So, the Sony A99 is out but as usual we always want to know what Sony will (or has to do) as next. Nikon and Canon are now fighting on a new terrain…the entry level FF cameras! The Nikon D600 is leading the Amazon ranking (Click here to check out). And the Canon 6D is about to be announced soon (specs here). Both cameras are priced at around $2100. Question for you is…
[poll id=”122″]
By the way, I think the RX1 ($2800 here at Amazon) as a NEX-FF camera would cost even less than the D600 and Canon 6D. The Zeiss 35mm f/2.0 may be worth $1000…if you count that the Zeiss 24mmf /1.8 lens costs $1100! That would make the NEX-FF the first sub-$2000 FF camera. But you know, that’s just my baby math. Things may would not be that simple in the real world…
Meantime if you need to see an A99 versus D600 spec comaprison check out that page on Dpreview. And here are some more A99 image samples at Rob Skeoch, Chip.de and Fotoskoda.
—
A99 body Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Jessops, Wex UK, Wex Germany, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH and more links at Alphacameradeals.
A99 with kit lens links Alphacameradeals.
RX1 Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Wex UK ,Wex Germany and more links at Alphacameradeals.
NEX-6 body Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Wex UK, Wex Germany Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH and more links at Alphacameradeals.
NEX-6 with kit lens Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Jessops, Wex Uk ,Wex Germany and more links at Alphacameradeals.
NEX-VG900 Amazon, BHphoto, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH, Wex Uk and more links at Alphacameradeals.
NEX-VG30 Adorama, Amazon, BHphoto, Wex UK, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH, and more links at Alphacameradeals.
Sony E-mount 16-50mm Amazon, Adorama, Wex UK, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH, and more links at Alphacameradeals .
Sony E-mount 35mm Amazon, Adorama, Wex UK, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH, and more links at Alphacameradeals.
Sony E-mount 10-18mm Amazon, Adorama, Wex UK, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH, and more links at Alphacameradeals.
Sony A-mount 300mm f/2.8 Amazon, Sonystore DE–UK–FR–IT–ES–NL–SE–FI–CH.
185 Responses
A88?
That would be more interesting – especially if they decided to put an iISO hotshoe on it. It sickens me to see how SLRs have become camcorders first and foremost – in the eyes of Sony’s marketing division.
I don’t need a super high-end boom microphone with all the bells and whistles; and I certainly would never pay what they charge for it. But because somebody decided that the primary function of the A99 will be as a camcorder with shallow DoF, out goes the excellent iISO hotshoe … being replaced by the fourth hotshoe in Sony’s inventory, and one that it will take years to persuade independent manufacturers to support, simply because there are so very few users.
Sony fullframe = $1,799.00
sony already has a current fullframe much cheaper than canon and nikon. the sony fullframe is only USD$1,799.00 and it is called the sony RX1. The high quality zeiss 35mm f2 lens is $1,000.00 with a leaf shutter.
and what is all of this with nikon being the first ever cheapest full frmae in all the news? A850 came out when?
All I want, is a FF NEX with uncrippled hybrid auto-focus at sub 2K for body. And I would not give a damn about D600 or 6D.
The price is only a problem if that’s their only interchangable lens full frame body for this cycle. Given Sony’s habit of spamming camera bodies, that doesn’t seem likely.
What is the point of stripped down FF if there is full featured APC-C camera with similar price tag? Cheap FF would make sense to me if there are also reasonably priced FF good quality lenses. SONY does not have line of cheap FF lenses. So to me it is better either to stay APS-C or go full featured FF. Cheap FF could interest pros as backup though.
A lot of us already own the lenses (leica, zeiss, voit, older slr). We are all just waiting for full-frame mirrorless to be able exploit them. That and e-mount will work fine in crop mode, and a-mount full circle, albeit a larger physical design.
There are good full frame lenses that are cheap, it just takes a bit of searching. 35-105, 85/2.8, 24/2.8, 50/3.5 come to mind.
But will they work with the 102 AF points?
This is not a valid argument if Sony wants to sell any volume, sorry.
The A850 was a sligthly modified A900, but the sensor was exactly the same, and saving a thousand dollars on the body meant more people could afford a full frame camera AND an expensive lens – so instead of using the old, less than stellar 24-105 mm, they could get the much better 24-70 mm.
I see that as a positive thing.
I’d definitely be interested if it wasn’t too dumbed down. I like the EVF more than old SLR technology but to buy into full-frame at a little over $2K is appealing and might go to a 600 or 6D if they are the only offerings. But most of all I’m waiting for the full-frame Nex.
The price of the A99 must be the same of D600…
The A99 can seemingly do more. $2399 would be a good price for the camera, but if they can get it down to $2000 or so, I will not complain.
Street price of Nikon D800 is 2500 €. More people will prefer it over A99…
We forget that the people Sony is targeting with this camera are the same ones that use the 5d2 and 5d3 for video work. This may very well be the best video focused DSLR ever designed – if it is, there will be a fairly large market for this camera. The specs elevate it beyond the D600, but since most people look at generalities and not specifics, the distinctions may be moot (for most people). Would I like a lower end, lower priced FF? Yes. Would I like the camera to have similiar capabilities to the D600 or 6D? I am not sure. Since none of these cameras are even out, I can’t make the proper comparisons at this time. Luminous Landscape should be able to bring out a better comparison (better than conjecture) fairly soon. They are a reliable source of good information.
I would imagine there are more still shooters than videographers who are regulars here, so it’s not really surprising.
The only way it could be that cheap is if they do what the D600 does…
– Instead of full magnesium alloy (like the A99, D800, 5d3) make it only portions of it that way.
– No articulating screen
– Get rid of most of the video features like 1080p/60i
– Remove built in GPS
– Go from 1/8000th to 1/4000th shutter speed
– Cut flash sync from 1/250 to 1/200
– Take only one memory card instead of 2
If you would rather Sony released the A99 without these features than I’m sure it could have been in your suggested price point will keeping much of the EVF related benefits. Personally, I am not willing to give up any of these to save the cash.
The D600 has 2 slots for memory cards. Many of the features you note are not costing Sony a penny more, yet the A99 costs $700 more than the D600. $700 is far, far more than those features are worth (assuming someone needs all of them even). I love my NEX-5N and I am inclined to want to stay with Sony as I move up to full frame, but there is zero chance in Hell that I pay $700 premium over the D600 to stick with Sony. The only path that leaves me with Sony is if I go with the RX1 (which is priced the same as the A99 but also has a very nice Zeiss lens at the focal length I most use).
+1 Marlon
In the end it’s all about the IQ and Nikon never lets you down.
Wrong: Medium and Large format offer higher IQ than FF, but photography is definately not only about the IQ.
Better video mode, gps, articuled LCD, IBS, that make 700$ worth.
+1 Thanks for reading my mind and also writing it all down so I don’t have to. I was with you all the way up to the RX1. From a shooting standpoint I fully agree although I simply can’t live with the overall ‘useable’ kit price of $3600.
If the D600 lives up to it’s specs AND it feels good to the hold, then I’d be very interested.
All I’m saying is that you discount all the added features of the A99 then you need to be fair and call the 5d3, 1dx, D800, and D4 overpriced as well. The A99 matches up well against any of these. The things that you doubt haven’t been tested yet so don’t assume Sony’s won’t be class leading because it very well could be.
Why don’t you list out all the stuff the A99 can do that none of the other can do. You might be surprised.
Yes Marlon, there are some features that some people might want and you pay for features, no doubt. However, I suspect Sony gets a healthy profit from each sensor they sell to Nikon for the D600. Sony has room to save for using their own sensor, but that savings doesn’t seem to be passed along to users. And, I am not suggesting they need to pass along any savings, I am just noting that I can’t justify the A99 when the D600 is so much cheaper and still serves my needs (e.g., I shoot maybe 2 videos a year and then never edit them so video is worthless to me). GPS is nice and I do use that on Flickr, but I can do it manually. I really don’t need a lot since I’ve been using an NEX-5N. I want more manual controls that I can more easily access and FF quality . . . just not at the A99 price when the D600 undercuts the price so much.
+1000
I hope Sony has a photographic oriented full frame camera in the pipes. Turns out a99 crops its sensor for video recording and the AF array is that small because of that compromise.
No, the a99 crops the sensor if you select crop mode or attach one of the APS-c only lenses like the 16-50. If you use FF lenses like the Zeiss 24-70, you can shoot FF or crop mode in both stills and video. Its been clearly demonstrated in a number of the early test videos floating around.
I am amazed. Just announced a99 and now thinking of budget aXX. What will the difference be? no 60p? cheaper body construction? no flip out screen?
I disagree with the poll in the first place. This post will generate discontent, suspicion or doubt for many potential buyers, those who pre ordered the cam and those looking into going FF.
I am sorry, but instead of looking around and looking at the grass next door, should we not be more focused in emphasising the strengths of the new products? There is not much out there yet even saying: “Hi, this is a99 and we are taking these photos and shooting this video….see how amazing this works like this”. Camera Store…1 video…youtube, official Sony videos. The website in spanish, before in SAR, a few shots.
We can’t make Sony bring out more cameras now when people already complain there are too many cameras (remember argument vs NEX 7 and 5N and then 5R and now 6?) If I was a better photographer, I would write something and show my photos. That italian man who is featured in the NEX 6 video defended NEX 7 as a daily camera.
Why so many complains? Why so many indecision? It is time to go to Amazon, buy, shoot and then say: “I use this camera because I feel this brand is doing something original for me”. Can this not be the argument we need?
If you followed the link (6d), you’d see a lot of carping by Canonites. I guess carping and gnashing of teeth are Sony exclusives after all.
Differences between A850 and A900 include slight reduction in OVF magnification, cheaper surface finishing on the body, and slower continuous shooting rate.
We might see similar diffirences between this “A95” and A99. Although “A88” would be a great product name to cap off ‘the year of the dragon’.
I can see Sony disabling on sensor PDAF, remove AF-Range controls, also removing the front control knob.
I don’t think it’s wise to remove 60p. Maybe a reduction to 4:2:0 hdmi output, but this really depends on the competition.
Overall i can see the A88 as an AF and video reduced A99. An FF for the non fast action photographers (and non dslr cinematographers).
No because I am waiting for a NEX FF.
So am I, but I don’t expect it to arrive until late next year.
I would rather have 36 Mpix than 24. Or ideally a multilayer sensor at around 24 Mpix.
Sony !
I need to FF NEX (24-36), normal price
Do not need video and blitz in the camera.
A99 specs suggest that it’s a entry level FF, competing with D600 and 6D. 5D3 has much better autofocus and stuff… so, it’s A99 that shall drop to $2100, and then a 36MP model for $2800.
The A99 specs do not reflect an entry level video focused SLR. But you are free to read it as you want.
Personally, I don’t care much about video. Taking video into account, you’re probably right.
Complete BS: 1) 5DIII hasn’t been compared with the A99 yet, 2) The 6D and to some extent the D600 are definately lower end models judging the specsheet.
Damn does the A99 have to be the best in every spec? If the ISO is comparable and the AF is at least as fast and reliable as the D800 then it is the best value of all the camera’s since it has way more features than any of them.
It looks to me like the D800 and 5d3 might be overpriced since the specs of the D600 match more closely to those.
No, I don’t. I’m a NEX guy so I would buy FF NEX. Moreover, the latest rumors about HUGE 50mm lens prove it’s time to abandon SLR design with crappy mirror in and begin to develop FF NEX exclusively.
I have been considering this camera on and off for a while but the cost is making me think I will continue to use and abuse my a850 and see if Sony has anything else planned. My A77 gives me everything I cannot get from the a850, which is not a lot. I love my Sony kit, especially the ZA and G series lenses, I am proud to use their kit and unlike some I do not feel that because the a99 does or does not perform by 0.3 EV or 1 stop compared to Canon or Nikon is neither hear nor there. For me it is purely down to cost, $1900 – $2,000 it would have been a yes but $2,800, to high.
Looking forward to seeing what Sony will do in 2013 /2014, sorry A850 ;-}
Si
I appreciate your point of view of people saying the price is to high,
But for me I’m willing to pay Sony $2,800 or even $3,800 as long as the camera produces still images equal or better that Nikon’s D800 from ISO 50 to ISO 6400.
I’m Still with Sony because I like the built-in image stabilization and believe Sony to have much better technology, now only if Sony would use it.
Yes Sony, give me the cheaper FF model. A camera made for photographers without all the video gimmicks that are uselees for me personally (I know, video is important for some of the other users). Even better: Supply us with an updated A850 (new sensor and image processing, tiltable display and fokus check liveview) keeping the optical viewfinder. 24MP without SLT would be great.
Video can’t be ignored. It’s the better way to express and a natural progression for photographers.
Progression? It’s not a progression for photographers at all. You see the word “photographer”? It means a person oriented for capturing stills.
My guess would be that even going for a 3D imaging (whatever it’d be modelling or work with lighting/composition/fx) would be closer to natural progression for a photographers.
Yes, stereo photography has been popular since the invention of photography, and long before film appeared. (I have a stereo Daguerrotype which is hand-coloured and has good quality.)
A stereo NEX would be interesting, but you do need a very high resolution for good stereo, to avoid a cardboard cutout effect. Let’s get the NEX sensors up to medium format level first.
Photography is about expression. The ease in which we can capture, produce and stream video makes it a natural progression for photographers—just as print is fading away, so is the photograph.
In the world according to you, perhaps, but there are those of us who regard a well crafted still image as more powerful than a length of video could ever be.
That’s what I feel Sony is telling me!
They’ve taken a stills camera, added video features and then seem to be telling me that I really wanted a video camera all along.
OK: so that’s overstating the case, but it does feel that way a little bit when despite all the protests none of the cameras are getting firmware updates that let us disable the video button.
Sony already pioneered the cheap fullframe camera option: it was called the A900 and at the time was vastly cheaper than any other fullframe available.
At £1500, I paid 60% of the price of an A99 for my A900 and less than a D600 would cost too.
I feel the A99 has dropped the tradition of the A900, in both cost and features.
I love, love, love my A900.
I’m yet to be convinced that the A99 would meet my needs as well, let alone better
@travelshots – Sony is firmly entrenched in video and will never produce another camera without. Why keep complaining about video when Sony is moving toward better integration of video features – clearly demonstrated by the SLT AF, the silent knob on the front and the add on mic module, headphone jack and so on. If it doesn’t meet your photographic needs than don’t buy it or buy into the Sony ecosystem – because video is here to stay and its what Sony needs to be at the forefront to keep people from CaNikon. If it weren’t for video IMHO the A99 would not even exist as Sony badly miscalculated by not including it on the A850/900 that were quickly flushed to obscurity by the 5d2. 60p, peaking, tilt/swivel screen and some of the other video features are the only reason I’m looking at the A99 over the 5d3 or D800 – and I’m not the only one.
I would say Sony will release A85 soon! not A95, same like A900 and A850, the A85 should be around $1999. Wait and See!
so where does the A99 sit in the market? I though the A99 would be aimed at the 5Dmk3 / D800 field, now the competition has revealed their budget FF, are Sony suddenly playing at that level?
It seems a shame, this seems to be just like when Sony announced the A900 as the first affordable FF, canon and nikon shot them down with more consumer friendly alternatives.
will Sony announce new crop camera better than A77 and has many features like A99 ?
The A99 was billed as a 5DMarkIII / D800 class camera yet the D600 seems to fit it’s nearest competitor according to the press.
Si
Whatever replaces the A77 is a year away.
I think it’s a given that much of the new technology will go into an A77 replacement whenever that happens. It’s just natural progression.
i don’t think we will see the 6D soon. there are so many rumors, but they don’t make sense at all..
I prefer to descuss about a99 feature in the first place, why spec of a99 going down?!!!
what happened to 12 fps?
What happened to 102 AF point (Only Center)!!
What happened to 2 SD memory cards!!
May be there is still more spec I didn’t mentioned.
By the way a99 vs D600 comparison is a boring. a99 is much better than D600 in terms of spec except AF point & ISO performance. Durbility of the shtture is the worst. 6D not better than D600.
Please do not go down with a99 comparsion with low end FF.
The dual SD cards are there, same you cannot use them independently though, it would appear you can write to both at the same time or JPEG to one RAW to the other but you cannot treat them as completely separate cards.
Si
Thank you, I just saw the comparison of A99 vs D600, I did not like what I saw in a99 going down in terms of spec.
Have you really compared these 2 cameras? The A99 seems to be much better featured than the D600.
I haven’t, what I meant is the comparison of DPR website in terms of spec not in IQ, fast focusing & so on.
I agreed a99 much better than D600 & the results will show us weather if it’s true or not.
One of the videos posted had the video going to one card and stills to the other, so it appears you can use the cards independently.
More importantly, where is XQD cards?? Why does a 9 series camera have no compact flash support? The D4 people love there xqd memory cards. No pins to break, smaller, but more importantly fast.
That was sale money right there that Sony throw away.
Perhaps because the A99 is a low-end Full Frame.
It’s not a low-end FF. Unless Canon 5D MKIII happen to be low-end FF as well.
Low-end in the Sony line, as in not their top-end.
What’s higher in the Sony line? Other than rumors… exactly
“except AF and ISO performance” – well, AF and ISO performance are like the two most important things in a DSLR, so…
I forgot to write this word: AF point & ISO performance. In terms of ISO Sony will never do an alpha with High ISO performance but a99 seems do fine better than any camera produce it.
Well. if you consider this (link to Japanese official site): http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=ru&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sony.jp%2Fichigan%2Fproducts%2FSLT-A99V%2Ffeature_2.html
In the “dual AF” point sensor-assisted and 102 phase difference AF sensor 19 points, with the new (*) will focus on a moving object with high precision “AF-D” mode
* Only available for still images. Compatible lenses: Vario-Sonnar T * 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM ,28-75mm F2.8 SAM, 50mm F1.4, 300mm F2.8 G SSM II ,70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM, 500mm F4 G SSM.
By the spring of 2013, will add six following the firmware upgrade. Planar T * 85mm F1.4 ZA, Sonnar T * 135mm F1.8 ZA ,70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM ,70-200mm F2.8 G, 100mm F2.8 Macro, 300mm F2.8 G SSM. Turn will be supported by the firmware upgrade later
A Huge disappointment //
So by Spring of 2013 they STILL won’t have support for the CZ 16-35 and CZ 24? This whole 102pt. AF system is kind of a disaster. It won’t support anything but 6 lenses now, another 6 lenses later, and will likely never support Sigma, Tamron, and Minolta lenses.
They should have beefed up the traditional AF system at the same time they were experimenting with PDAF on sensor.
Note that this situation is going to be much worse for the FF NEX. Why do you think they just came out with a camcorder FF NEX right now instead of a FF NEX stills cam? Because filmmakers are used to manually focusing! When they go FF NEX for stills, only the 12 lenses above will have any AF support at all, since there will only be PDAF on sensor and the LA-EA3 doesn’t have a translucent mirror. The remainder of your Sony/Tamron/Sigma/Minolta lenses will be manual focus only.
+1 It is in most cases just a 19 point AF system.
Sounds rather different.
Real photographer use only central AF point 😉
Touche!
Which isn’t even double-cross like it was in the A900. 😉
Again, we talk about the price. If I’m willing to pay ~$3K for something than I expect that it worth it. Otherwise please give me the product which doesn’t require tweaking after being sold.
Not, this is not a big disappointment, this is great news! The list of lenses that will be added to the supported lenses contains several screw driven lenses and not only SAM and SSM. So there is at least the potential to support also the older Minolta lenses without a new lens protocol in the lens chip itself.
The combined AF system means that you always have a perfect and automatic micro adjust, indpendent of focal length and distance (both not achievable with conventional micro adjust). AS it is PD-AF, the focussing will be fast. No other camera brand can compete with this at the moment.
Read all the complaints about lacking AF precision of D7000 (similar has to be expected with D600, which uses the same AF unit as far as I know) and D800 in the Nikon forums. The new D-AF is great news!
No…
Waiting FF Nex !!!
And Hope that On Sensor PDAF perofrms well…
Me too, waiting for FF Nex !!
Would you buy the A99 for $2100
THAT is the question!
Please not every month a new model!
Better make one right!
Pics at Fotoskoda lokks flaw, without detail & colour. High isos disappointing too. Any modern camera can do this (better)…
I’d prefer a A95 or what ever it may be called that has all photographic specs of the A99 w/o the video things…
But I don’t think such a thing is coming because video is kinda hype todays and as the video part mainly is firmware if you don’t cut some of the more sophisticated features there would be no production cost reduction for Sony.
I’m very impatiently waiting to get hands on a A99 to see how good its autofocus really is and how about high ISO numbers. The few raw pictures on the internet are misleading because I cannot process them with Lightroom 4.1 because of the new RAW format (14 Bit…)
There is no point having a camera without video, having it doesn’t reduce stills quality and the electronics are the same, so no reduced cost. If you don’t want video, don’t press the button marked “video”.
True, my video camera can take stills and nobody bitches about that. Video just gives me another medium to express the event.
Sony is never going to produce a camera without video, ever. Move on to Fuji if you don’t care about video because its obvious with the half-assed video implementation in the Fuji cameras that it doesn’t care about video either. A cheaper A99 will be slower and have a lower end AF and likely a cheaper LCD and EVF. There really isn’t much else that Sony can do to make it cheaper. Maybe one card slot instead of two? Remove the front silent dial?
after christmas Sony will drop the price, becoming very close to the D600, Nikon will never drop price, they never do.
In Canada, Nikon did. Canada, the D800 is same price in USA. Even, the D600 is only 5 cents more in Canada than USA. A99 is $2999.99 in Canada.
Never mind what RX1 cost to produce. The R&D that went into it may be big enough to be burning a hole in Sony’s pocket for the next 2 years even at current price per unit.
Only if it was photo orientated – better distribution of focus points, keep the tilt swivel screen and peaking, compromise on the video features to get the cost down. Otherwise I’ll keep my a77 thank you very much.
its just the issue of market strategy. if SONY want to fight with C or N, SONY MUST do it. but the price would not lower than $2000 for sure. neither S, C and N would not let it fight with their own top APSC model.
I don’t get this question. The Sony a99 is their entry level full-frame using the same or similar sensors as the other two and with similar speed…
Well yes, that’s the point isn’t it. All this bitching and crying when SAR have said for MONTHS that the A99 is not the high-end model.
In simple words:
“People always complaints.”
I’m very happy with the A99 specs, you liked? buy it! if don’t just shut up, and keep moving. 😉
My only problem with the A99 is the price! Simply far too expensive for my budget. My only problem with the A77 and any camera below it is, they are all APS-C. The way I see it, for my photography, the A99 is simply not worth twice the price of the A77. I shoot mainly landscape and railroad photographs so I would be paying way too much for extra wiz-bang that I would mostly never need and never use. I understand that there are plenty of photographers that will. Bottom line — a FF camera under $2000 surely must be possible for Sony to manufacture for the more traditional, enthusiast photographer!
I am not interested in lower than 99 for cheaper. I ordered the 99. I am more interested in better not cheaper.
The new SONY phase detection on sensor feature is a rip-off. It works only on a handful of SONY branded SSM Lenses and will *never* work on 3rd party lenses from Sigma and Tamron.
Given how much poor support AF-D will ever have you have to wonder why SONY chose to use a crippled APS-C AF sensor on their top of the line FF body.
The biggest pain for me with the A99 is that the AF point are clustered very close to the center of the frame making it impossible to use the peripheral AF points to get focus on eyes when taking portrait oriented shots which I do a lot.
The only reason why SONY crippled the normal AF sensors on the A99 was to save money by not licensing Nikon AF module technology or having to build their own. The PD on sensor is there mostly to sell SONY’s overpriced lenses and shut out Sigma and Tamron’s affordable FF lenses.
I’m really p*ssed off with this huge limitation of the focusing system of the A99. To me it is false advertising to claim 100+ AF points focusing system when that only is true if you use only a handful of SONY premium lenses. So basically the flagship SONY FF body has less AF points and less cross points than the $1,500 less 2009 Canon 7D APS-C body. Less AF points than $1,000 Nikon D7000. Same AF system as $1,200 APC-C A77. What the heck!
So I should throw away my affordable Sigma 500mm f/4.5 telephoto and spend $13,000 on new SONY 500mm f/4?
Throw away all my Minolta lenses?
BS!!
We all know you can’t afford A99 anyway, so why all the whining? Nothing constructive will come out of it.
On this point, Sky_walker, I think PhotoNut is right. It’s kind of a big deal that the touted 102pt. AF system — a major part of this camera’s price tag — is effectively unusable with most existing lenses, and that lenses have to be added to the camera’s database via firmware upgrade in the future.
It would be one thing if the normal PDAF system had been upgraded, too, but 19pts. is fairly antiquated compared to the competition. This puts it at a major disadvantage in real-world usage, and is worrisome for future cameras that may do away with the legacy PDAF system entirely (i.e. FF NEX, possibly A1).
Who says I can’t afford a A99? And I am not rich but $13,000 to replace a working 500mm lens just to use the full AF system that SONY is advertising as built into the A99 is not fair.
It is not fair advertising.
And the issue is that 3rd party lenses will *never* work with the full AF system because SONY does not let these 3rd party lenses get proper lens ids. And all of the existing 3rd party lenses are using bogus lens ids so it will never be possible for SONY to support these lenses by firmware update as the A99 body cannot differentiate these 3rd party lenses from each other or from identically id’d Minolta lenses.
This is a much bigger clusterf than you’re acknowledging and just wait until this scheme moves down to the lower end APS-C Sony cameras. It will simply kill sales of 3rd party lenses.
Finally when SONY perfects the on-sensor PD and gets rid of the SLT mirror and external PD sensors, then the killing off of 3rd party lenses for Alpha mount will be complete.
+100. I agree Sony has been doing this type of marketing forever. Whatever gimick is advertised for the consumer benefit usually has sony benefit even MORE in mind. It is Sony 101.
totally agree. The sensor crap autowhatever is likely just going to further obscure light with no benefit while allowing them to peddle their aps-c af.. which isnt that good. In mid to low light the only point I can get to focus consistently is the center. Nikons AF kills it. In fact the gh2 contrast based one kills it
It makes no sense to complain about numbers, when the only thing that matters is performance, which you can’t know about and aren’t qualified to comment on, because you’ve never shot with one.
Absolutely agree! like the old day i saw ppl advertising Hi-Fi in super big number of PMPO versus RMS standard. AF assist point cannot be consider as AF point. In other say, guy is guy, girl is girl, it cannot be mixed and call as ladybird.
I got feel sony lose the fight in FF to canikon except the cheaper price. But believe for pro photographers are even more care about performance, what it can DO! and not price.
Waiting DxO comparison 😀
and in reality, Sony does not really need to be no1 or success in imaging business. sony has been already world largest sensor manufacturer. Sony won’t die even not selling any camera 😀
Why would you discard your lenses? They may not work with the 102 on-sensor CDAF points, but they still work with the 11 + 19 PDAF points, so what’s the problem?
Eventually, you may decide to get a few SSM lenses – and then you’ll have the best of the two worlds.
At some point, you have to let go to the past in order to move into the future. It’s not like you can’t use the old Minolta stuff. It’s just that to take advantage of all the new things, you have to get some of the newer stuff. Happens all the time. I’m not crazy about it but if the old stuff works well with the new camera then I am all for adding new functionality (which is the AF-D and the extended PDAF focus points). I hope that Sony is able to add more of the other Sony lenses before the camera is actually released. At this time, we are all whining about something that’s not even out yet.
the problem is the 11 cross sensors are weak and center clustered.. even on a77 nevermind on full frame
I wasn’t aware of the “fact” that my Sony 50mm f/1.4 has an SSM motor….
Nor that the 28-75 SAM really has an SSM motor instead….
Sony is a mess
Sony releases a very expensive and by all accounts a very high quality 500mm telephoto and updates its equally impressive 300/f2.8 but can’t do a 50/f1.4 till spring.
Is the a99 good enough to be Sony’s technological imaging flagship?
The new a99 I’m sure is a fine camera but by all reports Sony’s flagship is not in the same league as Canon or Nikon’s second tier full frame’s the 5DIII and dD800. You can argue that Sony has dropped one level down as the a900 was more equal or even maybe better in IQ than the Nikon D700 and Canon 5DmkII.
With all of the wonderful features and technology included in the a99 in the end it comes down to image quality and if past history repeats then we can expect to see that the RX1 will produce a sharper/cleaner image than the a99 with its SLT millstone wrapped around its technological neck.
Is it true that the new cheap Nikon uses the same sensor as the a99?
Then I expect to see that the new cheaper Nikon also out images the a99
It saddens me to see this happen again
At the end of the day, its about one thing……..the image produced
You lose less than half a stop, hardly a millstone and well worth the benefits of SLT, but of course we can’t talk about the benefits here can we…
What reports are you talking about? Nobody has done any real testing (just previews) because the camera has not been finalized. The only thing out there to read are pixel peepers spewing their opinions. These are hardly “reviews.” And the professionals are actually extolling the virtues of the machine.
“The new a99 I’m sure is a fine camera but by all reports Sony’s flagship is not in the same league as Canon or Nikon’s second tier full frame’s the 5DIII and dD800.”
– o_O troll… or just can’t read?
I would wager Sony might not even bother with a $2000.00 FF DSLT. Its more likely that we will see a High End NEX full frame instead which would undercut the price of the DSLR. Perhaps somewhat the size of which like the Pentax K-7/K-5/K-5II but much less in depth, and without the prism hump and not the mirrorbox. Coupled with the LA-EA3 to operate the Alpha lens
This is actually very likely, and probably what the “A1” or whatever will be. A crossover between NEX and Alpha.
The problem is that the LA-EA3 doesn’t have a translucent mirror, and the PDAF on sensor will only drive 6 AF lenses right now (and another 6 by mid next year). So get used to manual focus with most Alpha lenses.
Or Sony follows its tradition of high priced accessories and produces a LAEA4 with the SLT mirror that allows FF lens coverage on the E-mount – and like the overpriced mic module – charges $800 for it.
The adapter with the VG300 already provides full frame A mount to E mount conversion and is included with the VG300 (supposedly). Have you actually priced accessories in the video markey? The cheapest Konovo slider, for example is $200. All it does if to provide a platform to “slide” the camera smoothly. Very useful, but also a fairly high markup. So a high quality mike with the XLR conversion box for $800? Maybe it’s worth it, if it does other things (like provide mixing capability, preamp, etc.).
Video is a cool additional feature – keyword being additional. Can pay 10% extra for it not 35%!!!!
If A99 blew the competition out of the water in ISO performance I will pay 40% more and get it – but we know that is not going to happen.
If the AF is superior another 5% more.
So at most $2350.
Without that I leave this camera to rich videographers as their plaything and SAL1635Z here I come.
So you don’t think Sony should charge accordingly for a pro-grade body? The A99 is a full Magnesium Alloy body just like the D800 and 5d3. Spec wise the A99 matches up well against those camera’s lagging only the D800 in resolution.
You seem to discount all of the features that the A99 has that the competitors don’t have. I’ll make it easy for you. Take 5 minutes and compare:
5d3 – http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii/2
D800 – http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikon-d800-d800e/2
A99 – http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&searchType=search&storeId=10151&catalogId=10551&productId=8198552921666485827#specifications
You will notice that other than the questions about ISO + AF performance the A99 is equal or better than it’s competitors in all their features. In just still camera features alone it has about 10 additional very useful options. Why do you act like they don’t exist?
Then onto video, this is the only pro Fullframe DSLR with 1080p/60. Camera’s with this features start at 5k my friend.
This is what I dont understand. It is the brand, isnt it? Thats why people are unwilling to pay $2800 for Sony. I think its the phoblographer that also addressed this issue, brand frowning.
With the exception of some lenses (prime ones especially) I don’t see why a newcomer to the SLR/SLT market would choose Canon 5D3 over a99. If they use 24-70, 16-35 and 50mm 1.4/1.8, they are very well served by Sony and CZ (without counting the best 24mm prime in the industry as well as the 85mm 1.4 and the 135mm 1.8)
So…when people say that a99 is expensive, it actually isnt compared to a 5D3. Compared to a D800, however, it is competitive by giving more video focused features and Nikon has resolution on its edge.
Sony has nothing to envy any other brand as far as body features is concerned. The only thing that may put people off is the EVF, but videomakers (especially the ones that dont want to carry rigs or steadycams) will appreciate the EVF as a stabilising feature because you can place the cam on your eyes and see whats recording (something Canikon are missing unless you buy a loupe)
So, why are we thinking they should release a cheaper model? to compete with the D600 and 6D? Well…lets say they bring an only 24p, 24mp, cam with little video extras and sell it for $1900….yes?
In any case, Sony should worry to promote their shit more like that bloke said on a previous post. Nikon D600 already has its own online gallery where you can see the full res jpeg. I mean…are Sony a99 interested people looking at those thinking: “Right, this is what the a99 can do too…”
Bollocks man.
I am planning on buying the A99. Sure, It will set me back a little and everything but in the long run, it is better to spend more money on a better camera than being sorry you didn’t a year from now when the camera you are using gets old really fast and you can’t really compete. Replacing your camera sooner than expected is also costly.
My only gripe is the lack of WiFi connectivity which I was waiting for and the competition has.
I will buy it !!!! Love my A77 but… This A99 is purely genius , will wait a bit just to see a more extensive high ISO raw analysis.
I’d rather see a high resolution studio camera – say in the 42 to 48MP range – and I’d prefer it in the NEX format, but SLT would work. Though to be fair I’m sure a bargain FF would sell bigger numbers and possibly generate more profit.
As others have said, what would you cut from the 99? Firmware features, once designed, don’t cost anything to include so the only thing it makes sense to cut are physical features and build quality. Would buyers go for a cheaper LCD or EVF? A fixed LCD? Fewer buttons?
Maybe in 6 or 8 months they can introduce a higher level body, then just rename the A99 to A88 and cut a few hundred off the price.
Exactly, my guess is removal of on-sensor PDAF, AF Range control/function, and silent front control knob. Very likely to have fixed or simple tilt LCD. I hope they won’t replace the OLED VF, since the much cheaper A65, A77 and NEX-7 already have similar OLED VF.
I’m not sure what some of you guys are complaining about. The A99 specs are better than the 5d3 and D800. The only area in which the A99 has to match it’s competitors is in ISO performance. For me within 1/4 of stop better or worse is acceptable for it to be on par in just area, outside of that the A99 wins.
Where they are all more or less equal:
– Captures Speed 6fps
– Resolution (a little more than the 5d3)
– Dual Card capabilities
– Pro quality build
– Flash sync 1/250 (better than 5d3)
– Shutterspeed 1/30 – 1/8000
– Standard ISO hotshoe
– 14 bit images
A99 clearly wins:
– EVF (what you see is what you get makes this better than a OVF)
– IS in the body along with no vibration via mirror slap makes this the steadiest pro camera ever.
– Superior video capabilities (1080p/60p for one…)
– Articulating screen
– Digital zoom at 1.4 and 2.0 at half resolution with no IQ lose.
– Embedded GPS
– Built in lens compensation
– A slew of in-body features like sweep panorama
A99 needs to prove that it matches:
– Higher ISO performance (needs to be in the same league)
– New AF needs to work as well as advertised
I don’t know why some of you are assuming that Sony will lag in the issues in question. From what they’ve shown me I will give them the benefit of the doubt until I see legitimate tests. But even if it does lag behind in the mentioned areas marginally, it is still just as good as it’s direct competitors because of the other features.
I don’t know what some of you where hoping for. The A99 is the most feature rich pro DSLR ever created.
I missed a few things…
A99 has a built in focus limiting switch, now every lens can have the capabilities of the 70-200/2.8 G. It’s also the lightest camera in the Pro DSLR class.
Maybe some of you discount all these features but this is what progress looks like. Sony is changing the game with many of these upgrades. These are options that it’s competitors could never have until they loose the OVF. If Sony came simply match it’s competitors in IQ, ISO, Build the other features make it a far better camera than it’s competitors.
You’re wrong. The AF limiting feature only works with a handful of SONY lenses and will never work with existing 3rd party Alpha lenses. It will also not work with any of your Minolta lenses.
It is a sly way to kill old lenses and force Sony Alpha users to buy new Sony lenses.
I’m not sure why you are so sure Sony won’t improve the capabilities of this feature. Also, you can expect Sony to produce firmware updates that allow all of the lenses it has created to work with these settings. With what they have produced you should not be so keen to doubt they will update the firmware to allow more lenses to work.
For generic lenses + minolta lenses, Sony can adapt lenses in camera by letting users program lenses in camera similar to the way we perform AF adjust. With a totally electronic camera it is not a far fetched application.
Again, ha…
Firmware updates are (alas) not always Sony’s strongest point; e.g. look at A77. On the other hand A700 received a major one so you (well: Sony) may still prove us wrong.
Sony needs to ditch Minolta lens support in camera and move into the 21st century with all its lens designs. Make another adapter to allow Minolta lenses to be used on new Alpha bodies and stop letting legacy glass hold the Alpha line back. The path to better/faster AF is not paved with 12 year old Minolta lenses, it’ll be with newer designs going forward.
Good Lord! This forum is like an unsupervised kindergarten class! So many unintelligent childish and plain nasty/mean spirited remarks! In between those there are some good points being made. Andrea needs a kindergarten teacher to keep the spoiled brats inline! 🙂
Keep this thread on topic please! The topic for today kids is: Should Sony go low price FF? Nikon D600 and Canon 6D at $2100?
It would seem that $2800 is chump change for some of you! But don’t you think it would be wise on Sony’s part to have a competitively priced FF camera at the price point in question? I do and I think Sony will as they did with the A850.
How many lenses does Canon’s 650D on-sensor PDAf work with? ISTR reading that it only works reliably with the new 40mm pancake.
The 70-200/2.8 G is not support in D-mode yet.
No… its the heaviest camera in the d600 class. WIth this autofocus system there is no way this camera can be considered a pro photo camera. It lacks some essential pro features like.. a robust AF system. Decent if center weighted (making you have to focus and reframe and making extremely wide lens lose focus so necessitating manual focus.)
But heeeey you can video pro’s using pro cameras and have autofocus at 1/1000 shutter speeds @ f3.5.. no matter what your lens.. Oh wait.. I dont think the sensor based autofocus works in video either.. hmmm… well you can still video them!
I could not agree more. This camera should be very exciting to use and versatile. It does not have to beat the iso performance of the 5dm3 or the 800, I just want it to be in the same league or ballpark. I believe it will and probably is my biggest concern with most of what I like to shoot. It is always easier to talk about the negatives than positives because that list is way shorter than all the good things found in this camera. My two biggest disappointments is the fps and selectable focus points. The first is fps. Do I need more than 6fps? I doubt it. Would it be nice to have the capability, yes. It’s about perception. Despite all that Sony is doing in the industry, it will take a back seat to N&C. To be able to boast our camera can shoot 10fps is a feather in the cap. I thought this was an advantage of the SLT. Get rid of that flapping mechanical mirror. After reading Carl G, buffer can be increased with firmware, therefore, I imagine frame rates can also be increased with firmware. I say Sony should start writing some code and improve this area to what should be a given, 10 fps! Also the fact that we cannot selectively choose focus points more peripherally is not acceptable on a camera of this magnitude. All that said we will wait on the iso performance grades and unfortunately I will have to wait for my new camera. About 6 weeks and counting. I thought waiting for the announcement was tough. Waiting for delivery is worse.
Kinda sick about people talking rx1 is a good deal
Do NOT put the same price of interchangeable lens with fixed lens like the one in rx1
It is totally different in production cost hence different price tag, and not to mention resale value consideration
A good zeiss prime lens might cost more than $1000, but again, it is completely not the same price should it’s a fixed lens!
The RX1 is cheaper than the Leica 35/2 Summicron lens, its an amazing deal. I’m replacing my 28, 35 and 50mm lenses with one.
I’m really looking forward to full A99 tests before ordering. I’m a hybrid shooter and I want to go back to a FF DSLR from my current FS100 as I’m starting to get more requests for photos along with videos. The A99 is tops on my list because I’m not giving up 60p for smooth slow-mo and the Nex cameras overheat too easy when shooting 60p. Love the silent adjustment knob on the front, along with the two control dials on the front/back of the grip – you’ll have the ability to tweak ISO, shutter speed and aperture while shooting video without having to move your hands, with legacy glass you can set one of the custom settings on the top dial to swap the aperture adjustment to framerates and bounce between 60p, 30p and 24p without menu diving. Nice.
I think the price of the A99 should be by 2100! For me the A99 isn’t a pro model. Only 6 pictures per second and the buffer is to small!!!
Of course the A99 is a very good camera. But i think the price is to high for a Sony. If they would take 10 images per second and the buffer can take up to 30 or more image until the images per seconds will be reduced the current price will be ok.
The A99 shoots the same frame rate of the 5d3 and slightly faster than the D800. Both these cameras cost more than the A99. Although the buffer is smaller than it’s competitors we don’t know if that will affect it’s continuous shooting reset time. For all we know the Bionz processor is such a beast that it still allows fast recycle even with the lower buffer. Remember this is not a DSLR.
Your expectations are kind of ridiculous maybe you should get the D600 if you want a cheaply made fullframe.
Ha Marlon, Ha Ha, whatever you say…
Marlon actually puts some things into perspective here, something most others also should learn to do with their ridiculous representation of their opinion what Sony should/shouldn’t do.
Class! Class! Shutupppppppppp!
Good Lord! This forum is like an unsupervised kindergarten class! So many unintelligent childish and plain nasty/mean spirited remarks! In between those there are some good points being made. Andrea needs a kindergarten teacher to keep the spoiled brats inline! 🙂
Keep this thread on topic please! The topic for today kids is: Should Sony go low price FF? Nikon D600 and Canon 6D at $2100?
It would seem that $2800 is chump change for some of you! But don’t you think it would be wise on Sony’s part to have a competitively priced FF camera at the price point in question? I do and I think Sony will as they did with the A850.
People confuse having an opinion with having an informed opinion. I make that mistake too (perhaps too often).
I think the FF NEX will be the D600/6D competitor. It will be hybrid like the VG900. I *hope* it has the form factor of the NEX-7 but I think it will more likely look more SLR-like similar to the GH2.
Problem in the UK is the £2500. $2800 is only £1800, so we are being ripped off yet again. Any enterprising Ebayer who can get some US ones into the UK and charge £2000 will make a killing. Yes I know about VAT, etc.
I have £2k sitting here waiting.
Even looking at the D600 comparison, the A99 with steadyshot and 60p still kills it, and for me that’s worth the price difference. YMMV. If you have the $$$ for a $2100 camera and lenses, buy one less lens and the A99. Unless you prefer the Nikon rendering over Sony’s or already have Nikon glass. Shooting in RAW will eliminate most differences as everything can easily be adjusted in LR4. I’m waiting for the tests, but the D600 is not in the running for me over the A99.
A99 already has been a stripped down version.
What is there to take out from it now?
of course, what stupid question!!! if i can get a digital ff for 1000 bucks i’ll buy it…come on! but let’s face reality..spend 100 euros on a DSLR and u get everything u can expect (except video capabilities)..Film is the best and digital is crap compared to film..Enjoy sensia and velvia first to understand what photography is
I answered yes, but if they will:
1. remove GPS and scene modes.
2. correct design( not like Nissan Juke).
And I would bi happy without ISO 25600 and 1/8000 sec.
Sony does not have to make another body, just lower the A99 to around $2,500. After that you have people thinking $2,100 for a strip down SLR or $2,500 for a full feature SLT.
For FF there are 2 types of buyer:
1) The pro or semi-pro that has invested in Sony lenses. They are looking for a path forward coming from A900 and investment in A-mount glass. I see the A99 designated for them and I really think Sony should not have announced so many other cameras like the RX1 or NEX-6. They need to pay attention to these guys and give them a lot of time. They missed the Olympics where all you saw was Canon and Nikon.
2) The consumer that wants to get the best, which is FF, but doesn’t have lenses yet. This is where Nikon did it right. They introduced the FX 24-85mm lens for $600 months before. Got the feedback they needed and now offer it as a kit for the D600. B&H has this D600 kit for $2600. That is a great strategy to get customers. Canon will follow with a 6D.
I am jumping to mighty GH3 for the 70mbps video bit rate.
fu–k sony [24mbps]
nikon [24mbps]
canon [shit H.264]
Sounds good with the bitrate, but it is still a micro 4/3 and a full frame camera has some advantages. No reason for both cameras to gain traction, however. Panasonic and Sony CAN both make good products.
yes micro43 kick ass of fullframe anyday! AND IT IS CHEAPER TOO!
Bitrate isn’t everything – as demonstrated by the ridiculous hacked bitrates the GH2 can achieve – regardless of the bitrate the limited DR and IQ of the GH2 made it a terrible at 1600 and above and the banding in the shadows and posterization with the highlights are dreadful. The IQ and DR of the A99 will be far superior to any m43 camera and as the FS100 shows – well executed 24mbps produces a far better image than the 100mbps GH2’s.
As much as I drool over the A99’s features I can’t imagine I would used all of the video ones.
The A99 seems really targeted to videographer which means Sony might bring a “lower” end one (feature wise) for photographer.
I mean, How many of us photographer will actually used the clean HDMI output or the option of XLR input? Videographers will, not photographers
Maybe in 1 year we can get a $2000 NEX FF kit, that’s the price,quality and size solution I’m wating for…
The cost is immaterial to me. The next Sony FF MUST have tethering (and I’d really like to see time lapse capabilities) or I’m dumping my gear and going back to Nikon.
For commercial pros these are an almost essential advantage in an ever growing and increasingly competitive field. Sony has to get serious about catering to the needs of pros instead of placating wealthy hobbyists, enthusiasts, and semi-pros.
And We NEED pro support. GET WITH THE PROGRAM.
HEY SONY! Want to get someone on board who would be happy to jump in on R&D with this? Get a hold of me.
JB I agree with you totally! I heard that tethering is included with the A99 but I haven’t seen the detailed specifications anywhere. It would be nice to have someone from Sony clarify this. No tethering = no Sony
The A99 has tethering – from the Sony page:
PC Remote Camera Control
Enables users to remotely change various camera settings, switch still/ movie shooting on or off, and automatically transfer still images to enhance the efficiency of the studio photo shooting workflow.
Thanks Rick, Now all The A99 has to do is be better than the D800, haven’t seen any samples yet that says it can do that.
That probably won’t come around until the next FF (spring?) when they can use the 36mp sensor. Def. hope that happens.
Is this live tethering though (of still not video)? Or will it only transmit an image that has been captured? I haven’t seen verification of tethering in any of the videos so far and seeing as how it has been a hot-button topic for years now you would think that would have been a major point to feature in the reviews. Haven’t seen it. I would LOVE to be wrong.
I am in agreement with many of PhotoNut’s frustrations regarding the AF and focus point clustering, BTW.
If Sony really want’s to make a dent in the market they should sell the A99 for $2300 with the Zeiss 24-70 as a competitive upgrade from Nikon or Canon. That way pros could sell their gear and buy three or four Zeiss lenses to go with the A99. Wishful thinking I know, but it sure would bring all the pros I know over to Sony. They should also announce a 36 megapixel camera date with a discount for anyone who takes this deal.
That is why cheap is not the way to go for Sony. Make a great camera, period. If people can’t afford it does not matter. It proves that Sony can make a camera as good or better than N/C. The true professionals will have no excuse to not shoot Sony. They will then lose their stigma in the photo world.
Hey Patrick,
you said, “This is what I dont understand. It is the brand, isnt it? Thats why people are unwilling to pay $2800 for Sony. I think its the phoblographer that also addressed this issue, brand frowning.”
I think you hit it right on the head when you said brand frowning! Sony really hasn’t proven to me that it’s a professional camera and system. I was introduced to Sony when I bought my NEX7 and can tell you that not once has Sony exhibited a professional attitude. They refuse to update their firmware to address the shortcomings of the NEX7 camera, tech support is practically knowledge less and they have no professional services to speak of. They have not incorporated professional tools like tethering up till now and I don’t know if it actually works. In order to switch to Sony I have to sell at least eight lenses and buy new ones, not to mention the adapters and accessories I have for Canon. There has to be some incentive to switch systems for pros. We know nothing about the dependability of this camera and if we need to get it fixed how long that will take. Sony can say it’s going to be a professional camera, but until they prove it it’s just talk. Sony needs to set up a professional service organization and facilitate loaner equipment that can be delivered or rented overnight. A competitive upgrade program is their only hope for professionals or they need to come out with the camera that is superior to the D800 in every way including price. They also need to produce a tilt shift series of lenses that aren’t available other than highly priced Schneider PC TS Tilt-Shift Lenses. Sony’s window for accomplishing this is very limited, Nikon already has a superior product and Canon must be very close to releasing their answer to the D800. I would love to have Sony be competitive in this market so that prices can come down and selection increase.
Instead of asking if the A99 should be less you should ask would users rather have a camera with the specs of the D600 in a Sony body for $2100? Or purchase the A99 at the current list price.
I can say that if the options where available I’d go for the A99 at $2800.
I am already the nex-5n owner. And really appreciate it’s convenience, except for it’s bad autofocusing capabilities. These problems are going to be fixed (hope) by NEX-5R. If so, the ONLY way forwad for me might be the FF NEX. Which I definetly will get a try. Provided sony would manage to arrange the equally sized/weighted set with 50 mm F/1.8 OSS.
So the havier body and lenses are not within my interests. Thus in no case I am planning to buy A99 or similar camera.
And just to comment on the A99 – I believe at it’s price tag it’s absolutely NO GO piece of …
I am pretty sure the A99 can do 10fps in fullframe mode. The 6fps is simply a software limitation. I can see exactly what is in the A99 that would warrant its $2800 price over the A77 apart from the fullframe sensor. It almost the same in every aspect that matters. Is the fullframe sensor alone worth the $1200 premium?
It seems to me the that Sony specifically designed the A99 to match the 5DMKIII.The Sony does not really offer much over the Canon, so there is little to entice Canon or even Nikon shooters to switch systems.
Apart from 60p video the Nikon D600 matches the A99 in every spec that matters. It is even better in some aspects. We now know the 102 af points of the A99 is a gimmick at least the D600 has a 39 point af system that will work with all Nikon Af lenses.
What pisses me off even more is that sony must have known that Nikon had a low cost fullframe in the pipe line. After all when they sold them sensor it would have been obvious that the camera Nikon was going to put the sensor in would be priced lower than the D800. So why does sony think they can get away with charging $2800 for the A99?
The price of the A99 to me is an insult to people who invested in the alpha system. People who have invested in Canon or Nikon fullframe system are unlikely to switch, even if the camera was priced as low as $2000, because the cost of selling their lenses and switch would be prohibitive.
The only people likely to buy the A99 are people who already own and shoot Sony fullframe cameras and lenses. Sony should at least reward their loyalty with a cheap fullframe body option. They are not asking for a free camera they are just asking for the same thing the competition is offering their loyal shooters.
Most of the new features of the A99 wont work with the majority of sony lenses, on top of that the camera is priced $700 than what the competition has to offer. So what is there to encourage people to stay with the sony system?
Someone at Sony needs to pull their finger out. Yes the innovation is fantastic but it’s about time to marry that with some good marketing.
For a shutter rated at 200.000 actuations (A99) you need a robuster construction than one rated at 100.000 (A77). That may very well limit the frame rate. Thicker materials -> more mass -> higher inertia -> less FPS.
Give me an a800 at USD1800
24MP 14bit raw 4fps
100% OVF
51 point AF across the 135 frame with 11 double-cross
LiveView
WiFi Tethering
without SLT high ISO noise can be improved a little!
Sounds boring? But that’s all I need coz I wont take video with an DSLR.
strip out live view, I dont need that and I can get along perfectly well with 1 focus point, i dont need wifi and while we are trimming things down, I don’t need a camera strap in the box either. Hell, give me the camera in a plastic bag, I don’t need a box! All the manuals I can download, so, we can easily get the camera for $500 at this rate.
Sony should never go this way : the a850 was not successfull at all and they go it. Here and there on the internet, you would find a lot of Canikon users who are bashing the a99 on the grounds that they “miss” the great viewfinder of the a900… By 2013, Sony will pursue its own approach further with a pro SLT A1 and a nex9. They are right and more and more young photographers tend to consider Sony with the fresh eyes that are needed to understand that the big bulky Canikon DSLR of the previous decade are slowly dying…
There are three main reasons why I will ONLY consider the A99 over D600, 6D, D800, 5D MkIII:
1. The Sony is the ONLY FF camera to have in body image stabilization. IS lenses are damn expensive and you have to pay for the IS in every single lens. Want a 50mm IS lens? Good luck! $900 for a 28mm f2.8 with IS – get bent! I will not buy a camera that does not have IS in body, period.
2. SLT, everyone seems to always think this is just for EVF vs OVF. Do some waist level shooting with any of the others, again good luck! What about some over the head shooting, not possible – spray and pray. With its articulated screen and full PDAF in live view it is the ONLY full frame regardless of cost to offer these features.
3. Video. Ok I don’t care that much that the A99 has video, though it would be a little odd for a camera nowadays to not. But to me, a video camera MUST have XLR inputs, unles you are working with a proper crew with a dedicated sound recordist then XLRs are a must have on a video camera. Now you might argue that the A99 is a stills camera, which is fine, but when the cheapest video camera with XLR inputs is $2000, adding an $800 module to an already capable camera is a relative bargain! It means you can have a proper video camera with XLR inputs for a measly $800. This is once again the ONLY FF camera to offer this.
So I don’t care how good or cheap the competition is. I think most here are factoring 2 things, full frame sensor and price, that’s it. There are loads of other factors at play here. Do I think the A99 is cheap? No. Do I wish it was cheaper? How could I not. Do I think the A99 ‘should’ be priced like a D600 or 6D? Like hell.
More info, hope it hasn’t already been posted. HDR and tethering
http://sonyalphalab.com/2012/09/the-full-frame-a99-is-finally-here-sample-photos-full-breakdown/
Anyone knows whether A99 manages to provide continuous live view under 6 FPS mode(compared to bursting slideshow fashion)? If yes, then that’s still a big step that casual sport shooters will welcome ! Under 2.5 fps the live view should be no problem I guess.
The D600 doesn’t even have AF micro adjust…. lol and for those of you think that the D600 has stellar AF here is what the module looks like.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2195318/web%20forums/AFpoints-001.jpg
I know people who’ve owned the D7000 (same AF as the D600) and have told me that the AF is frustrating to say the least. From the specs I see of the D600 it is priced right. This is not a lower megapixel D800. It’s just a lower spec’d model. Period.
Compare that to the A99 AF points with face detection…
http://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Sony-NDA-event-114-of-156ISO-400-680×510.jpg
I want A99 to be $2000 and even then I am not sure I’d pick it over D600. A99 is way too bulky for SLT and the IQ trade off vs. D600 is not worth it. This is in addition to the huge Nikon lens lineup and support base.
At $1800 I will take it just for the better AF but I think SONY crippled A99 so someone will buy the upcoming “big body” A101.
I am amazed at how many camera pricing experts there are on this forum. It seems that Sony know nothing about pricing and have got it totally, at least according to you “experts”.
Have an opinion by all means, but do not pretend that you know more than the manufacturer.
I also wanted to comment on the so called “Nikon support base”. Yes it does exist, but to be a part of it you need to be a full time professional, and own at least six professional items as designated by Nikon. This must include at least two professional bodies.
You do not get support by buying a new D600!
@ roger48
If SONY is good at pricing products they wouldn’t be losing money for the last ten years. There also wouldn’t be the A99/A88 debacle.
And no, I wasn’t talking about pro-support. I am talking about forum, photography class and web gurus like Ken Rockwell.
Hi folks, just thought I’d throw a non Sony shooters perspective into the mix. I’m a canon shooter, currently with 7d and all apsc glass. I’m about to ditch the whole lot and go full frame. Seeing as I need to replace all my lenses I’m free to jump in any direction I want. The 5dmk3 underwhelmed (I’m starting to do more video, I wanted decent 60p). The d800 looks great but for my workaday stuff the lack of sraw is a nightmare. I need to be speeding up my workflow to stay competitive, not slowing down. (Plus 60p on this camera is worse than 5dmk3). So was eagerly awaiting alpha99. I have to say it ticks all the boxes. BUT the problem is the glass. I’ve been looking at whats available new and second hand and reading reviews, and the sony and zeiss lenses seem either poor quality compared to their new nikon counterparts, or overpriced or both. I would lose any cost saving on the a99 body once I’d bought the 70-200 alone. I think sony needs to look at this very seriously. My first camera was a minolta, I was a fan. Their lenses were excellent and reasonably priced. Now it seems they are only OK and unreasonably priced. I want to give sony my money. But they need to price their glass more competitively. If I had to buy a camera tomorrow, it would probably by the d600, so that I can start building a collection of nikon glass, get the dynamic range and full frame of the d800 but without dealing with 36mp files.
If you are going too play with the big boys, you need too play to win.