I am now 99% sure Sony will announce new (non E-mount) products on April 23. And E-mount stuff will be announced soon after in May! So as you see there may be something nice coming for everyone 🙂
I got this very wild rumor from a Japanese store. They told me that but kep it with a grain of salt as usual:
1.) A9 Almost sure to happen. Almost sure to be A-mount and 50MP. And, you can check current 50MP camera from Canon to get an idea on what it’s going to cost.
2.) RX series, from what I heard, going to be RX100-IV (or 4). NOTHING on a RX10 sequel. (i.e., RX20, etc.)
Again keep in mind that “store rumors” are never really reliable stuff! But I will keep my fingers crossed for a new A-mount cam to be released!
–
To not miss any rumor quickly subscribe our social network:
RSS feed: http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/feed/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonyalpharumors
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SonyAlphaRumors
GooglePlus: https://plus.google.com/104216500156717934391/posts
If you have some “rumor” to share just send me an anonymous messages here:
at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com or use the contact form you see on the right top of this site.
Reminder (SR = Sonyrumor):
SR1=probably fake rumor
SR2=rumor from unknown sources
SR3=50% chance it is correct
SR4=rumor from known sources
SR5=almost certainly correct!
208 Responses
I call LAEA 4 update with A77ii AF. A mount with 50MP seems to be inevitable. Will keep A mount alive. But does it still need to be SLT? At 50MP I can see a reason to go back to an OVF camera.
OVF? With 50MP? Good luck focussing anything in manual focus mode for a 50MP sensor with an OVF! We;d be reduced to putting our Hoodman loupes on the back LCD like Canikon users have to.
Sensor resolution has no impact on focusing manually with OVF.
If something is out of focus, it just is. Larger pixels won’t help – depth of focus “moves” perpendicularly to sensor plane.
I suppose you’re confusing this with moved shots. It is a different kind of “blur” with vastly different physical reason.
The point is just that the more pixels the larger people want to print large and the more magnified the image us at 1:1 so you are more likely to see focus errors. Of course normalized to the same magnification focus errors look the same regardless of pixel numbers.
Exactly! Same thing happened when the D800 appeared, poor technique coupled with poor older Nikkor glass equated to a frenzy amongst the 100% pixel-peepers.
Process remains the same, I think he just means soft focus will be all the more evident.
I prefer EVF to OVF for manual focus which is my way to go. For me, lossless 14bit RAW is a must.
Have you even worked with an SLT camera? Any impact on image quality is negligible. Compared to my OVF A900, my A99 beats it in every way.
Only because sensor gains since the A900 more than compensate for the SLT design. I’ve also done side by side of the A99 with the D750, and the IQ of the D750 is significantly superior to the A99. With the D750, I just did a 11X14 print at ISO 12800… On the A99, I generally couldn’t print 12800 bigger than 4X6.
The D750 is about a stop better by virtue of the light loss by the SLT mirror, beyond that you statement is hyperbole.
A stop better? Sounds like you just agreed with me.
I don’t agree with your characterization, 11X14 vs 4X6.
Both at 12800 @ 100%.
I’m stating the facts, of my own comfort level in printing. I actually found the noise performance of the A99 to be very close to the competing cameras, up through around ISO 8000-10,000 range. Once you go above that, the A99 kind of nose dived compared to the competition. The DXOmark graphs back me up. a sudden down turn on the A99 at a real ISO of about 7000, manufacturer ISO of 12800.
But the images prove you wrong, so stop with the hyperbole. The D750 in fact has less than one stop advantage on a two year old camera. Remember, the easiest person to fool is yourself. Stop fooling yourself.
No idea what images you’re talking about. I’ll point to the DXOmark findings and graphs, which show a 1+ stop advantage at high ISO. Dpreview and imaging-resource side-by-side images further confirm to me, that 25600 on the D750 looks a tad better than 12800 on the A99. Then when you consider the real ISO, not what Sony/Nikon are putting on their dials, you find you are really comparing 7,000 to 20,000…. So the Nikon at 20,000 is slightly better than the A99 at 7,000. If I wanted to go purely mathematical, I’d look purely at the DXO testing, which puts it at just barely less than 1 1/2 stop difference. They have the Sony at 7,000 being a teeny tiny bit better than the D750 at 20,000.They have it at about a 1 full stop difference — In terms of SNR, the A99 goes below 24 db at ISO 6400, the D750 goes below at ISO 12800. Facts, pesky facts.
Had your eyes checked lately? The A99 @ 6400 is significantly better than the D750 @ 12800. If you deny that then your just full of it.
Can you see this image? D750@12800 on left, A99@6400 on right (one stop) In this comparison the image on the right shows less noise and better sharpness indicating a less than one stop advantage.
No images are popping up on my computer, so no idea what you’re talking about. Further, as I said, the difference is most pronounced as ISO gets higher — the a99 remains pretty darn good at 6400. (I loved the a99, I’m not trashing it). Further, you need to make sure you are comparing raw images. For example, imaging-resource uses jpegs, so you are looking at how cameras process differently – not just noise performance. Dpreview comparison scene let’s you use raw. And finally — something many people forget, you can’t use the dial ISO numbers, as different manufacturers “cheat” to different degrees. The ISO 6400 label on one camera, may be 12,800 on another camera. Dxo has determined, for example… That ISO 25600 on the d750 is really 20,000. While 12800 on the a99, is really 7000.
I do find the Dxo graphs to be the most fair arbiter of this type of dispute.
Actually less than a stop, the left is the D750 @12800. At right is the A99@6400. I would give the advantage of both noise and sharpness to the A99 in this comparison.
In this comparison with the D750@12800 on left, and the A99@6400 the A99 is sharper with less noise. The difference is less than one stop.
No idea what left or right you are comparing. It really does though, depend what level you’re comparing at. I found the A99 and D750 to be very close up to ISO 1600. between ISO 1600-6400, I gave the D750 a slight edge.. noticeable, but not huge. Once you get to the 12800+ range, the D750 starts to take a big lead. I never felt comfortable using the A99 over ISO 10,000, which is a “real” ISO of closer to 6400… I’m comfortable using the D750 at 25600, which is a “real” ISO of 20,000 according to DXOmark, about a 1 1/2 stop difference on the high end, a negligible difference on the low end.
well, the A99 is older at this point. I would expect the D750 to edge it out but I wouldn’t relate it to the SLT.
I agree. The SLT is responsible for some of the difference, the older sensor makes up the rest.
Look at the dxo scores and dpreview review of the a7ii — they ding it for using an older 24mp sensor (likely similar to the a99 sensor), that falls a half stop below the d750 sensor, etc. I “blame” the SLT for about a half stop. I don’t find that to be massive, but I also wouldn’t call it negligible. It’s a small difference that won’t make a difference is many photos, but may have some impact in some shots. (And the same can be said about most camera differences– from weight, EVF vs OVF, different AF systems, etc etc– all these differences are really minor in the grand scheme of things. When you compare a 1988 Polaroid instant camera with a Nikon d4s… Those are massive differences.).
Don’t what comparison you are talking about — but the difference between 16800 and 6400 is nearly 1.5 stops!
Typo, Both at 12800. Second sample 12800 left 6400 on right (1 stop).
What left and right are you talking about? I’m not seeing anything. But I’ll point you to dpreview, imaging-resource, and most importantly, DXOmark, all of which confirm a 1- 1 1/2 stop difference at high ISO.
LOL
Are you serious?
Imaging-Resource comparometer compares JPEGs straight out of the camera, not RAW.
Sony JPEG engine applies more default sharpening and noise reduction than Nikon’s.
That explains everything…
You really don’t know what are you talking about….
You must be a fanboy…
You say you can see a reason to go back to ovf? What exactly is that reason? Please don’t leave us in suspense here
.
I use a900/700 with studio strobes because EVF is lousy for it. Doesn’t matter if “settings effect” is on or off with white background. Subject is dark because EVF gains down. Plus my Phottix Odin doesn’t need an adapter for hot shoe.
I use a900/700 for action photography because tracking is much easier with OVF. Higher hit rate for compositions. EVF has laggy delay and shutter effect, always a little behind the action.
I use a99/77 for all natural light work.
I imagine 50MP will probably best be shot on tripods. Studio, product advert and landscape work will benefit most from 50MP. The EVF won’t be a positive in these situations and for some could even be a negative.
The EVF works fine in both those applications, after successfully using both my preference is now the EVF. When using continuous lighting, the EVF has a very distinct advantage.
Actually, SLT is a big positive on a tripod. Yes, you are using live view.. not the EVF. And AF speed is far less critical in those applications, but SLT live view, with its responsiveness, is till a lot more comfortable than a tradition dSLR live view.
You still haven’t explained the benefit of ovf. I shoot studio with evf, I shoot landscape with evf, I use a tripod for everything but people pretty much.
totally agree about update of LAEA 4 but no OVF anyway… I don’t t see any pros of OVF on digital camera.Because nicer image or definition on viewfinder won t counterbalance the fact u don’t have a preview of the result of shooting with EVF and that s more important than having a nicer image on viewfinder.
I’d actually prefer the EVF on this one. I doubt sony would manufacture OVF for ONE camera in their line-up. In terms of scale of production, that would be an expensive en-devour.
That would be a big step back. I was shooting with a MF all week on a canon, the OVF is poor for manual focusing and terrible compared to my a99. I have to use the live view to get critical focus and it is a far slower process than the always on EVF/LCD combo.
50mp A Mount would be great, but I hope that they have managed to make it smaller & lighter than the A99. After having 3 of the 4, A7 series cameras, the A99 & an Rx1r, I find the size & weight of the A7II is close to perfect. If the new A Mount is close to that size, then sign me up for one. Can probably sign me up for one anyway, even if it is a bit bigger, as long as it substantially improves on the A99!!! Love my A Mount lenses, but using them on the LA-EA4 is not that great of an experience, and after using the E Mount bodies, the A99 just feels old now.
A-mount will always be bigger and heavier by comparison, but it’s balanced / matched for the A-mount lenses and feels perfect with a 300mm F2.8 G SSM II and even the 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM. Upon it’s release, however, A99 was the lightest full frame digital camera ever released, and has only been beaten in weight by the Canon 6D.
I don’t get how a camera can feel old. The A7II is a step up from the horrid ergo of the A7’s thus far. However, the AF makes me feel like all the cameras are old now. They were old to begin with! Battery life you wouldn’t expect from a cell phone let alone a pro photographic tool. AF that’s pretty much worthless for anything other than dallying around and shooting stationary objects. Lossy RAW files are a step back, not a step forward. People need to loose their fixation on size and stop viewing their camera in terms of fashionable consumption.
Size is not the issue. I would like to have new a99II with integrated grip and 2 batteries. My usual shoot consumes about 1,5-2 batteries.
It depends on what lens are you using.
If you use some heavy lens over 1.5kg, the size of A99 is better.
why Rx100v4 🙁 Would really prefer the rx2
A-9 would surely made Sony A-mount customers happy! Sony – Make us believe!!
@ Admin: when you write “A9 with 50 MPix sensor”, that shouldn’t be a A-mount body; according to Sony’s nomenclature, single numbers (5 (?), 7, 9 (?)) are for FE bodies, two numbers are for SLT bodies (58, 77, 99) and the thousands (3×00, 5×00, 6000) are for APS-C E-mount bodies.
So, is it a typo? Or do Sony break with that nomenclature? Or is it false rumour?
Apart from that, Sony should really keep well below the Canon price level. Not because it’s not worth. It is much easier for Canon to sell that high-price gear since Canon (and Nikon) is well established in that business. Sony has to convince people (“professionals”) that they can provide gear at the same level and not just once. And you can’t make people switching the gear they are used by having the same price level as the others (which they are used to work with).
That explains why they are dropping the A-mount: no place to go above A99. Although they could name it the A-101.
Heck, why not go totally retro and call it the SRT101d
SLT 101
Make it XD7 / XD11 and i’ll be happy 🙂
a99 mk II – 50mp
RX mk IV – 4K 50mb/s
Sounds sensible.
If this then, maybe:
a9 with same sensor as a99
Any rumors on a LA-EA adapter updgrade? Or should I get the LA-EA4 for my a7 now?
Sony RX100 4 with 4k video and 240 FPS slow motion in 720P, better low light performance and weather sealing…. Hey, im just dreaming 😉
Oh I sure hope this is right!!
I hope they release a monochrome rx100. With the same specs as the current version.
it has B/W mode – but yes not as nice as say Panasonic and Olympus where one can adjust tones – but if they add that and C1 C2 C3 then problem solved
Yeah this has to be a false rumor, since A9 must be E-mount. Unless it’s a typo and he meant an A99ii
Says who? They can name however they wish.
Sony can do whatever they want, but they wouldn’t create that kind of confusion.
As glowinthedark explains below, Sony has now established:
Axxxx is APS-C E-mount
Axxx is SLR A-mount
Axx is SLT A-mount
Ax is Full Frame E-mount
They could shift to being simply axxxx = aps-c and ay= full frame since they intentionally seek to create this confusion for the perception that it is all one system just with two lens mounts.
They should rebrand the entire naming convention into something else, cause the way they have it now is nuts. Should have been all Alpha, since NEX was always Alpha anyways. But model numbers should have stayed A for A-Mount, E for E-Mount, like you have with lenses – SEL and SAL.
A7 must be A-Mount, cause E-Mount cameras are called NEX… oh wait~
My thinking too. Sony’s naming convention is already too confusing now to put an A-mount on an a[single digit] camera. Maybe they should be “elpha” mounts and be e7s and e9s.
Sony does not want to differentiate the mounts. It’s all “Alpha”. So calling an A-mount camera A9 would fit the strategy.
No news about RX1-II or RX2? 🙁
Yeah, WTF is up with that?!
I think maybe they could update the RX1 firmware just once before they release an “RX2!
I think the RX2 wil come, but later. The RX2 will not be revolutionary like the RX1 was, so it should better be a more rounded camera. If Sony takes a little more time with the RX1 successor, it will be a good thing in my book.
No RX20 or RX10 mk2?
How can Sony just allow Panasonic to sell their FZ1000 4k unchallanged by Sony?
Is Sony just going to sit down and give Panny that market?
50Mpix on A99II? Really? Compromise the speed in the product line where speed is ONLY advantage it has over mirrorless? Either there should be multiple A99II siblings, or just one with resolution which does not compromise speed, like 24-36 with today’s processors, for more general use!
High resolution fashion/product/landscape camera actually would make more sense in E-mount – AF speed is irrelevant there, but every bit of IQ helps!
let a-mount lens owners cheer for a day, and see their disappointed face a few days later
It would be interesting an RX100S version with 8Mp sensor with very good low light capability.
LOL. Nice dream. But even with 8mp on a 1inch sensor, low light performance would not be comparable to bigger low mp sensors. To have A7s alike High-ISO, it should be 4mp(ish) on an 1inch sensor.
Don’t forget that smaller size sensors can be made back-side-illuminated which noticeably improves low light performance.
Apart from this, I would be completely happy with 4 to 6Mp, but I said 8Mp because this is the minimum required for 4K video. Of course this would be a weird ratio, so why not a slightly larger than 1″ 8Mp 4K sensor, that is cropped to 6Mp 1″ sensor for more preferrable ratio for taking photos.
If Sony managed to make the excellent 1″ RX100 III sensor the ridiculous 20Mp, reducing it down to nearly a third should improve things quite a bit.
Agreed.
BTW: Why would you crop a slightly bigger (m43 ?) sensor for taking photos? If the image circle covers that bigger sensor for video, you can use it for stills too. Or am I missing something?
I suggested cropping only because 16:9 ratio is not very often used for stills, but you are right, the whole sensor should definitley be available for stills, perhaps with a setting to set the ratio/crop. When cropped the entire sensor height would be used, but only part of the width to achieve the other crops.
3.5k$ for a body? 🙁 I absolutely understand why but I hoped it would not cost more than 2.2k$ thats the max limit. Oh well, have to wait some years until price drops…
a99 debuted at $2800…
$3000-3500 seems about in line with the only other super MP offering.
That is just a benchmark (5ds price). I seriously doubt Sony will go toe to toe with Canon over the price as they simply won’t be able to compete over there. A $2700 or so price range is more believeable.
However I am spoiled by the $1200 price of the A7. 🙁 $2500 is simply too much for me to go back to A mount.
Suit yourself, I’ll gladly pay for $5,000 for an A-mount body with a 300K shutter, amazing AF, amazing buffer, real 14-bit color, etc.
^^ Well you might be one of the few who would be willing to pay that much money for a A mount body ! 😛
As long as Sony keeps the SLT mirror it will never match Nikon in IQ which will put that nice sensor at a disadvantage.
And Nikon’s AF system has always been superior to Sony and I seriously doubt the A99 II will beat that.
So if the Nikon D810 sells for less than $3k Sony will hardly sell if they match that price.
You are absolutely right!
Sure, a pellicle mirror in the A99 gives Nikon/Pentax a slight ISO advantage of 1/2 a stop, but their flipping mirror DSLRs create more vibration, so the Sony images will be sharper.
I greatly researched pellicle cameras before I bought my Sony A99 in 2012 as Canon implemented pellicle tech with their 35mm Pellix film cameras decades earlier & all the tests show the same thing: compared to 35mm SLRs, pellicle mirror cameras are faster and produce sharper images due to elimination of vibration from the flipping mirror.
An ISO advantage of 1/2 stop isn’t even visible unless your pixel peeping a full res image. In print, you can’t even see 1/2 a stop, nor in downsized web images.
For this reason, I would buy an SLT over an SLR every time. However, should A-mount continue for more than 6 years, it will loose the SLT because the on-sensor PDAF will catch up at that point — it’s inevitable & we’ll have the best of both worlds.
D810? I’m obviously not talking about a D810 competitor, but a D4 / 1D competitor whose bodies are priced at $6K, so the Sony would still be selling a better price.
All reports on SAR suggest this is going to be a high MP camera so more of a 5dc competitor.
Again, I’m not talking about this specific camera. I’m saying what I want Sony to release in future.
Wow if they make a 50mp A mount , it will sell by the dozens!!! good job Sony.
If A9 is A-mount then my wish for 1DX / 4DS competitor is coming true !
If this is correct. Then Sony and Zeiss must deliver some new lenses. Maybe a 15 mm f.2,8 for a-mount. 24-105 f.4,0, And a 24 mm f.1,4. Maybe they have to deliver a 200 mm f.2,8 also
Those have 16 and 18 MP. 50MP A9 seems not to be a competitor for them but for 5Ds…
+1 for 1DX / 4DS competitor 😛
I’ve been wishing for this for years!
But it is what it is, a wish.
I can see this happening, Sony recently released their PRO services which would cater to these type of shooters.
A possible A-mount A9 and a 1DX/4DS competitior are two different things. I am absolutely sure, Sony is not capable to compete with the 1DX or 4DS. Not even remotely. The A99 has failed to compete with the 5Diii/D800, so it would be tremendous if they could compete with these two cameras with a new FF A-mount body. But to be honest, I doubt even that.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m talking about the whole camera, not single features. Sony is absolutely great in single features, surely the most innovative brand in that regard, but I have not seen a well rounded product from them so far.
BTW: I love my NEX5n and I’m desperately saving for an A7s, but they are both in no way well rounded products. If Canikon would release (or would have released) a serious compact (AKA mirrorless) with the same effort they put in their DSLRs, I would never have gone for a Sony. Well, thats E-mount, but in A-mount there is no way to to compete with Canikon DSLRs the Sony way (even with clever features like SLT/EVF). So, talking about a 1DX/4DS competitor is totally out of proportion.
The pricing of a full frame A-Mount should tell us a bit of how Sony is thinking of its camera lines and their user base. It seems to me that they have a far more agressive pricing strategy on the e-mount front that they ever had on the A-mount. The mirrorless market is some 7% (I think) of overall market and Sony seems to be doing quite well there. Pricing is agressive and the value of the A7 or A6000 are just astonishing at this time and those of the rest of the A7 line are quite good as well. If they come up with a single, “king of the hill” A-mount FF with a 3,500 USD price to match I guess that we can conclude that they see the A-mount market as mainly people who use these cameras as professional tools.
If the A9 is a-mount. Then i am hoping that they deliver it in 2 versions. One with 50 mp, and one with 24 mp, A9r and A9s version
Give us 50 Mp A9 body. we have more than enough 24Mp bodies.
I hear you but doubt that the nomenclature A9 would be for an A-mount or that we would have a 24mp “s” version but sure like the idea of it. I do hope that they bring it on a two tier approach with a more affordable version which, I would think, increases the chances of expanding the A-mount FF bases and make good of their strategy of increasing lens generated profits.
Since Sony likes to blur (confuse) the lines, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sony moves to drop the aXX and make a9_ the only a-mount camera body in the future. An a9r @ 36-50mp and a9 @ 24mp built for speed would be sensible (basically an a99 with the speed and AF converge of the 77-2). The a77-2 could linger on as the final aps-c model for a couple of years.
Or it could be the mythical hybrid mount camera…
I think people are reading to much into the A9 reference.
In ideal world there will be 50MP a99IIr, 24 MP a99II and my long waited ISO king a99S with a7s sensor + translucent mirror PDAF
If they announced A99IIS and A99IIR tomorrow, I’d buy two A99IIS bodies and one A99IIR body — seriously!
I want your bank account.
Ok, I’ll take two a99IIs bodies, that makes four a99IIs bodies already 🙂
x100 I’m with you Jack. Speed is WAYYYYY more important than resolution. If Sony can make essentially an A77II with a full frame sensor with dual card slots like A99, it would be incredible!
“A9 Almost sure to happen. Almost sure to be A-mount and 50MP”
unless sony keep their usual YOU CANT GUESS OUR PRODUCT NEXT NAME the name of the A mount 54mp its going to be a99II or a99r, never a9
the cost will be calculated as usual formula, take canon rival product price, then take 20% off
looking at current rx10 and rx1 sales, i doubt they make the mark II of those
if rx100 mark 4 its only rx100 mark 3 + 4k recording, expect screams from current owners why then not just a firmware
but i expect also match the rx100 canon clon lense, so… good enough
please god, make the4 waterproof, mmm, god never listen to me 🙁
The Entry Level A-mount APC-S. A59 is coming with a different name code!
E-Mount is dead… again.
Let us surprise! Why a7rII with 36MP, when the sales of mirrorless is in stagnation!! Better to go ahead with an a7(9) with 50MP, for all e-mount owner!
And I do hope Sony will come out with a99II with 50MP to beat all DSLR and to give back the wishes of all a-mount owner!!!
That would be customer-friendliness!! If not,…..
Thank the pertinent god for that. I have an a7 & an a7ii, I don’t want to buy an a7iii in the same darn year. ….
a7 is a camera not Rocky movie , you don’t have to buy all versions to take a photo
What is your take on the IQ between the A7 and A7 II if any – also in terms of shutter speed – say with the Zeiss FE 55mm F1.8 – what is the slowest shutter speed with A7 and then with A7 II – just wondering if I should upgrade to A7 II – I am happy with my A7 and button layout is fine and grip etc- yes A7 II has one more Fn but I can deal with that – so for me it is the IBIS question –
If you shoot with manual glass, especially longer lenses 85mm and up), that IBIS is a HUGE improvement to usability during focusing zoomed in. The A7 II, to me (as someone who had A7) feels like a very large upgrade even though on specs it seems like only a few things. They are a few things that make a large leap in quality of experience just using the camera. The grip, IBIS, improved speed (specifically, it’s way better at Eye AF which I use often), better focus performance, etc. it all adds up you know?
I was playing with the IBIS and found I was able to get good sharp shots down to 1/8s on the 55/1.8. Obviously, YMMV.
If I was sitting on an A7 still, I would see it as a hard sell, but, having the A7 II, it’s now like… I can’t imagine sticking with the A7 🙂
Thanks for info – 1/8s is fantastic – I think I am at around 15th-30th with my A7 – which is not bad with he 55 F1.8 – but like you said the longer the focal length the more critical – 55mm is more manageable –
I have heard so many say that No IS is needed in primes – but once I started using my Olympus EM5 and Em1 and Lumix GX7 I just started to realize how much I disagree 🙂 I am just a firm believer in IBIS – why replicate IS in every lens and then no IS in many –
Why loose a stop of light – I am just waiting for more lenses for the FE mount – I just have the FE 55 and the kit lens – but was looking at the 90mm macro – but it has IS so no issue there – just a bit costly I think – hopefully will come down a bit – so maybe not so critical to get the A7 II at the moment – hope Sony just takes IS out of their branded lenses and makes them smaller lighter and cheaper – so like you said a hard sell
I have taken shots all the way down to 1/3 of a second with 50mm focal lenght. Last time in Paris i actually took a picture of the trioumph arch 1.5 sec shutter speed, using shoulder of my girlfriend as support. It came out sharp 🙂
Ibis is great. Bigger grip and better placed shutter button are great additions too.
Thanks for feedback – sure it is not just that you have a steady girlfriend 🙂 yes going down to 1/3 is awesome – but of course varies a bit on shooter – I am so so as far as being steady – but I agree that IBIS is the way to go – I have small hands so grip not an issue and shutter placement ok with me – so it is mainly the IBIS with lenses with no IS – like the Zeiss 55 F1.8 – I have my eyes on the 90mm F2.8 but it has IS so not an issue – I am still debating in my head what to do – as so far it is just the 55 that I have that has no IS – and I have the 50mm F1.8 in APS-C on my A6000 and the panasonic 42.5mm F1.2 with IS – so in a way hard sell – if price came dow to $1200 then not an issue 🙂
I have heard that Olympus and Sony have had a hard time putting 4K in IBIS – so I wonder if the A7 M2 will be the only one to have it – as I assume the A7s will continue to have 4k –
Rumor is that the Panasonic GX7 replacement GX8 will have 4K but no IBIS like the current GX7 – that would be a shame
the a7 II is superior in many respects, due to IBIS of course but equally to an obviously very much improved focusing algorithm (which if you use, you will soon notice) and which is visible in the rendering of images..but. that doesn’t make the a7 a POS..far from it. keep in mind this was a revolution just a year ago..and is still a great back-up camera that you can attach a second lens to if you have room & energy to carry 2 cams..especially useful if you’re using primes or manual lenses.
You could use the two cameras you have instead…
A9 A-mount? Praise Jebus!
I want 100MP and lenses which can resolve this chip. Will cost gazillions if at all possible to make. This all reminds me a bit of nuclear overkill.
You don’t want it, you don’t need it – this product is simply not for you. Easy like that…or do you cry about every Mercedes, Ferrari, Bentley on the road because this is overkill?
It makes no sense for me as I do not need a penis extension. Do you?
Where did I mention I drive a big car or need 50 MPix? No need to get personal.
This camera is not for you if it has got 50 MPix and you don’t need that much. Choose another one by Sony or another brand – that easy!
By the way – some people need 50 MPix and more and that has nothing to do with compensation or a small penis, ever thought about it? Only because you don’t need it, it does not mean other people have to be like you.
Nobody needs it but many, especially those who believe the marketing people, want it. I am sure the next step will be 100MP on FF simply because the increase in megapixels is the most prominent way manufacturers can differentiate themselves from the competition. There is no practical use for such high resolution chips due to limits set by physics. Thus, nobody CAN rationally need 50MP and more. Read this (and also the work by Daniel Kahneman and Dan Ariely on irrationality – something the marketing people know all about):
“Sensors for larger formats are approaching the diffraction limit of real lenses, and it is more difficult to get high levels of aberration suppression for them. The point is that you cannot fully exploit the resolution potential of high-resolution sensors with regular mass-produced lenses, particularly for larger formats.”
quoted from
http://www.uned.es/personal/rosuna/resources/photography/Diffraction/Do%20sensors%20outresolve.pdf
PS In case you are able to read German, buy the March edition of Fotomagazin and read the article on page 88 “Wieviele Megapixel sind sinnvoll?” (How many MP still make sense?). I can give you the answer already: 24MP on FF. Thus, there are some great camera bargains out there which will allow you to spend the money saved by not buying a 50MP camera on some really good lenses that can resolve 24MP or even more (the limit is somewhere around 40MP for FF, I think). The marketing people will hate you for it but your photography will be no worse for it.
And as to the super cars you mention, imagine you buy one and then you get told the only wheels and tyres that can be fitted are those that were made for a Citroen 2CV – usable upto a speed of 70 mph. With the 50MP cameras, you will run into a very similar problem.
Just amazing that RX100 m4 coming in few days – My guess is that they have lost some sales due to the Canon G7X – with longer zoom and a bit brighter lens and a sensor that scores a bit higher – but of course the RX100m3 has better video and more features – but NO Touch Shutter like the Canon – I just think a Touch Shutter on a small compact is such a practical feature – but so far Sony has resisted using Touch (except nex5/a5000 – but no Touch Shutter ) – which is so odd as so many are asking for it – Of course we know Fuji will never implement Touch LCD 🙂 – although the whole world uses Touch on their smart phones –
I think that I would prefer Touch Shutter /LCD more so than 4K with no Mic in –
The real push now for Sony is to maintain their edge in the 1 inch sensor compact – as Canon is out with another 1 inch soon – although not as compact – but I can see Nikon and Fuji and Olympus also join the game –
I have the RX100 and the Canon G7X and the Panasonic LX100 – so I have 4k – but if RX100m4 had Touch Shutter and Touch LCD for menu system and 4k and longer focal range and EVF then it might be worth getting –
I suspect 4K video and longer focal range will be the highlights of the RX100m4 – ( no Touch Shutter as always – no mic in )
I doubt the lens will change since they introduced the all new constant 2.8 lens only a year ago. I could see a sensor improvement since it remains unchanged from the mark II and has now trickled over to other manufacturers such as canon.
currently both the G7X and RX100m3 have F1.8-F2.8 aperture – but Canon has 24-100mm focal range vs 24-70mm on the RX100m3 – also interestingly the sensor in the Canon G7X gets a better rating at DXomark – Canon gets 71 vs Sony 69 – odd as many think it is the same sensor –
I suspect 4k will be a highlight in the m4 – but no mic in – also a small flash –
but I suspect you are right that no new lens –
I think they should have 2 models – the higher end with EVF and 4k and a lower end with 24-700mm F1.8-2.8 and Touch LCD and Touch Shutter one that will compete with the G7X in price as surly Canon will come out with one soon and maybe Panasonic/Olympus and Fuji – I think EVF is not that critical in that small compact category – or it could be small and not affect the price as in the case of the RX100m3 – Just don’t think folks will be spending $899 for the Sony RX100m4 with EVF and 4K when they can get the Canon G7X and others around $400-600 with no EVF and no 4k but still 1 inch sensor – of course there will be some that will deem it worth it
The viewfinder is a BIG feature. Something the Canon G7X does not have. A touch screen would be nice. I’d like to have the multi-interface shoe back.
RX series is missing APS-C.
By A-mount, they probably mean Alpha mount 😉
This is actually the best explanation to date
APS-C RX, please.
If this rumor is true and the new 50mp A mount will be released before the new 50mp E mount that will be the smartest move Sony could make at this time.
Nothing less than such a move will convince people that A mount is not dead.
If you are an E mount fan I am certain that the E mount version cannot be far behind, but releasing the E mount first would seal the doom for A mount.
So if they release the A mount 50MP in April and the E mount in May, A mount is alive and well, but if the E mount is released in April and A mount in May, the “doom is sealed”?
I can’t imagine this mattering in the slightest.
Don’t hold your breath for a logical response.
Exactly what part of my comment does not make sense to you?
Hand me downs? If a-mount doesn’t get a new sensor or feature first it is garbage? That is childish rubbish.
Releasing a new camera is a clear enough signal. If Sony puts in the new 5-axis IBIS in an a99-2 it won’t matter one bit that it debuted in an a7-2. Considering the a-mount life cycle of 2.5 to 3 years, all the better sony works out the kinks in bodies that get refreshed every 1 to 1.5 years.
The life cycle only matters for a model in question. You’re forgetting a very important point that there are only 2 cameras for the entire mount, one of which is old and due for a refresh. There are no sufficient news to generate interest in the system. No low end, to introduce new users into the system. No “breakthroughs” in the system, which also generate interest. All that is now reserved for E-Mount, which directly translates into A-Mount being on forced life support. A few years ago A-Mount had 13% DSLR market share and was growing, when the entire market was stagnating, where is it now? 1.3%? (If even that…).
I like A-Mount cameras and own one myself as a primary system, but unlike you, i’m not kidding myself into a belief that A-Mount is done for, for the most part. And unlike Barry, I don’t try to “revive” it in my head. A single A99II isn’t going to do anything….
The life cycle only matters for a model in question. You’re forgetting a very important point that there are only 2 cameras for the entire mount, one of which is old and due for a refresh. There are no sufficient news to generate interest in the system. No low end, to introduce new users into the system. No “breakthroughs” in the system, which also generate interest. All that is now reserved for E-Mount, which directly translates into A-Mount being on forced life support. A few years ago A-Mount had 13% DSLR market share and was growing, while the entire market was already stagnating, where is it now? 1.3%? (If even that…).
I like A-Mount cameras and own one myself as a primary system, but unlike you, i’m not kidding myself into a belief that A-Mount is not done for. It is, at least for the most part. And unlike Barry, I don’t try to “revive” it in my head. A single A99II isn’t going to do anything….
The life cycle only matters for a model in question. You’re forgetting a very important point that there are only 2 cameras for the entire mount, one of which is old and due for a refresh. There are no sufficient news to generate interest in the system. No low end, to introduce new users into the system. No “breakthroughs” in the system, which also generate interest. All that is now reserved for E-Mount, which directly translates into A-Mount being on forced life support. A few years ago A-Mount had 13% DSLR market share and was growing, while the entire market was already stagnating, where is it now? 1.3%? (If even that…).
I like A-Mount cameras and own one myself as a primary system, but unlike you, i’m not kidding myself into a belief that A-Mount is not done for. It is, at least for the most part. And unlike Barry, I don’t try to “revive” it in my head. A single A99II isn’t going to do anything….
There are actually 3 cameras in the A-mount lineup, but A58 is old & I doubt it will be replaced at all.
A99 is still newer than the Canon 5D Mark III, and it’s due for a replacement this year, but it’s certainly not behind schedule and there’s absolutely zero evidence to substantiate that A-mount is going anywhere.
Sony just invested heavily in R&D to develop a new AF system specifically for A-mount. They would not waste the money if the system were being eliminated any time soon.
Secondly, what makes you think A-mount is 1.3% — are you citing those Japanese sales figures?
A77II sold very well and continues to sell, as does A99, and globally, A-Mount market share is likely around 7-9%. There’s still a substantial A-mount user base invested in the system and all Sony has to do is release a couple new bodies & and lenses they will continue to sell to those users.
Senior management confirmed repeatedly A-mount development is continuing in parallel with E-mount, but they also were asked about the decline of DSLR sales worldwide & were very telling when they suggested the lost sales is because of lack of innovation. I suspect they want future A-mount body updates to be more substantial — even groundbreaking.
Furthermore, Sony doesn’t have a single native F2.8 zoom in E-mount, nor a single fast long lens and it’s a tough sell as a camera system without those. Also, there’s not a single FE camera with AF on par with A99, let alone A77II. Suggesting A-mount is done for when it’s propping up the entire Sony still photography system is just silly.
1.3% that was with a ? mark at the end.
I’d love to believe what you say is actually what is happening, As I can’t see myself switching to E-Mount anytime soon. But majority users were with A33/35/37, A55/57/58 and A65s. Their only update path was to upgrade and not many would upgrade to a camera, that costs 2x more.
Numbers of users are always on the cheap end, but then they progress up to more expensive models. While current iteration of users has cameras to upgrade to, there is no influx of new users into the system, why is the primary reason for all of us saying that it’s only a matter of time. And probably short time at that.
Right now, A77II is almost the same price as my A65 was a few years ago, so I do have an upgrade path.
Its just that there is so much to be done to the system. Starting with lenses (like SAL35F14G) and a bunch of others. Instead, what we saw was a complete removal of entry/mid level equipment
I agree with you on the 35mm F1.4 G. It’s why I currently shoot with the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM Art. Also, Zeiss 85mm & 135mm should be upgraded with SSM as well. The Zeiss 24-70 II and 16-35 II were supposed to be released this spring and I was under the impression the other Zeiss would follow.
Whatever Sony’s strategy for A-mount is, I think we’ll know a lot more before the end of the year.
Oh I’m not kidding myself. It is fairly obvious that in the near term a-mount will exist as lenses and a to e converters. I do believe that there will be an a99 successor, which is due at the end of the year based on the a900 to a99 timeline. I think this is fairly likely since an la-ea slt adapter with a proper full frame AF system is needed. If Sony is bothering to produce that than they may as well build at least one camera with it.
If the a99-2 is essentially an a99 with full frame coverage or aps-c coverage, newer processor and wifi then I think that will be the final a-mount camera. If sony seriously upgrades it with full frame a77-2 AF, recent sensor, 5-axis ibis, double digit fps, a big buffer, better high ISO and 4k then I’ll believe Sony is willing to let the market decide the future of a-mount. A feature or part need not debut in the a99-2 so long as the camera is greater than the sum of its parts.
A mount is only been getting hand me down sensorrs long after E mount and Nikon.
If Sony puts the latest tech on A mount first it demonstrates a commitment to A mount.
If they continue with only hand me downs it does not.
If Sony wants to send a clear message A mount is alive that is what they will do.
If they want do say we are just not ready to bury the corpse yet than they will anounce E mount first.
Its called marketing.
I get what you mean about the hand me downs. If it’s the old 36mp sensor that could have gone in 3 years ago then that is bad news. Hopefully not.
“….convince people that A mount is not dead.” you mean convince internet forum speculators? Sony Management has said many times they are staying with the line.
Based on current nomenclature it seems unlikely the new camera will be both the A9 and A mount.
Perhaps as usual admins source got confused again.
Plus if the source is a Japenese store it is unlikely that they have any inside information.
yes lots of “confusion” about camera basics from people inside the camera industry. I have a feeling the confusion will get all cleared up about 5 hours prior to actual release.
so i guess sony has abandoned any new RX-1
To date, i’ve loved Sony cameras. On my A65 the pictures come out great. While the noise performance is sub-par, when comparing to the likes of D7000, to me, EVF is a far more important feature than extra little bit in noise performance, but after doing proper filming with my A65 over the past few days, i can say that the video feature is still half baked. Especially comparing to my buddy, who was there with a GH4.
Yes, the A-Mount “AF in video” feature proved very useful, as the subjects were moving fast and distance of subject to lens was constantly changing. This allowed me to focus strictly on zoom and pan control, but not being able to set the shutter speed in AF mode proved to be a big issue. It would have been less of an issue if in 60p setting, the camera would automatically set lower limit to 1/125 shutter speed, like it selects 1/50 for 24p.
On top of that, the noise at ISO1600 is something else… I wouldn’t mind it so much if all these smaller usability quirks weren’t there, but darn it, when you put it all together, it leaves a pretty bad aftertaste. Love the camera, but in video, it should stay in MF mode at all times.
Stan, the A65 is ancient by comparison to the GH4. Technology moves very fast, and GH4 is designed more for video than still photography so he will get better results. Similarly, Sony’s A7S (which was designed more for video) blows the GH4 away and is the king of low light video performance.
However, you’ll still get much better video performance if you shoot full manual like videographers do with every other video-DSLR. This way you are not crippled by the F3.5 aperture when shooting in low light and have full control over your exposure. Set your AF to manual, set your function knob to the film strip icon for movie mode, then switch from P to Manual Movie mode from your function menu.
I also highly recommend 24P for low light and 60P for everything else so you can do slow motion effects if you want them. Also, turn off DRO and try setting your Creative Style to Neutral with Sharpness at -3, Saturation at 0 and Contrast at -3.
This will give you much cleaner video & greater latitude for color grading. Hope this helps!
Japanese have difficulty of distinguish between “α” & “a”.
If the camera called A9, they are talking about alpha “α” not “a”.
A9 in A-mount?
Sony’s trying to confuse us with these model numbers.
Maybe they’ll release a A88 in E-mount one of these days 😛
It seems to make sense. The only thing the Sony’s current Flag-Ship needs is a new sensor and a couple of chip changes to keep up to cameras like the D810, and 5DS. Sony’s FF Mirror-less just don’t have the technology to compete against these cameras.
FF mirror-less camera performance has improved in recent years, but they’re AF, RAW are not “Flag-Ship” quality
The A9 will be and hopefully it’ll be a true DSLR and not a DSLT.
Ah yeah…If it is A-mount I will eat my hat…Not going to happen. That opportunity has long gone…
Mmmmm….hat.
A-mount and RX-100… Very Good! No need to set aside any money 🙂
Does anyone know if A99 and A77II limit F-Stop during video AF, the same way A77 and A65 do?
In full manual movie mode, you can shoot at what ever F stop you want (and that includes A77 & A65). To get to manual movie mode, you need to first switch to manual focus, then turn the function knob to the filmstrip icon for video, then set the video mode to M from the menu.
AFAIK yes its still f3.5 only for both. A99 for sure has the limit but I am unable to confirm for the A77 II.
Read my reply — that’s only in Program AE mode. All Sony SLTs have offer full manual control in video & you can shoot at whatever F stop you want.
Please read what the OP has said. He wants to know the limit F-Stop during video AF !!!!
He didn’t ask about manual mode so my reply is exactly what he asked for.
Exactly Brendon.
I know i can do anything I want in manual, but sometimes I have to use AF and was specifically asking about AF mode limitations.
Exactly Brendon.
I know i can do anything I want in manual, but sometimes I have to use AF and was specifically asking about AF mode limitations.
I have both A77 & A77II,
Yes, If you want AF in video, you can only shoot in P-mode.
and it will limited the max. aperture at F3.5.
Personally, I only shoot video in M-mode + manual focus, so it is not a problem for me.
I can set any aperture I want in M-mode.
I do both.
When you shoot fast movement in direction towards and away from the lens, as well as perpendicular, you have to control the zoom(framing), track the subject as well as focus. During any kind of movement, peaking usually disappears altogether, and you can only focus as much as LCD would allow you.
Tracking, Framing and Focusing all at the same time is close to impossible, so for these kinds of situations I turn on AF.
There is evidence to say that A mount may have a serious return(i hope), for example the rerealese of the 70-400mk2, 70-200mk2 , 16-35mk2, 24-70mk2 and apartently 85 and the 135 coupled with a Sony pro department that has popped up in Europe and the USA. What needs to happen is this…. latest sensor tech and associated technologies to be introduced into A mount before E mount…it cant be the other way around, an entry level A mount camera for those whom wish to enter the market two FF bodies. One focused around resolution like a 99R (50mp) for example and a high speed low noise 99s (24mp) with adequet AF that will stump my 77ii in which has let me down on many sporting events (im back to the 1dmk4 for paid events)… SLT needs to go, lets face it it was a decent transition however its a bottle neck for IQ. I have an abundance of A mount and E mount equipment, the A will stay with me as i hope and wish the above spawns into reality otherwise i fear gumtree will be swamped with A mount gear in the years to come… Ill buy both A mounts FF if they come into existence…
what about an update for the horrible autofocus on the RX-1/R?? maybe a firmware update would be nice….
It won’t happen…
Don’t speak of the devil! 🙁
LOL. I thought the same thing.
It’s an SR2 rumor. I think it is nothing more than hot air.
I’m curious about the sales figures of the RX1 compared to the A99. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are equal or even better on the RX1 side. I think the RX1 successor will come for sure.
A camera with a retractable lens will never be weather sealed. In addition to that, the RX100iii has a popup EVF, which would make weather sealing even harder.
LOL, lol.
I believe you are right, and have a feeling Sony is going to greatly surprise everyone!
Willy, have you ever shot with an SLT camera extensively?
They produce MUCH shaper images because you loose the continual vibration that comes with a flipping mirror. They also provide better continuous AF because the PDAF module never looses light like it does when the mirror flips.
I’ve been shooting with the Sony A99 & now A77II and I’m continually amazed at the sharpness — and the benefits outweigh any return to ancient DSLR technology. Sony should stay SLT until they have the AF technology to remove the pellicle mirror entirely.
Actually you are pretty much wrong on a lot of counts.
A) They do not produce much sharper images as the shutter adds its own vibration and the mirror can cut some sharpness once it gets a little dusty during use. If you have any links to support your claim please post them.
B) Continuous AF is NOT any better than even a semi pro DSLR. Read up on the A7 II on image-resource. The Canon 7D MK II and Nikon D7200 both offer clearly superior AF systems.
C) The A99 doesn’t have a true 14 bit RAW. The RAW files are compressed and are lossy too.
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/52643502
D) If your clients are happy with your work that is all that matters. However the A99 is not that great a camera and every website worth its salt has shown it is inferior in almost every way in image quality compared to say a D610 or a D750 or even Sony’s own A7 which also use the same sensor
A) Mirror flip absolutely increases vibration because of the jarring upward flip which impacts image quality — especially at low shutter speeds.
B) This is debatable, and I read those same reviews. I would agree when I first bought the A77II (which I know you’ve never worked with based on your other comments). It was entirely new technology and none of us knew how to use it — hence those reviews. In the past few months, Sony released a very detailed AF manual, and since programming my AF accordingly, I get a 90% hit rate. Getting this kind of performance in a body that does 12 FPS at full res with great ISO performance through 6400 for under $1000 is incredible. A77II is one of the best cameras Sony ever made!
C) Your link was actually referring to RX1, which, like the A7-series, has to used compression in order to move the large data with such small electronics. A99 does in fact deliver true 14-bit RAW in single shot mode. In continuous, it’s 12-bit. My A99 24MP 14-bit RAW files vary in size in the 23-25 MB range.
D) You’re comparing it to newer cameras — of course technology improves over time. However, the A99 was rated higher than both the Canon 5D Mark III and Nikon D800 by Dpreview upon its release — look it up yourself. As for the A7, it’s RAW files are crippled slightly by the compression. I’d take an A99 over an A7 or even A7II any day!
A) I have not experienced it with the 5d mk 3 I borrow to shoot weddings
B) I have used the A77 II. My friend has it. He too says while its an improvement its nowhere near as good as Canon. He bought it for other reasons like the flipping screen rather .
C) Maybe you are correct. I am unable to find more data on the subject. However DXOmark has shown the DR to be slightly inferior to any of the other 24 MP rivals.
D) There is a reason the A99 was comprehensively outsold by both the D800 and the 5d Mk 3. Both the D800/5d mk3 have far better AF systems. The A99 was beaten by the much cheaper D600 in almost every aspect – IQ, AF points, AF coverage, tracking etc.
The only reason the Sony A77 II isn’t doing too well is because Sony has created this aura of uncertainty over the future of the A mount. I was trying to push the A77 II on my friend and he was like the A mount has been discontinued and no mater what I said I couldn’t convince him otherwise.
Re: A77II AF: Tell your friend to download the A77II AF instruction manual, read it, reprogram his AF settings accordingly and be amazed.
Re: A77II sales — I’ve read quite the opposite. But surely continuing to spread doom & gloom about A-mount can’t be helping.
Re: A99 AF. I absolutely agree to a point. The AF array is WAY too small and centered, and it can be super frustrating to work with. In Tele Zoom mode which crops to APS-C 10 MP the AF covers the majority of the frame and is incredible. It was a huge mistake Sony designed their AF array on the A99 as they did. But even in spite of that, it still received a better score than both D800 and 5D Mark III because of all the other features it offers, and I continue to get amazing results. Again, it’s 14-bit RAW files are stunning.
Re: DXO Mark? LOL Seriously, in 2015, if you’re not getting great photos out of a camera, the problem isn’t the camera.
A77II let you down huh. How so?
i responded above 😉 thankyou
I had issues with it too early on, but since Sony released their AF Settings Instruction Manual I’ve been reading that, re-programming & testing out different settings and have been getting 85-90% hit rates since, but this is shooting Rugby League and Soccer. I haven’t re-tested on cycling yet.
I also experienced significant back focus on SAL70200G2 with a77Mii but it was dead on with SAL70400G2. I haven’t settled on an AFA adjustment but it’s about +9. If you are having trouble with focus on an a77M2 + SAL70200G2 combination do a simple back focus test to see if your AF is missing the spot. Note: I sent both the camera and lens back to Sony and Sony reported both were “within spec.” (Which they may have been but with my own test the back focusing issue was pretty obvious. There also seems to be significant AF inconsistency from shot to shot
BrianK,
I’ve definitely had a few incidents of back focus with the SAL70200G2 on A77II as well, but the majority lately are spot on.
Brian, also for soccer, also try the AF area “Lock On” mode which will allow you to focus on a single player. The trick is you have to wait 0.5 sec for the green frame to appear around your subject to ensure the focus is locked before you fire, otherwise it won’t track properly.
I assume you have the A77II AF Settings Manual, yes?
If not, you can download here. It’s very detailed, and I’m still learning like the rest of you!
http://www.sony.net/Products/di/common/images/products/g2sw/ILCA-77M2_4DFOCUS_Camera_Settings_Guide.pdf
Last but not least, are you setup with Sony Pro Support?
I do have it and have read it. Although I find the distinctions between shooting situations a little vague, I wish I had it from the beginning. Gary Friedman’s book was also helpful in understanding the purpose of these settings. Still my miss rate is unacceptably high so when I get closer to your 90% I will be happy. I have to confess I’ve had better luck with center point focus then the lock on options. The .05 wait has been difficult to achieve consistently given the speed of the action on the field.
I hear you & you’re not the only one who had issues. I’ve found the “Lock-On: Flexible Spot” and “Expand Flexible Spot” work well, but the problem is, the black squares are so faint on the viewfinder at times I often make the mistake of not having it set to the right spot when I press the shutter half way. I think it’s just a bit of a learning curve.
You may want to stay on basic AF Area “Wide”, but I do recommend experimenting further with “Lock-On AF: Wide” & “Lock-On AF: Center” while also adjusting AF Tracking Duration to your liking. If I feel I’m not quite in sync w/the players on the filed, sampling turning it down a step can help.
I haven’t tested the “Lock-On AF: Zone”, but I’m anxious to try that out on cycling in May.
Honestly, the biggest improvements I’ve seen in hit rate shooting soccer came from setting Priority to “AF” and turning Face/Smile Detection “Off” and experimenting with AF Track Duration. It seems to work best for me on a stickier/lower setting (usually 2 or 3).
I hope this helps improve your hit rate. LMK if you have any other questions at all!
I find its fine with moving objects side by side, its depth is where the problem is at, for me primarily its cycling… if a rider is moving towards me or away this is where i find a terrible hit rate.. panning no problem for obvious reasons so i finished the day doing pans….. unfortunately in many cases i couldnt see the number plate so therefore it was hard to find images that were requested by number.. not very professional. 😉
Nice panning photo — I didn’t know we could post photos on here!
I had the exact same problem shooting cycling, specifically, BUT I never tried shooting with AF Area set to “Zone” Or “Lock-on AF: Zone” and I honestly haven’t shot anything using those modes.
I mistakenly had the camera set to AF Area “Wide” and “Lock-on AF: Flexible Spot” and I had Face Detection Set to “On” which is entirely wrong. I also had Priority set to “Balanced” which I’ve since changed to “AF” so the camera won’t fire unless it has a focus lock in the frame.
According to Sony’s AF Setting Manual, the AF Area “Zone” settings are designed for fast, on-coming subjects. They show a jet plane and a sports car for examples, but it would totally make sense for cycling too.
I’m going to give A77II another chance on cycling trying both of the zone settings while also experimenting with the AF Track Duration setting which likely we would want set to 4 or 5 so it quickly switches to the new rider who appears in the frame. I’m also going make sure Face/Smile Detection is “Off” this time & only shoot in the 12 FPS mode.
Yes, and the problem shooting “Wide” is, like on most cameras, it’s designed to lock on to the closest subject in the frame, which isn’t always the subject you want. Whenever I shoot “Wide” I like to make sure my AF Range is set beforehand.
A couple things to check if you haven’t already:
1. Ensure “Smile/Face Detection” is turned “Off”
2. Set your Priority setup from “Balanced” to “AF” so the camera won’t fire unless it has a focus lock
3. Adjust your AF Range on the camera as needed
4. Adjust your AF Track Duration as you shoot. For soccer, I recommend starting on “2” so it’s stickier to the player you want to lock on.
Do this in the 12 FPS mode, and you should definitely see a difference in hit rate!
Also, ApogeePhoto, did you download the newly-released A77II AF Setting Instruction Manual?
Since reading & re-programming my A77II I’m getting a 90% hit rate.
Try these settings out:
1. Set Focus Area (#3 under the camera icon) to “Wide”
2.Set AF Tracking Duration (#4 under the camera icon) according on what
your shooting. When shooting Soccer or Rugby League Football, I find it
works best from 1 (Slow) to 3 (Mid) so AF is stickier — allowing me to
stay locked on single player as he weaves in & out of others.
Shooting Pro Cycling, however, it works best at 5 (High) to 3 (Mid) as
the cyclists fly past you so quickly.
3. Turn off Smile/Face Detection (#7 under the camera icon) to “Off”
4. Set Priority Setup (#4 under the sprocket icon) to “AF”
5. Set e-Front Curtain Shut. (#5 on under the sprocket icon) to “Off” (this can cause ghosting at high shutter speeds)
Also, I turn off all SteadyShot when I’m shooting 1/1000+.
Hope this helps increase your hit rate! Cheers!
Much appreciated DW, simply put with no offense, it let me down under
most configurations and lens arrangements, sports is primarily what i
do notably mountain bike race events around Australia for over 5 years.
Now, im no newcomer to continuous shooting under hard conditions but
all i can say after vigorous trials its just not adding up to its
technical (on paper) ability… I Want to love the camera i really do..
as i love my 99 notably in AF-D mode, i love my A7s and A7r so for me i
am very Sony invested. I returned the camera to the sony shop in which
the fellas know me very well….and they suggested to send it off to
test it. However i took home a different A77II and the situation was
very much the same under all configurations obtained in the newly
released AF instruction manual and firmware update. So for peace of mind
i resorted to my old and trusty canon 1dmk4 coupled with my 70-200 II,
its bullet proof. As for research online, Imaging Resources have
uncounted similar issues like ive have had…. so please any further
insight would be appreciated and mean no offense to any current A77II
owners.
DW “5. Set e-Front Curtain Shut. (#5 on under the sprocket icon) to “Off” (this can cause ghosting at high shutter speeds)” i yet to try.
I believe you & I also had serious issues shooting cycling with A77II last month, but I have not tried out on cycling again since I re-programmed my AF settings after reading the AF Settings instruction manual.
Also, when shooting sports with A99 in the 8 FPS Tele Crop mode (10 megapixel APS-C crop), in AF-D mode it almost never fails. I just hate that I have to throw away half my resolution to shoot sports with A99.
A77II works great for soccer / rugby, but this is mostly horizontal motion tracking whereas cycling is riders coming at you. I think the Dual AF on A99 seems to be better at depth tracking.
I’ve said this before, but if for one of the next full frame A-mount bodies, Sony can update AF-D by combining a wider PDAF module and on-sensor PDAF that covers 98% of the frame as on the A-6000, it likely be some of the best AF around.
I’m shooting cycling again in May & I’ll let you know if I figure out any settings that get the AF on A77II to better work with cycling.
thank you and likewise… The 6000 was a surprise to me and honestly at time i gravitate towards it for mild sporting events, im so nervous about using the A77II for paid events as previously some images where requested and i was reluctant to handing them over. The draw back with the 99 was the A77 AF module hence the AF spread, fortunately the AF-D was its super charger and im more inclined to utilize it over the 77II theoretically. SLT needs to go as you said an A6000 PDAF on sensor with 98% over a full frame sensor would be the absolute. the ideal recovery for A mount is two versions, a sports low noise no SLT, a complete mirrorless full form factor body with your AF concept. Sony had the tendency to take two steps forward and at the same time take a small step back, we need a revolution in A mount department or otherwise the last nail into the Amount coffin is a certainty, well for me at least.
But my concept is not getting rid of SLT at all, but upgrading it. SLT can be a huge benefit for the sports body if they implement a new advanced version of the AF-D on A99 — wide, multi-cross PDAF module above the pellicle mirror (advance version of A77II module) and wide 98% coverage on-sensor PDAF.
I understand your reluctance, but did you ever try A77II using the AF Area “Zone” mode for cycling? I would highly recommend trying that out before you give up on A77II, even if just testing on some cyclists passing by before the race as this is how A77II was designed to shoot fast moving on-coming subjects (cars, bikes, planes, etc.). The AF Area “Zone” settings are described on page 28-29 of the AF Settings Manual.
I have no allegiance to this camera, but my own hit rate went from 60% to 90% just by following the instructions for shooting soccer & rugby league. It’s just with the new AF system, it’s super specialized to different types of subjects and needs to be set accordingly for best performance.
ApogeePhoto,
I finally figured out how to use A77II for cycling and hit rate just went from 40-60% to 82-100%.
I messaged you the settings to your Facebook Page, and hope you see the immediate change in hit rate I just saw!
Cheers!
I’m just reading the AF Settings Instruction Manual again. For cycling, the settings I gave you before are all wrong.
For fast moving, on-coming subjects, it’s settings are AF-C, AF Area set to “Zone” with AF Duration set at “2” or “3”. Also, they set AF Priority to “Balanced Emphasis” but I personally would set that to AF.
That Imaging Resources review only tested in AF Area Wide and Lock On.
Again, I will try this out on cycling next month.
@ApogeePhoto: I am not shooting Sports but wildlife and flying birds.
I bought the A77M2 for this. The A77M2 has two production issues which I found and were confirmed by Sony service representative.
Many A77M2 have an image sensor mounted out of tolerance, which leads to havy focussing issues, you can read all over, because the microAF can not be adjusted correct. Mine also had a defect AF-Module, which was changed and finaly my SAL70400G2 had a defect, which hindered me on precise focusing on large distances.
All together the cam was at service for 4 month (!!!!), fortunatly I am happy with the results and together with the AF-instructions recently release I got a very high hitrate. Although I feel better with release “AF-priority” than “balanced”. Probably lenses not on the level of G2 revised are doing better in balanced mode, but this is only my untested assumption.
I will try those settings for soccer to see if they increase my hit rate. Thanks.
Again, let’s get your facts straight. There are currently 3 Sony A-mount bodies being sold: A58 (newer than A99, but considered old because amateur bodies are usually updated yearly), A77II – current – released 11 months ago, and A99 (the oldest of the three, but still current by full frame standards and due for an update later this year).
The shrinkage in Sony A-mount body offerings is a direct response to advances in technology & the changing DSLR market.
These days, there is simply no need to for anyone to be lugging around a heavy DSLR with large lenses to match unless they are a working professional. I firmly believe Sony has been re-aligning their A-mount roadmap & strategy to match this user base.
Remember, there was enough of a Minolta A-mount user base for Sony to buy them out in 2006, the user base tripled and even with the slight shrinkage from 12 to 8% it’s still double what it was when they bought it. There are a tens of thousands of users already invested in the system already which makes continuing development a no-brainer.
A58 is two years old as of April 2015.
With a normal lifecycle of 12 months for such a camera, i don’t see how it can be included in the range, together with A99 and A77II.
As much as I don’t want to be spreading doom and gloom, in time since A99 announcement, A-Mount had A58, A77II and A99, while E-Mount had NEX-3N, NEX-5T, NEX-6, NEX-7, A3000, A3500, A5000, A5100, A6000, A7, A7R, A7S, A7II.
That is 3 cameras vs 13… I’d love to smoke what you’re smoking and see the bright light at the end of the tunnel, but to me, that just looks as a forced reallocation of resources.
Yes and when A99 was announced there was also A77, A65, A57 and A37 available. Sony recognizes that most photographers do not need a full sized system & most people shoot with phones nowadays.
The A-mount system has shrunk because it doesn’t make sense to have half a dozen full-sized bodies anymore. They wouldn’t sell.
It makes sense for Sony to keep the A-system tightly focused for high end and professional users until the E-mount can be developed to a point that it can fully support a wide range of professionals with a native lens line-up including F2.8 zooms & long lenses to match.
This means a couple full frame options every 3 years and an APS-C option every couple years.
See my reply to BrendonF
My problem with A65 vs GH4 was mostly available controls during video(Yes, i know GH4 is a video first, photography second camera). And specifically, for the event that we were shooting, I needed to have AF and set shutter to 1/125. What I had to do was to find a darker spot to be able to lock AE at that shutter speed.
Again, manual operation is not a problem, and A65 actually kicked butt due to its ability to use AF in a very difficult focusing environment. Which was the primary reason for using a camera with a proper PDAF.
During the same event, sitting at 24p at 1/50 with a 1.8 lens also proved very helpful, but that was done during very low light and focus mostly didn’t change much.
I wanted to join in with a bit of rumors regarding the RX100. This site is usually for the alpha series, but I feel some are interested in the RX100 as a secondary camera.
I won’t disclose my sources or from where I know what I know but post it as a set of specs – what might be true I let you decide (or wait for the final anouncement)
New or improved stuff in the RX100 iv rr RX100 m4 is:
– 4k Video at 30 FPS (that one is an easy one)
– Improoved Zoom to 24-100mm (just over 4x zoom range)
– Articulated Touch screen with touch screen focus – but still no touch menu
– restyled button layout – now with 2 dials on top (similar to the a6000)
– New and improved sensor with spherical shape and phase Autofocus points.
– New (tiny bit improved) image processor (needed for 4k Video)
– no optical view finder but expandable via hot shoe (urg. Why?)