The Sony A6000 main selling point is the world’s fastest AF (0,06 sec) that covers an area of 92% of the whole sensor (with 179 Af points!). That spec alone makes it the best autofocusing camera to date and not even a $7000 DSLR can beat that! Just watch the video on top or the video made or the first testing video made by It’s DanK and the Sony presentation video. For the first time you can use a mirrorless camera just like (and better than) a pro DSLR. And the A6000 price/features will make it very appealing for the mass that takes sports and family shots (you will no more miss to shot a sharp pic of your kid).
UPDATE: Somone raised questions about Sony’s AF performance claims: Just to be clear, at Sony UK they write the A6000 has a “Quicker autofocus than a DSLR“. And as a note:
“Among interchangeable-lens digital cameras equipped with an APS-C image sensor as of 12 February 2014. Measured using CIPA internal measurement method with E PZ 16-50 mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens mounted, Pre-AF off and viewfinder in use.”
But this raises an important question. Does SLT tech still have a future? My answer is no. There may be still one -two SLT A-mount cameras to come but I think it’s save to say the Hybrid AF of the A6000 is going to be improved quickly and it will be used by future E and A-mount cameras. And you will no more have that 1/3 stop light loss because of the semitransparent mirror.
obviously the A-mount still has at least one big advantage over E-mount cameras, the on sensor stabilization. If Sony would have used on sensor stabilization on E-mount cameras right from the start I think the A-mount cameras would have really little reason to be developed further.
In about one month Sony will announce the A77 successor. And it will certainly have an AF system that is at leats as good (if not better) as the A6000!
Sony really released a great camera (with a couple of let downs like the “reduced” EVF resolution although Sony explains in the video above that the numbers don’t tell the truth). Well done Sony! But I confess I am a bit angry at them because my Sony A7r doesn’t have that superfast hybrid AF 🙂
Preorders:
Sony A6000 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama, BHphoto (Click here), SonyStore (Click here), WexUK (Click here). In Europe at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, AT, NL, BE, CH, FI, SE, PT
Silver A6000 at WexUK (Click here).
Sony A6000 with lens at Amazon (Click here), Adorama, BHphoto (Click here), SonyStore (Click here), WexUK (Click here).
Silver A6000 with lens at WexUK (Click here).
Sony 70-200mm FE at Amazon (CLick here), BHphoto (Click here), SonyStore (Click here). In Europe at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, AT, NL, BE, CH, FI, SE, PT
DSC-H300 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
DSC-H400 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
DSC-HX400 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
DSC-WX350 Black at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
DSC-WX350 White at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
DSC-W800 Black at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
DSC-W800 Silver at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
0 Responses
I think you need to start a blog where you can comment on technology. I’d rather see this site be dedicated to rumors.
?
Andrea thanks for your work. Don’t listen to some guys who have no idea what it takes to have such web-site running. We appreciate your efforts and look forward to more rumors and your opinions.
BTW here’s an impressive video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2f9ue2FJB4 where A6000 performs very well indoors at ISO3200!
+1
+1
I think he means Andrea that your personal point of view tends to go way over the board sometimes. Yea, we get it – you love NEXes – no need to get reminded of that in every single post 😉
SLTs ain’t going anywhere – this AF isn’t as fast as SLT one, especially in low light. Wait for some reviews before posting such a wild claims taken out from nowhere. Or limit the website to rumors.
I love NEX more than A-mount? Where did I say that? or are you basing that claim on the rumors posted. Sorry, but as you see the last 8 months SOny did announce E-mount cameras only. Blame Sony for that, not me 🙂
“Where did I say that?” – in most of your posts where you express your own personal opinions instead of just posting facts.
And this case is a perfect example of that – you believe every hype that is out there for NEXes (sorry: E-mount now). Just look at the post by shamb. This AF isn’t as fast as DSLR – it’s only faster than mirrorless with APS-C sensors, which means: faster then Fujifilm (that got horrific AF), faster then Pentax (that got very old and poor mirrorless), and faster than Canon (that didn’t go past CDAF in their mirrorless).
There’s nothing to be happy of. Sony already had best AF in APS-C mirrorless. Now they just confirmed it again. IN NO WAY IT AFFECTS SLTs or undermines SLT AF advantage.
Little bit of healthy perspective would be a great thing before going on a hype-ship 🙂
I see you have problem with facts: Just click here: http://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/interchangeable-lens-cameras/ilce-6000-body-kit
And tell me what’s written in the grey box. Tell me? Sony writes: “Quicker autofocus than a DSLR”.
Further. Find me ONE sentence where I say I prefer E-mount over A-mount. I bet a beer you want find one.
Expecting your excuses 😉
I add: Sony says that AF is faster than any APS-C camera (mirrorless or DSLR): “Among interchangeable-lens digital cameras equipped with an APS-C image sensor as of 12 February 2014. Measured using CIPA internal measurement method with E PZ 16-50 mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens mounted, Pre-AF off and viewfinder in use.”
You still say I am writing bullshit? 😉
“And tell me what’s written in the grey box. Tell me? Sony writes: “Quicker autofocus than a DSLR”.” – yea, Fuji said the same with their old X-mount cameras, doesn’t mean anyone should believe claims like that. Besides – these tests can be as easily manipulated as it gets. It’s enough if they simply take DSLRs with 18-55 kits – which are one of the slower lenses out there – and you can get any results you’d like.
Also you need to realize that SLT isn’t in there to simply focus fast. So just like A900 didn’t make A99 obsolete by focusing faster in specific tests where double-cross sensor can excel – A6000 doesn’t make SLT obsolete.
“Further. Find me ONE sentence where I say I prefer E-mount over A-mount. I bet a beer you want find one.” – it’s not about one particular sentence, but attitude. “kill the SLT tech” – seriously?
You said Sony didn’t make a claim that the A600 is faster than DSLR AF. And you are wrong. Please try to focus on the facts of the discussion. You said there was no such claim. Now you see there is 🙂
P.S.: Can you read titles? There is a “?” at the end. It says it’s an open question. Not a fact. Again, please let’s discuss on what I really said 🙂
““Where did I say that?” – in most of your posts where you express your own personal opinions instead of just posting facts.
And this case is a perfect example of that – you believe every hype that is out there for NEXes (sorry: E-mount now).”
Did you really just write that? The contradiction is strong with this one…
Acting on the information given, ie. assuming the “hype” is correct is the exact OPPOSITE of expressing personal opinions. Critically analyzing it would be a personal opinion, posting it as-is is what you’re asking for and at the same time yelling about. Hypocrite much?
And there’s a dictionary definition of the word “rumor” on the right sidebar. Look it up. If you’re interested in “facts”, what the hell are you doing on a rumor site?
hey dude, admin got his facts right, and hes a human not a bot, so opinions are allowed.
-1000
This site has drifted away from rumors quite a bit and certainly puts more of the writers own opinions into things than it does rumors. Also if it was being a true rumor site there would be no holding back of a rumor until the writer had more sources to confirm something. Confirming something really moves you again further from rumors. In a perfect world we would see every rumor that the writer is handed and only a system of stars as to how reliable it was likely to be.
Instead it often becomes a fan page, which is kind of silly when you consider someone creating a site dedicated to Sony or someone reading the posts on a site dedicated to Sony is probably already a bit of a Sony person in the first place. So it is a bit of preaching to the choir.
Well, I post about 3-4 rumors per week. But some people seems to forget this. Find another site that dleivers more sony rumors than me. But ok, some people lately has problem to talk about facts 🙂
P.S.: Just check the rumors posted at http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/category/rumors/
I think this site is fine.
Most of the people complaining would like a site containing nothing but praise of their particular favourite camera model.
Ironically, that is my point. It Sony Alpha Rumors, not sony alpha opinion. Other rumors sites are slightly more objective in their postings and leave the opinions to the forum part (which would be comments here).
Just because the site has evolved beyond just rumors doesn’t mean he should change the name and get a new domain. If all you want is rumors just use the link above. Don’t get mad because the site offers more than you care for.
that is just Andreas style.. no likey.. no clickey.. go check out mirrorless rumors or photo rumors then.
+1. I can understand if there were no rumors posted here. That would be a problem. If there is MORE content than just rumors then just skim over the content you don’t need to read !
I stay in a developing country and so all the deal posts are useless for me. So I simply ignore them rather than whining about a rumor site posting deals that I cannot buy.
And interestingly, I think you’ve posted two rumors in this comment section that would merit different postings : the lack of a7000 in 2014 (does this mean there will be no better APS-C emount this year or ever?) and the A-mount with/without mirror. These merit to be discussed in greater detail with separate postings.
I think you do a great job, but that the rumors should be only in postings and the opinions only in comments.
Speaking for myself, hearing about rumours is only half of the fun.
I enjoy hearing people (admin included) speculate and offer their opinions.
Taking opinion for what it’s worth can still be valuable, and the open forum here that invites different opinions, discussion and debate is lively and fun!
What a boring world it would be if no one offered their opinion.
That’s the purpose of the comment section.
Agreed!
I think this site is fine as well. If it wasn’t I wouldn’t be on here all day at work or home. I just am disappointed in the lack of alpha stuff in the pipe.
How many rumors do you all think there are in the world??? You wanna make some up, just for the hell of it?
We probably get as many as there are that are worthwhile, and I, for one, don’t want to experience a crazy quilt of bogus rumors. Andrea seems to have set the right threshold, pretty high, and even then, many of the rumors don’t emerge as “the truth.” I have also observed that when one is wrong, many of the same people clamoring for more rumors tend to jump down Admin’s throat for getting it wrong.
I appreciate how much I learn from the knowledgeable discourse that SOME of you put forth…and I have learned which names to disregard because of the certainty of petty whining.
A couple of months ago, there was some talk of “guest” posts and there was at least one by Vlad that was interesting and helpful. So why not have others and appreciate the richness of a site that is informative as well as speculative.
Try one of the other sites that publishes rumors only…they don’t have much to offer and sometimes the same rumor stays up for days.
Well put!
The admin is right most of the time and I much prefer those kind of rumors than anything he could pull out his ass.
+1. Nothing pulled out of ass please!
Wonderful job Admin.
You guys complaining about format, timing, etc of rumors and posts are acting like spoilt little children. You want a pure rumor site run exactly as you want? Start your own site. No? Then say thank you and stop whinging.
@Spuds
Its almost impossible to post *reasonable* rumors without interpretation, especially if you are trying to triangulate the data. You have to make connections that aren’t always obvious. Therefore, just posting rumors is a reflection of Andreas expert viewpoint. So, you wouldn’t have anything, no rumors at all, if you didn’t want Andreas’ opinion. I greatly appreciate Andreas’ opinion because he pays so much attention to the topic. Moreover, I greatly appreciate his humility to say when he gets it wrong. Because he does admit that, it makes me trust him that much more. (Never trust a man who never admits he’s wrong.)
However, since his opinion has offended you, I am quite sure he will provide you a full refund for all the money you paid him to run his website. As a matter of fact, I will match his offer, so you can double the money you paid Andreas to run his website. Seriously, I am happy to do it, just leave a reply with your full name, address, and telephone and I’ll send a cashiers check. No problem at all! I’m happy to help!
I think you need to start a blog where you can comment on this site. I’d rather see the comment section be dedicated to this site.
There isn’t always going to be rumors every day of the year and sometimes a discussion is better than deal posts. No need to attack the admin.
You can start a site and not tell other people how to run theirs.
@Stu then find another website we won’t miss you
Why does this video show only the first image captured in burst mode of the guy flipping off top of mirror, and not all of them? May or may not be indicative of anything, but makes me go hmmm.
I think we should all calm down a little. The AF looks much better than on my NEX7, indeed. But we will have to wait and see how it performs under various conditions. For now, I doubt that its low-light speed will beat DSLRs or SLTs. If it does, yippie. But these on-sensor PDAF sensors have to be tiny and as such, they might not work at all under low-light. Let’s relax and wait!
I think stu needs to stfu! 😉
Andrea,
I’m a little annoyed with Sony too, due to the A7 not having this tech… Not so sure how they can excuse it since the A7 is also using OSPDAF and 24MP, well maybe due to sensor size…..
Another silly post by admin claiming that af is better than 7000 dollar DSLR. Have u ever used a top of the line dslr? You making a silly statement based on specs alone. Should I remind u that Sony uses on sensor Pdaf. The disadvantage of which comparing to normal Pdaf system is that on sensor Pdaf turns itself off in low light and When u most need it, u are back to the same contrast af method. Dslrs always use Pdaf even in low light. And that is why this camera will never be as good in low light as dslrs. Especially top of the line dslrs. U need to stop with outlandish articles and think first write second.
Part of your critic is correct….low light performance still has to be checked and tested. I updated my post. Obvisouly the title suggests that this is a question, not a FACT. I may made it not sound clear enough.
No one has the right to stop anybody from asking or posting an opinion.
that is forum or rumor site is all about. it makes more interesting. 🙂
This is a site owned(?) and run by Admin so he has the right to restrict comments however he wishes to. You are free to start your own site and within the bounds of the law, saw what you want to. Admin does seem to very tolerant of comments of all sorts and allows his readers to comment pretty freely.
As far as the A6000 goes it appears to be a big upgrade on the A6 in terms of sensor (resolution) and focus, EVF is still a maybe, color changes have been reported by Sony but no example pics yet. I hope the A79 gets the same sensor and if the focus mechanism is as fast as it seems, skips the SLT mirror.
Hey Admin,
I think you mentioned before that A6000 replaces NEX-6 AND NEX-7, which means to me there will be no A7000, replacing NEX-7 (if there is one it will replace A6000 some day). Did I understood correctly?
Steve Huff in his announcement says A6000 is NOT NEX-7 replacement, which means we should expect A7000 soon.
What is your last information on that?
100% sure. NO A7000 APS-C camera coming in 2014.
The guy from sony, I think his name is kenta, said it was the nex-6 replacement and never mentioned anything about the nex-7 besides the fact the has some tech from the nex-7 but also from other cameras.
I know this from my sources. This time really SR5.
So with “A7000” you mean in general there won’t be a higher-end APS-C E-Mount camera this year ?
Maybe Sony have “leaked” this to protect A6000 sales? Just like they used to claim FF E-mount was impossible
If you look at the store.sony website, among the nex cameras, they have clubbed Nex 6 & 7 together and introduced the A6000 thereafter. While Sony is not explicitly saying that A6000 is replacing either Nex 6 or 7, that seems to be the case.
http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/reviews/compactsystemcameras/129486/1/first-look-review-sony-alpha-6000
Funny that most important SR5 rumors are hidden in the comments section nowadays. If this were true, it would be a major blow to the hopes of current NEX-7 users for a real APS-C E-mount flagship camera in 2014 🙁
I am also surprised. With the A7 being a relatively slow camera I can see a nex7 replacement selling well at $1200 price point with fast AF best evf, weather sealing, great video et.
Hi Admin ….. the confusion might be as follows .A78 might on sensor PD on sensor Contrast detect 179 points on the same 24mp sensor .STL mirror with only a quater light loss and another layer of Phase detect .With a mirror up mode as in the patents you published .The most advansed AF ever created ?
And what about daylight?
In Daylight, you might see an improvement in tracking in continuous AF. So if that is your main use of the camera (daylight continuous AF) you should be able to see obvious improvements. For night time (when the camera switches to contrast AF only) the key for mirrorless is faster and faster processors. That and FAST LENSES to let in more light in the dark, are the keys for Olympus and Panasonic m43 cameras, many of which only have contrast AF yet focus in the low light the fastest of mirrorless cameras.
For that reason, for my A7r that is about to arrive within next day or two, I am going to get a LA-EA4 adapter. I am confident that its PDAF, despite having ony 3 Cross AF points, will be more confident in low light than Any on-sensor PDAF technology. That is until Sony and others (well Sony was the first) figure out how to have PDAF on sensor points that operate in low light.
Well, I was being slightly sarcastic. I find it unfair to call the post “silly”, when it is basically a question and actually an interesting one.
No one has the right to stop anybody from asking or posting an opinion.
that is forum or rumor site is all about. it makes more interesting. 🙂
7000 dollars camera? if you read the * it clearly says apsc sensors.
Just for the record, Sony Poland make what Sony mean about ‘fastest AF totally clear’:
0.06s – Worlds fastest Auto focus*
* Amongst interchangeable-lens digital cameras equipped with an APS-C image sensor as of Feb 12 2014. Measured using CIPA internal measurement method with E PZ 16-50 f3.5-5.6 OSS les mounted. Pre-AF off and viewfinder in use.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2f9ue2FJB4 (its at 0.17″).
So its for all cameras in the same class (‘APS-C interchangeable’), and tested according to a reproducible CIPA spec (and not a Sony made up marketing spec).
The only grain of salt you have to take with that is that it is fastest based on them using a specific lens. Will it be that fast with other lenses both designed by Sony or designed by others? That is still a question to be answered and likely more critical to most because most people that care about the speed of focus are going to be critical in the lenses a they use that will likely be something other than the kit lens.
AND THERE WE GO!
Kudos for people at Polish Sony for being clear in what they mean by their advertisement.
Stick for people who believe hype WAAAY too much.
Being able to disable pre-AF would be a new NEX feature as far as I can tell.
I’d agree.
The SLT tech always seems like a stepping stone towards doing away with the mirror altogether.
Whether or not Sony are quite ready to ditch SLT, this sort of improvement with on-sensor focusing was always going to be needed before it could be removed.
I think SLT was a major mistake and possibly at least in part has caused the significant drop in Sony DSLR sales. Regardless of the truth of it , people have picked up on its weaknesses more than its advantages. Looking at the A99 it barely beats the best APS sensors at high ISO.It is more than a stop behind the best FF option.
http://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare/Side-by-side/Nikon-Df-versus-Nikon-D5300-versus-Sony-SLT-Alpha-99___925_919_831
I hear a lot of folk posting that the A99 slt only loses a 1/3rd , why then is it .9 of a stop behind the cameras using the same sensor ?
http://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare/Side-by-side/Nikon-D610-versus-Sony-SLT-Alpha-99___915_831
Same old same old. If you are talking about the pentalty of SLT, why compared different brands when Sony has the same sensor employed, with on sensor PDAF in the A7?
The difference between the NEX 7 and A77 is less than half a stop, most other Sony cameras using the same sensor show about half a stop between SLT and non SLT.
Success or failure cannot be predicted based on anecdotal stories or forum impressions either.
The A99 is .9 of a stop behind the D600/D610 not the 1/3rd of a stop that many claim should be the situation. The point I responded to was about SLT technology nothing to do with NEX of any kind.SLT technology was both inefficient regarding light capture and I believe that it seriously impacted the sales of Sony DSLR’s.
Sony not getting the best from its own sensor compared to other brands is another weakness.
And on what ISO is that? And which sensors you compare?
Sony also use stronger color filters (although probably not for much longer as per other news), so you get better color at the expense of light, and Sony also weight the RAW less than other manufacturors (so the high ISO is worse but you can open up shadows further).
Even if your numbers are correct, its not just the SLT that makes the difference. At typical most used ISOs, the Sony way of doing it has advantages, which is why most Sony Alpha users choose the Alpha over CaNikon.
that has to do with the color filter sony uses, not the sensor
I wonder if DXO has a technology to measure a Low Light Number for A7r with LA-EA4 adopter on. The number without it is about 2750 which is very close to my D800 2800something. That is for those that care about DXO measurements.
Did you not read my post (and the previous times I pointed this out) or do you just like repeating your fallacies?
You attempt to make claims about the efficiency of SLT technology based on more variables than just SLT technology. Which is especially weird when you can limit the comparison to just SLT technology by looking at the difference between the A7 and A99 (0.53 EV, half a stop expected, no surprises) or direct measurements done with and without the mirror (between 70 and 80% transmission measured).
Comparisons with Nikon cameras add variables such on sensor PDAF or not, different densities color filters, different RAW cooking etc.
Compare the a99 to the RX1 not the d600. Anecdotally and not scientifically, I would say the a99 images appear to have about a half-stop of gain versus comparable cameras (noticeable in the noise from ISO 800 and up). That said, the ISO and noise performance is still solid.
@Zohee35
It is not a fallacy it is a stone cold fact SLT technology impacts the image quality regarding High Iso. Denying this or arguing that only half a stop doesn’t matter is downright silly.Sony’s problems are not with people who buy its other products the competition is Nikon and Canon. Canon seem to be able to sell any old camera regardless of sensor their APS sensor is well behind the Sony sensors but it doesn’t seem to matter.
Downloading equally exposed RAW files { I use focus numerique as they have the most consistent and reliable exposures} from the A99 and D600 shows clearly the advantage to the Nikon. From the fellows reply’s above it seems as well as the SLT Sony use different color filters which explains the discrepancy between what SLT loses and the actual losses.
In a market that is dominated by two major players if you want to break in you better have something very special. Some of you guys are almost as bad as the Olympus faithful no matter the financial reality of the company how much data shows the decline of Sony DSLR market you still prefer to attack the messenger.Personally I see clear advantages for using an SLT set up for video etc. Unless something amazing came along my D800E bodies will be the last cameras with mirrors I will buy.I fully accept that mirroless is the future but the post was about the consequences of SLT tech to both the actual images and especially to the perception of the cameras from other system users { the ones who you need to attract } and how this has impacted sales. My A7r is the first Sony I have owned bar my R1 which I still have, I am very happy with my A7r.
You seem to like your fallacies so just add some more?
Who said that SLT does not impact output quality? I certainly didn’t deny that.
You on the other hand make claims based on apples and oranges comparisons. First that could have been considered lack of knowledge. But after repeating the fallacies when they have been pointed out several times, the only logical conclusion here is that you’re just trying to spread FUD, rather than facts.
Half a stop is a fact confirmed by patents, direct transmission measurements done on the mirror in a lab, effieciency measurements and comparisons done by DXO using the same sensors (and not different versions used by different brands) and output brightness compared using the same phyisical exposure settings with and without mirror.
You throw in extra variables in an attempt to make things look worse than they are and attempt to draw conclusions that include so many non sequiturs and assumptions based on non statistical data, it’s almost pointless to react to them.
Most People that actually have the camera say that dxo is wrong and in actual real life use it is not bad at all. I have never used a A99 but I remember many A99 users saying that when this came out.
Hi Wayne its not about being “bad” its about being behind the competition, the A99 had some wonderful features. Things like built in IS, wysiwyg EVF, video etc
Only possible problem is how the AF performs regrading C-AF/tracking and especially in low light. We here “fastest AF ” ever claims every time Olympus releases a mFT camera , unfortunately regarding C-AF/tracking little has moved forward. Being a 1/100th of a sec faster on a static object is all but irrelevant
So basically what your saying is the alpha mount advantage is a fabricated one. The exclusion of IBIS is nothing more than a gimmick to get alpha shooters to either stick with what they have or purchase expensive new lenses for a sub par e-mount system.
So basically what your saying is that alpha shooters will be subject to another generation of the oh so wonderful yet completely polarizing SLT technology no one asked for and no one now wants.
So basically your saying that the 135, 85 refresh probably won’t happen…the 200mm 2.8, 400mm and T/S lenses we’ve been asking for for years aren’t coming down the pipe.
No flash fix? No cost competitive a-mount FF from Sony in the DSLR camp? One…ONE….camera choice or the a900 that is now how old?
Nikon and Canon are going to wipe the floor with Sony on the DSLR front. A warmed over 70-200 and an overpriced 50mm last year is there answer?
This is just rediculous. You can’t have all of these professional photographers claiming the death of a-mount, do nothing with your line up and then think it’s going to survive. Your simply killing it through silence.
I never said A-mount is dead. I am only talking about the SLT tech!
I think people overrreatcs. Probably the uncertainity is frustrating. But I am glad I can say new A-mount cameras are coming soon 🙂
Do A-mount lenses work with on sensor PDAF?
On-sensor PDAF doesn’t work with A-mount lenses connected through adapters.
Admin correct me if I’m wrong but haven’t the a-mount rumors been conflicting? I think I heard on SAR no more a-mount SLTs then the a79 won’t be mirrorless.
Sony should know performance more than anyone else. If the a60O0 AF is the way to go why not stuff it in an a79?
Yes, I got trusted sources saying both. Sony developed SLT and non SLT A-mount cameras. Which one comes is not 100% sure althaugh I got some info lately saying there is SLT…
Sorry for being pedantic, but I’m with THKPIC. What do you mean with: ‘obviously the A-mount still has at least one big advantage over E-mount cameras, the on sensor stabilization. If Sony would have used on sensor stabilization on E-mount cameras right from the start I think the A-mount cameras would have really little reason to be developed further.’?
Sure, you are talking about SLT in the previous passage. But in the quoted passage you are just talking about A-mount in general. Even with context I also understood ‘no future for A-mount (in general) because IBIS is the only advantage’ …
So you believe there will be mirrorless A-Mount cameras?
Canon and Nikon have already wiped the floor with Sony DSLR sales, in their home market of Japan they didn’t even manage to grab 5% of the DSLR market. I do not see anyway that Sony can become a major player in DSLR sales
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/japan-2013-overall-sales-numbers-sony-dslrslt-presence-shrinks-mirrorless-share-increases/
The question is not, if they can become a bigger player in DSLR sales. For me, the question is, what will hapen with DSLR (and DSLT) sales at all in a few years, when sensor-PDAF is matured and IBIS also incorporated in mirrorless.
I am quite sure that nobody will live any longer with miscalibrated mirror based PDAF systems and color temperature dependent AF modules etc., when hybrid AF systems have become lowlight sensitive enough and improved tracking implementations.
why do you want ibis? The below is from http://photographylife.com/lens-stabilization-vs-in-camera-stabilization
Advantages of Lens Stabilization:
Optically-stabilized lenses are more effective – while there is no science with clear examples behind this statement (at least that I know of), both Canon and Nikon argue that image stabilization can be fine-tuned and tweaked on individual lenses, which would make image stabilization more effective when compared to generic in-camera stabilization. Tuning image stabilization based on lens features such as size, weight and focal length can provide the benefit of enabling different options for image stabilization. For example, some IS systems feature an “Active” mode for situations where the photographer shoots from a moving car or a boat. Some newer image stabilization implementations are smart enough to detect the type of movement and can automatically enable or disable image stabilization when the lens is mounted on a tripod. Such specific customization is not possible with in-camera stabilization, unless each lens is programmed into camera’s firmware.
Lens stabilization is more effective on long telephoto/super telephoto lenses – the main argument is that long lenses require much bigger sensor movements, which cannot be accommodated with in-camera stabilization. With Sony’s recent 500mm f/4 lens announcement, we will have to see how it will fare against a 500mm Nikon/Canon lens with slow shutter speeds.
Lens stabilization is more effective in low light conditions – because the image already comes stabilized from the lens, the camera metering/AF sensors can provide more accurate results in low light situations.
Because A-mount lenses aren’t stabilised.
Never, ever extrapolate Japanese sales to worldwide results.
A-mount is doing quite well, especially in Europe (even despite of Sony not giving shit in last year or so).
A-mount is not doing well at all have a look at any of the indicators such as Amazon { USA/UK etc} top selling DSLRs and the A99 especially fails to break the top 100 let alone do well.
And I have sales reports where in some other shops A77 sells brilliantly, outselling majority of competitors, including Canon 7D and Nikon D7000.
Remember: A-mount always sold poorly on Amazon. It might be prices, it might be exposure, whatever – but their sales results are irrelevant to global sales.
Please, The Sony share of the DSLR market has declined significantly,.Amazon is probably the biggest online retailer in the world { with online retail business in countries all over the globe} if they are not selling there why would they be selling anywhere else. Every data source we have be it Amazon ,BCN or whatever clearly shows a decline in Sony DSLR sales
You can’t calculate shares from Amazon numbers, Amazon numbers you’re looking at are only based on a single country, too short term to be relevant, not reliable for often miscategorizing cameras, non verifiable and Amazon being a large retailer isn’t too relevant either. Being the largest Sony camera or CAMERA (in general) retailer could be more relevant (Sony also has it’s own stores…).
If we would go by Amazon numbers at all, mirrorless sales would be near inexistent. Until we realize that local numbers, even from a large retailer like Amazon, cannot be translated to worldwide sales statistics.
That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if SLT sales are down, with only one camera released last year, 2 models getting old in the tooth and one niche FF model.
Like to see complete sales figures for America. Anecdotally, DSLRs appear to dominate here by a huge margin though obviously Sony’s DSLR presence is beyond pathetic. Sony clearly invested in NEX marketing stateside but nothing for SLTs. At least 1 major retailer carries a little NEX gear but SLT mostly mail order.
Sony also faces far more companies in tiny mirrorless body market so if they are incompetent with DSLRs eventually they will fail with ICLEs.
Right now X-mount is the biggest threat for Sony. And as far as I see – Fuji understands European and US mirrorless clients by far better than Sony. If only they’d have a full line-up of cameras and proper budget on advertising – they might actually outsell Sony outside of Asia & Jap.
Give the A99 a 36MP sensor, and take away the SLT tech, and that will change rather quickly.
The entire a-mount line-up was refreshed with new releases from October 2011 to October 2012. Thus 2013 was a slow year with only one release. Good dSLR camera bodies are generally updated every 2 to 4 years. Lesser, consumer bodies like the digital rebel get a small spec bump each year and a major upgrade generally every 3 years. Currently, only the a77 is in need of updating (with the new hot shoe) and improved high ISO performance.
Why do you need a new camera model every year?
Are you serious about your photography? Then you are on Canon or Nikon.
All the rest is rubbish, especially your attempts at – what exactly? Telling off the admin of a rumours site? Building up some logical case against Sony product management? With what arguments anyway?
Canon and Nikon are good, believe me.
Please give us some more A79 rumours, many are waiting for that camera to, and with the new AF sensor on the A6000, many A-mount people are even more exited, would be great if that camera beat the A6000 in every way, with IBIS of course and the new AF sensor,and SLT working all together ?? way not ?
You are a BRAVE guy Admin! I basically agree with what you wrote and looking forward to all comments that is gonna flow in. This will possibly be the largest thread in SAR history 🙂 Keep on!
My main concern about the new fast autofocus is will it work with existing A mount lenses or only new proprietary A mount lenses.
The current dual focus only works with special new Sony/Ziess lenses and nothing else
The new fast autofocus on the A6000 only works on native E mount lense and not on any lenses with an adapter.
I want to be able to use my current collection of A mount lenses that I am quite happy with for all new cameras and funtions.
I would like to see the new A79 to be an acroos the board improvement.
Faster focus, Higher iso, Less noise and of course higher resolution..such as 36mp C size.
Good question! Hope reviewers can test the speed of A-mount lenses on the A6000!
Hybrid AF does not work through adapters.
Do you know it for certain?
https://us.en.kb.sony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/37064/~/phase-detection-af-is-not-working-with-the-mount-adapter-and-an-attached
Yes
The link to the Sony article covers the previous generation of OSPDAF chips/bodies, ie. NEX-5R/T and NEX-6
It doesn’t necessarily mean that the A6000 will behave in this way. As with others, I would be very interested in this camera if it offered PDAF focus with my SSM 70-400G via LA-EA1 or even the sort of comibined focus tracking that the A99 seems to perform (ie. SLT PDAF sensors with on-chip PDAF taking-over to ‘fill in the gaps’) with the LA-EA2
I’m sure this is technically possible, but whether Sony want it to happen is something else (sad as there is no long-glass in E-mount so A-mount lenses are the only option)
Let’s hope there is some clarification on this point…
@Parallaxproblem
You are living in cloud cuckoo land if you think Sony care about supporting A-mount on the A6000.
Afaik it didn’t for the 5r/t and the 6 so the chances are very high that the systems will be incompatible again.
Let me repeat and make this perfectly clear
I actually spoke to Sony representative this morning
A6000 dual autofocus will work with all NATIVE E mount lenses but not with anything else.
No lense of any kind that use an adaptor will utilize this new high speed focus system.
This comes direct from sony..did I clear up any confusion?
Hypothetically, if this sensor were used in the a79 successor, than would AF-D compatible lenses take full advantage of the dual AF system or is there something inherently different about the focusing systems in the a & E lenses?
This looks like an expanded version of the dual AF system on the a99.
That is the big question
Will we need to buy all new A mount lenses to put on our new A mount cameras
If not will we lose the ability to use the new fast focus functionalit
And if SLT goes away will we therfore have even slower focus
This really feels like Sony is using unfair competition practices to pressure people to buy thier products instead of competitors products.
I don’t think Sony would force users to purchase all new lenses, that would be pointless. They would just discontinue the a-mount system rather than re-create it to be more like the e-mount lenses. If Sony is continuing with a-mount, there is no reason to believe that the speed and functionality will not exceed anything that the e-mount system offers.
The fastest AF system in the world is in the Canon 1d-x (a camera with a mirror that uses a lens system 20+ years old). Until independent tests say otherwise, I’m skeptical of Sony’s claims. I remember reading similar marketing claims about the a99 dual AF system and those were less than accurate.
Barry, I find it hard to believe the phase detecting pixels will work with ALL native e-mount lenses. the nex 6 phase detecting system only works with some of the e-mount lenses, afaik, for technical reasons. for instance, the 50 1.8 was not supported last time I checked. and those who do work needed freeware upgrade to do so. I think it looks like your Sony rep was misinformed (happens all the time).
Sony does not claim faster than the FF sports cameras like the 1D-X, they claimed faster than the APS-C models. Still need to check to see how well it does in real life, but the Fogel video looked pretty impressive, especially for a lower light shot.
Agree with OSC. NEX PDAF does not currently work with all E-mount lenses. No reason to believe the A6000 would.
Even if it’s AF is close to the AF on the 1DX in terms of speed. It will kill DSLR sales…Also it was interesting to hear Walter Fogel comment on how good the AF worked in low light..I don’t think, if it had bad low light AF, they wouldn’t have mentioned it in the video…When you think about it. It seems reasonable that E mount cameras will eventually surpass DSLRs in AF ability as the amount of glass they are pushing around is a lot less. You think of the weight of the glass on a canon 85mm 1.2. Not surprising they will have trouble keeping up with an E/FE mount lens.
If the A6000 can rapidly auto-focus my A-mount Sony 300mm f/2.8 lens, I will buy an A6000. If it can not I will not.
I see no technical reason for such incompatibility. I think it’s a matter of the firmware within the camera. I look forward to finding out.
BTW, another show stopper for me would be if the flash does not work in the master/save mode, letting me use all my old big flashes. One of the few faults with the RX100 is it’s incompatibility with old Sony flashes.
Keep up the great work Andrea!
Don’t bother, it won’t focus A-mount lenses faster than a dSLR/SLT.
IT CANT
See statement above.
As usual, some people understand what they want or pretend not to understand a point of view.
Such a fantastic place the world is!
Not even mentioning the rude ones that think to be like Hulk Hogan: “Hulk knows best”.
What’s the point of writing “think first write second” which, actually, in my humble point of view should be “first think then write”.
But, anyway…
I like the way Andrea runs things in here: thanks.
For those of you been hurted by the (maybe true) fact that a 650$ camera focuses faster than a D4 or a 1DX: sucki it up, bitches!!! LMFAO 😀
>a 650$ camera focuses faster than a D4 or a 1DX
Use your brain, man. Of course it doesn’t.
Don’t worry, I use my brain quite a lot.
Since we don’t know the facts it might be as well true.
We have to wait and se if some crazy waco will do such a test.
Take care
P.S.
I use Sony but I’m not a Sony fanboy at all, I’m a fanboy of photography and I just love techs.
Autofocus is a strange beast which not so many years ago didn’t exist, yet now is indispensible!
As I’ve mentioned before, it is not the speed but the accuracy which is paramount. I’d much rather it took 0.5 seconds to focus (in any light) and be spot on than get it occasionally right in a tenth of the time. I hope this new system improves both speed and accuracy.
Another point relates to how it is achieved at all using on sensor systems. I only have a very loose understanding of how it is done, but is it possible that it precludes the use of sensor stabilising?
But would you shoot a wedding with it? Not me. I will stick cameras that look like cameras.
Craig M: “But would you shoot a wedding with it? Not me. I will stick cameras that look like cameras.”
Why not? I’ve shot weddings with a Minolta A1!! I don’t care how the camera looks, but how the images it took look!!
True about the images. But if you’re a professional you want to look like a professional not holding a camera in a ceremony that looks like every mom can shoot with it.
@Craig M: “But if you’re a professional you want to look like a professional not holding a camera in a ceremony that looks like every mom can shoot with it.”
This is simply untrue of the vast majority of photographic situations. “Professional” is not about looks, it’s about action and skill. There is this notion that somehow mirrorless cameras are what talentless n00bs around the world are shooting with but the truth is that ever since Canon’s 20D, DSLRs are de rigueur for millions of tourists on holiday so the “every mom can shoot with it” argument is defeated right there.
But more importantly, professional is not about what you have, it’s about how you use it. If you’re at a wedding and you see a photographer with an A7, grip, LA-EA4, 135/1.8 ZA Sonnar, a Metz potato masher tethered to a Quantum battery pack on the belt, and standing next to this person is someone with a 5D Mark III with a 24-105/4L with the hood mounted in the reverse position and a store-brand UV filter screwed on, there’s no question who is the professional in this situation.
Now, to be fair, there are situations where the camera matters but DSLRs don’t cut it in these cases. When big names show up at Vanity Fair to be photographed by Annie Leibovitz, they don’t want to be shot with the same camera they see vacationing investment bankers using. Ms. Leibovitz shoots with a Hasselblad, which it de rigeur for editorial and commercial photographers shooting in image-conscious situations (image here referring to professional image, not the quality of the shot taken).
So this whole “camera x looks professional but camera y doesn’t” is silly. More often than not, it doesn’t matter and when it does matter, the camera that most of you seem to think looks professional is not enough.
It may be silly, but perception is important. You are behind the 8 ball if you show up to a shoot and the client immediately perceives (true or not) that you are using inferior equipment for a shoot he or she is spending hard-earned money. It is then an obstacle to overcome while shooting them (convincing the client that you came prepared with appropriate equipment) and could affect how that client appears on camera if he /she feels cheated.
Yes the images will speak for themselves..but the client will have these finished images presented wee after the fact.
Annie Leibovitz’s first camera was a Minolta SR-T 101 with 55mm lens, which she used initially at the San Francisco Art Institute. She reluctantly sold it for a Nikon F. When she started shooting for Rolling Stone, she started using a Hasselblad for cover images, but continued to use the Nikon F for images for the inside of the magazine. In the mid-eighties she started using a Mamiya RZ67, which she used as her main camera until she switched to digital. She continued to use 35mm Nikon SLR (rarely), and experimented with a Leica M6 for personal pictures (though she has said she much prefers TTL composing to rangefinder).
When she switched to digital, she initially used Mamiya with digital back, but found it awkward and slow, so tried FF Canon DSLR and since she found the images to be perfectly usable, she ditched medium format for the time being. She missed the Mamiya 140mm lens. It was a long lens that you could make feel a little wide if you wanted – similar to the 55mm on the Minolta.
“When I talk about how important the camera is to me, I mean the idea of the camera. What photography does. I’m not into it because of the equipment, and I’m not concerned with the things that concern more technically acute people. I want to use whatever helps me take a picture in all kinds of light with faster speed and fewer problems.”
Source: Annie Leibovitz: At Work
How many clients haven’t even looked over a photographer’s portfolio before ever seeing the equipment used? Even if they haven’t, they only see your equipment when the shoot is about to start, when it’s too late to hire someone with a fatter camera instead. At that point the worst likely outcome is that they’ll go through with the shoot and hope for the best… if your work is good you’ll still get repeat business and referrals, no?
@Christopher: “It may be silly, but perception is important. You are behind the 8 ball if you show up to a shoot and the client immediately perceives (true or not) that you are using inferior equipment for a shoot he or she is spending hard-earned money.”
Yes, perception is important but what you’re talking about is an edge case, the top 1% of 1% of paying gigs, where a photographer will be turned away because of equipment. And in these cases, the equipment that does get you the shoot are going to be an order of magnitude more expensive than any mirrorless or SLR model from any of the Japanese manufacturer.
This is the territory of the Leica S2, Hasselblad H, Phase One, etc. And honestly, these are the shooting jobs that a camera like the Hasselblad HV might actually serve a purpose for – Hasselblad and Zeiss are names that carry way more cachet in these circles than any of the Japanese companies.
@Colin
What Annie Leibovitz shoots on her own is different from what she shoots when on assignment. All of her shoots for Vanity Fair in the past several years have been with Hasselblad H. Whether or not she personally owns this equipment or is her assigned camera from the press pool, I don’t know, but that is the camera that is used for her big shoots for that particular publication.
David Hobby professes to using an X100s while vacationing. That doesn’t mean it’s the camera he uses on his pro gigs.
I have been using the A7 commercially…I find the opposite..Once Clients see the images quality they are blown away by the camera…Being smart people they see this is the future… You should give people more credit for their intelligence.
In the very near future client may look at someone holding a DSLR in the same way as someone shooting on film…It is just another end of an era in photography.
When I use an 8×10 body, glass plates, lenses on bellows, a wooden tripod and a focusing cloth. When I start igniting flash powder on my handheld lamp, clients generally offer to double my rate.
Just slap the battery grip on the A7r, and then it looks very professional while in use.
I have to wonder if it is possible for them to do the same type of auto focus on a sensor that has image stabilization. Would the movement of the sensor cause problems with this type of focusing system?
My understanding is that the IBIS used in Sony cams (and Minolta before that) only works at the moment you take the shot. That’s why you’re not seeing a stabilized image in the viewfinder on the SLTs. So if it does the AF while the sensor is stationary and then stabilizes when the shot is taken, it shouldn’t be a problem. Z-Axis stabilization, on the other hand, might be a problem to integrate with this system. But I think Olympus does it with CDAF, so there must be a solution to having both IBIS and on-sensor AF.
Yes! Not just SLT, but SLR, too; their days are numbered!
IF, and that’s a huge IF, Sony’s claims are true, then yes, all SLR mounts are dead. Not only Sony A, but also Canon EF and Nikon F.
However, I believe that OSPDAF is still many years away from being able to compete with DSLR. Maybe in 2019-2020 or something.
+1
I suspect this is probably just a marketing claim.
No, they are not. People don’t buy DSLRs for AF speed alone. That’s something you, and people at Sony still need to understand, otherwise they’ll keep on failing and mirrorless sales will keep on going down.
Tat’s so naive! The camera form factor is not the focus ( no pun ) here, but the AF system! Whenever OSPDAF equals and/or surpasses conventional mirror-based PDAF ( either SLT or the aging flip-mirror ), the conventional SLT/DSLR will adopt it and move on! I’d be thrilled with a mirrorless A99 ( A1, A99x, ….. ) and just keep using my excellent A-mount lenses for many years to come!
Lucas, as pointed out by AlphaGuy up there ^ , this new mirrorless AF doesn’t work with A-Mount lenses. Or am I missing something?
The old E-mount PDAF on sensor did not work with A-mount via the Sony adaptor. It is possible that they will work with the A6000 although I would not rank it as a high probability. If a A-mount camera uses the new on-sensor focus system, then yes it would work with A-mount lenses, what is less certain is if it would work with all A-mount lenses or have restrictions like the A99 focus technology has.
A6000 fast focus/dual focus only works with native E mount lenses an nothing else.
This was desighned to make consumers buy new E mount lenses if the want the latest features.
In order for A-mount lenses to work with OSPDAF, you need calibration data. This is similar to what the A99 stores in firmware, which is why it’s AF-D technology only works if you have firmware level support. Without the calibration data, the camera can use OSPDAF sensors to determine how out of phase an image is but it has no idea how far to move the focusing elements of an attached lens to bring the image into phase.
Because A-mount lenses have no provision for storing this calibration data in the lens itself (unlike E-mount lenses, which have in-lens firmware to store this info – some of you may recall that when OSPDAF first came to NEX, many of the early lenses needed firmware updates to support it. This is why.), it must be calculated separately and stored in camera firmware.
I’m not saying it is impossible to do this but it is highly improbable. At best, I think Sony can aim for AF-D to become ubiquitous across its A-mount line but only with first-party lens support.
In a sense, I think Sony has painted itself into a corner with SLT. Only 33% of image forming light is sent to the PDAF module, compared to up to 70% with the best slivered SLR mirrors. Sony went from having class-leading AF accuracy on the A700/A850/A900 (double-cross sensor plus extra-long baselength F2.8 sensor) to having only three cross F5.6 sensors.
While I don’t know for certain, I suspect this is in large part due to the limited light transmission of the SLT tech. Canon leads the pack here with many F2.8 sensors on their higher end bodies. Nikon only uses F5.6 sensors and for critical applications, many photographers will stop down or use manual focus + live view.
Most likely, the future is with AF-D because AF-D allows Sony’s AF system to use the other 66% of light that is hitting the sensor. This, in theory, can make Sony’s AF more accurate than Canon since they’re effectively using 100% of the light (not really, but 100% of the light is being projected onto a surface that gathers phase information). But not having AF-D work with older Minolta lenses or third-party lenses is, I think, a big drawback.
Still, it’s important to note that even in AF-D, the OSPDAF sensors cannot acquire targets – that responsibility still falls to the sensors on the PDAF module, which is why it is vitally important that Sony put some effort into designing a better PDAF module with more cross-type sensors covering a greater area of the frame. With AF-D, they can afford to spread the points out a little more since OSPDAF can be used to track and tune focus.
Or – cover the entire sensor with OSPDAF sensors, go back to the single high-precision center point and improve subject acquisition so that you can basically use a “focus and recompose” technique, but rely on AF-D to fix focus when recomposing.
In few years Canon will adapt and start the transition of full frame DSLR to mirrorless. Then you can hear the canon fanboys raving about the mirroless technology and advantages of on sensor AF points.
The Sony fans will be laughing while the Nikon fanboys will struggle to defend the DSLR technology since Nikon will be the last company to ditch DSLR.
“In few years Canon will adapt and start the transition of full frame DSLR to mirrorless” – blahahahaha. What a BS. Not gonna happen. Right now Canon is the last company I would suspect of doing something like that. Pentax – perhaps. But Canon? Now way. They’re not that stupid to get rid of their loyal customers and all the advantages that DSLRs bring over mirrorless.
You’re right Canon won’t quickly move to mirror-less…. But not for any reason other than the fact that they are a looong way behind Sony in their mirror-less technology…Sony has a very big jump on the competition, which will be hard to catch up with any time soon….DSLR is dead…Not missing my Canon paper weights at all.
The DSLR, DSLT, are eventually going to go mirror-less but their mounts will remain.
Canon, and Nikon will probably just drop the mirror, change the sensor, and get back to business, and people will buy them in droves.
If you think the current tiny mirror-less cameras will become the dominate form factor then your either on drugs or just dense.
Great site. Love the rumors. Also interested in your opinions, so I like the comments too.
pretty sure SLT tech killed SLT tech, on sensor AF will evolve to a point where it will surpass both SLR and SLT tech, mirrorless is inevitable. This however does not mean a-mount is going away since there are plenty of other applications the mirrorbox can be used for.
A7R does not have this AF capabilities- no big loss. How many lenses are there to make use of a potential fast AF?
No wonder Sony are doing the “up to $650 off” promotion with the A7/7R.
One of these days, they are going to get everything together. 😉
I’m a bit frustrated with Sony — when they don’t push their hardware with firmware updates as they should — I’m scared to death of being left in the lurch of buying into another system again. I had the pre-order of the Nex-7 and it seems they just introduce a new model instead of refining what is already out there.
Are they going to support the existing base of A7/R ? Or just release a new model next year ?
JSturr
Sony very, very rarely makes firmware updates that implement any new features to existing cameras. And even if they do – it’s mostly for high-end A-mount cameras. Don’t have any hopes for Sony ever “refining what is already out there” besides fixing obvious issues or adding support to some new lenses.
Erm… Sony released some extraordinary firmware updates for the original NEX-3 and NEX-5
However they never properly updated the ‘high-end A-mount’ A900 and it still has an awful JPEG engine and a bunch of niggles in the interface (grrr!)
I wonder what makes you think they release firmware updates for high end A-mount cameras.
No IBIS and no GPS …..a pity, else a fine cam.
I would say based on the info, that this af system is fast and accurate, because it’s sensor based, and does not have ibis. ibis imo would cause in accurate focus based on the shake. I still think slt will be used based on this assumption, given the need of high frame rate and ibis in a A-mount body. The lose of light thing is over rated. In most all low light situation you need a tripod. Even in the video of the a6000, he’s using a tripod. Go figure. ibis is great when the light is in between and most of the time slt does a great job. Where it doesn’t work so good is under low light inside under lights. Natural light in low light slt is fine. Artificial light is poor at best for light anyway. These light we have today really are poor design. The are fine for humans but not so good for camera in a poor light environment. If you plenty of light not problem for either. This is all due to flicker which causes iso headaches. E-mount be the future because of the reasons for Sony to become a camera of favor, but they better keep making DSL type bodies other wise they will continue to lose market confidence.
Granted it’s a smaller sensor but Olympus is very successful at putting both 5-axis IBIS and OS-PDAF in the same camera.
I like the look of the silver version. I will have to visit a Sony store in April to see it for myself.
“Hello My Name Is Inigo Montoya”
I like Walter Vogel’s perfect English. Pretty close to mine 🙂
“obviously the A-mount still has at least one big advantage over E-mount cameras, the on sensor stabilization. If Sony would have used on sensor stabilization on E-mount cameras right from the start I think the A-mount cameras would have really little reason to be developed further.”
You state one advantage- just one. And it is one that is behind in terms of the competition. Also, what does little reason to develop further insinuate. It sounds to me like a nod to the death of the alpha mount.
I want that silver version REAL BAD. I don’t even want an APS-C camera, but I need that silver a6000 in my life.
As others have pointed out AF performance under low light conditions is key. I have bought my GX7 precisely because of its world class contrast AF which performs extremely well under low light – ‘Chasseur d’images’ (‘picture hunter’) has recently reviewed it and assigend 10 / 10 points to the AF functionality. Quite a rare feat.
The new Sony AF is spectacular but I would like to see it combined with a contrast AF.
Does anybody know what it is that Walter Fogel is using in the hotshoe of the A6000?
Could be the profoto air sync
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1009784&Q=&is=REG&A=details
Sensor IS (a sensor shaking) with also sensor AF is maybe not a good
combination? I don’t know.
So if sensor AF is the future, maybe also lens IS.
That would mean that AF-D on the A99 isn’t doing anything useful most of the time…
In theory the OSPDAF should still work with IBIS provided you do the math correctly.
I can confirm that the AF-D on the A99 is mostly useless.
Olympus does it on the OMD-EM1
I am surprised at so many people being so upset over a marketing claim. While it is probably mostly true, we have to assume Sony has given themselves every advantage they could.
At this point we just have to wait until the camera is in the hands of photographers to see how the claim stands up in real world photography.
Like some of the others I wonder how much the new focus system helps with other lens designs — and whether it helps at all with those that do not support PDAF.
admin didn’t you want to post some A79 info after A6000 anouncement ?
Yeah, there was going to be some A-mount rumor action after this announcement. I guess he didn’t say how much after the announcement.
Do i get it right.
A-mount lenses won’t work on this new cameras not even with an adapter(fast focus)?
So what’s the Point to get an adapter and use a-mount lenses on it???
Apparently, it’s for those applications that don’t require fast AF. Alternatively, you’ve got LA-EA4.
Some opinions have been expressed about this, but I don’t think the definitive answer to this is known yet. We will know when someone tries it. I think the reason for the very fast (6/100) focus speeds has a lot to do with new dual in camera processors. A lens adapter that does the focusing external to the camera will be limited to the speed of that SLT lens adapter. I hope we will be able to link our SSM drive lenses and screw drive lenses to the electronics and fast focus circuty of the A6000. I would think that the SSM A-mount lenses will be able to focus quickly, but maybe that wishful thinking on my part. We will find out soon.
The answer IS difinitive.
A mount will not fast focus on A6000.
animalsbybarry, assuming your correct, I will not buy the A6000. I will wait until Sony makes a camera with very fast auto-focus for my full frame lenses. I have gained a bit of recognition for my work taking flash photos of hummingbirds in flight, using the Sony 300mm f/2.8 lens, a trap focus technique, six flashes, and my A900 camera. While the A900 is great old camera, it’s time to achieve focus leaves a lot to be desired. I have missed a lot of shots because the A900 did not focus or the bird moved slightly out of focus by the time the camera fired. I was hopping the A6000 was the camera I was waiting for. Sadly it’s not, Sony, I’m still waiting checkbook in hand for that camera.
Davethehiker
Please send me some contact info I would like to discuss your hummingbird pictures
Contact me via contact page on. http://www.animalsbybarry.com
you will get very fast af with la-ea2 or la-ea4 and a-mount lenses, and probably better continuous tracking af than you would get with native e-mount lenses on this body. the slt adapters mentioned are as fast as dslrs. that’s fast enough for most of us.
It’s worth noting that you get fewer AF points with those adapters that you would on say the A77.
I just found a German Website where the A6000 with Zeiss SEL16-70 would go for 1649 EURO (649 body + 1000 for the lens) … about 1.800 USD.
IMHO quite steep mirrorless pricing.
We better wait on confirmation because it makes the RX10 look like a steal.
If there isn’t going to be an a7000 or a higher end APS-C mirrorless camera from Sony this year… then are you saying that there is going to be a full frame NEX type of camera coming out later this year?
This is what the phoblographer says about it:
“Autofocus
We played with a pre-production model during our meeting, and so we aren’t going to make any stark conclusions about the autofocus yet. However the promise of 179 phase detection point on the sensor is quite insane. From what we were able to see, the camera focuses slightly faster than the previous NEX 6 but it isn’t anything with blazing speed. The NEX 6 has phase detection points near the middle–but this camera has it nearly everywhere around the sensor.”
I would expect the “world’s fastest AF” to be described as blazing speed.
I’d wait for reviews. Everybody claims the fastest AF nowadays (well, at least Fuji and Sony). And you cited one blurb. Other blurbs have other opinions. How about waiting for production units to be tested to see what the “real” story is?
Andrea, what happened to the HX60 that you wrote about? It was not among the compact cameras that were released yesterday. Is it going to be released at a later date?
so will the a79 be the first mirrorless a-mount camera?!
Hi!
Nobody talks about the AF video. If you realice all demo of autofoucs was left to right but not near to further, back and forth
Did you try to take a picture to a child running in circles, its really difficult and it’s a perfect test to know if camera autofocus is really as fast as they talking about. But the video probably dont tell all the truth.
I hope to see a back and forth video….
I hope people realice of this point.
Buy the way, I wish to buy my NEX 6 soon. And say goodbye NIKON.
Only I wish is a affordable 16-70 arrives. Or a 18-55 f2.8, thats the only think that still chains myself to NIKON.
Anyway, sorry about my english.
Enjoy every picture you take….
Best regards from Spain.
Certainly we’ll have to wait for full reviews of the actual performance, but so far no one has asked if the limitations on the NEX 6’s Hybrid PDAF AF system will continue to be the case with the a6k.
For example:
On the NEX 6 PDAF only works with compatible lenses used at apertures of f6.3 or wider. Has that been addressed/changed in the a6K? In other words can the camera focus wide open then stop down at the shutter release?
Will earlier lenses that had firmware updates to enable the NEX 6’s PDAF system still work on the new model or will additional FW updates be needed?
Will the viewfinder image still pulsate when AF-C is active and aperture values are greater than f6.3?
Will third party lenses be able to take advantage of this new AF performance (after all Sony did open the E-Mount spec)?
Other NEX 6 issues:
Focus point selection is a multi-button press exercise. My sense is there is no change in that function on the a6k.
Tt appears that one still cannot configure an “AF-On” function to any of the configurable buttons removing focus from the half shutter press (unlike NEX 7).
The NEX 6 had no provision for saving user settings. This appears to have been addressed with the MR on the mode dial, but we’ll have to wait and see how flexible that feature will be.
I own a NEX 6 and enjoy shooting with it, however I have missed shots due to its relatively slow AF performance.
Sony is back, refocused and ready for battle.
I expect Sony will likely be the largest Mirror-Less manufacturer by the end of the year.
I also expect Sony’s DSLR/DSLT/DSLM division to really start gaining market share.
The removal of the SLT is good news for A-Mount users. It will allow for smaller form factors, it also allow for a significant decrease in price.
The ISO, and AF performance of future Sony DSLR (form factor) cameras will increase significantly; unlike the other companies Sony has plenty of other electronics divisions to draw support from.
And that’s the point really. The A-Mounts are targeted at the 82% of Interchangeable Lens Camera users using DSLRs, and not mirror-less cameras.
The DSLR form factor will remain of an important component of Sony’s camera division. It’s like the PC really, and old trusted, and reliable, and a large established, user base that will continue to grow.
Imagine how the A99 would have stacked up against the D800 if it had the 36mp sensor, and this new AF system. Nikon would have been in serious trouble.
Well Sony is launching the new FF, and Nikon Canon will be in serious trouble in 2014. To bad they don’t have other divisions to cushion the fall.
The Mirror-less will gain serious ground only because of Sony’s leadership. It’s in Sony interest to eliminate off their competition.
And Sony will succeed, because they have no other choice.
once and for all – getting rid of the slt mirror will NOT allow for smaller form factors. the mirror box will stay the same ! smaller form factors are welcome, but getting rid of the mirror will NOT help.
You know there are two other dimensions that can be decreased.
last time I checked the mirror box was three dimensional. you can’t shrink it in any direction, because that will stop light from passing through it. it needs to be the size it is, with or without a mirror.they can shrink other parts of the camera, but they can’t shrink the mirror box.
@OSC
They will likely shrink the camera size, not the light box size.
right! you said it yourself. the mirror could as well stay in there. no reason to ditch it for size!
Because the mirror is the reason why the SLT has crappy ISO performance.
You do know that Sony can install a set of compensation lenses in the light box to reduce the flange distance protecting the sensor.
I have nothing against going mirrorless for image quality. still, you should stop spreading the misinformation that a-mount cameras could be made smaller if they went mirrorless. yes, they could be made smaller – but the mirror has nothing to do with it. and seriously – do you actually believe Sony would install a set of lenses into the mirror box in order to reduce camera size? are you serious? is that how the mirrorless a-mount camera will conquer canikon? please just admit you have no clue. I can’t believe I’m having this argument.
@OSC
I’m sorry I was just egging you on again.
“to incite, push, encourage, urge, prompt, spur, provoke, prod, goad, exhort • She was egging him on to fight”
cause its too easy.
Ha Ha Ha
Nikon is certainly in trouble…Unless the buy the mirror-less technology off Sony as well as their sensors..Nikony…
I imagine both Nikon and Canon executives had sweaty palms after seeing the A6000 release…
I think Sony intends on taking a good chunk of their DSLR market away with the new A-Mount cameras, and prevent them from getting any traction in the mirror-less market.
It appears to be a two pronged attack.
You mean hairy palms!
Yuck!
actually, sony has been the largest mirrorless camera manufacture since launch of E mount (may need to exclude the release year).
>The removal of the SLT is good news for A-Mount users
The removal of the SLT means no more A-Mount. There won’t be an A-Mount mirrorless. It doesn’t make any sense for Sony to support 4 lens lines (2 mounts x 2 sizes).
They will just make DSLR form factor E-Mount cameras.
The question is, can they really achieve fast AF with mirrorless ATM. Probably not.
No it won’t. Camera purchases aren’t a simple mathematical equation. Their based on human preference. Some people like DSLR type cameras, others like mirror-less. Just like some people like Desktop PC while others like Laptops.
Some people like Trucks, Some people like cars.
The Free Market will determine who succeeds. So far 82% of people prefer DSLR.
The A-Mount will continue to carry on. Its like the PC, and it will endure though these transitional times.
The A-Mount is in a position to grab DSLR market share if Sony was wise enough to implement this technology into the new camera bodies.
The A99 replacement will have a both the new AF system, and the new 36mp sensor. It will mop both Nikon’s, and Canon’s offerings for 2014.
Sony doesn’t want to dominate just the mirror-less market it wants both.
You realize that without SLT, A-Mount will be mirrorless also?
Your 100% right.
I know but no one here will admit that the next A-Mounts, are mirror-less cameras. We’re living in a state of denial. Sony will call them something stupid like DSLM or worse.
Shouldn’t the new A-Mounts just be called, “Professional Digital Interchangeable Lens Cameras”, and leave the technical crap to the eggheads?
Your 100% right.
I know but no one here will admit that the next A-Mounts, are mirror-less cameras. We’re living in a state of denial. Sony will call them something stup!d like DSLM or worse.
Shouldn’t the new A-Mounts just be called, “Professional Digital Interchangeable Lens Cameras”, and leave the technical crap to the eggheads?
So, you think Sony will have both mirrorless A-Mounts and E-Mounts? Both APS-C and FF?
There’s no problem in making a DSLR shaped E-Mount camera
I think Sony will keep both mounts, because they’re marketed for two different target audiences.
I think then number of APS-C/Sensor specific lenses will be reduced in the future.
Attached below is an article from the WSJ summing up the mirror-less industry that’s pretty good.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304558804579376172286073420?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304558804579376172286073420.html
“Nikon and Canon have one big advantage—their lines of interchangeable lenses that keep longtime users loyal. If the companies are smart, they will capitalize on this by building on their currently minimal offerings of mirrorless cameras that can use their existing lenses.”
Even the WSJ agrees that the current DSLR mounts will go eventually mirror-less ensuring existing owners a smooth upgrade path.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78lhq_ojsCU
Thank you for this video.
It was more informative than everything else I’ve seen on the Internet combined.
A huge Thanks to you Admin! Love your site and effort you put into this! To me you are always careful in posting rumors. You even rate them (SR5-SR1) which gives us an idea of how seriously we should take them. Though I don’t participate as much as others I do look at your site every day! There is no other site with as much info nor as current. You are very much appreciated! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+1
Couldn’t agree more!! Without Admin we would be in the dark…
bye bye DSLR! I never used you and I’ll never miss you!
You really have no idea what you are missing then.
Will the new superfast hybrid AF replace sooner or later replace the SLT tech ?
that article title sounds twisted to me, better rectify the ortho, Andrea, hahahaha.
I can read titles, ans there is indeed a ? at the end and a “replace too much in it.
So stop fighting for nuts and do you job like you did it til now Andrea, and tell your opponent to go shooting with his DSLR and not bother the world with his opinion. Opinions are like buts , every one has one.
I wish for a e-mount camera with this specs, a A-mount style body (A65 or A77), with IBIS, FH500 battery, A-mount adapter with motor, styled to fit the camera, mirrorles (no SLT). And propper use of the on-sensor PDAF with A-mount lenses. Yes, that would bee right.