One of our readers noticed that the A77m2 SLT mirror part has been marked as “no longer available” at Andrews Electronic. Not sure though this is just the store that will stop doing the camera reparation or if that it’s a worldwide stop of translucent mirror production.
And Jhonlsu reports:
“Seems that BestBuy won’t carry the A77II in store anymore, citing lackluster sales and discontinuance notice. Available online until stock runs out.”
94 Responses
Can Sony just officially announce that A-mount is dead and just put it out of its misery? This slow death is painful and inhumane.
That’s what Olympus was told by the public for many years, too, regarding their Four-Thirds-mount DSLR. Eventually, they managed the merge with their Micro Four Thirds mount in 2013 when they introduced the E-M1, which made the years of artificial respiration look sensible in retrospect. I’d expect Sony to have similar plans internally…
He is just feeding the trolls ;-( It’s BS.
I can reassure you, A-Mount cameras and lenses are not human. 😉
Can Sony just announce they are shelving the FE experiment and concentrating all their investments in A-Mount?
Go away, E-Mount troll.
Look, Canon might get away with selling a 7D mark II because many Canon people buy without thinking. They just think Canon must be alright and just buy. It’s a convenience thing, like Apple.
But the fact that you are considering a Sony camera indicates that you are using your brain to make the purchase. Sony doesn’t have the brand halo Canon does. And this A77ii camera only targets a very small niche.
Sony would be better off offering a high end A9 and a low end A5 to tap more market. And this is probably what they are developing.
I agree completely
“…Canon might get away with selling a 7D mark II because many Canon people buy without thinking…”
You really agree with that? I highly respect you, but now I’m a little concerned. 🙁
A77II is currently the best APS-C camera on the market from any manufacturer, combining the best from DSLR and mirrorless worlds. The only reason one could hesitate is Sony’s uncertain plans for A-Mount (which is only an issue if you plan to move FF later on, the APS-C A-Mount line has pretty much eveything you need).
The problem with A77 II , si bad iso handling
Disagree.
Show me one review where A77ii is directly compared to 7Dii
http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_EOS_7D_Mark_II/verdict.shtml
http://www.dxomark.com/Reviews/Nikon-D7200-The-new-APS-C-champ/Comparison-2-Nikon-D7200-vs-Canon-7D-Mark-II-vs-Sony-A77-II
Choice is a good thing.
DxO compares sensors only.
Cameralabs did a Canon test, that just mentioned A77ii as a sidenote. Furthermore A6000 is considered to have same level of AF as A77ii.
I am interested in a camera comparison, with AF-speed and AF-accuracy in several situations. Like Michael the Maven does…
Please search on!
The 7Dii and 77ii are both good cameras. Buy whatever floats your boar, so to speak.
My point is, that you find hundreds of direct comparison between 7Dii and D7200. This are the cameras, people are interested in. This are the cameras people buy.
I have no clue, how good A77ii is in direct comparison. And if I read then, that A77ii is the best camera on the world, then it is a stupid claim without any proof at all.
The only thing I can read out of the missing A77ii comparisons, is the fact that it has not been sold very well at all. There is no customer base for “for best camera out there”.
Really? In what respect?
Best in what respect? Show me the long lens selection Sony offers.
Where i can rent Sony cameras and lenses? What is the used market and resale value of Sony equipment?
Why should i invest 4000-5000 dollars or pounds in Sony when i cannot be sure
i can upgrade my body in 5 years time?
Specifications is one thing, real world usage is another…
You can rent Sony cameras and lenses from Lensrentals.com & Borrowlenses.com in the U.S.
The A77II weak points:
– Marketing strategy
– Lenses Selection
– Future of A-Mount
I own an A99, A77II & A7II.
It’s a great camera. Much better than the original A77.
I haven’t seen any marketing effort, let alone marketing strategy, for any SLT cameras released to date. That’s what squandered the amazing potential of the SLT system.
Sony would definitely strike back with A5/9 if there were any competition. At the moment they might think A7 series is more than enough.
A7 is not big enough for people wanting a DSLR-replacement and A7 is not small enough for people like me.
I gotta say, coming from Nikon and Canon, and still dreaming of a digital camera in the body of an old F3, the A7 is big enough for a dslr replacement. But that’s me..
Exactly! However Sony seem to save 9 and 5 to drive the sales when market gets saturated with the 2nd generation 7’s.
Yes it is if you add a grip! Then it is just perfect with MB adapter and EF lenses 🙂
For holding, maybe yes.
The people talking about a bigger body want also bigger battery like a DSLR. With the battery grip you can bring your battery life closer to a DSLR. But on a DSLR you can extend the battery life even longer with a battery grip, whereas you already exploited this option on the A7.
And some of the A9-wanters want a dual-card slot, too. Here the battery grip don’t help.
If it was up to me, I would like to see a Pana-GX7 like body, the handgrip as high as the viewfinder. This should work with big lenses without extra battery-grip (and you can even extend)
So you’re saying that most people buying Canon are stupid? And most people buying Sony are smart? I’m guessing that you prefer Sony and you take that as a fact proving that think you are smarter than most other people, right?
Comparing Apple to Canon is comparing apples and oranges… just stupid.
isn’t it comparing apples to canons? you may use that apple inside a canon… 😉
What a sweet squirrel. 🙂
“Canon people buy without thinking.” What a nonsense.
More like “sony fanboys judge without thoughts.” There are a ton of pro canon users with expensive glass that simply works for them. Sony still doesn’t have fast zooms for the FE series. Adapted lenses, don’t work as well as native lenses in low light.
I don’t consider myself brainless and i usually consider all brands. But tell me
what lenses can Sony offer for wildlife photography besides the 70-400 and the ultra expensive 500mm and 300mm? Can i rent a big sony telephoto anywhere?
While i can find a Canon or Nikon accesory or lens even in Africa if i have to.
There is a reason top(and almost all) wildlife and sport photographers are using Canon and Nikon and would not call them brainless shoppers. They know more than anyone else why they choose a specific camera or lens.
And that is the market of the 7D and A77. If i shoot street, landscapes or people then why bother with a 10 FPS APS-C body? I can just get a small mirrorless for any lens shorter than 150mm.
this is from Photoshelter’s 2015 survey on the professional market. 7408 photographer took part to this survey.
Primary Specialties:
15% Portrait
14% Documentary/Photojournalism
9% Wedding
7% Architecture/Interiors
6% Corporate/Industrial
5% Fine art
5% Sports
4% Landscapes/Cityscapes
3% Family/seniors
3% Lifestyle
3% still life/product
3% Wildlife/Nature
2% Food
2% Stock
2% Travel
1% Music
1% Adventure
7% other
So a lot of people are saying Sony doesn’t really care for the “pro” market because as of today they don’t have wildlife/sports-specific lenses to offer. They’re probably planning to release those fast 2.8 zooms (16-35, 24-70, 70-200) simply because those are going to be used by a far larger customer base, compared to wildlife and sports. And those pros who are sticking to their Nikon and Canon equipment are doing so for a variety of reasons: Familiarity/brand loyalty is one, reliability is another. It’s funny that people mention the lens thing when it comes to choice, and it may very well play a big role when deciding to switch to a different system, but I know a lot of pros who like Sony and are not switching yet because they don’t like, say, the button placement on the back of the A7, the menu structure, and the fact that the cameras are not weather-sealed as they’d like. Things like availability of lenses or battery life are not that high on the priority list for a lot of people.
The discussion was about the 7DII and why the A77 is not selling more.
And i was pointing out that 7D is mainly a sports/wildlife camera and if you in that area, the lenses become crucial.
Sony simply does not have the long lens slection.
Andrei, I understand what you’re saying, I’m just pointing out that if you want to start a lens lineup from scratch, you concentrate all your efforts on the biggest demand. Based on the survey above, Sony knows that a lack of lenses is keeping people from switching (not only that, obviously), so I’m pretty sure they’re truly trying to release fast zooms before long lenses.
As for carrying 5 or 6 batteries, I personally don’t see it as a huge problem.
The OVF/EVF dilemma is a serious one for lots of people, and bear in mind that I still shoot with a ovf/dslr. But, as EVF get better and better, I really don’t see it as a problem, just a different approach, and surely one we can easily adapt to.
Yes, it makes sense from a business point of view of course.
But it would be nice to have other choises than Canon and Nikon. Would be good for competition.
I use a Fuji X-E1 for anything other than wildlife and i like the EVF. But an OVF it’s just connects you more with the action and one less monitor to stare at in a day 🙂
I have plenty of FF bodies yet i just bought an a77 II for shootIng people, It works lIke a charm.And yes tÎose hIghIfps are great when you are shootIng some one laughIngI
That’s a massive plus for all kinds of photography!
Most people aren’t switching because of the lack of lenses, in particular the fast 2.8 zooms. Even on the mighty A7RII, autofocus with adapted lenses in low light still isn’t all that great. With 38% of the market shooting portraits, photojournalism and weddings, that’s a deal breaker.
Sony has also made no official release announcements on the f2.8, only said it’s going to be a priority. So you can adopt a new camera system based on what’s supposed to happen later.
that’s true, but if you were Sony, would you put all your efforts in creating fast zooms for that 38% of the market or for the 8% of sports/wildlife?
Bet!
Both if ypu are serious about competing wth Canon.
Pros and serios enthusists need to know that whatever they MAY need is available, not just what they need today.
Thats what a real system camera does.
true, but I was talking about priorities. First, the zooms used by the largest number of users, then more specialty lenses. It must be a long term strategy in order to achieve some balance in the product line. Eventually, if Sony wants to compete with Canon & Nikon, it will have to offer a complete lens lineup. In other words, it needs to offer the same or even more options of the competitors in order to gain at least 15% more of the market share. It’s not going to happen overnight, and even if Sony does everything right, it’s still going to be incredibly hard to un-balance a de facto duopoly that has 4/5 of the market (a shrinking market, by the way).
According to the Nikon website, there are 88 lenses for their cameras (36 zooms, 52 primes). Canon has 81. So Sony has quite a long way to catch up, but I don’t think no one thought it would’ve been easy to enter a market where 2 companies have around 80% of the whole pie.
The priority needs to be a system with full range of lenses…at least one superzoom like the 300-600 f4.8 macro I keep talkiing about.
I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but a company, no matter how big or how committed to become a market leader, just can’t release a full set of lenses in a short time. I’m sure they would if they could, but we’re talking about releasing 20, 30 *quality* lenses, primes and zooms, in a matter of months. It’s a gradual thing, and they have to start somewhere, i.e. probably zoom lenses for which there’s bigger demand. If they can release 10 lenses a year for the next 3 years, I’m sure there will be something for everyone. But it’s a pretty ballsy goal.
Also..Sony should buy Nikon.
300-600 f4.8, 5.0, or 5.6 with 150mm barrel extender for close up/ macro mode and drop in dedicated 1.8x teleconverter…for mid $3000.range
That’s a no brainer…
And this news for example is one of the many reasons photographers are not investing in Sony, no matter how good their bodies are.
What a bullsh*t. I’m far from a Canon fan (all I have is an old 10D with 17-40L), but the 7D (Mk.I and Mk.II) is miles ahead of any A7 (whatever type) in terms of usability, reliability and speed. The latest A7 are undoubtedly ahead in sensor and video specs. Calling anyone who buys Canon brainless, is exactly that, brainless.
If you are really that smart with purchasing your camera gear, why don’t you use your brain when posting on the internet I wonder.
I get you. Look, Canon makes awesome cameras and lenses, as does Nikon, but there will always be a market segment that buys on name recognition alone, something Sony still lacks among the uninitiated.
Means a replacement is coming obviously.
Ehhh… It’s ILCA-77M2, no? :/
Yes. 🙂
So you try to told us, Sony makes no translucent mirrors any more, but will bring a new translucent Camera (Alpha 68) in March next year? Sorry, but this is just nonsense.
The spare parts are all being used for the a68
Yeah.
Sony is now disassembling all existing A77ii that nobody wants to buy and put the guts into a cheaper body with plastic-mount. This task is officially planned to be finished until Mar-2016
SPARE parts.
ROFL
One can ask the question if the SLT system is dead, that does not mean the dead of the A-mount !!!! but with what can Sony replace the SLT system in the A-mount ???
Biggest non-story ever.
http://uk.eetgroup.com/i/A1855640A-Sony-P.O.I-Service
http://www.uk-computers.co.uk/pgProduct.cfm?Product=15892_285_398439-A1855640AService
http://www.partmaster.co.uk/search.pl?query=A1855640A
Even if Sony were too officially kill A-mount tomorrow, do you really think spare parts would instantly become no longer available? I’m betting those spare mirrors will be available long after the last SLT camera goes out of production.
Only $30?
Lol. The most expensive Sony camera Best Buy stocks in store around these parts is the a6000. They even have a nice display case that has labels for the a7 series on it, but is instead filled with point and shoots.
Same in Texas. The stores that are supposed to have a specialized camera center. The only Sonyt camera that they have is the A6000, and empty display cases for the A7. They only way that i was able to get Sony’s stuff was going directly to the Sony Store. Unfortunately those store no longer exist, even if your are looking for a High end Canikon best buy never has them on display.
I just have to buy everything Sony related online, sight unseen.
And the big box retailers complain that online is hurting their sales – they hurt their own sales with terrible choices. “Let’s not sell the fastest growing line of cameras in our large camera section.”
SLT is dead. This is the absolute, irrefutable evidence.
this is fine , i was searching for one myself 1 year ago and it was hard to find anyway
Grab one (or two) when it is still available: https://www.encompassparts.com/item/9148294/Sony/A-1855-640-A/
Why is this being posted? Is anyone interested in BestBuy’s policies regarding Sony products?
I’m not interested in BestBuy’s policies regarding Sony products. However, I’m very glad they were posted.
That’s why I love the internet. Free information flow. No one decides for me what is interesting or not. I do.
That may also be the downside for others, because you have to filter the input yourself. That’s not as convenient as watching TV.
So, I’m not interested, but I’m glad it is posted.
BTW: I’m very interested what happens in the comment section though.
Just another clickbait.
Sent my wife’s a77ii into United Camera in Chicago under the Squaretrade Warranty for a scratched LCD. In the past, and with other models, that’s always been a quick fix. This time, Squaretrade just bought us a new camera, in box, directly from B&H, which we promptly put up on ebay and sold, along with the rest of her A-mount gear. (she’s getting the a7ii now) We actually got pretty good prices on the stuff, maybe because the a68 is coming and people realize it’s not dead. Anyhow, the fact that they didn’t have the LCD in stock, or couldn’t get one, is telling in the same way that the translucent mirror is unavailable.
Last time in BestBuy it was a58 and nothing more from Sony. Although store to store inventory differs.
Plenty of A5xxx and A6000’s at my store.
There are no SLT mirrors available because of the overproduction of A99II’s Sony is now stocking up on. Once they release this beast upon the world- parts production should stabilize again.
Well I hope they don’t put that mirror in the A99II, otherwise it would seem your long desired camera is APS-C. 😉
This is exactly why they needed the A68, it’s meant for places like walmart and best buy. I really didn’t see the A77 fitting in.
No kidding….
The local Best Buys near me stopped carrying a-mount long ago. And I’ve even seen them clearing out high end Nikon cameras… They are likely cutting back their whole camera department. So that part of the story is a bit meaningless.
The bigger part — the source cites a “discontinuance notice.” Sounds like a mistake, but if there is indeed a discontinuance notice from Sony regarding the a77ii, that would be big. (Very unlikely as they just announced the a68, unless the a68 is meant as a replacement for the a77ii much like the a58 effectively replaced the a37/57/65.
The recent price drop on the A77ii seems to indicate it’s being discontinued..
Certainly not, yoeddy!
EVERY digital camera modell will undergo lots of price drops before being discontinued. How have you been able to not notice….?
This makes more sense if you ask me.
A77ii is currently on its 2nd price drop…
I think it is discontinued but I will double check, the a77II that is.
Cameras are often discontinued (as in the manufacturing of them has ceased) long before they stop being sold, supported or replaced.
That’s different than sending out a “discontinuance notice” to vendors. I think it’s probably a misstatement, but if it’s true, there is no good spin for it.
This should not have been posted without checking with Sony. The part is still available and is in stock.
https://sony.encompass.com/item/9148294/Sony/A-1855-640-A/P.o.i_(Service)
I guess it’s the same mirror in A68, then still there will be a market for such mirrors.
Guys, don’t bother speculate on this, the ILCE-A77M2 doesn’t even exist, it’s ILCA-77M2…
And FYI, you can buy the SLT mirror anywhere else, just google the part number.
Come on guys… let’s start migrating over to e-mount.