One of the weird A9 photoshopped cameras floating on the web.
So you want to know what I think could be announced in 2015 based on the rumors and “feelings” I have? Here is my list with the most likely announcements on top:
90% chance – New Loxia FF E-mount lenses:
At least two new lenses will be announced in 2015. Not yet sure about the focal length but a 85mm and a 24mm version could come as next.
90% chance – Sony High Megapixel E-mount FF camera:
I don’t know if it will be called A9 or A7rII or what. But I really think the rumors about that camera are true and that it will raise the Megapixel bar above the current 36Mp Sony sensor used by the A7r and Nikon DSLR cameras. When is it coming? Around mid 2015 is the most likely timeframe for the release.
90% chance – One surprise:
More about it in a soon to be posted rumor 😉
90% chance – E-mount camcorders:
There is at least one more to come priced below the FS7.
75% chance – Fast 85mm FE:
Announcement late 2015. And of course there will be the FE lenses already announced at Photokina plus new FE lenses that will be announced late 2015 but to be released in 2016 only.
75% chance – Sony RX2:
If the rumors and patents we got are correct than this should be the RX2 will feature the first curved Full Frame sensor of the world. Sony said it’s production ready and we also spotted official Sony patent describing the sensor and the lens designed for it (35mm f/1.8). Around mid-end 2015 is the most likely timeframe for the release.
75% chance – Sony A7000:
High End APS-C E-mount camera with 5 axis stabilization. Around early-mid 2015 is the most likely timeframe for the release.
75% chance – New A-mount “updated” lenses:
Sony seems to be focused on update some of the current A-mount lenses rather than introduce completely new lenses.
60% chance – Sony A99II:
Actually in a “normal condition” I would rate the rumor much higher. But seeing how Sony is focusing on E-mount first I don’t know when they will decide to release the new A-mount FF. So let’s keep the rate at a save 60%. Around mid-late 2015 is the most likely timeframe for the release.
60% chance – Sony A3100:
E-mount APS-C entry level and DSLR styled camera. Around early-mid 2015 is the most likely timeframe for the release.
50% chance – Updted A7s and A7r with 5 axis:
Sony did it with the A7II. Although I have no rumors about that yet I think it
50% chance – RX20:
4K updated version.
30% chance – RXm:
Fixed lens medium format camera.
Extremely unlikely to happen:
A-mount FF with integrated vertical grip, Interchangeable medium format system camera.
It’s always hard to guess what’s coming in future. One thing I am sure about is that it’s going to be again a very exciting year of rumors and news 🙂
280 Responses
“90% chance – One surprise:
More about it in a soon to be posted rumor ”
Let us hear it! 😉
What a joke, so we most call that rumor info ?? nothing new, and absolutely useless info.
It’s a roundup of already posted rumors for 2015. Not a new rumor! Gosh some people really needs to relax 🙂
You shouldn’t care about such comments. You’re doing a great job. Thanks and keep it up!
Especially if you could get something more specific about that RX2… I can’t sleep over 6 months already just waiting for it to come true! And probably find out Sony missed some of my more important wishes again 😉
“one surprise” a high end A mount camera coming?
keep reading…
“60% A99ii coming” er…. what a bummer ><
No A-mount suprise sorry.
Than E-Mount?
It’s about tech.
New sensor tech?
Stacked sensor?
That is something the supergood source didn’t care to tell me yet 🙂
Then i wouldn’t call it supergood. 😉
It seems that Sony took care about leaks.
Your sources so, it seems, can only say:
There will be a super duper XYZ, but i cant tell you the details.
(Until 1-2weeks before the real launch of XYZ)
Otherwise Sony will hitt my ***.
No he is supergood. And just because of that he is supercareful as he is the one of th few knowing things in very advance. He didn’t tell me about the A7II because he was one of the few to know. Just as an example 🙂
In other words, he is an insider of Sony Japan.
But if only 5 know about a upcomming product, its easy to track it down.
PS:
Post with 😉 should to be taken to seriously. 😉
Not easy as many inside Sony Japan knew about the A7II. But you know better to not risk too much 🙂
Medium Format bayer sensor camera with fixed moderate wide angle lens (35mm equivalent). New mount, without meaning as well it’s with fixed lens.
Isn’t it true?
bye A mount
@SAR_Admin
More and more im confident, that i bought the A7s was right.
It doesnt seem, that Sony can provide a new cam before end of february.
Only the surprise is making me jittery.
A surprise alike the A7 II in terms of, “Tada here is our new camera”?
So is the surprise is an existing rumour, so is it a camera with the Sony MF sensor but with a fixed lens or an A7 camera with a monochrome sensor or some rumour I have forgotten about??? I’m hoping its the monochrome camera
Ugh, so February isn’t going to nail it. This is so frustrating.
100% sure there will be lenses. Yet not 100% sure there will be the A7000/A9 at CP+ already althaugh I expect one camera to come 🙂
Can you ask from your sources that have they any hint about new FE 300mm f/4.0 lens 😕
Yep! FE300 F4.0 thats exactly what I’m waiting for!!! Sony, let’s do this!
Admin
A while ago you talked about a Color Sampling sensor.
Has this rumor become any more likely to happen? Or has this rumor turned out to be a haox? Or is this rumor so secred you have not heard any more?
Also more and more competitors are saying no foveon like sensor comming..Canon has not said …
Could this be an indication Color Sampling tech is real and will make introduction of new Foveon like sensors pointless?
the a7r II would be perfectly fine with the fixed shutter shock and improved weather sealing, dont need more mpix…
but you want it.
depends…IF more mpix=worse high ISO, then no, I DONT WANT IT…
So the a9 has went from a pro camera rumor to an updated a7rii that may be announced by end of first quarter 2015.
Praying for a global shutter.
Nope. It’s a ery new camera with different layout. But I don’t know if they will simply see it as a “higher” A7r successor.
+1000 on global shutter.
unfortunately I don’t see it happening for a couple more years.
it will show up on video before stills i think and it still isn’t there yet
will most likely be on low mp units first and work its way up
I can’t wait for the day of studio flash outdoors synching at any shutter speed
RX2! RX2! RX2!!!
Amen. That RX1 and especially that lens is the first piece of kit I’ve really wanted in more than 5 years, and I’m happy with having it permanently fixed to a body for a very compact go anywhere camera. It’s the focal length I use the most and I’m quite happy to have to buy another body for all the other lenses. IMO it still renders background far, far better than any other 35mm, including the new Sony Zeiss Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4. – f2 is just enough blur while still allowing a compact lens, and that bokeh is just exquisite in character.
My personal RX2 wishlist in approximate order of priority
– Leave the lens alone, keep leaf shutter
– keep the simple clean design
– faster focus, eye detect, probably by phase detect pixels to allow fast focus as per A7Rii
– so may as well just use the new 42mp sensor from the A7Rii & allow bigger prints
– get rid of ridiculous pop up flash, provide decent built in EVF, even if it increases size slightly
And while I’m dreaming:
– 5-axis stabilization would be nice, but only if it doesn’t cost a fortune
– larger capacity battery, separate charger included
– wifi
– touchscreen for focus selection
RX2. Strange aperture is 1.8 only. With curved sensor, there shouldn’t be limits.
Size would be a limit 😉
Sony should forget about updates to the A7r and A7s and make the A9 pro cameras with R and S versions. These types of cameras, after all, are made for pro use. The A7ii is the only 7-series upgrade we need.
Would love a A9S with a6000 AF goodness just to have some silly fun shooting action stuff. But then I also want a nice affordable 100-400mm type lens, or a E-mount Sigron 150-600.
100% chance Sony photographers will continue to produce award-winning imagery with current cameras and lenses in 2015. 🙂
A7000 better have 4k or it will be on discount like the A6000 after about a month.
What I’m missing is news about an A6000 update. No new A6000 in 2015 then?
The a6000 just started shipping in volume 4-5 months ago. It doesn’t need an update until 2016. It’s a great camera as is, just get one and enjoy it 🙂
Did you get the double kit lens? Finally tried the 55/210 yesterday and was a bit disappointed, not that I was expecting L-glas performance, but had seem pretty good examples. It is also a lot noisier then I expected, then again I did shoot with the a7s before, this pretty much removes any sense of what high ISO really means. At ISO 500 and slightly underexposed the detail levels where pretty poor at 200%.
The kit lenses are crap. The Sony Zeiss 16-70 is much better and the ony lens I need for this body as the a6000 is my go anywhere anytime camera, not my professional kit. But is can certainly take some professional level shots.
Good thinking, already had the 24-70 and 70-200 for my a7s so decided to go for both kit lenses as a holiday package. The 16-50 is not too bad but the plastic front element is just a joke, it doesn’t flare as much as expected but it is just weird. It also feels a bit stupid putting the 70-200 on the a6000, if I’m going for that kind of size,might as well take the a7s. And if we are packing, might as well take the old manual glas… I dunno still figuring out the perfect workflow for each type of shoot. Only got rid of the Canon stuff a couple of months ago. The a6000 Af is crazy though, picked up some nice action shots, but it’s a shame the quality is just disappointing, especially at 210. not sure I want to spend money on a 16-70, probably will spend it on a trip to venice.
i heard that a9 will release march with new lense
can’t wait to see it.
Based on the time estimates posted here the February show will introduce nothing worthwile.
So why all the hype?
Dear Korean hackers….please tell us what sony is planning.
That would be a good way to show your dissatisfaction with the movie you don’t like.
lol
+1 North Korea
I wish the RX1II / RX2 would come anytime soon. Pretty please…
With the release of the a7ii Sony effectively killed new purchases of the a7r as now people are also expecting an upgraded a7r, so I wish they would just hurry up! 🙂
In one of the last interviews linked from this site, Sony officials said they thought the 5axes IBIS wasn’t requested on the A7r whether they just wanted to save sells on the actual A7r, or whether that is really what they will do, is anyone’s guess.
I really don’t think that release of the A7ii killed sales for the A7R. They are used for very different purposes.
So only a 60% chance that a new a-mount FF body to back up the new a-mount lenses coming next year? Didn’t the DC.WATCH interview stated that more a-mount stuff will come? I’m sure there will be at least 80-90% sure that a FF a-mount body will back up the a-mount lenses for next year.
Andrew, I agree with you totally. I am 95% certain a new FF A-mount is coming in 2015, if not more than one.
Sony has zero reason to update their lenses for product line if they don’t intend to support it. Even updating older lenses takes time, effort and money.
If anything, I’d say this is all evidence that shows Sony is upgrading the entire A-mount system for sports photographers because the new advances are for extreme auto focus speed, weather sealing, and increased sharpness. The A77II is also evidence of this direction.
Tldr version: all rumors SAR posted in the last 6 months were wrong
I love facts. So here they are 😉
(SR4) The big rumor day summary: A7II and 70-300mm to be announced within days! A9 coming early 2015.
(SR5) Full Zeiss 16-35mm FE lens MTF and design graph.
(SR5) 28-135mm FE powerzoom lens specs.
(SR5) No other new camera from Sony at Photokina! (SR5) New generation sensor and camera(s) release in January!
(SR3) Is there a 90mm FE macro lens coming too?
(SR5) New Zeiss Otus 85mm pics and design info. It’s going to be the best FF lens of the world!
(SR4) Three more FE lenses to be announced but not(!) released or shown at Photokina.
(SR5) Images of the QX30 camera-lens.
(SR5) New leak of the QX1(20MP sensor) and new E-mount lenses (Zeiss 16-35mm costs 1350 Euro).
(SR5) Definitely a new E-mount 4K video camera to be announced at Photokina!
(SR5) First pictures of the ILCE-QX1 E-mount camera!
(SR5) UPDATED: ILCE-QX1 will cost €300 (€450 with 16-50mm lens). It is almost the same size as the QX100.
(SR5) New image of the Zeiss Loxia 35mm lens. Announcement on September 1-2.
(SR5) First image of the new Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2.0 Planar lens!
(SR5) First Zeiss Loxia will be a 35mm f/2.0 and 50mm f/2.0 lens.
(SR3) New Pro Cinema camera to come from Sony?
(SR5) Zeiss will soon announce the new “Loxia” lens line for Sony Full Frame E-mount!
(SR4) Samyang rumored to launch a new cheap and high quality 50mm t/1.5 lens for mirrorless systems.
(SR5) Huge Zeiss announcement coming soon! E-mount owners will love it 🙂
(SR5) QX30, ILCE-QX1 to be announced on September 3. Likely one more Sony announcement after that.
(SR5) It’s coming: First curved sensor will be used by the Sony KW1 compact!
(SR5) Trusted sources about Sony at Photokina: Focus will be on lenses and not so on cameras!
(SR5) First image leak shows the new A5100. Coming on August 19.
(SR4) Trusted source A99 and A58 will remain for sale for a longer time.
(SR4) Zeiss Wide angle zoom to be released in late August/early September.
(SR3) New QX camera with 30x zoom coming?
(SR5) There is no plan to make an FZ mount DLSR looking 4K camera yet.
(SR5) Sony RX100M3 specs! Records in XAVC S format just like the A7s!
(SR5) Early Sony A77MII specs!
(SR4) Sony RX100M3 is coming now with popup viewfinder and new fast lens!
(SR5) A77II is only a nice incremental update (don’t expect any revolution on this camera yet).
(SR3) 14 FE lenses within 2014. Including the new manual Zeiss lenses.
(SR5) Full Frame Mitakon 50mm f/0.95 lens to be unveiled on April 20. Costs $799!
(SR5) Sony A7s will shoot 4k video! Live announcement at 2pm Las Vegas time on Sunday!
(SR4) HOT: Sony A7s to be unveiled on Sunday?
(SR5) name of the A77 successor is “A77II”. In Store this Summer.
(SR2) Are these the next FE lenses? 16-35mm, 35mm f/1.4 and 90mm macro.
(SR5) Trusted sources: No A7000 APS-C E-mount coming in 2014. Main focus on FE from now on!
(SR5) Some more A6000 tidbits. Has Bionz X processor and “improved” RGB filter
(SR5) New A6000 has fastest AF of all E-mount cameras.
(SR5) A6000 is the only system camera to be announced at CP+. A79 coming soon!
(SR5) Sony APS-C E-mount announcement on February 12!
(SR4) A77 successor price set at 1.200 Euro.
(SR5) NEX-6/7 successor to cost 800 Euro. Shipping in April.
(SR4) Sony A77 successor to ship in June! No A65 successor coming.
(SR4) A77 successor has on sensor PDAF
Yep some rumor were wrong. Otherwise this would be a news site and not a rumor site 🙂 But many were spot on 🙂
Just to be fair. Many of the items on your list were actual news stories when announcements were happening. These are not speculative so they don’t really count towards being ‘correct’ with the rumors.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the site for what it is. I just felt that we should look at both sides of your comment.
But basically you’ve rolled back all your A7000 at CES (at $699!) and A9 at CP+ claims that you’d been trying to build up, until the A7ii came along that you clearly weren’t expecting and made all your predictions look bad
You just happen to have this list handy 🙂
As you say: its a rumor site, not a news site, I would like to add its also a entertainment site, well the comment section is anyway.
A couple of APS-C E mount primes would be nice. Let’s hope Sony will come around on this, because I’m not spending a penny on new glass until I can be sure the system has a future.
Not going to happen. There are no apsc lenses in the future plans, and likely won’t be. Sony wants to sell their high priced FE lenses, and apsc users will just have to learn to like it.
Well, unfortunately not every photographer can justify spending north of a thousand bucks on a f/1.4 prime with FF coverage. Not to mention its weight. If Fuji can develop a decent APS-C system, why not Sony? I really love my new a6000, and it’ll be perfect for landscapes with manual (legacy) glass, but it would be nice to take that blazing AF for a spin some day.
I totally agree with your comments about the FE glass. That’s why my nex7 is boxed up and ready to go to Adorama. The size and cost of the lenses, if I wanted to grow my system, made it difficult to justify.
What ya gonna buy next?
He’s buying the D750, with automatic flare rendering tool built in.
Should I look into Fuji? This is a serious question, no trolling. I do love that 24MP Sony sensor, though!
Great range of cameras! Go check-out luminous landscape for reviews.
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/cameras/living_with_the_fuji_x_t1.shtml
Thanks for the tip!
I’ve drooled over the X-T1 a lot.
Nikon are better, they’re weather sealed.
I’m a Nikon shooter, and it was a toss-up for a while between Fuji and Sony. Then I looked at prices quality and consistency of lenses, and decided to go with Fuji. Bought the x100t for now (for it’s unique strobist capabilities, similar to MF systems) and I simply can’t put it down. Image quality is superb, even coming from the d800, and I’m genuinely surpised and finding myself shooting JPEGs (been a RAW shooter my entire career).
Now I’m waiting for the X-Pro update, and may do a full switch if some remaining issues are sorted out (small improvements in AF speed, maybe 24mpx, and rear-curtain sync).
Thanks for the reply! I’m mostly a landscape shooter, but your take is much appreciated nonetheless! The Fuji line-up isn’t cheap, but I could build a full system serving my needs and containing amazing glass for under $4k for sure.
I took my a6000 out last night, though, for some astrophotography with the Rokinon 12/2.0, mostly to test that lens for QC issues. Boy, I was stunned with its high-ISO capabilities. Night and day compared to my 6-year-old Nikon. Very, very impressed with this little cam!
I guess ours are First-World problems… 🙂
First world problems indeed 😉
Downsizing for landscape work makes sense, especially if you need to get to places that are hard to reach. And travel in general. The 10-24 Fuji is an awesome lens by the way, 15-36 equivalent FoV, remarkable performance, not to mention the 14mm F/2.8 prime. Once I get to the point of switching, I’m planning on the 14, 35 and 56mm primes.. Lots of money, but I reckon I’ll have enough after selling my DSLR + lenses to cover the cost + body.
Whichever way you go (Sony, Fuji, m43) – good luck with your shooting 🙂
Thanks again!
I don’t know what’s suitable for you, but if you’re considering fuji, there are some very handy guides from Zack (flash guide coming soon):
http://dedpxl.com/fuji-x-buyers-guide-part-1-cameras/
http://dedpxl.com/fuji-x-buyers-guide-part-2-lenses/
Nothing – I hung on to my FF Nikon gear, and recently packed up the Sony stuff and traveled with the Nikon to see if the weight and size was all that big of a deal. For me, it wasn’t, and far outweighed by the responsiveness of a DSLR over a mirrorless.
Source?
So no sports camera even in 2015?
Come on, Sony – A99-II and A-Mount roadmap or A9 and FE 24-70 f/2.8 !!
One way or the other, but come on!
Would an A-99 II, presumably with the 36mp or even higher density sensor, really have the frame rate to be a sports camera? These days it seems you need 10FPS in RAW and faster to be considered for that moniker.
12Mp, of course. A7S sensor.
OK, that makes more sense. I was confused by calling for a sports camera and then talking about tan A99 II. You meant those as seperate items, not linked!
Before Sony screwed everything up I thought there were going to be A99-II, A99-IIS and maybe this A99-IIR high-MP… now I don’t know what to expect, Sony makes no sense to me.
Well now you know why I am here, I’m here to make sony look sane and sensible.
I think it’s obvious there will be an A7sII and A7rII announced no later than first quarter of 2015. Look at the “trade in” deals on the old A7 series on B&H, which are thinly veiled deep discounts. Buy one of these cameras and you get the battery grip for $98. Another indicator that the original A7 series is on its way out.
Sony has indicated they do not want to update A7RII with ibis.
The reason may be that the A9 with ibis will make it unnecessary.
Really? How did they indicate this? Source?
Sony took a unique approach — same body and controls for three different sensors. They’re going to do that again. It’s just the IBIS and the cosmetic changes debuted on the A7 first; it’s coming for the other two soon enough.
Are you sure you’re not an A7r owner hoping his resale value doesn’t plummet?
In a recent interview with DC Watch Maki Kimio stated that an A7R upgrade with 5 axis ibis is very unimportant.
It is my own conclusion that an upcoming A9 with ibis is the reason for that statement.
I do not currently own any E mount camera as the system is absolutely totally anadequite to meet any of my needs.
That is not to say this system is not excellent if your needs differ from mine..as it is an excellent system for many users.
But if you are a wildlife photographer the system is currently a totally useless toy.
If you are a street photographer, the A7s is a miracle.
I cannot disagree with you ….but I do not photograph streets, I photograph animals.
Unless that is, you believe you should “embrace the noise.”
Barry, he said that adding five-axis Steady Shot was maybe unnecessary for the A7R. You are exaggerating what he actually said.
I still hope that Sony is turning its statments in facts and finally deliver a respectful, state of the art upgrade on the a99.
Surely an a7rii is a forgone conclusion?theyre even selling the sensor to Canon, so they’ll want a high mp body of their own in the fight.
Hmm, where is the info that they are selling the 36mp sensor to Canon?
Canon has stated they will not use sony sensors for thier high end camera.
Despite the official denial rumors still persist that they might do so.
Interestingly, they seem to hedging their bets:
http://thenewcamera.com/canon-confirms-development-of-high-resolution-dslr/
In this interview I believe he was discussing a mid level camera, and that this statement might be used out of context.
In an earlier interview Canon stated as a conglomerate company they will make thier own sensor for thier flagship camera.
Thier statements have been ambiguous.
One possible reason might be that while Canon and others have been not too secretly working on foveon like sensors Sony may have been secretly working ona Color Sampling sensor.
If this is true and the sensor actually performs at the rumored specifications then it could render Foveon like sensors obsolete before they are introduced.
Since Sony would be the only one with access to this entire generation of sensor tech anyone that actually wants to sell new cameras would have no choice but to buy Sony sensors.
Sony will of course be willing to sell sensors because this is more important to them than boosting thier own camera sales.
One final note…Color Sampling sensors are either a very well kept secret or a hoax…and at this time I do not know which.
http://www.canonrumors.com/2014/12/sony-sensors-coming-to-canon-dslrs-cr1/
That’s a rumor site, not a fact site 😉
If you’re worried about reading rumours on a rumour site, you might want to stick to the Daily Mail…
You are missing the point you wrote as a fact that “they’re even selling the sensor to Canon” based on something you read on a rumor site. Your issue, not mine!
It’s a fact that its a rumor! You know I think a dog chasing its tail would make the perfect logo for this site.
That’s merely a CR1 rumor, not given much credence by the Canon rumor site.
I bet Canon scales up the 7Dii sensor and uses their own in the high MP body.
Thanks for rounding this up SAR. Looking forward for the A7000
Andrea, do you have any news from that curved sensor? Is there any thorough test made with the *sigh* perfume-selfie-camera comparing its image quality to other regular 1/2.3″ sensors? Is that curved sensor technology something we can hope will bring great improvements?
And congratulations for the excelent job you do here! Don’t mind those poor trolls around.
So not long ago, there was SR5 about A99ii protoype, but that only equates to a 60% chance of the A99ii even coming this year. So the “SR5” part of the rumor was essentially nothing more than, “A half built A99ii is sitting on a work station somewhere at Sony.”
Meanwhile, what happened to near certainty that the A9 was coming in January/February…? Now it’s 90% that it will come in “mid” 2015?
Andrea.. no offense.. but you need to update your rating scale. Seems that “SR5” is barely more than 50% accuracy.
Well, the fact that there’s a prototype around (or even many prototypes around, as is normal), doesn’t mean it’ll see the light of the day… as Andrea said, now it’s hard to predict the A-mount releases since Sony went “all-in” regarding E-mount.
Agreed, but it makes the original rumor a bit misleading as “SR5” — It’s like saying, “SR5, there will be snow in the forecast for some time this winter.”
On dpreview forums, there was a thread interpreting the rumor as that the A99ii was coming soon. This was clearly a misreading, if someone read the rumor carefully.
It should have been more like, “SR3 — status of the A99 replacement. Reliable sources say that Sony is indeed working on an incremental upgrade, but there is no reliable information on if and when such a camera will get released.”
But “reliable sources know nothing!” should not exactly be “SR5”
Well, after years around here, one learns to take even SR5 with a grain of salt. But even if those rumors do not come true (or do not come EXACTLY as we wanted *cough cough ISO of hundres of thousands cough cough*) it’s nice to know SOMEthing. Because Sony never tells their users anything useful 🙁
And they are rumors afterall. Not official news.
But it could be worse, of course. Sony could prepare a HUGE announcement and then announce a photo competition or new service…
:p
(right, Canon? Right?)
Yes, I appreciate the sharing of all information… but if you don’t have any firm strong rumors, then don’t feel the need to call mediocre rumors “SR5”
And if you don’t have something constructive to add the the conversation, why don’t you STFU!
Adam, I am sorry. My alter ego seems to be off his meds today. BTW, this is trolling at its finest – impersonation is the last refuge of the desperate.
What are you talking about AGAIN?
I have to say that Andrea bases his ratings on the past performance of sources, who often in the past have been exactly correct, long before any announcement. In the last year or more, it has been much more difficult to understand what’s coming, because Sony has been playing it much closer to their chests. And predicting WHEN something is coming is notoriously difficult.
I sort of agree, but I also think anything posted here as SR* is a rumour and not news or a press release so will never be reliable info to take into account when planning an upgrade path.
absolutely correct.
this site is supposed to be fun, speculative and entertaining, all of which it achieves
people who want to plan their upgrade path should do it at sonyalphaFACTS.com not sonyalpharumors.com
lol
On the other hand, the lack of rumors, or the lack of accuracy of rumors, will cause people to view a site dedicated to rumors less and less. And the purpose of course of having interested people check out rumors is to then motivate them to also click on the links and buy stuff from affiliated vendors. All translating into fewer click-through sales.
Loxia: Please don’t give us a 24. You can have your pick…15,17 or I guess 20….but not 24.
Just curious, why not a 24?
Well, I think we have that covered. I think a lot of early adopters out there grabbed the 24-70. I also think we have some good vintage options as well. There is a definite need for UWA’s that perform well on the A7’s. I think they’d have the market pretty much to themselves with a 15 or 17…dare I say 12mm.
The Loxia lenses available are redesigns of Zeiss ZM lenses for the Leica M mount. According to Zeiss themselves the only changes done to the optical formula was changing thickness of some elements and distance between some elements.
It is therefore likely Zeiss perform the same tweaking on other ZM lenses as well, like the f/2.8 21, 25 and 28mm Biogon lenses. As the ZM lens is 25mm a 24mm lens is less likely.
As to admins other proposal, a 85mm lens is a bit problematic if it is going to be based on a current ZM design as the 85mm f/2 Sonnar was very expensive when available (production stopped 2011) costing about the same as the state of the art Leica APO Summicron 90mm f/2 ASPH. Considering this and that there are several other Leica 90mm lenses that can be adapted for Sony A7 without problem it will be hard to justify such a high price.
And the other alternative, the Zeiss ZM Tele-Tessar 85mm while good and affordable is a slow f/4 lens.
Maybe they could use the Zeiss Sonnar 85mm f/2.8 design for Contax G? It has a quite good reputation. But a Loxia version would face strong competition from the original lens available from less than $200 in good condition, with the only minus being a fiddly and expensive adapter needed. And besides the standard MF versions of the adapter AF-versions are available!
Zeiss rep at PhotoPlus Expo (Oct. 2014)
said next Loxia will be 21mm.
I would probably pre-order a 18 or 20mm Loxia! Unfortunately if their goal of having all Loxia lenses with a 52mm filter thread is to be realized, nothing wider than 24mm will be forthcoming. But then I don’t believe that to be a corporate goal, probably just the musings of an individual at a trade show (kind of like the 21mm rumor) 😉
I believe they are missing the market here. It’s a free for all to whomever can put out a moderately fast prime at 12, 15 or 17. No color casting or vignetting. Voigtlander is supposedly releasing a revised 15 in February that should perform better on the A7. Zeiss is missing the opportunity here.
Admin (Andrea) should take over zeissrumors.com. The site hasn’t had a new post since June 2013 🙂
Because Germans are experts at spotting spys 😛
APS-C with IBIS is nice. Now they need something like 32/2 (the 35 mm which is really 38 mm is too narrow)
Seems that I picked a great time to buy a6000 (this summer). I’ll probably change it at 2017, and by that time IBIS will mature and will probably be available in future a6xxx. Nice, nice…
OSS is better than ibis
Yes, and DSLR focus is better than the one on mirrorless system. But I want mirrorless system, and in 2017 both focus speed/accuracy and IBIS technology will come much closer to DSLR focus and OSS. And having ability to use OSS where I can, and IBIS on manual lenses is great.
So… there should be no IBIS at all? zorglub didn’t say that IBIS was better than OIS.
which 12mm f2.0 lens with OSS can i buy for nex? (and, yes, that 2-3 stops extra would be great when doing handhold VIDEOS)
My dog is better than yours.
100% A-mount is dead.
Thank you, Sony.
Source? Did Sony just changed their mind about the new a-mount lenses coming early next year?
What about an a5200 or a new a6100??? Sony has been releasing a new entry/medium-level camera every year since it created NEX3/5
That’s it?
Will there be a E-mount (NOT FE) 90mm f/1.8 (= 135 FF) for the a7000 ?? Most likely we will get an 18-90mm f/4.5-6.8 Kit Zoom instead.
There is NOTHING fast above 50mm for E-mount, and it looks like Sony does not consider APS-C E-mount as a current system anymore. It is even logical – if you are willing to spend hundreds and thousands of $$$ on lenses, you are probably going to buy >$1000 camera to put them on first.
What the devil is the A6000 except a great current APS-C em-mount camera, and the best bargain of all cameras besides?
The A6000 is the last of the line. Even the rumor for the A7000, which first said January, is now downgraded to SR3 and moved to mid-2015. They are slowly dropping the APS-C line except as a way to get people to buy cheap, disposable bodies and expensive, huge FE lenses. They figure they get you hooked with the A6000 and a few FE lenses, you’ll spring for an A7 soon enough.
What nonsense….Sony have already said there is a future for APS-C…Troll on….
Source?
Don’t ask someone to source or footnote anything OR we’re screwed bro.
Lol! You figured out what the right button on your mouse does! This is gonna get fun. Ok, let’s see if you can keep up~ I promise to keep you busy.
Oh now you want facts?!? …http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sony-interview-at-dc-watch-says-no-interchangeable-medium-format-system-camera-to-come-yet-new-a-mount-stuff-will-come/
Line item number 8. Or if prefer from the original Japanese text..
Q：フルサイズカメラかAPS-Cサイズカメラか、どちらのほうが将来性があると考えますか？
両方です、両方とも将来性はあると思います。 それぞれ撮影される方々の被写体が違います。 たとえば野鳥を撮られる方はAPS-Cカメラです。 フルサイズは景色やポートレートの撮影、 そんなふうにはっきりと分かれています。 その傾向は一眼レフもミラーレスも同じです。
I read that too. It’s just words. There is no action behind it. Believing in marketing hype and pr speak leaves one disappointed.
Okay so lets believe your manic ramblings over a direct quote from an interview with Maki Kimio…From Sony Imaging… when asked directly about the future of APS-C…..
I’m working from observable inaction that others have noticed well in this forum.
Okay rough numbers shall we….APS-C E mount has around 18 lenses…with 4 of those released in 2013….It is not rocket science…To be honest there really isn’t much crying and loaning over the APS-C quiet patch… as there are already a good number of lenses…Many can see the benefit of the FE system (of course still being able to use their E-mount lenses or using the new FE on their E-mount) and APS-C is mostly purchased by consumers who many stick to a kit zoom and a couple of primes…..Let us also not forget that both FE and E-mount cameras are selling like hot cakes….So that says a lot in and of it self…The funniest thing is that you seem so entitled about digging when you seem to be a Nikon shooter…Have you even used Sony cameras?? Or will that question just encourage more rambling from you….But then, that is forums for you….
I don’t know anything about photography to be honest. I just like to argue intangibles.
Arguing ‘intangibles’ is losing touch with reality by another name…
It’s all about interpretation I guess. I see the fact that they haven’t released a new lens in over a year in support of a young camera system a sign of disinterest. Not that it matters, but I have no brand loyalty really ; I have owned two Sony cameras, and may own another perhaps, if they actually succeed in creating a system they choose to support.
If you want rambling, here’s some more: what is it about Sony advocates that they feel the need to add personal insults into just about every post? Why so personal?
Canon took 5 years to replace the 7d…disinterest??….like every company there are x amount of resources….and as mention Sony have been very open as to their road map and explain the situation with all their formats…..Mate nothing to do with Sony… I guess I have a low B*llsh*t threshold…
As many posters have noted, FE lenses on apsc cameras are 1) too expensive for those buying inexpensive cameras, and 2) too big if you’re trying to build a small system. It’s not just me, there are many people saying this. If it’s bs to you, fine. Argue against it. But I tried Sony and found it lacking, and thought I’d come to the Sony forum to trade jabs for fun. Trust me, I hold nothing personally against anyone, even the guy trying to impersonate me.
…..”thought I’d come to the Sony forum to trade jabs for fun”……Is that what it’s called now…
Wow, that was the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard CI Sales say. Just when you thought the bar could go no lower, CI Sales has established a new low and by a significant margin. For he’s a jolly good fellow, which nobody can deny.
Well, maybe I’m talking through my hat, don’t take me too seriously.
Source?
a6000 is $600 camera. NOBODY will buy grossly overprices $800 35/2.8 or $1000 55/1.8 to put on it, and Sony is not interested in providing good $200 1.8 lenses for the system like, for example, Nikon does with their 35/1.8 and 50/1.8. They want that extra 300-400% profit margins to charge their gullible clients. 😉
I see there’s a SEL24F18Z 24mm f/1.8 E-Mount Carl Zeiss Sonnar Lens which would be closer to normal lens for APSC than 35mm and 55mm and not cheap but looks like it could produce good quality images, but aren’t all of these APSC solutions more expensive than just using 35mm A7 cameras in the long run? as it is true, an inexpensive vintage or modern third party 35mm or 55mm lens no matter how good or fast may look poor cropped, but APSC is responsible for the problem and high quality/price requirement , not the actual glass or value of what’s available for APSC.
No, it is Sony who is responsible for using Gilette pricing model and grossly overpricing their lenses, while selling their basic cameras like A7 and a6000 at decent value (although now you can find even D750 at $1700 new – check out 42nd St Photo, so the same price for A7II which cannot focus fast, track with C-AF and with 1/5 of battery life is not really a good value even for the body – and forget about having decent cheap kit like 24-120/4 and $200 50/1.8, excellent $500 85/1.8 etc). Only for manual focus old lenses it is a good deal – of course you are not going to find any able to come close to 24 mpix.
Old manual focus lenses are super sharp, it is modern cheap or inexpensive lenses that have poor rendering and must somehow perpetuate this resolution myth themselves because all my favourite classic lenses show amazing detail and even contrast on my Sony A7R. (includes a few great ones but also somewhat inexpensive ones with fantastic sharpness like zeiss contax 🙂 I couldn’t even find a modern manual focus lens in around 200mm 2.8 worth getting…e.g. Zeiss
In a word… NO!
Hi Andrea!
Are there any hints that the A99 successor is divorced into two lines:
– HighMP-Sensor 36+
– 12 MP Sensor of A7s
???
Thanks for your work!
0% chance – Happy Sony fanboys
I predict they will not offer the option for uncompressed/less-compressed raw files. They will not offer 5:4, 4:3 or 1:1 aspect ratios. They will not improve their color science to keep blue channel data from exploding. They will not introduce a budget, f/1.8 35mm-e prime for aps-c e-mount. They will not introduce the R2.
I predict they will continue to require root access for firmware updates. They will get the firmware updater working with Yosemite, though maybe not in 2015. They will introduce several more $1,000+ lenses and bodies.
no smooth, fast and easy aperture control?!? and 4:3 in Medium Format also please 😀
Sadly, I’m afraid you are likely to be right on most, if not all of those points 🙁 I would go so far as calling that an SR5
Best thing to happen next year: 5d4… Not because I would buy this overprized body, but because I would go buying a 5d3, prices will fall, especially used.
Now if Sony indeed brings an A9 with ultra high MP, that wouldnt be too good. A9 should be pro style body, good AF, good fps, good ISO capabilities, good video, 5axis Ibis and uncompressed raw. Not many people demand high MP count…
I would settle with A7II and 5d3 happily.
exactly…the 48mpix pro body sounds like a complete nonsense…
“60% chance – Sony A3100:
E-mount APS-C entry level and DSLR styled camera. Around early-mid 2015 is the most likely timeframe for the release.”
Had not Sony already released a3500 basically – a a3000 with even worse kit lens?
“50% chance – RX20:
4K updated version.”
Yep, they might add 4k, instead of what needed most – fast and reliable AF-C and reduction of weight (top LCD can go).
APS-C E-Mount with IBIS (aka a7000) that’s all I need – please Sony!
IBIS the reason I chose Minolta/Sony so long ago – and really excited to jump from A to E when there is APS-C IBIS.
Will also be nice if they have new LA-EA6 with a77ii like focusing, but thats secondary to me
Sony needs to incorporate Nikon’s automatic flare rendering tool found in the D750, saves a lot of post processing time compared to applying it in Photoshop.
Or just get one of those lens baby fisheyes where they have incorporated that feature on purpose 🙂
You will have to explain to the sony users what flare actually is, as most people that use sony only use them for holiday snaps and snapshots of kids playing etc.
Real photographers use real cameras…with real lenses and a real system…not a pocket camera with a full-frame sensor crammed inside of it…
real photographers use what ever tool get the job done and puts cash in pocket. Clients don’t pay based on what gear you have, they pay for results and don’t really care what equipment you use to get there. Go troll somewhere else.
It’s propbably the same real suckers that post real stupid comments as you do and then run around with big real expensive cameras with real big lenses, showing off in a real big way, pretending to belong to the race of real photographers and can show us nothing better then real bad shots. You’re a real troll, aint you?
So whats with the:
90% chance – One surprise:
More about it in a soon to be posted rumor
And here I was hoping that we’d see the RX2 and/or RX1MkII at CP+…
To be honest. I cant understand Sony at all. They should release a A99 mk II, and a A7s mk II now, if they are gonna be where they wanna be. Then these two cameras should come early 2015.
If they continue like this. Then i think people who is into a-mount, would go back to Canon or Nikon.
I want a a7s mk II. But thats for lowlight photography, and wide angel shots. But for 50 mm and teleshots. I prefer my A77, and wanna uppgrade to FF. But whitout any sign of the A99 mk II. Then i am serious consider going back to Canon for DSLR FF photography
Relax, don’t panic, take a deep breath! 🙂
You do realize that you are asking for a Mark II of a 9 months old camera!!
I suppose you’re also the same population that whine all the time about Sony realeasing too many body…
Haha.. Good point
Not whining at all.For me Sony can triple the amount of cameras. But the one that is importen for me. They are missing. I want buy the a7s because of the grip on that camera. The grip of the a7 mk II looks much better. Thats why i want a mk II s version. Because of the grip
the issue is that you want a Mk II of camera that haven’t reach it’s first anniversary.
The Alpha7 was updated with a MkII after one year. If they kept that logic the Alpha 7S will be updated in march 2015 which is still early 2015 (keep in mind that japanese fiscal year end in march of every year).
But I don’t see that happening soon since the Alpha 7r & 7s are really niche products in the Alpha 7 familly so their replacement cycle will be more of a 2 years period in my opinion.
You know what to expect for the future models but they will have to add more than that to justify their remplacement (after all it’s a +2000$/E equipment).
I own an Alpha 7r and if the Mk II is the same evolution than for the 7 (IBIS+new layout) I won’t change.
They really have to have a groundbreaking feature to worth the investment (maybe the infamous Alpha 9).
I disagree, if the life cycle is so short then updates need not be groundbreaking. Although, I would also argue that the 5 axis I is is ground breaking because it works in video mode and works in conjunction with OSS. That is some serious engineering.
You’re wrong. Sony like the concept of three identical bodies A7, A7r, A7s. Now that they have updated the A7, the other two will follow very shortly to have the unified trio back in Mark II form. It won’t take but 2-3 months.
you dont mind the shutter-shock on the A7r ?? Its the thing keeping me away from it…certainly hope youre very wrong with the predictions (btw the amount of sold A7 cameras seems to be more or less the same as A7r)
From what I see the a7r sells better than the a7 in China.
I think Sony’s best camera all around is the A77II- PERIOD. Add the 16-50mm and slap on whatever telephoto lens you want and you are good to go. No adapters, pure speed and at a price that is a steal. Why the F can’t we get that now in A mount FF. Am I asking for too much?
A7sII with global shutter, please, for NAB in early April.
How about affordable lenses? there are enough bodies at dumping prices from Sony in e-mount on the market.
Sony lenses are completely affordable…You get what you pay for…By all means buy cheap plastic lenses if you want…
Plastic, plastic+thin tin shell, there’s really not much of a difference…
Recently Sony publicly stated 3 goals for 2015
Ultimate resolution
Ultimate speed
Ultimate dynamic range.
Meanwhile most of the important new cameras we hear about and are waiting for keep getting pushed back.
Recently a rumor and corresponding patent emmerged on SAR for a Color Sampling sensor.
This seems to be a likely explaination for what we are seeing.
This sensor….based on a sopposidly leaked spech sheet …has some rather amazing specifications.
Since then SAR…nor anyone else…has said nothing about this technology.
Is this the next new industry changing technolgy? Is this a Hoax?
I would really like to hear more about this technology.
My biggest concern is that this sensor sopposidly moves a colr filter array through all three cycles at 16,000 cycles/ second…can this sensor survive this incredible speed?
All of these upgrades we’re seeing really are incremental. For any of the big three to take it to another level requires a breakaway from current sensor technology. I’d argue even the A7II with 5 axis- while interesting- is really not adding anything new as far as break out technology. For one, I’d like to see Sigma’s Faveon sensor wrapped in better tech. They have such an interesting camera including the new quattro but it’s hampered by a crap raw converter and horrible feature set. If only they could get that thing really off the ground- it would be truly amazing.
I agree with your statement.
Interestingly Panasonic/Fuji..whom we know to be working on organic. .foveon like..sensor have stated they will not rlease it soon
Sony..who we know is also developing one…is rumored to be making a bayer sensor for thier next round of cameras
Sigma shows no actual sighns of putting out a ff Foveon that they have been talking about.
Canon who we know to be working on a Foveon like sensor has confirmed a high mp camera is coming but has given no indication it will be Foveon like.
The closer we get to the much anticipated release of these sensors by almost everyone….the less we hear about them being Foveon like.
Either everyone is having problems or someone has discovered something better.
Foveon is dead!
Except that its not.
GOD is dead also, but it still kills millions on this planet every year. So, never say never.
Say that to Ahura Mazda.
OK, I’ll take the bait:
God is alive and well and actually sustaining YOUR very life.
AS for the killing of millions, well, now isn’t that a lovely description of how god-less people are slaughtering millions of unborn innocent babies thru abortion EVERY YEAR?
Godlessness is the real killer here. Let’s just get that straight.
2014:
Ultimate resolution – a7r
Ultimate speed – a77m2
Ultimate DR – a7s
The future is here now.
Ok ok, I’m feeling this.
I’m not feeling this
Hehe…well he kind of has a point. Maybe the future of Bayer Sensors is here…not the future future.
Still don’t feel it.
It’s Ridiculous to have to carry THREE(3) cameras just to get the functionality you need.
This is why I would like to have a 30-36Mp backside illuminated sensor with no AA filter.
30Mp would be best.
Agreed. It’s also ridiculous when I do work on my home that I cannot use a hammer for everything.
Rather than photoshopping a Fuji body onto a Sony lens, they should have just photoshopped a Fuji lens onto a Sony body.
No news about an FF B&W camera? I was really looking foreward to this one…
Not going to happen
Well, thats really disappointing for me 🙁 but thanks anyway for the update…
These E mount a7 series cameras are not pro ready – lack the flash system, can’t focus in low light, require adapters and eat battery like crazy. a77 mk2 is a great product. Where is the a99 mk2? Flashes that don’t overheat? Radio Controlled? A-mount is sooo lagging behind. Amateurs are covered though. This is sony’s market, pro’s are neglected. I sold mine almost 2 years ago and now I see I was right.
You’re not a pro so why the concern?
http://www.KeeperExpert.com not pro at all)))
Any camera you make money with is a pro camera.
A-mount is dying. E-mount is where it’s at.
Agree. for me It was Sony for about 3 – 4 years. I shot them all a550, a580, a850, a77, a99 for a living 3 flashes (hvl-56 2x, hvl-58, HVL-60 and elinchrom sky ports) CZ24-70, 85mm, 135mm, Sony 50mm F1.4, Sony 70-200mm, KM17-35 and Minolta Maxxum 9. Now it’s all Canon. Loved the lenses, hated a99 and HVL-60
Where’s what at? Certainly not proper lenses etc.
Proper lenses?! hahahahaha actually thats quite funny.
Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 best image quality for normalish lens for a camera system present, while even retaining some soul?
Forget about Leica, particularly the wide angles. The rest are dubious manual concoctions, which also work on Canon EOS anyway (except for Minolta). I must agree with Duott: this system is a sad joke.
Konica is useable only on Sony A7R, the m mount lens i have personally may not be leica but i like the mount type and its my favourite lens edging ahead of Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 due to fantastic quality, manual controls and closer to real normal focal length and compact size. Beyond 20mm or maybe 18mm doesn’t interest me much and i have a fine classic one in 21mm with no vignetting. Dubious manual concoctions! what was in your coffee this morning? I also like using the particular inexpensive tele extenders to match mounts 😀 Work on Canon EOS? with poor sensor and not at all on Nikon where all of the manual focus glass for Nikon with aperture can be used on A7R as can classic Canon glass some of which is probably same as that which got put onto the new Canon mount XD. The image quality of the classic glass is great, whats not to like… unless you must shoot autofocus and believe that a system cannot exist without it, which going by the dubious focus on images using it seems dubious to say the least. The only thing which is a joke is your basis upon false assumptions and lack of interest or knowledge: Oh and charts to show everyone how sharp your lens is, though if you look carefully there is some information on classic glass available…
Please, write less and read it again before publishing, next time.
Forget about all the best glass that happens to be manual focus and sublime from the best and original lens makers in history of popular photography and replace always any matter with reductionist argument over a mount superiority having longer flange distance. better? XD
Yeah, i fixed the way i put it like only the Sony A7R i own and can testify from particular camera experience ‘:I works with konica, and i assumed we were talking about digital 35mm and ignoring the horribly expensive leica digital cameras that ruled the roost before Sony gave it to mere mortals like myself XD. troll on!
P.S. i dont like to write A7’s much because people may think i mean the A7S which i don’t want to promote over A7R as i prefer the higher resolution of A7R even though im not allowed to have that with my manual focus classic lenses and cannot prove it is all objectively recording actual subject detail to that level (which is important matter to me) and not just some kind of nano noise or something: i don’t like to feed trolls either! thank you for your time in correcting me!
Im not sure what flash problems you are having. Ive been using flash on the a7 for awhile now with no problem…..i can hss, ttl and i can shoot at 250 shutter. Im able to use the sony flashes, 3rd party flashes and im able to use profoto strobes. I dont have trouble focusing at nite either. My flashes dont overheat as fast as uake it out to be. Batteries last me the whole session about 4 hours so…..not sure what problems youre getting….
I’d love to see your shots please. Type of adapters and struggles you have to deal with to get the shot. I’ve shot a99 both with adapted HVL-58 and straight with HVL-60. I caught hl-58 mid air 3 times because it falls off, hvl-60 would last for about 20-30 shots and overheats (manual or auto mode) Working with 2-3 flashes off camera is a very painful (cords, receivers, adapters all plastic and very fragile – can’t take the abuse my current equipment handles easily.)
Yeah not sure what he is talking about. The new HVL-F32 wirelessly triggers multiply flashes…has HSS…TTL….etc etc…lighter than there previous units…
Do note though that it cannot do ratio-based remote flashes (e.g. have a ratio of 1:2 between controller and remote flash). Although nice, this flash is not a substitute for the F43 or F60 in terms of functionality. Also the recharge time is slow. I have both F32 and F43 but for events I pick the latter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4o73Pg3UL8
I use photix odin for radio. It works great too.
I guess the complete range of adaptable manual focus vintage primes don’t even count then :I I want Sony to have Flash functionality with their own lenses so persistent lighting isnt required for simple exposure with portraits etc but regards the quality of images from adapted lenses I think a lot of vintage primes on Sony A7R would beat everything ive seen from so called pros output hands down in all but into the light flare resistance XD and even there the look could be warranted for fashion and such! Wrong! Actually i like vintage zooms incidentally too 🙂
I’m shooting a series on abandoned buildings now. I’m trying to pick subject matter and incorporate multiple methods into my style. Goal next year is more focused and deliberate photography. I must admit, I I think incorporating some film is almost necessary for me. I can’t explain it, but I like what I see and I enjoy the overall experience. I also need to buy less gear as I think it’s hurting my photography. Thus, I’ve begun the past few months consolidating. Feels good, and the A7 can be stuck practically anywhere. Stick it on the passenger seat of my car and stop whenever I see something that catches my eye.
I Also think you build a ritual with your gear. It’s often that ritual that dictates your experiences. If I connect with it I’ll use it depending on what it’s strengths are and what I feel can be exploited. To me, that’s the challenge.
I haven’t shot film, but its clear from looking at analog images that the colour when reduced through film processing has very particular and pleasant palettes to it, that may be in part the lenses colours used and contrast also: check out the pastel tones of Contax 645 images :D. Something that gets rarely mentioned but does get mentioned occasionally is that some lenses render saturation to a certain degree as if saturation was not just by degree of contrast, perhaps saturation can be different from level of contrast in glass 🙂 hence komura and chinon lens can handle reds well i think i heard. They are warmer thats for sure and well light is additive and lens..subtractive? please enlighten me on how they filter colour anyone. I learnt from working with musical electronic synthesis and the like that its sometimes the path to best quality that we find the results of admirable so actually that analog look could be much more objective than one would set out to emulating! Indeed this gear was made to be accurate afterall… I think a large part of analog look is also the curves you use: another trick from sound processing. Saturate and desaturate to taste 😀
I infact play my music on a boxy little distorting speaker XD
I don’t knock Sony for trying – a7 is a cool concept and allows for very interesting results, it’s a new system with different glass. My beef with Sony is about completely ruining A-Mount full frame performance – a99 SUCKS for fast paced work in challenging environments like events. I could pull off the shot with a850 much faster. We are in 2014 where cameras freely shoot at 3200-6400 and get event more stellar performance at lower iso, have radio controlled flashes that require no adapters/cords/transmitters to operate, focus fast in low light and the battery lasts for a day worth of shooting. I just want Sony to be that brand too. Quick, responsive, comfortable, reliable and very flexible.
Getting an even exposure with the right sort of lighting is surely important for all cameras in future.
Reading online just now I find it said that even a leaf shutter lens is not a solution to high speed flash sync and maxes out at relatively low speeds.
A global shutter however could surely ultimately sync at any flash speed. I cant wait for such technology in the main Sony cams for totally dynamic flexible lighting in any situation.
Will there ever be a APS-C sensor size RX camera? I hope so.
Sure, Sony can’t wait to grab some of Nikon’s and Ricoh’s success.
what for ?
Sony will not make a A3100 since Canon has this name for the Powershot A3100 already. If a new camera of this type comes it could be a 3800 or even 4000. A camera of that type with focus peaking has to come. A3000 and 3500 had no focus peaking, but made extremely good IQ. For me as MF freak, this camera is useless without it.
Uh, actually, as an A3000 user I can tell you that the A3000 does indeed have focus peaking. I’ve been using it with a selection of adapted Minolta MD and Nikon F manual focus lenses for over a year now.
Sony persists on their completely foolish path of not bringing out a much requested and needed very good to excellent 35mm f/1.8 or 35mm f/1.4 or 35mm f/2.0 prime lens for any of their new cameras.
What’s the point of having a great 35mm f/1.8 lens fixed to one camera body that only a very few rich people can afford, as on the RX1?
How stupid can you be to arrogantly ignore what everyone has been shouting at you for years now.
Sure they’ve got a 35mm f/1.4 lens for the Alpha line but people just don’t like it’s performance at apertures wider than f/2. So sigma stepped in and nipped them on the nose. Serves them right.
Also, what’s with the silliness of having a great lens, but only at f/2.8, ala Zeiss FE???
Sony needs to stop being arrogant – it’s going to cost them in the long run.
Ah…you do realise that sony are shipping a new FE 35mm f1.4 in March don’t you….just saying…
And a medium format camera with equivalent 35mm of any fashion fixed lens or not would smash that glass ceiling on useful clean shallow depth of field at most ideal focal length with plenty of cropping potential to boot. So long as it is not higher than 43mm negating ideal dimensionality potential altogether!
35mm 1.4 MD Minolta. 200 bucks. Don’t knock it till you tried it.
You’re aware they are about to launch a 35mm f/1.4 FE, no?
Also, the lens on the RX1 is f/2, not f/1.8.
I thought about getting the A9 in one month… but if I have to wait for 6 months I’ll just get the A7 II 🙁
This is the real goal of the rumor sites: they turn true G.A.S. into a Gear Awaiting Syndrome!
At least it’s a CHEAPER syndrome!
(you could even call it, to make it more according to ‘modern standards’ G.A.S. Mk II)
OK, LOL.
Brilliant!
Not dead yet
I kid you not. This is real. Nikon D750 fix has been announced: TURN THE CAMERA UPSIDE DOWN!!!!
http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2014/12/24/nikon-d750-flare-problems-heres-why-and-what-to-do-about-them-its-not-lens
Have you considered using continuous lighting? On the basis of there being issues with flash until a global shutter is finally implemented.
Ultimate image quality isn’t my concern, today major camera manufacturers produce great results and one can achieve the look they desire with proper technique and edit. So yes, having 85mm F1.4, 70-200mm F2.8 that can focus fast in any condition is important. Continuous lighting? Really? Have you shot weddings or any other events? Commercial food photography on location? Flash gives so much freedom and flexibility that continuous lighting can’t even begin to touch. I do have a focusing dimmable LED light 3200K 100W equivalent for special applications though.
What is it about the flash problem of A7 cameras exactly that precludes their use even with having all their gear matching major manufacturers.
A sea of white over exposure and posed portraits? No shots that suggest that any equipment would be intrusive. Does that constitute events where equipment would be precluded anyway as such?
I guess the image quality clearly doesn’t seem to matter with these shots much, but shooting that is achievable? How does one system fail where the others don’t in your eyes: really just that matter of flashes that you mentioned? I was assuming you were otherwise happy with that setup: you clearly were not.
Couldn’t A7S even shoot without flash at all in some of those situations for instance by exploiting natural lighting, i don’t see particularly even lighting in effect regardless.
I agree that continuous lighting is no substitute where you require flash and could have a lot of problems associated, just that for some of the posed portraits it could be useful with a lot of its own caveats too. With respect to image quality not mattering, I cant see how the particulars of flash useage do then either. As in your shots, tone mapping seems to have sufficed over actual even lighting or selection of scenes with reasonable balance of tones, again the flash in these shots isn’t exactly stopping motion or anything.
I worry that being seen to look the part has overtaken actually finding a solution to best output in much pro photography, as in being objective about it and developing new approaches along with new technology. Conversely i can see event photography where the shooting wont impinge on the subject and situation, as a form of event in itself, and could be quite a performance including its impromptu actors and even a dedicated stage to match. Show shots of leopards running or just sports or just one photo from inside church proceedings and then argue that your use of flash is not all about so called ‘natural light’ shooting and ‘staged poses’ in event photography where in your shots it mostly is by the looks of it.
Please look at my portfolio. Where do you see any suggestion of more than half power of a portable flash used? I’m talking about Mounting the flash without it falling off ( the plastic adapter is pathetic – HVL58 falls off) I would LOVE to see you shoot with a7 and HVL-58 mounted to it, or HVL-60. Use the swivel function for bounce – yes, actually rotating the flash head into different position without fear of breaking the new 4 PLASTIC lips Sony calls a hot shoe on HVL-60. Control other portable flashes in the room from the master flash and changing their power output quickly. Oh, don’t get me started on the flash delay and wireless flash delay – what action can one catch with this? I challenge you to a shoot out. We can write here all day. We can record our findings and post a video here. If you win, I will accept defeat, take my words back and kindly ask to forgive me.
I’m in Chicago most of the time and frequently visit New York.
http://www.KeeperExpert.com
Shooting wide open is possibly causing CA aberration and perhaps low contrast which once corrected in processing leads to highlights being blown out not just where flash or such is lighting.
The colour and tonal ranges aren’t natural and a canon camera or low dynamic range sensor could be causing this. The A7’s are far and away the best way to use great sensors!
Some of your shots are really neat looking with good colour across the whole image especially the one with city night behind 🙂 The problem is not so much flash is what im saying but rather the curves used in processing the images.
To get contrast but not blow the highlights you must be careful how you adjust the curves and if it is bad sensor and anything less than the sort of sensors A7 cameras have that will make that almost impossible at times effecting consistency.
Regards flash, look at your images where the background has been relatively lowlight and the figures are very well balanced with lighting and compare to those where the background is very light in actuality and the result is flattened look to figures lighting and blown highlights across background,
For a high key low contrast look , perhaps don’t add contrast or too much saturation in processing for more vintage lens like effect – something that is however difficult with modern lenses on procanikon systems to revert to as they have high contrast and cams have poor colour in general.
I see one night sky shot where the background is not black, it should be really and you can adjust that very very carefully with the first part of the curve. Your very light backgrounds must be very tricky to get balanced and the cams low dynamic range wont help,
try shooting against more mid range tones so the flash need not compete, and so you can avoid flash in first instance. Where youve got light background and figure balanced with wide range of natural colour it looks really dramatic, just be careful with this for consistency as you cant fix everything in post.
I have a sort of reverse challenge for you, try shooting with just natural light, positioning figures into it rather than using flash, and using darker backgrounds or at least less light to make a whole capture of tones on sensor possible such that even the jpeg looks reasonable and only needs a little contrast and tone balancing in post 🙂
If you are processing jpeg’s and not raw ever, which can actually work well in certain situations: the internal noise reduction and hidden cameras contrast curve can actually make the result from cam look better than a lot of messing around with raw version, for instance but be careful not to push the tones around as they get posterised easier.
My criticism of processing etc doesn’t apply to just you but almost all photography i see online and these new A7 cams could definitely help put an end to the sort of problems, for instance some people get quite natural results from canon cams but its a lot of work when the output of cam should be the least of your concerns in the first place!
I guess I have to record both cameras the way I use them so you can see what I mean. With all due respect, you don’t seem like you shoot events or deal with tough lighting conditions
Maybe see some of your studio shots to see that the problems you are having are the low light and movement of events due to flash or rather the lighting techniques and processing you use and image quality of equipment in general? Again, just looking through wedding and such photography turned up no great images from any ‘pros’ but i guess you criticize Sony A7’s and e mount and their previous equipment and i criticize ‘pro’ photography.
Brian Smith shot this on a900 – a great camera with Pro studio equipment. Show me anyone relying on a7 for wedding work please!!! SHOW YOUR GREAT WORK WITH A7 in the conditions outlined: parties, weddings – flash work in low light conditions! Otherwise I disregard all your comments.
Ok i will, in a bit when i am geared up for that shooting and shooting in those ways…however i might have different Sony e mount camera by then…and i would be equipped for purpose so it is moot anyway lol
If i go to Nikon which quite frankly the mere suggestion of which has a kind of trolling tenacity to it…i will tell you however as of now you are wrong, its just your technique and i don’t have to prove anything to you.
If anyone could do that i could…if you cant i suggest you use procanikon as i am not interested in pros who lack objectivity: there IS a way to shoot in those situations, you are just not going to or be able to so that’s all there is to it. If i am the only one shooting A7’s as such so be it, i will be, i really don’t think you grasp that fact. lol If anyone is serious about photography i am.
I will shut up when I see solid work with these cameras. Mind you I shot with a99 and a plethora of other alpha cameras before it, I know first hand what a pro event shooter has to deal with to get the shot. A7 is NOT the type of camera I could rely on. You admit it yourself – you don’t have a portfolio to show off with it
And I suppose the Sony Alpha a6000 is then (sarcasm), well that means you have a lot of potential equally capably equipped shooters on your turf anytime soon including all those attending such events…and Sony A7 cams? the basic logic fails you to even see how absurd it is to call into question this finest of lines for all the most objective reasons and at once the ‘consistency of work’ they would output, going from your own touted portfolio…Yes and shut up about the now Total admonishment of A7 line of cameras, one of if not the finest of 35mm cameras with compact form factor ever produced.
Big slap to A-Mount owners.
LOL. Ancient-Mount.
Here’s exactly the issue I described earlier with A7 series cameras – they are TOYS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4o73Pg3UL8
Not exactly a cogent analysis Sergei.
Regarding size: It’s small – I don’t think that’s a surprise. Handling with large attachments can be improved with either a vertical grip or an l-bracket. The former gives you vertical controls and doubles the battery life. The latter allows easy mounting to arca style QRs,added protection in the event of a fall and is surprisingly ergonomically effective. It’s also about $30.00.
Regarding the focus light adaptor issue: A bit more nuanced. He is adapting a lens from another system so some loss of functionality can be expected. But, if it is a sony adapter it seems right that sony should have made it fully compatible. A mixed bag.
Regarding the flash: see above. But one thing not made clear is if it works with a standard e-mount lens. I’d guess it would.
Bottom line: The IQ of these cameras is the best in the business. This is the end goal for a lot of people, and it delivers in spades. Hardly a toy. A fantastic camera at a very fair price.
The images will be of great quality no doubt if they were in focus. There’s no other native fast 24-70mm F2.8 lens from Sony and there won’t be for E-Mount. The grip may solve some handling issues. The grip and controls on a7 are amateur – not designed to be used with Fast zoom lenses. The multifunction dial serves too many purposes. Check a900 for comparison.
No Flash System that would allow for serious use, especially considering that there’s no AF assist beam.
A7 is a system designed for hobbyist who want cheap full frame -a good amateur system that is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1pwXVB3-Kw&spfreload=10
I use it professionally with great success – what I’m trying to say here is you’re wrong.
Be specific please. Examples of low light captures in action will be welcome. What lens do use for such action? CZ 24-70 F4? Flash? Hit rate? Thank you. Let’s be constructive.
P.S. – I shot with Sony a850,a77,a99 and a550, a580 CZ24-70 F2.8, CZ85mm F1.4, CZ135mm F1.8, Sony 70-200mm F2.8, KM17-35mm F2.8-4, Sony 50mm F1.4, Sony 16-50mm F2.8; 2 HVL-56 Flashes, HVL-58 and HVL-60 for a living for 4 years. http://www.KeeperExpert.com is my website. I had to switch to Canon for better low light performance especially with 70-200mm F2.8. Flash system is in another dimension compared to Sony. it is RADIO that is built in. 5D mk3 grabs focus in all conditions without hesitation. AF assist beam is indispensable. E-mount A7 cameras don’t even support it.
You’ve made a lot of unsupported claims – I’m not in the business of testing rigs for random people. I’d suggest you test the equipment that seems to interest you and get back to us with your results.
I’m not asking you to test rigs. Please show us action shots captured in low light with a7. You are telling me I’m wrong and don’t explain where. i ask you to be specific.
Here’s an action shot with 5Dmk3 in low light that a99 had me struggling with http://www.keeperexpert.com/Complete-Events/Emmas-Bat-Mitzvah-2015/i-gFvJ5Th
I’m asking you to test the rig you seem to think is required for professionalism. Look forward to the results.
I tested everything I listed as my equipment. Have a portfolio on my website to show the results and came to my conclusions stated in previous posts. Don’t be lazy, click the link and see for your self. I ask you to share the low light action shot with a7 you say you have. Or share your portfolio made with A7
So you don’t have the equipment in question (a7) yet you state you make images with it professionally? Telling us it can work in low light while you see the review of a man shooting with it using flash. Who do we trust?
Anybody knows when will the sony H500 or HX500 be release??
Iots and lots of bodies and few lenses. I think there is a bigger need for more E and FE lenses then 50 MP bodies.