At last I have some good rumor for the A-mount folks! According to two trusted(!) sources Sony will announce one new A-mount camera in early November! Stay tuned on SAR to get more info the coming days!
Reminder: The new FE lenses should be announced at PhotoPlus. The new A-mount camera will be announced after the PhotoPlus show.
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533 Responses
Barry, eat your heart out!
And Barry needs a new 500mm F8 reflex
300-600 f4.8
150mm barrel extender for close up/macro mode
Drop in dedicated 1.8x TC
Mid $3000 price range.
Barry is a professional sniper~
Then an amateur sniper is the one missing the shot? 😀
More like $13000. The Canon 200-400 f4 is $11,600 with case, a Sony wouldn’t be cheaper
Current 150-600 f6.3 are $1000 with the most expensive being $2000. 600mm f4 start at $7000….this lens would be half the size of an f4 600mm
I like how people dismiss what Sony says but give so much credit to a rumor.
An anonymous Sony UK sales rep is not “Sony”.
Anyone is free to give more credit to an anonymous person one knows nothing about than to a Sony UK sales rep. Of course in this case people who are desperately waiting for A-mount cameras will be more prone to do so.
Maybe Andrea knows that person, but he can’t disclose his identity.
I am giving more credit to Andrea
Stiil just a rumor…!!!!
Barry, looks like you may have to eat those last few posts. Just kidding, but I would really like a replacement for my A99 (that I sold 2 months ago). Have the A7RII and both adapters, but still feel like I am missing something.
I can relate to that. It felt incomplete in certain way.
Only A-mount gives the full SLR shooting experience we know and love!
Just a rumor, and these rumors are usually false.
But I would like it to be true, and I would like my comments to br wrong….
Who knows …mayby comments from people like me have made this happen sooner than it would have otherwise.
I will believe in a new A-mount when and if I see it, and not until then.
ITS A NEW a35 MARK II
hahaha
Beat me to it, although I was going to say A58 mkII
Would be nice btw.
My prediction. Similar to A99 body with 42mp BSI sensor with IBIS module, New generation of mirror, or no mirror at all, and everything else everybody has been asking for, like long battery life, Fast AF, High Frame Rate, Dual memory slots Etc. Retail $3500 – $3900
If they insist on keeping the mirror, at least have a mirror lock up mode for the less sporty folks like me.
If they don’t put a mirror in there we will get a couple of them and an a7sII for sure!
High frame rate at 42Mpix? Sub 4000$ for everything A7rII does plus whole lot more? For a camera which will sell far fewer units than A7rII? Not a realistic expectation.
Then can and there’s no reason why they wouldn’t do a A9 with all of that. It’s not like the fs5 didn’t exist. It is much more robust than any A mount could dream.
Yeah, right, we already had similar A6XXX announcement rumors.
BIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG LIKE!!! hope it will be an a99ii or 88 and properly priced! anyway, will buy 1 🙂
SR4?! Hope…
It’s got to be the ff.
If this rumor is true, it will hopefully show that Sony finally sees that there is a place for both ‘A’ mount and ‘E’ mount.
‘E’ mount is great for scenery, studio work and general photography and ‘A’ mount is best for sports, nature and use with long lenses.
Sony also really need to let the world know that their ‘A’ mount cameras are out there and what they are great for and why they are better than CaNikon. The lack of such marketing, stopped when the ‘E’ mount was introduced, is the main reason why ‘A’ mount stopped selling – no one knew about them!
Sounds very intriguing. I am considering an upgrade to a77ii, but more options are very welcome. Especially cheap FF or an a55ii with vertical grip.
It better be good Sony…
I do not believe this rumor.
Despite my certainty…I would very much like to be wrong and see a new A-mount camera plus new 300-600mm f4.8 with close up an drop in TC to go with it.
Remember though this is just a rumor, and lately these rumors are usually wrong.
Why not, by giving us an A99II or similar they would solve most of a7 line problems. Bigger body for better heat dissipation and a bigger battery with longer life and suddenly you can get native 2.8 lenses too for fast focusing.
They already did everything you said for e-mount, they can and they will, that’s why they have yet to use the A9 naming.
You’ll need a personal train to carry 600/4.8
Got that covered.
I have several different camouflage carts for differrent terain and payload
Different cases and backpacks for every situation,
And several differrent stabalization systems to effortlessly carry and use long lenses handheld with tripod like stability.
But I believe I have already explained much of this to yo. Haven’t I ?
fckn carts mcgee over here
300-600 f4.8 would be substantially lighter than 600mm f4
It woild be better quality than current 150-600 6.3.
And being a little faster it would be usable with 1.8x on high resolution cameras
You need a personal train to carry about 4 kg?
Ever heard about hyperbole?
No – just about anabolics!
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ll buy two if it’s as fast as A77II!
they will announce the successor of A6000. Sure
(SR0) it will have both OVF and EVF.
One for the left eye, and one for the right eye.
No VF for the Third eye? 🙁
Plot twist it is the A9 e-mount with everything that a99 dreamed on doing and more.
I hope it is the A9 with hard adapter/interchangeable mount and fs5 like grip.
HOLY S**T…………..hope its not A77 mark 3
It could be. If the A6000 successor had overheating issues, then it would make sense to put that sensor into an A-mount body.
putting the sensor into A mount camera but without the mirror would be great 😀 : a kind of A3000 body with A Mount and A6xxx sensor
I actually hope it is. Time to bring moar cross-type AF points and 5-axis stabilization to the APS-C SLR market.
Sony once made a promise to Zeiss when they created the A100 they would make cameras for 100 years. I believe they need to release a FF A mount to help them fulfill this promise but i wouldnt be surprised if this rumor is for an Alpha mount camera.
Alpha mount it is, but e-mount.
They did? Do you have a source?
I did read this too. However, to find something among the huge piles of junks drowning the Internet is a completely different matter. 🙁
The article I read was from a meeting between Zeiss and Sony when they negotiated about Zeiss making lenses for A-mount. Zeiss said: You understand that you will need to make camera bodies available for these lenses for very long time? At least 25 years?
I know that Sony took this Zeiss culture VERY serious to heart. In fact, I think Sony might very well honour this strong enough to keep A-mount going, just to not “piss-off” Zeiss !
There is a better document somewhere but I can’t find it. This is the closest webpage http://www.sony-mea.com/microsite/dslr/09/carlZeissLens/index.html?HPID=carlZeissLensMicrosite%3ADSLR%3AThumbnails but you need to go to the bottom
Maybe Zeiss agreed to contiune with FE-mount instead?
After Loxias AND Batis, there’s people THAT naive?
Sony doesn’t have to promise Zeiss anything.
Thanks really fanboyish of you….
No, try again. Sony has been Zeiss’s biggest customer for 20+ years. Zeiss gets paid to provide services.
Zeiss works for Sony not the other way around. Have you paid any employees or assistants? I doubt you would feel beholden to them if you have.
If this is true, there might be some hat eating, but seriously, it would be a good thing for not just A-mount users, but FE as well.
How? People are already dumb enough to understand that e-mount means both 135 and APS-C size. A-mount just makes things more ridiculous for someone whilling to switch systems.
Why? What possible relevance does it have to FE mount users? Indeed, it might delay the development of native FE mount long focal length lenses.
In the scheme of things, Sony’s A-mount isn’t that old, and if they outright abandoned it, it’s worrying to FE users that in 6-7 years the same thing may happen to them. Insofar as continuing A-mount shows Sony’s commitment to its invested customers, FE users can take comfort.
A-mount is actually over 30 years old. It was only because Sony took over Minolta that is survives at all.
In any event, A-mount wouldn’t be abandoned in the sense that support for the lenses is there via adapters. There is a migration path.
Right, but Sony’s involvement is fairly recent. They’ve only made 2 flagship full-frames in the A mount, 3 total. They’ve done more in FE in the last 6 months.
Easily explained. E-mount is far less complicated to manufacture and to adjust (almost nothing). And E-mount sells – how many times more than A-mount? 10-20 times, or?
Morover, Sony has clearly stated that future A-mount cameras will be High end only. That may point to one FF A-mount body about every fourth year plus about one APS-C A-mount body with the same cycle, but launched interlaced timewise.
We have to be glad that Sony actually does not seems to WANT to to abandon A-mount.
Yes, but that’s the place where they make inroads. It’s no point Sony hammering away at a mature market with very few potential ways of differentiating themselves. The huge mass of investment in Canon & Nikon glass means that was never going to go very far. They tried undercutting those manufacturers on the DSLR front to try and gain market, but it never really worked. Yes, they had SLT which gives some potential advantages at the expense of cutting out some light, but it doesn’t amount to much.
In contrast, the fresh approach of the E-mount has made a huge impact in the market. It provides a migration path for owners of DSLR lenses. Not just Sony’s A-Mount, but Canon and Nikon too.
In any event, A-mount would simply not exist at all if Sony hadn’t taken it over. It’s clearly represented a small slice of a declining market. That they’ve provided migration options to E mount is to be applauded. What they probably need is a beefier body using E-mount to give more of the feel of an A-Mount body.
A-mount is older than Canon FD-mount has been. And Canons move of abandoning “technical outdated” FD mount has turned out to be the biggest success-story in its photography-department.
I as FE user will be happy if A mount glass is sold well both new and second hand. I am contemplating Deo Saker Falcon adapter for Canon glass but have no high hopes for it.
If there is to be such a camera, then the obvious things it ought to include are the following :-
1) the sensor from the A7R II including the ability to run in hybrid PDAF mode
2) the shutter from the A7R II
3) the “5 axis” IBIS system from the A7 II series of bodies
4) support for lenses incompatible or which work slowly in hybrid PDAF/Liveview mode by means of a separate PAD module and an SLT mirror that can be moved out of the optical path. As the SLR mirror does not have to “flip up” with every shot, it will be simpler than that in a DSLR but has to be very precisely positioned.
Personally, I’d prefer a slightly larger E-mount body along with an A-mount adapter could also provide “flip up” mode.
flipped up it will create reflections which is no good
Not necessarily. Possibly it could be hinged up into a slight recess so it doesn’t have light fall upon it from the lens. A-mount lenses have a more limited range of angles on WA focal lengths due to their necessary retrofocal design to it might be possible. Even if that can’t be done, a a matt black “blind” could pulled behind it when in the “up position”. As, like the SLR mirror, it is not required to operate fast it does not require “heavy engineering” so could be flexible. If will, of course, require a bit more space, but SLT mirrors are very thin and as there’s no pentaprism to worry about there could easily be space about the mirror box”.
I realise this all adds complexity, but if the light loss penalty of a full-time SLT mirror is to be avoided and legacy lenses are to be supported it would be necessary (short of Sony designing a DSLR which seems unlikely given previous statements).
In case its totally impossible to avoid the reflections, the mirror could be made so that it is manually removable from the mount. Although this would be a bit fiddly, would give an option to avoid the 20-30% light loss.
People change lenses anyway its not that difficult to pull the mirror out and put it in a small plastic box like the ones focusing screens are stored in.
I rented the la-ea4 adapter for a couple of weeks. It came with a warning to not touch the SLT because of the hassles involved in properly cleaning it and avoiding damage (with a fine if you do so “). I’m going to guess that making the mirror remove able would not work out wel.
I did half think of the removable SLT mirror idea. If it could be enclosed in a “module” which could be slid in and out, then it wouldn’t require the SLT mirror to be touched. However, I thought that it would just be a bit too fiddly and it would be better to integrate the whole thing.
That said, it would be a very cheap approach albeit that accuracy of alignment of mirrors used in AF is very critical.
Then what about a lever on the camera that:
1) lifts the mirror up, then as it is in its up position
2) two ‘half covers’ hinged on the two sides of the mirror close to cover it from the sides and eliminate reflections.
It is not as easy as just to lift up the mirror. Put any EVF/SLT body in cleaning mode and swing up the mirror. You will see that the mirror sticks out in front of the lens mount flange.
A-mount lenses “don’t need” shallow angles on WA focal length, but this does not mean they don’t produce them. Unless a lens hood used, of course.
Which reflections? DSLR can flip up their mirrors as well and there was never an issue with reflections because of the mirror-box.
DSLR mirror is non-transparent except small central portion for AF which is covered by non-transparent secondary mirror.
Good point on this. Maybe you right on this – very likely you are right.
I do not think there is need for mirror anymore. Only motor is needed for older lenses. The motor is what is missing from EA3 not the mirror
Screw drive lenses will almost certainly not work reliably with hybrid PDAF as there’s a lot of backlash in the mechanism. They simply aren’t designed to work with the ability to make tiny adjustment movements in both directions.
truth
Sad to say there will never be an A-mount adapter with a flip up mode – not for FF. The space inside the adapter is simply too small. There is not enough room for the mirror to flip up. APS-C, maybe technical possible but I doubt it will happen.
There is still not a good long lens choice available in A-mount.
If Sony lalso makes the 300-600 f4.8 macro I keep asking for in A mount I would probably buy this camera.
If Sony makes this camera accept Canon an Nikon glass I would probably buy one
If I cannot use it with the km ens of my choice as I have described I will definitely not be purchasing one…because this if the rumor is true..will be the last A-mount camera.
If…as I expect…this camera does not exist I will definitely not be getting one.
You have to be ashamed of yourself, Barry.
After a days of trolling that Sony has abandoned A-mount when some dodgy post in twitter said “no A-mounts planned” (btw you call this a “well worded” statement) now it appears you are not interested in A-mount at all!
“troll – make a deliberately provocative online posting with the aim of upsetting someone or eliciting an angry response from them”
Some of your “wise” statements from yesterday:
“A-mount is counterproductive to Sony’s current market strategy, and therefore is no longer, and will no longer be made”
“A-mount is dead and Sony wants you to believe the opposite”
“They cannot tell you the truth because then you will become outraged and switch to another brand for spite”
“However there is still no “NEW” A- mount camera and never will be…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“You know as well as I do that A-mount is dead”
“The products will indeed continue until Sony runs out of existing invenory”
“therefore his deliberitely misleading and carefully chosen word “continue” is true” referring the interview with Sony rep Ben Pilling at Photokina 2014
“His body lainguage clearly shouts deception” referring Sony rep B Pilling
You have to be ashamed of yourself, Barry!
This is still just a rumor and most SAR rumors about new cameras are wrong.
I will believe it when and if I see it and not until then.
I would actually like to be wrong on this one.
Enough, you troll!
If EF or F lenses could have been adapted (glass free) over the last 28 years it would have happened by now. The flange depth doesn’t work as you must know.
It can be done wot a hybrid type mount that would expand out of the way to allow insertion of a recessed Canon or Nikon adapter.
I do not of course believe they WILL do it, for that matter I do not yet believe they will build an A-mount camera…..but in this case I actually want to be wrong.
Credibility, something that should be very important for businesses.
Credibility, something that Sony lost with most users of A-Mount.
I totally agree…that’s why Canikon succeed, because they are credible for their users even though Canon technology is far behind Sony 😉
That didn’t help Minolta, nor Contax, Konica, Bronica, Rollei, Polaroid…
Maybe a good news even though it s still a rumor, because having just one active camera line was not a good idea from Sony
This makes me both happy and sad. Happy that I can continue with a-mount but sad that I will surely lose the cash I’ve been putting away.
Funny how this comes the day after the story that there will be no new a-mount cameras. So much for credibility!
A-mount is dead or is it?
It’s certainly alive here at my home.
It’s the Schrödinger’s mount!
lol
Pun of the Week 😀
Interesting but unrelated
Samsung just patented a new non-bayer sensor that does not use any color filters.
A microlens directs light for each pixel to a prism.
There it is split into 3 colors and each direted to a second layer of microlenses. Each colr is then concentated on a sperate detector.
This utilizes more light since there are no color filters, and generates full color data at every pixel location.
From..imagesensorworldblogspot
There have been variations on these type of per-pixel light splitting patents around for some time. What needs to be done is produce at least a prototype.
Bracing for A59…
Just imagine the uproar if it is.
haha oh i hope not…
Hope it’s true. But seen this show so many times….
I’d be surprised if this rumor is true, But I would not be unhappy either way.
But for all you A-mount users there that want A-mount to continue. Please support your product with Cash, and encourage others to join in. Buy Cameras, buy Lenses.
If it is true, this might be Sony’s last test of seeing if A-mount is viable/profitable. If it doesn’t succeed, then there is only the customer base to blame. Remember Pro’s only make up a small percentage of profit. E-mount was never meant for Pro’s, but look how far it has progressed in 4 years.
Agreed, when I went in to my local Sony Store in New Zealand to see they had a 40% sale on all A-Mount lenses and they told me they wouldn’t be replacing the stock or selling A-mount in the future, I said “in that case I’ll take the STF at 40% discount”. Bet that lens never comes out in E-mount!
Wow, 40% discount on STF?!? I need that ASAP.
Shame that it is in New Zealand.
Well, I got the only one left!
I bet for an A mount FF with the 42MP sensor and improved AF module.
Hope, it’s true… My money is on the table.
That’s exactly what’s needed right now!
I don’t care for either OVF-based Canikons, nor the dumbed-down FEs.
I’ll buy this camera if Sony don’t pull a Sony on us and screw it up (like put 42Mp sensor in there, or unmodified A77II AF).
Sony is 3 years late to the party (5D3 was announced in 2012), it’s about time they stepped up with a no-nonsense SLT!
Why would they not put the 42MP sensor in it? It’s will have better low light performance and DR than any of the A-mount sensors (at equal output size), even after adjusting for the SLT light loss. It has a silent shutter mode, and (A7S II apart) has much better video features than any other system camera. In an A-mount body, with more space for heat dissipation, it ought to be able to at least match the A99 for still frame rate.
That really only leaves file size to worry about.
Why do you think 1DX has 18Mp sensor, and D4 has 16Mp?
Leave this slow 42Mp monstrosity to mirrorless, where speed is not a priority anyway. The new A-Mount camera must be FAST!
But why has D5s 50 mp and D800 36Mp?
There is always a market for both types: Best image quality on one the hand. High-fps, fast AF and good lowlight capabilities on the other hand. A900 and A99 were both aimed for best image quality in good lighting conditions. Sony never challenged 1DX and D4. And I am upset that Sony didn’t do this with A7S series. 5 fps in a 12 MP body for $2000 in 2014?? A joke!
A7s was competing on high iso and shooting in the dark, not on megapixels or speed.
Less mp and high shooting speed is not a conflict. It is the opposite: less mp and high shooting speed is helping each other.
In my opinion A7S-line is somehow crippled. And as long as they sell it under the term “video-camera” all the fanboys sing hallelujah. And after 3 years the same people sing hallelujah again when they buy the same camera again without that fps-crippling for lot of more dollar$.
>There is always a market for both types
Yes, and for Sony, those types also have different mounts.
LittleCam, with Sony’s BSI technology, they don’t need to drop to 12 MP. They are already doing 12 FPS burst at 24 MP with A77II and thanks to BSI technology, they can achieve clean ISO 6400 at 24 MP as well!
I really can’t see Sony trying to compete in the high speed action market given the entrenched position of Nikon and Canon. They simply don’t have the lenses and designing those monsters would take a huge amount of resource without much prospect of sales.
In any event I believe that the A-mount diaphragm opening/closing system has problems for really high speed work. The EVF isn’t really quite there for such activities either.
Much better to spend the limited resources on FE mount in my view as performance is improving generation by generation.
>Why would they not put the 42MP sensor in it?
>Much better to spend the limited resources on FE mount
There you go, that’s why you don’t get it.
Sony has nice 70-200, 70-400, 300mm, 500mm lenses. They could release a 200mm prime based on the existing Minolta one with no R&D.
Sony wouldn’t have released a 500/4, 300/2.8, 70-200/2.8 and 70-400/4-5.6 and spent a ton of money in R&D to develop A77II / 4DAF if they don’t care about sports/action.
That still doesn’t match up to Canon & Sony where there are 600mm F4, 300mm F2.8 among a number of such specialist lenses.
As far as the A77 II goes, then that’s a cheap way into action photography as it’s cropped format. It means you can get away with a 300mm where FF might demand 600mm. Of course there’s a penalty to be paid in terms of more limited light gathering power, but it saves a lot of money compared to developing those mega-lenses. The A77 II looks like a good option for budget action photographers, but I simply don’t see Sony doing this for an FF A-mount (and it’s certainly an FF A-mount that will be coming, assuming the rumour is true).
Personally I’d be very surprised if it wasn’t based on the 42MP A7R II sensor.
But Sony cannot afford redundancies, and a high performance A-mount camera makes more sense as out is a void where Sony still doesn’t have an option.
EVF isn’t a problem here, sensor readout & CPU are.
diaphragm can be left at working aperture.
Really? Many people are reporting that EVF lag is an issue on the A7R II with fast action. Possibly the refresh rate can be increased at the expense of power consumption and heat, but that’s to be seen.
As for the diaphragm issue, then yes, it can be left at the working aperture, but it’s less than ideal. PAF (at least the off-sensor type) normally stops working at f5.6 or F8 or even at very fast apertures.
In any event, it’s still highly debatable if the market is worth pursuing given the competitions entrenched position, expertise, lens range and the lack of a Sony USP.
> Many people are reporting that EVF lag
Many people simply believe because camera lacks mirror and is of small size, it must be bad.
Has someone actually measured A7RM2 vs A99 EVF lag?
EVF imagers have response time so small so e.g. A58 produces reg, green and blue images in succession rather than mosaic. The most of lag is due how quickly imager is fed, and it is limited by sensor & CPU.
I’m sorry fast guys, but these a9xx series are made, for: portrait, wedding, event, architecture, fashion and advertising people.
You got to go for an a77 or buy a Nikon/Canon.
end of the story.
a77 is only APS-C (poor ISO), and Caniknos are OVF. No buy for both, sorry.
It’s not like technology didn’t advanced in the meantime, smartphones wasn’t even a thing when they made this cameras, nowadays there’s plenty of processing power to handle the data, but would any of you A-mount users be able to pay for that? Doesn’t matter if they make 42 or 8mp camera, super AF and drive will cost you a lot more.
Sony is an innovative company therefore what about the 42Mp BSI sensor with a stacked chip to accelerate things ? Doesn’t such scheme of things occurs to you ? You could still use it in crop mode though…
Speed. If an a99 successor cannot achieve the highest performance (AF, FPS, coverage, processing) than it has little reason to exist and Sony should go with a large body e-mount instead. 42mp will slow it down. If Sony is only releasing one, then keeping the megapixels in the mid-20s makes the most sense for performance.
Speed, duh.
If the camera isn’t fast enough to capture immediate candid moments for reportage or have the burst rated needed to capture the full range of motion for something as simple as kicking a ball at a football match, the camera is useless to many of us. Also, for fast-turnaround photojournalists, 42 MP puts a dent in one’s entire workflow by effectively doubling processing time.
We want a 24 MP BSI with double the sensitivity of A99 to allow for clean ISO 6400 with SLT, Sony’s best AF yet and 10-12 FPS burst at full res, 14 bit, amazing EVF, and 500K shutter.
If you don’t like 42.4 mp shots then you can shot in crop mode at 18.4 mp. By your logic, that will speed up your processing time. Also, my understanding is that BSI works well with higher pixel density and thus will have diminishing returns on a 24 mp sensor (although I could be totally wrong on this). I personally would prefer the larger sensor, but more important is IBIS, low light capabilities, AF performance, etc. I can live with 24 mp.
Another thing not mentioned so far is there was a rumour over a year ago that Sony had developed a better SLT mirror with less light loss. Perhaps we’ll find out next month.
I’m sorry dudu, but that is what the a77 mark II is there for.
For 6400 clean iso you can denoise in post, …or you can suck it.
There’re three essential points for reportage: 1. Fast AF 2. high ISO 3. fast lenses. So definitely FF camera with top-notch AF and f/2.8 zooms, not A77II.
Yet you will not get it.
Buy a Nikon and get over it.
Nope.
It is dangerous to put out such rumours if they fail to materialize. AFAIK no A mount will be released before 2016.
Announced and released are 2 different things. 😉
True 🙂
Sounds like Pentax.
I bought into the Sony A-mount for two reasons, in body stabilisation and Minolta lenses and am glad I did as my love affair with Sony has been ongoing since the a100 from back in the day.
If Sony don’t as it would seem plan on any more A-mount offerings then it will be the end of the road for me when my 77 mk2 gives up the ghost.
Personally, I don’t relish the idea of switching to Canikon but the E-mount leaves me somewhat underwhelmed with it’s small form and rather obscure looks with an A-mount lens attached 🙁
A7 cameras are just as big as Minolta film SLR like Minolta Maxxum 7
film slr’s did not have all the buttons and colors screen on the back. Do you like your new A7iii to have a small black and white screen as the maxxum 7 did?
Not even with a battery grip?
Not tried one with a battery grip to be honest but the E-mount just seem so small in form. I tried the a6000 and gave it to the wife, the 7 series is a tad bigger but I like the bulk of the 77 as it feels like you have something in your hand which isn’t so delicate and petite as the 7 series.
LOL I’d wish the a7 series were exactly as small as NEX-7 with no missing features.
+1 ! That would be even better !!!
Fair enough. We’re all different. 🙂 I abandoned my big and heavy Canon for the very same reason. My A7II has rekindled my passion for photography because I no longer hesitate to bring my camera when I go out. But I digress. Let’s hope this rumor is true for your A mount fans!
Really it s alomst november.. Where is a6100 or a700?
Not where – when.
Now that Sony leads the mirrorless market and the sensor market, they should make the A-moun a complete OVF mount. This is what this flange distance was originally designed for. Beat Canikon on their own territory
There’s literally zero reasons to buy an OVF-based A-Mount over a Nikon, with all the uncertainty, worse lens selection etc. SLT is THE feature the distinguishes A-Mount cameras from Canikons.
SLT is also cheaper to produce than mirror and prism, especially for a electronic company
But there is almost no reason to buy a-mount SLT over e-mount.
You sacrifice ISO performance compared to e-mount. E-mount lenses are starting to surpass a-mount (who has the better 35/1.4? )
E-mount AF performance is starting to surpass e-mount.
Ovf a-mount would have a few clear advantages over e-mount and/or over SLT a-mount.
1. Far superior battery life than both SLT and FE.
2. Better IQ, especially better ISO performance than SLT.
3. No “slideshow” effect in burst shooting, compared to SLT and FE.
If it was purely up to me, I’d go in 1 of 2 directions:
1. Totally mirrorless A-mount. No SLT. At least you’d get rid of the ISO handicap.
2. OVF, but also use the on-sensor AF system from A7rii — so it would be used as a traditional dslr via the OVF, or can be used as the best live view dslr on the market.
I like option #2. Then it would be clearly distinguished from Canon, Nikon AND FE.
>But there is almost no reason to buy a-mount SLT over e-mount
Plenty of reasons. There you go:
https://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/2591/9028/original.jpg?w=600&h
LOL… it’s funny how you take different DSLR/DSLT model when you need something.
Bahahaha! Did you make that yourself? Of course you did.
Sure I did. Got tired of typing same stuff every time a new mirrorless fan pops up. So?
I’m sure it is accurate in your mind 😉
Feel free to refute.
Yeah, but neither A nor E mount have Barry lenses, neither CaNikon.
Isn’t the Sigma 150-600 S the Barry lens?
No….
300-600 f4.8
150mm barrel extender for close up/macro mode
Drop in dedicated 1.8x TC
Mid $3000 price range.
So, A-mount still sucks because it does not have the Barry lens.
E-mount is capable of everything you listed, and should be obvious by their naming pattern, A7 is not A9.
That so-called list is silly and mostly false.
Af-c? Read the article on preview… The a7rii has better af-c, even in low light, than most dslrs. The a6000 af-c surpasses any camera in the price range.
Full sized body and joystick — that’s just body choice. Has nothing to do with a mirror.
“Essential lenses” — depends what lens is essential. If it’s essential that I own a fantastic 35/1.4 and 70-200/4, I’ll have to take FE over SLT. And FE will likely get 2.8 zooms soon.
Weather sealing and dual card slots — body choice, nothing to do with mirror. (Most dslrs also don’t have weather sealing or dual card slots)
Big battery — SLT battery life sucks. Just sucks slightly less than EVF. Now, if you were talking about OVF, it would be an advantage.
GPS– they stopped including it in SLTs. So huh?
Fully tilt able screen: again, a body choice. Has nothing to do with the mirror.
Sane prices: the a99 is still double the price of the a7. The a77ii still costs more than the a6000. So this is just false.
You haven’t listed a single advantage of retaining a SLT mirror over going mirrorless a-mount.
Anyone who has used an electronic viewfinder and it’s associated enhancements would never be satisfied using a clunky old optical finder again. I say based on experience using optical viewfinders for decades and electronic viewfinders for a few years. The ability to critically focus manual lenses through the viewfinder, verify color and exposure in real time is an incredible asset and results in better image captures. The slight light loss of the SLT mirror is a minor tradeoff to achieve a better image. And now with the BSI sensor and on chip focusing points the SLT mirror may be eliminated completely. And battery life on the SLT cameras is fine, I can usually get 800+ images on a good battery. Using the vertical grip which hold two batteries plus one in the camera for a total of three makes all day shooting child’s play.
Not true for “anyone”
I switched back to OVF after 3 years with EVF, including the a99.
They both have pros and cons. Often I prefer the OVF.
I used to get around 400-600 shots on the a99. On the d750, I get 800-1200. No comparison.
There are indeed advantages of mirrorless and EVF. But SLT no longer really brings any meaningful advantages over mirrorless, while bringing several disadvantages compared to traditional dslr and compared to mirrorless.
Compared to dslr:
Far worse battery life.
Worse lens selection than CaNikon dslrs.
Slideshow effect in burst shooting.
Lack of on-sensor focus means there is no precise AF without micro adjusting. (In traditional dslr, live view doesn’t need micro adjust)
Plus, light loss impairing ISO performance.
Compared to FE:
In many cases, older and worse lenses.
Less accurate AF in viewfinder and live view.
Light loss impairing ISO.
Bigger and bulkier.
Smaller AF coverage.
Worse video (must change aperture mechanically adding noise to video.. Can only AF video with aperture wide open).
Etc etc.
I don’t think you have ever really used an A99, because your frame of reference is based on troll talking points and not reality. The slight light loss while easy to measure in the lab has little relevance in actual shooting, and the ability to focus, frame and expose more accurately results in better captured images which is what photography is all about. I routinely 600-800 shots from a single battery so the term “far worse” is total BS. I traded a D800 for an A7r + 28mm F2.8 lens (even trade) because the live view focus was so slow on the Nikon and using the viewfinder too inaccurate for studio use without a magnifier. The A7r achieved consistently more accurate results than the D800 using the 85MM F1.4 Otis lens.
FE type mirrorless cameras are definitely the future of photography, however an A-Mount A99II would be a great way to use current Minolta and Sony/Zeiss glass for a decade or two into the future. With current technology the SLT mirror is no longer needed, and the full sized body is just a better way to mount and use bigger lenses than the E-Mount with adaptor method. There is no reason the two mounts can’t peacefully coexist.
“I don’t think you have ever really used an A99, because your frame of reference is based on troll talking points and not reality.”
EXCUSE ME?? My frame of reference is from years of shooting, using dSLR and dSLT and other cameras, for both amateur and some professional shooting.
I’ve never shot with the A99?? I shot with the A99 for well over a year, before getting very frustrated with the inferior ISO performance and some other drawbacks. (But I did LOVE some things about the A99)
I guess I never took these images:
[url=https://flic.kr/p/pxmp55][img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3955/15450996888_81bea8f46e_b.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/pxmp55]Pumpkin undead[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/havoc315/]Adam Brown[/url], on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/p2h3uH][img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3879/15110652345_40e18b006a_b.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/p2h3uH]Sunrise on the Disney Fantasy[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/havoc315/]Adam Brown[/url], on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/oSvCPW][img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3841/15011455828_be9d74c84b_b.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/oSvCPW]Sun setting over the Disney Fantasy[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/havoc315/]Adam Brown[/url], on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/pnVceY][img]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5602/15344230830_95b2012b76_b.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/pnVceY]Times Square[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/havoc315/]Adam Brown[/url], on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/nWCtCb][img]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5548/14401699870_512652559a_b.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/nWCtCb]Ferrari[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/havoc315/]Adam Brown[/url], on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/ocQFYV][img]https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2929/14573830225_359dc749b6_b.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/ocQFYV]Lilly in the Rain[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/havoc315/]Adam Brown[/url], on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/ngtfyi][img]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/13958556561_d3256036a0_b.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/ngtfyi]April flowers[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/havoc315/]Adam Brown[/url], on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/nKJQLG][img]https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2917/14278460224_48868a004e_b.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/nKJQLG]Lorikeet[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/havoc315/]Adam Brown[/url], on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/n3m6be][img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3714/13810044773_71e77282bb_b.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/n3m6be]dance-107.jpg[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/havoc315/]Adam Brown[/url], on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/n2N6Dx][img]https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2918/13803802773_f839fc5985_b.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/n2N6Dx]lpark3.jpg[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/havoc315/]Adam Brown[/url], on Flickr
So sorry to disturb your world view that nobody would ever go back to OVF after EVF. I’ve done it, and I’ve known many others that have done it.
And I’m no EVF-hater. There are things I prefer about each OVF and EVF. My point simply being, if you want EVF, and it’s advantages, go to mirrorless. If you want OVF, and its advantages, go to dSLR. SLT has outlived its usefulness in most ways. Back when Sony created their first SLT cameras, mirrorless AF was horrible. There were NO decent mirrorless lenses. That’s all changed now.
We aren’t debating whether other people prefer OVF. We are ridiculing your notion that Sony should reintroduce OVF and that it would actually incite a positive response. It’s literally the most idiotic move they could make.
Another SLT will be greeted by a massive yawn in the industry, and won’t be noticed at all. Except for a handful of the most devoted a-mount existing market, it will go totally unnoticed.
No, OVF won’t bring “excitement”… But OVF with the best live view on the market, in a single camera, might generate a pulse. It would be positively distinguished from Canon/Nikon (far better live view and maybe the best sensor on the market) and distinguished from FE (by OVF, truly better battery life, etc).
Alternatively, I suggested a-mount should go totally mirrorless.
But another SLT? Because the current SLTs are such best sellers?
lol
” I traded a D800 for an A7r + 28mm F2.8 lens (even trade) because the live view focus was so slow on the Nikon and using the viewfinder too inaccurate for studio use without a magnifier. The A7r achieved consistently more accurate results than the D800 using the 85MM F1.4 Otis lens.”
Isn’t that exactly my point? You do realize, the A7r is NOT a SLT camera.
You’re also talking about a MF lens.
The D800, in live view, is darn slow — But in AF, in live view, it will be slower than the A99, but it will also be more accurate than the A99.
First bit of sense in this thread right here.
I agree !
lol
“Anyone who has used an electronic viewfinder and it’s associated enhancements would never be satisfied using a clunky old optical finder again.”
This is very much colored by what kind of shooting you do. For certain types of shooting, EVF is clearly better than the OVF. But for other types, like shooting sports, EVFs are still very far behind OVFs.
Fair enough, the EVF suites my needs almost perfectly.
>Read the article on preview
How about we watch actual video tests like these:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxxKAJtBnhA&feature=youtu.be&t=7m29s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yottoM_P1o&feature=youtu.be&t=15m17s
>The a6000 af-c surpasses any camera in the price range
A77II is more expensive, but it runs circles around the a6000, clearly showcasing advantages of the SLT design.
>Full sized body and joystick — that’s just body choice. Has nothing to do with a mirror […and other related points]
I said many times, if Sony ever makes a DSLR-quality mirorrless, I couldn’t care less about the mount. They haven’t done so and have not stated that they will. So far, there’s no full-sized FE body, which is essential for reportage photography.
>If it’s essential that I own a fantastic 35/1.4 and 70-200/4
f/4 zooms run counter to the purpose of going Full Frame, which is, get higher ISO and narrower DoF. I used to shoot with a Sigma 50-150 f/2.8 on an APS-C body, which gives you same results as a 70-200 f/4 on a FF body.
>Sane prices: the a99 is still double the price of the a7
First-gen f/2.8 lenses for A can be obtained for the same price as f/4 lenses for E. And don’t forget the availibility of top-quality Tamron and Sigma offerings (although less Sigma due to Sony’s decisions regarding A-Mount). In fact, should add this one to the table. And a99 is only 30% more expensive than a7 (local prices), which it is vastly superior to.
In-body GPS was a fad that is dying now because camera companies realized the disadvantages were far greater than the advantages.
A standalone GPS tracker is far superior – especially in an era where most people can just run a GPS tracker app on their smartphone and it’ll match in-body GPS in terms of track quality. (Standalone dedicated trackers like those using an MTKII chipset will utterly destroy any in-body GPS solution in terms of track quality.)
…and then you’d have to sync your data from the tracker to the photos. The whole point was to do this automatically.
A99 GPS is extremely accurate. Don’t want it? Turn it off. I find it handy for certain expeditions.
Adam as a hobbyist with no real specific demands out of his equipment, you are probably adequately served by your emount system. For those of us who require something built tougher with much longer battery life, much more balanced body with native 2.8 lenses, etc (read that list again), Amount is far superior. You are sincerely uneducated when it comes to the differences and strengths/weaknesses of each system, to simply say the emount cameras are superior in every way is incredibly short-sighted. Not to mention false.
Speaking of which, would love to see your work, expert! link?
I posted samples of my a-mount work.
I don’t use e-mount.
I use Nikon for my pro and personal work currently.
A99– slightly better battery life than FE system, Nikon much better.
A99– different lens selection than FE, some better, some worse. Etc, etc.
I never said E-mount cameras are “superior” at all. I don’t even personally like them.
What I did say– the SLT mirror no longer brings advantages.
Longer battery life has nothing to do with the SLT mirror.
Tougher body has nothing to do with SLT.
Dual card slots has nothing to do withSLT.
Even lens selection has nothing to do with SLT. Just with maturity of the system.
With the new BSI sensor the SLT’s 1/3 stop ISO handicap disappears or am I mistaken ?
They tried and failed, even with better camera.
Silly talking here.
If the new A99 used an optical viewfinder it would be a step backwards and eliminate the most important reason to buy the A99 over standard DSLR’s.
But it would create lots of reasons to buy the a99 over mirrorless. And it would eliminate the disadvantages compared to dslrs.
If I buy dslr — I get OVF and top sensor performance.
If I buy mirrorless, I get EVF and top sensor performance.
If I buy SLT, I get EVF but impaired sensor performance (light loss).
Choice 3 made some sense when mirrorless was way behind in autofocus. But with mirrorless AF now surpassing dSLR in some ways, choice 3 no longer makes much sense.
SLT is now 4 year old technology and was the only method to achieve live view and electronic viewfinder in a full sized body. Neither Canon nor Nikon has found a solution to achieve that even now in late 2015.
It’s not the only way to include EVF in a full sized body. You just enlarge a mirrorless body (as with the NX1).
“Neither Canon nor Nikon has found a solution to achieve that even now in late 2015” I stand by that statement.
Huh? They haven’t had any desire to do so. Canon has their M-series — They know how to do mirrorless cameras (though you can debate the quality of their mirrorless cameras). They know how to do EVFs. They haven’t had any desire to stick an EVF into a massive body — Just as Sony has gone the last year and a half without sticking an EVF into a massive body.
There is really a big question regarding the size of the market for EVF in a full sized body, except for the handful of people such as yourself. Sony SLTs have not been huge sellers.
I believe that EVF is the future since it allows live view which better supports exposure i.e. what you see is what you get, unlike with OVF…
Mirrorless has its flaws.
Yes.. The EVF for those who don’t like EVF.
AF speed for those who don’t like AF speed. And save the stories about “mirrorless AF is as good as SLR AF”…
Not “as good”
According to dpreview testing, mirrorless AF is better.
Anti-mirrorless diehards like to ignore the vast AF testing showing strengths of the a7rii, and find some test of “indoors, with a -1ev light source, when tracking a donkey sneezing, the dslr tracked the boogers better.”
Fact — on sensor AF is more accurate.
Fact — the a7rii has a wider distribution of AF points of any dslr.
And according to testing by dpreview, the a7rii focuses better in low light.
And again – save these marketing stories for someone not having A6000 and A77II at the same time at the same place.
Fact, you have no real-world experience.
What if say, a pro shooter is using adapted A-mount glass? Imagine that, an alpha shooter wanting to use his A-mount glass? Have you tried the AF in an LA-EA4? It is pathetic.
Are you joking Adam? How did you get by when cameras had performance that didn’t even scrape the surface of the A99 much less an A900??
I use these cameras just about every day. My work is displayed publicly, commercially, and published internationally- a miracle I guess with that damn translucent mirror in the way. Give me a break
http://www.frankwithersphoto.com
http://www.myparadisephoto.com
This is literally the stupidest thing I have ever read
That’s weird… Why optical view finder when the electronic view finder supports better exposure ?
Sadly I think this might be a ‘damage limitation exercise’ on the part of Sony, rather like all those A7000/A6000 replacement rumours they have been priming SAR with for the last 6 months
It’s easy: whenever people start wondering if there will ever be another APS-C E-mount or A-mount body released Sony’s Marketing Dept. release a rumour to SAR that one is about to be released ‘the day after tomorrow’ and leave poor Andrea/SAR to carry the can when it doesn’t then materialise
Kimio Maki and Sony UK both ‘let the cat out of the bag’ about there being no future A-mount bodies over the last few days and now suddenly this appears… of course I hope the rumour true and *really want* to believe it because of my investment in the system, but that is the sentiment these people are playing on. Manipulation of a pretty sordid nature IMO
My personal advice would be to downgrade it to an SAR 2 and put a heavy disclaimer against it!
Seriously guys. It’s going to be the a99 shell and very much alike (no new 5 axis IBIS or anything like that). It will have the a7r sensor and a77ii’s AF module). Obviously wifi. Does any of that disappoint me? No, not at all. It will be the purest and most direct way (and yes, maybe the last way) to extract the incredible capabilities of your beautiful A mount glass. SOLD
That could be allright actually, that way at least they don’t waste R&D money to something dated anyway.
If this is true, it seems very plausible that this will be Sony’s final A-Mount camera … or at least one of the last few. They’ve probably sunk a bunch into developing this and want to bring it market both to recoup those costs and to placate those of us who’ve put so much into the system.
But it’s obvious E is the new hotness, and most development is going there. OK, FINE. I have an E mount camera too I use mostly with manual-focus lenses, and I love it. But new AF lenses are still expensive, there are no zooms faster than F4, and there’s nothing on the long telephoto end. It’s an incomplete system and will be for some time.
So Sony — I don’t mind if A mount bodies die off. I really don’t. But give us something better than the LA-EA3/4 if that’s the route you’re going. Give us a 5 w/o a mirror that can drive screw lenses for use with the A7RII and future cameras that can use the native AF. Or give us a 6 that has a mirror (for use with any E cameras) but a bunch more focal points spread out across the frame. You’ve got the tech in the A77ii, and it’s fantastic. Make us pay through the nose if you have to, but please, please give us that option. You’d make E mount cameras massively more useful.
I would not be surprised if it’s Sony’s final A-mount to serve as a bridge until E-mount OSPDAF is mature enough to fully replace it. A7RII is getting there, another generation or two and it will be there.
You really want adaptors to be a permanent solution? Doesn’t bug you that the E-mount will never have a native 2.8 zoom (unless its giant and weighs a shitload)? This is one of my problems with the system in its current state, regardless of the impressive tech in the bodies (although still too small, shit bat life, no dual card slots, no sync port, etc) compared to the a-mount
I’ve had A99 for about 3 years, and sold my A-mount equipment half a year ago.
I bought A99 because that is:
The only type of EVF camera with stand alone PDAF module, and the only type of camera that can keep focusing even when the sensor is exposing.
But A99 didn’t take full advantage of it due to the poor PDAF module.
I’m still dreaming of an A-mount camera that has both OSPDAF (when you want large AF point area and almost 100% focus accuracy) and stand alone PDAF module (when you want really fast continuous AF in dim light). Besides, they can do a lot of innovative work about the translucent mirror, such as build-in liquid crystal ND filter.
If that comes true, I’ll become an A-mount shooter again absolutely.
I’m now a A7RM2 shooter. I’m happy about it mostly because of the large focus area and the focus accuracy. The AFC of A7RM2 is good but not good enough.
So I didn’t buy any FE zoom lens, because I’m still waiting such an A-mount killer. Make it become true, Sony, please.
The ND filter cannot be fully cleared, that’s why they still have to removed off phisically.
I’m fairly certain Sony’s strategy here is to eliminate the need for a standalone PDAF module by improving OSPDAF systems.
The A7RII is a major step forward in this regard and I would not be surprised if we keep on seeing such improvements.
Sure. OSPDAF is improving fast.
But right now with A7RM2, I can still experience the lag that exposure process brings when doing AFC which causes regularly front/back focus in situations like subject moving towards/backwards the camera.
I think they can improve the algorithm to compensate the lag time by a firmware update. For now, OSPDAF still cannot match with stand alone PDAF with respect to AFC.
We are shooting pictures today, not in a few months or years until OSPDAF prove to be as fast as at least a77m2. Sony as a milking company should offer a camera for today’s needs.
To be fair, it’s come a huge way in a very short time. By the mk iii, I’d expect sport shooters to be starting to get interested…
I completely agree, I find it funny that people on here think the A7R II is the best Sony will be able to do and it’s not ‘good enough’. The funny thing about that is that the R series are not meant to be the fastest they are meant for resolution. They also seem to think that AF is a seperate thing from the sensors still and this is the current module and whatever other cams come out will be the same. Where in reality the next base model A7 is likely to be faster with better AF due to lower res sensor but newer tech while also being more affordable. A7R II just happen to get the newer sensor first. When we see the next A7 III this will likely be a very different story.
Baseless speculation. The truth is, we don’t have any idea what it will be.
Of course. Neither one of us has Sony’s plans. Would there be any reason not to do this parts been special for loyal A mount users? Sony is not trying to steal share from Nikon or canon over to A mount any longer. At the time the a99 came out they still had that aim. Anything Sony does with A mount bodies now is only for the existing user base. I am in that base, so do SOMETHING Sony!
Yes, but standard everyone seems to be crying for is D4 and 1Dx bricks 🙂
not a standard, but an available option for the pros who require that work. As a canon or nikon enthusiast shooter, while they would never invest $6-$8k in those bodies, do you think it pains them that they are available? AND USED by pros worldwide?
People who think translucent mirror and SLT stucture make no sense is a proof of the poor marketing of A-mount cameras.
It’s translucent mirror that makes EVF and traditional PDAF come together. EVF (and real time histogram) is a must for quick and accurate RAW ETTR exposure strategy. And to a lot of people, 1/3 EV light loss is acceptable in exchange for EVF and better AF performance. Besides, I think they’ve thought about the possibility of making the translucent mirror as some kind of changeable build-in filter in the beginning.
Sony chose the right direction back in 2011, but the A99 didn’t execute it well because traditional PDAF is where Sony is poor at for a long time, not to mention the marketing which is totally a disaster.
I don’t know if A-mount still have a chance to change the game, but it will be such a pity if SLT just fade out and disappear.
You say EVF is a must for ETTR.
A99 has EVF & good DR
Canons have no EVF & mediocre DR (thus much more need in ETTR)
How do then Canon shooters manage to get paid? xD
Well for Canon users, Live view mode, argb gamut setting, neutral pic style and all settings set to -4, and RGB histogram based on the JPG preview on LCD can help do ETTR, which works but surely isn’t as convenient as an EVF with real time histogram.
As a Canon user as well, I admit that the highlight clip rendering is better, so with poor DR people usually just let the extreme high light blown out and get a pleasing result. That’s not a secret.
It’s all about the conveniece that an EVF can give when exposuring. If Canon can somehow manufacture SLT, I’ll replace my 5D3.
its not just the convenience of exposure and whitebalance preview, which is great in itself, but customized EVF displays, the level, histogram, image preview and menu, etc, makes traditional OVF cameras feel so damn slow in comparison. Constantly pulling that cam away to review on your screen and pray your meter got it right, particularly in changing lighting for event shooting
For my particular shooting environment (bright sun, dark nights, changing lighting in events in the Turks & Caicos), the A99 is simply unmatched. And the IQ is on par or superior to Canon and Nikon equivalents, unless you’re into the whole pixel peeping thing and not as much into “hey, could that moment have even been captured had I been using a different camera…”
live view on canon is the clumsiest, most pathetic system ever, I can’t even grace that with a serious reply
it doesn’t answer my question…
The perfect A Mount cam:
Put an A7SII STACKED Sensor with large buffer and a dedicated AF module in a big body. 5 axis stabilisation. WiFi, GPS, 2 slots.
Why:
This would bring incredible fast shooting rates with continuous focusing during shooting, “endless” buffer. FAST focusing. No problem to loose 1/3 of a stop with the translucent mirror.
Big body addresses all the problem of the “Pro’s”, 2,8 Zoom users and video shooters – handling, big battery, 2nd slot. Would be a hell of a sports/journalists cam.
AND NO 30min VIDEO STOP (this can’t be THAT expensive, sell it extra as
an app), no overheating, 4k internal. External grip with 5x battery power over usb connection.
When you need high resolution in Studio: take a A7RII and don’t use old lenses.
Big prints & landscapes: You don’t need the fastest focus, do you?
….
It wouldn’t be THAT hard Sony – do it!
Make a killer cam for big zoom lovers 🙂
The A-mount was a Minolta invention which couldn’t survive. After years of trying, 3 cameras are left and no new lenses are produced. E-mount is a Sony creation which is alive and growing in both photography and videography sectors. Guess which one will survive. And this is coming from someone who started with A-mount. I believe A-mount will be around for a couple of years, but then E-mount will take over. Luckily, with decent A-mount support, contrary to other systems in the past.
Because they never really took measures to make it attractive. The only reason Sony and E-mount would prove to be popular at first was by releasing a cheap FF (ILCE-7) with some ”cheap” F4 zoom lenses….
Would you buy a SEL70200G (f4) at 1400USD + a7 at 1800USD at time of launch or a SAL70200G (f2.8) at 2900USD + a99 at 2700USD?
Not everyone is capable of getting thousands for the a99 options at once, compared to a7 options.
If Sony had made available F4 zoom lenses at the time back them when they launched SLT cameras, story would have been different, because people could afford them, try them. But with such high prices, there was no chance.
Well, I have to agree here. Of course Sony did little to gain momentum with A-mount. However, would they have gone in the right direction by doing so? I doubt it, keeping the shrinking market in mind. Even more, I doubt that going all in with A-mount would’ve created the kind of succes Sony now experiences with E-mount. The basis for the A-mount problem lied in Minolta’s inability to innovate early on in the digital age. With E-mount, Sony is able to innovate what they want from start. I’m not saying I’m happy with this reality, but it is a reality after all.
Personally, would the A99 have been similarly priced compared to the A7 at launch I would have gone with the A99; however, it was almost twice as expensive.
Admin, where did my reply go??
I prefer an EVF, except for those times I prefer an OVF.
Any chance this might offer both?
No chance in hellll unfortunately.
agreed
A77II on crack here I come!!!!
Doesn’t matter what they release. Once they do, the cat will be out of the bag so to speak. This camera will tell us everything about what Sony truly thinks concerning A mount. We don’t even know if it’s a FF yet so…
(SR995) it has A-mount in the front and E-mount in the bottom, just rotate camera and pick which mount to use. You can have even two lenses mounted and pick between which to use with a lever.
Also the sensor has global shutter and each pixel acts as cross PDAF point.
7-axis IBIS.
So? It’s 2015, why should we live by film era standards
Did someone just “upped” this rumor so it stays on top of “no A-mount lenses and cameras in down under anymore” rumor?
I do have a certain sympathy for some A mount users, as they might have a significant investment in lenses, and camera bodies have a limited lifespan, but I don’t know that I can see any logic for Sony following the route of more A-mount DSLR/SLT bodies.
You would have to ask who would be the market and how large would it be?
This is the same question from before the A7 series existed, but the goalposts have moved considerably!
You have full time pros who want tools that give them the best results reliably. If that need is being served well by Canon and Nikon (it is) then there is little motivation to switch. This is especially the case regarding Sony as they have a very poor record of supporting photographers adequately.
Then there are the wealthy and also the very keen ‘top end’ amateurs. I think many of the same arguments as for the pros would still apply here, so the potential market shrinks further.
That leaves ‘newcomers’: those who have yet to acquire a top end camera and associated gear. Not only do they have the well established ‘big two’, they have the entire A7 series and almost endless other options that all give fantastic results.
To my mind, there is simply not the likely sales numbers to even begin the design process, let alone reach full production. I’m sorry for those who dearly want an A99 replacement, but I think this SR4 rumour won’t prove to be correct.
I stopped at :
> That leaves ‘newcomers’:
For a newcomer to get into the A7 thing, he/she will need some U$S 1k+ or 2k+ to spend in the system. Both Canon and Nikon have a lower entry cost that the A7.
So, you are only left with newcomers with money to burn.
Both Canon and Nikon have bulky, heavy and optical viewfinder full frame bodies… I prefer small, light and electronic viewfinder bodies. And if some people are keen for bulky, heavy and electronic viewfinder then an A99 mk2 should provide the option. It would be great to have both on the market today so each to their own preferences, right ?
there was 0, nadda,zip fe customers before.
theres actually a reasonable size a mount user base, so there is a market, and maybe baby darling e mount can do no wrong, but its not the solution for everyone, certainly not at the moment.
other than being dickish i dont know why fe mount camera buyers have a huge selfish streak
There was 0, nadda, zip dslr customers before. There as a reasonable size of film users. So, how did clinging to film work out for Kodak?
Mirrorless is the future; Sony should remain focused on the a7 Series… And perhaps be working on an a9.
You said that yourself. Mirrorless is the future and A-mount cameras already work like any mirrorless out there. It has full time AF live view, it has an EVF BUT A-mount has less constrains on how they should develop lenses or bodies. Fast FF lenses (specially telephoto lenses) will always be big, so why are they trying to make compact mirrorless cameras as small if their lenses will be big anyways? Let users decide if they want small bodies with small lenses and more limitations or larger bodies with big lenses (and less constrains), not impose tendencies.
Hence, I envision an a9 FE in the future.
theres not so much advantage to e mount, as to what digital bought.
really you gain abit with slow kit lens, but the faster 2.8 aspc zooms are heavier! than my 16-50mm a mount, how well a fast e mount 2.8 zoom will turn out we dont know.
primes in that focal length range can be smaller/lighter but its been small difference, think some are heavier than dslr lenses… but they all carry a price premium too.
telephoto lengths of conventional design you gain nothing in size and weight, but currently lose af performance.
and in theory a e mount body using slt adapter should have better focus tracking than a plain e mount lens, because theres no blackout with the shutter. and that advantage will remain till we get global shutter but which leaves af pixels on.
we dont know how well a a99ii will sell, but alot of people didnt buy the a99 because of its shortfalls and not a huge bump over a900.
and alot of people bought into the d8xx and a7r, weve no idea how well a a99r would of done, presumably pretty decently.
There is almost certainly a large number of ‘A mount users’, but that is not necessarily and indication they’ll need another camera or buy one.
I wouldn’t disagree that not everyone likes the E mount range, but its existence is bound to have some impact on potential customer numbers.
But whether Sony bring out another A mount body or not has nothing to do with the feelings of anyone who has bought, or will buy, an E mount camera. ‘Selfishness’ does not come into it!
I don’t see it as selfish – it’s business sense. The FE came out nowhere and built up a huge following in a very short time by doing something different. A-mount is a great system, but it’s never going to sell in the same numbers as e-mount now. Even back in the day, it wasn’t capturing market share from the big 2.
Sony have not fulfilled the promise of the SLT, namely that it can focus continuously when a mirror cannot, specifically at the point of shutter release, and during video.
The current SLTs go blank at the point of shutter release (data bus performance issue?) and although you can get manual control during video with auto-focusing via a hack (AEL lock works with video), the low bit rates and line-skipping make it all pretty pointless. Hopefully Sony will fix both these issues and make SLT much more compelling though much better autofocus and stutter-free live view, and decent video at the same time as the best continuous video AF in any camera.
Very happy with this rumor, I spent a respectable sum on A-mount stuff. Hooray for A!
So, why put 42Mp in there to negate the effects of the better processing power, instead of enjoying a faster performance?
Besides, it’s just excessive for many applications. In reportage, many people just shoot JPG and sent files back to the editor’s office from a laptop or upload them to the Internet, there’s no time to snail with the huge 42Mp files, the workflow must be as fast as possible.
>just shoot JPG
any camera can downscale jpegs faster than sensor produces them xD
hmm
a99ii/a77iii
gps and wifi
new sensor
app support
usb3 or c
popup flash
5axis ibis
a77ii focus system +
ospdaf focusing
4k
extra dial for ev comp
touchscreen with physical on/off
focus assist light
anything else new to add?
most importantly e-mount.
I’d lose touch screen (it’s almost useless on a camera with an evf anyway) and the mirror obviously.
Not sure this makes sense, as much as, as an A Mount user, I would wish it so.
What might make sense is a larger e-mount camera using the fm500 battery with integrated A mount adaptor with integrated pdaf and cdaf that can use existing lenses, both screw mount and motorised, as well as e-mount lenses. An improved A7r2 if you will. Arguably, it would help sony if they also had adaptors for Nikon and Canon too. Sort of a universal camera body.
Great in theory. Really hope it could be done, though.
Where’s the post about the Mitakon 135mm 1.4?
oh dear thanks for the good news!
If this rumor ends up being correct, this website’s credibility will regain some much needed credibility.
I wish they released a 5000 USD a99ii 😀 would love to see the face of duott and animalsbarry 😀
It could happen lol , the A7r II is around $3200 and we all know how much cheaper mirrorless cameras are no pesky expensive prism mirror set up, fraction of the material costs etc
Prism? SLT’s don’t have a prism.
I doubt it, their FF Amount bodies have consistently been $2800 and lower
A9 or A99II?
a99ii. Last thing they’ll want is it competing with the a7x…
only one? I would like to see at least two fullframe A-mount. One should be using the 42Mpx module as the usual FF camera for everyday stuff, and another one the 12Mpx module with focus on speed and low light performance, something like a D4S or 1DX.
you should be happy that we are even getting one!!! Don’t make it more complicated! lol
You asking for way too much. Sony tried to beat the D800 with the A99, and failed. How about asking for a strong D810 competitor first? Asking that Sony beats the D4S is like asking a freshman to win the Nobel price.
If you are talking from a sales standpoint they failed against the D800, in fact probably for just about every equivalent camera model excluding mirrorless, but for many photographers the A99 is a far better option to the D800, myself and team included.
It isn’t so outlandish that Sony could create a more compelling camera to the Nikon D4S, you have seen the image samples of the A7S-II right? You also have to realize that the D4S is a $6000 camera. If Sony can even scrape that performance at $3000 then it would be incredible. Their A99 was a bargain at $2800 and a fcking steal at the prices you can find it for now.
I was this close of buying A7R II
same here, same here. quote on my table.
A7R II is sitting on my desk right now , sealed :/
Will never open it.. Hope so
I don’t get it, have you bought it or not?
I’m a seller , I have many A7R II bodies for sale
Bruh, I was that close to buying 1 today with finance! haha so funny. I don’t know what to do now! haha
How about one Pro APSC, and one Budget FF? Will take one unit each for me thanks.
A-mount? Or will it be Alpha Mount? Somebody made that mistake before. ?
Strange timing posting this rumour. SAR pretty much never post rumours over the weekend. Call me cynical…
You’re cynical.
I have a feeling those sources wanted to make a quick reply to yesterday’s rumor
One thing is for sure: A-mount has many nice lenses that are missing in e-mount.
Drop it like it’s hot Sony.
Thanks for the news, hope is fullframe 🙂
lets hope its SR5 first.
This is my thinking. Since no one is buying A mount glass I’ll simply hold on to it. That means in about 5 years it’ll be ultra rare. I will simply charge Leica prices and retire.
PLEASE QX A-mount camera lens PLEASE QX A-mount camera lens PLEASE QX A-mount camera lens
Couldn’t you just put the laea4 on a qx1?
!!! ok time to eat ramen for a year.
I agree assumin they could get full A-mount AF , an A7r II with integrated A-mount adapter would be the way to go. It would allow for a smaller lighter body { than typical A-mount FF} while utilising all the A mount glass . It should also be cheaper to make as most of the camera parts would be universal to the A7 serious.
Not sure about your maths there. An a7 with a 28-70 will set you back £975. A d6 is £1032 body only or £1799 for a kit…
the other lenses are more expensive, if you did a 2 lens kit the 70-200 is £900? while you can get a 75-300 for 100quid, or the decent tamron one for under 300 ?
so yes the a7 is cheap, but as a multiple af lens system it isnt.
Sony X1 – pro universal mount full body mirrorless.
Flashback Sunday:
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-sony-has-a-new-a-mount-ff-protoype/
Oops.
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr4-new-a-mount-cameras-coming-in-q1-and-asking-for-help-from-trusted-sources/
Doh.
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sony-interview-at-dc-watch-says-no-interchangeable-medium-format-system-camera-to-come-yet-new-a-mount-stuff-will-come/
What?
That’s why it’s called rumors. Move to a different site, moron, if you don’t understand what a rumor means.
it’s very impolite and disrespectful to call others moron. he is just pointing out that even a high rank rumour like SR4 or SR5 could be totally wrong, and it was proven several times in the past.
Somebody not get a turn on the teeter-totter this morning?
Uhm, actually the first rumor you linked:
“He also told me E-mount is priority yet and he hasn’t been told if and when the camera will be announced.
My guess is that it’s coming the second half of 2015.”
That would actually be spot on!…
Bottom line, the scant A-mount rumors we’ve had (and really, this is it going back 2 years) have proven to be wrong. I call that a pattern.
As if…..ahahahaha
Sony UK
No new A-mount camera planed.
Sony Australia. We will no longer sell any A-mount cameras or lenses in Australia
SAR from anonymous trusted source…new A-mount camera in early November
Should I believe this rumor even though al the same previous rumors were wrong, or should I believe what the Sony websites say.
I will know in a few weeks if this is just one more of many false alarms…I will not believe it till I see it.
Mark this on your calendar Barry. First time ever. I totally agree with you. I’m basing my opinion on Sony Australia story being accurate.
Yeah, the timing of this rumor from Sony seems pretty suspicious, given the immediately previous posts; seems like just trying to quell a panic, and possible resulting exodus. Of course, I resigned myself to A-mount being dead long ago, so I’m not really upset about it. I’ll keep rocking my current models until they die, and will just roll with those same lenses on adapters after they do. I’m already on E-mount for most of my non-commissioned work, and I have no real complaints, really.
Nothing’s impossible right Animalsbybarry? Spend less time typing angrily on forums and more time on your art my friend
What makes you think I am angry..???
All your typos lol I just imagine you typing faster than you can manage through your E-mount induced rage
That and your hissy fit about me making a comment yesterday that it is currently not possible to make a compact F/2.8 zoom for the E-mount lol…
OIf you equate typos with anger than I have a very angry cellphone.
As for yuour comment as I told you I dissagreed with everything in it and did not choose to take the time to explain each point to you.
Except for the extra length reguired for e mount there is no reason a lens would not be the same size…Sony chooses to keek the system compact and you can use any lens with adapter
I do lack patience with people that think things are impossible.
But some things are impossible. I keep trying but I cant turn into a unicorn. Did I just blow your mind??
Just because you disagree with facts, doesn’t make them any less true.
Try harder
Wolf…Wolf….Wolf…come on guys it’s realy a Wolf this time..!!!!
My guess is they will release an a9x, and hopefully with the following specs. Full Frame 50MP, mirrorless, with alpha mount. 10 FPS shooting at 50MP for up to 10 seconds. 4K, 60 FPS internal recording with adjustable bitrates up to 100 mbits. Built in Wifi that can sync to hotspots at a large distance and publish photos, and or videos to FTP, Facebook, Instagram without having to use an external computer. Ability to wirelessly transfer photos to cell phones via NFC when wanting to directly share photos with customers immediately after taking their photo. Ability to select which photos to publish without going through 3 levels of menu controls ( which is what currently has to be done with the a99 ). Lighter Body, Higher Capacity Batteries. large HD LCD screen so I can actually see the details in my photos. Considering Sony is likely to charge around $4000 for whatever they come up with, this thing better have at least the capabilities of the GoPro Hero 4 Black I just bought for $400 off ebay.
Feature you mentioned would cost you over $8,000. Or, you have to wait for Mark N (N>3)
Asking for a $4000 camera that does a better job than their professional line video camera that starts body only at $5800 and is S35.
Probably this is why Sony want to get rid of A-mount, high demands cheapsters.
yeah be realistic, and name another camera while you’re at it that does all those things in FF at that price point. I am an a-mount shooter and still hoping for a replacement to the A99, but be realistic.
I just hope this silences all of the constant complaining on these forums.
Deleted
Why would it? It is not a product announcement, its simply the same rumor from about a year ago that said an A-mount camera was imminent (the whole “year of A-mount” that we heard last year). It won’t silence anything unless such a product is actually announced and then even if it is it will just shift to moaning about all of the things the new camera isn’t – it’s the nature of the beast on these rumor sites.
I think the third-or-fourth hand “source” for this nugget mistook A-mount for Alpha. If you haven’t already sold all your A-mount gear it may be time to wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee.
I’m a newcomer, and I’m investing in the a7 e-mount. I purchased an a7ii and the 55/1.8. I love it, and I feel confident investing in this technology. I would not feel comfortable investing in a-mount as a newcomer. I also don’t have an interest in Canikon DSLRs, as I see then fading it, the same as film.
If there comes a A99 II / A9. Im hoping that Sony here will concentrate this as a non mirror camera. If they wanna go after the pro. They have to give the pros this lineup
200mm f.2,0
300mm f.2,8
400mm f.2,8
500mm f.4,0
600mm f.4,0
and a 200-400 telezom f.4,0
And why not have internal 1,4 Converters in all of them
Only for sports and wildlife pros. That’s not a very large segment. There are probably 100 portrait, event and wedding photographers for every single sports shooter…
And the sport, reportage fellas always rant the most~ They’re overated.
yeah, have to say that is not necessary. I’m sure you would buy all of those lenses too right? $50k? lol
I personally don’t shoot wildlife/sports, it may be the only two things I don’t shoot- but if I did I think I would have never picked Sony…
IT’S DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD. Hahaha Amount faggots, get rekt!!!!
cheers
I wonder which now has larger user base – FF A-mount or FF E-mount. My bet would be on the E-mount. If that’s true, is releasing A99II (or whatever the name) before A9 the best strategy? Could this be another “Alpha mount” camera, not “A-mount”?
Maybe not best statistic, but should give some inside:
https://www.flickr.com/cameras/sony/
Very interesting, thanks.
If in two years the e-mount already had taken over A-mount wouldn’t be any reason for them to continue with both.
Mirrorless A mount is the best solution for Sony~ If they have full confidence with the AF on the a7II, they can safely ditch the SLT and make the first mirrorless A mount with much more features like Z shift, bigger heat sink for the sensor, maybe a built in m.2 SSD for a no buffer needed bust, bigger screen, etc imagination is the limit if you have a bigger body to work with
You do not need A-mount for bigger body. A-mount has NOTHING to do with how big a body you can make, what kind of controls can you put on it, how big a battery you can pack inside. All of that can be done with E-mount, in fact it can be done better, because there’s more available space to play with.
You’re missing out the fabulous Zeiss 24-70 F2.8 and the 70-200G F2.8 on the A mount. The reason for this is the san-adapter for all legacy A mount lenses to enjoy the benefits of mirrorless. And they should just fit the A mount battery on all e mount, actually it is not that difference in size
I have and am using both SAL2470Z and SAL70200G on my A7rII via LA-EA3 or A850 (which is not seeing much of action since I got A7rII).
I wish E-mount had native 24-70/2.8 on par with SAL2470Z, but there is a chance such lens will be announced within couple days at PhotoPlus – there have been some rumors and leaks about it. I have mixed feelings about SAL70200G. It was plenty sharp on A850 and A99, but A7rII is showing it’s flaws. I used a demo SEL70200G for couple weeks, and optically it seemed much better at equal aperture, starting from F4, with much better corner sharpness.
I am positive it’s still a-mount.
To me, there are three sources that say otherwise:
1) None of fellow photographers I know use A-mount (except for me), but there are now few who use A7x cameras for professional photo and video work;
2) During my recent trips abroad, I have seen plenty of A6000 and A7x cameras in hands of tourists. Only few A-mount cameras, and only one A99;
3) Flickr statistics. Take them for what they are, but they do show a trend.
As I defined ‘newcomers’ as those who have yet to acquire a top end camera, I suppose your intepretation is partly correct.
I wouldn’t really say ‘money to burn’ necessarily, though. We all have to spend money to get a ‘top end camera’; it is in the nature of the beast.
I’m very happy about this rumor as I do a lot of sports photography with my current A77II and my 70-400mm G2 lens.
If the new camera is a full frame camera body; then it’s my next camera!
Let’s face the facts that none of the e-mount guys want to hear: currently there is ABSOLUTELY NO fullframe A7 model that could be used for this type of photography. The A7RII has clearly the best autofocus of the whole A7 series cameras; but it’s still not good enough if it has to be very fast and the light is poor.
Furthermore not everybody needs 4K filming as most of those people forget what huge amounts of data are being created which also have to be stored on you PC (and most of todays PC’s will anyway not be able to do realtime film editing in the best 4K quality)
I was ready to purchase the A7RII but it’s simply too slow with 5fps; the battery is too small, I do not need a small camera like the a7 series. I want a camera with a body like the A99 / A77II which has buttons for each and every function.
What a lot of A7 fans forget: the A7 series cameras are pretty lighweight and compact; but if you mount fast zoom lenses (not F4 lenses) they will also become huge and heavy.
So it’s a pretty clever strategy from Sony to come with the F4 e-mount zooms first; as they can be built compact and lightweight.
Yeah, but to be fair, there’s not really currently any A-mount FF camera that can either. I love my A900 and A99, but sports cameras they are not. Sure, you CAN use them as such, but they pale in performance compared to the A77 (I or II) and to the FF Canikon models that are built for such. So really, it’s not an E-mount limitation, just an all-out Sony limitation in the FF space.
agreed. If I were a sports shooter I would not be in Sony. For my work I let Nikon/Canon and haven’t looked back but the minute I started shooting the Olympics I’d pick up a D4S
I have the NEX-6, A7r and A7r mk2. I bought these cameras because I travel a lot and I wanted light and small but powerful gear. The A7 series cameras are spot on wrt my own requirements.
Actually this is interesting since I have been told a week ago identical information. My source? My family member working for Sony in Japan. … Just timing is not setup yet …
Btw, why this www is so slow on new iPad version is concerning me …
surely not a LA-EA5?
Presumably a weather sealed version of the LA-EA3 for the a7rii?
nope.
I’m curious .. any one other than sport/wildlife photographers is waiting for FF A-mount camera ? and why ?
Maybe anyone with a large investment in A-mount glass? Just a thought.
I don’t shoot sport, wildlife, and neither do I have any significant investment into A-Mount lenses. Reasons are simple – FEs in their current state are no designed for reportage photography.
Yes, I am. I shoot products, events, retail, reportage, and many other things. FE just doesn’t sit well enough for me at the moment. Its hard to accept how good the A99 was for me and go to a new system. Plus I have over 15k worth of lenses! lol
I am. I photograph destination weddings, portraiture, commercial work, studio fashion, food, architecture, you name it, we shoot it. My personal strength is in fashion, in my sparetime I like to shoot nature also.
I have an A7. I need a camera however with much better battery life, better AF performance (the LA-EA4 is pitiful compared to A99 and A850 focusing), dual card slots for redundancy during events, and native F/2.8 AF lenses. I shoot in a very demanding environment (turks & Caicos) and I do not like the additional weak points shooting with lens adaptors. The A7 is also extremely uncomfortable for long usage with larger lenses, especially with a strobe mounted. The camera does not offer a sync port which complicates my set up when using both transceivers and flashes, common in the event/studio setting. The A7 series is built to a high standard, but not nearly as tough as the A-series bodies. Should I keep going?
http://www.frankwithersphoto.com
http://www.myparadisephoto.com
A7 sucked hard which is why I sold it. A7II is much much better- but given the fast depreciation and..what I’m assuming…soon to be A7III I don’t bother. I’d rather wait for the pro rumored A9 or just keep shooting the ol’ A mount gear.
Unfortunately no local camera stores here but I will be coming stateside for WPPI and hoping to try an A7RII (new body style) in the flesh- although even if it is more comfortable I still have to choke on all my other specific problems with the system
I am as well, started out with Minolta in the film days, have no A mount lenses left though. Went to Canon when 10d came out and have been with them since.
We shoot around 70-80 weddings plus family shoots etc per year. So I really need the gear to be reliable. I recently purchased an a7 then a7ii and have been using them alongside the 5diii’s and i am really loving the the images, higher dynamic range etc from the Sony sensors. I also love the evf, focus peaking etc.
I am like Frankie and have to have dual card slots for backup plus the bigger form factor of the a99, 5diii. I would even be happy for it to be mirrorless as long as it was tough and reliable with great image quality and much better battery life.
Cheers
James
http://www.artographyweddings.com.au
Does Aircraft Spotting counts? I’m waiting for FF A-mount so I can use Sony teleconverters, AF-Depth Range feature and Better AF performance. E-mount can’t do the first two things I mentioned and the third one isn’t there yet.
Some times I take pictures in really dark environment, and HVL-F58AM nor HVL-F43AM can’t turn on AF Assist Lamps when used on E-mount cameras (it relies on the onboard small AF Assist Lamp) even if you use E-mount lenses. And I have confirmed it doesn’t work either with HVL-F60M nor HVL-F43M. So A-mount is the way to go.
All I need from Sony is for them to put the FF 12Mpx module on a A-mount camera with a really good AF module with dual card slots to start taking pictures at night. A7S is close on what I need for night aircraft spotting, but AF is dissappointing and AF-C performance and low fps count is rather low.
Fashion shots~ I don’t need super fast AF for my work, since my subject stay still. So I prefer a SLT mirror lockup options~
Landscape mostly. But I want better ergonomics more buttons, 2 card slots, and better battery life!
And last but not least I want a camera that don’t need an adaptor and is balanced well with larger lenses and have native f/2.8 lenses.
My a900 have perfect ergonomics. I can hold the camera with my 70-200 f/2.8 in one hand. That’s impossible with the a7x.
I am, but it’s just a matter of practicality and cost. I have an a99 and an a850 with a ton of good A-mount lenses, many with screw drive. While I’d love something smaller overall, if you go into the E-mount with that intention you’d better be ready to invest in all new lenses. Because once you adapt A-mount lenses on an LA-EA4, you’re basically back up to the same size and weight you were at before, but with worse ergonomics, battery life, no dual card slots, no fully articulated screen, and arguably worse focus (at least with LA-EA4). Granted, yes, I might slowly build up a native FE lens collection and solve the first couple of issues, but in the meantime I’d be doing a mix and match based on what I could afford. And I would still be sacrificing some functionality I currently enjoy.
An a99ii, on the other hand, would be the most cost-effective way for me to enjoy the functionality I already have and still benefit from the last 3 years worth of technological upgrades.
I guess it just comes down to what happens first: either Sony releases an a99ii, or they release something like an a9 with LA-EA5, with all of the above issues addressed. I’ll go with whatever best balances my needs and cost. I’m certainly not opposed to E-mount and believe it’s far more flexible for the future. But I have to keep my current functionality with any upgrade, and there currently isn’t any Sony offering that does that. So we’ll see what they come up with in the next year!
A7RII sensor in highly featured A-mount body, just do it Sony!!!
A7SII sensor.
A super fast (full sensor readout at FF and at least 60fps) 24MPx sensor with low light performance equivalent to A7S.
Exactly ! Yes, I would hope that if Sony releases an A99 mk2, they’ll use the A7r mk2 sensor together with the chip on the back of it which would allow higher frame rates, in similar fashion to the RX100 mk4… The A99 body is much larger than the A7 series camera so I would imagine that there would be enough space to get the BSI + Chip + IBIS in the A99 mk2…
Both!
Interchangeable sensors? Why not
Thankfully my A Mount lenses have made my money back on them many times over. So if this rumour is false, I will most likely buy the A7RII and use the LA EA3 adaptor until some proper E mount lenses release.. i.e. 24-70, 16-35 2.8. Although I’m desperate to try that Batis lens.
Batis lenses are not that bad.
Everywhere is sold out so I can’t even try them! Do you have any of them?
I picked up the 85mm a few days ago, it’s very very nice.
I want the 25mm. Anywhere you can recommend to buy it from in the UK?
Ah, I live in Calgary, Canada and requested one from thecamerastore.com.
They did have the 25mms in stock at one point, but they’re probably long gone and I doubt that they ship to the U.K., sorry man!
You ever visit the store? I was wondering if it’s busy or if the guys who do the show are actually working there during the day. I figure they probably spend most of their time know filming videos. Would be cool to visit.
They’re there most days, it’s their job, they are much like what you see on their YouTube channel.
Yeah it’s usually busy at the store, the slowest I’ve ever seen it is 5 people.
Yeah I’m in there pretty often. It’s fairly busy, but nothing crazy. And yeah Jordan and Chris are in there all the time. I see Chris more than Jordan, maybe he’s in the back working on putting the video together sometimes. Anyway, it’s a great store, almost everyone in there knows a ton about some facet of photography or another.
Whatever
Sony cameras auto focus…until 6 pm ( or 5 pm in Denmark) ahahahahaha….fail
Drone strikes on Sony users. NOW!
now now! we’re worthy. good thing you’re going for rockwell though, not polin, bc then i’d pity you for that strange obsession to sniff your gear. and a devout catholic might be inclined to send YOU a drone. or light you hair on fire.
Lisen “REN”, isn’t your real name PePee McMasturbano? I think, that N.Y. PD is looking for you in school neighboring parks …
I own an E-mount A7 and an A-mount A850. I like both, but there’s a huge gap in buil dquality between the two cameras, especially after some time of intensive use. My 5yo A850 is in better condition than the 2yo A7.I think I’d like to go back to A-mount.
My A900 is a beast!! Imagine that being weather sealed?
It is! With true rubber seals, unlike A7. The lenses are not sealed though.
My A850 is also going strong, currently a backup to my 2 A99s. While the A7 certainly feels flimsy, I do have to say it is still built to a high standard. An entire A7, LA-EA4, and Zeiss 135 F/1.8 were fully submerged in salt water for about 2 secs (more than enough)- the camera recovered- it is quirky but operational- that to me is amazing. The LA-EA4 was toast. The “nonweathersealed” zeiss 135 F/1.8? Still working perfectly (this is over a year and a half later now)- mind you these were SUBMERGED. Sony build quality is great.
Excuse me but, YOU SUBMERGED A ZEISS 135MM 1.8. You’re nuts
The strap was not fixated properly. I let go of the camera to grab a lens and it fell into a wave (shooting on a beach). It was an accident 🙂 but the 135 works perfectly. It has been through war and still going strong, I cannot believe how incredible that lens is… will be the hardest factor in leaving this system if it comes to that
Truly believe you. My A77II and 16-50 got a major wave while shooting at the beach too and nothing happened.
Ernest, how is the A77II? I need extra reach for swimming and water polo, but am not happy it is not FF.
Mikal, in my humble opinion the FF won’t do any difference. You will benefit from the extra reach. The camera is extremely fast, specially after the firmware it got about 10 months ago. I have paired it with the Sony 70-200 2.8 and is a great combo
thank you. i too use the same lens, first generation, and am bedeviled by the lack of AF tracking especially when the subject is swimming towards me. I also have the 1.4x that I bought when I bought the 70-200/2.8. The issue with the extender is that I then need to microadjust for the extender, which throws things off. Ernest, I am glad to read that the A77II is great.
Sony a900 at the Dakar rally. Amazing.
from this site: http://www.swiatobrazu.pl/sony_dslr_a900_at_dakar_rally.html
Except the tracking is awful on the a900. I shoot alot of water polo, and unless I can anticipate the action, the AF and AF tracking are the worst. I power the beast from the external battery grip so the body is extra heavy. I would like an a900 with higher decent iso, an ovf, and much better tracking, especially when the subject is coming towards the shooter. Beyond that, I am fine with the a900.
All hail A850~ All I wish is they just slap in the new BSI sensor and the 5 axis IS and new BIONZ X while keeping the rest of A850 intact.
Build quality has nothing to do with mount. It’s Sony trying to cut costs. Compare a NEX-5N to 5100 and you’ll find build quality went down inside E-mount series too.
while Sony is focusing on its bling bling FE line, Samsung continue to improve their APS-C line 😉
http://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/samsung-nx500-dxo-sensor-reviewed-new-leader-for-hybrid-aps-c-sensor-image-quality/
I’m like in front of a football game where i see my team losing and not do anything against 😉 by laziness or because they are focused on another championship ;)…
When you look at the figures, there’s very little between the NX500 and A6000.
Given the NX500 uses a newer BSI sensor and the A6000 uses an older sensor, I don’t think that’s much to brag about.
Samsung is selling SO much of their stuff. And if Samsung had full frame cameras, you’d be hawking those as the greatest thing in the universe. Give it a rest. People ought to buy the camera that they want. One should celebrate the fact that there are so many choices out there.
It is good to see some competition in the sensor space. Too bad Samsung do not have any usable mirrorless body as of today….
Anyway this shows that Sony should add 14 bit uncompressed RAW into APS-C too i.e. A6000 and A77m2. This seems to be the only difference relative to the Nikon that has same score as the Samsung. We saw how A7rII sensor score got a boost with uncompressed 14 bit RAW….
NX500 has a BSI sensor from NX1.
There was a rumor though that Samsung closed all its camera production.
That turned out to be hoax. Anyway Samsung do not seem to be focused on cameras much. This makes sense as profits in photo business are dwindling or should I say collapsing or eve turning to huge losses as may be the case with Olympus, Canon and Nikon
Well, until I see the new Samsung camera, it’s quite possible. Noone buys those Samsungs.
What’s wrong with them? Do I have to buy a camera to find out?
the LA-E3 and LA-E4 are not working well on QX line? 😀
Sony brought out two new alpha mount lenses in May this year…
why would one assume Sony to be abandoning the alpha mount in the same year?
It’s for 2 decades that Canon sells cameras because of some special lenses that they have in their arsenal including 135mm f2 and 200mm f2.8. Sony 135mm f1.8 is much better than the Canon counterpart and 135mm STF is a unique lens without any peer in any mount. Minolta 200 f2.8 is way sharper than the Canon 200mm f2.8 and it is already at Sony’s hand. Ironically, Sony cannot benefit from these amazing lenses and went for a small size camera which cannot attract photographers for whom ergonomics is very important. I thought Sony is simply incapable of realizing the potential of the A mount but even Sony might get smart someday.
I guess im classed as a pro….70 weddings a year plus 20 video and multiple photo booth rentals….i started with minolta….i have lots of A mount glass….I just received my le-A4 adapter which I used on my A6000 and legacy A mount lenses and I’m very impressed. But here is the problem……Since 2005 my main camera system is Canon….if Sony make pro body with A-mount I can’t attach my canon lenses to it!!! I would rather they make a Pro E-mount ALPHA 9 and a better LE-A5 adaptor plus a better adaptor for canon glass. That’s my wish….but in reality if they don’t make it I don’t care because I make my living from using my existing Canon glass anyway.
Who from Sony said A9 was E-Mount???
Unless you’re shooting sports/press/reportage, Sony already answered your needs with A7RII.
I have to say the a7r2 is pretty fast in operation, if compared to the others a7 models, yet if you use an a7r2 for a while and then right after you pick up an a77 II, things just get faster. I’m not talking about frames per second.
IMO Sony either do a new a9x something with the a77 features and a wide AF sensor range, or they do a proper FF E mount body suitable for professional use.
Yes i could use the a7r2 for pro work, even the old one, but…. small batteries, no joystick, no weather seal and no top lcd, makes it long in the tooth.
No because of the lousy ergonomics and lack of direct control!
The AF is also inferior on several a-mount lenses compared to a99 or a900 etc.
You’ve already got your Canon adapted solution with plenty of EMount cameras. Mind if native AMount users get some decent tech improvements? Some of us didn’t abandon AMount for Canon. But Sony is more likely to reward Canon converts (like you) before acknowledging AMount loyalists.
This is an incredibly good point.
Both the Sony UK response that no more A-mount cameras are planed, and the Sony Australia comment that they will no longer sell A-mount…
Begin with thank you for your e-mail sorry for the delay.
In all3 cases involving 3 different Sony websites the Sony representitive had to check with higher ups to get authority and proper wording for thier responses.
This adds credibility that these responses are legitimate…
And that the RUMER that a new camera will be anounced is not.
Barry you continue with the speculation again.
“Sony representitive had to check with higher ups to get authority and proper wording for thier responses”
In the first Twitter case this “John” asked the question 4am on 15th Oct and was replied 8:18am, only 4 hours later. When did the Sony employee “check with higher ups to get authority and proper wording”? Maybe his “higher ups” get up at night specifically to check their emails and prepare the “proper wording”. Stop making things up and go to bed.
Isn’t it a bit strange that in two of these three cases is involved this “John” and his twitter account.
This is a RUMOR SITE evetything on this site is speculation.
Certianly the rumor that a new A-mount camera will be anounced is nothing but speculation.
If you do not want to read speculation than most assuredly you do not belong here.
P.S…..I most definitely reject your invitation to go to bed….!!!!
This does not mean that trolling and making up facts is allowed.
You conveniently avoided to comment how did Sony UK “check with higher ups to get authority and proper wording for their responses” between 4am and 8am on the 15th?
That’s 4 hours!
So someone woke up these high ranking people at 4am in the middle of the night, and then maybe some legal and marketing people, to sit down and prepare a reply for some random query in twitter that would, in most cases, just be ignored.
You obviously don’t know what you are talking about, not worked in a large company or your issue with Sony just blurs your thinking.
lol whats wrong man? Have some patience, quit freaking out about this.
Ever since the A7RII you seem to want A mount to be discontinued. I hope we get a few more bodies. I’m ok with the gradual transition but until a pro level FE body and 2.8’s is introduced it’s a no go. I might even be able to live with the AF as it stands. I really hope the hype is real this time- A99II.
I DO NOT WANT A-MOUNT TO BE DISCONTINUED.
I simply believe IT IS.
As if new cameras would be somewhat announced as responses to people who ask on social media? I don’t buy into it at all. Not saying it is discontinued or not though.
Today social media is increasingly recognized as an essential and important marketing tool.
Sony is certainly aware of that and gives gread importance to thier own Social media marketing.
Especially since they utilize so little other marketing.
This new A-mount camera leak would not be the first time Sony deliberately leaked false rumors, especially since they are not yet ready to publicly acknowledge the death of A-mount.
O am an A-mount user…but after tasting lens-mount freedom I am reluctant to return to being a lens-mount brissoner, especially because the long lenses I really want are not available in A-mount.
Then don’t. And avoid future A-Mount discussions on SAR too.
Sure, that goes as a general rule of thumb – but I still would NOT read too much into what answers people get on social media from a certain division of the company.
Real PRO Sony Body is needed – A-mount!
Sony where are you for PRO photographers?
Can I build my SONY PRO system finely?
Being worried about my gear-system future is not for me now – I need a clear statement about Pro line with Sony. If SONY make a-mount dead there will be tones of videos: switch back to Canon/Nikon…
Sony I want to believe! I’ve started with A99, I want to continue. A7 is OK but not for an extensive pro use (wedding, sports, photo journalism…)
All that doubt about Sony A-mount… maybe it is programed by Sony itself? People will doubt so much, nobody will get on new Sony a-mount… then Sony says: see, no one want it. So dead.
So crazy, I will lost my faith in Sony if A-mount discontinu. Switching will be hard, but I’ll survive(?)
BTW, I have bought recently the Art line of Sigma (for A mount). I am stil interested in Sony Zeiss lenses (primes, zooms). Need more weddings to save for those higher tag price lenses. But now I will wait to see what kind of body comes next from Sony for Pros.
The good thing with Sigma art line, is that I can change the mount of those without buying new lenses for Canon or Nikon. So yeah, I think i might survive.
this would make me very happy. But I am easy to please.
I don’t know. The only thing its damaging to is my patience. Keeps me from investing in E-mount seriously, keeps me from investing in A-mount seriously, all its making me to do is start investigating other systems.
In the best traditions of Sony, to keep their masochist customers glued, they will release A59. That would be a hoot. 🙂
Yes indeed. However this would mean the accountable Sony manager is also masochist.
Not one, but I think Sony would release two A-mount bodies at the same time.
A videoless camera would be more expensive (fewer sales thus higher per unit price to recoup investment)
No video? That means no SLT, EVF or live view LCD.
um it means nothing, there were two m43 cams and Sony R1 with EVF but no video.
What do you think is feeding the EVF/LCD? Magic and good intentions?
They can’t do this new AMount. Would be proof that the only reason EMount gets respect is because they slowly adopt AMount features we already had… Alpha name, menus, IBIS, AF/MF button, metal lens mount, vertical grip, larger grip… Sony wants to present the past as new innovations on EMount. Scoundrels!
A new AMount would just verify all the other stuff that EMount is still lacking… full LCD articulation, longer battery, three battery, full VG controls, better tethering performance, better AF performance, separate AEL/AF/MF buttons, no flashing EVF during manual exposure… A new AMount would put current EMount to shame. Sony wouldn’t dare.
I need a newer wife!
Do you have still a 1.1 or already a 2.0 model? If you have a 1.1 wife, you are probably not compatible with the new 2.1 wife, which, hopefully, comes out in november.
Wife 2.1 will be far more expensive than wife 1.1, and the learning curve will be much much steeper.
Dammit, my 1.0 wife already costs an arm and a leg. :/
mmmm, I heard ISIL is just for people like you xD
2 years ago there were rumors of Olympus finally releasing a new 4/3 body. In the end it materialized as the E-M1.
So let’s hope Sony releases the A9 or whatever the pro A7 is called in November!!!
No let’s not hope. The a7rII is already expensive enough especially here in Europe. 3760 € is insane for such a crippled camera.
It might be crippled in some ways, but as overall package it has no competition yet. There simply is no other camera on market which does EVERYTHING relatively well – high resolution stills, 4K video, high ISO performance. dynamic range.
The price might seem steep, but as the DSLR market shrinks (especially low end products), the prices of the competitors will go up too. If you expect D850/D900 or 5D4 to go under 4k$, you are living in a fantasy world.
P.S. I would certainly consider 6k$ A9 as my main camera, if it is all-round speed machine – better AF, higher frame rate, faster user interface, dual cards, even if it had ~24-30Mpix.
I have been a wedding/portrait photographer for around 20 years, started with Minolta film cameras and loved them, was very sad when they folded. Was hoping for big things from Sony when they bought minolta camera business but it was to slow and went to Canon. I have been using the a7ii along side my 5diii’s and I am realy loving the image quality, evf etc and would happily jump ship if Sony comes through with an a99 replacement, even if it were mirrorless.
Has to have dual card slots and better battery as well as great high iso. Don’t need super high megapixels though.
Cheers
James
http://www.artographyweddings.com.au
You know this would probably be not a wise business decision, right?
Anyone who switches to A-Mount today should be aware, that (new camera in november or not) the days of A-Mount are numbered.
The air gets thinner and thinner in the DSLR market, not because of mirrorless but other devices like phones. Camera makers have to focus more and more in the future.
If you want an A99ii (plus a bunch of lenses) for fun, no problem, however, as a business decision it’s foolish.
I can’t see why Sony can’t controll more markets, they have fantastic sensors, already control most of the phone market (sensors), doing very well with the A7’s BUT some professionals would like a little more (eg, dual card slots, better/larger battery, better ergonomics for larger hands and longer jobs..etc) If Sony wanted to they could essentially make the A99 the top of the line camera above the A7’s in that it would include all features + more as they have the space to make it happen… The A7’s are VERY tightly packed (rather amazing) but people can see the heat issues it can cause at times which really is not acceptable for a pro grade camera.
One of my comments above was in that Sony could essentially use the A77/A99 body/size but basicaly move the A7Rii into this body and ship the camera with a E-A mount adapter so it would basically be an A-Mount camera with the ability to remove the custom adapter (that could keep it looking like a traditional A-mount if it works and practicle..etc)… it also allows users to use E-Mount lenses if they like as well as custom adapters for any other lenses they like… Essentially an E-Mount camera in a more ‘pro’ body with the features many of use business users would like to see including myself. I don’t really care if Sony call it the A9 if they like it just needs to be a decent size, use the A-Mount battery, larger grip’s and MUST have dual card slots, I’ve had an SD card fail on me before in my A77 and it’s a nightmare! I always use our A99 with 2x SD’s mirroring the data and really need this feature before we can even think about moving over to A7’s..etc
I think not. Sony can’t controll more markets in photography, because that market (without phones) is shrinking. Thin air.
All what you want is available from CaNikon. I know, that was not what you meant. You meant, all that is needed by existing A-Mount customers. And that group is too small. Plain and simpe.
Of course, Sony could try to attack CaNikon again to get more marketshare. But as they already failed, it wouldn’t be wise. And secondly they have found a niche (A7..) that works.
But with the sucess of A7 and users switching over and also reporting the same issue, it would make sense to me to get some more “pro’ features which is what the ‘9’ series is suppose to offer… every one is complaining about better life and the fact is the camera is small not much Sony can to to make huge improvements short term I don’t think…
If Sony offers the same A7 camera but in a bigger body with support for CaNikon glass why would people not switch as Sony is giving people choice to use Sony A/E/Canon/Nikon..etc.. glass… it’s the users choice.. of cause Sony can take market share away..
Also Sony NEVER really tried to attack CaNikon (not locally any way!).. .they were never serious and if they ran half as good campaign and had half as good a story as they do and can do with the ‘9’ series I really don’t see why Sony can’t gain more market share (essentially putting their DSLR business on a path of growth).
Pro photographyers are still going to be needed, camera’s might cost more as less people do it but it’s not going to disappear, Sony need to capture the market, be smart about it as they have great products, very good idea’s (at times) and I belive could win over allot more people if they gave the channel confidence and good products… Not many has purchase A-Mount for some time as Sony has provided 0% confidence in the A-Mount system… what do they expect new customers without investment to move over? (come on, they can’t be that silly?)
A/E mount ‘9’ series camera Sony could clean up with more ‘pro’ features as I’ve mentioned a few times already so won’t repeat them but I’m sure you get what I’m trying to convey. I truly believe there is room for A7 and xxx’9′ (larger form factor/pro range)
“…success of A7 and users switching over…”
Most of these users are switching AWAY from a big clunky DSLR camera. I think A7 switchers are far from potential A-Mount customers.
I could be wrong, but I think the A-Mount ship is already sailed.
I hope you are wrong (for our sake as we have allot invested in A-Mount in our studio already and will not switch to E-Mount until a more ‘pro’ level model is released)..
We still have some hope for A-Mount and we also hope Sony does as well… 🙂
Yeah. One of the big reasons I ditched Pentax for Sony was the significant reduction in size.
The other being that Pentax was stagnant with little to no innovation, “just another player” in a very crowded market. Which is exactly what A-mount also is – a smalltime player in an extremely crowded market with two 800-pound gorillas.
How can Sony expect professionals to use a camera that does not offer dual card slots (if you taking images for customers you need to avoid risk or corruption as much as possible)… The camera’s also reportedly got overheating issues still (again a pro can’t just stand around whilst the camera cools down because it’s nice to have a little smaller), same goes for battery although a grip does ‘help’ but still no were near any other pro grade camera’s battery life… Don’t get me wrong I think the A7Rii looks like a fantastic camera but I don’t think it’s quite ‘ready’ for pro use in all cases just yet.. I’m sure it will be in a few revisions but it still has some major flaws for a more serious users that needs to rely on their equipment offering consistent and being as reliable as possible… just my 2 cents worth…
“How can Sony expect professionals to use a camera…”
I tell you what I think: They don’t.
Today, for one pro using a D810, Nikon sells 99 D810 to hobbyists and thousands of D3xxx to just regular people. These customers, especially the regular people, buy a way too big camera, which is total overkill for their needs. The only reason they do that, is the peace of mind that hey got a “real” camera, because that pro guy on TV had a big Nikon. The clueless clerk at Walmart uses the same argument.
Sony tried to compete in that market and failed. Their lack of success in the pro market is one of the big reasons for this. Now they could try it again with an even better A99ii, right? They could try harder, to convince the pros, who are so important for convincing mom and dad to purchase a waaaay to big camera.
But Sony don’t have to do that anymore, because they found another market. The mirrorless market. This market grew without the pro part. People buying mirrorless for other reasons than imitating pros. They buy it for the specs, or the practical reasons. The three wildlife hobbyists, who really need a big camera, don’t count.
That’s the key: they found a market that doesn’t need the pro segment. Fighting the two gorillas in the DSLR market is no longer necessary.
I agree with your comment about the a7rii in an a99 size body and exactly how you described, but even better auto focusing module.
With regards to ‘my name is condor’s’ comment, the cameras are a tool for us and they pay for themselves in a short time, i guess if it is the right tool I am willing to take the risk.
Cheers
James
http://www.artographyweddings.com.au
Hope its not another false alarm!
“A7 is OK but not for an extensive pro use (wedding, sports, photo journalism…)”
Why do you think this is so? I’m a full time pro doing exactly those things and used the A99 for a few years. I loved them, but the A7 series is every bit the equal in most areas.
Certainly, you do need to modify your way of working to allow for the weaker areas, but the advantages on so many other fronts is impossible to ignore and I still find it very strange that many people have this idea that only a big bulky camera is good for pro work.
With my recent experience, I’d have swapped both my A99 for just one of the A7S I use.
The A99 is fantastic and itself often underrated by many working pros, but I will bet here and now that within the next decade there won’t be a single big DSLR to be seen in the hands of pros and everyone will wonder why they put up with them for so long.
The advantages of the a7x mount is only because it’s newer than a99. The a99 has much better ergonomics with more direct buttons and therefore faster and more intuitive to use. Put the a7rII sensor and tech inside an a99 body and you will get a much better camera.
If you need more direct buttons than A7rII has, you are doing something wrong. Between custom buttons and Fn menu, theres plenty of space to adjust every setting you would realistically need.
I do prefer the full time joystick AF point selection on A-mount bodies. I wish they added a firmware option to enable such mode. You can almost customize it yourself by assigning Focus Settings to Left/Down/Right/Center buttons, but you cannot change what Up (Disp) does 🙁
To Amount shooters, Emount is a synonym for Compromise.
I am now using both, but I find that, despite being a Compromise, I prefer to shoot with A7rII rather than A99 or A850.
For your line of work it may be completely acceptable, and for certain types of shooting I am sure I would prefer it too. Just not for 75% of what I do unfortunately. They are great cameras.
Yes, for scenarios where AF speed, burst rate and long telephotos is king, like sports or wildlife, I would not be satisfied with current E-mount cameras. But for those, to be honest, I would not consider A-mount either.
and the scenarios I described in my reply to Pete- requiring longer battery life, dual card slots, native F/2.8 zooms, native larger aperture primes, external lighting setups, extended vertical-grip studio shooting, pc sync port for certain lighting systems, better more durable build quality, etc., e-mount leaves a lot to be desired. It’s not just sports/wildlife shooters where I also agree that Sony isn’t the right choice period.
Agree Frankie, I hope Sony do keep the A-Mount alive or even a hybrid system of A-Mount style with mirror-less I would have no trouble with as it does ‘seem’ from reports that focus seems are allot better now (although I have not tested it myself so can’t say for sure)… Hope Sony still see the value and appreciation of the A-Mount system..
The argument about newer being better because it is newer is not really a valid defence. Indeed, it supports my opinion that the A7 series is superior.
I do understand there are some who prefer the ergonomics of the A99 (although there are many who would agree that the joystick takes a little getting used to itself; the A900 version was better!). However, when it comes to the areas you highlighted I don’t think any of that is a consideration.
Once the action begins, so to speak, you better have your camera ready or you’ll miss vital moments. All you really need to change on the fly is aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation. They are all immdiately to hand. Even if you include ISO and WB there is nothing wrong with the A7 to prevent very quick changes.
I was primarily answering your criticism that the A7 was not of ‘pro’ calibre and I think too many get hung up on menus and all the trappings. The bottom line is will the camera get the shots you need and will it do that reliably. For the A7, the answer is very much, ‘Yes, it will!’.
We run a photography business and am in the same boat as Miki, we don’t find the A7 to be quite ‘ready’ for pro use (or so we believe any way)… One of the large issues we see is the lack of dual memory slots. earlier on we have lost images due to a corrupt card in an earlier A77 camera we use to use and we always ensure we have redundant storage in all points of our workflow to avoid this criticle issue.
I would have though shooting weddings this also would have been a very strong needed point for your work as you can’t really get back those images if you have a card error/corruption?
Battery life is another, although I agree a grip can help out it’s just bulking up the camera and why not just release a a99ii which many are already heavily invested in lenses, batteries..etc..
Lens selection is another point, there is not much good ‘native’ lenses for the A7x series we found, there are very few F2.8 lenses and just about no F2.8 zooms, not even the common range such as 24-70 or 70-300 which is highly used at many events we shoot. Sure some say you can buy ‘other’ mount lenses and use an adapter but then we found you run into ‘limitations’ weather it be focus speed, compatibility..etc..etc..
We also really like the screen on the A99, it’s fantastic and often gets used a few times a shoot in though spots were the basic articulation of the A7’s is just not great, sure this is not a pro feature but it’s something that is really great to work with and Sony reported they did not want to make the camera any bigger ?
My argument is so many are heavily invested, many like and prefer the more comfortable body size, you have a better lens selection, screen, no heat issues, no battery issues, more space for even tech to be included..etc… I can’t see why a little smaller size matters more to so many especially when you still need to attach massive lenses and verticle grips to make it work better.
Again this is just my 2 cents, we do like and belive we will eventually move over to an Ax just not sure when as they are a great camera but I’m just not convinced it will work and had good reliability a pro camera should offer (eg, a camera that overheats is just ridiculous and how Sony can release it is crazy, make it a little bigger to dissipate heat so it’s reliable out in the field is much more important to me than making it small and unreliable..etc..)
As I mentioned to Frankie, I accept much of what you say. Certainly the articulated screen is so much better!
However, the redundancy issue I think is over stressed these days. It is very important, but was always a danger until the film was developed and insurance is there to cover the worst case scenario. After all, someone could steal all your gear, even if you had a dozen copies!
I have absolutely no argument with anyone who prefers the A99 and would love to see an update. For me, though, that time of heavy gear has passed and I have no doubts the A7 series is a perfectly good pro level camera.
Peter,
I use 2 A99s and A850 and also an A7 for my work (destination weddings, commercial, architecture, fashion, food, etc).
I don’t know your setup and shooting style. When I cover large events I have multiple strobes, 4-8 set up throughout the property on different channels to cover different areas as required. This means my typical camera setup is one with a flashgun, sometimes a separate transceiver additionally attached (if I am using monolights for example), with an F/2.8 zoom or large aperture prime. I am shooting for lengthy periods so the 3 batteries of the A99 is handy.
I tried using an A7 with this setup and it was so painful. I even purchased a bracket to help make it more comfortable, but that in itself illustrates a problem that I shouldn’t have to deal with- these cameras are not optimized for lengthy event shooting with external lighting. Focus with the LA-EA4 adaptor in dim light is really terrible, especially tracking, especially compared to the A99.
Having no dual card redundancy when covering important events is a serious no- you are happy without this until you have a card fail, then you realize… what an important feature this is for paying work
The A7 series cameras are definitely not the tanklike build of the A99. People run into you. Things happen. That adaptor is just one more weak joint that really puts stress on both sides of the mount should you ever run into anything. Drunk people are unpredictable. Jewish orthodox weddings are madness. I never had to worry with the a99, but basically cradled the A7
The tiny grip is not ergonomic at all compared to A99, especially the vertical grip- this plays in both wedding AND studio shooting where I am shooting vertical almost 90% of the time. The A7 series also doesn’t have pc-sync ports so you have to go through (drumroll) another adaptor to connect to certain lighting systems or creative solutions when trying to rig both a transceiver and strobe simultaneously (hint, it’s a massive btch)
A7 can work fine for people who shoot mostly natural light, shorter engagements, not as difficult circumstances or environments, but personally I Prefer that my equipment can handle any situation, and do it well without unreasonable compromise.
http://www.frankwithersphoto.com
http://www.myparadisephoto.com
I wouldn’t argue with most of your points, especially regarding lighting rigs, and I don’t think the A7 works well at all with the adapters.
However, if you commit to the A7 system and adjust your way of working to take into account the limitiations, they are fantastic.
I see the smallness as a positive when working in crowds; trying to hawk two large A99s with a 24-70 and a 70-200 plus flashes through crowded halls is the thing of nightmares! Add to that the effect on shoulders and back when you can be standing 12 hours straight it becomes something you can’t ignore.
I actually like the smaller body, even though I have reasonably large hands. The only thing I miss is using the swivel on the flash for vertical (the big Sony flash is a very poor balance on the small body). However, I tend to use natural light mostly, so the little Nissin flash works perfectly.
As to the idea of redundancy, I do accept it to a point, but it’s funny how it seems to be a bigger issue now than when film was around. I don’t remember too many worries about not having double rolls of film! Of course, I realise it’s not quite the same thing, but I had a lab ruin everything for me once before, so you can never be immune; you just take sensible steps.
What’s with the negativity people. If people are happy about a possibility of getting a new A-mount camera, let them be. If they get one and then A-mount dies who cares, people will move on. I myself personally will stick with A-mount as long as possible and then move on to E-mount with adapters, if that day comes. Even if Sony releases A-mount camera i am good for another 3-4 years before i need to make a transition. So if you have moved on or don’t like A-mount, all you intelligent people stay away and let us A-mount lovers be the happy fools.
Trying to get everything sorted out, The rumor say a new A-Mount camera in November. Sony has ownership in Zeiss. So if there was A-Mount coming. So why did not Zeiss make Otus, and Milvus lenses fit the A-Mount system.
It is very easy to deliberately convince SAR of false information.
Establish a new fictitious identity
Feed SAR true but unimportant information
Since you arenot a “credible” source you can now feed SAR the false rumor you want to spread with a high…sr4….credibility rating.
Sony has done this before, and with everyone convinced A mount is dead has good motive to do it again now.
I will only believe this rumor when and if I see a new A mount camera
because it’s too good to be true, right?
Bla. Bla. Bla. I think you are what we can call pessimistic regarding a-mount future. The same you say can be true of any e-mount rumor. Fact is this is a rumor site and every thing has to be taken with a grain of salt.
In the mean while my a900 is well and alive and Sony is still producing and developing a-mount like they have said a dusin of times. When the new a99xx, a77xx or a58xx will come only Sony knows.
This is completely the same story from when the a700 didn’t get an update after it was discontinued or like the a900 users had to wait 4 years for the a99.
We also had to wait what seemed like an eternity for the a100 when Sony took over from KonicaMinolta, and it was a big dissapointment for all the D7D users which had to wait many years for the a700. Many at that time feared the a-mount was dead.
So in short I am sick and tired of all you self proclaimed a-mount is dead prophets!!!
poor barry, i pity you for how bad you must live
Sony don’t own Zeiss. But they have business agreements regarding the Zeiss A-mount lenses produced. Apparently including not making Otus and Milvus for A-mount as they would compete with the Sony Zeiss lenses. Besides A-mount may be a too small market to make such production profitable.
Sony has no ownership in Zeiss. Where did you hear that?
Zeiss never made A-Mount lenses. The market is too small. So, it doesn’t say much about the A-Mount future.
“The Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung (Carl Zeiss Foundation), located in Heidenheim an der Brenz and Jena, Germany, is the sole shareholder of the two companies Carl Zeiss AG and Schott AG.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung
Would be great if it’s true. I had the chance to see the new Tamron 35 and 45 F/1.8 through FlickR with a 5DMKIII, that was just insane : superb quality.
It will be doing justice to it if It could be mounted on a better camera than the A99.
despite the fact that I now own a a7s, a7rII and a5000 and no A mount body any more I would love to see that A-mount continues. Wouldn’t mind coming back when upgrading the a7rII in a few years since I sitll have plenty of A-mount lenses adapted to E-mount.
So, Sony… go on and long live the A-mount!!!
Woo Hoo, good stuff… Hope Sony are going to make this really good with even better AF… Eg, make it mirror-less but ships with a custom converter from E-Mount to A-Mount as standard, look/feel of an A-Mount when the adapter is in place BUT ability to also remove the converter and mount E Lenses as well!… This was we get access to ALL Sony lens’s as well as huge benefits of much better batteries, dual card slots, no overheating issues, room for GPS to be put back in + all the great features of the A77R2…etc..+ any new additions as well… Fingers crossed Sony has done a good job!
I would buy that camera for sure! 🙂 I would be very happy that I could continue to use my existing Sony, Minolta and Tamron A-Mount lenses and would be able to purchase good E-Mount lenses too. Surely such a camera will be a winner with existing A-Mount customers. I personally have been holding off buying a new Sony replacement camera for my very-good A580 for some time. Perhaps my Christmas might be quite exciting this year? 🙂
I guess it can be done but then you had to remove the slt mirror and only use ospdaf. It would be some sort of build in a-mount adaptor that can be removed. I would guess it will become to expensive and with great risks of misalignment.
So in my opinion it’s not possible seen from the economic side and involving a great deal of mechanical challenges.
It’s already kind of possible with LEA3/4 adapters depending on what features you need, I’m sure sony could improve on this and make it even better… I don’t think it would be too hard as it’s essentially a spacer and nothing to complex/hard that I can see based on the existing gear for A7’s..etc.
FF A-E hybrid is on the horizon ;)…
An FF A-E hybrid is already available.
No adapter. Zeiss can.
Really? Could you share it with us? No adapters please
Without an adapter? How? OK, huge mirrorless body with a moving sensor, right? Fine, but how do you build a mount that accepts A and E mount (without adapters of course)? Morphing liquid metal, like the T-1000?
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–8rRgbaJA–/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_358,q_80,w_636/18tcudge1xv1jjpg.jpg
That’s why there’re no hybrids, only adapters 🙂
Exactly. A7Rii+LAEA3 is as much hybrid as technically possible. I did not expect the OP would be that stupid to ask for a real hybrid without adapters, which is impossible.
Maybe Tom Cruise could team up with James Cameron and combine some M:I tricks with T-1000 tech.
It is not huge and it has been constructed :). In fact, a good idea to do it shifting from the A-mount end, not vice versa, thus giving loyal pro users the same comfort A7 users have, both with A-telephotos (135, 300, 500) and E-Batis. No more APS-C A-lenses. Several upgrades of the A – yeah, it already takes… Pls don’t ask more.
Funny thing is, the most impressive A-Mount lens (in my eyes) is the DT 16–50 mm F2.8 SSM for APS-C. Good IQ, not too big, very good design and, most importantly, affordable. This lens is/was a k*ller selling argument for switching to A-Mount.
Do agree!
About terminators, what I can add is that 300 f2.8, 135-1.8, 500-4 is indeed impossible without A-like design and gives it a chance. putting E-users in a separate domain. Yet we stepped in the times when the word “impossible” looks more and more bizarre. Just enjoy dreaming!
Sounds nice but the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 is my all time favorite (it’s the best and fastest zoom lens available for APS-C a-mount)
Agreed, the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 has blown away everything existing. However, the Sony lens is more compact (significantly shorter).
“… it has been constructed…” What, the liquid metal mount?
By “huge” I meant significantly bigger than a A99.
I sometimes wonder what people are thinking when they say a hybrid A-E mount “without adapters”. Then I remember… some people are morons. 😉
I think I read a rumor about it like 2 years ago.
No word since then…
I have come to reap the souls off the remaining A-mount cameras
I thought you are only interested in real artists and real pros?
And that’s part of the reason the future may indeed be mirrorless. But there is still a market that prefers OVF and there are still advantages of OVF (better for action, better for battery life). Sony offers excellent EVF cameras. They ignore the existing OVF market. And SLT doesn’t appeal massively to either of those markets. For those who want mirrorless, SLT won’t do. For those who want OVF, SLT won’t do. For those who want mirrorless in a larger body — there is no need for SLT, just build a larger mirrorless.
No… It would still be 1/3rd stop below non-SLT BSI. So use the a7rii sensor, and it will lose 1/3rd of a stop compared to the a7rii.
Look at the a99– ISO performance is great compared to early dslrs. But is poor compared to the newest. SLT will always be behind in ISO.
I think the main problem is that all the people expect from Sony to bring out new a-mount cameras in the same frequence as they did with the A7 series.
But Sony had to bring out all those cameras in order to get as fast as much market share in the full frame e-mount market as possible.
Anyway I think that there are a lot of A7 owners who were not that happy that their expensive camera was replaced that fast by a much better sucessor.
So it’s not too bad if a camera does not get updated each year (especially if they have those high price tags)
agreed. Honestly maybe my eyes are not as great as the “Pros” but my pictures with a99, proper light, 135mm 1.4 zeiss and 50 1.4 zeiss are pretty amazing. I have been printing anything from 5×7 – 30×40 and i have been blown away. I feel that people just want the camera to do all the work for them and not worry about light and composition.
I agree. I still use my a900 and have made 120 x 80 cm (approx 32 x 47 in) prints. Thats actually quite good.
But a new a-mount with a99 body and features and the 42 MP sensor with great DR and low noise floor would be amazing.
I just did a project where the client made 48in x 72in prints. I shot it with the 24mpx a99. The prints were amazingly clean. I’m not for any more than 24mpx. Actually, 24mpx with no AA filter would be great. Working with 300+ wedding images, file size starts to weigh on the the workflow. I’ve considered moving to Fuji x, which is 16mpx with no AA filter. We’ll see what Sony actually produces. But if A-mount is dead, I have some decisions to make.
I agree that perhaps people are expecting too frequent of an update based on the E-mount update frequency, but on the other hand, when you look at the advances in E-mount, you have to wonder why Sony would want to keep A-mount going. The performance is nearly the same now, and the future growth market is definitely in E-mount (you don’t seen Canikon folk dumping their gear in droves for A-mount), so why keep dragging on the A-mount? When you look at it from Sony’s point of view, it makes perfect sense to ditch that line.
I see it more like: sony brings e-mount cameras very frequent and let’s the beta testers pay.
And fact is: the A7RII has by far the best autofocus from the whole A7 series; but even this camera is not working accurately in continous shooting mode when the light is bad (even with native e-mount lenses).
My current A77II has a fast and reliable autofocus (even in dim light) and is able to focus even when shooting series with 12fps; therefore I expect from a camera that costs tripple the price of my A77II a similar (or even better) performance.
That’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, though, as the A77II performs way better than the A99 in AF, too. A more apt comparison would be against the A6000, and those two are very close in performance. So then the question is, does the A7rII fare better than the A99? I haven’t shot with the A7rII yet, but from everything I’ve read, it does.
I also own the A65 which has a similar autofocus module as the A99 and even the older A65 has no problems to quickly autofocus in bad light situations (even it does not have all those new autofocus modes that the A77II has)
The SLT autofocus from a-mount uses a different technology than the one from e-mount:
– e-mount applies the selected aperture already during autofocus before shooting
– a-mount fully opens the aperture during autofocus and applies selected aperture only during the shot (therefore the autofocus module always has the maximum light to autofocus)
So having maximum light for the autofocus is an advantage in dim light situations (but that technology is not that good when video is required)
I also own the A65 which has a similar autofocus module as the A99 (but less cross sensors) but also works very reliable and fast in dim light situations.
That’s fair, I suppose, but is there any reason they couldn’t just put that functionality in E-mount? I don’t know why they haven’t yet, but I don’t think there’s any technical limitation preventing that.
The answer is simple:
– if the camera is optimized for video like the A7 series then you have to do it like that.
– For a camera optimized for still photography that is a disadvantage.
By the way: there is a very good video from Gary Friedman which perfectly explains this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlBWL_UVUS8
Ah, I see. So the problem is that they’re optimizing for video over stills…
As lightweight camera I use the RX100II with an additional electronic viewfinder (most compact with good image quality).
The A7RII body itself is quite compact and not to heavy but only as long as you use it with compact prime lenses (but even there are some the high end lenses like the Zeiss 35mm F1.4 which are no longer lightweight nor compact).
If you use it with a F2.8 zoom lens with an LAEA-3 adapter it’s also no longer that compact (and it’s an illusion that a upcoming e-mount F2.8 zoom lens would be smaller than the a-mount version) and the weight of the camera body is – in relation to the weight of the lens and the adapter – almost the same as an a-mount fullframe body like the A99.
i am remember my drybox still have a tammy SP90 and 42AM flash 😀
The only thing that remains is whether this camera will be an expensive full frame A-mount intended for professionals & people that have money to burn or if it’s a revamp of their lower end APS-C camera for the regular consumer, hobbyist, & prosumer. Hmmmm………..
I think with the excellent A77II (which is only 1.5 years old) it does not make sense to bring another APS-C camera in this segment.
I expect a high end full frame camera which will be priced around 4K Euro to compete with the Nikon D810 and the Canon 5Dsr.
That would also be aligned with the strategy to concentrate on high-end and expensive cameras as they already did with the A7RII and A7SII.
Sony has said time and time again A-mount will now be for Professional only. So it will most certainly be an expensive flagship FF 9-series to replace the A99.
Unfortunately, this will be the last a mount camera they bring out unless it completely blows peoples minds and sells out instantly.. (which I hope, but doubt!). So if this A99II? does get released, I will buy a couple and start to prepare myself to move over to E Mount… hopefully by then it will be the A9 and it will sick!
I tend to agree. I expect this to be an iteration/slight upgrade of the A99, something to just keep the line (customers) going a bit longer. I’m not even sure yet if I’ll buy it (if it actually comes), as it just seems like buying into a dying system at this point. Now, if they release some marvel that blows everyone away, on the other hand; something that shows a real commitment to the line; then maybe I’ll plunk down for a new A-mount.
Full frame A77III please 🙂
You mean a A99ii with an A77ii price tag?
No, we want a performance full frame!
Full frame sensor and size and ergonomics of A77 – nice!
Yeah those that keep asking for larger bodies I think the problem is with their own body size 😉
Im not too sure why they need 2 mounts. I wonder if therr would be a converter for mount. If its amazing if its amazing it might entice me 🙂
Amazing news. I have said it earlier also and will keep on saying “LONG LIVE A-MOUNT”. 🙂
It is not clear from the post that would it be APS-C or FULL FRAME. I would expect A99II.