According to multiple sources from different US stores Sony will launch a new A99 superkit deal with a very(!) considerable saving. This will be the first time Sony answers the aggressive price reduction from Canon and Nikon DSLR. Currently we have plenty of “cheap” FF:
– The Canon 6D sells for $1,770 on Amazon (Click here).
– The Nikon D600 sells for $1,996 on Amazon (Click here).
– The Nikon D800 sells for $2,796 on Amazon (Click here).
– The Canon 5D MarkIII sells for $2,996 on Amazon (Click here).
Something had to be done to make the A99 more competitive. Of course the A99 is radically different camera. But this isn’t simply enough to make it a hotseller. I never saw the A99 within the top 100 of the most sold DSLR camera rankings at Amazon (Click here to see the list). So let’s see tomorrow if Sony US new offer will be good enough! As longs as I know there is no plan yet to lower the price in other countries too. But there have been some smaller price drops in EU stores during the last week and that may be the reason why they will not offer a bigger deal in Europe (see price at Amazon DE).
P.S.: Don’t forget that Gary Friedmann released his new A99 book: http://friedmanarchives.com/alpha99/
131 Responses
Nikon really won this round of entry FF as they were giving the 24-85 for free, all using a Sony sensor tied to their excellent processing. If it weren’t for dust/oil issue, Canon 6D would be licking their wounds. The A99 was handicapped by Sony to begin.
Lets see if this is a big deal.
Sony should put video capabilities at least as in GH3 and make noise around that, so the people get excited and buy the camera.
If not (as they did) the camera should be sold for around $2k.
Now if you want better quality and low light performance FF camera – you simply pick D600 or 6D, or if you want a better video camera you pick GH3.
Sony kind of lost it there.
And that’s a pity, because this is otherwise such an amazing camera!
I got a99, but after 3 days I sent it back . Video quality is far away what I expect .
At now I am waiting for nex 7n and I hope is gonna be much better . Alpha lens are good optic , but zoom ring ,focus ring awful . I have fs100 and 18-200 is very nice to use , but lens is very dark and aperture change when you start zoom . I hope Sony will give us nice fast G zoom lens with oss, quickly .
The video compression is bad, which is hard for me to understand, as it’s better in other cameras. It makes me wonder if the VG900 is this soft. I kept thinking I was out of focus, or maybe the AF wasn’t working, but nope, it’s just soft. The whole deal with SLT is supposed to be for better video, so what gives?
I’ve seen the promo videos, which I can only guess were using an external recorder. When you figure the cost of that, plus the other add-ons for recording video, you might as well just buy a video camera.
I just kinda think that if superb video performance is that high on someones list of importance, that they would be better served with a dedicated video camera. I am not a video guy but thats just my impression from looking in from the outside of it.
Agree 100%.
+1
But one big selling point of video capable DSLRs (or other large sensor cameras) is the ability to offer shallow depth of field without a $8000+ price tag.
Back when video was a novelty (like on the Nikon D90), it not about video quality, but about the fact that the DSLR could do video at all. But today, with every modern DSLR capable of video recording, people are turning their attention to video quality (especially since the 5D II proved that DSLR video can be taken seriously).
Whatever, it is still a big minus for a camera that on paper should excel vs pentaprism cameras exactly for its flexibility at taking videos…
Video compression is not the problem. 24 million to 2 million pixel sensor scale down is the problem. When so much of the image is thrown out on read out…you cant expect no artifacts.
Check out the FS100 if you want incredable video. Optimized for video only. Razor sharp and no moire. You get 10 micon photosites and incredable low light video.
I use fs100 + nex 7 for stills and photos, sharing both zoom and prime lenses. For me this represents the best compromise in cost, iq, and portability at the moment. But it doesn’t stop me from wishing for one camera that does it both. If sony could/would put the fs700 sensor (high enough res for stills but still reasonable for hd video) and processor into a more stills-friendly form factor, maybe like the vg series, that might do it for me.
I often see photographers say: why don’t you just buy a video camera? Yes, but again nobody would say no to less cost and less weight. Sony explicitly marketed the a99 as a video/still hybrid but crippled its video functionality. That’s the aggravating, if unsurprising, part.
No Sony camera within the top 35 cameras! This is poor but the truth … Sony … wake up!
SONY Loves the SONY Emperors New clothes,
but like the fable -They are walking around naked.
A99 not even in the top 100 of Amazon DSLR sales
That’s failure
Yup. Unfortunately, it was obvious from the beginning it would be so.
I wonder if all those saying that 2900 dollars price tag was reasonable to compete vs the D800 / D600 are still so convinced that the alpha dominion on the world is unavoidable…
It’s here already
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&identifier=S_SLTA99V_MMRYCard_Case_BUNDLES
Doubt it as those have been up for quite some time.
Doubt it as those have been up for quite some time.
Definitely not that one. The new deal is better!
Yes those deals are old. They say right on the bottom that this sale ends March 30th, so makes sense there would be a new sale after that.
Andrea – is the deal better than the free HDTV promotion for the a99 that went on during December?
Since the old sale ends on March 30th, wouldn’t the new sale start on the 31st?
Thanks for your hard work and featuring my work!
So where are the rebate checks for those (like me) who recently bought the Sony A99 at a significantly higher price??!! And let’s talk about how they’re screwing those customers on the resale value right from the get-go!
I hesitated buying it, thanks to unpleasant customer service from Sony in the past on assorted electronic items. Apparently their marketing department is a mess. Who drops the price of a camera and lens kit over a thousand dollars a few months after introducing a product?
If they don’t offer a significant rebate check for those customers who were victimized by their pricing scheme, I’ll never buy any Sony product again.
Just outrageous!
I bought my a99 in Nov for full retail and in December Sony did the free HDTV promo with the purchase of an a99. I called sony about it and they sent me the TV for free since it was within 30 days. Great customer service I thought.
Still don’t think the price is low enough
Why don’t they just drop the price out right instead of bundling with stuff?
yep, normally who buys a A99 already has good lenses and buy the body only
damn, my comments are always waiting moderation or they simple disapear…
My guess is that the real profit is in the lenses. There is so much R&D cost in the body compared to lenses that have already been out and R&D covered. This Tamron/Sony 28-75 is already quite old, and comparing Sony to Tamron prices, Sony is already ridiculously overpriced. So bundling a lens for cheap doesn’t lose money. It’s like getting a fast food combo where you pay an extra 0.$25 for a soda. Also, this moves body and lenses off the shelves and keeps you from getting a third party lens.
Except R&D is a sunk cost, meaningless to include that if you want market share, just sell slightly above variable cost.
That’s their bundle price? They are joking I think. It’s just an April Fool’s joke because that lens is not worth much. Most people are going for a better lens than that when they spend that kind of money.
Hi Andrea!
A propos superkit…
Now that the Nex 7n is delayed: is there a chance to get it bundled with a new SEL-1680(z?)??? 🙂
Will the new kit include an optical viewfinder? I hope.
LOL
Sony A99 is way overpriced vs the competition. Needs to be priced below 1800 A77 needs to priced under 900. The SLT/EVF tech is being beaten by OVF that Canon and Nikon are sticking with. See Luminous Landscape recent article on “I hate EVF”
Yeah, that LL article isn’t a reference for anything. Canon and Nikon came up with cheaper alternatives and suddenly the A99 lost its value? Why not compare it with the 5D3 and D800, as it should be?
I do not know about other countries
But here in Switzerland…
It is OverPriced !!!
Prices including Tax…
1CHF ~ 1.05$
Sony A99: 3000 CHF
Canon 5D III: 3000 CHF
Nikon D800: 2500 CHF
Canon 6D: 1900 CHF
Nikon D600: 1700 CHF
And? Same as the 5D.
For me, the 5D is also overpriced ! 🙂
Oh, we agree 🙂
Agree!
Also in Italy in many stores the A99 and the D800 are priced equally, with the D800 being sometimes cheaper.
The general consensus is that the D800, problems apart, is the best camera of its class in the market.
I can’t see how a camera like the A99, which has some better and some worse feature, can compete with the market king.
For this reason the A99 should have competed with D800 in feature, but with the D600 in price: after all the sensor is the same, and Sony could have pointed out how much better the Sony offering was compered to the competition. But going against a probably better (or perceived as better) camera at the same price, Sony prepared the utter failure of the A99 launch and market life.
lorenzaccio, I am also replying to another comment of yours here.
True, the D800 is cheap in Japan, but then look at the price of the 5d3 in Mapcamera. Basically speaking, the A99 is roughly in the ballpark of the 5d3 and D800, globally speaking. Now, whether the D800 is better, I believe is a matter of personal opinion. I would personally go for the A99, without even thinking twice.
As for the NEX, I think the system starts to look better and better, but admittedly they can step up with the lenses. This is what I believe they are doing and probably also focusing on a FF model. You might be right that the A99 doesn’t sell well, but I wouldn’t call it “obvious”. What they are doing now could have been the plan since the beginning. They needed a FF flagship model to replace an aging A900 and show commitment to the A line, but the A99 might just be a transition model and they don’t have any expectations for it. I believe this is also a plausible explanation, even though it might end up being wishful thinking.
Ciao Vlad, I tried to answer many times but somehow my messages get lost.
Well, next time, I hope…
I have heard more ppl switching from OVF to EVF than ppl switching from EVF to OVF.
I have seen couple of post from different ppl sell all thier gears and switch to Sony becasue of the EVF. But never see anyone selling off their Sony gear because of the EVF.
Most ppl whines about EVF su*ks are mainly ppl who never owe a Sony camera, eben OVF ones.
Sony must be wanting to move some units before they announce the A1X…
Better be priced the same as a d600(+/-) or I don’t think it will have much effect on sales… A flip screen lcd isn’t worth that many hundreds of dollars, Especially considering it offers lower image quality and Sony made the sensor for both cameras and I’m sure Sony don’t loose money on every sensor they sell to Nikon so they should be selling the a99 at the same price or a little cheaper than the d600 in reality…
By your logic a D800 would be the worst deal.
The fact that sony sells sensors to nikon has zero bearing on what price the market will bear on their cameras.
But I do agree 100% on where the camera should be priced (right in line with the D600).
agree
Ahh.. I see it is a Kit deal… Most buyers who might buy this body already have lenses and such… It needs to be a blowout on the body… No more of the kit sales with lenses that are not even as good as the ones people already own…
Forcing lenses on people that they don’t want or need has been a bad practice lately of camera brands…
If you discount a kit, discount the body only as well… Customers should not have to resort to selling all of their “New” lenses they don’t want they got with ‘kits’ on ebay because they already own better.
now where are those suckers who said a99 is perfectly priced, who called “troll” to anyone that saysa99 was overpriced?!
My thoughts exactly. You beat me to it! Full disclosure: Ive not used an a99, but just based strictly on marketing it was doomed from the start as far as wide adoption/enticing converts standpoints are concerned. I have been told that its “worth every penny”, etc. While that may be true for the owners of it, it doesnt translate to an economic success when its the highest priced consumer full frame camera released in the last bit. (and before anyone starts saying it; this camera doesnt compete with the eos1 and D4. It just doesnt).
This price drop-whatever it may be was inevitable from the beginning. And my personal thoughts are that you will see this go lower on the used market than you saw the a8/900 due to those being desired by OVF lovers (much like the a580 holds value considerably better than 5 series SLT models)
The a99 price falls faster than you can say “Where’s my flash adapter”?
a900 held it’s new price for years.
All current FF cameras are dropping in price fast. It’s crowded and the price wars are on. Back then all FF cameras kept their value. Altough, the A850 was basically the huge price drop for the A900. A last desperate attempt to sell Sony FF OVF cameras. Didn’t work that well.
The highest priced consumer full frame camera released in the last bit would be a Leica. Also, I believe you are talking about European prices as in some other countries the 5D3 and the D800 are actually more expensive.
A price drop doesn’t necessarily mean that a product sells badly. The D600 had already an amazing bundle deal. Is it selling badly?
Ok you are correct. Although I somehow doubt seriously if there too many people deciding between a leica M and a D600. There are completely different types of cameras, and you knew that I was talking about DSLR/SLT cameras. Take the RX1, I dont think that camera is overpriced beacause of where it competes, its very competetively priced.
I am in no way trying to knock the a99 (I would love to own one–and while I can afford it, I just dont want one enough to spend $2500 on it). All I am saying is that if you take away all the personal feelings about it, and brand loyalty it is priced too high for what it is competing with—which IS the 6D and D600. No matter how many people say its better than the 5dIII, sony is competing for the dollars of the people shopping those two cameras–and its way overpriced.
And I cant help but sense a little resentment from some people who bought it and will always try to justify their purchase to others.
Well, while I have had used one, I do not own one. I agree with what you are saying about competing with the D600 and 6D, but this doesn’t mean it should be priced differently, but rather that Sony is missing a model in their lineup. So, in that specific sense it is overpriced, although, then the same goes for the 5D3 and D800. What I am trying to say is, that for what it delivers, as a package, I believe it is worth its cost. With the exception of Europe, of course, I have no idea why the A99 and RX1 are so expensive there.
I think you may have hit the nail on the head there! If they cant price the 99 to compete with the D600/6D then they really need to just introduce a model to the line up that does. As for what features to remove or change, that I have no idea. Seems like when youre the odd man out you would want to go the extra mile (think pentax aps-dslr) to sway folks. And a lot of sony’s features are software related which doesnt cost to add (usually used to distiguish models in a line up).
Personally Id love a full frame SLT, with NO movie record button at all, a simple tilt screen of high resolution, 5fps would be plenty, no on-sensor pdaf, maybe even a lower pixel count sensor like a 20mp. Good build quality but they can keep the water proofing and magnesium bodies. These arent the film days where photographers keep cameras for years and years. These are electronic devices and people will be upgrading them as such, meaning on a much shorter cycle. Why would I want to pay for a camera built to last 30 years when I will most likely be replacing in it 5?
Agreed. On top of that, why are cameras such as the D800, 5D3, D800, D4, etc. that expensive? I mean, technology has matured and it is not like we see something radically new, it is just normal evolution. Looking at the computer industry, prices have fallen, yet with cameras we continue to pay exorbitant prices.
I have no idea actually. I would assume in the case of the eos 1d and the d4 at least they have the ability to say “find something to compare it to–then we can talk price”. There is just nothing out there that can play at those speeds or ISO sensitivities. Thats again why I say that if sony isnt going to make a game changing camera, that they have got to get real on their pricing. The RX1 IS a game changer, nobody else makes one, so they can price it as such and sell them.
In truth, while I understand sensor yields are lower on full frame manufacturing, I think a lot of it is still a matter of not wanting to cannibalize the crop frame market to the point that it isnt profitable.
And I think sony is in a position unique in that manufacturing SLT bodies requires less precision simply because they dont have to make a mirror flap around really fast and precise. So this SHOULD drive costs down but outside the lower end models I dont see that it has.
I think Sony are in a position where they realized a NEX system (APS-C or FF) and cameras like the RX1 and RX100 are their forte, hence they threw everything away and refocused. Well, at least I hope so.
Vlad, I hope you are right with the Nex etc. At the same time, I hope Sony realizes that they need a competitive set of small and good lenses for the apsc nex system. They need it quickly, actually. Everybody had fun of the new small Canon dslr, but I would not underestimate it at all. If Canon launches a series of decent pancake lenses to take advantage of the size of that camera, Nex market risks to be undercut very quickly. Among all mirrorless competitors, sony nex is the most vulnerable to Canon’s attack, as all others have at the moment some strenght the Nex does not have (e.g.: m43 already has a decent lens set; Nikon 1, as bad as it may be, is smaller and can offer very small lenses for long tele-lenses; Fuji is the poor people’s Leica; only Samsung is at risk as much as Sony here).
I am still waiting for smaller but decent zooms, and primes comparable at least to Fuji’s line…
In fact I was wondering where all those people have disappeared.
I have been called names for months because I kept on saying that, nice as the A99 can be, competing in price directly with the D800 would be a marketing suicide.
Not that now I feel satisfied or what. It’s actually very sad that a nice offering like the A99 was killed by bad marketing.
I am here. I don’t believe it is overpriced (except maybe in Europe) and I certainly don’t see how a bundle deal somehow proves your point.
Aahh..yeah, now I remember you are one of those suckers..
I guess it depends on your definition of being overpriced. For me, it is.
Sony realized it, thus price drop is imminent.
A camera like this, should be sub $2200 nowadays. All those whistles and bells to in it simply can’t justify its high price.
Is the camera good? Yes! Did it sell well as expected by Sony? nope! Then there’s gotta be something wrong..!? Yup..,it is overpriced!
So, I see your argument is based on the A99 not selling as expected. Do you have some inside knowledge from Sony to know what was expected and how many units were actually sold? Doubtful. Also, some slight price drop is hardly an indication of anything, let alone a new bundle. Not so long ago, if I remember correctly, the D600 was sold with a free 24-85 lens. Maybe it’s overpriced too?
Basically, you have your own opinion and that is quite ok.
Even in Yodobashi the A99 is more expensive than the D800.
The fact that Sony expected more sales is, well, a fact. In Japan (e.g.: not only Yodobashi, but also Sony Center in Ginza) people talk about “focussing on other formats” (i.e. the Nex apsc and probably also FF systems).
Considering that Japanese people never confess a failure, it should be easy to deduce that if they are not focussing on FF alpha as much as before (or as much as they thought) something negative has happened (i.e.: the A99 didn’t sell as expected, big time).
As I said: nobody “confessed” anything. But it is absolutely obvious
Bought mine and dfell in love with it after a week. Best camera out there. Sold my 5d 3 because the a99 was that good!
In this segment Sony had a golden opportunity to stay in the game by simply refreshing the A900. Heck, they could still do it but they’re simply too proud and unyielding.
+1
No doubt…Sony is incredably proud of themselves. They remind me of Apple sometimes. If they maintain that attitude it will continue to slow them down.
@tom:
> Sony A99 is way overpriced vs the competition.
> Needs to be priced below 1800 A77 needs to be
> priced under 900. The SLT/EVF tech is being
> beaten by OVF that Canon and Nikon are sticking
> with. See Luminous Landscape recent article on
> “I hate EVF”
While I agree the a99 is overpriced, let’s not
conflate the OVF/EVF issue with the brand/marketing
issue: Canon and Nikon have ALWAYS outsold Sony
in this market. SLT is Sony’s attempt to capture
market-share away from the Big Two.
So far, the SLT seems to have failed to sway the
masses… but then again, Sony’s SLRs also failed
to sway the masses, AND at about the same rate of
failure. Recall that the a900’s OVF was among the
very VERY best OVF’s available, impressing even
hardened CaNikon shooters.
It’s not the tech — good or bad — it’s that Sony
hasn’t yet gotten traction in the market.
I think (I think) the SLT strategy was good…
In my opinion A55/A33 and A77 succeeded in capturing market…
Because they made a jump to their predecessors and existing market models.
SLT A55 brought so many new features:
Largest VF in its category
10fps, autofocus in video…. etc
Never seen such features in such small body in the past
Without forgetting: Best sensor on market
The A77 consolidated that…
Largest VF its category.
And added an updated high quality EVF (OLED)
With the best sensor on market and the highest resolution never seen in APSC.
Add to that an incredible (quality/price ratio) SAL1650 kit zoom !!!
A99
unfortunately did not bring (In MY Opinion) any thing that made Wow effect…
Nothing new !
If these new approach based on sensor PDAF worked really as aimed (better coverage, and much better AF speed and accuracy results)… We may argue as it could be areal competitor to D800 and 5D…
Just my opinion…
I think all of the cameras you mentioned are actually nothing wow. Looking at the D800, except its sensor, it is just a D700 with video. not to mention, a camera like that would benefit greatly from a swivel screen, as many will use it for critical focusing. Frankly, it seems that all manufacturers deliver half-baked stuff.
Neither Nikon nor Canon need a Wow effect to maintain their DSLR market share… If the challengers remain at same level …
The Wow effect is needed for challengers that want to shake up the hierarchy…
PS.
The D800 36 Mpx sensor and its performances has a big a wow effect!
The D800 introduced D800E with a lot of Buzz…
D800 upgraded to the 51 AF points module to close the gap with Canon AF system… Which may be a Wow for Nikon users.
“Neither Nikon nor Canon need a Wow effect to maintain their DSLR market share…”
I’ll definitely give you that.
The 36MP sensor is a wow, as much it is a show-stopper, at least based on what I’ve seen. As to the AF, Sony might not be the best, but then they have the most amazing manual focus aids.
Just saw this posted on DPR. Not sure if its true but the guy said he heard it at a sony store.
This the last day for the 3199 price for the A99 however a new special starts tomorrow for the A99 with the new 60 flash and the grip for the price of the body 2798
What exactly am I going to do with that F60M flash if it’s not integrated into an entire flash system with mature 3rd party support for modifiers, slaves, brackets, off camera cables, without foibles and delays…?
What good is one flash?
That setup could be better accomplished by any point & shoot camera… without the back ache.
Im with you. If they want to sell lots of them they need to seriously adjust the price of the CAMERA. People may be on the fence to buy the camera could be swayed by an actual price reduction, but those people that dont want or need a $600 dollar flash gun are gonna stay on the fence or buy something else.
Another great Sony plan… Get the memo…
recipe:
1 camera that insults legacy investors and gouges new converts.
add
1 flash that compromises performance and has no 3rd party support.
add
1 huge grip that should have been half the size, or built into body.
get
A bunch of crap that doesn’t come close to fulfilling the promise of rumored specs for the past four years.
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr-new-sony-highend-alpha-camera/
Let them eat cake!
Testing a99 at local dealer yesterday, I asked the resident Sony expert to set a99 up in the following way…
Turn off all viewfinder information.
Turn off face tracking/recognition.
Viewfinder effects settings on.
Peaking on.
Manual focus.
Manual exposure.
Menu info tips/demos/instructions off.
I can’t stand the way Sony sets up their cameras. The sales rep actually shoots with Sony himself.
30 minutes later, he still couldn’t figure out how to turn off the facial recognition. Took forever just to configure the camera to what a pro wants to use… and I still had to watch the little floating boxes dance around the screen.
OK, a99 is nice… very nice. But Sony, please, instead of proudly displaying point & shoot technology on this camera, think instead to incorporate a system that professionals need to do their job.
No matter how low the price gets, it still doesn’t give us a 2013 caliber flash system.
really?? it takes about 3 seconds to turn on/off facial recognition on my A77, and i haven’t read the manual yet…
and can you inform me how is the camera set up to professionals shooting, i’m curious!!
+1
The reason I bought my a77 or a 5DII or 7D was because it was so intuitive…
The A99 is less intuitive than those cameras. The menu system is a bit of a mess.
This just isn’t true. Hit the function button, it’s on the lower left hand corner. If you use the quick nav screen, it’s right there, and couldn’t be easier.
The only thing bad I can say about the menu system is how it handles switching between raw, and jpg. It should be automatic if you’re in RAW, and select a function that requires jpeg.
What the hell are you trolling about?
Press the damn “FN” button and go over the face symbol and set it to “off”.
Push the damn button in the mode dial, turn it to “M” and it’s on manual.
Push the damn button in the mode dial, turn it to “S” and is in shutter priority mode.
Push the “MF” button in the back and it’s on manual focus.
Peaking is already set by default.
Viewfinder settings are in the…. Guess where?
😀
Damn… Pro shooting?!?!?!?
I’m no pro but, man, you let the camera choose the depth of field for you? I would hate that.
The Sony rep should have turned the dial to “P” and while handing it over he’d have said “there it is, it’s in Pro mode”!
Hahahahahaha
It was a little humor…
Where in my post did I say I wanted camera to choose DOF for me?
It’s not out of line for me to ask the “rep” to set the camera up as close to my a900 shooting method as possible. I denied the a99 a couple of weeks ago, because I couldn’t deal with the out of box computo wiz bang game controller experience. But I wanted to give it another chance… see… and put it on level ground to what I’m accustom to… the a900.
I really wanted to give it a chance. That’s why I asked rep to set it up, so I didn’t walk into the experience with frustration against it. Like I said, it’s a nice camera. I’m sure to be getting one soon enough. And then I’ll have time to go through the instructions and decide what features I want to incorporate. The sales counter was not the place for that.
Even the rep (a Sony shooter) was surprised to see some items in Menu, and some in FN. Who knew? He admitted that Sony doesn’t give them any training at all on the camera, beyond the feature list. Too bad.
What dealer did you go? I will never go there.
It takes less than 5 minutes to do what you requested without even looking at the manual.
Total failure on the sales rep.
That’s lame on his part. Those adjustments take moments. Now, if Phottix would just make triggers with the new non-standard “standard” shoe….
still wandering about the good deal..
I love that the Pentax k1000 is outselling the A99! A camera around from times before I was alive is getting more market share on Amazon than Sony’s flagship dud. Sony is unquestionably going to lose crap loads of money on that product, not because it sucks, but because they think it’s competing with the D800, but pretty much everyone else (minus Sony fanboys) thinks it the underdog to the Nikon D600 and Canon 6D. Althing EVF is a compelling idea, putting a piece of plastic in front of the sensor is as dumb an idea as it gets. Oh we’ll, they learned the hard way.
In Mexico you can find to a regular price the A99 in $2300 dls, I don’t know why but this is the regular price, when there is a rebate or some discunt I find it in $2000 dls
$1699.00 for body Only and I MIGHT get one and shoot natural light only…
Until then I will stick with the a580… Not that I would sell my a580 and long as I own legacy Minolta glass and 58 flashes anyway. I have no interest in another $600.00 flash after already owning 2-$500.00 flashes… Sony really messed up switching the flash mount/price/focus area on this one…
Compared to a77 the a99 has a larger ff sensor.
This has advantages and for fans oth 24 mp camera sony has given you what you asked for.
The larger sensor also carries with it disadvantages such as less depth of field and no crop factot.
To fully conpesate for all the disadvantages requires a 56mp full frame camera.
This would in every way match or exceed the quality of the a77. No downside.
Cannon has just announced they will make such a camera.
Sony waited too long 36mp will no longer cut it.
Sony has all the best pattents. If sony cannot match or exceed the competition with all the best tools at its disposal than what the heck are they in business for.
Hang up your camera business alongside your tv business and try making toys or hot dogs or something you can handle.
Barry, you do know that to most buyers the 1:1 crop factor and the shallow dof are considered good things, do you? why buy a ff camera at all if you don’t like those things? better low light performance? well, you lose that too when closing the aperture in order to maintain deeper dof.
How about better low light performance at the expense of dof.
O
When shooting animals and macro dof is critical.
Getting an entire animal in focus and sharp is difficult to achieve.
The 1.51 crop factor is equal to a more than a full full f stop of dof. In addition the apparent out of focus in the background is greater.
The increase in iso inherent in the larger pixels can theoretically exactly equal this loss. In actuallity the smaller sensor inproves the dof slightly more than the increased iso can compensate for.
Therefore when the most important consideration is overall sharpness of image across a wider deptb tbey are close to equal.
Therefore anything less than 56mp involves taking a step backwards in order to move forward.
At 56 megapixels there is no step backwards in fact the images can be cropped to match.
As to your bokeh question. Yes some people do like that effect and that is indeed a plus for the larger sensor. The larger sensor
Continued
Does have some advantages I however do not wish to pay the quality price to get those benigits.
Lastly
Back in the film days everyon strived fot more dof. Only when compact cameras with enourmous dof threatened the future of slrs, did camera manufacturers start talking about bokeh as a positve feature.
are you trying to tell me that the not so unusual thirst for shallow dof is invented by manufacturers, with photographers having nothing to do with it? that it’s some kind of hoax to sell dslr:s? i agree that it’s not always a good thing, but having the option is nice i think. i see now why you want the highest possible pixel density though. the more pixels, the more you can crop with maintained resolution, and the more you can crop, the deeper the dof.
Yes. Camera manufacturers and nostalgia buffs longing for the good old days.
People have always resisted change.
To this day many people still arque the benefits of film over digital.
This is the basis of the ongoing arguments i have whith some sar readers.
While the future is clearly headed towards higher resolutions and more megapixels nostalgia buffs still cling to the good old days of only 24mp.
If sony remains in the good old days with only 24mp it will not survive.
36mp is already too little too late.
Unless sony jumps ahead with 56mp or better it cannot survive. It will never be percieved as a leader.
Canon is about to deal the possibly fatal blow to sony with a new high resolution camera.
Nikon has been selling 36mp for a long time.
Sony has nothing more to pedal than 24mp.
Pathetic….living in the past.
Sony is not a leader. It cannot become one unless it exceeds the others in a noticeable way.
Sony MUST MUST MUST produce a new product that stands out so people will say WOW I GOTTA HAVE THAT.
Sony is onlly trying now to keep up. To make mediocre good enough products.
Thats why sony fans argue good enough, how else can anyone argue for sonys current direction?
One more thing.
For some people low light performance is the holly grail.
In that case this is the best sony camera currently available.
For those of us to whom sharpness and resolution are the holly grail sony os not making that camera.
Well after a lot of debate I bought the A99 (upgrade from A77) and aI was like you who think it over priced?
The thoughts melt away after you take a few shots and then see them on screen?
The D600 looks like a plastic toy? go feel and handle one?
Yes the A99 expensive but it coming down and there deals to be had? I got mine with the grip for the price that the body alone should be?!
My advise is if you thinking of buying the A99 do it you will not be disappointed I promise you!
Im with you man, this camera is amazing. If more people gave it a chance it would be #1. It feels great in the hands and you always know what your going to get out of an image. Id say its the best DSLR/slt to DATE!
Agree with you; got it in December and using it together with an A900 and a RX1. Excellent image quality and far better color tones than from a Nikon or Canon.
A99 is built like a tank; I dropped it by mistake, with a 24/70 Zeiss attached, and both still working perfectly: the only think that broke was the lens protector.
D600 is a plastic toy and I don’t know how people can even compare it to the A99, then I read all the comments above and suddenly everything’s a lot more clear.
People should just try it and then judge, but we know that there are a lot of haters and “know best” kinda people around.
I just enjoy what I have, which is pretty damn good I would dare to say.
Take care people.
Well, for one thing, most people don’t plan on dropping their FF DSLR. the other thing is, for a much cheaper price, you get essentially the same sensor that performs even better because it’s a DSLR instead of a DSLT, another thing is that Nikon has a much better record in producing pro stuff (accessories as well as compatibility), sony? not so much.
Ok this is like some company is producing OS for computer to compete with windows, you think they’ll win pricing it higher than the price of windows?
A99 drop to 1600, I’ll pick it up, other wise, I might as well go with 6D or D600, the pro lens for all of these system are essentially the same price.
For one thing, there is something called accident.
Second, there is not much to discuss with you if you are picking a camera based on the sensor alone without considering other functions.
Third, if Nikon is a better Pro stuff maker like you say, and can provide a better Pro system to you like you said. You don’t really need to look at Sony’s SLT or NEX SYSTEM!! Regardless of its price!!! You know that we are not talking about P&S here, right?
Forth, +1 on D600 is a plastic toy. I tried it.
Last, A99 got gold award on Dpreview. Comparing side by side with D800 and 5D3 and A99 have the highest score. (Reminder: Dpreview reviews give score percentage base on competitive model, that said score of 96 on D600 does not mean it is better than D800, 5D3, or A99) Regardless of its score accuracy, these 3 cameras are close and I do not know why ppl keep comparing A99 to D600.
Anyways, you are welcome to get a Nikon.
D600 doesn’t feel anything like a toy and if thats the excuse you need to justify paying a $1,000 premium for your a99 I get it. oneday as I did Sony users are going to realise Sony has no rod map, their so lost in their focus that a gps can’t them back on the road. The SLT was a failed stab in the dark that only a few are buying into.
Yes my friends, it has been a while (about a year) since the last time I read this forum. Back then things were the same, people couldn’t believe how people prefer Nikon or C. As much as I still love the Sony brand (own Sony desktop, tablet, walkman and a couple of years old handycam)I felt almost forced to sell all my Sony (camera) stuff, which was not that easy to sell, and look for a company that – for me – was committed to the FF Pro market. In the end, this guys were not paying me to be loyal, or at all. I went to Nikon and bought some amazing equipment, 0 problems (I know some guys are gonna say that’s not possible). Right now I have to pray for the D5 (when it comes in 3 years or so) to be insanely good as it would be a huge loss and crazy to jump back anywhere else. The thing my friends, is that this Sony stuff, talking about super cameras that never come, how Sony is the best and people are blind no to see it, that the a55 has this, that the D700 lacks this, that the mark 2 is worst than A900, that the D600 lacks this or that 5D3 lacks that, this has been going for a while, move on guys, Sony is a great company with great products, it is just NOT a company dedicated and fully dependent on cameras, more so FF is certainly not their target market.
I to am almost a year out of my Sony gear and I’m so blown away by the difference between the Sony SLT product and good old OVF Nikon products that I won’tgo back to Sony. As far as comments about the d600 OVF being poor thats just bs. I’ve experienced both the a77 evf and it has a couple of advantages, but doesn’t compare to 100% OVF IMHO.
Oh and forgot to mention, OVF on D600 is crappy too. Tried it at Costco with is kit lens, it can only transmit, say, less than half the light in the warehouse. Image from it is likf in a dimmed light room. For those of you been to Costco will know what I am talking about. It’s nothing compare to A900. for that reason alone I won’t buy the D600, no matter how much it cost.
D600 (as simple as it looks like) will have a99 bite the dust when it comes to overall speed and simplicity of operation. The post above only confirms my experience. I tried them all: d600, d800, d4 and Canon 5D mk3 and settled on the 5D. Sold all my equipment and now I see why people dependent on their income from photography choose Nikon or Canon. a99 is a camera for amateurs and some advanced users with deep pockets, it is not flexible enough to satisfy the demands of a pro photographer and fails miserably in the flash department, low light focus speed and frame coverage, battery life, dual card write (you get about 350 shots before the battery drains), can’t set live view on/off in user memory settings for fast switch from Studio to available light shooting, back lighting throws off the EVF and makes your subject too dark and very hard to focus on, had to use plastic adapters, cords and 2 sets of wireless triggers and a mix of old flashes and HVL-60 on the job and there’s more. I had to jump through so many loops that it was easier for me switch the platform.
Sorry to hear that.
For the A99, the live view @ rear LCD can be turned on and off simply by the “Finder/LCD” button on top of camera. Also, if you do not want to use the rear LCD at all, simply flip the screen facing the body. The LCD will shut off to save battery. ALso, you can turn both EVF and LCD off together if you want(flip the creen and press the top button), but i guess no one will wanna do that. And I can tell you if you pick all battery economy settings, the battery charge will last for more than 350 shots. Plus, you can have 2 more batteries if use the VG.
To me, OVF on Nikon cameras are too dim, specifically the D600 (see my previous post), but i guess it is the same for all their cameras; I am guessing it is due to the light steal from the 2nd PDAF system + the overlay (semi-trnasparent) LCD on top of the mirror (give you brownish image in OVF). To be honest, i don’t test much on the D600, becuase i don’t like the feel at all once I am holding it. Personally, I don’t think I can focus better given the poor OVF + no peaking (for manual focus at least).
Well I just hope this latest rumor doesn’t change the previous SAR rumors of new glass. I have no need for a new camera body so Sony can shoot themselves in the other foot as they wish.
Sony is not able to please everyone. Sony is not able to move all canikon users over to their park. People that take 12 pics a year firmly believe that Canon is the best camera regardless of anything. They foam at the mouth over it. They defend that name. All else is crap. You’ll be ridiculed for using anything other than Canon. You can’t possibly be getting good snaps with that crud. One Canon to rule them blah.
But even this rumour site has more nail biting things to come than the canikon rumour sites. I’ve come from Nikon (still have the glass) and I’m always interested in Sony’s next innovation. It almost seems they’re fearless. To bad they garnered the type of fanboys that are always envious and ready jump ship. The A99 is fantastic. It’s way better than the 5d iii. Just f’n shoot! We live in mindless herd of camera forums now. I have a crown graphic that beats the living hell out of a D800 (for certain things of course) and the D800 will soon be a thing of the past. Collecting dust on ebay.
You are talking nonsense! All professionals that I know use Canon or Nikon … and all my professors used Leica …
All cows are ungulates, but not all ungulates are cows.
LOL…
I’ve been making a living since 1985 with Alpha mount… Minolta, the company that built cameras for Leica.
Preach… A camera is a tool to be used. I imagine if cameras could talk they would probably laugh at most of us. I get asked a lot what camera should I get. I normally say sony because of all the great cheap minolta lenses on ebay but I also tell them go to a store and try then all. I mostly get sony sucks or I heard this or that. They never actually tried sony and end up constantly upgrading there canon body instead of the lens.
Rather than lower the price, I’d sooner Sony come out with a successor or brother model sooner. There’s too many things on the ninty-nine that were insufficiently debugged or poorly thought through. More than anything, I don’t like to feel like I’m in conflict with my camera.
That would be optimum.
I just sold a Nikon lens to a guy who was asking would it work on a D40x… it would but won’t auto focus. Anyway he bought it and I suggested he could sell the D40x and buy a D90 for cheap and it would auto focus. LOL I just noticed that he’s selling the camera AND lens on Kijiji. It’s so true that most users of Canikon DSLR are clueless and that’s where the numbers come from. I’m not here to bash Canon or Nikon, nor do I ever want to be a troll, but they just aren’t innovating enough for a modern dude like me.
so… what was the big deal?
Minolta gave up dslr 7 years ago. Focused on pro gear and made in financially!
Sony bought the business but didn’t put in innovation? Dslr doesn’ t take off in Sonys hand.
Sony is making everything from clock radios, headphones, receivers, speakers, game consoles, tv’s, cameras, lenses, computers, tablets, cd players, phones, motion pictures…….
Sony used to stand for innovation, design, good price/performance! It doesn’t in most aeras any more. Samsung, Lenovo, Apple, Olympus, Canon, Nikon,.. are strong competitors.
Sony got to FOCUS now or the market is gonna do it for them.
April 1st joke
I see a lot of people talking pure nonsense, with no datas available and strange ideas.
Camera’s just a damn tool: take pictures instead of talking about taking pictures.
I hope the Easter bunny’s gonna deliver some eggs filled up with “serious sense of judgment” to many of the people writing here.
I wonder if the stores were faster with the exact news than SAR. According to a post on dpreview, the price of a new kit with a99+grip+F60M flash is now $2798.
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/51188249
Just saw the same deal announced on the Sony website.
So no change in price, but now throwing in a good flash and vertical grip.
I’d rather see them just drop the body price to $1999. Just can’t see man people choosing is over the Nikon d600 and Canon 6d as long as it costs 40% more.
The only folks who would switch systems to shoot the A99 are people who would also buy the D800 or 5d3. The D600 or 6d would be a downgrade from any of these.
Besides it would be ridiculous for a FF alpha user with G and CZ glass to sell their equipment taking a substantial loss just to purchase a cheap bodied D600 or 6D.
Maybe Sony should release a similarly stripped down version of the A99 akin to the 6d and D600 for those that care about saving $800 over build quality and features. This is pretty much what Nikon and Canon did.
Hell all the A99 users local to me in Miami all switched from Nikon or Canon.
sorry to say but there are too many ignorant fanboys here.
give us a lower price and we’ll consider it FULL STOP
stop comparing it to the d800 and 5d3 and saying the a99 is worth it, it just simply isnt and just admit to it already. GEEZ
Well heres the deal I suppose. I guess this is a good buy for the handful of people who were already planning on buying this camera, and flash, and grip. As for swaying people on the fence about which FF to buy? My opinion is it wont have any effect at all.
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&identifier=S_SLTA99V_MMRYCard_Case_BUNDLES#
There is no sale on the A99, just some new bundle.
The NEX-6 is on sale, $100 off, no crummy bundle, just $100 off. That is a sale.
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921666486669