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Many are waiting the new 2.0 firmware update for their A77 camera. When asked about this Paul Genge answered on Sony UK facbook site that “we have had many other problems with making the actual cameras to resolve first, but hopefully we will have some further positive news to bring you in due course. No timescale can be hinted at though.”
meanwhile the kit version is still in Stock at Amazon USA (Click here). And the camera sells so well that it made into the top twenty of the Amazon Ranking (Click here to see the full list).
More A77 search links: [shopcountry 8461].
101 Responses
Buying A77 is like buying cheap Taiwanese motherboards and then waiting for new BIOS versions to fix host of bugs and make it work properly 😀
-1
+1 to that -1 LOL
you are look like Holly Marie Combs 🙂
Canon and Nikon release more firmware upgrades to new cameras than Sony do, so what’s your point?
+1
SLT is peace of junk from its birth. What is the reason to buy this sh1t? It still worse than 2.5 years canon 7d in any aspect but video. But I can’t get an idea why to buy photocamera for video?
go buy Canon and shut up about it!
Troll food.
The A77 in comparison offers:
– more resolution
– much more DR
– less deep shadow junk (Canon banding included)
– less moire and stairstepping in stills
– better colour accuracy (“thicker” CFA’s)
– offers 50% faster fps with AF
– shorter shutterlag
– fast focusing LV and LV in the viewfinder
– accurate and bright DOF preview regardless of aperture
– brighter viewfinder when entering a low light environment
– a larger viewfinder
– menus, review in the viewfinder, no need to look away
– stabilization with all primes and other lenses
– built in multi shot alignment and stacking (up to 2 EV noise improvement)
– much easier and more accurate manual focusing with enlargement and peaking
– multi articulating screen
– GPS
– usable AF for video
– a viewfinder for video
– etc.
Yes the 7D has a nice list of benefits too. But a troll will not admit there horses for courses.
Canon Fanboy Troll. Have you actually used an A77? No? Then your opinion is absolutely worthless. Of all the APS-C interchangeable lens camera companies Canon’s have the worst IQ of all of them. They have fallen behind because the Sony sensors used by everybody but Canon are absolutely superior. Canon is simply carrying on because of all the sheep that buy Canon simply because of the name and don’t even consider anything else.
Hah. It is now great news that the long awaited Sony A77 has now entered the “Top 20” of cameras sold on Amazon.
What that says is that the Sony A77 has probably made the same or less money for Sony than the discontinued Sony A700.
Given the high cost of developing the components in the A77, I can probably guess with some accuracy that the Sony A77 is a big loss for Sony than the A700 which preceded it.
Way to go Sony!
Wow, that would be amazing if the A77 already made as much money as the A700, with the former being largely unavailable since the introduction only a few months ago and the latter having been in production for years. Think again. 😉
I can predict with great accuracy that you have no idea what you’re talking about.
-10
Will new 77’s ship with updated firmware? I cannot imagine the new 77’s shipping without the new firmware update.
+1
Just want to receive the A77 after a long waiting… Updating firmware afterwards is ok
We’re still in the paid beta period :/ At least that’s what I feel like every time I use the laggy interface.
At the back of my mind, I have a tingling sensation to let go of the A77 and get an A900/850. But I love the cutting edge tech in the A77 too much to let go of it 🙁
Well, I had that same tingle way back in the early month of December. As I was waiting not so patiently for the NEX7 and A77 I started looking at lenses and before I knew it, I purchased the A900 along with the CZ 135. Can’t say I regret it, and I sure as heck don’t have to wait around for any updates. No, its’ not the latest and greatest although it does work right out of the box! It’s also a lot of fun to shoot with that big ‘fat bastard’ full frame lens!
My A77 worked right out of the box so I fail to see your point. Or is this just another excuse to say you have the A900 and CZ….
What’s you’re problem Sonya77 anytime anyone has anything to say negative about this camera you like jump all over them like a big tough guy.
It’s not all about you even though you’ve named yourself SonyA77 you’re a asshole !
+1
To much fanboy stuff
No Camera is perfect
At every opportunity the guy beings up the A900/CZ, it’s tiresome. Is he your gay lover by any chance? You were quick to defend him.
Wow…..
If you’re referring to my commit, it was not about you Mr. SonyA77
I was talking about posters that sound like they are on the Sony payroll and a general problem that’s becoming more and more tiresome of meanness and borderline hate speech.
relax.
As usual Dan you bring nothing new to the conversation. We know you don’t like the a77 even though you’ve never used it, and we have heard on many times about your a900/cz135 combo. I’m sure it tickles your fancy, but I don’t think you should knock something you haven’t used.
Yes, thank you
But it is important that we understand that the poster doesn’t really know what he’s writing about because he or she has never even touched the camera let alone use it!
So maybe it is important we the reader understands what type of camera(s) the poster uses.And that he or she has never even seen a a77 or a NEX.
Yeah, the whole internet now knows our friend here owns a A900 and CZ135 combo.
no offense, but that quote from Paul G. says nothing. It could be in a couple months or it could be next year for all we know.
Not offended 🙂 But at least he expalined why it’s taking that long.
Hmm…dunno.
Do the guys programming the fw also rebuild the factories or what? I don’t see why the flood should be holding up firmware updates.
Connecting these two problems seems kinda strange to me…
Ken’s right, Paul G. said absolutely nothing with his statement.
I have to agree… if I’d give such a statement to my boss, he’d ask if I’m out of my mind.
+1000
That’s about what I thought … what is he trying to say? That firmware is made on conveyor belts in a factory?
It sounds like there are 5 guys in the back room either making the a77 or programming the firmware!
This next firmware update will determine whether I buy this a77 or one of these cams about to be announced by Canon or Nikon. I have had a few Canons but never a Sony cam. From the Canon cams I have had, I never felt like I bought them with beta-grade firmware while waiting for a market ready version, although there have been important updates. Its obvious the current a77 firmware is unfinished. Sony is (awesomely) biting off some cutting edge technology which is why I am looking at the a77… but it needs to avoid pushing cams out with beta-grade firmware, especially as the new kid on the block. Even if it ultimately fixes the issues, its going to kill its DSLT reputation. Its a $2K cam with kit lens… this is supposed to be a serious camera for serious photographers.
@Widmark
It’s very likely that there are only 5 guys coding the firmware.
Finally my A77 has arrived. I love it already! Af speed is awesome and much better than A550. Also noise handling is better. So don’t be afraid about the noise issue, you can take RAW pictures at ISO800 with no problem. ISO1600 is also not that bad.
EVF works very well, also in low light.
The slow operation of the camera like been told is bullshit, it is very responsive. Only thing is shutdown time, it takes about 5 seconds till the lens goes to infinity.
Dynamic range is huge, you can recover clipped higlights and shadows very well in post production and still have detail.
Buffer is 15 RAW frames at 8fps with SD 95MB/s card.
And I love the shutter sound, it’s so quiet !
I think the playstation generation will love this camera 🙂
Well said Danny. A bit of common sense on this forum at last. This historian about the so-called unusable lag is baffling!
Historian = histeria. Damn iPhone auto-correct strikes again lol
Most of the complains are from the non -usuers of the camera anyway!
Having a77 in my hands is like having one of the most charming camera I have ever used.
My a77 arrived this past Monday and since then it has not left my hands. All I do is play with it. I LOVE IT!!! Best camera I’ve ever owned hands down. All the crap people are saying is exactly that, crap.
The lag is BS? Are we using the same camera? On mine (1.04), there is a small delay for all buttons and dials, approx 1/4 second or so, which does not happen on my A55 at all. 1.04 made it a tiny bit better, but not much.
The HYSTERIA is bullshit and I agree.
The A55 is a much smaller, far less technical camera. What buttons do you get this lag on? I must say with my A77 I get a small lag switching between EVF and LCD but no button lag at all.
And if you keep the LCD tucked in, you don’t see a lag. My only lag is when I burst and then I want to pull the memory card out immediately. So I have learned to count to 5 before pulling the memory card out after a burst. Not a bad problem to have. You do a lot of long exposure stuff, right Dave? So I could see how you would use the LCD more often.
Yes Joe, I do a lot of long exposure stuff. You must have seen some of my stuff here and there 😉 I almost always use the LCD for framing and the focus peaking function is absolutely top class!
No. The A55 is not that far behind in the complexity of the A77, in terms of the technical specs.
Broadly speaking, the A77 has better video functions than the A55. Just because you introduce video functions into the A77 does not mean you need to introduce a slow to respond interface. I WIN!
Err, no. A55 is 16MP, A77 is 24MP.
Did you miss that part of the brochure?
I get a noticeable lag using the scroll wheels to adjust aperture or Exposure compensation (A mode, front dial set to control aperture, rear dial set to control exposure compensation). My a55 and a700 had zero lag on the control dials which is exactly why I notice it on my a77
Menu operation with the joystick is laggy when compared to the instantaneous response of the a55 and a700 menus
In local AF mode, use the joystick to move the active AF point around – a noticeable lag, compounded by the fact the AF points are hard to see against a dark background.
The funny thing is, I’m quite convinced the camera has noticed my control inputs, it’s just the display that isn’t keeping up. It’s still a bit frustrating though.
U serious? I have the A77 and my camera’s Ui interface lagggssss even though fw is already 1.04. Going to settings and start up is not instanteneous and smooth compared to my a500, i just hope the next fw fixes this problem sigh
wrong post deleted
A77 is awesome, LR 4 beta deals with raw pretty nicely just as 3.6. I shot video. The slight lag will not affect your shooting, I do parties and weddings for a living. Simply program the most used modes into memory recall to go from extreme settings
I have had an a77 for three or so months – with 1.04 – I have had no real issues with it at all.. If version 2.0 improves things, then that’s a bonus.
+1 there is a lot of FUD flying around.
+2
3 Questions, please help me
1) Is the new firmware also for the A65?
2) I really love my A65 / 16-80Z combination. Only I d not like the Sony supplied RAW converter, can someone recommend me a RAW converter that handles the colour noise correct?
3) I need a new tele-glass, please suggest, sony, sigma or tamrom??
2. Adobe Lightroom 3.6
3. Go for Sony 🙂
3. Tamron 28-300 FF lens. Pin sharp and great colours. Not the fastest (f6 @ 300mm) but Very good as a ‘walk around’ lens. Plus the added bonus that on APS-C the telephoto range is 45-470 🙂
BRR, awfull lens on APS-C, slow in AF terms.
Take the 70-300mm USD from Tamron, great lens, fast, silent and sharp even at 300mm f5,6.
http://kurtmunger.com/tamron_70_300mm_f_4_5_6id290.html
That guy hasn’t reviewed the 28-300. I read a few reviews on line before I bought and all were good. I’m not a bird watcher so don’t need a super fast lens. Anyway, I like the lens a lot but if you say it’s shit then who am I to argue?
Regarding question3, I’ve got 2 that I use for different purposes. I match the SLT-55 with the great all-around Sony 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3. Together they are light enough to make a great travel camera of much higher quality than a superzoom/P&S. For more serious (non video-see below separate post) I use SLT-65 with Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6. Niether oif these is fast, but quality is good. Finally for low light I have a used minolta 70-210mm f4 “beercan”; still not super bright, but again good for travel.
LR4 http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom4/
or
DXO 7.2 http://www.dxo.com/us/photo
1. Yes.
2. +1 on Lightroom. Version 3.6 or 4.0 Beta.
3. I am quite partial to my Minolta Beercan (70-210 f/4), which is the biggest bang for the buck available on the planet, IMHO. I found mine at a garage sale on a Minolta Maxxum 7000 SLR body they were trying to get rid of for $25 and it worked on my old A390 and my new A77 like it was made yesterday. I then turned around and sold the Maxxum for $45 on eBay. You can find them on eBay for ~$200 for a pristine copy and I imagine you can find them cheaper if you find someone who is selling it on an old Maxxum body that doesn’t know what they are selling. Be careful, they’re 25+ years old, so you could run into blade oil or other problems.
I agree about the old 70-210 “beercan”
I used mine on my old Minolta Maxxum 9000 and it’s still going.
Just downloaded the trial version of lightroom. This is much better, thanx!!!!
As someone coming from SLT-55, I’ve been pleased with still photos but not pleased with video in low light. My sense is that the 55 incorporated software from the super zoom (I also had that camera) that allows for great ability to film video in low light. I even sent my 65 back to Sony asking if it was performing to specs, which it is. I’m wondering if a firmware release is in store to bring that capability back to the 65. Even with manual/aperture flexible settings and the best glass I’ve found (Zeiss 1.8 135mm) movies in low light are murky.
long term plan = buy a99 in 2014 (supposed a99 will be released in 2013 due to flood problem)
Yeah I agree the lag issue is BS. I am like others here … I got my a77 back in October and have not had a single issue. Yes, noise is there but can be either worked around or through with exposure or third party noise software.
As far as a firmware 2.0 it would be nice if they could improve IQ in the area of noise reduction and highlight clipping. Also I would love to see auto ISO turned on in M mode.
Being in manufacturing for 37 years I also cannot accept production issues affecting software engineering issues. No reason that one should effect or slow firmware upgrade development. Just my opinion of his statement. In the auto business our design and developement engineers are far away from production and floor engineering.
they dont. buy new FF will do 🙂
“Being in manufacturing for 37 years I also cannot accept production issues affecting software engineering issues.”
Right. As if the firmware-guys are assembling the camera in thailand or what? I don’t understand why they can’t do both at the same time.
Where is Paul’s quote? can’t find it.
why on earth does sony wait four years to launch this much-hyped albatross??? you had four years, sony! this is inexcusable.
by when a77 will available in every camera shop as common as 600D dslr in everyshop?
I have a big problem… When my target is about 65% for video and 35% for photo… What will be better for me? Nex-7 or A77?
My videos are almost all about RC airplane models and on A77 I like unique quick AF and more possible lenses. On Nex-7 I like a more light on same chip (without loss a light on mirror) and more chance for “everyday carry” with any small lens…
I like Nex-5N too, but I like on Nex-7 more HW buttons and a bigger connectivity for video/audio recording. And Nex 5N lenses stabilization is “nothing special” (when I compare it with stabilization in HX9V compact camera). In Nex-7 is probably same cause… And in A77 has (probably?) good HW active stabilization on chip during video recording…
Hmmm. I really don´t know… 🙁
for your solution:
1) AF: get nex7 + LA-EA2 + anyLens =PDAF 🙂 w/o LA-EA2 CDAF 🙂
2) Body: Nex7 light > A77 🙂
3) E Mount lens with OSS 🙂
1.) This would make the NEX an A77 (more or less), so why don’t choose the A77 directly? But don’t think that the AF can hold a plane in focus while filming. Phase AF and SLR lenses aren’t designed for video and this stuff, so it’s not really helpfull to use the AF on video.
3.) The lenses stabilization shouldn’t change when you change the lens between a NEX-5n and the NEX-7.
I would buy NEX-VG20 if I were you.
The NEX-VG20 is a NEX-5N with an audio in and the UI felt much worse than the 5N’s as I tested it in a local store. If the VG20 had a chip designed for video it may be a better cam.
your solution: go look at a galley of images both from the nex7 and a77.
once you realize you can’t differentiate them, you can stop being paranoid about the supposed major difference in IQ and just buy the camera that suits your needs better.
you can also go to my website and try to figure out which cameras took which pics, they were taken with Canon 40D, 5DmkII, Nikon D70, and Sony A850.
A77 seems much more fitting for RC planes imo.
I often wonder, reading many of the posts on this site if the posters have even used let alone own the camera they are writing about, both positively and negatively.
In my opinion, some don’t seem to know or care about photography but more about technology.
The delay is not BS but is definitely far from being an hysteria. I like to rapidly switch between full aperture for portraits/highlight a subject and to step down a bit for landscape/sceneries and I often step down a bit too much because the aperture display feedback is not immediate (and as said here, this also applies to all related input controls, i.e. exposure, AF zones, etc).
I really hope this issue will be solved in FW 2.0 as I don’t believe the A77 lacks horsepower…
SONY : Yum, Yum
CANON & NIKON : Yuck, Yuck
One thing I hate Canon is it’s boring body design, put all the canon body together and I bet you can’t tell which is which…after all that all look pretty much the same. Now the worst part – control. The menu system is just no where as efficient as Sony. Even the Nikon is better than Canon interim of menu design. Firmware – I can simply draw my conclusion by counting how many firmware released for 5md2 and A900.
Well, I am waiting to decide if I will buy the A77.
I did not had the A77 at home, just put my hands on in the shop. Thing, that I am most afraid of is the watercolor JPEG processing. It doesn’t look very nice. And as I want to shoot JPEGs in 12Mpx mode (of course, you can not shoot raws in 12M), I would like to have the pictires nice out of the camera, no postprocessing. Obviously, for more important works, I use RAWs, but day to day photos, you know…
Second thing is the video… it comes already processed, with the watercolour “effect” included.
Well, I’m still waiting which brand will show out a model which will be at least 90% good for me. With a GOOD firmware, I would give to the A77 even 95%. …there is still a LOT of things that I believe CAN be solved via firmware (unfortunatelly, the buffer is not one of them).
As a piece of hardware, the A77 is extremely good camera I think. But they gave it a firmware, lest say a bit “my first DSLR”. The A77 can be very good semi-pro camera. Ok sony, just give out the good firmware and you have my money 😉 I am waiting already half a year now.
I’ve had mine for a month, you will pretty clean looking 12mp Jpegs straight out of the camera with great color up to ISO 1600 and some print friendly noise above that. Video is great too! FW 1.0.4
Thank you Sergi, nice to hear that…
Do you have some 12MPx “out of the camera” pictures online? I would like to see some.
any ideas about the improvements that thew new firmware will bring up?
I agree that many people on this blog, are more concerned about the technology than photography…i would nice to see people sending links with their pics…instead of complaining or trying to prove which camera is better…
some people like Sony A77 are spending their time seeking for the A77 “enemies”..poor guy..he has to wait for months before he got his own A77 and now he is wasting his time sending posts to defend the honour of the A77…he must be sleeping with his A77..
Come on buddy, get out of your house and go take pics!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeyphillips/
There you go! Most pics since October will be from my a77
Lots of exmples here of a77 work.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/a77/
This all seems reasonable. They may have one firmware team and one production team, but they probably only have one test team.
The test team would amost certainly be heavily involved in the commissioning process of the new production lines, and they are the bottleneck.
The continued operation of high tech items is heavily linked to quality, and testing is one of the big inputs into that: a lot more goes on in this process than end user beta testers.
Sony will typically have to do a full regression test on every part of the production line, part assembled components and a full engineering analysis on any alternativly sourced components (and if they are physically moving the production line, I can see there being many of these).
In many ways, changing/moving the production line would require as much test input as building a totally new camera, which is why I think testing of the 2.0 firmware is taking a back seat.
In commercial terms, I would not expect them to continue developing a product that is in short supply anyway – they need to get production and supply up first because the revenue that increased sales will create is where the budget for further development would actually come from.
Does anybody know where the a77s are being produced now? Same area in Thailand or somewhere totally different?
Can’t we chew gum and walk at the same time?
The red-headed step-child, the A65, comes in at 48th place. Considering that the A77 gets all of the attention, and there is little if any advertising for the A65, I wonder how well it would sell if it was promoted as heavily as the Nikon V1.
A Nikon badge plus advertisement overload, that would have made it a real bestseller. 😉
While it is great to hear that firmware v2 is the next release this seems to be a major update and should include many changes – I hope fixing many of the more issues or desires this camera should have had in release. It is also great that Sony are pushing with continued delivery of these units and overcoming the production issues felt by many of the manufacturers.
I am a little confused as to why the firmware development seems to stop while Sony setup new factories and manufacturing lines – are the coders busy building factories? Does this affect testing or just management of both situations or is this just a bit of an excuse as to the release schedule…
P.S. I luv my A77
As been pointed out, writing firmware code is a separate operation from building cameras. Writing new code does not take away resources from a production line nor does it have any dependency on the production line (in this case). This Brittish Sony guy is just sales talking and assuming we have no idea how things run. He probably doesnt.
If Sony have dedicated workers to develop firmwares, That must be a great job, they must only work a few hours a day…
Any rumor on Sony adding teathering? I have not kept up with the issue. I just heard early on that it was not a feature but could be added by firmware.
Thanks
Sorry, I got one of the rare alpha 700, but send it back to the seller. The alpha 700 is more a toy. I stick with my alpha 850. It is clearly the more serious camera.
Sorry, not the alpha 700, but the alpha 77. The alpha 700 I have owned before I bought me alpha 850. confused 🙂
Forgive me if already mentioned, but Sony………..please ensure next bios update that tethered shooting option is there!