Sony manager Maki Kimio has been interviewed at DC.watch. In short this is what he said:
1) SLT cameras have the advantage of larger bodies. There is more space we can use to implement certain tech (SAR note: He doesn’t mention what exactly they plan to do). And he confirms they will continue to develop A-mount cameras and lenses.
2) Increase sensor size or increase Megapixel numbers is things we will do if customers demand for it.
3) Main demand for now is improve the autofocus performance
4) It is very likely to see different kind of (non-Bayer) sensor in future. But it’s not a concrete matter yet. Vertical layered RGB sensor (like Foveon) are yet very difficult to “process”
5) Light Field camera is something Sony is studying and may could come in a not so distant future.
6) In near future we wills ee more advanced Hybrid Mechanical-electronic shutters
7) Sony says DSLR sales are down because of lack in innovation. Sales of mirrorless are up because they became more advanced (not only because of the more compact size).
8) Both APS-C and Full Frame sensor cameras have a future. Wild life photographers prefer APS-C while landscape photographers prefer FF.
9) We will not make a Medium format system camera yet because we are already busy working to broaden our A and E-mount lens line.
10) It might not be so important to add 5 axis on the A7r yet.
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Just a note on medium format: So far the rumors about medium format Sony cameras talk about fixed lens cameras. Sony is for now only excluding that it’s a system camera.
342 Responses
Point number 1 and 7 are very interesting to hear, new A-mount is coming with inovations IMO??
The biggest surprise here is that the next A7R might now come with 5-axis IBIS. How sad it would be if this were true. IBIS, now that it has been confirmed to be possible, is a must-have feature that a flagship camera should not be without.
Go get the normal a7 series with IBIS. If you’re shooting at that high resolution (36, 50MP etc) then you’ll be on a tripod.
Surely not all the time. Are you suggesting that there are no circumstances when an A7R owner won’t want to take hand held shots? There are many I can think of where it’s simply not feasible to use a tripod. In the street, busy tourist locations, or anything with a moving subject. Admittedly the A7R isn’t the ideal choice for action photography, but it’s a rare photographer who only ever deals with still subjects. Not everybody can afford (or be bothered to carry) two bodies.
In any event, surely not every A7R photograph is destined to be used where you need 36MP resolution. There are many circumstances where a lot less is required.
So yes, if you want the ultimate, resolution, use a tripod, but (size apart), what’s to lose by having IBIS available save a bit of extra size and weight (which actually improves the ergonomics and the extra mass might even help with damping shutter vibration and noise too).
And since when does IS help with moving subjects?
Some IS systems work whilst panning. However, you are confusing motion blurring (which you sometimes want – it gives and impression of motion) with camera shake. Camera shake is always a bad idea.
I have taken many photos at gig where (say) a guitarist is moving relatively slowly whilst their fingers are working extremely fast. A tough of motion blur on the fingers works well, whilst you certainly don’t want camera shake on things like microphone stands. It’s often not feasible to use fast shutter speeds to freeze action. I’ve a lot of photos of musicians and vocalists taken with relatively long shutter speeds (perhaps 1/30th) using a longish lens (100-200mm) where image stabilisation makes all the difference.
In any event, the point is with a moving subject, you can’t use a tripod is you are constantly changing the framing. But when you do take the photo, you don’t want camera shake to interfere and fast shutter speeds aren’t feasible.
Nonsense…in real life most photos are taken handheld.
Tripods greatly limit photo opportunities, interfere with traffic flow, and are prohibited at many if not most locations.
Photographers tend to tell other people to use a tripod while shooting handheld themselves.
Barry, most of product/macro/landscape and also a lot of wildlife photography is shot on tripod
The photographer that will shoot everything on a tripod and has no need to ever handhold a camera is a rare creature…if one even exists.
most != everything 😉
then go get a ****ing a7 series camera. You do not need 50MP. Learn to compose images properly instead of cropping. You need better skill, not better equipment. r series is a very niche market.
I rarely crop and stitch whenever possoble.
I use every bit of detail available to me and supplemsnt that with detail from multiple other photos.
You may just look at your pictures on a tv and not need the detail…I most assuredly do not.
Maybe stabilizing system cannot work at a pixel level on Hi rez cameras. so it makes no sense on the 7r.
Stabilizing systems makes images sharper, not sharp.
24mp was once considered high rez. But what you say sounds logic
“Both APS-C and Full Frame sensor cameras have a future. Wild life photographers prefer APS-C while landscape photographers prefer FF.”
nop wild life photographers whant FF!!!
only dslr/slt doesnt have a future. Mirrorless is thr future
All wildlife togs I know want the crop advantage of APS-C.
What IBIS not important!! sorry but its a huge advantage Sony have over both Canon & Nikon.
OSS still works better
Only on some things. OSS can never compensate for roll round the Z axis. IBIS is also better than OSS for shorter focal lengths (although the reverse is true for longer focal lengths).
The best way is to have both available (as the A7 II does). That way you get the best stabilisation possible.
Yes agreed…If we just buy the lenses that match the system we get the best of both worlds…
OSS makes lens designs complicated and expensive, you can get a much better performing lens without OSS.
Dear Sony, please add IBIS and global shutter to A7S to turn it into state-of-art street and PJ camera.
Adding global shutter is non-trivial (to put it mildly) and all the current approaches to doing it with a CMOS sensor involve a temporary charge storage area which adversely affects DR and high ISO performance. So it’s very likely an A7S with a global shutter would not be anything like as good at high ISO.
IBIS, of course, is a completely different issue. That’s not much more than putting the A7S sensor in an A7 II body with the appropriate firmware modifications.
What??!!?? A-Mount is not dead??!!??
🙂
I believe it’s a good message, afterall.
with 5-axi IBIS, FE & a could be come a very flexiable system: incorporate both wide apture & small size(comparing to a-mount). we just need more time to figure out our setup plan, if don’t wanna waste dollars.
Of course Sony won’t tell you but we all know
seems Admin missed a message from Sony: many a-mount lenses come to a “must-happen” corner to be updated to MK2/MK3…（i remember DCwatch said so)
Well, it is debatealbe if mkII is really new lenses designs.
It is mostly coating and AF mechanics (motors etc.)
i agree it’s what sony have done so far. wish SONY can do it better in 2015.
Yes new AF motors… which is what they needed most. Optics are already first rate across the board (apart from some inherited lenses from Minolta which are still excellent mind you).
When we’ll see the next A7Sii? 🙂
I’ll believe it when I see it…
Sony’s actions in the last couple of years have all indicated that they only cater to the statue-shooting club. Radio silence on the A-Mount front has made a lot of people to sell their gear. Now they finally wake up and realize that not everybody wants compact dumbed-down cameras with narrow-aperture lenses? We’ll see in 2015..
What actions and radio silence are you talking about?
Sony just released a new A-mount body 7 months ago, A77II, which happens to be one of the fastest cameras available right now next to a Canon 1DX. Then they upgraded that body a couple weeks ago with a new firmware that makes A77II even better!
In the past 2 years, Sony has released and/or announced:
Sony 300mm F2.8 G SSM II
Sony 70-200 F2.8 G SSM II
Sony 70-400 F4.5-5.6 G SSM II
Sony 70-300 F4.5-5.6 G SSM II
Zeiss 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM
Zeiss 24-70 F2.8 ZA SSM II
Zeiss 16-35 F2.8 ZA SSM II
Before the release of A99, Sony already stated their full frame release calendar would be in 3 year cycles, so 2015 is right on schedule for new A-mount full frame bodies.
Sony is blatantly revamping & optimizing the A-mount line-up to support the needs of professional sports photographers. Developing brand new autofocus technology and new cameras optimized for speed takes time.
I’m okay with that because we professionals don’t need nor expect a new camera body every year.
Like Sony said in the interview, large bodies will always have advantages because you can fit more electronics inside. What he didn’t add is that for shooting sports, they’re more practical to balance with a long lens.
Relax! Sony A-Mount is about to get a lot better!
Thanks for that. Of course you’re completely right. Sony’s problem, however, is their pace of new releases in mirrorless totally eclipses that of A-mount, which, combined with their near silence on the issue, could lead one to believe that E-mount is their future. But as you correctly point out, a calm analysis still dictates that A-mount has a future, and we should probably all just calm down about it. If, however, Sony doesn’t come out with a new A-mount FF body in 2015, then it will be worry time for sure.
E-Mount is obviously their thought process going forward, it makes complete sense from a shooters rational too, one set of glass for both stills and motion. You can see it in the the close integration with cameras like the A7S & AS7.
You have to wonder about Sony. From a marketing perspective, it would have been preferable to have the mirrorless cameras use the existing A-mount lens lineup. But to really take advantage of the shorter flange distance, they needed new lenses (not necessarily on a different mount). So they’re sort of in a “damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t” position with regards to the competing mounts.
Obviously, long term, mirrorless is the future. We’ve all come to see that I’m sure. But at least for the next cycle, I’d like to see a pro-quality A-mount body.
The good news with Sony is they’re innovators who aren’t risk averse (like Canon), so maybe some killer tech will be released in A-mount which will keep it relevant for a bit longer. We can always hope.
A-Mount is Sony’s FD mount, only time will tell. Look to Nikon’s AIS mount, it’s a mess with incompatibility.
A-mount lenses work just fine on e-mount cameras.
The opposite is true. Sony’s efforts are geared toward MOTION and not statue shooting.
Well, they did release A77-II… but that’s pretty much it.
And the the A6000 – but you’ve discounted that because some guy said it doesn’t focus very fast with the 55-210mm. Did you read that Cameralabs review, or did you ignore it?
“Light Field camera is something Sony is studying and may could come in a not so distant
future”. What kind of camera he is talking about?
See lytro
Once again lots of empty A mount promises but very little A mount action….weve heard this promise many times but we have not seen it.
Bayer sensors only, because multi layers are too hard too produce….I wonder if Canons new high mp sensor will be foveon like…if so they will have a huge sales advantage..o wait they already have a huge sales advantage.
All this hype about ultimate resolution and revolutionary new technolgy..unless Sony actually cones up with something to match thier claims they will be a laughing stock…o wait they already are a laughing stock.
46mp bayer sensor is just. Not exciting game changing new technolgy..it is just one small step beyond thier 36mp technology…that A mount has still not even seen.
Some vague hint about room for new technology in slt bodies…that we are sopposed to wait for when none of thier promise about A mount have happened.
Lenses…I like Sigma 150-600sport and new global vision tc.
The new 90mm macro for E mount is the only new Sony lens that interests me.
Nothing comparable is available for Sony
I would prefer to buy Sony equipment…this next round of cameras will determine if it is possible to do so.
He said Foveon like sensors are hard to process. Maybe means the computing power to process the signal, not to make the actual sensor. It seems like Canon’s new sensor tech will be a Sony sensor anyway so no advantage there. Sounds like you should just go ahead and buy that Sigma sport lens, and buy a second hand D800E to leave it permanently attached to. They are very cheap these days, and it does not appear that you care at all about size & weight. Just my 2 cents worth Barry. Happy Holidays anyway.
Fovion images do not require interpolation therefore are easier to process…he is talking about production difficulty.
Like many if not most photograraphers I care very little about size and wight.
If everything else were comparable I would choose a lighter camera..but cameras are never comparable enough for me to even consider size and wieght…so yes it is very unimportant.
I am seriosly considering buying a single new state of the art Canon or Nikon camera to leave attached to my new lens..I have to wait to see what the new cameras will be like to make that choice…or if another better new lens becomes available while I am waiting.
As for c size vs ff size..there are definite advantages to c size, but if ff has high enough resolution….pixel /mm.. then those advantages are neutralized and the only advantage left is lower cost.
Canon is very unlikely to use a Sony sensor in thier high end camera.
Canon has been developing thier own high mp and foveon like sensors for a long time now..plus the ceo has specifically stated they will not use Sony sensors in thier highest guality cameras.
Foveon sensors require a lot of colour processing. As the stacked sensor is not great at capturing colour…Just look at some of the weird colour effects from the New Sigma sensor…
Process will surely mean fabrication of the sensor. In many ways the processing of the output from a “3 colour channels at each site” sensor is theoretically easier than a Bayer system as it doesn’t need demosaicing in the same way. The only caveat would, of course, be that for the saim photosite density the data rates are tripled (as is the ADC rate). It’s probably not conducive to high frame rates.
nb. the Foveon sensor is actually a rather imperfect “3 channel at each site” design. The problem is that the method of colour detection (by differential penetration rates into silicon) means that the colour channels have very poor natural colour separation and it takes great deal of processing to compensate for that (and the inherent issues make for big problems with chroma noise at high ISO rates). That’s very probably one of the reasons 3rd party raw support for the Foveon is poor. It requires special processing and it’s not possible to use the same core conversion that works on a Bayer and isn’t worth the development effort.
Sony, Sony, Sony…..
1) Some cameras in lineup could at least inherit better ergonomics and weather sealing from SLT while I preferentially seek the slim models and small lenses of the A7 cameras.
2) Increase sensor size? yes ditch APSC altogether and start working on medium format cameras to be introduced in next five to ten years: Medium format is the real change in quality and look desired!
3) Autofocus is important in whole system but those who use adapted lenses and manual focus wont be that bothered (indeed stabilizer is the real improvement for this shooting)
4) Different sensor types could be difficult to process… and a larger sensor size and solution to weather sealing are more important for the moment I think.
5) Light Field…
6) Global shutter is an excellent idea but I would like to a see stills camera which can shoot real high dynamic range video first to use it…
7) Mirrorless sales are up due to innovation… but Sony will follow the negative course of incremental updates of DSLR having garnered interest by bucking the trend?
8) APSC should die peacefully in a comfortable environment leaving 35mm and the lenses for 35mm to progress on till introduction of medium format and be reinvented for gadgets and possibly video use.
9) Make a Medium format system camera NOW and there will be fewer years of just incremental upgrades to 35mm system when buying lenses and a real improvement in quality, just follow the pattern of compact and high image quality of the excellent A7 cameras!
10) Surely its a joke to say A7r need not have 5 axis stabilizer yet, the best most compact super high resolution 35mm camera ever forced to be used on a bulky tripod and not handheld as it should be.
More resolution is welcomed, its just stabilizer would be the obvious update for next high resolution Sony camera, also to make it worth upgrading rather than incremental: read FAIL like canonikon DSLR.
As the guy clearly says Medium format is not in the cards any soon. And thats a good decision IMO.
They have three unfinished systems – A mount, E mount and FE mount.
They really need to show they do not have ADD by launching a fourth system for a medium format mount.
APS-C is what is selling not FF and definitely not medium format.
Medium format is for the discerning few and sales will be miniscule which Sony can’t afford.
APS-C is the best performance/price ratio and lets lenses be smaller too.
I agree with you – a 4th system for Sony would be a real mistake right now. But an MF camera might still be a winner if they made it an RX1-type, with a fixed 35mm equivalent. Or, if they made a mirrorless body designed to work with another existing mount, but that seems unlikely.
Both excellent options, just imagine the utility of such a camera!
What fourth system? If you are counting E and FE as two, then you need to count A and A DT as two, so that’s four already.
There are TWO systems, E and A.
ADD? noone knows as much about cameras and lenses- in this case sensors! as the companies of which we speak, however we must push them for what we desire: medium format innate qualities in a compact body unreachable by either 35mm or APSC in any configuration, would be ideal all round into the future with just a wide angle, real normal lens and a medium to long telephoto for starters- even as discrete tailored fixed lens options like sigma, and sharing functional flash operation! Economy of lenses and final image quality could as well be found in medium format nevermind APSC costly downgrade from 35mm and zero actual investment in your personal systems future progress! I dont want to use f/1 aperture lenses with horrendous rendering and cloudy haze and optical overcorrection to achieve a look that can be done with modest medium format lenses at slighter cost! The A7’s prove the point of High quality AND success, and the matter of 35mm vs APSC is surely down to how terrible any APSC is in direct equivalence to use of even mediocre cheap 35mm lenses and not smaller size in relation to ratio of quality to economy either-hence i present the A7 series of compact 35mm cameras as evidence of this fact. Priorities!
The whole Sony system will be simpler with no APSC muddying waters of compatibility in say 5 years time or so when a medium format option could be introduced. Making the E mount fully compatible with A mount and also weather sealed with in body stabilization, ergonomics and flash utility seems like a necessity if it is at all possible within the next 5 years. I strongly prefer a system with short flange distance for basic compatibility with all lens options and would like to see that in medium format interchangeable lens system too.
Sony don’t have THREE systems, they have TWO.
Three. Us Sony APS-C shooters are the orphan children. We don’t want the FE lenses~ too big, too expensive. But they won’t make us new APS-C lenses.
Waah Waah Waah! And so what are A-Mount crop (DT) users then?
This argument is as idiotic as the users making it… no wonder you are orphans…
I wonder what you’d call the EOS-M.
An entirely different camera from an entirely different manufacturer. What would you call it?
What I would call you is a desperate troll.
And this “orphan children” thing hits close to home for you. LOL! STFU
The full frame 35 mm format will become the standard as it was with film now that the sensor manufacturing process has matured. The APS-C and M43 were just interim solutions that are no longer necessary. The only exceptions being point & shoot, computers and smart phones.
I think it’s obvious Sony already feels that way.
As do most photographers.
If you consider that most APS-C E- mount guys have bought into the system for its size they will not consider larger and far more expensive FE mount lenses.
So its the same as in DSLRs where size isn’t that big of an issue.
Sony will need to have many many more APS-C E -mount lenses if they wish to attract new camera buys looking for compact performance.
I am missing the great i-TTL flash technology that my Nikon cameras had 🙁
A flexible and intelligent wireless flash solution would be great!!!
Yes, that’s all but essential for Sony system!
would something like cactus v6 solve that for you?
thanks for the comment, but cactus only supports Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus and Panasonic! :-((
I use a cheap radio trigger for my studio flashes and for my old Nikon flashes, but no solution for real TTL controlled wireless!
interesting, i have a mix of everything (fuji, hasselblad, sigma, leica, mamiya..) and didn’t know which way to go with off-camera flash photography and somebody suggested cactus v6 as it can communicate with 30+ flashes and more can be added via FW update.
I bought v6 trigger/receiver and also flash from cactus which contains pretty much v6 unit in it – so far tried it only as that and with friend’s canon and his v6 unit as receiver. it worked fine, zoom/power control from transmitter (in the hot shoe) but full manual to be honest as I’ve never tried TTL, only manual flash photography (something i’ve been staying away from for a long time – i mean flash photography)
From what I gather the v6 can be used on a Sony camera (new hot shoe) to fire your Nikon flashes. It only doesn’t support Sony flashes.
thanks Vlad,
but I think, it will not support TTL!?
as said, I have and use flashes with manual control but I miss a good wireless system with TTL control from the camera like the Nikon i-TTL does 🙁
Have you looked at the phottix Odin system ?
thanks,
I am going to ask them for a solution
from there product descriptions I am not sure jet, if it is for me.
Great stuff…I liked what I heard…Keep doing what you are doing Sony…..!!!…Full steam ahead!!!
In summation… Maki Kimio said that something is going to happen in some way that may or may not have been determined yet, and that he is pretty sure of his and Sony’s uncertainty.
A hard bitter pill to swallow for many (Europeans and USAers) is that them-there are not the center of the universe any more. Sony International has to make decisions for a global market. There are lots of little hands with great affluency than they ever had before that are begging as much, if not more, for what is better for themselves.
“A hard bitter pill to swallow for many (Europeans and USAers) is that them-there are not the center of the universe any more.”
Euro and USA has never been the centre of the Universe, Japan is ALWAYS Sony’s primary market. You are simply clueless about how Sony operate.
So sad it is that you probably do not even realize how stupid and wrong your reply to me is. An global company with international sales and you dare say that Japan is its primary market. Yes, you are wrong.
Like what i hear. But do Sony follow up in action, these words. I want a A7s mk II, and a A99 mk II. I wanna use the A7s system for lenses up to 55 mm, and the a-mount system for tele lenses. So if they follow this up in action. Then i would be happy as a boy in christmas time
APS-C 4k codec super-ahvc-x 200mbit. so waht? go on and make it.
I do not care about small /big fingers, global. local ore soemthing else.
i want a good SONY-cam now and not in 5 years and not 555 modells of fun and
idiotic show. if they do not care-another one gets my money-out nice new year
we have 21th century…sometimes think..some are in 17 th.
Me thinks thou need be doing Y homework: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_century
i’d like to see who will be first to introduce cmos based mf mirrorless -> i guess it’s inevitable (i’d love to have something like mamiya 6 or plaubel makina for fixed lens solution although would prefer interchangeable system more)
Phaseone with A-series? 🙂
? are you talking about mounting a back (film or digital) on a view camera? – no, that’s not what I mean. I mean mirrorless camera with decent AF and CMOS MF sensor
So what is a mirrorless system for you? It’s not an ILC body without a mirror?
modern camera with eve (or hybrid ovf/evf), with AF, with wifi (for tethering or remote control), with weather sealing, with control layout that can be operated in a normal way (ever shot view cam with back on it hand-held? – i guess you haven’t, don’t try, it’s painful as all controls aren’t designed to be accessed/operated in that way :))
simply what we see in aps-c, ff mirrorless cams just ported to medium format world; alpa with phase one back is not the way to go – we’ve had that solution around for 3 decades already (at least)
I think that Sony is Leading the way with innovation, but there is one glaring mistake that they need to address. They need to follow Fuji, in bringing out frequent firmware updates, even for some older cameras. Nothing will build brand loyalty better than fixing mistakes, and adding features, especially on older bodies, where users have given up on ever getting a few simple improvements. Minimum shutter speeds on Auto ISO settings is one that comes to mind (a much requested feature) and there are many more. If Sony responds to these type of user requests, it would go a long way to showing us that they really do care about their consumers.
Another thing that they could do is change to an in-camera update routine, where we download the file, copy it to a memory card, and do the update locally, as I find the update process is very tempermental when done live online, and is prone to failures and bricked units, which maybe one reason why they are scared to do frequent firmware releases. Are you listening Sony?
Yes, FujiFilm would be a great example of a forward thinking company. Great support and fantastic hardware. Fuji’s XPAN camera was always an example of solid innovative engineering (another camera Hasselblad “modified”).
So forward thinking they left their loyal customers in the lurch and abandoned them to pursue really rather rubbish P&S cameras for a few years, followed by a whole new system of cameras with half baked software that they later ‘fix’ after their paying customers are the guinea pigs? Or perhaps like developing their own CFAs and lumping their customers with substandard software to process it with and forgetting to tell the main software developers how it works? Or perhaps releasing model after model based on the same general hardware seeing what sticks? Or making huge claims about their ‘special’ sensor performance that they can’t back up so they cook the heck out of their RAWs so end users don’t have a choice?
Yes, good thing Fuji bring out their ‘great’ firmware updates! Sony should learn from them and follow in their ‘unique’ footsteps…
this comment would cause quite heated debate over on fujirumors 🙂
Given Sony’s rapid gain of market share and some unique products they offer, that probably doesn’t motivate them much to update older cameras. Add to that less purchases of new gear.
One of the many reasons why I haven’t bought any “new” Sony Cameras.
Exactly. They lose customer loyalty through releasing and then abandoning too quickly.
Nikon does it again! After releasing the third version of basically the same camera, D600, D610, D750 they still haven’t ironed out all the problems. And this latest one may be the worst yet.
Big problem on Nikon D750. Review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LynWn0DvdO0#t=40
Wait for the D760 🙂
D750 has a lot going for it…besides the rediculous price and gimped out 1/4000th shutter speed and shiiiit video and garbage liveview. Ok, maybe it just has ergonomics and a dual card slot. Wait, that really is all it has. Ergo, two card slots…no, not even the flippy screen because my Canon Rebel has that. This just adds fuel to the fire. Nikon yet again defecates on it’s user base. I’d rather pick up an old A900 than shoot with that garbage.
Wrong. The sales metrics are there if you were willing to do some basic research!
More likely it’s because you’re a cheapskate that’s in denial. Or perhaps just a troll like CI Sales.
What about renewing and enhancing electronics / Image Quality Algorithm on Sony Cameras? Pure uncompressed 14 bit raw should be expected as Pro process
Why not 16 or 32 bit?
Because nobody can see the difference?
Trolls can, but only when induced by laboratory conditions that would never occur in real life shooting and at 300+% magnification.
“3) Main demand for now is improve the autofocus performance”
Thank you for hearing me, Sony.
If they achieve the current AF speed of my a77II in my A7 or A7II body I’m all for the E mount FF. Right now I’m just getting good FE glass as they come out.
if they do, you’ll have to buy a new camera, current models won’t improve
If they brought out an LA-EA5 with A77 II abilities you should be able to use it on any of the current cameras. That would be all I’d ever need.
What’s wrong with just hoping something to happen?
Can we classify this under the “duh” category? ;~)
I guess I should clarify . . . I don’t care a lick about about AF tracking. I just want to shoot a shot using available light and not have my A7 and Zeiss 55 hunt for focus (e.g., a portrait). That happens far too often right now. I am coming from a Canon 6D and it was superb in lower light. I’d be happy with something in between the 6D and the A7 for that matter. I know the A7s produces amazing results with high ISO, but before I can get amazing results, I need to acquire AF quickly. That’s what I hope the Sony exec was referring to more than tracking speed with AF.
In lower light A7S maintains strong AF unlike the A7 which hunts badly. Yes it still needs contrast but use it right and it works very well down to very low light levels at least as well as my 6D did. They just need more of that across the range with some halfway decent tracking in good light (which is already kind of there).
the a7s gets the focus, but does it veery slowly…a no go for a moving object
I do event and weddings with A7S without issue. No it doesn’t track, but if you know what you are doing it works perfectly fine. A7 hunts and struggles much more. A7S can be very quick to focus in poor lighting.
6D can struggle in low light as well and certainly can’t track either.
What? My daughter’s camera is a Canon 6d, and I used it on static and in varying location focal environments and it does not autofocus any better than my older Sony SLT A57 (both cameras using good glass), nor does it retain focus any better (and this is including outdoors with good lighting). As for “tracking”, both are iffy the closer the subject is, while a fair bit better when the subject if further away.
6D and A7S both focus to lower light levels.
4
We are likely to see non bayer future sensor but verticle layered rgb is difficult…
A recent patent and vague rumors…I do not know how credible they are…point to the development of a color sampling sensor.
This is a single layer of pixels. .each pixel has a processor and three seperate storage devices.
A 3 color moving filter array exposes each pixel to each color 16,000x/second.
Native iso is 5000 and dynamic range is 21 f stops.
Video capabilty is up to 16,000 frames/ second.
If this technology is real it would bypass an entire generation of foveon like sensors and fulfill Sonys stated 3 point goal for 2015 of
Ultimate resolution
Ultimate speed
Ultimate dynamic range
I do not know if this technology is imminent or even true…but would definitely like to hear more about it.
Fuji has just stated that they will not currently produce a foveon like sensor..if Canon also does not produce a foveon sensor it may be because color sampling sensors will render foveon like sensors obsolete.
Here is a reason why I don’t like the idea of color sampling: http://www.epidemicfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/old-color-russian-photography.jpg
So you take a 30 second exposure, how is that going to work? 10 seconds for each color? So you take a short exposure, how is that going to work? You need 3x the light?
Better ergonomics and massive 4D AF is what I would like with a set of F1.4 primes to match.
How about multiple samples of each color for the duration of the exposure, this would greatly reduce if not eliminate this effect.
Sure i wasn’t expecting them to design a system that would take 10 seconds for G, 10sec for B etc. But the reality is: you either get a color shift, which needs clever software to fix, or you need 3X the light if you go for fast exposure.
BTW, that is one creepy looking dude on the raft. LOL
You need to actually read what is being said…your argument is completely contrary to the way this sensor works.
What argument?
That is exactly how it works..16000x / second.
Plus each adjacent pixel is exposing a differrent color during each of those exposures.
This is nothing like the old color wheel.
A color array..not a single color filter.. cycles through all 3 colors at 16,000x / second…not a 30 second exposure..
And native iso is 5000.
So an exposure of 1/1000 second would combine 16 exposures of each color.
What camera/lens and software processing for this shot?
This is a 100 year old Russian color pic, I thought it made a funny over exaggerated example 🙂
Its actual quite interesting.
You should google for 100 year old Russian colour pics, they are fantastic. It shows you people do whatever it takes to make the shot they want.
This picture is obviosly taken with a black and white sensor and a rotating color wheel.
No similarity at all to this current desighn.
Obviously…………
answer #10 definitely fulfill as a troll as usual 🙂
A9 is the new medium format 😀
(if it has larger sensor than 36×24)
Sounds like medium format with an interchangeable lens camera is not imminent. But they don’t rule out an RX1 like fixed lens camera as medium format.
would be a show stopper for me as it wouldn’t be a cheap camera and having ability to have another 2 or so lenses for it would make it more reasonable purchase, at least for me
FE 24-105 f4 OSS
FE 30-90 f4 OSS
FE 35 f1.8 OSS
FE 50 f1.8 OSS
FE 85 f2 OSS
FE 105 f2.8 OSS
Give me the A99II Sony. I like the A7 but I want the A99II. Replace all lenses with SSM, give us a new 35mm 1.4 G series and I’d like to see a 17mm or 20mm Zeiss prime in the mix for A mount.
He says the reason mirror less sales are up is because that’s where the innovation is. No. It’s because YOU”VE chosen to stuff the innovation in mirror less cameras and withhold it from your SLT cameras. I’m sorry, am I missing something? Is there an A99S, A99R??? Oh, there isn’t.
Makes me wonder what deal they made with Nikon in regard the 36MP sensor, perhaps it was a non-compete. The A7* series was probably just to test the bath water and as it turns out it was pretty warm so they are now going to jump in. Give it another 4 months or so.
My guess is none. I think Sony made a call and at the time people wanted better high ISO not resolution. I think they made the wrong call in some ways, but sometimes you have to live with a product when you made the wrong choices for it.
Look at A77 II, it’s a hugely improved camera that is nearly completely new, but they stuck with the same looking camera and the same headline specs and most people didn’t ‘get’ the upgrade. Heck ever if they had made a 26MP sensor people would have been more interested in it (which is of course absurd).
While it’s true the A-mount cameras have been neglected to some extent with this mirror-less revolution, the up side is that much of the new technology developed for the E-mounts could easily be adapted to the SLT design. The SLT design is still a viable platform and should be developed to its highest potential. I see no reason why both systems can’t peacefully coexist, or in fact complement each other.
“Slt cameras have advantage of bigger bodies” That’s funny, as if mirrorless naturally have to have small bodies….of course that’s their selling point, but it’s always funny how companies put disadvantages into advantages abd vice versa…
That’s how 99% of people on here see it, that A-Mount = bigger bodies…
Is there any mirrorless camera bigger than the A58? I don’t think so. IMO nothing to laugh about here, the generalisation is correct as far as I’m concerned.
RED Epic is a mirrorless camera. So is Sony F65. VG900. VG30. F55. F5. F3. FS100. FS700. EA50. FS7.
Umm, different purposes, sorry.
And? Point is mirrorless does not equal small. One of the din fining factors of SLT’s was that they could be much smaller than SLRs when they first came out, but then they started making them bigger again. A LOT of people said ‘I don’t want an SLT because they are too small for my hands’ it’s the same illogical argument now with mirrorless.
Yes, and there is no point of doing smaller Slt right now as mirrorless cameras are already covering that up. My initial point was there was nothing wrong with statement no 1.
I think you didn´t get my point. Making bigger Mirrorless Cameras is no problem, making smaller SLTs is. That´s my point.
So what this guy is saying is not contrary of your point?
Kidding me?? No need 5-axis stabilizer? Where this guy got the feedback from? His dad?
he’s damn right about AF performance though. Ya, AF + in body stabilizer, the two most important improvement I’m looking for.
Agree with this guy, EXCEPT no 7. What innovation is he talking about and how much effect does the particular innovation he’s talking cause?
What I catch from his points:
– A mount will still be developed next year but not sure about the year after
– There’s going to be A99 coming this year
– Few A-Mount lenses coming
– 46MP is possible for future FF and 32MP APSC if the market demands them (which I think, a yes)
– A9 will definitely be FF (not MF)
– More quick hybrid focusing E-Mount cameras coming (I think it’s going to be on the A9 and A7000)
– A7R with 5 axis stabilisation is not going to come, at least not next year
Wow. How did you get from “will continue to develop A-mount cameras and lenses” and “busy working to broaden our A and E-mount lens line” to “not sure about the year after” and “few a-mount lenses coming”?
Seeing how things are in the A-Mount world for the thisand last year.
By most accounts the Sony 50 megapixel CMOS cropped medium format sensor (used by PhaseOne, Pentax, and Hasselblad) is currently the best sensor on the market yet Sony has no plans for a medium format camera to use their own “world’s best” sensor. Sounds like some serious non-compete clauses are in effect.
Or a saturated market with no clear future.
Yes that is possible although demand for the IQ150/250 and the Pentax 645z is pretty strong. Heck I almost bought the PhaseOne A-series with IQ250 before sanity kicked in 🙂
How do we know what’s the demand for said gear?
I have some personal and professional ties with folks at PhaseOne. They study the market pretty closely and while they would never admit it publicly, there is some concern over Pentax in that camp while at the same time, they are barely keeping up with the 50mp back demand so far.
The R&D costs must be huge for the digi MF developers, just keeping up with their peers, never mind two steps ahead of the 135 crowd must be a constant drain. I often wonder how outfits like Hasselblad are staying in business. I know no pro shooters buying H systems, but all the same guys were running Blads or Mamiya’s back in the day. A D800 today is all that’s really needed to compete on IQ.
Looking at images between such systems you don’t have to look too close to see that the context in medium format images is neatly and well rendered out of focus with little aberration visible compared to that with even D800 etc and the dimensionality assured. This is before you factor in the way people shoot with such cameras as D800, using wide angle lenses to compress alot of detail into the images where a normal perspective would be natural and shooting off angle and as if your head were tilted. The naturally desirable results of medium format could actually improve the way people shoot photography intuitively without overstylising their work.
Absolutely, you start to bang your head against the wall discussing such issues with the Micro 4/3 crowd. On a side note though, the aesthetic they see where close-up imaging is concerned, that to my eye, is far more pleasing than from the larger formats.
The movement inherent in video means i don’t think you absolutely require shallow depth of field for dimensionality as your brain completes the forms it sees in the continuum.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is fantastic and uses active M43’s which makes those lenses really useful for video crowd where absolutely shallow depth of field is a pipe dream alongside real video quality at the moment, in the same fashion the Sigma 18mm to 35mm on the Blackmagic Cinema Camera in near APSC surely renders some if not the best value and quality video in my opinion. None of the major camera manufacturers including Sony apart from Panasonic seem to actually want to make good hybrid still and video cams or even use the imaging and lens technology for fantastic looking video footage capable devices…
When shooting reportage, M43 falls down seriously in two areas, audio implementation and shooting anything wider that a normal lens simply looks terrible, I’ll take a good camcorder anyway over M43 for reportage. Sony’s excellent audio implementation trumps Panasonics 4K picture all day long for a solo reportage operator. The Super-35 mode/usability/aesthetic is very nice on the A7S.
The image quality of Sony A7S video is terrible, and the sound of any video can be recorded perfectly off camera surely without large expense, wider than normal lens is supported on M43 and its not wide angle that makes video look good, its dynamic range and colours retained etc, its more difficult to make good of Sony A7S by having to crop surely than by using say 4K on M43 and being able to add Hollywood styled stabilizing in post
Cinematic, WHY, most ends up on the web. Dual audio EASY/FAST/EFFICIENT, you’re kidding right. Have you shot much real-word EDITORIAL/NEWS GATHERING imaging? We’re NOT talking narrative (got all day & a team of elves working) here! Have you seen how bad that 4K GH4 footage actually looks beyond 800ISO, it really gates the 4K goodness when the A7S looks so darned good beyond 3200 ISO. A 4K GH4 cinematic image is a 2.3x crop on that glass, better off with a regular HC-X1000 if you want the Panasonic 4K goodness, you’ll get proper audio and a bloody good lens to boot!
The A7S is a lovely camera for editorial shooters, the AS7 is fast proving the camera of choice too. All the audio accessories Sony produce for the MI shoe actually work well and interchange between most platforms of the last few years. It’s actually an “audio system” for the 21st century unlike the Panny YAG option.
I like that, but it should be:
“FAST, EASY & EFFICIENT” Go SONY for your 21st century imaging needs.
Resolution isn’t that important is what i gather from this and I agree as I only have low resolution viewing. Everything is however becoming cinematic in media, for instance even new virtual reality technology and ultimately there will be 360degree photography too…Stereo audio is nothing compared to what is coming in the near future. The new technology and media will make the old look flat and without dimensionality such that noone will look at it anymore-unless it is extremely fine quality.
Immersive audio (binaural) is more useful than most think. Wearing binaural mics whilst shooting stills & motion content isn’t anything new to a lot of stills guys. Its actually about the only way to successfully capture dual audio when you’re a solo shooter. Great when news gathering as people assume when the camera is down they’re off the record, they often open-up and give you that golden soundbite!
Yes i am implying irony in the fact there will shortly be surround imagery as well as surround sound which isn’t even implemented much now since stereo was introduced 🙂 but you can record that off camera in compact device such as Zoom H2n and even potentially alter the stereo field in post as you wish for dimensional separation with absolutely no limit to recording media for the purpose. Its no small irony that arranging the stereo can impact the simpler monostereo playback and thus requiring careful compromise for widest exposure and consistency of the content to intended audience, and perhaps the fundamental work in shooting classical 2D stills of current media and its practitioners will similarly help inform those working solely in virtual experience and 3D still and video mediums long into the future which i am avid in embracing myself anyway. Nevermind quality reportage video imagery which i have no hand in, a significant issue not considered is live display of images and video through wifi as they are recorded which i find very interesting…
Binaural mics plugged into an iPhone in your shirt pocket. No one objects to an iPhone and those things in your ears, hey, you must be listening to your tunes. I avoid big fancy pieces of kit wherever possible. You can see a subjects comfort level drop when you pull out fancy kit. The kids get this, look at their iPhone YouTube footage, some of it is superb.
Hence Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, looks to layman like a reasonable matte metal compact camera: shoots RAW video codecs XD
Audio…….
Zoom H2n
360 surround sound
Linear pcm recording at up to 24bit/96khz
20 hours battery life
£99
Take it beyond some theoretical construct and you soon get the idea, go out and “try to” shoot a piece and you be reaching for your iPhone before your Latte gets cold.
Yes instead of my Sony A7r or Blackmagic Pocket Cinema camera…(sarcasm) and as further proof of the absurdity of said argument alot of people actually want to be photographed and unless you treat people like wild game on safari thats a good thing not a problem for sense of realism as are the qualities of real imaging devices in emulating how we actually see as opposed to superflat phone commodities.
Sure, some do.
But when was the last time you were in a room with fifty journalists trying to get your shot? “Sorry, please wait a minute while I connect my microphone to my recorder and change the batteries on my camera.”
You are CLUELESS on issues of news if you thing people will wait FOR YOU to get all your crap together. There’s bloody good reason why 1/3″ camcorders are the kit of choice in journalism. TIME.
Again, trying to boil this down into a thought exersize and not accepting the facts is futile. Instead of ASSUMING and LABELING take yourself out and SHOOT A PIECE. Post it on YouTube for us to see if you are happy with it. We’ll go from there shall we………. I’ll make you one absolute guarantee, YOU WON’T post anything!
Furthermore, take a look around ANY BREAKING STORY and you’ll find you are NOT ALONE. There will be journos AND all the kings men sporting cell-phones and Twitter accounts, before your Zoom recorder has booted they’ve already Twittered and uploaded to Instagram. Go Google “Elton John Instagram Wedding”. After which you may start to realize that you are more out of touch than you EVER imagined.
You won’t last five minutes in ANY area of professional imaging if you cannot accept the fact that PEOPLE do not give a crap for technical perfection where news and entertainment are concerned. The exception being your video games………..
Wat? lol and being purely for entertainment and not high minded cough critical journalism, a fine example they are. Regards Sony also, though i left off after Playstation 2, often dismissed: in fact best selling console in history and my favourite with the most games ever made for it (still played PS1 games through emulation also and consider that in relation to lens mounts lol and PS3 started to lose backward compatibility dang)…Nintendo DS is nearly up to PS2 sales in case that counts towards my device fit for purpose analogy being portable and made specifically for games because or despite of the cult of iphone as you were suggesting we acknowledge.
Ah, you’re a computer gamer now. Well done!
I recently spent on a pay to win game on steam and i wish i had got a WiiU instead now that an update made it unplayable on PC with unsigned drivers, its an amazing console that only just a few months back all the journos were berating and doom saying the end of Nintendo regards…nonsense as usual which i knew then and still know now. Thanks
AH, a teenager, yes its all coming into focus. Bye, bye, I’m going for a beer now, enjoy that soda-pop.
I was being sarcastic genius.
OK anyone apart from Jack and the beanstalk think iphone is all a working photographer needs, or can utilize in the field? Because i was talking about dedicated devices instead of all in ones such as iphone in response to this absurd assertion: if gaming exists on dedicated and portable devices and so to photography on such as Sony’s cameras, its iphone that is useless and compact cams being eaten into not hi fidelity cams in any case…and in fact the games industry is bigger than movie industry and has been some many years if you actually read the news properly and well Sony just happens to be a leader in Gaming since the playstation one which originated as a multimedia CD attachment for Nintendo’s Super Nintendo system but then disputed rights to the tech to use themselves which led us to now…Medium format please! lol.
Hi my name is CI Sales, if you are over 18 please contact me, I’d like to be your special friend! 😉
WTF are you popping on about now?
Your rhetoric reads like a plate of spaghetti. Content creation has three basic tenants. BEGINNING, MIDDLE & END.
All reducible to one action, wait for camera that can deliver image direct over wifi as it is shot, shoot subject live and deliver the image to all the recipients immediately: learning to be confident in your shooting enough not to make too many fails.
That’s the friggin’ iPhone article he linked too, F+ now!
I’m not involved in news, but my being objective theory beats yours which is all that matters, actually over specialisation is another major issue regards over education as you demonstrate, your clamor means nothing for the actual matter of objective presentation of facts through digital imaging yet you are a speaker for journalism. The facts you speak of relate to small differences in timing between models and camera on and off, setup and such not anything worth arguing about the fundamentals of realism regards photography proper unless you want those things from Sony cams? So do I!. If i was up against such as that i would build up my body and brace myself not complain about equipment issues as a theoretical exercise of futility. A medium format camera would be even more solid and i think it could render the ideal leading image in such a situation no? lol
>I’m not involved in news, but my being objective theory beats yours which is all that matters<
But you are on a photography forum LECTURING PHOTOGRAPHERS about issues you self-admittedly only have a THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE OF.
No wonder the world is so monumentally screwed-up. People like you must be running it and directing our every waking minute wherever they can get a toe-hold. FFS………..
I LOVE photography. Would you as a journalist shooter use a wide angle lens for a wider context around subject or a longer one space permitting? I can understand why you might, with constraints you’ve expressed, however i would shoot with longer for wider context and for natural perspective to be retained assuming i wasn’t already shooting wider than 43mm purely for expressive effect of course :/ I cannot lecture my equal it is true but don’t consider me inferior in photography, my theory is born of deep understanding and self teaching.
Learn to COMMUNICATE, learn to listen and more importantly LISTEN AND YOU WILL LEARN.
Your biggest issue, you try to break everything down into soundbites, as do politicians, this won’t help you if you genuinely love photography. Photography is 90% observation/learning/listening and 10% technical.
Your bass ackwards my friend. Enjoy learning to listen, stop waiting to talk!
Hahaha and to think I just play with my camera and vintage lenses till everything just clicks, photography comes naturally to me i guess. Please note all but truly random events in news are regurgitated stuff that entered the circuit some decades ago from actually useful sources of information: find those sources and forget the politics and believe me nothing in the news or reviews will ever really surprise you again. I actually saw a review made at the time my favourite PC game came out ‘Company of Heroes’ that said not only the game was irrelevant but the whole genre of RTS was dead lol
OK, put up or shut-up. Any work to share, website? If not, its a D- for you kiddo!
No, I already shared my lens selection lol but i will critique any shots willingly using my critical theory 🙂
Start a new tread if you require advice.
I strongly believe you failed to see the irony in the rhetorical question, even though i answered it myself correctly lol
LOL, you’re an idiot. D+ get to the headmasters office – again! You’re not even smart enough to be a smart-ass young man.
No im not, im a smart young man who has self taught photography really fast, already aquired a lot of beautiful vintage Konica including an m mount, Contax, Pentax A f/1.2 and Yashica mount lenses along with the stunning Zeiss 55mm 1.8 in all the focal lengths that interest me who forgoing the Zeiss 135mm f/2 and a really fast long tele zoom preferably with active stabilizer and the new Zeiss m mount 35mm 1.4 😀 would really really like to use medium format to get even more dimensionality in the next big upgrade as i would like that extremely shallow depth of field for subject separation WITHOUT any aberration. Please make that possible in the next 5 years or so Sony at an affordable price point like the A7R which has reincarnated all this soulful glass for me to use lovingly now!
Zoom make a compact 360 surround sound recorder for one hundred pounds unless it must all be brand matched with cam like a fashion statement or suggestive of ones singularity…
How are you holding/operating this kit on a “low-key” run & gun shoot?
Motion is at least 60% audio and good audio makes or breaks it, hence my respect for Sony over the other guys. As a stills guy I can tolerate lousy stills if the content is good, in fact, iPhone Instagram is often very cool. Have you watched Woodstock the movie? Its a great example of some pretty rough camera work that simply rocks content wise. I think we’re way to wrapped up in this 4K mindset. Half of these pieces just look like nasty CGI, there’s no soul to them, its like that perfectly technically perfect landscape, boring. Give me that gritty soulful Michael Kenna any day.
I think you and me have a different definition of GOOD. I certainly don’t think a technically perfect MF digital capture is good, I think its probably the best starting point though. The back-end, the post-production is where the magic happens. Its like that old Calotype photograph, a normal subject to look at sitting in the chair, but something magical happens between the lens and finished plate. That’s what 4K motion is missing, that magic, its simply too sterile, too CGI, too realistic too boring its often simply an exercise in high-precession recordative photography.
Too realistic, reportage? I think you are confused, all still and video is heading that way as mediums of expression which negates relevance of any talk of pictorialism or assurance of what will be relevant in future according to such reduction. The ‘magic’ of a sitting subject is the engagement with the viewer by way of transparency of shooting and direct expression of the feeling without modification of the objective source after: much like the photographic process itself, letting the subject express itself visually and authentically; that’s great photography, let painting be creative with the process and photography be objective: however you wish to setup the scene or engage with the subject, staged or fantastical it doesn’t matter, adding lights or self consciousness, just keep the photography authentic to subject without modification and find ideal process for the expression of the subject and its natural beauty: my opinion.
No confusion, just realism. https://news.vice.com look to your TOP documentary shooters Errol Morris and Werner Herzog. Look how they film, what they film and why they film it. Then compare to hyper-realistic “polished” productions from NBC, CBS et al.. How do you “feel” when you view the various content, who do you “feel” is telling the most believable story? Phycology 101 for filmmakers and its why the “talking head” over-produced media is loosing ground everyday to grass roots new media.
Astroturf?
My interest is in the medium of photography and perhaps related aspects of video, not reportage. Regards realism in context of ‘Vice’ news reporting style heres a critique http://www.salon.com/2013/06/14/vice_makes_north_korea_seem_silly_not_scary/ I watched one video on Vice and it was a joke really but i guess i didn’t notice the video quality which could be a good thing.
Herzog’s film Fitzcarraldo is good and expressive. Vice output is poor and diminishing of its viewers nevermind the subjects. Polished productions from NBC? I do like polished fiction like the series ‘Lost’ and such from america…
Vice actually called the west on Iraq as did Al Jazeera. Who sold invading Iraq on an over-educated elite? That was the turtle-neck crowd over at the NYT. Many big words and obfuscation don’t hide the fact that you are clueless about that too. Lost was a great series but it was fiction, as is your corporate controlled media in the good old USA.
CORRECT, give this man a beard trim (no offense Dan:).
The only thing sold on an over-educated elite (agree) is multiculturalism and anti-modernism befitting their impractical as in unutilised classicism which has even led my actual place of origin UK to be potentially complicit in torture without admitting it in bad faith and the scholar Richard dawkins to say the criticism sandwich:
“All the world’s Muslims have fewer Nobel Prizes than Trinity College, Cambridge. They did great things in the Middle Ages, though.” Actually they didn’t lol but it supports your ideology so it must be true also.
Give us your top 10 news-sources?
It was not persuasive news that woke me up to facts regards some of the most pressing issues. That was a fact related in a PDF of a book never mind news flashes, that its a common misconception that islamic culture did great things in the middle ages, it didn’t but the otherwise astute historians of the period perversely imagined that they did, along with imagining the islamic warring parties as humane and crusading parties as inhumane despite exactly contrary evidence only available, no less so than ignoring the actual religious text of islamic people which espouses all they actually did in middle ages…in fact people of the european countries got sick of the war taxes and saw losses for no purpose which ended the crusades, however the actual brooding infighting of islamic countries and effect on so called multicultural societies goes unabated now as indeed you are proof, and it must be assumed thus that infact al jazeera et al obfuscate the objective truth more effectively than ‘western’ media.
So your news information is limited to library texts from Gutenberg’s day? You really must get away from the peer reviewed propaganda and start to form a few observations based on your own observations of life!
I source information on anything that interests me from across the web, however it was a PDF of a book that made me reconsider what i thought i knew about issues relating to such as war in Iraq from news ‘stories’ and future implications of involvement, actually there is a strong case from this to desist altogether but that’s another matter, regards a real objective issue: self interest.
What a load of regurgitated crap. Why cannot ye answer the question?
The ‘news’ as it is, isn’t objective or persuasive to me. I realized and sourced those things from this book ‘God’s Battalions’
The Case for the Crusades
Rodney Stark
Here’s the future of web-based (read: 99% of all future) imaging. Like it or like it not.
http://www.newsshooter.com/2014/12/26/fifty-shades-of-red-news-report-for-rte-using-the-iphone-6-plus/
On iphones? no I don’t like it lol Its simple to understand the concept of a device made for the particular purpose it is used for and consoles are similar regards gaming, they have embraced online engagement without being themselves depreciated and exist despite the presence of ‘iphone dependent internet conduit gaming’, why not video imaging devices? if that is what you are talking about. Should Sony start selling Phones again to prove your point? regardless who would thus buy the expensive A7S I thought you were espousing. I don’t have a console these days as I use steam on PC and emulation for gaming and playing online on the few games I choose to play that are online: but definitely not a phone as indicated by such news forecasts.
Anyway, youtubers who surely produce the majority of media posted online, use webcams or video cams not iphones…
Well, that’s easy isn’t it. Pro-stills photogs who’ve been actively engaged in content creation see the writing on the wall, they’re moving over to motion imaging, they’re the ones buying the A7S’s. Someone needs to do a proper study amongst these guys, se how many are dumping chasing stills gigs in favor of motion work.
I don’t know about one or the other, I have found photography after lifetime of interest in art and technology and having also been interested in video as it happens for that live performance or movement aspect…its infact ironic it could take stills shooters to implement and demand real quality in video footage, however shooting absolutely high quality video to trump stills in medium format like some cinema would definitely to be out of reach whereas i could well be shooting medium format stills and i like that idea more than embracing video in total negation, as photography is my primary concern and film production can involve alot more people where a fraction of that production cost and resources would make unbelievable photo still images from my self directed ideas instead and the video aspect minus artistry and finery could as well be done for me by automated subject tracking with cams on stands while i engage in the serialised still shots right?.
Medium format digital IS the future at least regards image quality, regards aesthetics it is too but thats another matter- simply comparing the look of antiquated larger format photographs with those from smaller formats of the present makes that fact abundantly clear- as does the introduction of once unaffordable 35mm digital short flange distance camera to a willing base of users by Sony already…actually the cropping of the current medium format sensor itself worries me regards backward lens compatibility
Nobody is arguing the IQ, but that it is a 6000-unit market of pricey gear with its own limitations, featuring several well-established names and a wide range of budgets.
I would actually argue for a lesser quality output image with lower price system and greater lens compatibility ideally: effectively like how once Leica dominated 35mm mirrorless with exorbitantly high price problematic gear and now Sony have made quite affordable and useful equivalent for wider market: I love adapted m mount for compact manual focus lens 🙂
I imagine something like the cost of the Otus lens and 35mm camera combined, but for at least a fixed lens real normal lens Medium format camera with that beautiful uber shallow depth of field which would be ideal for some uses, very possibly preferable to highest end 35mm camera format solution.
Except there is a lower priced player in MF – Pentax. With the exception of the fixed lens camera that you are describing, right now I don’t see much sense for Sony entering that market (I am also not sure if we can define that type of camera as being part of that market). FF is the highest IQ for an “affordable” price, even when compared to Pentax MF.
Pentax camera has optical viewfinder and that cropped and thus somewhat compromised medium format size regards compatibility, I would sooner see a Sony equivalent which can take even electronically adapted Contax 645 lenses etc at a reasonable base price much as it does with mirrorless 35mm camera and adapted lenses now, surely almost sewing up that market in of itself compared to Leica’s expensive Medium format offering say. I accept these ideas are theoretical as far as I am concerned, but serious regards a future major upgrade route consideration- if not, will we be endlessly getting the next best super optimised 35mm lenses in only incremental improvement to results otherwise for want of the cost of just a few such lenses for a whole new system with entirely different aesthetic possibilities.
Yes, I’d like to see something similar too and it is certainly a possibility. But no matter what Sony does, a bigger sensor will cost more and require bigger lenses. Depending on how they approach it, it might very well work out, I just don’t see it in the current state of things, with the exception of the fixed lens camera we are discussing. In 4-5 hers though? Anyone’s guess, things are evolving quickly nowadays.
You’ve shot MF film? MF digital is a joke if you’re going for that old MF look, it’s too small. We’re back to comparing M4/3’s to 135, the digi glass would have to be around f/1.4.
If Sony already had medium format for us they would release it, surely they must start developing now and we can use a real medium format size sensor in much the same way we are now using 35mm in mirrorless in upgrade from the APSC mirrorless cams with short flange distance before them, all in the next few years. I can envisage this happening once the current crop of uber high quality lenses matched by even higher res 35mm cams have been released and photographers are ready for the jump up to medium format, reserving the 35mm camera system for where compactness is desirable.
I agree no point Sony producing a camera system…What stops Pentax gaining meaningful market share is the lack of leaf shutter lenses…The only reason to still pickup a MF camera…If someone came to market with a well priced Mirror-less MF camera with Leaf shutter lenses you could start digging the hole for a number of manufacturers…The reason other companies haven’t gone there is the cost of R&D. Companies like hasselblad just don’t have the money….It is a similar situation to the car industry were Aston Martin had to sell itself to Ford in the early 90’s. Because it had no money to develop an airbag system….That is a large reason we see no innovation in MF cameras…
You aint getting that look with anything less than a 6×7 though, I think the current MF digital is about a quarter of the 6×7’s area?
I don’t like the idea of anything less and agree it should be as large as possible and shortest flange distance for compatibility with other lenses: these are important factors which I don’t think should be compromised at all! just that the image quality wouldn’t have to be top notch with such a huge image size for most uses while still retaining said look so perhaps a large die version of a cheaper sensor than usual would suffice or something.
If they could shrink the MF kit down to a pro DSLR and hit that price point too, yes, I’d go along with that. At this point you could say good-by to the D800’s and D4’s. Leica’s offering is there in size but way-off in price!
Exactly, they’ve made image stabilized 35mm in relatively compact body which is already a surprise.
MF is like the gold rush days, you actually make more money selling prospectors the tools they require. In this case Sony is smart, sell the “MF Prospectors” the parts.
Mirrorless short flange distance 35mm camera was niche and Sony changed all that with the A7’s, striking gold in the process.
Its more like Metabones and such who make APSC look like 35mm with costly adapters and the makers of versions of these adapters who are milking the APSC to 35mm differential: making Medium Format would infact be all about cutting out such middle men altogether.
Likewise the market for expensive heavily corrected fastish glass for M43’s, APSC and even 35mm, all outclassed in an instant once the whole gorgeous medium format frame is introduced 🙂 work could commence on adapters for other medium format lens types to fit the new system and of course all the 35mm lenses could be adapted too!
BIG difference, MEDIUM FORMAT IS BIG and in todays day & age no photographer wants to lug around a boat anchor. There’s not even a budget for an assistant to lug around BIG BOXES of kit these days, barely one for the photog. Smaller is better, that’s why Sony did so well off the A7 concept, same with Canon and their C100, 300 & 500’s for the filmmaking crowd. It’s all about affordability AND portability today.
Medium format images taken well would set you out from competition.
I love the compact size of A7 cameras and select small lenses with quality to match, however image quality surely trumps even convenience where the choice doesn’t drastically impinge upon your effectivity, and a medium format camera wouldn’t be the largest thing in a setup regardless.
You could work on making the rest of the kit economically sized.
I can’t see how assistant equipment carriers are so much a relic of the past in association with mere medium format in comparison to 35mm, perhaps large format lol
From what I can see, a small medium format camera would not be that much worse than a bulky and often even preferentially solid 35mm camera system.
Another almost glaring omission of equivalence is the fact the A7 cameras aren’t particularly weather resistant anyway for such labored intensive work! Never mind medium format cam sinking a project, A7 could possibly drown in the rain!
It’s also possible he is purposely misleading the public and competitors to hide the fact that Sony is developing a MF camera.
Or they are happy to get a piece of all MF camera sales with CMOS with no R&D and manufacturing investments into camera body and lens development (the latter of which is already stretched).
I wouldn’t be surprised if a certain company starting with ‘M’ is currently using the rights to Sony’s mirror-less and AF technology for a compact mirror-less MF system….Considering the large, heavy, and over priced clunkers on the market with AF performance from the 1980s. It wouldn’t take much to grab a good chunk of that market…
Yes, parts supply makes more sense. MF digital is niche, the look we’re seeing from the faux-sized MF sensors isn’t worth the financial investment anyway.
Remember that Sony is a very big conglomerate. Whatever Sony does for sensor, not necessarily will be used in Sony who does cameras. Why? Sony is losing big money right now, and they can’t start using whatever division comes up with if there isn’t a plan in long term for it. What about lenses? Do you want a new medium format camera to have just one lens available at launch? They’re busy with E-mount and A-mount. Enough said.
That is a really stupid cliche, “enough said”. It means you don’t have even a rudimentary knowledge of the topic discussed. The best way to hide stupidity is to keep your mouth shut. Be advised.
What nonsense…Sony are doing juuuust fine. Their imaging division is making very healthy profits and their console game division is making more money than they know what to do with….Under Kazuo Hirai’s leadership Sony are in profit (whilst a lot of the competition is not)…The future is very bright for one of the only innovative companies in the market.
Sony currently sells all the MF sensors without any of the development cost or risk of developing and constantly improving a camera system…plus this frees up thier resorces
A mirrorless A mount body would be a good idea.
Hopefully they can figure out a way to make exising lenses compatable with mirrorless technology. ….possibly a new type of af motor can be developed that combines the power needed for conventional lense with the speed needed for mirrorless lense…or possibly mirrorles focusing will advance to be able to focus like mirrored focus systems and not require the stepper motors.
The extra room would allow for features like Z shift….and an improved focus system could possible eliminate the current severe desighn limitation for E mount lenses.
Currently E mount lenses require extremely light focusing elements because stepper motors are required to achieve the focus speed they require. Current stepper motors are only powerfull enough to move very lightwieght focus elements.
This is probably the biggest reason long lenses and macro lenses for E mount are so scarce…they require more power/speed to move the focus elements than the motors currently in use can provide.
So they should go mirrorless with A-Mount and then HAVE to update every A-Mount lens to actually focus with new camera… But at least it will be A-Mount right? Sometimes I really do wonder what goes on in there Barry.
Did you actually read my comment?
Or are you too busy wondering whats going on inside my head?
The focus motors are mostly in the lenses… So there is no reason why they should be slower on a emount camera. Only old screw driven lenses have to be focused by in camera focus motors. I would prefer if Sony ditches the amount and concentrates on small (A6000 and a7 like cameras) but also larger (a77 and a99 like) bodies with e-mount.
The focus systems work different.
Dslr/dslt got directly yo focus so do not require such high speed
Mirrorless shifts rapidly in and out to hunt for the correct fucus therefore requires much higher speed.
With Hybrid AF there is no hunting….
Yes there is.
I get less ‘hunt’ and greater accuracy on the A7 with hybrid AF than the D800 with phase detect only…Even in low light…The days of nasty mirrorless AF is looooong gone.
Yep, Barry is right. Mirrorless requires stepping motors and its a different implementation altogether which means for instance that the FE lenses give you manual focus by wire where you turning the focus right gives a signal to the motor to move the glass as opposed to A-mount where the focus ring is coupled directly to the glass itself. To get an idea of the difference, check out youtube for vids on a-mount on A7 via the LAEA4 (which uses the embedded SLT focus system) and the LAEA3 which uses the A7 focus system. Night and day.
A mirrorless A-mount body is pointless. The SLT takes a third stop of light, get over it.
As Sony says…elimination of the slt mirror will allow additional space for new tech such as Z shift or whatever else Sony invents.
Sometime soon all cameras will be mirrorless, get over it.
Z-shift? Fantasy land Barry. You obsess over mirrorless when it is POINTLESS for A-mount lenses. Sony are clearly going to continue with SLT for the foreseeable future because A-mount lenses need the mirror and dedicated PDAF module.
Why do the lenses need a mirror? If on sensor pdaf can send the same signal to the lens, what difference would that make?
Sony didn’t say they were eliminating SLT…It is the reason A-mount exists…
Agreed
I am speculating about A mount surviving after all cameras go mirrorless.
Why should all cameras go mirrorless? Don’t get me wrong, DSLR’s will fade away, but SLT’s have the advantages of both. Plus there are a whole suite of lenses that rely on this kind of tech. Moving forward they should be designing lenses specifically for mirrorless (that’s what they are doing now) and for compatibility designing better SLT adapters rather than spending lots of money (and likely failing for a long time) trying to do better backwards compatibility on Sensor (and having to redesign lenses in the first place, which means NO these new mirrorless will NOT be ‘fully compatible’ with A-Mount, only the latest A-Mounts that support it, much like Canon’s Dual Pixel AF). SLT is a FAR more elegant solution as it includes the appropriate focussing system when you need it rather than a half baked effort at doing it on sensor – NO ONE else does this.
I am talking about the EVENTUAL changeover to all mirrorles..NOT the IMMENENT changeover.
By then hopefully the compatability issues can be resulved …but either way the choice will be mirrorless A mount or no A mount.
As to why all cameras will eventually be mirrorless….the only reason any digital camera ever had a mirror was because cameras were originally made for film.
When..not if…the technology reaches the point where mirrors can be eliminated they definitely will be eliminated…there is absolutely no reason to continue to produce them.
1: Give or take macro focussing, (i assume having manual control of macro focussing is always preferable to AF unless you were focus stacking automatically..which this could surely help with incidently :D) does Z-shift make auto focusing and movements possible on otherwise manual focus lenses without significant loss of image quality in relation to floating element manual control lens designs, telephoto, zoom and other such?
2: Does it require electrical connection for information to be relayed to lens and back to camera or indeed very special lens designs including for instance sensors in them, or could it work with classic old lenses too?
3: Is it infact efficient to move the sensor fast and accurately instead of glass elements once the guiding action is well supported by AF system of camera?
A sensor sure is lighter than say a medium format lens structure to move around and would consume less power to boot 😀
I have a fast and classical Varifocal zoom lens that i love for its image quality if thats relevant. Now couldnt such as my varifocal zoom with electrical communication with cam actually address this defocussing in this way at all different focal lengths continuously making most use of the cool non parfocal design for its prime lens like image quality 😀
Z shift is unlikely to be used for autofocus.
It can however accommodate different f1ange distances for dierrent mounts
And it can be used like a built in extension tube allowing closer focus of any lens.
Internal focus lenses focus by shortening the focal length for close focus rather then extending the lens.
This would therefore effectively increase the focal length of these lenses in close up situations.
Effect on optical quality would vary for different lenses but should usually be minimal if any.
Ah thank you.
They seem to have solved that. The G 70-200 is a large lens with excellent focusing speed. The G 90mm macro will be not that much small as will the Zeiss 35mm 1.4 which looks to have a lot of glass in it. (Zeiss claim to have an all new actuator) So looks like Ziess will start rolling out some fast long primes…
It would make good senses when sony updates A mount lenses to make them both A and E mount complient if possible.
They are currently putting new motors in the new A mount lenses…perhaps if combined with improvemenys to E mount focus system we will see full compayability …at least with the newest lenses.
Also with new higher res cameras coming they will probably want to make higher res versions of thier lenses that they can sell specifically for the new cameras.
I have a feeling that the FE 35mm 1.4 is purposely released for the higher resolution A9….
I would expect most new Sony lenses to be built with sufficient resolution for the new higher resolution cameras that are coming.
That will be the biggest reason to update lenses and Sony’s best selling point.
“Current stepper motors are only powerfull enough to move very lightwieght focus elements.”
The problem is not the type of motor (stepper motors are used in automated production lines to move huge robot arms around) it’s that CDAF is not suited to heavy focusing groups, period. It’s always going to be easier to move the focusing group once, than to rack it back and forth.
Great news! From the interview it sounds like Sony’s priority right now is to improve AF performance and they also mention electronic (and hybrid) shutter.
They play down rumours for higher mega-pixel sensors and medium format camera, which is also good news. They should concentrate on what they’ve started and not spread too thin.
Looks like they have an excellent judgment of the market situation and sound plans.
I disagree with #10. Why didn’t they make an A7r-II with the same improvements??
Doesn’t sell as well?
The A9 will be higher res than the A7R and will include 5 axis IBIS.
For this reason it is not necessary to also update the A7R.
How do you know, did a Sony Exec call you up and tell you that?
He works for Sony, the director of engineering and strategic planing.
planning not planing.
We will know fairly soon.
Most of my predictions have been true…I do not suggest betting against me.
In fact my only wrong prediction was in some of the A77II specs…and that was only because I repeated pwhat I was told by Sony rather than relying on my own predictions….prior to that incedent I correctly predicted the A77II specs but was foolish enough to believe what I was told and changed my prediction.
So where is the stacked sensor you predicted 2014 Nostradamus?
If stacked sensors do not appear soon it will be because some newer technology is being developed that will be better…therefore making it not practical to proceed with stacked sensors but better to wait for this new tech.
Color sampling sensor tech…if it exists ,and is not a hoax..is one such possibility.
While both Sony and Fuji will not introduce stacked sensors in February we do not yet know what Canon will do…we only know Canon will be high megapixel.
This makes sense. Introduce the A9, higher MP + IBIS, and charge more than the A7R. This way you can sell both. The A7R will probably get a minor price drop and make it more accessible for studio type shooters (or people who don’t need IBIS). For those who want/need IBIS and/or the higher MP sensor, you get the A9.
Kind of like Canon’s 6D and 5D.. If you need the super crazy AF of the 5D, that’s what you get, but if you want similar IQ with standard AF and a cheaper price, you get the 6D.
“Sony says DSLR sales are down because of lack in innovation. Sales of
mirrorless are up because they became more advanced (not only because of
the more compact size).”
Sony are idiots, the reason dSLR sales are down is because nobody knows Sony makes them. Mirrorless are up because Sony have be ADVERTISING THEM.
Just think what would have happened to A-mount sales had Sony bothered to market them!
Didn’t he mean the classic brands? Sony don’t make dslrs at all. And the a-mount bodies are highly innovative.
If he meant “classic brands” then he is even more of an idiot. Canon and Nikon sell dSLR by the container load compared to mirrorless.
Right, but they’re still declining rapidly.
As will mirrorless when the bubble bursts, long before dSLR goes down the tubes.
They don’t make DSLRs now, but they did. But it sounds to me as well that he meant DSLR over all sales of all companies.
They’d better keep innovating, because they are still along way behind DSLRs.
If advertising costs more than venues, no point advertising.
Sony had huge advertizing costs in all of their segments for many years
Sony doesnt make DSLRs.
He was talking about Nikon and Canon sales! Due to lack of innovation!
”DSLR sales are down because of lack in innovation.” Tell that to Canon and Nikon!
It’s all due to lack of marketing, good strategy and some smaller issues with prices/offerings.
If they had a set of high quality F4 lenses as an alternative to current F2.8, trust me, you will see more sales (most photogs I know have the F4 lenses from both Canon and Nikon, not the F2.8 unless they shoot weddings)
Also, does anyone remember how Sony decided to cut marketing budget back then in 2010/2011? It’s striking back. Not only to cameras, but also in the mobile phone field. Everytime I go watch movies at theaters, I have seen more ads from Samsung than Sony. In fact, they just began putting ads for the Xperia Z3 three months after release, instead of Samsung or Apple that began announcing their goodies the same week they were released (even if they only had their devices available only for pre-order).
Something similar happens with TVs. At one of the biggest mall in Panama, Samsung always tries to have a small booth showcasing TVs on some entrances to try gather attention and they have like 2 big LED screen showcasing ads for their own devices. Sony? They just expect people to go to their store (don’t know if they expect to sell like Apple does without ads, but surely, it isn’t working).
I believe, if Sony start playing their cards at the right moment, they could get attention from people. How hard was it for sony to send a group of 10 photogs to their sponsored FIFA world cup in Brazil with the a77mk2, a6000 with big lenses like the 70-200 2.8, 70-400, 300 2.8, 500 4, taking pictures of key games at the field like others photogs? No, they just sent Brian Smith to where the regular people go to watch the game and he just used the camera for showcasing at one of the game of USA. And instead of using those pictures at their stores, nah, just use it at his own website.
Whoever is in charge of Sony marketing strategy should be fired.
And hire you, a journeyman janitor.
He’s not talking about just Sony DSLR’s (SLT’s in this case), but the whole DSLR market. See CIPA numbers over 2014.
Mirrorless cameras have seen greater steps, partially because they were further behind in some areas for which they now partially compensated (lacking AF speed and tracking for large sensors, other than Leica no FF offerings, smaller lens lineups etc.). But also because they moved past DSLR’s in other areas (wifi control over tablet/smartphone, 5 axis IBIS, better and faster LV, practically all lenses adaptable with easier MF, working viewfinder for video, etc.).
As for marketing, you can’t spend what you don’t have. Apple and Samsung have deep pockets and can easily spend billions forward to get better sales later. Sony can’t compete in that area, simply because shareholders, banks and other funders won’t allow/can’t afford it.
Sony doesnt make DSLRs – he WAS talking about Nikon and Canon sales! Due to lack of innovation!
It’s a very well known fact, released by CIPA and others that the last 14 months, Canon and Nikon both have seen dramatic declines in sales of the DSLR products.
A9, a FF mount A ? I don’t know what you think but after reading this interview, I think that the next A9 will be a full-frame mount A. If that’s the case, I’ll pass my turn and will revise my options because Im looking for a hybride FE format, not the big thing like the A mount.
A mount lenses do not work well with mirrorless AF systems due to their lack of stepping focus motors. That’s why the LAEA-4 has an SLT focus system which takes over when you attach an A-mount lens to it and delivers decent performance compared to the same lens attached via the LAEA-3 which is simply an extension tube with electronic contacts and relies on the mirrorless focus system. The speed difference between the two is of an order of magnitude.
A MF 14mp sensor with fat pixels super high ISO so it can even see the future :O
Disappointing comment on the A7R and IBIS – a much softer shutter and IBIS is what the A7RII needs (plus the body upgrades demonstrated in the A7II). Though he does not discount IBIS on the A7r, perhaps he just means it’s coming, just not quite yet. I assume that to mean the A9 will come out first, then later the A7RII. One can hope . . .
You poor baby.
very disappointing to hear there will be no A7R II with 5 axis- this is what i’m waiting for.
36MP A9
46MP A9R
18MP A9S
It will come 🙂
An A9S does not make sens in my opinion. We have the lowlight monster A7S. The advantages an A9 would have are not of general use for lowlight fans I would say ;)…
Agreed. Either the so called A9 or A7r would be great with IBIS. I don’t know why they would think it was not as necessary. I’d upgrade immediately.
Does anyone know of a real translation of the interview ?
In november they wrote thr A9 is a new line. So, there could be a A9R, maybe with the so far rumored 54mp sensor?
So in a nutshell the differentiator between A-mount and E-mount will be focus speed as well as some additional features for the former which would be implemented through technology that fits in the extra body space. He says that revised A-mount lenses need to withstand Mark II and III body upgrades and those revisions are announced to have 4x faster focusing mechanisms. Seems that they have plans for quite a boost in focus speeds on the already fast A-mount.
Which is why..despite owning the A7…I will not purchase any FE glass. No…freaking….way. It’s perfectly suitable as is for pro use. We just need a pro body now…aka D810 or heck, even a D750 competitor. Better ISO, AF focusing and throw that gimmick 5 axis junk while their in there. Send it right to my front door to- day one purchase.
A medium format “RX2” and a price below US$4,000 would be amazing but if Sony delivers on the A9, A7000, A7Rii and keeps the E mounts coming (where’s that fast 85mm?!??), they’re going to open a wide lead. And show A mount a little love along the way to support those customers and stave off a PR disaster and 2015 will be the year Sony owns the photo space. I’m no Sony fanboy but everyone else seems to be asleep (except Panny).
Great list, Douglas!
I’m hoping to buy two (2) Sony Full Frame A-mount pro camera bodies in 2015:
1. An A-mount sports body with the 50-409,000 ISO range of the A7S that shoots 13 FPS with unlimited buffer, and a matured version of the A77II AF system, enlarged to cover the full frame sensor and combined with additional on-sensor PDAF advanced from what we saw implemented in A99. Also would want 5-axis stabilization, two card slots like the A99, weather sealing & built-in grip.
2. An A-mount hi res body around 50 MP with the same AF system but only 5 FPS shooting, 1/250 flash sync minimum, weather sealed, 5-axis stabilization, and 2 card slots. I do not want built-in grip on this body.
Additionally, I’m dying to get a Sony A-mount Zeiss 35mm F1.4 ZA SSM and also hope they will upgrade their 85mm F1.4 ZA and 135mm F1.8 ZA, with SSM and weather sealing, sooner than later.
A medium format system camera would be far better. And, are you really impressed with being limited to compressed raw files – really pointless and disappointing in my opinion.
While I am interested in what they come up with, the A7 Series is far from a great system yet. Interesting with potential, but not great.
Make a medium format , Sony
I will sell my grandma into slavery if I have to
Yeah, I will sell his grandma into slavery too to get one! ^^
How about the obvious… a 36mp a99II… like it should have been years ago when Sony sold Nikon the best sensor and betrayed their own pros. Nikon gets three versions now that don’t require users to lose battery system, flash, or adapt anything.
Just hate you for that Sony. My a7R is a poor toy excuse compared to what a99 is and could have been all along. Wipe that smirk off your face Mr. Kimio. Your decisions cripple my business by providing my competitor with best sensor. Stop it. I’ve supported you. Please support me back… for once.
There are certainties in the digital world. Maybe in the film era when cameras could last you decades, but those days are gone.
This should seriously be the year of A mount: 2015. I enjoy the A7 and I’m sure I’ll enjoy the A7II at some point. But alas, IT’S NOT A FREAKING A99II. I want a decent sized body to go along with my THOUSANDS I’VE SPENT ON A MOUNT LENSES SONY! No expensive adapters, no doubling the mounting surfaces, no crappy battery life…a body you take into the woods and then into the studio. And please you money sucking bastaards…don’t F up the auto focus….no holding back on the sensor either. I haven’t sold my A mount glass and you’re not getting my money for slow FE overpriced glass. I will personally shove every one of my A mount lenses up my own assss before that happens. I like your A7…but it’s A TOY. Now give me that damn a99II….ah, thanks.
Personally, I don’t need new Sony bodies at all. I’ve just bought another little used A900 for little money, this is the best camera for photography Sony ever produced. While I don’t need video mode – this is what movie cameras are made for – I can live without SLT-s and E-mount toys. Well, one can imagine how good A900 would be with newer sensor-tech and some innovations Nikon and Canon adopted, but I don’t complain – A900 can still withstand competition easily with its superb OVF, excellent grip and effective built in stabilization.
a6000 picture quality beats my heavy a900
So what? The A6000 does not do what Mir wants, “superb OVF, excellent grip and effective built in stabilization.” NONE of which a toy like the A6000 has.
i think you just want a OVF, grip and IBIS, not good photos.
Sadly, it probably does…but does it matter?
A900 is a great camera although I sold mine this year. I don’t trust Sony to keep supporting it years now after it being discontinued. I also find the A7 sensor to be a significant bump up in certain areas that matter to me. DR and ISO performance. Those don’t always matter though. In that case, A900 it is.
A-mount is so dead lol
So DSLRs “lack innovation”? LOL they do everything better than mirrorless, but they “lack innovation”. We all have to make a living, but lies make everything worse ms Kimio.
It’s Japanese road to quality, to make things better and better all the time. However they can’t understand there are things that are perfect and can’t be done better.
Different horses for different courses as they say. Your statement is way to general as it implies a big two dslr is the perfect camera and you can’t do better.
I think some nuance was lost in translation. The gist of it in my opinion is Cannon and Nikon were stagnant and I agree. And do everything better? My A6000 does better than dslrs costing almost twice as much in some areas. You don’t think the rise of great evf’s is innovative for instance? So many things Cannon & Nikon would have been content to just never do and make bigger and bigger margins.
I would feed of the camera was founded – MATRIX WITH PANORAMIC .. a digital X – PAN / TX1 / CINEMA 4K 🙂
My photography is mainly ‘landscape’ and I don’t prefer FF. APS-C, when used at low ISO gives me awesome detail and dynamic range, I get greater DOF for a given field of view, and it’s smaller and lighter gear to lug to remote locations.
But that’s too cost effective. Crazy talk.
But in ten years time when you blow it up onto that new video wall, it don’t look as good as on the lil screen anymore :/
Sony Sony Sony
http://youtu.be/0kWWunpeB8I
You are not exactly going to shoot ‘landscape’, where more equipment in the form of telephotos could actually save a lot of legwork?
You are shooting some kinda travelogue with minimum equipment, that’s definitely not about saving money but weight surely…else you could save a lot more and just go down the road instead lol
Look below dumbkopf
Look up what hipster really was…
for your wooden head to ponder as it aches with the logic of it all..
Are a few cm’s overall cam size and the self assurance that ‘landscape’ wouldn’t require the nuance of 35mm sensor because those few grams would make it all problematic, reason to not consider the actually ‘preferential’ quality of 35mm cams output in every other respect from few cm’s and grams difference?
Are you sure you are not just unwittingly justifying not getting the best tool for the job because ‘APSC will make as good images at a better price’, when in fact, It objectively and authentically cannot…
You can surely negate ‘lighter’ where a few grams difference are involved and 35mm camera was already excluded preference before that fact.
You can surely negate ‘lugging’ if photography was important to trip in first place and the few cm’s size difference and grams weight not actually be a harmful or major hindrance somehow+see first point.
The ‘remote locations’ suggests significant travel and intentionality to shoot somewhere differential from the norm where the heavy cam might impinge on even reaching such a destination: surely not those few grams or even relative cost unless you are travelling for free…
When used at low ISO and in 35mm camera, lenses render the best images at even narrow apertures negating the idea that the APSC be better rather than just equivalent minus all that gorgeous glass to horrible squeezed relation to that of 35mm format of course!
The subsequent post relating to value implied that it is more economical to get an image from APSC with same nuance and by making more possible reaching exotic subject than with equivalent 35mm equipment or even its due consideration or that image quality isn’t important anyway, which is not the case.
35mm images would have higher resolution, better rendering by not requiring such heavily corrected glass to fill smaller sensor with detail and could as well cost less relative to better image quality thus, before even factoring in ideal apertures to be chosen for glass and performed purely for sharpness and thus ultimate detail in either format rather than just achieving deep focus.
Evidence that economy alone is what is really being inferred by all the ideas posed which are really simply equivalent where in fact 35mm camera might itself want to be considered preferential to ‘landscape’ shooting before first being rudely dismissed as a purely subjective matter? It is factual that you can maybe save a little money with just one cam and one lens setup where you choose APSC rather than equivalent focal length option with 35mm camera for instance, but relative to quality of output between? surely not even if that were the case…
Folks, is abundantely obvious why we aren’t getting medium format MILC. Sony is jumping straight to large format 8×10. Massive Foveon sensor with pixels as thick as your neck.
Oh, so not an etch a sketch driven by nanobots that draws the image in true analog curvilinear fashion as ‘one master copy’ that shakes out simply before each shot.
Im really disappointed :I
I have a A7R, I love it but I wish a A7RII with 5-axis in-body image Stabilization. No optical low-pass filter with Fast Hybrid AF system. I prefere the street photo and Portrait studio. 36 is perfect for me. Good résolution. The 50Mpx will be very to big!!!