF), and more lenses at affordable prices which can exploit those already quite high number of pixels.
God Barry, you’re a broken.. annoying record. “hur dur what about high res cameras?” STOP.
Different people may have different preference.
Personally, I would rather A77 has only 10~12Mpix. (more than enough for A4 size print)
(The same pixel density as A99.)
So, the high ISO performance, dynamic range and color depth will be as great as a FF camera.
At the same time, you can shoot at 12fps 3 times longer before the buffer full.
or shooting at 6fps until the card full.
More important, the processing time of multi-frame NR and HDR will be 60% faster too.
I need a camera to photography the outer Space like the Hubble but from Earth, so 50MP is also too low resolution… I need a Trillion-MP
Admin
Yes i am intersted in over 50 mp in a ff.
Also wondering if the rumored 32mp c size camera is comming.
Sony’s code names have been very confusing. Except for the ILCE (A) 3000 actual product names have not been horrible, but Sony really needs to get a god naming scheme and keep it consistent. Moving 7 series cameras to FF is fine with me. Having a public not being able to figure out what lens to buy will be a disaster.
Thank you for your hard work, it is really appreciated!
So much for building on the now popular Nex name. Way to make the simple into something complex, Sony.
Yeah, ILCE is such a catchy name, WTF Sony?
Totally original right? They could have also gone with calling their cameras CSC or EVIL. Basically taking an acronym that already existed, then stealing it by copywriting the name so no one else can use it. That’s actually genius if you think about it. Any time someone refers to mirrorless cameras as “ILC”, the name Sony may come to mind. Marketing at its most perverse. This, or Sony truly is lazy and unimaginative.
All this war initiated by NSA, just to confuse the Russians ! 😉
I wonder if Sony deliberatly spread different names in different areas, trying to track leaks… and the cameras will end up being called Nex 8 and Nex 9 😛
Andrea is this SR5?
yes. Sorry didn’t rank it. because it’s more a clarification post than a rumor.
Great work Andrea.
When do you think we will get our first look at these awesome a7 cameras.
I will order it as soon as it shows up on Sony’s website. It will make a great back up to my a99.
Cameras will be announced on October 16-17. They will be in Stock 2 weeks after. Obviously I hope to find some leaked image before the announcement. Working on that right now…
Great work over all admin!! Informative, funny and addictive…. Thanks so much!
+1!
Ok, no NEX-7 successor but will it be NEX then? Since SEMI PRO/PRO won’t have NEX on it, will NEX-7 successor not be considered in that category? Or is it only referring to FF cameras? Or will it still be considered SEMI PRO/PRO but it will be an exception that won’t drop the NEX of its name?
This is, indeed, very confusing. Well done Sony… not!
You’re just confusing it more than you need to. All you need to ask is whether there will be a compact sized APS-C e-mount camera with improved specs over the NEX-7. Its name and even whether it is considered semi-pro or not is kind of irrelevant.
I’m not really making ir more confusing, that was not my point. For me it makes no difference and I follow this rumor website but I say that for the general public. Sony already has 2 different mounts and now different names under the same mount? Creating a new brand to make it premium at the cost of such confusion, I’m not sure it’s the best decision.
So there is the normal NEX, the premium one and the A3000, which I think it made sense in a way, a different type of body, Alpha DSLR type of body but with E-mount. In this case it doens’t matter much because the buyers will probably stick with the kit lens like the always do but even so, it’s confusing.
Over at Dyxum I started a competition thread about guessing Sony’s post-SLT model numbering a while back.
As it turns out… I think the wildest far-out-into-space guesses have the largest chance of being correct. Trying to be logical and preparing a foundtion for long-term consistent naming does not seem to be in Sony’s interest. They seem more interested in creating as much confusion for leak sources as possible. The problem is that they are confusing the potential buyers too.
Link to thread:
http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/competition-guess-sonys-postslt-model-numbering_topic98279.html
So what you’re trying to say is that I was right, but more importantly, you were wrong. – 😉 (Mad About You Reference) No really, this is easy – All APS-C cameras (NEX as an example) are entry level/enthusiast’s (I want to take a hike with my new camera types. While All Full Frame cameras are Pro. Regardless of Semi-Pro, Pro-Pro, kind-of sort-of all in or not, they are Pro.
so, this mean the only new NEX APS-C for 2013 will be the very little upgrade NEX5t?
this is very bad news!
Sorry but something still doesn’t add up. If ILCE-5000 = A5000 = NEX 5T, you mean the DSLR shaped ILCE-3000/A3000 will not have a higher spec’ countepart ? How is that possible ? Is it already such an epic fail that Sony has dropped the concept (they should, if you ask me, that was a dumb one to start with) ??
If not, how the hell are they gonna name the next E mount, DSLR shaped bodies ??
It looks like the ILC-3000 was a responce to canon to say, “we can maybe DSLR shape entry level cameras, and the higher valuable ILC-5000 is better because it is smaller”. Whereas Canon make it big on their whole range.
I believe that the NEX-5T was name-changed from the A5000 at the last minute because Sony plan to introduce a DSLR-shaped A5000 early next year as a replacement for the ‘stop-gap’ 5T. This new camera will have an APS-C sensor in the 20 to 24 MP range with on-chip PDAF (I guess it wasn’t ready this year otherwise it would have appeared in the 5T)
I think the NEX name, and the rangefinder body styling for E-mount are now both dead and I further suspect the NEX development team were recently taken-over and are now being run by a douche, which is the reason why we have these decisions and changes of strategy
I have no reason for making these suggestions other than pure guesswork
I told you earlier as an SR4 that the NEX-7 successor is the full-frame A7 (which as the rumors point out, works with existing APS-C lens in 2 modes, including APS-C crop), and I am sticking to this opinion 🙂
And it’s a goood thing if the camera has a Nex-7 like price.
maybe NEX name will stay for the current models up to 6 for most of the market areas?
You do realize that in crop mode, the image resolution with A7 (24 megapixel sensor) will be about 10 megapixels, don’t you? Not that megapixels are everything, but my original A100 had 10 megapixels.
Wow, way to attract new users to the system. Heck, I am confused and I’ve been following Sony for some time.
So, if there is no NEX-7 successor (that kind of body with APS-C) what should someone who invested in E-mount glass supposed to do? Let’s say I bough Zeiss 24, 10-18, 35mm, 50mm, 18-200mm… that’s a bunch of money and the top level body is beeing replaces by FF which cannot fully use these lenses (it will either crop od vignette them). That’s crap. Buying Sony is a one-time investment, and after few years you will have to sell everyting for peanuts and buy all the gear from the start because Sony keeps changing it constantly. DSLR, SLT, NEX crop, NEX FF, minolta hot-shoe —> ISO hot shoe… the list is endless.
If that FF is almost the same price as the NEX-7 at launch, then you’ll only be benefiting from it.
How coul I benefit from it if i invested in APS-C glass? Will 10-18 wrok on A7? Or Zeiss 24mm. They will, but will either be in crop mode (waste of full frame sensor) or will work in full frame but with huge vignetting. I’ll have to sell them and buy new even moer expensive FF lenses or even wrose wait for it to be released for two or three years.
Yes, they will be in crop mode and on top of that you will be able to buy and use FF glass too. It wouldn’t be a waste of the sensor if it costs the same as the NEX-7. It will be gain of FF sensor. Obviously, I am assuming that it will be the same price, but if it isn’t, that’s a whole different story.
So you can shoot c size at 10 mp or 16 mp max in crop mode.
True, that is a problem, although 16MP will be ok for many people.
Yes, 16 megapixels would be enough for most people, but then again, we are talking about the A7R and a total different price category. And “naturally” the more expensive A7R doesn’t seem to have the OSPDAF. Still not confused?
Hmm, also true 🙂 Got beaten here.
@justinq After marco barrios and animalsbybarry woke up me up to an aspect that I (for some reason) omitted, I have to reconsider my position and I agree with you.
Except a 500 difference is not exactly pocket change ! I’m really pondering swithing systems altogether…
What is the real reason for you to be upset? You went for a Nex-7 instead of a 3 or a 5 (or a 6) because you wanted to the highest model… now there’s an even higher model… shouldn’t you be excited that you can take even better pictures now with that? 😀
Also, from day 1 of the E-mount, we all knew that a FF model would come eventually and even Sony spoke about it to an extent or another. My question to you is who in their right mind gets an 18-200 lens!
So what should I do with my brand new SEL-35F18 and SEL-50F18?
And even if you don’t find the SEL-18200LE useful, many people do. I can definitely see the advantages of having that lens in my collection.
I know if I had new lenses, I’d be using them to shoot photographs..
LOL, ain’t that a logical thing to do?
If photographers don’t get new bodies, they will go and shoot Sony.
Maybe justinq is upset because if all you have is APS-C lenses and really like the tri-nav interface going to the A7 will be downgrade in any every way except per pixel noise performance. According to the rumors compared to the NEX-7 the A7 is going to be:
60% more expensive.
20% larger and heavier.
55% less resolution in APS-C crop mode.
Yet another user interface??? Dont know for sure but with the emphasis on small size I would not count on tri-nav.
Will not offer IBIS like the once rumored NEX-7 successor.
So stick with the NEX7 for the time being?!!. Consider that in Canon land, they haven’t substantially improved their sensors in half a decade.
Nope, at this point, we won’t buy Canon, we will probably switch to Fuji. The lenses are faster and more compact, the UI makes more sense, and the model decisions are not done by marketing honchos, but by people that listen to actual photographers.
@John Maverick:
Canon has been innovative with their sensors in their own way. By now you should sense that Canon’s focus is toward high ISOs and Sony’s is towards better performance in the base ISOs. Another difference between Canon and Sony/Nikon is Canon puts in a new sensor in pretty much every new camera that matters. Count the number of FF and APS-H bodies they have released and check the sensors in them. Nikon dragged the same 12MP FF sensor from the D3->D700->D3s… for around 5 years (iirc) in their premium models!
And don’t forget the whole picture that’s available to the end user. With Canons you can shoot 30fps/24fps 14-bit raw video now and it makes it posssible to do very interesting things other than just tonemapped/HDR video. Also with the new sensor in the Canon 70D, the whole Sony SLT system becomes a joke. No ghosting, no light loss, works on both DSLRs and mirror less cameras equally.
@Joscha:
There are people who pack 15KGs of camera equipment in backpacks and hike up mountains to get the one shot they want and in forums like these there are people who soil their clothes because of how the menu items are arranged in a digital camera 😉
Did the rumoured NEX-7 successor ever have IBIS?
At one point in the past few months the rumored NEX-7 successor was supposed to everything from IBIS to a moving sensor to allow AF on legacy lenses. You can pretty much pick any feature you want and find a rumor for it. There was even a 36 MP APS-C sensor for barry at one point.
How do you figure there will be no NEX 7 successor!?
There will be a flagship crop E-mount… and it will have superior IQ to the 7. It may not come as soon as you like, but it will happen. Who cares what the hell its called NEX 6, NEX 6.1, NEX 7, ILCE 12!?
Nobody has said there won’t be an APS-C NEX-7 successor. My guess is that it will shift to being an NEX-6 series camera – although it may not be called an NEX of course!
I’m thinking Sony will now stick to 3, 5 and 6 series for APS-C, and 7 and 9 Series for at least two distinct lines of FF camera.
We’ll have to wait and see, I guess, whether there are any APSC replacements at the higher end. I am one of those NEX 6 or 7 I-want- to take-a-hike-with-my-new-camera enthusiasts, but I don’t want to buy one of the old 6 or 7 models (particularly a now-2-year-old NEX7). And I now don’t want to invest in expensive APSC lenses that I can’t properly use on a FF model, should I ever choose to upgrade.
Sounds as though I should just go downmarket for now with a NEX 3N (not the pink one with the purple polka dots), and a cheap lens or two (sounds as though a lot of you will be dumping them on eBay), and wait until the space evolves. And the 5T is not an option with no flash.
They can call Alpha as Beta for all I care. I want to see a decent sensor in a decent camera with a decent price tag (and no crappy lenses or P&S gizmos).
These are something lacking in the Sony camp.
That’s an extremely unfair comment. Which Sony cameras have you used properly?
The Nex line has some pretty “decent” native lenses right now like the 50 1.8 OSS, 35 1.8 OSS, 24 1.8, 10-14/4, etc. Equally importantly, there’s no better mirrorless platform on which to use adapted lenses. The bodies are also really good because they’re compact and light but they are very solid. The sensors are… well… they’re Sonys… take a look around and see how many manufacturers are relying on Sony for sensors. Again, decent, decent and decent again, if not 3 x excellent.
I used to shoot mostly with a 5DII, IR modified 50D, 24 1.4L II, 85 1.2L II, TS-E 90 2.8L and a 200/2L IS… sold my 5DII soon after I got my first Nex (5) and my awesome DSLR lenses are all locked up in dry boxes. All because of what I could do with a Nex-5 and now a full spectrum modified 5R + E and M mount primes.
But for some reason you think Sony’s lacking decent options. I’m wondering if you want to take pictures or just want to carry a big camera bag around with 50 different lenses you will rarely use.
All the Nex’ except some of the 3 variants and the 5 variants. The only decent lens is the 24/1.8.
If you think the 10-24 zoom is a good lens, your standards are very low. That thing does not even cover the NEX-7 sensor without problems! 🙁
Not an unfair comment given the fact that every other camera manufacturer (Nikon, Ricoh, Pentax, …) that use SOny sensors can come with much better performance.
Sony ought to discard the run of the mill sensor usage in their own cameras and also increase the processing powers of the camera processors by a notch or two.
However, every Sony user will be relieved if they don’t change the flash mount, yet again, for example. 😉 Yeah, some of us do use flashes for photography.
So there will be no APS-C Nex 7 successor (with the good old form factor) in the near future? That would be nerve-wrecking. Or ever? That would be dumb, to say the least.
No.
There is a successor but with FF instead of APS-C 🙂 And I can’t wait to get one (if the price is correct) 🙂
Nope. You’re wrong. Please read more carefully. He specified APS-C and the same form factor. From what we know now that is not happening. I think many are hoping for more info on that front.
+1
No, there is no long overdue update to a smart, compact APS-C camera with a high resolution sensor. There will be an expensive abomination with a fake pentaprism hub and almost no native lenses, and my E-Mount Zeiss glass will be wasted on the crop resolution.
There won’t be a nex-7 successor? That is such a disappointment if that is true because I’ve been waiting for the successor since the beginning of 2013 and held off on buying the nex-7 because of it. Hopefully the rumors are false though.
Sounds like the mythical Nikon D400
😉
There won’t be anymore APS-C Emount anymore. 5T is the last forever… Nex will be history, Sony from now on will concentrate on FullFrame Nex. Please you all can sell me all your Emount lenses at super cheap rate. Haha!
So… No NEX7 succesor, No ILC-5000 with E Mount with DSLR Shape and better AF… I Think I’m happy with my 5N!!
I think the “7” naming will be only for the pro segment, with the A7 and A7R. The NEX6 was very close to NEX7 en performance (apart from Mpx) and a lot of people went for the 6 instead of 7 since it was released. So launching two new NEX, 6 and 7, wouldn’t make sense now. I think that the TOP Nex will be a renewed NEX-6R, with improved sensor up to 20Mpx, better AF, touch screen, and then will have the A7 and A7R for the pros.
ILC-3000
NEX-3N
NEX-5T
NEX-6R
A7
A7R
Nex 6 lacks that customizable TriNavi, but has that silly mode dial instead, which is a big difference in my eyes.
+1 Not the same at all.
I thought the same. Have to agree its a dillema for current 7 owners who invested heavily in glass. ditch some for FE or settle with NEX6r? Fortunately I’m not oneof them!
Or just continue with taking pictures. ..
On another thought if nex-3 coexists with A3000, why not nex-7R and A7/A7000? But what a mess!
I am rather gutted at the end of the NEX 7 APS-C line.
Even if I now only have a 5n, I thought the NEX 7 was by far the most responsive and the most complete APS-C mirrorless out there. It never let me down, it delivered in spades and it would have been amazing to see an evolutionary product with faster AF, better video codec, better EVF, better high ISO sensor and maybe even more MP just so Sony can push that extra bit further.
It is af if Contax would have stopped making the G line after the G1…
Pitty
If all new e mount are ff then no one who bought nex lenses can use them AND no sony a mount lenses can be used because no ibis.
I cant help wondering if mayby the new a to e mount adapter moght include a stabilization system.
Otherwise it seems like sony may be abandoning its most loyal supporters.
I’m really tired of hearing weird news from Sony… I want a Nex7 successor & an a99 alternative for 1600 bucks and affordable good lenses for 500-900 bucks like Fuji delivers …that’s all …simple is that …and I’m sure, I’m not the only one. I want to buy a tool to make photos not a technical Humpty Dumpty philosophy engineer attack …
No, you’re not the only one. Far from that. But Sony right now is a complete mess with no slightest clue what it even wants to do itself. I’d say: Give them 2 years till they actually manage to sort that out, cause right now the future doesn’t look too bright. Even less so when they decided to go into a development of 4th line of lenses while being unable to satisfy even half of the needs for any of the previous 3.
D6 ?
Sorry that was meant to be 6D + 24-105 F4.
Fits the price range and is a reliable boring tool.
I have a bunch of G-lenses… 🙁
Am I the only one missing something priced between the NEX-5T and the upcomming A7? I would love to see the nex-6 upgraded a bit (20mpx perhaps).
For Me, the NEX6(/NEX7) design/shape is near perfect!
If Sony do not upgrade those camera (sensors, features…) with equivalent design, i just stop thinking to buy Sony camera!
7 yes, 6 no.
Yes 6 no 7.
I am way happier with my nex6 compared to my nex7 in many aspects.
Switch to Fuji. They just released few really nice small bodies (including one with bayer sensor) and X-mount lenses are much better than E-mount.
Fuji is definitely the most competent MILC player. I would switch in a heart beat if they have FF. I’m too invested into this whole FF look to go with APS-C only.
Let’s get out and make some pictures in the meantime.
+1 it’s raining so I’ll go for some macro 🙂
Someone in Sony has really lost the plot!
Who was the idiot who thought up the name ILCE? Its impossible to pronounce – I tend to find myself saying “Lice”; not a nice image! Neither ILCE or ICLA should ever get near the public.
I-L-C-A. Just like YMCA. Make.believe.
So I bet ILCE and ILCA mean Interchangeable Lens Camera – E Mount & Intercheangeable Lens Camera – Amount respectively. But who cares. I just want better cameras.
For me the major confusion is that there will be several cameras with “7”, APS-C NEX-7 and FF-“NEX”: A7(r). so customers will not know immediately which sensor they get when they see the 7, which was the case so far even with A700 and A77.
Why on earth did they not just call the new NEX-FF “NEX-8” and possibly a later, even higher developed “NEX-9”? “NEX” for most is associated with the shape, why drop the name at all?
What will be the name of the A-mount cameras next year? Can’t impossibly be A8 or A9, or can it? Or do we start counting from A1 again?
I am far away from a Sony-basher, but this naming policy is just confusing. They should know better and have better marketing/branding people.
Good damn. Invested €3k in APS-C E-Mount lenses and wait to use them on a better body than my old NEX-5. And now there won’t be? If that’s really the case, I’ll have to jump to Fuji (as my Touits are available there too), which is not what I want …
+1
3k Euro? What the heck did you bought? Every single lens that’s out there on a market, including 3rd party?!
Nex-6 and its successor?
What is the matter with everybody? Has you all gone mental? Nobody has said there won’t be an APS-C NEX-7 successor or that there won’t be any more APS-C NEX cameras.
Typical SAR reader right? People went berserk over nothing.
Maybe this isn’t right moment to ask, but what about the long-rumoured firmware update for A77?
+1
Only +1?
Should be +1000
Let’s not talk flash… It’s a family site
Uh, pretty sure its 100% safe to say that there will be NO FIRMWARE UPDATE coming.
Duh.
If there’s no plans for a NEX-7 successor then may I ask:
Who is going to be buying the APS-C E-mount lenses?
People who owns the NEX-3 and kit lens? No. Too expensive.
The people who owns the A7/A7R? No. Why buy lenses you can only use in crop mode.
I don’t get this.
What’s so confusing.
Nex 3-5-6 and all their successors will continue to use e-mount lenses. There will be so many more successors to these models.
This is just my assumption, but I doubt entry-level NEX owners I buying that many lenses.
What, so only NEX-7 users buy additional lenses? What?
Basically, yes. People that shell out a grand for a lens are the same that won’t compromise on the controls, AF speed, EVF and resolution to save a couple hundred bucks.
IMHO, a full setup will contain the Zeiss 24 and 35, the Zeiss Zoom, the Sony 50, and (depending on your needs) wide angle and telezoom. That is quite a lot of money, and the enthusiasts that invest so much are not happily downgrading to the 6 or 5, to get a more contemporary AF.
On the other hand, with the 23 1.4, 35 1.4, the standard zoom and the Tuits, the X-E1 looks like a very tempting offer. It has the same EVF as the 7 and 6, and dedicated mechanical controls for aperture, speed, exposure and shooting mode, and the X-Trans sensor on top of that. I like Sony’s JPEG colors better, and Sony does better gimmicks (panorama, B&W hdr, video), but Fuji seems to have the better long-term strategy. I will be looking carefully at the X-E1 successor.
I’d like to see asap images of A7/A7r and specs….
More time is going, more doubts are coming ….
Is the A7r my right choice?
a77 successor? a77 firmware update? A-mount death?
A77 successor will come in Q1 2014.
Firmware update status is unknown.
A-mount death is BS.
Admin, earlier you said that Sony’s Alpha mount cameras were going to be pro only. We all took that to mean “A-mount” but now that everything Pro-y is “Alpha” and not “NEX” even if it uses the E-mount is it still:
A-mount = only pro?
E-mount = only consumers?
I can see the logic in the ILCA vs ILCE naming but right now, without a clear overview, it is unclear and irritating (unless the A7(r) is everything you’ve ever wanted in a camera). Hopefully there is a roadmap along with the announcement next week!
Since the E mount is Sony’s preferred prosumer to entry level pro video lineup lens, it looks like that we may be even more confused…
I think Sony may have been confused but seems to have some clarity now. They needed bold moves, and from recent developments it seems clear they want to play and focus in markets where they have a chance to lead. The RX100, RX1 and now the full frames testify to this.
With Canikon entrenched in the DSLR market competing will always be an expensive and uphill battle. There is a risk of being a poor and unprofitable third or fourth place.
The mirrorless market is crowded with Olympus, Panasonic and Fuji and the Nex never did make headway to leadership status, mainly due poor lens strategy and execution. An indecisiveness from Sony did come through.
They already have the sensors and might as well use it to gain leadership and market share in the full frame market. So in the compact market you have high ends like the RX 100 and RX1, in the APS-C market it remains to be seen what they do with Nex but I doubt they will abandon it. In the high end full frame market with no real player apart from niche and unaffordable Leica they can quickly establish leadership and market share. Both the RX100 and RX1 have a positive impact on Sony’s market share, reputation among enthusiasts and brand value as will the full frames if they can execute well. It does seem like they have a vision of what they are trying to achieve.
Sony – just fire your marketing department and hire a bunch of monkeys to throw feces at a letter board to come up with the names. You would probably get better results and it would be much cheaper.
They are code names not external marketing names. geez.
Actually, if you think about it, they just released the 16-70 Zeiss Lens, which certainly is not a lens made with the Nex 5 user in mind (actually, on a 5n it does not perform significantly better than the 18-55, especially not for the price).
So there will be some more high end APS-C Nex cameras in the Nex 7 league, I suppose. If Sony isn’t screwing it up completely.
***If Sony isn’t screwing it up completely.*** Exactly my point.
“(actually, on a 5n it does not perform significantly better than the 18-55, especially not for the price)”
just curious, do you have any evidence to back up that claim?
Yes, the evidence is here on my hard disk. The 1670z is already available here in Germany, directly trough Sony. Ordered it, tested it, sent it back.
Performance is pretty close to the 1855, although in total the Zeiss is the better lens. But it’s 150 to 1.000 Euros, so the distance should better be significant.
The 1670z is a little soft in the corners at 16 mm wide open, the 1855 is pretty soft in the corners at 55 mm. The 1670z was slightly decentred, the upper corners were softer than the lower ones. Other than that, I call it equal. Center sharpness was the same.
Dependig on the motive, focal length and aperture, Bokeh was better on the one or the other. The 1855 was more nervous, but the flares of unsharp background lights were smoother on the other hand. Overall, I’d say the 1670z wins bokehwise.
Color rendition and contrast were very similar under normal conditions. Only when taking pictures of dark objects against a bright background (leaves against white sky), you notice the 1670z keeping lowered contrast, flare and CA much better at bay. This is where it shines.
The 1855 doesn’t feel bad in the hands, but the 1670z is build better. On the other hand, its zoom ring is a little on the stiff side, so you can’t zoom smoothly in video. And even for stills, it’s a bit fiddly sometimes. The 1855 is much smoother.
So, all in all, the Zeiss is not bad, but not 850 Euros ahead. Mind you, this was on a Nex 5n, and in comparison with the 1855 I have at hands (which may or may not be a pretty good copy). I read a lot about the 1855 not being suited well for the Nex 7, maybe things are different with higher res sensors.
Thanks!
finally… pics or it didnt happen! I just cant believe this thing is going to be announced in a few days and NO ONE has a picture. Impossible!
Camera..Camera…Camera….
What do you do …after buying a Sony Camera ??
Hear more news about different format of camera 🙂
And get desperate to hear news about lenses 🙁
Any e mount Sony, Sigma, Tamaron new lens comming ???
Wow what a trinity of problems.
1- sony should have released nex7 successor in apsc format with improvements FIRST so all these e- mount lenses will continue their purpose. Nex7 owners are confused if they upgrade to a7, their existing lenses will give them lower mp images in crop mode or not gonna use the entire full frame and even no ospdaf on a7r. There that’s a downgrade even from nex6 in terms of mp and AF.
2- in the next corner, big question awaits: who wanted the full frame nex the most? Answer: Nex owners. Especially nex7 owners, who wanted the top of its line the begin with. And we wanted the full frame nex so badly, that’s what we talked here on SAR on and on.
We used full frame lenses on our nex5-6-7. Speed booster, regular adapters etc. and asked the question: what if my nex had a full frame? Yessss.
Here you go Sony gives you the full frame nex7 owners. Like you wanted. You can’t have everything, you will need to sacrifice some.
3- On the third corner. if sony did not do this and didn’t cause all this confusion, it will be another confusion if they came up with both upgrades in the same time. Nex7r apsc & A7(r)
Then would you go 7r? Just because you already have the lenses, or would you jump on board as we dreamed of this for the last 2 years already.
Well done sony, well done.
Andrea, you should consider to move the website to sonylcrumors or so, at least secure these names
Andrea. Please tell us you actually have the leaked image by now but just rather busy feeding us spoon by spoon for excitement.
Just show it please.
Now I know, the big surprise that was mentioned. The “Early 2014” camera will be a “Sonolta XM”
Name Confusion? If Steve Jobs was still alive I would bet this is one of his organised tricks to identify leaks…
I believe (hope) there will be APSC Nex 7 successor. Nex 7 was a success, and tri navi is well liked. I guess it will have IBIS in order to compete with M43, maybe Sony needs more time to put IBIS inside.
Wow, so glad I saw the writing on the wall a few months back and left E-mount. What a mess.
So what the rumor on RX10? is Sony will announce thus October?
Sony just took over marketing for Apple. “Iphone” brand will be dropped. The upcoming Iphone 6 will now be branded as the “A6rIPn”
I’m going to repeat myself: “I hope Sony won’t screw up the RX10”.
Speaking of which, when will there be more solid information on the specs and release date for the RX10?
After years upon years of cameras that I haven’t liked as well as those I had during the film era, I am really hoping Sony creates a new paradigm here. Small, durable, 24x36mm frame cameras with tons of functionality were the center of a golden age in film photography, and they are likely do the same for digital.
The APS and 4/3 formats have always been a compromise to make digital cameras of more reasonable size. Their full frame counterparts have been hulking and expensive behemoths that are left at home whenever possible. Now that a company who is interested in profit over profile (ie: Sony vs Leica) has solved some of these issues, we have a chance at returning to those wonderfully balanced lens/camera combos we’ve been yearning for. Not too big, not too small… just right.
Do I have to give up some lenses to adopt this? Yes I do, but I also get to use some of my old glass to its fullest capability. APS lenses are eventually going to end up in the same places we find Twin Lens Reflex lenses. Its days are numbered.
+1
I am afraid that the APS-C/FF crop lens problem will also be valid for a-mount.
I hope this is not the way how Sony hopes to increase lens sales.
“The Sony fashion photographer that wrote about the “NEX-7r” camera was talking about the A7r! This also explains why one source was confused by the name and told me the NEX-7 successor is coming (he didn’t know at that time that it was an FF camera).”
So, much of the discussion (traffic) on this site recently is coming from so called photographers that don’t even understand the camera they are testing?
I guess you need to feed the beast and keep followers posting ridicules comments about cameras that don’t exist and likely never will
Reading your retraction I’m still not clear what to expect and when
Is the SLT dead or are the more of them coming from Sony?
Is a new mirrorless A-Mount coming?
What ever happen to the 70-200/f2.8?
Are there rumors of other new full-frame A-Mount lenses coming?
Lets see if I understand this. Next week Sony is going to announce two new cameras; the A7 and A7r. These are both Full Frame but will not have “In Camera Image Stabilization” IBIS. Sony will also sell an adapter that will let me use my many Alpha-Mount lenses on this camera, but they will not have the advantage ANY stabilization like my A100 and A900 have.
The advantages are:
1) This camera will be smaller and lighter than my A900.
2) I will be able to buy small E-mount lens that do have stabilization.
3) I will be able use all my old Film era legacy lenses on it with an adapter.
We do not yet know how well it will perform.
If I wait until early 2014 a new A-mount camera will be available. I wonder if there is any reason to believe that the 2014 A-mount will not also provide a way to adapt Legacy lenses to it?????? Maybe we will even be able to adapt E-mount lenses to it.?!
This seems logical to me.
To me the most desirable features would to be:
1) Use all my A-mount lenses to their full potential. (FF and IBIS)
2) Use my legacy lenses to their full potential. (FF and IBIS)
I have no pressing need to use or buy E-mount lenses. I think I’m holding off until early 2014 and see what Sony is going to offer us.
I think that’s a good move. I’m shooting with the A99 and waiting for that Z-shift camera. I hope it will a good form factor for heavy lenses and the ability to go small or go big any time I want is invaluable. I will take any new tech they would throw in. I hope it would have even higher MP (lol, good for Barry as well) since I have printed several 13×19 downscaled from 100MP, and the prints just popped more than a 24MP with insane amount of details. But I guess I can settle with a 36MP.
I appreciate Andrea’s work here and applaud the effort it takes to pull togther fragmmented, nebulous information and extract a pattern from it. It is difficult to say the least.
I have at the moment, an a99, a900, Nex5n, a700 and a KM 7D. I typically use the a99 and Nex5 as a package.
I don’t really care what Sony calls it and the information is on this site is entertaining and sometimes thought provoking. But I will not draw any conclusions as to what my next potential purchase is until I see, feel etc. I will admit I tend more towards the FF but that said, I get a whole lot of use out of the little nex5. It just seems to me that drawing conclusions as to whether or not APSC or a-mount is (insert the phrase of choice) is a little premature.
However, I do know this…the overall capabilities of my a99 and nex5n are head and shoulders above enything Sony has produced before. I am seriously considering getting the new Zeiss 50mm ZA because my experience with the 24mm/135mm has been profound. So my question to self is whether or not I’d be interested ina FF nex?
My answer to self is …..maybe the 36mp A7r because I traditonally like to do large prints but I’ll just wait and see what these products look like and initial samples come out. However, I am certainly not going to plan/budget for it. In fact, after thought, I’ll probably wait and see what 2014 brings. My world will not fall apart because the Sony direction does not conform to my expectations. I am too involved with my current photography project for that:-)
cheers everyone and I trust everyone has a great day
Well said! Definitely enjoy shooting the rest of this year instead of whinging about Sony wrong direction :D.
Sony = nuts.
Agree with Tim B. It’s fun to read rumors (thanks, Andrea), but I’m trying to keep things in perspective. I’ve had an NEX-7 since it first came out, and I just bought another lens for it last week, even knowing that full frame was coming. I would love a full-frame version, but I’m not gonna sweat it right now. I’m using what I have, every day.
I figure it’ll be at least six months until the new full-frame whatever-they’re-called cameras are release, tested, debugged and generally available. And possibly longer than that until the full range of new Sony (and other) cameras, in all configurations, is revealed. Maybe there will be a 36 MP version of the NEX-7 with an improved electronic viewfinder. Maybe one of the A-mount cameras will be a light, small full-frame that can go head to head with the D800. Good stuff is coming. The more patient we are, the better it gets….
I’ll say this. If sony comes out with a 36 mp mirroless with very fast af and is e mnt with adapter and 5-6 fps, I’d be interested
Funny thread! I’m with the crowd longing for an A77 successor. I have the a55 which I would be very happy with if it wasn’t for the back focus. I’ve adjusted it to focus correctly with my SAL35/1.8…my other lenses I can’t use unless in manual focus. I was on the verge of buying an a77 but want to check out the A7 to see how it performs in the high ISO range. I do a lot of available light photography as well as macro, sports, people, nature…well everything except studio.
I look forward to the announcments next week and thanks Andrea for putting so much hard work into SAR! I need to figure out if 1260 euro for the A77+16-50 is a better deal than say 1600 euro for the A7… I have an older FF Sigma 17-35/2.8-4 so no desperate need for the 16-50.
🙂 Mat
Necro bump. Dang. It didn’t work… 😛