Rumors are growing and growing and the latest I heard from a source is that Sony plans unveil something “Full Frame” within the next few weeks!!! Don’t get too excited guys, it’s realistic to think they may show a prototype only. As I told you Sony has two different FF cameras in the works. But I guess only one of them will be shown (if the rumor is correct).
But, I have some kind of good feeling that Sony may will accelerate the Full Frame plans after the Canon 5DmarkIII and Nikon D800 announcements. I know there is people within Sony pushing the Japanese managers to release the first SLT camera sooner than Photokina. But please remain with your feet on earth for now! All we can hope is to see a prototype only…ok?
FF rumor history:
A year ago I reported that Sony’s plan was to release a new FF camera in late Spring 2012. The Thai flood delayed the A77 release and Sony decided to postpone the FF camera release because they need time to evaluate the A77 flaws and user suggestions. The latest news was that a new FF SLT camera will be announced in September. Very likely using a new 24 Megapixel sensor. But there are also rumors about a second 36 Megapixel rumor and a FF square sensor. Sony may now be ready to show us some FF prototype or roadmap within the next weeks. Or is there some room for an ulterior surprise?
P.S.: The Sony powered Nikon D800 keeps remaining the most sold camera at Amazon US (Click here). Time to offer something that can compete against it!
—
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!
96 Responses
Awesome! The news again is the D800! 🙂
It’s about time too. My A700 has a beard from here to Tokyo…
Ha ha! Funny 🙂
yeah mine to lol been waiting to update to FF
Canon unveils two new cameras EOS-1D C and C500 4K.
Read Engadget link, http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/12/canon-c500-eos-1d-c-4k/
I think Canon will not let Sony smile that much. Sony needs to be a little faster than it’s main rivals.
defferent target..
lol bad move by Canon, cost 15k and outperformed by the FS700, no ND filters, no peaking, 4k only in crop mode. DSLR videographers already complaining on msg boards right now
“Both the C500 and 1D C are set to ship by the end of 2012, though we’re told to expect the latter camera first, since the C500 is still under development. Unfortunately we don’t have pricing for the C500 or lenses just yet, though we’re told that the camera will be significantly costlier than the $16,000 C300 — both use identical sensors, but the 4K model requires additional components — Canon has confirmed 1D C pricing at a whopping $15,000, compared to $6,800 for 1D X. More information may be forthcoming at NAB, so stay turned for updates from Las Vegas next week.”
Canon says “show me the money”
😉
Release without release? Well, looks like Sony isn’t alone with that practice…
Guarantee this ‘release’ is in response to Sony’s announcement of the FS700. Sony aren’t the only ones who sometimes have to push announcements out early – these Canon’s are coming out at the end of the year, saying please wait, please don’t buy a Sony 😉
hehehe, ok, that would explain EVERYTHING ^^
ok. this is a good news/rumours ~
Will be using my A55 for one more year before changing. Let’s see how good/bad Sony full frame is going to be.
Complete B.S.
There is no way Sony can decide to accelerate anything because of the 5D3 or D800. Why? Because these things were known quantities for quite some time. Did Sony really not know they were coming?
Or maybe they really are that retarded. Maybe they thought the A700 -> A77 transition was a good one. Heck, it seems that’s what they’re doing to the A850/A900 – leave the market empty for a while and let others steal sales, marketshare, and more importantly mindshare.
No, they wouldn’t do that. Any company that does things like that would lose billions of dollars/euros/pounds/yen.
You know they actually do?
Liquidstereo! As I reported many times Sony’s original plan was to announce a new FF camera in late Spring. They postponed it because of the Thai flood because they needed time to evaluate the A77. Now two are the possibilities:
1) They now show a prototype camera for marketing reasons
2) They were faster than they thought and the FF will be ready for launch sooner.
I believe it’s 1) but I am not 100% sure yet.
I like, 2,
I will take 2 for $2999. 🙂
What wasn’t known was the sales success of the D800, especially for a FF camera costing around $3k.
True; that’s a major factor. But there has been another change: a change in management, accompanied by an announced changed in direction for Sony, that will focus more effort on the imaging division, including specifically Alpha, and that will put greater emphasis on getting products to market faster, including specifically lenses.
Given these two factors, I would not be at all surprised to see Sony introduce s new FF in the near future, even if it doesn’t come to market tomorrow. Didn’t Andrea say the he was hearing reports that the A99 has been in the hands of testers for some time now? He said “prototypes,” but I think that they have been testing pre-production models, not “prototypes.”
Canon did the same thing with the 5D MkIII – Straight from Canon, released it in response to Nikon with the D800.
What? FF prototype before the tilt-shift lens production?
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/new-sony-alpha-tilt-shift-lens-patents/
How dare they!
So we should expect to see the Prototype in Silver… but final production in White?
Hope they make a translucent prototype like a77 was originally shown. But they should produce final as translucent too… fitting for translucent mirror camera.
a camera with a translucent body?
Thing a while about it and it will come to your mind why this will not happen, never.
You don’t pay very close attention. It’s happened plenty of times for display prototypes.
http://www.photographyblog.com/news/transparent_sony_a77_hands-on/
Still don’t get it… this whole “strategy” thing SONY is playing.
First, instead of making BIG bucks with the D800 sensor in their own camera, with which they could have brutally dominated the FF market, they sell it for some small cash to Nikon even without any chance to use it in their own cam.
And second… Their timing!? OMG. They let all the people with money spend it on Canikon bodies and then they “hurry” to announce something, only a few of the remaining people will be willing to get, as the majority has already spent their money on Canikon stuff.
Please, somebody explain, where is the genius of this FF approach hidden, because I can’t help to see it as a big failure and nothing else.
Pablo – it’s not such a small cash. Sony Semiconductors is probably one of most profitable branches of Sony Corp if you’ll equalize sizes and budgets. Besides – market for A99 is much lower than one for Nikon D800, regardless of how superb A99 is. People are too brand-loyal to care about Sony full frame.
As for the second point – there are always people with money. It’s not like if everyone would spend money in April only and than run dry since May, lol.
Make two versions of the 36mp camera – one with an Alpha mount and one with a Canon EF mount, and watch the latter fly off the shelves.
They are probably making a lot more on those sensors then you think. That is why they are selling them to Nikon.
People that spend big money on FF bodies also needs lenses.
Not till Sony steps it up a bit with its FF lens offerings will pros again start looking at Sony.
Sony didn’t keep following through back in 2008/2009 maybe because of the big down turn in the world economy
Idiot.
Pablo, you need to relax.
The contact for making sensors for Nikon is not a small deal. The profit would probably be higher than marketing it themselves in a new Sony FF body; much less overhead to sell it to Nikon. Not only that, the Nikon FF user base is significantly larger than the Sony FF user base.
That said, releasing an A99 after the D800 is a good tactic if the A99 is cheaper because people serious enough to go FF and have no brand loyalty will know that the sensor in the new A99 is already well proven and is really good, so why spend more on a D800. For other people who bought a D800, Sony made some money off that anyway.
It’s not a strategy, it’s the contract they have with Nikon. The contract will expire in the not too distant future.
I still can’t believe that the Sony managers decided to take the only FF models from the shelves and then wait almost a full year to introduce the new model at Photokina!!!
But sh*t, look, Canon and Nikon are still bringing out great cameras. Let’s bring our out quicker, then.
As if the pro customer base can wait forever.
I really should just go with a used d700 or mkii…
NOOOOoooo… argh… here this crap starts again: plasticPROTOTYPES.
damn it.
I think I would prefer them not to show anything than toy with customers again using yet another series of prototypes.
I bet sony will miss the ship even after photokina. 2012 is year of disaster.
Maybe it’s all part of the plan and strategy is to wait after 12-21-2012 and if we still here, then they will release the FF? I will be spending all of my money by then 😉
I did some thinking on the “square” sensor.
It is possible, however: there is no way Sony can do a 36 inch by 36 inch square sensor on A-mount lenses and use every single pixel. A 30 inch by 30 inch is more possible with a crop feature to APS-C.
If Sony will stick to the 36^2 sensor, there will be quite a good number of pixel sensors which won’t be utilized. Better off making a circular sensor.
36 inch by 36 inch….? Mmm, then we need some new XXXL A-mount lenses!
Hurry Sony! Get the best camera out here! I know you can do it, make it fast and make it the BEST! Silence the world like you did with the A700, A900 and the A77. PLEASE!
o_O
…
for god sake sony do this magic Quickly
can’t wait ^_^
Spelling-Bully was here: Feats = Kunststücke -> the word you were looking for was feet 😉
That time the mistake wans’t mine, it was form the automatic spelling corrector that still keeps to replace feet with feats. Mysterious 🙁
Even if Sony had of produced a 36MP camera like the D800 they would not have seen the sales Nikon is seeing. That would be particularly so if it had of been a SLT. Nikon supports it’s users long term unlike what Sony did with a700 and now a900 users. No OVF DSLR from Sony, even if they had of kept the two lines going without long gaps. Sony has now made a solid reputation as a non-supportive company.
DJ!!! The record’s stuck again.
Does anyone else look at Walt’s pic and imagine him screaming ‘get off my lawn you damn kids!!’ all the time?
This broken crotchety old man act isn’t fun anymore.
He is not alone. I think Sony took this innovation approach too close to heart. Result: customers who feel that Sony fucked them in the ass.
Of course he’s not alone. But he’s the only one that plays the same broken record over and over and over. Others make their point and get on with life.
Sony will see sales like Nikon D800 as soon as they will use the a ClearVid + Exmor combined sensor technology as they use already in the F65.
If Sony is willing to join this technology with the Alpha system, which I assume is one of the intentions of the new CEO (as he mentioned synergies between divisions), I believe it will be a big technology breakthrough.
Just to remember: 20MPix sensor RGB=6:1:1 non-Bayer APS-C sensor with diagnoal pixels and no AA-filter required, which has increased detail and sensitivity used in F65. an increased dimension maybe 40MPix or 38Mpix in Alpha FF .
Walt
Buy a Nikon
Sony needs to learn how to plan products. Release a new one before phasing out it’s sibling.
Release an a99 before discontinuing the a900. This way there is no gap or nervousness in your customer base. Getting tired quickly, almost time to sell my alpha gear.
I only hope they focus on the things that matter with the A99: image quality and AF. I don’t want 36MP nor would I buy a D800. Instead rather give me a camera to match the 5D MkIII.
Also, I am a bit torn about having an EVF for the A99. I just got a Nex 7, and while the EVF is all right for that kind of camera, I still see it inferior to the OVF of my A900.
sony has had[earned] a reputation of starting things and not finishing them for a long time ! just when you think they are geniuses,it appears a part of their brain is missing !!!!! I am very displeased about the time gap for the 36 ff and am seriously thinking of dumping my a900 and lenses [and any plans for a nex7 backup] and ordering a nikon d800. Ofcourse i’ll still be using a sony sensor…so maybe that’s their strategy!??!
If Sony is monitoring these forums these days, know it now, if new FF models are EVF only, I’ll be sellng all my G and Zeiss glass very soon. As well as my two A900 bodies. EVF is not the correct route if you want the Pro Market that purchases $15,000 500mm lenses. I don’t know who you are using for field testing, but they should have already told you that.
Close the door on the way out
Oh, I will. 🙂
And lock it behind you. Let these fanboyz die in the stench of Sony smog.
You think I’m a Sony fanboy?
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Priceless
bkd seeks to instill sense and moderation in these postings – I applaud and encourage his efforts.
They wont be EVF only, I’m sure they’ll have a LCD-screen too.
LOL good one 😉
+1
I see that Canon has announced a delay in a camera announced last year???
The EOs-1Dx is now delayed till mid june
And the new $2,400 Canon 24-70/2.8 is now set from July
I guess, Sony is not alone 😉
Can’t wait for the great a900 deals to come soon. That’s all tbe camera I need.
Thinking about the Canon 4k dslr (D), it may come up a bit short for several reasons (jpg video, lack of neutral density filters, etc.), but what it will have over the FS 700 is a larger sensor (assuming video isn’t just taken from a cropped area). It’s that shallow DOF that is craved by many productions, and I realize the APSC sized sensors will give some shallow DOF goodness.
My hope is that Sony just realizes that, since these top of the line cameras are only renewed every 3-4 years that they don’t spare the horses and release a fully featured unit with 36 megapixel, no AA, and 4k, as anything less will be out of date a couple months after release.
No AA = not good for video.
One of the advantages of SLT is that it allows PD auto-focus while shooting video, so no AA filter in an SLT camera makes little sense.
I cannot wait for the 99. I have actually found more benefit with the EVF than cons. I do not appreciate any loss in resolution shooting through the SLT, but I really appreciate the speed and accuracy of focusing versus my 850 which is slower and less accurate in lower light. It would be nice if Sony offered both options, but since I have the 850 my next FF would probably be the SLT 99. I have used my 5n with LAEA2 adaptor and have found no issue following sports and activities such as football, lacrosse, hockey, dance and track. I have actually been able to use lenses such as my zeiss 135 which would never have worked at sporting events with my 850 because the focus was too slow and searched to often. Any way I am hoping for an earlier release before football season. I have to believe this new sensor will be a significant jump in IQ and high iso performance compared to my 850 and my 850 is still excellent. I will be ordering the next FF.
To Mr Sony
I need a burst that last at least 5 seconds at fps and a buffer that flushes quickly 😉
Buy a 1DX
To Mr Fab,
My Sony A200 exceeds your requirements.
my A700 last more than 5 seconds at 5 fps
I would have liked A77 to last that 5 seconds at 8 fps or with a 5fps setting (does not exist)
I don’t want any canon
Too rich for my blood
I was about to buy the Sony NEX 7 and the LA EA 2 adapter, but this post stopped me doing it. I’m still thinking it up. As a professionnal wedding photographer i have to make the best choice to get the best pictures. So do i need a nex 7? Maybe. Do i need a sony A99? Definitely 🙂
iso 50-25600, 19 AF points, 24MP FF camera is more realistic. There will be no iso 51200 and above in next Sony camera.
Yeah, and no 102 AF sensors!
What is your source?
Ahaha sony simply cant compete with canon… 😉 Nex are great but if you want a FF, a real camera, go Canon… 5dIII+1Dx all the life
Hope this FF would cost $999.00 dreaming dreaming dreaming…
Something fullframe? Maybe is the new firmware for A900 which was rumoured to be available soon last week………
I thought that was just an auto focus tweek for the $15,000 white elephant/
😉
I really have to laugh at all the Negative posters over here talking about how their going to Canon and selling all their Sony Gear. Sheesh,,Really,, head over to the EosHD page/forums and read all the disappointed Canon users. they are already trying to Hack the new MK3 to get a better picture. here is a sample quote about the “New” Canon 4K cam.
“This is a really sad day for Canon users. Sony, here I come. I can’t believe they didn’t even put a Flip Screen on that thing. And it suppose to be for video
I feel lame for buying all those Canon lenses :(”
Sony Rocks and I love my A77 and the EVF. I’ll never go back to optical. its OLD!
I keep scanning eBay for used equipment from these 1000’s of Sony deserters but can’t find a lot. I guess they must be using another auction site.
I’m looking for the Zeiss 24mm f/2 if anyone is selling.
I totally agree with the concept of a prototype. At least once and for all Sony will show that it’s committed to SLT and the OVF is conpletely abandoned. And hopefully by then most whiners on this forum will have no choice but to accept the fact and either buy their Nikon d800/5dm3 and leave this forum In peace.
+1
Although they love to come back here to gloat. Why, I’ve no idea. Surely they can go on the CaNikon forums and find something else to moan about.
Maybe the Canikon boards told them to go away because they were annoying?
Three things I really need in a FF camera – articulated LCD screen, a reasonably-priced wide-angle zoom lens and GPS (really need to have recorded where the photos were taken). Sony please deliver soon.
A watched kettle never boils, as they say.
I look forward to the A99, I wont be able to afford it for at least a year, nor do I need it (but I really WANT it!) so for now I will just go out (yes, out of the house and away from the keyboard) and take photos with my A700 🙂
I also look forward to it, but won’t be able to afford it for 2 years, AND I don’t need it yet. This is quite nice, since I don’t have to worry about the A99’s release date, it will hopefully be sooner than 2 year from now ;-).
I don’t think that showing a prototype is:
A) difficult, since they should already have some.
B) useful, since they can show prototypes for years without release date information (remember the 500 f4).
They better come up with specs and release date information, which is really useful.
They probably gonna hint some of the specs like sensor or video mode or whatever highlights it would have 🙂 Not to worry 🙂
Good idea Clifton. I was out with my A700 yesterday – it produces some really nice images with the zeiss 16-80! A really sweet and light setup!
BTW, is this the BIG rumor you’ve been talking about (again and again) Andrea?
Hey, where is Thom Hogan these days? Choking on the crow he’s eating regarding his forecasts that Sony’s days in manufacturing FF sensors is over? He must have a lot on his plate, now that his crows and chickens have come home to roost.
Anymore rumours? Anymore follow up on this?
@Admin: Andrea, please more details…..
How about the firmware update for NEX7 and A850/A900 ? Any schedule?
Review of the 5D Mk III by a guy I’ve known for nearly 25 years.
Darwin has numerous awards for his nature photography and writes for a number of photo magazines, and teaches courses in nature photography, etc (google his website if you want to see some nice stuff!). As long as I’ve known Darwin, he’s been a Canon guy – but this review is not positive!! Have a read: http://oopoomoo.com/2012/04/photo-shoot-with-talyn-stone-and-a-quick-test-of-the-canon-5d-mark-iii/
Imagine a bigger a77 with FF sensor. There. a99 for you.