The video on tops shows you the new 4K Sony prototype. While there are no official specs the camera is “rumored” to have an FZ mount (like the F5 and F55 Cinealta cameras) an 8 Megapixel sensor and definitely no SLT or optical mirror. This is a pure mirrorless camera with Electronic Viewfinder. It’s going to be release sometimes in 2014 and it will compete against the Canon EOS-1D C .
I am not a big fan of videocameras with DSLR shape. Doesn’t really make a lot of sense. I think Blackmagic did a smarter move with the Pocket Cinema Camera ($955 at BHphoto). A compact video only mirrorless camera with CineRAW DNG recording and 220MBs Pro RES. Sony should so a camera like that in E-mount!
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DSLR shape doesn’t make sense? Try shooting with an FS100 without a rig, it is about as ergonomic as holding a brick. The reason DSLR form-factor is so popular among journalists and documentary makers is because you can use it without complex rigs. It is also great for shoot in sensitive areas due to the stealth factor of using a DSLR. The Canon C300 actually sold very well despite the absurd price precisely because of its form factor, Sony knows this and that is why they are working on a competitor.
We just finished using a FS100 without a rig. We just mount it on monopod or tripod. We even removed the grip on the right. The control is much better than a regular SLR (for video of course).
try using it handheld for extended period of time, you’ll understand.
I doubt it’d be such a horrible issue: http://www.vocas.com/sites/default/files/styles/site-width/public/target_products/solutions/FS100_on-shoulder.JPG
and on top of that you really gain a benefits of great stability comparing to almost anything else.
i’ve shot the fs100 handheld, without rig, for many straight days. not the best, i got exhausted by the end of each day, but it’s workable.
the key is to shorten the ridiculously long loupe.
shorten the loupe, and be okay w/ using the light stabilized e-mount lenses instead of insisting on being cool and using manual lenses all the time…
It’s personal opinion of admin.
For admin:
DSLR/SLT == EVIL
Mirrorless == GOD, BEST IN EVERYTHING
hence the posts like that 🙂
???? I love DSLR!!!! I just don’t like them as pure camcorder because of ergonomy reasons. It’s Sony hating DSLR by deleting the cheap FF SLT from roadmap…not me 🙂
Than you should hate NEXes even more for ergonomy reasons, as they are even more annoying to operate than the DSLRs. If anything – a handycam form-factor (eg. VG-series) or dedicated camcoder (eg. pro-video F-series) is the thing they should pursuit. Not the NEX.
I believe Sony’s knowledge is a little bit better than my or yours, hence they decided for DSLR-form-factor here, and a handycam form-factor for VG-series while equally well they could develop something like this new Black Magic camcoder in a NEX form-factor.
So I still have no clue why so much pressure on awesomeness of NEX pushing so much against DSLR form-factor.
Sorry Andrea but Sky_walker is damn right, in his post.
Yep. Camcorder ergonomy is what I want. But as a reportage documentarist I sometimes would love ot have a pocketeable camera with me. There are many situation I encounter where this would be useful. That said, I am in the business, so pelase give me some credit 🙂
Joe, DSLR camcorder were a hype. I am in the documentary business. Cameramans way prefer classic camcorder ergonomy…
Do we know if the camera on the left the same as the rumored FF NEX?
It’s a non-rumored 4K-Video body, not a NEX. It’s a prototype, check the news from yesterday 😉
Comment system ate my comment. How do we know that the rumors on this site (hybrid mount (A,FZ,E), no SLT/mirror, larger than current NEX, significantly more expensive) don’t apply to this camera? Isn’t it possible that the disclosure of this pro-level video camera whose features are consistent with the rumors means we should re-evaluate any expectation of a smaller NEX 9 like camera?
We can’t be sure, rumors are just that: rumors.
But this camera doesn’t fit any earlier descriptions of NEX-FF besides the hybrid mount (which also doesn’t fit the description very clearly as it’s not an E-mount like it was suggested earlier on for NEX-FF). And as it comes from video division, not photo division – it might be something completely new we haven’t got any rumors about. I wouldn’t be surprised at all buy this. Especially when Andrea seems to ignore rumors related to A-mount for the cost of posting NEX and RX-series stuff.
Ignore A-mount rumors? Should I invent the arrival of false DSLR cameras if there is no new Alpha camera to come soon???
Of course we don’t want you to post false rumors.
But face it – you don’t post even half of A-mount related stuff comparing to E-mount, even if we skip a pure rumors completely. Not to mention that somehow you happen to miss the rumors about SLTs while E-mount stuff hits the screen even if it’s most vague thing in the world. Want me to remind you? The rumor about SLT without EVF blackout during exposure along with the patent spotted by Egami roughly two weeks ago.
Not to mention the general attitude where if it’s a news about SLT you usually write something along the lines of “Something had to be done to make the A99 more competitive” and when it’s NEX price you somehow skip the weird comments or you are full of joy. When the new tests of A58 is released – only positive sentences are these where you point out your joy of having the sensor in future NEX. When Canon released small DSLR – you completely skipped the fact that it’s direct competitor to A37 and instead jumped to discussing it’s impact on NEXes (if there is any at all). On top of that we somehow have to listen about every single metal ring released for NEXes, regardless of how meaningless it is, while you somehow skip the important bits for the A-mount shooters, like for example the release of new Tammy 90mm Macro USD. Each time a patent for a new lens with short register distance is released – in title it’s always a patent for NEX lens, even though we all know that large-sensor compacts are being released these days and you probably out of everyone should know best that not everything necessary applies to NEXes. And so on, and so on. Do I really need to list more examples? I hope not.
I post what I get Sky. Look at the recent Sony hostory. Admit, they did release far more NEX athan A-mount stuff. The Egami patent is not valid, that’s why I didn’t post it. And I am working on an article on that. Canon Clearly stated that Small DSLR will compete against Mirrorless! Come one with the examples because until now you are simply wrong 🙂
P.S.: Sorry, the A99 doens’t sell nealry as good as Nikon and Canon FF. That’s why Sony should do something. Not because I hate the A99!
If you want a piece of news concerning A mount, here is one: in a press release published yesterday, Tamron stated that the A-mount version of their SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di USD will be released on Thursday, April 18th in Japan and subsequently in the rest of the world.
See http://www.tamron.co.jp/en/news/release_2013/0408.html
+1 Sky_walker
“Admit, they did release far more NEX athan A-mount stuff.” – Yep, I can’t disagree with that (recent period around NEX F3 was quite insane in that regard – F3 survived only 1 quarter on the market to be replaced by a new model. Sony is running like a roadrunner).
Egami might be wrong with interpretation, sure, we might not see camera with this functionality, sure, but somehow you usually don’t have any issues with posting patents (and we got quite a lot of these recently, more than usually I would say – only almost all were lenses), somehow I can’t recall anyone pointing out that you missed patent related to the E-mount, ever.
And I know what was in Canon’s press release, but it’s quite clear A37 competitor in many ways – somehow most of forums / websites I read managed to spot it easily (along with the fact that it’s also a competition to smallest Pentax DSLRs) and yet here noone seem to be bothered by that. Even though it’s quite an important fact when Sony decided to replace A37 with A58 (what got it’s own implications).
And yes, we all agree that Sony should do more to make it’s high-end gear attractive, but it’s nothing new. I don’t find it to be a reason though to leave a sarcastic comments under a good news.
I’d vote for more optimism, bit less news about tiny meaningless tid-bits for NEXes (eg. long series of news about speedbooster (which could be shortened to 2 news quite easily) or XYZ->NEX adapters (aka. the “yet another metal ring”) was a significant overkill), and not-missing the important stuff for A-mount users, just like you never miss important (and even: unimportant) stuff for E-mount users. A little bit more equality. 😉
I sent you a private mail to explain that I know that patent will never be realized. And it’s something I will share soon on SAR.
Got it 🙂
And just to be clear: Andrea, don’t think I find your work here bad or completely wrong – you do some amazing stuff for the community, and your rumors are always top-notch. SAR is one of the websites I visit most often, and even if I don’t find interesting things for myself very often – I still consider you one of the best sources of informations and most interesting websites on the net. After recent scandals with Pentax rumors and alike I only got even more praise to your work on rumors and your sources.
Please, don’t think this criticism is mindlessly pointed at you personally. I just try to show what I (and some other people, as you probably noticed) don’t like in the changes that occurred during last year or so on SAR.
Glad we can have good open discussions here 🙂
The NEX cameras are better suited for video than the Alphas. I shot my nephew’s kid’s baptism over the weekend and left the NEX6 on a monopod. The NEX6 captured continous video for almost thirty minutes (no overheating). No cropping like the Alphas, full manual control with auto focus. The built in microphone was actually good enough to capture the sound in the space we were in, but the new external mike should be even better.
SO it’s better because it just works?
It works with the Alpha SLTs as well, but you have more control with the NEX.
More control? More control you have with SLTs. Quite clearly. And: My SLT also captures nearly 30 minutes of video without overheating. And than 30 minutes again. And again (nearly one and a half hour is the most I ever needed to record… still I find it pointless in the end though – lots of needless editing). So I have no idea why you put so much pressure on that. I should probably mention here an overheating issues of NEX7.
Sure you have full control with autofocus with the NEX line, but you also have contrast detect AF so it’s not super quick either.
The a99 can be disabled for crop in video mode, but you lose IS.
Overall the NEX-5n and 7 take probably better quality video, but they both overheat. The a99’s video is god-awful; moire, lack of detail, etc. but the A57/a77 aren’t too bad (the latter does have a 1600 ISO limit in video mode).
There is no perfect hybrid DSLR. I think the Canon 5d3 comes close; best AF system, best lenses, video sharpens up in post near GH2/GH3 levels, and great customer service. If you need AF for your videos, get a nice Sony camcorder.
Alpha lens are good just for photo . Try to use zoom, focus ring when you do video . All lens with e-mount like 18-200, zeiss 24 , sony 50 , have smooth ring . Of course they are far away from zeiss zf,ze or cp.2 but much more pleased to use then alpha . Other hands alpha has better optic and sony should just to rebuild them . Of course Sony will never do it because they have offer for Sony PL Prime Lens
With only 8 mp, how is anybody going to video record animals?!?!
So a DSLR-shaped camcoder doesn’t make sense, but NEX-shaped camcoder does make sense?
Is it just me who doesn’t see any logic what so ever in that?
NEX shaped camcorder makes sense because it adds one useful feature: Compact size!
The VG series actually makes sense and is a complementary tool for NEX video users. If Sony can add a few small things to the NEX (audio levels, mike input on the NEX6, etc.), the NEX would be even more fantastic than they already are. Can’t wait for a more advanced NEX on the 3N form factor (don’t know what they’ll do with the built in flash though).
And removes another useful feature that got a lot of dramatic implications: space in a body that can be used for benefits in functionality (eg. recording of well over 30 minutes video without overheating issues, larger batteries, more plugs, better controls, etc. etc. etc.)
Would be nice if the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is waking up the Sony Photo Division and they finaly start to improve the video IQ.
The A99 looked so promising, but failed in terms of video. So many years of line skipping and bad down sampling. Why is it not possible to give us a crop mode on A99 with great video IQ (sharp and no aliasing/moire) per firmware update?!?
I am quite sure Sony ,Canon ,Panasonic are cooperate all together . And for the last years tried to hold all video develop towards 4k (for Prosumer Camcorders) . And I understand them . It is just business . At now we have blackmagic they have nothing to lose and gonna give us 4k for 4000$ small Pocket Cinema Camera for 1000$ 2,5K dng RAW !!! WOW
bye bye Sony ,Panasonic ,Canon !!!
CYA. Hope to never see you again.
(geez, these people from blackmagic PR department / advert agency got a huge promotional action this week)
+1…
I’m sure Sony, Nikon, and Canon all work VERY close together and try to stay off of each others toes so one of them doesn’t decide to build the camera they are capable of so they wont have as much success selling a slightly better camera yearly to the public… Think about the main characteristics of these 3… Canon best High iso, Nikon best resolution, Sony has flip screen LCD… Nikon users have been asking for years for a flip screen LCD, do they make it on the high end cameras? No, Why because Sony has that… Its pretty disgusting in my opinion…
are you serious? both Nikon and Sony are miles behind Canon when it comes to market share. they have nothing to gain from not competing.
So why didn’t Sony use their OWN 36MP sensor in a full-frame Alpha body that numerous people asked for? They ‘worked’ a deal with Nikon…
WAKE UP Dude…
Because the 36Mpx sensor (as of last year when the A99 was in development) could not refresh fast enough. It is an instance of the SLT tech biting Sony back. Maybe they can do it now? But now there are all these people whining about too many cameras coming too soon.
Works fast enough for Nikon to do whatever it does for Nikon… Compare sales of the d800 and a99 and then come talk to me…
There were numerous Sony users that care more about photography and not video that wanted a non SLT 36 MP too, they didn’t do that either…
I’m an Alpha owner too but I’m not going to say everything is great just so I can feel good about the brand of camera I own or the purchase I made… Especially with products like the a99 that is under-performing, under-designed, and Over-Priced…
has there been any info or rumours about the dlsr style camera on the left at nab
The camera is “rumored” to have an FZ mount (like the F5 and F55 CineAlta cameras), an 8 Megapixel sensor and definitely no SLT or optical mirror. This is a pure mirrorless camera with electronic viewfinder. It’s going to be released sometimes in 2014 and it will compete against the Canon EOS-1D C.
😉
Sony obviously collaborates with Nikon. They have contractual agreements on sensors. Sony (thus far) developed the 36mp sensor exclusively for Nikon. Given that Nikon is a huge customer, it stands to reason that they don’t want tech developed for them in all of Sony’s SLRs.
So far, Sony has been not been attempting to compete with Nikon in the fully professional dSLR space and it is unlikely to be a coincidence. In all likelihood it makes more business sense and generates more revenue having Nikon purchase sensors for their pro still cameras rather than make Sony pro alpha cameras and lose Nikon’s business (see: Apple vs Samsung). It becomes untenable if your biggest supplier becomes your main competitor.
Any news on this rumour?