According to one trusted and long time SAR source Sony will launch a new A7 camera. It’s actually an ILCE-7 which means it comes with E-mount. I hope other sources can soon confirm the rumor so that I can upgrade it to SR5. But that source never was wrong in the past so it’s pretty save to say that the ILCE-7 or A7 will be announced soon, maybe along the NEX-FF in late September (or early October). So this should be the final name (and not “A7000”) as rumored before. I still have to SR5 check if that camera has the moving sensor plate. Hope sources can give me full feedback on that part too.
Meantime: A new source told me that there will be an A-mount version of that camera in January. It will be named “A79”. This is a new source and I rank it SR3 only. But we chatted a lot lately and let’s hope he is right 🙂 The A79 specs he gave to me will be the same for the A7 (ILCE-7) and A79 (I have already posted these specs a month ago).
– 32mpix exmor hd chip (new generation)
– 4 gb buffer
– full mirrorless focus, 480 focus points
– evf 4mpix
– 8-14 fps/sec
– Magnesium body
– There will be a new vertical grip too (compatible also with current SLT cameras).
– I have been told that also the look changed a tiny bit and it somehow reminds of the old [shoplink 19759 ebay]Minolta 700si (you can find them here on eBay)[/shoplink].-
The best would be to have ILCE-7 and A79 announced the same day. Otherwise I see the A-mount community protesting!
Anyway, if all these rumors are correct it’s clear how Sony’s strategy is to offer two versions of the same cameras in future. Always an E and an A-mount from any DSLR shaped camera to come!
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Reminder (SR = Sonyrumor):
SR1=probably fake rumor
SR2=rumor from unknown sources
SR3=50% chance it is correct
SR4=rumor from known sources
SR5=almost certainly correct!
310 Responses
If they put IBIS there would be zero need for an A79. None. Zip. Nada.
nonsense…
Give me one REAL reason other than ‘oh like I’m so pro and E-Mount isn’t pro like’.
Owning a lot of a-mount lenses?
Needing higher AF performance more than being able to shot where sun doesn’t shine?
… for starters …
Your statement is like saying that Canons installed user base have no value form them…
if sensor plate is shift to focus than a cheap $10 adapter can let you AF on A-mount lenses
@Pb
It only works well on old lenses with no floating element. And the ability to change aperture might be nice too.
actually im hoping with the new OSPDAF sony can just make a simple adapter with just contacts to go from E-mount to A-mount with A-mount protocol being sent out in body from the camera so that you can use A-mount lenses, would prefer that solution anyway but i dont care, i dont have any A-mount lenses 😛
A-Mount works on E-Mount – this is a stupid excuse that I hear over and over. I have A-Mount lenses too and exactly zero E-Mount, still prefer Sony to switch to all E-Mount. E-Mount has more lens options (including all A-Mount plus E-Mount lenses, so again, if E-Mount cameras start appearing with IBIS what is the advantage of A-Mount again?
… well, if you don’t see or appreciate the difference, you should buy the cheaper one.
It is really quite simple.
I enjoy having 12 fps shooting mode for fast action, and an AF system that (alomst) keeps up with the frame rate.
When an E-mount can actually deliver 12 fps on, for instance, an approaching runner/biker/car with focus priority instead of shutter priority, I’ll be the first to applaud that achievement.
But YMMV.
Well first thing that comes to mind.. assuming that the E mount is full frame for a moment. On a lens to lens conversion, the larger A mount allows for better optics eg the light photons traveling to the sensor from the rear element are able to travel straighter at the sensor rather than at an angle giving better light reception at each pixel and so better quality. Other reasons include less physical strain on large telephoto lenses….a larger mount gives lens designers more options for lens element design and placement. The availability of Pro 3rd party lenses………Now if the E mount is not full frame. Then I won’t even bother discussing the advantages as I am sure you know them already…. If Sony think the Pro market will accept a small mount they will be mistaken…..I am sure they are smarter than that though…
A-Mount lenses mount and project light exactly the same as they do on A-Mount cameras.
As for force on the mount, if anything there will be LESS force on any given mount because the force will be transferred and spread over both mounting points rather than just one.
Additionally larger lenses are equipped with tripod mounts / collars when the lens is considered to be heavier or less balanced. With these lenses you either mount the lens to the tripod or you support the lens with your other hand. No difference then.
Moving on.
An adapter is merely introducing another point of failure to the system.
Ask most people using the Sony adapter for the older Minolta mount flashes. Its not a very nice solution but Sony forced that decision down the throat of everyone.
The result is zero 3rd party support and no one seems even half interested in making any sort of accessory to support the new flash mount.
The current adapter is not only pretty expensive its also pretty bulky.
I already know one person who damaged the adapter since he uses pretty heavy lenses on his NEX and I for one would never accept such a solution unless Sony develops a non electronic adapter somehow.
AF motor in the body.
AF motor in the mount! Next.
There is no E-mount body with an AF motor. There will never be a need for one as E-mount lenses don’t have a AF screw.
I want an in-body AF motor, not an adapter, so you FAIL.
Ugh! I honestly couldn’t give a toss what you want. Functionally they are identical and the benefits outweigh the minor cons. In fact at least with AF motor in adapter if the motor dies, just replace the adapter…
Lenses, accessories, a real system.
Accessories have absolutely zero to do with lens mount. Lenses are completely compatible. All I hear is whining about something that you have made up in your mind:
E-Mount – Consumers
A-Mount – Pros
Garbage!
Since all of the alpha and rx cameras released from end of 2012 onward that have a hotshoe now have the same multiport shoe – all hotshoe accessories are / should be universal. Despite the pain of moving to a new shoe for those with legacy gear, this is great in the mid to long term. The more cameras that feature the multiport shoe the more attractive it will be to accessory makers. I just hope that Sony isn’t somehow presenting or withholding technical data from companies like pocket wizard or locking it down.
Body accessories should also be universal between ILC and a bodies since the bodies are being shared.
Like the accessories that are designed for both systems via the MIS hotshoe, e.g. F20M, F43M and F60M flashes?
All e-mount cameras take A and E lenses. All A-mount camera take just A-mount lenses.
Which one was the real system again? Whatever you mean by “real”.
One very REAL reason is the lack of pro quality glass available on the e-mount. There are only a couple of lenses that produce images of a quality that are acceptable to both commercial and editorial agencies. That was enough to make me switch to Fuji for my light weight option. They have superb quality optics.
Sony A mount does provide a lot of options for Pro photographers that need their images to be sharp / clear at 100%. Before anyone says this will only bother pixel peepers, when you make a living from photography you have to inspect your work closely and make sure it is perfect at 100%. The client won’t accept “Well it looks ok when it’s smaller”. Sony need to move away from the habit of producing consumer quality lenses for the e-mount systems otherwise, that’s exactly who will buy them. The pros will stick to A-Mount or other brands until they change their approach.
Let’s test that, and see if Sony updates the Amount 70-200mm G2 optically. Or a newly design E mount 70-200mm can take over with new optical superiority.
And every one of those A-Mount lenses, without exception can be used on E-Mount.
Pointless.
I need the A-mount bcus I have BIG hands!!!!!! 😀
Ludicrous arguement! You are all talking about NEX cameras vs A-Mount SLRs/SLTs. This has zero to do with the mount. The ergonomics of a camera have nothing, at all, to do with a mount.
All those saying ‘well E-Mount doesn’t have pro lenses’ well E-Mount is A-Mount numpties. For the last time, do you get it?!
Talking about AF – Well lets see there are two options:
1. The AF system is in the mount adapter like it is already
2. The AF system is on the sensor which it is going to be regardless of what stupid mount there is on the front of thigh camera.
In option 2 all you are rallying behind is having a pointless void between sensor mount and sensor. This void should be able to be added and removed as needed, not there all the time. There is zero point to having this void of nothingness other than to ‘space out’ legacy lenses to the correct flange distance.
So again I say ‘why do you need an A-Mount camera’?
Before you answer remember that:
Mount has zero to do with IBIS
Mount has nothing to do with focus tracking / fast AF
Mount has nothing to do with ergonomics
Mount has nothing to do with lens abailabilty other than that E-Mount has more lens options
Mount has nothing to do with ‘pro’ or not
As long as the E-mount is strong enough for large A-mount telephoto lenses plus an adapter, the body ( with an OSPDAF FF sensor ) is metal-alloy built and water-sealed, sized to allow a comfortable grip when with one of those lenses… I won’t have a problem!
*Like*
The source is obviously not a marketing guy, and information is likely wrong.
The E-mount will likely be called the A-7000. It will probably be an upgraded/improved A-3000.
I believe that the A7 is the replacement for the A77. When Sony went from the A700 to A77 they dropped the last digit (probably because of the change from DSLR to SLT). I believe when Sony replaces the A77 they will once again drop the last digit as they adopt mirror-less technology for the A-Mount.
Sony isn’t stupid and its doubtful that they’d drop the A-Mount for the semi-pro market. Semi-Pro/A77 adopters typically spend thousands of dollars on lenses each year. If they attempt to marginalize the semi-pro APS-C users they will likely lose current customers.
If they do ebay will likely be flooded with A-Mount lenses this Christmas.
Serioulsy no IBIS on ILCE-7000?
IBIS?
Working on that specs to. So don’t be worried yet 🙂
Interisting! Is it full frame? 32MP on APS-C seems a bit overdone, isn’t it? And by the way, I am confused with all these new models from DSLR – to Nex – shape, FF or APS-C, where we will find X-axis movement and IBIS and so forth… I hope Sony will concentrate on a good product with variations and not waste it’s resources to a bunch of halfready products going in all kind of directions. Thanks!
If 20 Megapixels (as in the A3000) is to be the standard for future NEX 3s, 5s and 6s, then the top of the range needs to have 50% more pixels than them, as before. (Current NEX models are 16, 16, 16 and 24 Megapixels.)
A 32 Megapixel NEX-7 would be an attractive upgrade for owners of NEX 5N etc. Especially for use with a Speed Booster.
Pixel density is not a problem – the problem, if any, is the speed of data processing.
Megapixels? I don’t care much about them. 16MP is really more than enough for most use cases. I would even buy a 10 or 12MP camera, if it would provide better performance in low light or if it would have a sensor that solves rolling shutter problems.
cheap Sigma 60/2.8 is quite on par with 32 mp
As you did not soecify otherwise, I guess the rumour means APSc sensor? 32MP on crop sensor? Many lenses will not be up to the task, IMO. Diffraction will kick in at f4…
I’d rather take this in an FF version.
Yes APS-C.
+1. I will never get APS-C >=24Mpx again. Sensor may be actualy OK but what about lenses? Only few very expensive ones are good enought. Either give me medium priced HQ APS-C lenses optimized for it or give me lower spec FF body instead.
Whats the problem with having a sensor that gives you maximum of your lenses performance? Weird reasoning …
Also, wouldn’t that mean that there is no need for AA filter?
+1
It’s also great to have the resloution when shooting subjects at great distances… superb for our 70-400mm + crop
If you believe FF zooms can resolve >=24Mpx APS-C then you are happy man.
True, I have the Tamron 17-50/2.8, which reviews rate as good/great lens, but it has troubles on the a-77.
OTOH, the good ol’ 100/2.0 …! that gem could easily handle more that 24 MP!
Having said that , there is no technical issues in delivering lenses that outresolve 24 MP,
its a at most finance & budget discussion for the lens development project.
Maybe it can offer some kind of pixel binning in raw. Eg 32mp sensor also capable of 16 or 8 mp for those that don’t need 32mp. It could have benefits for burst shooting as well as allowing more options for anyone who owns the camera.
Even a cropped raw mode could still give decent resolution pics. Nikon make a big thing about their DX 1.3 crop/zoom mode…
Well, because it does not deliver advertized resolution most of the time. After this experience I would prefer entry level FF as my next camera while keeping APS-C for occasions I do not want to carry bulky lenses.
What’s the point of having a sensor that gives you unsharp images with nearly every lens (With E-mount actually it will be: every lens minus one).
Sky_walker proving once again that he has never used an E-mount camera.
The sensor should be better than your best lens at its diffraction limit. Remember this is a Bayer sensor – we are talking about 32 million dots rather than true pixels. It will not be able to match the definition of the best lenses.
Unless E-mount gets IBIS… How are they thinking with with SEL 70-400? Having that lens, with OSS… on a NEX?! must be out of their minds…
there´s already enough E-mounts APSCs.
no need for that A7…
@ Sony: give us FF E-mount bodies please !
APS-C with 32MP ? Come on…it seems way overboard to me. Sony has the technology to add megapixels, but this doesn’t mean they have to add useless megapixels to any sensor.
It may be that some millions of those megapixels are phase detection pixels (which I strongly believe). This would somewhat justify this pixel density.
If they are aiming these cameras at the Pro market then yes they need a larger megapixel camera. This give a lot more ability for the image to be used with different crops for different media without compromising image quality. So yes they do need a 30+ mega pixel camera…
Then they should make 100MP sensors, if Nokia can do 41MP on 1/1.5″ sensors then the technology surely can be used to achieve 100MP on APS-C.
But by doing this, they would ruin the image quality, especially in low light but not only. Also, today’s lenses have no ability to resolve such resolution, so basically you get very large, redundant files with no real use.
I think this kind of resolution is just purely a marketing gimmick (for now). Unless they do something with half the pixels being used for phase detection, like Canon.
Yes thats correct. The general rule is less low light performance as the megapixel number increases. As with everything in life it is a balance. But they do need a larger megapixel option for the pro market. 30+ MP seems about right at the moment after using the Nikon D800 with a similar sensor.
All your arguments have already been debunked by reality.
Low light performance doesn’t really correlate with pixel size (or MP count for a given sensor size) in practise. You can find exceptions, but that doesn’t prove any theory. Fact is that the consumer sensors with the smallest pixels, are also at the top of the efficiency charts with a QE around 60%, similar to the top end DSLR sensors currently available.
Due to the nature of Bayer sensors, good glass can still yield more usable information well beyond 100 MP on FF. Here you can find some additional explanations:
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/50487595
There are only a few things holding back higher MP counts, most of which come down to cost:
– processing power to handle the extra information in a timely manner
– sensor read out speed (the above and this affect shot to shot times, fps, LV speed etc.)
– buffer requirements
– battery consumption
– marketing (it’s not about what is best, but what the public sees as best or what you can convince them as being best)
Forgot to mention heat as a growing problem, both for LV and video, if the latter is achieved through quality downsampling rather than crude lineskipping. Lineskipping would yield worse low light performance for video as you’re effectively using less sensor area when pixels become smaller. Not to be confused with low light performance for stills of course.
You should show us an example of this. Currently, there’s no difference in unprocessed images between 16Mp and 24Mp once the latter is downsampled to 16Mp (pixel level comparison is incorrect). But with NR applied that can reconstruct lost data you, most probably, will get higher IQ with more Mp.
Obviously there is no difference in the images if you downsize the better one.
You could downsize them both to one Mpix and say they are no better than some one Mpix camera.
Why would you want to downsize the image ?
“Why would you want to downsize the images”
Erm… to print?
Why do I want to downsize? The question should rather be why do you want to compare images at a resolution that you will almost never view any of your images at? It’s about as useful in reality as comparing the fuel consumption or interior noise levels of a Toyota Corolla and Corvette at their respective top speeds. And even if that were useful comparisons, eg, if you are a racetrack driver, it would still be comparing apples with oranges. The Corvette is not worse if it consumes at its top speed 50% more than the Corolla, if its top speed is also much higher, it is only worse if it consumes more when driven at the same speed.
I guess that the A mount is out on the APSC front. Sony is known for producing last models of their kind for the A-mount, I actually own two of those, A580 (last DSLR)and A99 (last SLT), so I guess the A79 will be the last APSC A-mount.
After that there will either be super cameras like you’ve never seen FF A-mounts or hybrid A/Es APSCs if that tech ever works.
I agree…It makes sense to take the A mount as their high end camera mount and lens range and let the E mount service the consumer and pro sumer market…
It would if not the fact that right now lens lineup for APS-C is more complete than one for FF on A-mount. Not to mention the fact that Sony just a moment ago released few great APS-C lenses on A-mount.
If there is any truth to the sensor-shift-technology, I do not see a point for a-mount cameras at all. Just deliver the new A? with PDAF, sensorshift and a hybrid-mount for A and E.
hellooo, what about AF ???
And fast lenses ? And HQ lenses ?
Fast PDAF on sensor (I think admin said Sony new PDAF on sensor is very fast according to sources)
All fast (and slow) A-mount lenses will work via hybrid-mount and z-shift-sensor (or adapter)
so that would mean all 32mpx are not for the pict,
only part of it ?
Checkout how they are doing it on the 70D – If any company can do on sensor PDAF good, it should be sony given their sensor-know-how
“very fast” is extremely subjective. Some people find CDAF “very fast”.
Not to mention the fact that on-sensor PDAF is horrible when it comes to low-light photography.
thanks a lot JN and Sky_walker !
so i’ll better keep my SLT for while and wait for reviews of these new bodies with more or less fast AF…
anyway IF I HAVE TO LEAVE the A-mount, it will ONLY be FOR a new FF line !!!
but i’m not sure sony will fulfill my wishes. anyway i hope that the FF NEX system will have super fast wide angle zooms for low light (G grade or Zeiss), otherwise…
Actually, all E-mount bodies can do conventional PDAF with LA-EA2 while future A-mount bodies are going to omit mirror and won’t work with LA-EA2
Any info about a possible announcement date?
Reserving judgement until I’ve seen real life photos. My instinct is 32mp on an apsc sensor is too demanding for a lot of glass, but I don’t see Sony making a poorly performing sensor (given that sensors are their bread and butter).
It’s going to be a toss up between the a79 and (hopefully) entry level ff for me…
I agree they would be better to concentrate the high megapixel sensors on their full frame A mount cameras.
Yes, the high end FF cameras should have 64 Megapixels, if they continue to use the Bayer mosaic.
Why have an A7 and A79 with exactly the same specs and the only difference being the A/E-mount?
That doesn’t sound very logical to me.
Isn’t A-mount supposed to be developing more towards Pro level?
So wouldn’t it be more logical that the A79 is placed above the A7?
Quite the opposite.
first, they can reduce cost by reuse all the inner stuff, and just re package it.
Secondly, and most important, they can let the customers choose the path a head, just like they did with the slt introduction. ( Or atleast feel that they can choose).
They won’t be able to choose anything. Not when both of these cameras will be released in completely different moments
(one before Christmas season – hitting a peak season for camera sales,
one after – hitting the period when camera sales are lowest in the whole year)
What if they are one and the same? Hybrid mount, remember?
Yep, agreed. No sense at all.
But Sony never was good in making moves that do make sense.
Sounds a lot like the end of the bodies with A mount (not necessarily the A mount lenses).
+1 agree, I am happy that I sold my A Mount system, no further worries and I am desperately waiting for the FF Nex.
Perhaps if it is a dual mount, A/E mount with no adapter required, and Z-shift with IBIS it will become Sony`s universal mount.
But as long as you force users to use an adapter there will be reason for both mounts and for those wanting small size E-mount alone,
As in life there is always a trade off.
If I would be them I would do it the same way. Keep sister cameras for one or two generations to serve the a mount users while test acceptance of the new e mount cameras. While you do that you also build some nice e mount lenses and then announce the end of a mount if you have a big enough e mount user base…
Or use z-shift to accommodate native a-mount lenses and offer a service to convert the bayonet to e-mount… (like the sigma mount conversion service)
I know there’s adaptors, but I’m not trading ergonomics for compatibility. If the only alternative is to rebuy lenses if/when the mount changes, I’ll explore all of the options before choosing a new system). Are any a-mount shooters in the same boat?
yes the sensor shift AF would be indeed a very elegant solution to the problem. It just have to work properly…When it comes to changing the bayonet it is poperly cheaper to buy a bunch of adapters and mount one to each lens…
People keep hoping for an “A-E hybrid mount” with no adapter needed… I don’t see how can even be possible. It’s not just about the metal tabs & such going into the right slots… the flange distances are totally different! I guess the only way I could think it would work would be if it had body the thickness of an A-mount camera, and there was some sort of mechanical lever that would shift the entire sensor assembly forward for E-mount use.
A mount and E mount sister cameras? Hmmm reminds me of something… Wait a second! Like A580 and A55 before! That time SONY tested people’s reaction on SLT tech. It was good and they’ve dropped SLR production. This time they are testing semi-pro’s reaction on using E mount with adapter for all the A-lenses.
And you know what? If A7 will be a right-sized camera, I don’t mind using it with adapter… Because E mount gives more flexibility and A mount. I could use ANY lens with a E mount camera!
BUT that A7 should be really a serious camera and should be able to handle A-mount lenses PROPERLY!
Yup
I agree, but handle properly means for me that it has IBIS and same fast AF as a native A mount cam
If they make dual mount with SLT AF in A-mount mode, that is one helluva camera. Or OSPDAF has become equal to native PDAF. Or ToF sensor AF. Come on Sony, you can do it.
a79 with plastic lens mount and lower performance LCD… and no flash system.
Boy a77’s are gonna be popular demand soon. Just like a58 caused desire for a57’s.
In did.
Depends on if both A7 and A79 will have IBIS!
My guess is that only A79 with A-mount will have IBIS.
maybe…
plus which R-mount zoom lenses will be able to handle 32mpx ???
the brand new 10-18 gives better results on the 16mpx NEX-5 than on the 24mpx NEX-7 🙁
While I’m certainly with the skeptics about cramming 32mpx on an APS-C sized sensor I don’t think it’s as simple as your making it out to be. I think the problem with the NEX-7 is they used a sensor developed for SLR’s (A77 & A65) with a sensor package of filters and microlenses that did not work well with incident light angles. The NEX-5N sensor, I believe, was largely a fluke. A great sensor that happened to work extremely well (relatively speaking) with short registration distanced lenses.
Now that the E-mount is a major focus for Sony (remember the NEX-7 as a pro/prosumer oriented mirrorless was a big first) they are developing these new sensors specifically for mirrorless cameras. While I don’t think the A-mount is going any where in the short term I suspect the work flow has been reverse from sensors for SLT’s adapted to mirror less to sensors for mirrorless adapted to SLTs (or mirrorless A-mount).
I don’t think the low-light/high-ISO will be worse on this new sensor, I just don’t think it will be better at a per pixel level.
The A mount group will definitely get annoyed and I for one will probably go completely over to Canon.
I know product naming isn’t logical every time, but why should the ILCE called Alpha 7 and not Alpha 7000. Two separate DSLR styled product lines with E-Mount?
And why should a ILCA camera called Alpha 79 event it is not a SLT? Why not separate it from the SLT product line with an other name scheme? Maybe the ILCA is the Alpha 7?
And the only difference between the two cameras is the mount? Sory I don’t believe in this rumor.
I agree with fola.
The rumored names seems extremely illogical. Why have AX and AXXXX series which both uses E-mount. And then have an a79 with A-mount, the last number in A7X – would that be just to show that this is the last A-mount?
Having mirrorless SLT-type cameras named AXXXX with E-mount and AX with A-mount would be much more logical.
I have a lot of good A-mount lenses with screw drive. Last addition was a new Tamron 200-500 this spring, with screw drive.
In short: I will not buy a camera that can’t autofocus an A-mount screw driven lens, and I guess I am not the only one.
And of course… IBIS… that’s one main reason for why I choose Minolta/Sony to begin with.
Sorry…
“mirrorless SLT-type cameras” should of course be “mirrorless SLR-type cameras”.
A lot of people aren’t aware the a new 32 Mpix camera doesn’t include a new laptop/pc aswell, to handle all the big rawfiles. No, 32MP is too much.
However, I think the new A79 will gain halve a stop on the A77 in terms of high ISO, every new generation seems to improve while inceasing Megapixels as well.
But then the A59 would be very interesting with probably new generation 24 Megapixels sensor.
Good luck with the choice ahead, I’m sticking with my A99 🙂
I have an ancient G3 Mac for use with a scanner. It handles big image files fine. I don’t think anyone will have any problems with 32 Megapixel images.
You might want an external USB hard drive for backups.
+1
I am sending my a900 and NEX 5N and every NEX attachment and lens to Adorama for sale and sticking with my a99 until Sony sorts their lineup out. A Pro A Mount camera that improves some of the a99’s most complained about issues (buffer size, start up time, shutter delay, battery life, flash overheating/functionality, etc.), none of which really overshadow it’s top rated performance). This would be a good strategy and a camera I would use along with or to replace the a99, while an NEX FF (preferably) or ILCE FF camera with similar specs would be my preference for a backup or additional camera (obviously with at least a 35mm or 50mm Zeiss or G f/1.4, or 24-70mm f/2.8 released at the same time).
For now, the a99 with Zeiss primes and 70-400 G, and 50mm/100mm macros provides results that are top notch, and the a99 and 50mm Macro is a light weight combination for street and casual shooting. How about an A Mount 50mm G f/1.4 macro to replace the current Minolta design (with weather sealing and SSM), or as one of the first NEX (or ILCE) FF as specified above.
Sony is pushing the envelope and I hope they continue to do so, but with the consideration that all of their products should have some shelf life and support for at least the useful life of the shutter as they rate them. For example, where is the a99 firmware update that addresses some of the issues listed, or a new Sony flash or recall to fix the HVL-60 overheating issue? These types of issues need addressing in a shorter time, if at all.
Otherwise, Sony is releasing some great tech and with a little more focus on support and a narrowing their product lines will put a lot of pressure on CANIKON, Fuji, and the rest of the camera market.
Keep up the good work, Andrea!
A99 shutter delay? According to Imaging Resource, the a99 with electronic front shutter matches or beats the 1dx in most shutter timing categories. That isn’t too bad really…
(Unless you mean the delay using the Sony optical method of firing remote flashes….)
Looks like there is a lot of inner confusion going at Sony’s camera department. I guess we’re stuck until they sort it out, but they are looking totally out of a plan right now (or rather having way too many plans to carry on any in a proper manner). I don’t understand, as the needed and much wished for products are very clear :
NEX 7 successor with fast AF along with a fast zoom
FF NEX in NEX form factor with assorted lenses
RX10 APS-C fixed lens quality compact (only need to decide what FL to go with)
Pro level mirrorless that will support A lenses with all functions (if it can use E lenses as well, all the better, but give the A mount users priority here).
Why is Sony making it look so darn complicated ??
I guess it is because they are worried to loose their A Mount consumer base and they know that they don’t have a suffiecient lens lineup for the NEX line. They probably would love to focus on the obvious priorities but they wouldn’t survive if they have to start from 0 again and loose all their A mount cosumers while they need to invest in their lenses and bodies (and keep the prices down to buy market share).
Anyway if they bring the FF Nex I will be one consumer who left sony and would be super happy to come back…
IF they are worried about it than it seems like they cannot handle that at all. Cause right now they are doing EVERYTHING to scare people off A-mount.
yep you are right but I assume they would love to announce a mount is dead but they can’t (or are not allowed to do so)so the result is the current uncertainty under A mount users.
But you are lucky (if you are an A mount user) because you still have time for an exit, I sold my gear about 4 months ago and didn’t have a big loss. Most people don’t spent their time on forums like this so they are happy to buy your used gear…
I’m with you Claire. NEX-7 so badly need an update. The sales of NEX-7 with the above specs would so overwhelmingly be Sony’s top sales hit this year, with the FF NEX being the overwhelming media hog. What the heck is up with all these ILCE? We consumers clearly see the road to success for Sony, but they can’t seem to see the obvious. As if having two different mounts weren’t diluting enough.
I think Sony does have a plan and it is making some rather big changes as rumored, but , unfortunately, no information comes to the users. The usual marketing fail from Sony. And here one can also see the effect of incremental upgrades on confidence.
Same old same old from Sony, sadly… It could be that they’re working on the rumoured hybrid mount as we speak (would z-shift allow you to use a drop in e-mount adapter on an a-mount body?) but only time will tell. The big thing evf-gate teaches us is they won’t support 2 lines for long…
I have a feeling the a79 could be the last apsc a-mount, but I thought the same thing about the a77… All I really want is a nice 6d competitor 🙁
A quick buffer is a must-have-thing today with 8-14 fps/sec.
Take a look at the YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOM4r1gxsbs buffer test…. and you see what I mean.
For me as a speedy-things-photographer I need speed… in autofocus, shutter and buffer. And a solid, not expensive Body which can be easely replaced if broken by a ball (Baseball Soccer etc), hit by a runner, player (rugby) or an other blind photographer…
One clear reason to push for higher MP’s is to leave Canon behind.
Maybe not from a ‘need’ basis, but clearly from a marketing perspective Canon is starting to look old, slow and stubborn.
– 4 gb buffer????!
come on,,, even a99 dont get this..
Sony ‘s bursting rate is always high but never got enough buffer
if this camera got 4gb buffer i will throw away my A77
It’s too bad we can’t send the a99 in for a buffer (and other items) upgrade. Then Sony would really impress us.
Sounds like the likely — but not definite — death of the A mount.
Over the long term, it makes absolutely no sense to produce two identical camera lines, with the only difference being the mount. After all, to 99.9% of consumers, the 2 cameras will be identical.
So Sony will put the 2 cameras out there — much like the a580 and a55… And then they will pick just one path based on market performance.
Other than the very small market already heavily invested in Sony/Minolta glass, the A-mount version won’t really hold any advantages for consumers.
In fact, for most advanced users, the e-mount version may be preferable, due to the ability to adapt CaNikon glass.
Good bye A mount.
I think this is a camera I would buy (the ILC-7);
Vey nice resolution and compatibility with canon macro lenses via adapter (MP-E + Metabones). In theory this camera should be cheaper than a NEX-7 successor as miniaturization always adds costs
For those complaining about pixel count I can asure that even a crappy lens will resolve more detain with a high resolution sensor as more area is use with the pixels, smaller empty spaces. Also bear in mind that the AA filter takes away some efective resolution so a 32mpx sensor should resolve the same details as a 24mpx sensor without AA filterbut without the artifacts and moire
Please no more than 24mp in RAW (24megabytes raw file) I have A77 and for weddings its too much… 20 would be enough…
I have Tamron 17-50 and it delivers on A77 even wide open (needs micro adjustment)! And at f5.6 its fantastic.
Wedding photographers need High Iso and I would love to be able to use 6400 (my top with A77 is 3200) or even 12800… for 1/125 2.8 6400 for bounced flash or 1/125 2.8 12800 for natural light.
Remember when the slt-A55 and the A580 where launched at the same time? Sony just took a hard look at the sales and that was the end for the mirror slapping dslr’s
I feel the same thing comming up with a ilc-7 and the A79. If the ilc outsels the A mount one, than thats the end of A mount.
Of course it will outsell A-mount version.
E-mount is released before Christmas,
A-mount after.
There would need to be a miracle for E, or any other mount version to sell worse than the camera released after the Christmas season.
but the situation is different:
the 580 and the 55 had the same lense line-up !
and wise people choose their camera based on their optical needs.
but even with the latest additions to the NEX lens range there are giant holes !!!
i don’t think that the A-mount is dead…
No… most consumers don’t buy based on their optical needs and lens lineup. 90% of buyers never move beyond a kit lens. Only about 1-2% own more than 2 or 3 lenses. And most advanced/professional users own CaNikon. We are the very very very small minority of users who shoot with Sony who care about the lens lineup.
So for most basic dSLR users — there will be absolutely no difference between the A and E cameras,except that the E camera is compatible with smaller lenses. (Advantage E-mount for most consumers).
Then for people using CanNikon who are considering switching — The E-mount will have the advantage of being able to use their own glass with adapters. Advantage E-mount.
The only natural buyers for the A-mount ILC, are the small fraction of people who are already heavily invested in A-mount glass.
The fact that Sony is using the “A” designation for the ILC cameras further suggests to me that Sony knows the A-mount is dying. After all, it’s pretty confusing to have the A7.. A79… and A3000…. Where they use different mounts. “A” to Sony means “dSLR style” — it doesn’t mean A-mount.
Sony may continue to make “professional” A-mount cameras — much like their professional 4k video cameras. Extremely expensive niche products. But I think the A-mount is nearly dead for regular consumers. (Maybe a couple more A-mounts in 2014.. but then it’s done).
adam, you are probably right about the names and so (“A” to Sony means “dSLR style”…)
but you are completly wrong about the A7 versus the A79:
people are reading reviews
and they will see that they would get better shots with the A79 than with the A7 (because the A-mount lenses are superior)
maybe in 2-3 years there will be descent E lenses, but till then…
A-mount lenses are superior to E-mount lenses?
In some cases, but not universally. There are professional photographers who have made the shift to E-mount.
You say people will read the reviews? Ok… take a look at how DXOMark scores the Nex-6 versus the A77…. DXOMark scores both cameras at 78… It gives the NEX the advantage in low light…
I’ve never seen any professional reviewer suggest that the A-mount cameras will give better image quality than the NEX. The advantages of the A-mount have mostly been dSLR-ergonomics (which the A7 will have), and mirror-based phase detection AF (which the A79 won’t have).
When the mirrorless A-mount discussions started.. people put together lists of the continued advantages of the A-mount. With the A3000 and A7 — those advantages are now gone.
Adam…
DXOMarks of camera BODIES…
to compare both systems you need a A lens on a A body and E lens on a E body
and to check the raws.
it wouldn’t be fair, but on a A77 you can even mount top FF lenses without adapter 😉
and even if not, no chance…
c’mon, the R-mount system is (today) so great, that with a brand new lens
as the not so cheap 10-18 f/4.0, you get better pictures with a lower range NEX-5
than with the top range NEX-7.
maybe in 5 years the R-mount will be great (i really hope so !!!)
but till then it is no alternative for serious A-mount photographs
The A55 and A580 had relatively little in common. Mainly the imaging sensor and AF module.
But this is where they differed:
– completely different bodies
– different batteries
– OVF in the A580 s EVF in the A55
– moving main mirror (plus submirror behind it) mechanism in A580 vs fixed SLT mirror in A55
– separate metering sensor in A580
– extra moving mirror in top of the A580 for switching between LV and OVF
– extra CCD in the top of the A580 to feed LV
– different LCD’s and flipping/folding mechanisms
And the list goes on and on. Basically the A580 had a lot of extra parts, which reduced margins for those bodies significantly. Add the fact that both shared the same lens base (another key point) and interest in the A55 was about 10 times higher and you can see why Sony lost interest there.
A supposed A79 and the suggested A7 can in theory be very similar from a parts and software point of view.
Makes some sense, since (as I have stated previously) the additional cost for an A mount version would be relatively limited as most key components minus the mount, can be shared.
Some are comparing this to the A55/A580 situation and predict doom for the A mount. I say the A55 and A580 had less in common, the A580 using the more complicated LV system and lots of additional parts plus an OVF instead.
I’d rather compare this to the relatively small variations between for example A300/A350 or A500/A550, etc etc. Sony hasn’t been shy bringing out many of such sister cameras in the past.
“Makes some sense, since (as I have stated previously) the additional cost for an A mount version would be relatively limited as most key components minus the mount, can be shared.”
I see it as very similar to the A580 and A55 situation. Production costs will absolutely still be cheaper to produce just one model.. even if only slightly cheaper. So there would have to be a true market purpose to justify producing 2 models..
So to a typical consumer walking into Best Buy or a camera shop — what will be the difference between the A7 and A79? If they look totally identical, and have identical features— Then here are the differences:
A7 — compatible with small light E-mount lenses, and can use ANY lens with an adapter.
A79 — Only compatible with larger and heavier A-mount lenses.
To any consumer who isn’t already heavily invested in A-mount glass (and there are very very few of us), the A7 would have a clear advantage over the A79. To “new” buyers who aren’t already in the A-mount ecosystem, there would be no advantage to the A79.
When the mirrorless A-mount rumors started, many people espoused the view that “Sony will keep making A-mount, because many people prefer dSLR ergonomics” — As I predicted at the time, Sony would simply stick the E-mount into a dSLR body.
I don’t see the situation as similar, see my post higher up in this topic. The A55 and A580 not only were very different from a mechanical and parts point of view (with the A580 having a fully different body and lot of extra parts due to the OVF, moving mirror and CCD LV, reducing margins significantly), they also required different software. The A580 required calibration between the LV CCD and main imaging CMOS for, LV, output and metering, different tracking mechanisms (the A580 relying much more on predictive algorithms), different LV software (EVF on the A55 included), etc.
And they shared the same mount, which actually made the A580 even more redundant in the end for fishing in the same existing lens pool.
The fact that the bodies suggested in the OP can be nearly identical apart from the mount, saves Sony a huge amount of cost, similar to the A300/A350, A500/A550 etc. Which means there’s very little reason not to fish in both ponds, especially if the A mount in general is still targeted at a higher end user group (with obvious overlap), not in the least due to existing lens line up.
The redundancy is the issue —
In fact, the A7 and A79 would be far more redundant than the A55/580 —
Even to the novice consumer, the A55 and A580 has noticeable differences — EVF vs OVF, different image quality (due to the translucent mirror), different burst rates.. Live view worked different in each camera. Thus, each camera had different pros and cons.
If this rumor is correct — then the A7 and A79 will be totally redundant. No different list of pros and cons. The ONLY advantage for the A79 would be for pre-existing A-mount glass owners.
But Sony may conclude that if you had thousands of dollars in A-mount glass, then you are the niche marker for a $3,000 A-mount professional camera.
For your typical mid-range consumer who buys 1 to 3 lenses in their whole life — What would be the difference between a $1,000 A79 and a $1,000 A7?
For the most part, they will be identical.. except the A7 would have the advantage of adapting other glass, and the possibility for smaller lenses. While the A79 would be stuck with a limited selection of heavier lenses.
If the A79 does not have clear and distinct advantages for the mainstream market, then it will die out sooner rather than later. (Or it will be an ultra expensive niche product).
What Sony is doing this time around, is even more evident than the A55/A580 — Both those cameras were released the same time, with the same chance to succeed. When the SLT looked like a better path towards market growth and profit, they ditched dSLRs. But they wanted to make sure the SLTs would sell before getting rid of dSLRs entirely.
So now– they are launching the A3000 (which is outselling the A58) and A7. They are tipping the scales in favor of the E-mount, but releasing them for the holiday season.. but putting the A79 in the after-thought failed product market of January. (If Sony really cared about it, they would not wait till January to release it). If the A3000 and A7 are total busts.. they will turn more attention to the real A-mount. If the A3000 and A7 are moderately successful… goodbye A-mount for entry level and mid range consumers.
Of course not. You’re assuming that:
1) the existing pool of A mount users makes the camera redundant
2) potential buyers don’t look at existing glass and upgrade paths
Regarding point 1), keep in mind that little to no extra cost for an A mount version means, there’s little to no reason NOT to cater to the existing crowd. Even if only for marketing purposes, because you don’t want to scare off future (E)system users by smudging your track record with existing (A)system users further. Word goes fast.
And this is also where point 2) comes into play. The further you move up in the range from beginners/entry level cameras, the more the userbase will look at lens lineup and upgrade possibilities. Especially towards FF, which is where the A mount undeniably has much better cards ow and for many years to come. Which shouldn’t be confused with actual buying decisions regarding lenses and upgrades, but these are important incentives nonetheless.
The sister camera examples that I mentioned, all showed more redunancy in the sense that they actually catered to the same user groups (including lens pool and upgrade paths), with only a small price difference to set them apart. That didnt stop Sony either.
“Of course not. You’re assuming that:
1) the existing pool of A mount users makes the camera redundant
2) potential buyers don’t look at existing glass and upgrade paths”
The existing pool is small. The mere fact that a pool exists, no matter how small, is insufficient reason to think that Sony will tie up product/marketing/product space for it. There is a massive pool of people with iPhone accessories for the larger charger — Apple had no problem saying, “oh well.. those old accessories will now only work with an adapter”
Betamax vs VHS vs laser disc vs DVD vs HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray — There are pools of users for all of the above! How many Betamax/laser disc/HD-DVD players has Sony made in the last 5 years?
Sony isn’t going to indefinitely produce a product line, solely because a few people already own the accessories for it!
Point 2 — Entry level and mid range users do not look extensively at existing glass and upgrade potential. The A3000 is outselling the A58 on Amazon.
In fact, it’s pretty easy for Sony’s marketing department to say that the A7 has MORE glass than the A79 — since it has the potential of using any glass with adapters.
Plus, Sony is quickly introducing more E-mount glass. In a few years, there will likely be just as much E-mount glass as there is A-mount glass.
To the small small portion of people who care extensively about glass — Sony may continue the A-mount as a professional system.
But to have entry level and mid level dSLRs that are identical except mount system, would confuse consumers. And that’s a big reason Sony won’t do it.
Continuing A-mount and E-mount side by side in identical dSLRs…. makes as much sense as if electronics makers produced both Betamax and VHS players. Eventually, the market and the manufacturers chose a single format.
If this camera is with floating sensor – I’m getting it no matter what. And it better be APS-C, so I have an option to use speedbooster if needed 🙂
Do you know when can we expect the camera?
I predicted this all last year and was accused of being a troll. APS-C is going E-mount exactly as I said it would. Sony will eventually ditch A-mount completely.
I said that 2014 was going to be the year to watch, who’s laughing now eh sky_walker?
So far they’re not ditching anything, just moving A-mount to FF-oriented system.
You’re still wrong. Just don’t want to see it.
Which is what I predicted, APS-C being E-mount. They will eventually remove A-mount completely.
You laughed at any notion of me being even a little right, not laughing now are you. In fact you are now agreeing, saying that A-mount is going FF.
Remember what I was saying a LONG time ago, I predicted E-mount dSLR sized bodies for the APS-C user LONG before any rumours surfaced about them. I said that would signal the first step to abandoning A-mount.
Keep deluding yourself though.
Oh we’ve missed you guys…
I agree, A mount is dead meat. Olympus, Panasonic and Sony are mirrorless camera companies so if you want a DSLR with mirror box go get a Canon, Nikon or Pentax. The NEX-VG900 shows that full frame lenses work perfect on the mirrorless E mount.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8345/8198535296_efb2fcfe6f_o.jpg
in 5 to 8 years maybe…
till then, they will have to built a little less bodies and a lot more lenses.
but now they have olympus for that 😉
waiting for zuiko top-pro R-mounts !
“E” not “r”, sorry
That’s not a prediction, it’s just common sense.
For what it’s worth (having spent a sizeable sum of money on A-mount lenses earlier this year), I would prefer that there not be a camera offered in two flavors (A-mount *OR* E-mount). I’d like to see Sony come out with a LA-EA[X] separately available that could be used to use A-mount lenses on a NEX E-mount FullFrame (being able to fully utilize the lense as I can now on an A-mount camera).
Moving forward, I do not want to lose use of my pricey A-mount lenses…but I also don’t want to invest one more dollar in a mount that could be dropped in the future.
canon did switch the mount when going AF…
the problem is always what you get in exchange for the price !
i am a A mount user too. as much as i am interested in a FF R mount system
(compact & light), the same i give a damn about this A7.
A proper E mount dslr shape camera would be great. lens possibilities are unlimited. A mount (with adapter) e mount and tons of other manual focus lenses (short flange distance allows you to use many lenses)
maybe in the future there will come a A to E mount turbo booster adapter with AF. this would be awsome…
A7 will have sensor shift because it does not follow Axxxx name like A3000. My guess is that there will be A3000 and A5000 without IBIS and A7 and A9(FF) with IBIS. Otherwise, this would be A7000. Different naming scheme means different approach.
The trend is to make cameras smaller. Yesterday Fullframe capability is reached by todays APSC. Yesterday APSC capability is touched by the the Sony 1 inch sensor ..Check DXOmark ratings.
…So it is high time…Sony comes with a ILC with 1 inch sensor…..or a megazoom with 1 inch (Sony RX100)….even though Nikon 1 failed. Reason I telling is Sony is better at the 1 inch sensor than Nikon.
The birding & Macro community is looking at Sony to give some option…and till now they have none in non-SLT cameras. Instead of launching cameras every week …..Sony should also launch lenses for the Macro & Birding community….or lose customer base to Nikon or Canon.
With these cameras…Sony is not going to attract new fan-base….but lose existing one.
I using Sony e mount since Aug 2010..thinking to switch to Nikon D7100 or Nikon 1 for birding because of faster shutter speed 1/8000 and 300mm equivalent lens option.
The current NEX cameras are already outstandingly good for macro work, especially with bellows.
I have also had very good results on a (Nikon) microscope.
Not enough working distance..with 30 mm. People with real macro experience …90+mm as a better macro options.
Also in 4 years Sony is still confused finding form factor of camera…explains why they are not making enough tele lenses
While I would have rather seen a new NEX-7, I do think that if this is a sign of the death of A mount to focus all their resources on one mount, it can be a good thing. Maybe they need to do something like a DSLR shaped body in order to have more structural strength around the mount for future bigger lenses? I wonder if these ILCE will be significantly lighter than their SLT counterparts.
By the way, there are full size sample images from Sony Zeiss 16-70mm zoom on http://www.dcfever.com/news/readnews.php?id=8990
If the sensor moves, there’s no need for two versions for different mounts.
I really don’t get it. What do people mean by “A-mount is dead”? A-mount is not a round piece of metal with a few connectors.
i think they only mean that sony is slowly moving it´s mid-range from A to E mount.
but that will take a few years.
and there will still be A for the pros 😉
anyway this A7 is like HD-Ready before Full-HD came out…
well I guess that means that the people who sit on A mount glass for several thousand euros get nervious whether Sony will provide them also in the future with a body where they can use their lenses without an adapter.
I understand their concerns… But to be honest, if the Sony strategy is successfull I think Canikon will follow in a few years… Welcome to Evolution!
Idk, it’s probably just me, but I do not see much of an issue in using an adapter, as long as it is properly designed.
I hve some problem with such an upcoming spec…If Sony is going to use doble pixels in order to reach less noise combining it or to reach max. dynamic range and it will be configurable, it’s ok, but if it is just 32Mp APS-C without some thing special in addition…don’t know, sounds not good.
It sounds good to me.
With a good lens, many copying and duplicating jobs that at present need a scanner could be done much faster with a camera.
you’d need excellent lens for such pixel density. why do you think Leica updated their legendary 50mm sumicron with new APO version? to tackle upcoming hi-res sensors.
Yep, I’m back. A-mount is dead, dead, dead. I have been reporting this for 6 months. Everytime I report I now ask Andrea to review my previous posts to prove my point. I also have reported numerous other accurate events and I welcome everyone to go back and look. I’m not bashing A-mount or Alpha. E-mount is Alpha too, and Sony makes and has made great cameras and lenses, I have both lines. But I know for a fact that the A-mount line is being fazed out. Andrea also knows, but refuses to disclose that a new transistion mount is going to be released soon. Yes, there are A-mount items in the pipeline, but the tooling for future A-mount cameras is not going to happen, that decision has been done. A-mount is dead, dead, dead.
And you’re still the same broken record without a source reference, that is contradicted by what Andrea posts about the A mount rumors.
I’m the source.
Aha, in that case I can now safely share with you that I’m the Queen of England.
Well, good, then I need to tell you to do something about the roads, and the congestion tax.
I can only reply to that by stating that you seem to be as well informed about the camera future, as you are informed about your constitutional monarchy. 😉
That is what I expected from a queen.
Can you please list all the various A-mount cameras released by Sony in 2013 thus far, now that we are about to move into Q4? Oh, that’s right, only the A58,which is the downgrade A57. That’s agressive A-mount marketing! Based on the evidence, A-mount production is down dramatically, based on imperical evidence. However, at the same time, we are about to see the release of e-mount “3” series replacement and a rumored “7” series replacement. I would also suspect a “5” series replacement too before Christmas. How you like them apples? A-mount is dead, dead, dead.
Dan
What kind of argument is that? Canon released only one camera in 2006, two cameras in 2010 and 2011, and 3 cameras in 2013, one of which is supposed to be a mirrorless competitor. Nikon has also released only one camera this year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Nikon_DSLR_cameras
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Canon_EOS_digital_cameras
I could care less what Canon does, why do you? I’m interested in Sony Alpha products, hence my coming to this website. My statement is still absolutely true”Can you please list all the various A-mount cameras released by Sony in 2013 thus far, now that we are about to move into Q4? Oh, that’s right, only the A58,which is the downgrade A57. That’s agressive A-mount marketing! Based on the evidence, A-mount production is down dramatically, based on imperical evidence. However, at the same time, we are about to see the release of e-mount “3″ series replacement and a rumored “7″ series replacement. I would also suspect a “5″ series replacement too before Christmas. How you like them apples? A-mount is dead, dead, dead.
Dan
I am simply showing you what competitors are doing. Perfectly relevant. You are speaking about some “empirical evidence” that is actually nowhere to be seen. Where do you get that A-mount production is “down dramatically”? What is that “agressive A-mount marketing” you are talking about? Release a dozen of A-mount bodies in one year won’t fix Sony’s problems.
the canon FD->EF transition took roughly 3 YEARS.
and in only one day sony will do something like this ?
the A is not dead because there is one DSLR-style APSC E-mount coming out:
sony needs a lot of lenses before
i do not see F1.4/2.0/2.8 primes & zooms to cover all ranges coming in the next 3 months 😉
the last Zeiss zoom is a F4.0
ridiculous !!!
Anybody wanting to sell me their CZ glass for peanuts then? No? Didn’t think so! 😀
Dan likes death too much.
No, but if you have any A-mount to E-mount adapters you want to sell me for peanuts, I’ll be very happy to buy them. I’m sure they will be needed very soon!
Dan
If you had half as much of a clue as you claim you do, you’d know that the existing adapters will be of very little use for the suggested future E mount bodies.
Zohee35, is that a “no” on selling me your adapters? You seem to be dodging the question. You know the old saying of where to put the money and your mouth, right? You see, you say “suggested future” but I know exactly the future of the mount, so I’m ok with my risk assessment. You based on the quoted statement you made above are no sure of the future of the mount, and that is ok too, lots of people live with their heads in the sand, your not alone on that beach.
Dan, if you knew the future of the mount, you wouldn’t be asking a question that serves you no purpose. I have never felt the intend to buy such an adapter and even if I owned one, it wouldn’t help you in the future. You didn’t think your “facts” through too well, apparently.
You know, if you did not have an adapter, you could have just said so, or said nothing at all. I guess English is not your primary language (I hope), I had asked you twice, in seperate posts to purchase, and twice you never actually responded to the question on purchase. But at least I was entertained by your lack of reading comprehension.
Is this the sensor shift focus camera?
Can you please list all the various A-mount cameras released by Sony in 2013 thus far, now that we are about to move into Q4? Oh, that’s right, only the A58,which is the downgrade A57. That’s agressive A-mount marketing! Based on the evidence, A-mount production is down dramatically, based on imperical evidence. However, at the same time, we are about to see the release of e-mount “3” series replacement and a rumored “7” series replacement. I would also suspect a “5” series replacement too before Christmas. How you like them apples? A-mount is dead, dead, dead.
Dan
“Based on the evidence, A-mount production is down dramatically”
You’re confused again. Amount of cameras released in 9 months does not automatically equal production of the existing line up.
By that token, even the Canon and Nikon mounts have been “dead” and “production down dramatically” in the recent past.
My statment is based on imperical evidence. It cannot be contradicted. To this date on September 9, 2013 Sony has released only one A-mount camera this year. That is the A-58. Which really needs little comment on this forum. At the same time, there are A-mount equivelant E-mount replacements filling out the A-mount lineup now, that is a fact. I could care less what other camera vendors are doing, why do you care? A-mount is dead, dead, dead.
Dan
You’re throwing fallacies around like it’s your day job.
Your “evidence” isn’t evidence for your conclusion, for reasons mentioned and the fact that according to your logics, your “empirical evidence” would “prove” that the A mount was already dead before and right after Sony took over. In which case most of us have been happily shooting a dead system for years. 😀
You’ll be proven wrong sooner than your ego would like to admit.
The facts are the facts, the only A-mount released, the A58, thus far in 2013. Period, that is a fact. How you like them apples.
Hopefully the A79 will keep the A77 mount and not break Sigma HSM lenses…again!
here is a winner for sure. one body and 3 faceplate/mount options that can be swaped witha a few screws. one e mount depth one with a speedboster type thing to act like a FF and one with std. Amount. since emount woudl be sucked in a bit to get the right reg. distance it woudl be rather compact but for Amounters you have the option of crop lens or speed bosted FF lens and fields of view
A7 will have e-mount? Why will it be named a7 not a7000 since it is in the same line as the a3000?
What is going on with the naming? If the a79 is mirrorless, it should be named a7 and the ilc-7000 should be named a7000. Sony is doing it’s best to win the most ridiculous naming conventions of the year award (amid a highly competitive field).
Its all about customer (pardon my bushism) confusement. Mix all the A mounts and E mounts up in an A700 A77 A7 A7000 soup, and no one knows whats what and it all looks good.
Let me make this clear, for you folks that are diehard loyal. This NOT new, rember A580 and A55 and the switch to SLT. Although reviews and enthusiests prefered the A580, Sony decided to go SLT anyway (not just entry level). SLT failed and Sony dropped SLT production. This time they are testing E-mount across the board (not just entry level). E-mount will sell just as well to new buyers, and Sony will see no point in running two lines, ditto from before. They know this and have planned accordingly, as any good business would. Sony is not doing anything wrong. A-mount is dead, dead, dead. I have been reporting this for a long time now.
Dan
okay cool, its dead.
and i will take my googles to makes lenses to shoot with ???
E-mount ist still as a car without wheels,
therefore A-mount will last in the next years…
by the way i might switch to E-mount when:
1) its FF
2) the right lenses are there
Dpreview rated the A55 higher than the A580. And the two cameras had very little in common in terms of parts and software. The A580 just added cost.
@Zohee35: sorry, that´s not the point.
we were talking A vs R, not DSLR vs SLT
…and i have a SLT myself !!! but an A-mount 😉
outch, i didnt want to mix in your chat with Dan.
my mistake !
No problem and before anyone jumps on me with the SLT fanboy tag, let me first and foremost state that I own the A580 myself. 😉
You’ve been reporting this for a long time now… So what?
What do you want, Mr Dead Dead Dead? Do you want a Dead Dead Dead plaque? Do you want a Dead Dead Dead cookie? No one cares that you’ve reported this for a long time. Its still your opinion. Its not a fact. You are not in a position to ‘know.’ You are not an authority. You’re an insecure little man who is scared to death of everything in your world, and you cant run home to mommy and have her make you warm milk anymore. So you take it out on us.
Get lost.
Please, don’t get upset and angry, it’s not worth the effort, this sight is supposed to be fun. It’s only cameras anyway, and I’m not really worth the time. You seem to be taking this personally, and you shouldn’t, there are far more important things in life. So, take a breath, and sure I’ll take a cookie with the milk. Thank you kindly. Oh, and before I forget, A-mount is dead, dead, dead.
P.S. Like the name, “DanDoesntKnow” thanks.
Dan
Any news about nex 7x?
I cannot argue that A-mount is less impressive. I llke the mount, I like the lenses, way more than E-mount lenses. I’m also aware that full frame lenses are not currently available on e-mount lenses. That means an adapter for the only fullframe camera not discotinued by Sony. But I guess adapters are not unusual, since Sony has us trained with the flash adapter, right? But that does not mean Sony will kill off A-mount. It just means some loyal Sony users will be unhappy for a bit. They are used to it. A-mount is dead, dead, dead.
Dan
Hey admin, are you tolerating this guy? He’s scaring off potential A mount lens customers. We don’t want Sony to pull the plug on your site support and jeopardize this good site that you have!
I have a few screw drive ff lenses in A mount. Will those lenses be supported by A to E adapter with proper autofocus? They would need to put focus motor in the adapter.
That is a good question. Maybe Andrea can re-post the schmatic of the patent on the adjustable A-E mount. I think it was a long time ago that I saw the patent, and I know it has changed considerably, but it may show if it has power to a screw.
Waiting on solid IBIS news so we ( my family ) can sell our u4/3 and Canon gear and adopt a single platform which would be more appropriate for our usage.
Just waiting.
With money.
Just think how much extra mechanics to go wrong sensor shift will have. Especially since Sony has a tendency to use light plastic components over metal. Folks claimed OVF was to complex to continue, but sensor shift will be even more complex. It’s real physical mechanical designs involved in this, not wishful thinking.
It’s also silly to think that only sensor shift is needed to have every lens mount in the world work correctly, when most are at least partially proprietary electronics.
There is a lot of wishful thinking in all this. What it sounds like we are going to get in the end out of Sony is more limited camera systems oriented toward low end photography. That will result from trying to make a single system be the be all and end all of photography. Like a camera designed by a committee.
I think a company as big as Sony wont have problems with materials engineering. Though I’m a little apprehensive with how pros use their cameras in the field, and how alignment of that moving sensor on a track can be a little worrying out there.
I see you’re point but I also think the degree of your apprehension is a bit misplaced. Many pros LIKED the AX Contax system that used the same z-shift and that camera had to move the heavy OVF system. Really, Z-shift on a sensor is mechanically not that different than internal AF on your lenses–that is unless you don’t use AF lenses because they aren’t “Pro” enough. If that’s true, you are 100% correct, ANY autofocus system would never be as dependable. If you DO use AF lenses then you’re getting a bit over worked. SSM/SAM/HSM/etc. fails from time to time. Shifting a sensor module is probably not nearly as heavy/demanding and shifting around heavy lens elements in a telephoto lens which is a reality many, many photographers live with (see the Lens Rental post about how often 70-200mm zooms fail).
Now how Z-shift will work with IBIS–that I don’t know. Still lots of questions. However fewer moving parts and more tolerance in z-shift than a pro-sec OVF operating a high frame rates. If it fails in the field though you are screwed because no lens will focus, whereas if your AF lens fails presumably you at least have another lens in your kit. I will definitely concede that.
I do agree with you that the AF sensor thing is a lot of wishful thinking, but I disagree about the complexity of this system.
Contax already had it years ago, and they had a lot more stuff to move than a sensor, so it’s doable.
Reliability is not a real issue either, moving a sensor is no more difficult than moving the lens elements of a super telephoto lens for example, if anything it would be easier.
The only real issue is heat, but even then a sensor and a good heatsink it’s still smaller than all the stuff contax had to move.
Now, the fact that Sony wants to do this is something else. I understand why contax did it, the competition were developing AF lenses so contax found a solution to not having to redesign all their lenses.
But Sony already has a ton of AF lenses, so why would they want to allow anyone to use anything other then their gear? By doing this they will lose the opportunity to sell a lot of glass.
Of course seeing from another point of view this would be the true universal camera, one camera capable of getting any piece of glass and AF with it, or semi-AF with it… that has a lot of appeal to a lot of people, and I’m one of those.
I know I’d be all over this body from day one, but to me this is wishful thinking too, I will believe it when I see it, that’s it. But I do hope it’s true though…I really do.
Oh, please, we have autofocus, stabilized lenses, stabilized sensors, mirrors and what exactly has gone wrong?
WK is the classic stereotypical old-set-in-his-ways man. Just ignore and all will be good.
Not just set in his ways. Continually throwing his toys out of the pram because Sony wouldn’t give him an OVF replacement for his A700. Which just means that any view (sorry, make that whine) that he proffers about Sony has no value whatsoever.
Please, don’t get upset and angry, it’s not worth the effort, this sight is supposed to be fun. It’s only cameras anyway, and I’m not really worth the time. You seem to be taking this personally, and you shouldn’t, there are far more important things in life. So, take a breath, and sure I’ll take a cookie with the milk. Thank you kindly. Oh, and before I forget, A-mount is dead, dead, dead.
P.S. Like the name, “DanDoesntKnow” thanks.
Dan
Walt, I fear what you are saying. This is my biggest concern, actually. I see it as the same problem I have with the e-mount lenses. Although I preach A-mount is dead, dead, dead, I hate the e-mount lenses because I fear the compromise. I see all these proticols for the lenses, which means they have lots of software solutions for correcting crappy build. Yes, that is my opiion, deal with it. For expample, the new Zeiss 16-70 looks great, but is not backward compatable with the NEX 5N. Why? Because, software correction for the lens, really? Zeiss, really? That is what I think will happen with the floating mount, it will require a software solution. But it will be a compromise, and then, eventually, it wil be discontinued, and not supported. Luckly, the float will be short lived anyway, but the emount lens problem will go on a long time. But, regardless of our opinions, A-mount is dead, dead, dead.
Dan
As a owner of A77 I really hope there will not be 32 Mpx sensor!
Can’t wait until i see someone pulling out 7000 lice (man i will be able to make many jokes with that name)
What is wrong with Axxx cameras with E-mount? You can use A lenses via adapter and have 2 cameras in one; if they get rid of the SLT technology does not make sense to keep than empty space for nothing
I am sure the LA-EA2 adaptor can be improved for those who still want to use that technology
Yep, if they don’t need a mirror anymore native A-mount bodies make no sense. An E-mount body with an A-mount adapter will be just as good and even better, it gives more possibilities to mount all kinds of lenses.
You’re forgetting the considerable amount of A-mount lenses out there which are big and heavy due to HQ clear optics for FF. Therefore, an E-mount body (with an OSPDAF FF sensor) will only be appropriate for many A-mount lenses if it is strong enough to support large telephoto lenses plus an adapter, be built in metal-alloy, water-sealed and sized to allow a comfortable grip to hold the whole setup together! Otherwise, Sony will most likely loose most of their current A-mount customer base, including me! I wonder if they want to take that risk …!
My guess is the A3000 is sturdy enough and big enough. Maybe the A7xxx will get battery-grip addon. Weather-sealing and “metal-alloy” are not necessary to make heavy lenses work on a E-mount with adapter.
I bet sony does not want to loose most of their customers, but about you in particular they propably do not care at all.
It sounds like this will be a c size 32mp replacement for the a77 or nex 7.
32mp is only 11.6% higher resolution than the old 24mp.
Even if the critics fear of megapixels were true (which they are not) this would not be enough of an increase to trigger the sky falling in so they can come out from under the rocks they ard hiding under.
Overal the specs across the board should ne a modest improvement and there should ne no downside.
I will probably get one of the new c cameras depending on final specs and price.
As for the next ff camera I would still like something comparable in resolution to the c.
Since the sensor is 2.25x the size I would still like to see one of the ten or so new cameras to be comparable in resolution.
In a recent sar pole over 10% stated high res (50+mp) as a top proirity.
If this survey proves typical than the high res camera should sell at least as well as the average sony new camera and I believe it would actually do substantially better.
Exactly, 32MP sounds a lot but it translates only into a marginal increase of horizontal and vertical lines. The jump from 24MP to 32MP is almost nothing.
A 32mp sensor will make it the second highest resolution stills camera with interchangeable lenses and the highest resolution aps-c camera.
increasing megapixels, in most cases, means only getting a bigger image (not a ‘better’ image) beacause lenses have a resolution limit.
“”increasing megapixels, in most cases, means only getting a bigger image (not a ‘better’ image) because lenses have a resolution limit.””
I am sorry but that is nonsense a higher megapixel count results in better results from every lens mounted on it hence the improving resolution numbers as the MP count goes up. This very easily demonstrated by looking at resolution numbers with the same lens { even low end glass} mounted on in this instance a 12mp D700 and a 36mp D800.The lens resolution limit { where advantages can be gained} are far far in excess of 32mp.
http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Lenses/Compare-Camera-Lenses/Compare-lenses/%28lens1%29/814/%28lens2%29/971/%28brand1%29/Nikkor/%28camera1%29/441/%28brand2%29/Nikkor/%28camera2%29/792
Lenses do not have a resilution limit.
Contrast decreases gradually.
There is no point at which a camera or lens stops working because the resilution is too high.
Even if any of these false asumptions were true an 11.6% higher resolution will not make a significant difference.
Does anyone actually believe that current lenses all precisely match the resolution of current cameras and any increase in sensor resolution will produce no increase in image resolution but actually a decrease in resolution?
That statement is ludicrous and is the only basis for these equally ludicrous lens resolution/diffraction limit arguments.
Be wary of Barry. Very wary. That could be a slogan. Be very wary of Barry, cause his mind is scary.
Huh? So If you mount a jello block on the front of your A99, what happens? Jello is acting as a lens, no? Of course. So if you take a lens designed using 3,000 lines per inch resolution, and put a camera on it that can produce 5,000 lines per inch, what are you going to see? You’re going to get the same thing as if you took a lower resolution camera and up-scaled the image. It will just be bigger blurry version.
Think man. Think.
Be very wary of Barry, cause his mind is scary.
LOL I like that. Fits.
And I agree. no lens on the planet will resolve properly for a 50+ megapixel camera. We’d be throwing our money away. Litteraly…
When you talk about 50+ mp you do not differentiate. Betwen c ff med format ir 2/3″ sensor.
Each of those would be a totally different resolution.
Therefore that argument makes about as much sense as your jello lens argument.
Conclusion…worry a llittle less about my mind and a lot more about your own.
Javier, you hit the nail on the head. And that is what Sony is saying too. But people like “Queen Zohee35”, “Skywalker”, “AlphaGuy” and all the other loyalists that preach head in the sand till the end want everyone to believe that A-mount is here to stay, and that is simply not the case. The transition has already started, and they are still in denial. Their positions will change in time; gradually, until the point when they start posting that they knew it all along. But a lot of folks will be mislead by this crew into believing that next year and the year after there will be an “3”, “5”, and, “7” series A-mounts and that will not be the case. A-mount is dead, dead, dead. It’s time to accept reality.
Dan
You think you are the wise man with your opinion, they think they are with theirs.
So what?
Maybe you are right that Sony is going to skip the A-Mount in the long term.
But for sure the momentary concentration on E-Mount developments does not prove it.
What I agree with you is that there likely will not be 3,5,7,9, series anymore, as it makes from economical Point of view no sense.
If their aim is to strengthen the entry Level E Mount they will likely skip 3 and 5 series on A-Mount in a short period.
For the higher graded series 7 and 9 there could be at least two cycles of new bodies. Otherwise the recent lens pro-grade lense releases (300G2, 500G, 70400G2, 50Z) and the confirmed 70200G2 would make no sense.
Finally I guess the truth is in the middle.
Even a broken clock is correct twice a day.
Saying something is going to occur soon isn’t exactly being correct when it happens 10 years later.
———
E-mount is dead, dead dead.
So there, in 15 years when you cannot buy any new e-mount cameras remember – I said it first!
EF mount is Dead Dead Dead. F mount is Dead Dead Dead. E mount is Dead Dead Dead. OM Mount is Dead Dead Dead. Ever hear of a self fulfilling prophesy?
You can say it until you’re blue, it doesnt make it true. I think everyone here listening to your rant realizes that you’re a crazy, and your rants are simply comical, but still…take a hike. People have been saying that A-mount is dead for DECADES now. DECADES. And they’ll be doing it for decades more.
Please, don’t get upset and angry, it’s not worth the effort, this sight is supposed to be fun. It’s only cameras anyway, and I’m not really worth the time. You seem to be taking this personally, and you shouldn’t, there are far more important things in life. So, take a breath, and sure I’ll take a cookie with the milk. Thank you kindly. Oh, and before I forget, A-mount is dead, dead, dead.
P.S. Like the name, “DanDoesntKnow” thanks.
Dan
I’m just here to keep you honest on this ‘sight’. You inspired me to write a song:
(In a redneck accent)
“A-Mount is Dead, Dead, Dead.
Just a gear-head, head, head.
I also wet my bed, bed, bed.
Be-cause I-m….
Paranoid about a cam-ra mount
When it goes away I scream and shout
Thinkin’ ten years down the road
When I should be out takin’ pho-o-tos
A-Mount is Dead, Dead, Dead.
Just a gear-head, head, head.
I also wet my bed, bed, bed.
And I am….
Spammin’ up the boards at S-A-R
Ramblin’ bout cameras at the bar
Gettin’ myself into a tizzy
Till I make everyone around me dizzy!”
Bleh…
I cannot speak for everyone else, or any other platforms. I can only tell you that the A-mount is dead. I said 6 months ago that Sony has planned an end game and would start implementation this year. I reported that we would see DSLR bodies with E-mounts released this summer. I reported the plant tooling issues and the SLT abort. As a side note I also reported on this site well before the original expected (rumored release) of the NEX 7N that it would not release in Arpil or May or in the summer, I reported this numerous times to Andrea, well before any of the dates because I knew it was very important to a large group on this site. Andrea, did you look it up like up promised, if you did, you will also see something else, very important, very detailed.
Dan
Jeśli sony chce wprowadzić aparat z matrycą Aps-c o rozdzielczości 32 mpix to mam nadzieje że da obiektywy które to wyciągną . A dwa zakres ISO który będzie użyteczny nie skończy na 800 , jak w A77. Wiem że podobno będzie to matryca nowego typu tylko A77 i A99 też miały być przełomowe i może był tylko nie w jakości obrazu i szybkości auto focusu !! A powiedzmy sobie szczerze że D600 który jest sporo tańszy daje taką samą jakość zdjęć na niskich ISO jak A99 i lepszy na wysokim ISO . A procesor A99 jest czasami za wolny !!! . Moim zdanie sony powinno się skupić :
1)Jakość obrazu !!!! Powinna przewyższać na APS-C Fuji i Pentaxa a w FF Canona 6D i D600 np ISO 12800 w pełni użyteczne nawet przy wydrukach A3+
2)Ogólnej szybkości aparatu
3)Poprawa celności i szybkości auto focus !!! lepszy niż Canon 5D mark III
YOu will reach a big audience with your message!! 🙂
How about trying to write it in English?
I can do that too (punches keyboard)
jasodphaowi aosh oahsea;we orhloaw ao; sehio;ah weo;gra weoghsugifwenro;s o;faghs eorgasbfo a;wseroah sfahs tawgh el;tgaw so;th aows hgfoais herioh asioghawo;e gras;l dbfoa;w ehrio; sge;
Nice… Real nice…
As-tu une douleur au cul parce que tu ne parles pas d’autre langue qu’un anglais hasardeux ? Mon pauvre, j’ai vraiment pitié de toi.
This is a predominantly English language board. Even the admin is not a native English speaker, yet he writes in English.
Or, in other words…
asohufoai oasjdfoah sogihawb ohbaso;bga sguifkawe iasug eauwsegrui awg sei;r aser
Et alors ? Rien n’interdit l’utilisation d’autres langues. Ou alors vous autres anglos êtes trop frustrés (ou ignorants) pour tolérer autre chose que de l’anglais, et cela confirme ce que je disais plus haut : vous êtes pitoyables.
Já vám nerozumím… 😉
Я думаю, вы правы. Я должен говорить на родном языке.
Maybe not.
By the way, this is what Google translate makes of his gibberish:
“If Sony wants to bring the camera with APS-C sensor with a resolution of 32 megapixel then I hope that the lenses which can draw. A two ISO range that will be useful not stop at 800, as in A77. I know it is supposed to be just a new type of matrix A77 and A99 also had to be groundbreaking and maybe it was just not in the quality and speed of auto focusu! And let’s face it the D600 which is a lot cheaper offers the same image quality at low ISO as the A99 and better at high ISO. A processor A99 is sometimes too slow! . In my opinion Sony should focus on:
1) Image Quality!! To be higher than the APS-C Fuji and Pentax and Canon FF 6D and D600 such as ISO 12800 fully usable even when printing A3 +
2) General speed camera
3) Improving the accuracy and speed of auto focus! better than the Canon 5D mark III”
Zgadzam sie w 100%.
Mam a77, D600, D800 i 5D MIII. Duzo jezdze po swiecie i targam ten sprzet. Przewaznie po 2 aparaty na wyjazd plus rs100 i wododporny na nurkowanie ew. snorkeling. Troche zaluje ze nie ma jeszce tej a78, bo byc moze bylby to uniwersalny aparat. chociaz w przeszlosci mialem poslizg z a55 i a65. Na szczescie jednak wyjazd uratowaly D300s, 5d MII. Poslizg dotyczyl gl. ostrosci. Za 4 tyg jade do Chin, Pld. Korea i na tygodniowy wypoczynek na Filipinach. Sony oczywiscie zabieram ze soba bo format video sony i aut. usawianie ostrosci video jest b. dobre. Krecilem video na D800 i nie bylem nim zachwycony. 5dMII byc moze jest nieco lepszy w tej materii ale nie ma lampy blyskowej a to sie czasami przydaje.
Pozdrwiam, Marek z Ontario
They should just have one body that takes both A and E mounts. One great product to unite their base. Sony seems to be the only brand that creates a gulf between A and E camps. Crazy strategy if they do two. There has got to be a way to have it all in one.
If it were easy to design and engineer an ae hybrid mount, they most likely would have done so given that the potential lens sales would be greater. Hopefully they can overcome the challenges so that at most a simple ring adaptor would be needed for a mount lenses (vs the current a-mount adaptors).
To be fair, they are the only brand that have A and E mounts. 😀
To be even more fair, the resaon that Sony users have feeling on this matter is because the MILC offer succeded, whereras Canon and Nikon fell flat, and Canon landed on Nikon … – So those camps will not see this discussions for a long time.
Ha, they should call it the Sony AE1
I think Sony should try selling this camera in a kit with the LA-EA2 and see the reaction. I reckon if that accessory was slightly more affordably priced, then low end A mount would become redundant.
According to the Amazon rankings…
The Sony A3000 is currently Sony’s top-selling “dSLR” — It’s not even close.
It’s 25 on the top 100 — The A58 doesn’t even make the top 100.
Among all cameras, the A58 is 5,087 — The A3000 is #416.
That seems like pretty conclusive evidence to me, that Sony will ultimately shift it’s entry and mid level “dSLRs” towards the E-mount.
Amazon’s rankings aren’t much of a base for any kind of conclusion.
Given the dramatic difference in rankings, I think it’s fair to say you can draw some general marketplace conclusions.
From a sales perspective, the A58 has been a dud. (The A57 is still higher ranked in sales). It’s not surprising — Sony has put zero marketing behind the camera. The photography world has largely ignored the camera — dpreview never even reviewed it.
You can also conclude that Sony is seeing success by going a bit radical — The QX10 and QX100 are top sellers. The RX100 is a top seller despite its premium price.
I wouldn’t call the A3000 a massive success with just a #25 dSLR ranking — But it also isn’t getting a massive Sony marketing push. I feel like the A3000 was a test balloon — floated by Sony to see how the market would react, compared to traditional dSLRs. The fact that the market hasn’t rejected it, I think will invite Sony to now take E-mount dSLRs more seriously — thus the sudden rumors of the A7..
Meanwhile…Rumors of new A-mounts keep getting pushed back.. The A79 was supposed to come this year…. Then “is the dSLT dead or not?”.. now just generic rumors of supposedly sometime early next year…
The QX10, QX100, A3000, now A7 — went from rumor to product announcement within weeks. If there really truly was an A79 that Sony was totally committed to — it would be announced now! (At least before the Holidays).
The fact that we just have generic rumors of “early next year” — skipping the holiday season… is strong strong evidence to me that Sony really isn’t very committed.
That would be only “very general” conclusions for Amazon’s market.
“The QX10, QX100, A3000, now A7 — went from rumor to product announcement within weeks. If there really truly was an A79 that Sony was totally committed to — it would be announced now! (At least before the Holidays).”
That would be true if the time from a rumor to announcement is a constant, which obviously isn’t the case. Also, the A77 is around 2.5 years old, which isn’t that bad for a flagship APS-C camera. Admittedly, an A79 right now would show more commitment to the final users, but it’s non-existence doesn’t strike me as anything out of the ordinary.
I’ve never heard of any serious consumer product skipping the holiday season in favor of a January release…. Unless it’s a purely afterthought/failed development product being tossed out.
It should be very very concerning that this product isnt even rumored to be released before the holidays.
Adam, there are plenty of serious products that have been announced in the first quarter of a year. The 5D3 was announced and launched in March. And it is hardly the only example I can give you.
Again, I don’t see anything concerning right now.
Right, Amazon is only the largest camera dealer on the planet.
First, I am not sure they are (but it is perfectly possible, second, it is irrelevant. The problem is how these rankings are made. Do you know how?
If you do not like Amazon charts as a market indicator despite their huge sales of cameras, maybe Japan woul be more pleasing for you or maybe not
http://dslrphoto.com/dslr/space.php?do=jranking
Again, the problem isn’t who is how huge, it is how these stats are made.
Talking facts to the likes of Vlad, DanDoesntKnow, Queen Zohee35, and the like is a waste of time. Although I do appreciate the name of the person in the middle. You see, they believe that it is a better strategy to hold off releasing products for sale, until everyone has one. Then unleash the same thing and and wow them into buying two. Kinda like trying to sell someone a DVD player in January, when they got a blu-ray player for Christmas. Fat chance! Anyway, the last time Sony released Alpha A-mounts in January was 2008. That was 6 years ago.
Dan, you should actually bring a fact, before you can claim that you brought one.
Please understand that the “popularity” of the A3000 is mostly ( if not totally )due to its price, not the mount…!
Exactly….. But being an E-mount isn’t stopping it from being more popular than A-mount dSLRs. The A58 is much cheaper than the A57/65/77 — But it’s less popular than any of them. Create a good product at a good price — to the main market, the A-mount holds no advantages over the E-mount.
Here is a thought (because I am not interested in APS-C cameras): why wouldn’t Sony create a camera with a larger than full frame sensor? RX100 and RX1 have been succesful for Sony because they have larger sensors than similar sized competition (ok Nikon A and Ricoh GR are almost the same size as rx100)
I see no reason to use “full frame” 35mm for a new camera or system, other than marketing maybe. Sensor could be larger, like 40 x 40mm. How about a compact medium format camera? Or a mirrorless medium format crop camera?
Talk to Barry.
Because there are 200 million full frame lenses that work with the full frame E mount and almost none that work with a 40x40mm sensor.
Ok, if we assume that people will buy a mirrorless camera because they can use their existing glass with an adaptor then yes, this is a valid point and makes even more sense if they’d work properly with AF.
I’d be curious to know how many people actually use their mirrorless cameras with adapters, though. Over 90% of the time I see a mirrorless camera people are using it with its native lenses.
And even if the sensor was 40×40 you could crop and get more from those existing glasses. 35x35mm image circle at least.
A 40x40mm sensor camera body would cost over $10,000 and have zero chance of Sony making one. There are many full frame E mount lenses and when more full frame E mount cameras come out Sigma , Tamron and Tokina will make them.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Mount+Type_Sony+E-Mount&ci=1884&N=4028759430+4190025432
+1
another idea: small digital back with CMOS sensor. This would be a view camera system comparable to ALPA but much smaller and much cheaper, e.g. Full Frame or square sensor + plates with shutter for all types of MF lenses, or plates for MF lenses with central shutter + separate EVF
such a system would provide best IQ from a smaller digital back, and would be affordable in comparison to the medium format digital backs.
And sell those to whom?
The people who bought the Hasselblad Lunar and Stellar.
if the prices were in the same ballpark as those, then it would not make any commercial sense.
I have been shooting Sony SLT for 3 years. You can call me a fan boy of EVF if you want but it now has become the most important camera feature to me. I am very satisfied with my FF setup with the a99 and CZ and Sony G lenses. I feel the IQ from it is excellent. My clients are very happy with the results as well. I am not looking for something different will FF. The a99 is the only FF camera that has the features I want. Finding an ideal setup with a mirrorless is a different story for me. I have been shooting with mirrorless cameras for the past year with an Nex 6, Nex 7 and EM5 with some basic lenses. I now face a crossroads like many of you that has 3 forks mirrorless APS-C, mirrorless FF, or MFT. I have decided to wait six months. I will not buy any high end lens for a mirrorless camera the dust settles about the next big feature for me IBIS. All I want is a mirrorless camera that has a EVF, tilting LCD, focus peaking, IBIS, in camera HDR, easy panaroma, and good video with an external mic jack. My list is not long. Now will somebody make it. I do not care what company I buy a mirroless camera from I just want the features I want. Boy am I tired of companies dumping down their models. So Panasonic failed my list with the GX7, Olympus with the EM1. If Sony does not put IBIS in a Nex APS-C or Nex FF then goodbye. So now I am waiting on Sony. In the end I will have to accept compromises like always. It seems that very camera I have ever owned was lacking in way of another. But then that is their marketing plan just buy the next model.
It really looks to me like A-mount is on the way out. It might take a few years, as Sony isn’t going to just shove A-mounters off the cliff just yet, but it’s happening. And to those saying, “You can still use your A-mount lenses; you just need an adapter!”, no thanks. I should have to use an adapter for all my lens on my primary camera system. This kinda crap is one of the reasons I’ve been debating on switching to Nikon; they don’t seem to pull this kinda crap. Plus, I could actually shoot tethered, have a whole new world of compatible accessories opened up to me, etc. Still, it’s not an easy choice, as I do love my current Sony cameras and Sony/Minolta lenses… I’m set for a while, but not sure which way I’ll when I decide it’s time to upgrade.
Sony should just communicate properly with their high-end users and that would make everyone’s life easier.
How?
Roadmaps, early announcements, statements about support of different products, timely and useful firmware updates, etc.
Vlad: Exactly. I fully agree.
When Sony themselves make up their minds on what they want to do ( and I mean in terms of A and E mounts ) they should make public some kind of a road map for the next 5 years. One can always dream…!
Who? Where? When? Why?
Huh?!?
A-Mount is not going anywhere. Sony just invested ££££ in developing new lenses for this mount. Why for example bother to update the 70-400g if you are going to kill the mount? Why develop the 500mm f4? Why would Sigma invest in A-Mount versions of its art series lenses.
A-Mount will move to semi-pro / pro body line up with e-mount taking up the entry level space.
I think Sony need to clarify the strategy for the mounts quickly as many pro users will move to canikon for the stability. Me included.
Right on, Steve. It’s the uncertainty that’s most unnerving, and stability is the very reason why I’m considering a move to Canikon. When I was just a hobbyist, it didn’t really matter, but now that I’m using my cameras for professional work, these things start to take on much more importance for me. I wanna know that my system isn’t reaching an endpoint in 5 years, that it will be well supported; or alternatively, that the only way to keep my investment working is to invest even more $$ in adapters and such. And really, like you said, all Sony has to do is come out and clarify the strategy, assure us upper-end users that this won’t be the case. Of course, if it is in fact the case, then doing so wouldn’t benefit them; they’d risk too many people jumping ship early, which they, of course, don’t want.
Seriously? Is it such a big deal to expend 200$ on a lens adapter when youve invested thousands on lenses?
A DSRL like E mount camera gives you the best of both worlds; you want to take the camera on the street? fix a small standard lens on it and enjoy
You want to go on safary? either conect a A mount or EF mount adapter and a big telefoto; any one you want
You want to do high magnification macro? conect the Canon MP-E on it via EF adapter
An E mount DSRL would allow you to use all the NEX, Alpha, Nikon, Canon lenses available on the market as well as lots of manual lenses like leica, M42, pentax PK
I think this cameras are going to sell very well, I can see many canon/nikon users getting one as second body
I’m very happy for you, that $200 means so little to you… Photography already being a very expensive hobby and profession, having to spend $200 more does seem a bit of a bother, yes. But more importantly, I’m tired of having to use adapters for everything when it comes to being a Sony shooter. With my current cameras being the old Minolta hot shoe mount, I have to use adapters for things like wireless triggers and other accessories (kind of lame that students/photogs in group shoots/classes I host can use my own equipment without adapters, but I need to use an adapter); now, with the new models being standard hot shoe, I’ll be able to use those devices without adapters, but will now need adapters for my flashes and such that are the old Minolta mount so that they’ll fit the standard hot shoe. Now if this change goes through, it’s yet another adapter… What other camera user has to use adapters for everything?!
Add to that other little annoyances like not being able to tether, etc., and it’s getting harder to justify why they’re the better option over the “other guys”, other than simply being a fanboy. I love their lenses, and they make a fine sensor, but honestly, so do the other guys… (and many of Nikon’s are Sony sensors anyway)
At least you can use your old Minolta stuff, I am sure old Olympus, Canon FD etc users envy your position.
Being a macro shooter living with adapters is part of my live, being able of using canon MP-E with my nex is something nikon macro photogrphers envy for sure. So, few hundred dollars open you a new world of oportunities, I think is well worth the extra cost
500 F4 was in development for at least 6 years. Mock up was shown on at least 3 Photokinas, the lens was late and it was finally brought to market in 2012. So the development of the lens goes back to the times of A900. Things have changed since.
WOW!!! I can’t wait to see all this NEW cameras and lens from Sony, I’m very proud Sony camera owner. 🙂
The A-mount has no real significance anymore.
Any A-mount lens becomes an E-mount lens with the addition of a simple extender.
I’ll just say it again: an E-mount body (with an OSPDAF FF sensor) will only be appropriate for many A-mount lenses if it is physically strong enough to support large telephoto lenses plus an adapter, be built in metal-alloy, water-sealed and sized to allow a comfortable grip to hold the whole setup together! Otherwise, Sony will most likely loose most of their current A-mount customer base, especially FF/Pros, including me!
I hope most people realize that the LA-EA2 adapter isn’t compatible with FF lenses on a FF sensor.
You need the LA-EA3 adapter which lacks the mirror and hence has very slow focus.
Lastly any adapter will be prone to failure.
Ask any of the scores of bird photographers who use heavy lenses with TCs and see how many TCs break or malfunction because of the stress.
An adapter is rarely a long term solution.
“An adapter is rarely a long term solution.”
Exactly. That’s probably why they finally caved in on the hot shoe battle: photographers were getting tired of having to use adapters to use accessories they want to use. And I’ve already had one such adapter fail on me…
Playstation VS XBOX. That is what a lot of the post on here remind me of. A-Mount users defending their Flagship position and NEX users desperate to shake off the “not pro” label. Each want the other to suffer. I think this betrays the age and maturity of many of those posting.
As a pro photographer I can only say that e-Mount as a primary mount for Sony would be game over for ny serious aspirations Sony may have of attracting professional or semi-pro users who buy systems .
You just cannot change mount without a viable reason and don’t see one. Everything to lose and nothing to gain. It makes no business sense whatsoever.
There will be two mounts for the foreseeable future, both suitable for different applications.
So let’s quit all this infantile “my mounts better than yours” playground chatter.
I own a a77 and a a99, plus five lenses (all of them FF): 24f2.0Z, 2875f2.8, 50f1.4, 100f2.8M and 70300G. With this five lenses I have all focal lengthes and photographic needs covered, don’t need neither on more lens nor one lens. If Sony’s strategy is to release just a couple a mounts in the next years in order to slowly phase them out in favor of e-mount, I honestly DON’T MIND…. PROVIDED THAT FUTURE E-MOUNTS REASONABLY SUPPORT (with adapter or otherwse) LEGACY A-MOUNT. I don’t mind if my future body is a or e mount provided it does the job with my existing lenses. However, if, an only if, Sony is really thinking of abandoning A-mount without building reasonable support for it on its future E-mount, then I really, really am afraid and Sony will never ever get one single penny from me ever again (not only on camera, but on all their electronics). Actually, whilst we wait to hear Sony’s position in this respect, i would advise anyone with a-mount bodies and in the need of lenses not necessarily to jumo ship, but to buy SIGMA ART lenses instead ( really nice ones out ther and even nicer ones coming). This is the most sensinble strategy cuz if Sony gives the finger to us loyal a mounters by not supporting it properly on e-mount, then at least your investment will be protectected cuz ART lenses can be changed to wahtever other mount if you pay Sigma a minimal fee.
+1
well said !
Actually, a brilliant idea. Kudos man!
“Anyway, if all these rumors are correct it’s clear how Sony’s strategy is to offer two versions of the same cameras in future. Always an E and an A-mount from any DSLR shaped camera to come!”
That would be an incredible waste of resources on their part. Sales would not pay for tooling/marketing on either.
My only concern about having to use an adaptor for my A-Mount lenses is the cost. At the moment the LA-EA1 is about £125 and the LA-EA2 is about £260
That’s quite a lot extra to add to the purchase price of an A77 class body – it would probably put the price in line with an entry level Canikon FF
Also both LA-EA1 and LA-EA2 add vignetting with fast lenses compared to using native A-mount camera (bokeh is cropped).
I think it would be fair if Sony made them right and set reasonable price:
about $50 for LA-EA1 and $120 for LA-EA2. It’s for using their A-mount lenses, after all!
Both the adapters aren’t FF compatible.
They have an LA-EA3 adapter that is but it doesn’t have usable AF.
So Sony will either have to develop some adapter with better AF or have on sensor AF for A mount lenses.
Interesting sentence from dpreview’s article about Olympus and the 4/3rd versus micro 4/3rds…
“Olympus created some very nice lenses for the Four Thirds system, but the company struggled to make enough impact in the market to justify the cost of continuing development for both systems in parallel.”
I think Sony is going through the same considerations for the A/E mount. As the two cameras become more and more identical, they won’t be able to justify continuing development for both systems for the same markets.
Given the long history of the A-mount… you may continue to see support from Sony and Zeiss for very high end users, who aren’t afraid to spend $3,000 on a camera..
But I think the days of consumer oriented A-mounts are coming to an end.
System Difference:
A-mount = PROFESSIONAL
E-mount = Amateur/Semi-Pro
A-mount = Boys and some Girls
E-mount = Girls and some Boys
A-mount = Badass Biker
E-mount = Bicycle
A-mount = Big Hands
E-mount = Baby Hands
A-mount = V12 Motor
E-mount = V8 Motor
A-mount with 500mm f/4 = PRO Equipment
E-mount with 500mm f/4 = Military Bazooka
I forgot another one???
LOL!!! 😀
A-mount = For old folks with their Minolta film lenses
E-mount = For the digital age
Zeiss full frame E mount ultra wide zoom:
“Zeiss has released a new cine zoom lens, the CZ.2 15-30/T2.9, which complements the existing CZ.2 70-200mm T2.9 and CZ.2 28-80mm T2.9 lenses.
As with other Zeiss CZ.2 lenses, the new 15-30mm T2.9 has an interchangeable mount system for compatibility with PL, EF, F, MFT and E mounts. The lens is compatible with full frame (e.g., 5D Mark III) and APS-C (e.g., EOS C300) cameras.”
http://www.photographybay.com/2013/09/10/zeiss-15-30mm-t2-9-compact-zoom-cine-lens-unveiled/
E-mount – for tweenty-somethings who don’t care about the skills involved with photography and just want something small, simple, spelled out for them – a camera that can do everything for them on Auto.
Take your ‘A-mount is for old folks’ and stuff it up your don’t-know-any-better neophyte embryonic arse.
Your correct, not old folks but old farts.
A-mount = Boxers
E-mount = Diapers
A-mount = Naturally occurring
E-mount = Viagra
A-mount = Heritage
E-mount = Hipster
A-mount = Alpha
E-mount = Kind of Alpha
A-mount = Serious photographer
E-mount = Serious photoblogger
What a bunch of nonsense; I would say a NEX-7 is “more profesional” than a A58
Cameras are tools and depending of your photographic needs one camera may suit you better than others. AS a macro Photographer I do not need AF or burst mode but I love being able to use a Canon MP-E on a NEX, I am sure many wild life shooters will love that 14fps burst capacity. I have sold my 5D mkII and I will wait with my NEX-5N until either this or NEX-7 succesor comes out. So according to some I have gone form PRO to Amateur with this move
It seems than only people with big telephotos (to counterbalence their small willies 😉 are profesionals. As long as Sony offers E to A mount adapters I do not see why people should worry; I would not carry a 500mm lens by the camera, neither with a A or E mount; that is the kind of lens you support on a tripod or monopod
Reflex mirrors are a thing of the past, SLT technology was a first step but the future is EVF and on sensor phase detection. So.. why leave that empty space on the camera?
You want light? NEX plus light lens, You want long reach? NEX+adapter+500mm
I very much agree with you on this point, Javier. Labeling someone pro or not based on which mount they use is ridiculous. The current NEX-7, for example, employs the same sensor as the A77, I believe, so what would make that tool any less suitable for professional work? As long as you can mate a good lens to it, it’s all good.
And despite my concern over the possible disappearance of the A-mount, I actually do intend to purchase a NEX at some point for my backcountry landscape work – image quality just as good as the DSLT bodies, but in a much smaller, lighter package to have to carry up into the mountains.
That’s right Fonk. I think NEX camras can make a ver nice and light package. In your case for landscape photography a combo difficult to match. In fact image quality is better on the NEX-7 than on the A77 as there is no light loss due to SLT
However in your case I would wait to see how this new sensor behaves with wide angle lenses, NEX-7 is problematic with them; I think because of the short flange distance reaching the corners on a step angle.
Good thing is you can use other APS-C wide angles, like the canon 10-22 via metabones adapter; I use the EF-S 60mm macro on the NEX-5N and I am very happy with it
I hadn’t read that yet about the problem with wide-angle lenses – good to know; thanks.