Before to talk about the next A99 rumor I really invite everyone to stay tuned on SAR. I toke off some time from my daily work to deal the huge amount of rumors I am getting in these days. Most of the rumors are form top sources. So stay tuned and subscribe our RSS feed or follow me on Twitter and join the super friendly Facebook comunity 🙂
That A99 rumor is coming via super trusted sources and has been rewritten in a bad childish english to hide the language style 🙂
1) First, the a99 sports a standard ISO hot-shoe! Finally I can say!!! They built a very compact adapter to fit current alpha flashes onto the A99 hot-shoe. The ISO adapter mounts very similar to a nikon flash, where you slide in the hot-shoe and then turn a lever to securely lock it into place. This means in the future, Sony’s new flashes will be using the standard ISO hot-shoe. Death of the alpha plastic hot-shoe!
2) There is also a customizable control wheel at the bottom left of the camera. It looks like they created a variation of the [shoplink 8454]Nex-7[/shoplink] tri-navi system.
3) Look: Very similar to the A77, just a bit bigger and with a more pronounced hump at the top. Same articulating screen. The control dial on the top left now has a center locking button. You will need to depress that button before you can turn the control dial. No more turning it by accident.
4) This is SR2: The 102 AF points AF sensor is actually a dumb’d down AF module. The ORIGINAL af module developed for the a99 has a much higher number of af points. I don’t know how true it is. But it is something good to know.
5) As we know the A99 has 102(!) Focus Point. In a Local Point Mode (Where You Can Select One specific Point to Focus) you can select only one of fourty. The other neighbors Focus Point Will Work as Focus assisting points.
More rumors are coming in every hour….stay tuned on SAR!!!
193 Responses
Yes! This sounds very, very good indeed. 🙂
I wonder if this means that Sony is going to commit to Nikon-like flash function. They never really were very close before.
Good news?!
There’s nothing “standard ISO” about any modern hotshoe. Even the much-vaunted compatibility with flash triggers is a ridiculous argument, because the most advanced models are only made for Canon and Nikon anyway – not for Olympus or Pentax, despite their “standard” hotshoe. The more basic models – and even some of the more advanced ones – already exist for the iISO hotshoe, so unless you have an absolute craving for using a single “dumb” flash trigger for two or more brands of cameras – without an adapter, of course – then the argument about compatibility is null and void.
“The physical dimensions of the “standard hot shoe” are defined by the International Organization for Standardization ISO 518:2006.”
so it’s pretty standard.
Yes, if you only want to mount “dumb” devices in your hotshoe. Try and make a Canon flash work on a Nikon body in TTL. Try and make a Nikon flash mounted in the hotshoe of a Canon camera act as wireless master for other Nikon flashes.
Other than holding a flash or other device and triggering the flash, every function in modern hotshoes is non-standard.
Any news for flash (HVL-F60AM – perhaps)
The Sony stupidity has not limits…
Please elaborate.
– Standard Hotshoe
– no XQD
– still not going to the full potential with AF system, huh?
Wow! What a massive regression! Hopefully this will all be reverted back in a release or two…Stupid.
Agree.
Can anybody tell me what’s so great about the ISO hot shoe, and worth breaking the system again?
The system will not be broken if it comes with a compact adapter. It just increases the flexibility. You can use the A mount flashes if you have them, or other third-party flashes if you have them.
What flexibility? You can mount exactly the same now with an adapter (5$ in ebay). What’s the point to use an adapter with original accessories?
“What’s the point to use an adapter with original accessories?”
Because the original accessories won’t work on the standard ISO hot-shoe included with the A99.
I think that the meaning of endos’ question was easy to understand, but let me rephrase his question:
What is the point of using a hot shoe which needs an adapter for original accessories when adapters are already available for fitting unoriginal accesories on the old hot shoe.
Seems to me that Sony have caved in to an idiotic user request. If the ISO hot shoe permitted advanced flash control across different camera makers, I could see the idea of using a common hot shoe. But when it is only a physically identical hot shoe with no support for other camera makers’ TTL etc., you don’t gain much by using the same hot shoe.
Basically, Sony is damned if they do and damned if they don’t. They get crap for apparently not listening to customers, but when they do listen, they also get crap.
Lotus Eater, who exactly are they listening to?
GREAT NEWS! Finally I think Sony did listen to the “Dear Sony” thread on Dyxum for the next FF camera, I DID specifically request Sony to have STANDARD hotshoe like Canon and Nikon, BECAUSE it will drive many professionals to SONY, now they can use Pocketwizard or CyberSync Flash triggers WITHOUT any stupid adapter, if you want to get in professional market, you have to go with professional standard, look at all other brands, even Leica, they all use standard hotshoe!!!
Thanks Sony, I’m getting more and more excited about the A99 now :))
One little adapter should keep pros away from Sony Alphas? Ridiculous when you look at the immense amount of adapters that photographers will buy for all brands of cameras. No sooner was the EOS 5D II announced than you could buy the most cumbersome rigs for it to fit it on anything from helmets to motorcycles – using manual focus only, of course, but no problems there.
With regards to flash triggers, the most advanced models with wireless ratio control of flash groups only exist for Canon and Nikon, and the Nikon version from Pocketwizard came long after the Canon version.
All in all, the iISO has no real disadvantages that changing to the ISO hotshoe would take care of, but it has one big advantage that requires a lot of tinkering to implement on the ISO hotshoe: a fast, secure locking/unlocking mechanism.
You can already use third-party flashes with an adapter today. Why introduce the necessity for an adapter _within_ the system?
And the so-called ISO flashes are either “real”, dumb, non-TTL ISO flashes, or they are really only “ISO-like” flashes that are still specific for a system like Nikon’s or Canon’s, without cross-compatibility.
So again, what’s so great about the ISO mount? It would introduce just another ISO-like, not-really-compatible flash system, only alienating owners of current Sony flashes without real advantages.
^^This^^
The advantages are going forward. Especially if Sony used a contact pattern and logic the same as Nikon or Canon. Opens up a lot more third party flashes. Also I have no Sony flashes all mine have to use an adaptor or a sync cord, so normal ISO hot shoe would be great. The advantages are less if Sony requires a unique set of contacts and uses different wiring logic than everyone else.
The Minolta-Shoe is superior to the ISO shoe, why adjust to a lower level?
Exactly! What’s the point of downgrade when in every way iISO is superior to standard ISO hotshot?
I bet Canon or Nikon would dump that crap ASAP if not the huge legacy of flashes.
You guys drive me CRAZY!!!!
People bitch and moan because Sony has a “proprietary” hotshoe (BTW.. Minolta had it… not sony). Now they’ve decided to move to a more standardized hotshoe and…. wait for it…. BITCHING AND MOANING!!!!
“Waaahhhh!!! Now I have to use and adapter!”
“Waaahhhh!!! I can already buy and adapter. Why do they have to give me one for free?????”
“Waaahhhh!!! Sony is screwing me! Now I have to buy a new flash!!!!” No — that’s why there’s an ADAPTER you idiot! And…. they’re GIVING IT TO YOU.
You guys are like listening to my three kids fight with each other becuase one got a bigger piece of a cookie and two got chocolate and one got vanilla.
Grow up
Have you considered that the group who was complaining over the iISO hot shoe perhaps consisted of other people than the group who is now complaining over the change to ISO hot shoe?
I did not complain before, since i considered the iISO hot shoe mechanically superior to the oldfashioned ISO hot shoe and was satisfied that Sony kept using it.
I complain now because Sony has caved in to the fools who demanded an ISO hot shoe, even though it would not give them any cross-compatibility anyway.
He obviously didn’t consider it, as he was too busy bitching and moaning.
Indeed, they succumbed to idiotic suggestions…Coming from Canon, Minolta hot shoe was such a relief…Stupid if true…
I agree…
I agree
I’ve been one of the complainers about the dumb split rail hotshoe. This is a very happy day for me. Those of you that follow Sony cameras know that the Cyber-shot DSC-F828 came with a standard hotshoe. I think out of laziness they opted not to change it for the sake of not upsetting the old Minolta users. Finally we will be able to pick and choose which flash guns we want to work with and not need to be married to 2 or 3 flashes available from Sony.
Would you like me to link to some of the many third-party flashes available for the iISO hotshoe?
Here you have some thirty models, not counting Sony’s own:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Compatible+With_Sony&ci=647&N=4288586284+4294955932+4294955916
#3 is very interesting. It suggests perhaps Sony does take on board some of the feedback. That would be a huge plus to me, despite it being a relatively minor change.
“Because the original accessories won’t work on the standard ISO hot-shoe included with the A99.”
That’s why Sony stupidity has not limits. They make a camera that can’t work with all the accessories made to date without an adapter.
*sigh*
It was either one or the other – you can’t please everybody. Giving it a standard hot-shoe is likely to attract photographers currently using other brands.
The adapter is apparently compact, so it shouldn’t be an issue for those with Alpha accessories.
An ISO mount attracts nobody. You can’t mount a Canon flash on a Nikon and expect it to work, all it will do is flash, that’s it. The protocols are completely different.
The ONLY thing “standard” about the ISO mount is the design and a few pins. You are still going to have to buy a dedicated flash for your camera regardless of whether it is the ISO mount or the iISO mount.
As for triggers, well get an adapter off eBay, they cost practically nothing. There are iISO mount triggers anyway…
Frank said “You can’t mount a Canon flash on a Nikon and expect it to work, all it will do is flash, that’s it.”
That what flash is for.. flashing. I don’t own any Sony camera or flash, but I do own some Canikon gears.. so I know I can mount Nikon flash(actually it’s a Nissin with Nikon protocol) on Canon. The only thing missing is the TTL. Still, it is mountable and triggerable. For those who use cheap radio trigger like the YONGNUO RF-603, TTL is already out of question because it is not supported.
Give it up, a new hot shoe, which will be inferior to the current one, won’t attract anyone, because it is pointless, for the reasons Frank already mentioned. Meanwhile, existing users (as wel as future users who decide to buy Sony accessories, until said accessories are updated) will have to deal with more fiddling.
Over the years, Vlad, I have heard on this and other forums at least as many calls to dump the Minolta-Sony flash mount, as I have heard calls to retain it. But I suspect that the reason Sony is replacing it les elsewhere:
First, I am reasonably certain that any survey of potential professional buyers of the A99 would have found that the vast majority of pros regard the present flash mount as a major barrier for them to consider a professional Sony camera.
Second, something tells me that flash mount had to be redesigned because the current mount simply cannot be adapted to support something new Sony wants to do.
@Endos… so you’re saying that no company…EVER…. should ever improve on a design to move forward .. EVER … so everything you’ve ever bought will always work.
Hmmm… you must have een really pissed off when all the cell phone companies all used a proprietary charger then all got together and decide to use Micro USB. how dare they!!! Moving to a common platform.
I hope you don’t use Apple stuff…. word has it they’re abandoning the 30-pin dock connector to use something smaller so more will fit on the iphone. How dare they!
Non of this has anything to do with the dial lock 😉
“@Endos… so you’re saying that no company…EVER…. should ever improve on a design to move forward .. EVER … so everything you’ve ever bought will always work.”
Improve? Move forward? Are you kidding? The Minolta shoe is much better that the “standard” shoe. Only the people that has never used it don’t know this.
I am close to indifferent, but I am more annoyed than not annoyed by the foot change. However, I use adapters now, and will need to with this camera. So, I guess its almost a wash really.
Who says its a step forward? I like iISO interface, personally. I was mad when the USB ports changed on cell phones. Dont see an advantage, and do see more cables on my desk. I dont use Macs. Jeez, talk about proprietary. If an adapter is no big deal, then why didnt sony include an adapter to take their current foot to an ISO foot? A speedlite will add more stress on an adapter than an accessory like a PW, especially in the portrait orientation.
Maybe the new shoe will have exta pins for a mic, or some other feature not possible with the iISO foot.
“Hmmm… you must have een really pissed off when all the cell phone companies all used a proprietary charger then all got together and decide to use Micro USB. how dare they!!! Moving to a common platform.”
I think you’ll find that was the result of an EU directive designed to combat electrical waste, not altruism on the part of phone manufacturers.
Standard ISO Hotshoe is indeed a good news for new comers, however still hope the adapter is included in the package so this will not disturb the old A-mount lads ! One more hope being that they manage to show real-time moving image instead of a sequence of still of the burst group except the moment when the rear curtain shuts…just a hope but it will better suit a system which aims to improve AF/sports capability !
So they’ll need an adapter to mount new Sony ISO flashes to the current iISO shoe…
There isn’t a current ISO hot-shoe on Alphas.
As always, ISO flashes (including new Sony ones) would need to use the existing adapter to work on existing cameras using Sony’s proprietry hot-shoe.
er, that’s just what I have said. You may wish to re-read it.
The NEW Sony ISO flash will need an adapter to work on the EXISTING iISO mount. It can’t be a dumb adapter either, it needs to retain FULL COMPATIBILITY with the iISO body.
You might have forgotten that there were Alpha cameras with a ISO hot-shoe. The first series (alpha 7000, 9000 and 5000) had an old-stype ISO hot-shoe that was used for the first-generation flashes (4000AF, 2800AF, 1800AF, Macro 1200AF). Besides the “big contact” in the center, there were two smaller contacts below and one smaller contact above the center contact. Probably they revived that layout.
As someone who owns three Minolta flashes, a pair of Sony 58is and a 43 and a bag full of adapters to make other stuff work I think this is good news.
Why do you need a bag full of adapters? My studio flash set-up is one iISO mount trigger and the receivers.
I know that………
But the truth is that that there is no standard in the ISO standard..right?
My point was that I see this rumor as being a good thing and my comment about all of the bits a pieces I have laying around to support various Minolta/Sony flashes and what I’ve used over the years to connect to third party gear and use to connect third party gear to my alpha a850’s my old a700 and Minolta film bodies like my old Minolta 9000 I purchased back in 1986 is a waste of space in a already full bag.
Minolta made great flashes and my Sony HVL-58’s and HVL-20 that I use as a trigger work well but I see it as a plus in the long run that Sony is joining the non-standard standard 😉
Yeah but when I use my Sony flashes with radio trigger they all need adaptors as well for each receiver.
They should have changed to ISO hotshoe right after taking over Minolta. But hey late is better than never.
Minolta should have never switch the hot shoe. The pre AF Minoltas used the ISO shoe.
Thank god they did and actually created a reliable hotshoe mount. It’s one of the few things Minolta did very well.
Actually minoltas first two (maybe three) AF cameras also had an ISO hotshoe. buts as more and more dedication was required vs. older “dumb” flashes, the need for interchangability was reduced. The only two real advantages that i see that curently exist are cost of scale considerations and increased compatability with third party devices at the cost of decreased compatability with OEM devices.
#1 is really bad news.
Minolta/Sony hotshoe is so much better than ISO hotshoe.
I agree. Anybody who has ever had something stuck on the ISO mount will know that…
Make it so I can use the 4000AF flash TTL, then I won’t mind.
not gonna happen, too high voltage
So the 1.85-2.5V trigger voltage of the 4000 AF is too high for a Sony camera?
Andrea this is almost too good to be true! Way to go with hotshoe standards too. Bring it on Sony!
what does it mean to ppl who has the 58am? buy an additional small adaptor?
what so special about ISO standard hotshoe…. ?
That it’s the standard?
That’s exactly the point. An ISO-like hot-shoe with today’s flash functionality would _not_ conform with the standard. The standard defines a dumb, non-TTL, fire-and-be-done flash system. That’s not what you want.
Great that new rumors are coming in. I would love to hear more about that combined Photo/Video camera that you have been talking about a while ago.
I know you 😉
ISO hotshoe is probably marketing stuff to impress pros of other brands. It could save them some money if they start using SONY. Current base of FF SONY users is not big. SONY wants more.
The Minolta mount (iISO,1988) is much advanced and convenient that the old ISO mount…
back to 1913…
exactly, i always start to laugh when i see canon or neikon users start to screw their flashes on the shoe. With the i-ISO shoe it does “click” and you’re finished
Nikon flashes are as convenient to mount as Sony/Minolta flashes are. I am not sure whether I like that move from Sony or not. On one hand, many standard accessories are now possible to mount without adapters, on the other hand all iISO devices now need an adapter (if not replaced).
Or how about when they don’t tighten them enough and the flash falls off and kits the ground and statters! It’s as simple as this, Sony is trying to “fit in” with the big boys. It’s just a pain in the ass, having different mounts.
There goes the Minolta hot shoe heritage… RIP
Good news!
In my point of view this is good news … if they manage to build an ultra-slim adaptor and combine high speed synchronization they would expand the their compatibility and stay with their features! sounds really good.
Furtheron the AF-System (although only SR2) sounds very interesting …
If this is really true, and sony manages to increase the ISO performance at ISO 800+ this camera iis going to become a big milestone.
What “standard” ISO hot shoe?
There is NO such thing! Every maker has its own system of electrical connections and protocols. And there own set of dimension “standards”.
I have used cameras and accesories with “standard” ISO hot shoes for several decades – with numerous troubles. With Minolta / Sony iISO hot shoe I have had NO troubles at all. EVER ! A Minolta FS-1100 or a Chinese copy will get me the same possibilities as any Canon, Nikon etc. user trying to use a non original accessory.
The “standard” accesory shoe was developed in the year 1913 IIRC, to be used for view- and range-finder accesories etc., NOT for flashes at all! While the Minolta iISO hot shoe was designed in the year 1988 SPECIFICALLY to eliminate all the drawbacks with the century old accesory shoe.
Which the iISO hot shoe did!
I am sure that Sony is very well aware of that the iISO hot shoe design is superior to the ISO design,
I agree with Allan Olesen that “Sony have caved in to idiotic user request” from some Alpha users, and the huge ignorance among most Canon and Nikon users.
Most probably Sony have come to the conclusion that far more users in all systems together want this “standard” ISO hot shoe (although it is rather a “non-standard” HS). Accordingly, Sony will sell far more of these FF cameras.
They are probably right. There are far more Windows PC’s sold than Macintosh, despite that the latter is much better and more effective to use, and much less in the way for the user. Although knowing this very well, I am still mostly using Windows PC’s myself… 🙁
.
Ooops! Excuse my English – correct spelling for the word “accesories” in my comment above should be ‘accessories’.
And “there own set” should have been ‘their own set’ of course.
.
I totally agree with yo, what is the next step? change the mount to be Nikon or canon one to attract more customers?
I dont think there is a canon or nikon pro would leave their all his gear for a sony just because it use the ISO hot shoe
if you are going to move to a different brand you have to justify the move by cracking specs or optics not something already been solved !!
One of the most stupid news about the a99. Nobody who was realy thinking about the sony hot shoe needs this non-ISO HS.
Please do not change the hot shoe…nearly no more accessories can be used because of the difference between the electric/protocols.
…sorry for bad english…
Hi Flyer!
i totally agree with you (except for the last paragraph where you are dead wrong 🙂 ).
SR5 or not. I do not beleive this!
I mean, Sony cannot be that stupid. The current hot-shoe is far superior to that century old design the competition uses. This is one (of many) edges Sony have.
I would be very surprised if this rumor is true.
/Mats
Sony can be that stupid. If there’s one thing history has show us, it’s this.
To me, it’s good news. I’ve balked on buying an NEX in part because of the hot shoe issue.
I agree with you. Hopefully this SR5 is false. Snapping on and removing Sony flashes is blistering quick. Especially, when you are changing batteries or heaven forbid, need to change a flash during a wedding ceremony or event. If Sony wants to add an adapter with the camera, add one for the standard ISO shoe.
Also, to be really competitive and successful, Sony must have this camera able to shoot clean ISO 6400. With all the old talk about Exmor R sensors, you would think by now Sony would have mastered that technology to not only regain the lost light from the SLT, but increase the sensitivity beyond the 1/3 light loss. Sony listens when they want to.
What a crock of s#¤%… I’ve used both Sony and Canon extensively; a good flash is a flash communicating exposure related info to and from the camera. The mount itself doesn’t mean anything… A canon flash on a Sony cam or vice versa means MANUALLY controlling everything… And to attract sportsguys and pros? Really? Have you tried the D4 or the D1x with a 70-200 or a 300?
In short; I’m all with you GunnarK 🙂
What’s the betting that this adapter (to use legacy Sony flashes) will cost a fortune to replace if lost?
it will be just 99.99
Minolta’s/Sony’s Hot Shoe mount has 4 connectors, while Canikons have 5 (correct but I think I’m right).
So maybe Sony wants to add more (features, accessories, etc.) with this extra pin?
Just an idea.
they can just add that pin to the existing one !!
Standart hot shoe is a good idea. People comming from Canikon can use their old equipment/old flashes. We can use our old Minolta/Sony flashes and maybe Sony can sell more stuff… ok for me!
No, they can’t, that’s the point. The Nikon and Canon systems are incompatible, and unless Sony decides to copy one of these systems completely and put themselves at the mercy of Nikon or Canon, there will also be no compatibility between Nikon, Canon and Sony. So why change it?
But they cannot! They fit physically but protocols are different.
There already were 5 pins on the iISO hot shoe, on the Minolta 3000i. If Sony wants to add a pin, they can just do that without completely changing the mount.
I wonder if changing to the ISO hot shoe will attract more people like pocket wizard to make sony compatible products. (with TTL support, etc…)
Nope, that’s all about demand, if there was plenty of demand, they would already have been made for iISO.
The point of an iso flash shoe is to get more support for the brand…spelled Pocket Wizards and other flash accessory makers and third party flash units. The don’t currently support Sony for two reasons: 1) they have to make a unique mount and sales numbers won’t justify a return and 2) the flash protocol is needed.
Hopefully Sony has shared the flash protocol with the industry and now w/ the shoe issue removed we’ll see more usability/options from the market.
I’m happy about it, it’s about time.
Your reason number 1 is actually two separate things:
1. they have to make a unique mount – I imagine the added cost would be minimal.
2. low sales numbers – this is probably a much more valid reason. And this won’t change with a new hot shoe
@2 – actually: It’ll decrease sales even more cause all current A-mount users won’t be interested in new flashes, and all users of new-flashes won’t be interested in old series (adapter for native accessories? seriously?).
Agreed.
Do not agree, I saw many pros coming to Sony because of Zeiss AF lenses, but they kept complaining about non-pro features, one big reason is the Minolta hotshoe, so it’s just a convenient thing, but it will add value to the body, especially they expect this is a pro body.
Yet another reason to keep my A900…
ISO-hotshoe? RE-TAR-DED.
I hope they change that before release.
Good for Canikon users you say? Who gives a fuck? It should be about current users.
Not at all – Canikon users won’t be able to fire their flashes on A99 correctly either.
They’ll fire as if you’d use the “TEST” button – 100% power, no control over flash from the level of body what so ever.
When are we going to learn something new? Stay tuned to SAR for the same old news!
Si
Admin,
All of this talk about ISO and flash is okay but I find this other SR2 rumor much more interesting “The 102 AF points AF sensor is actually a dumb’d down AF module”.
What is this about?
That this model gets a lower spec AF module compared to next years model? Just like the A65 vs. A77 AF module.
Ugh, working with both ISO and the Minolta mount I would take the Minolta over ISO any day. I bought a cheap adapter that lets me use ISO mount if I want to.
I can’t understand why Sony would do this.
Minolta is so much easier to attach and remove.
I really don’t like this move… 🙁 I’m a recent Sony convert and I can only pray this is an unfounded rumor. As others have said ISO is not really universal when using the “smart” features and adapters are already available that will simply trigger the flash.
ISO does not mean more or better TTL flashes for Sony users, but it has two important benefits for the target ‘pro’ market:
I’ve suggested before that the A99 will be aimed at photo/video journalists.
The move to ISO means that they will now be able to mount a lot more of the ‘dumb’ accessories like mics and LED lights that are available.
Also, when Sony release their 36MPix full frame, ISO will be an advantage in the studio where you usually hook up ‘dumb’ lights to the ISO or PCSync and manually control them.
You can already get iISO to ISO adapters, but I don’t see photo journalists rushing to use Sony.
The A7 series and above already have sync sockets.
There’s one standout feature in the A99 and thats the capture of photos during video recording without pausing the video. That’s what the photo-journos have been waiting for. That’s why they’ll flock to it.
How may photo journalists are left?
Everyone with a smartphone is covering an event long before us with the bag for of gear even know about it.
Well, be careful there. I just got my RX100 which also captures stills during video… but only at 1080i… not 1080p. You are locked out at the highest video recording quality. Kind of sucks actually.
I think Sony misunderstood when people asked for better ISO and Compact FLASH support….. 🙂
Classic!
+1
I like it. Machine translation: 1, photographers: 0.
Really, folks? If you’re going to have a heated debate about the hot shoe, then just skip the A99 because I’m sure there will be other things you’d stretch in order to complain about.
Not sure if anyone mentioned this before, but from my POV, it could not be the camera that Sony is going after, instead, to push more ISO camera body user to buy more sony flashes (ie. F60). So far, Sony is the only one with patented quick shif bounce. That could be a WANT factor from other brand users. How about that for an idea?
And gosh, there’s no satisfying you guys doesnt it? Sony doesn’t listen, COMPLAINTS!!! Now Sony listens… MORE COMPLAINTS!!!!! Grow up!!! No company would come out with products which would bring them backwards. You really think Sony would simply make a decision like that just because they feel like it? The product isn’t even out yet, why not wait and see how you’ll be awed when it REALLY is out.
GREAT NEWS! Finally I think Sony did listen to the “Dear Sony” thread on Dyxum for the next FF camera, I DID specifically request Sony to have STANDARD hotshoe like Canon and Nikon. YAY!
Now I hope I can use my Pocketwizard on A99 without stupid adapter :))
AS a pro. This might help keep me with Sony (not quite sold on SLT). I’m tired of buying adapters. The Sony shoe mount is great but let it go. The accessory vendors are not adapting to it, so Sony decided to provide it for pros. Thanks Sony.
+1
But will they make them work with the Sony flash system? There are plenty of dumb flashes out there for Sonys with or without an adapter. Sure I’ll be able to stick any manufacturer’s flash on it, but will it take advantage of Sony’s TTL and ADI?
You’re tired of buying ONE iISO to ISO adapter??? You are basing your decision on the hotshoe mount? How bizarre is that!
Sony stupidity is amazing. Anyone who has ever used the legacy shoe and all its shortcomings…
Having the flash fall off my camera hotshoe once or twice make me welcome this change.
Having the flash fall off my other camera hotshoe once or twice make me opposed to this change.
Metal vs plastic, your speedlight will be much more stable!
How the hell did you manage to have your flash “fall off”?
Going to miss the slip in and click feature of the old Minolta mount, but then again, for folks who want to keep that, just keep the adapter on the camera and you’re set.
Right now, I have an adapter on my trigger that slips and clicks onto the A77 and I’m all set. Done. So why worry?
ISO hotshoe’s pros:
– metal!
– means moving forward, Sony flash/accessories usable by non-Sony shooters.
– means better third party accessories and support
– much easier to DIY your own shoe/mount vs the current shoe mount.
– pretty much and/all radio triggers out their will fit now. (at least for straight up flash, ttl/remote control will depend on signals/etc., but if Sony implements quench/sync control for “backwards compatibility” or licenses canon or Nikon ttl then you can also do remote power control via pocket wizard/etc.
Personally, this is a good thing. Yes, the slide click mount was awesome, but let’s face it, it was kinda scary and had some wiggle. It also made it hell to get good support from major accessory and trigger brands because of that foot.
With a standard physical hotshoe with backwards compatibility enabling pins, you get the best of the future to come and you can still use your existing gear.
Excited to see the a99.
+1 😉
Have you considered that this is probably also the end for Sony flashes with the iISO shoe?
New Sony flashes will probably have the old, inferior ISO shoe from 1913.
So no, we cannot just leave the adapter on the camera and be happy, unless we also stop buying new Sony flashes.
Now i can mount better mics without adapter. Yes me; the one that use a camera for film.
Every time that Admin put a rumor, 80% is complains.
🙂 peace
You use a mic rather than sync the sound later?
You can mount a better microphone without adapter today. No need to change the flash mount.
9!!! selectible focus points is enough for everything (remember A100 one click point select?). 40 Its tooo much.
Balls to this, im going for canon 1dx, sod waiting for this POS
I hope the new hot shoe won’t turn true, it will be very stupid and inconsiderate of sony. I’ve used Minolta hot shoe for 6 years extensively shooting events indoors, never an issue. I had a stand with a flash knocked down twice, the only damage was to the sync cord – $30 to replace. If it’s between the camera hot shoe being ripped off or a flash mount repair (cheap and fast), I’d go with the latter, unlike with Canon or Nikon total destruction.
A dumbed down AF module in the flagship model?
If they really did this, then I wonder if I am really still using the right camera company.
The flagship model being next year.
Yes, and until next year the A99 (or whatever the name) will be the flagship model.
No it isn’t, just because a product has yet to be released doesn’t mean the current product is the flagship model. That’s just silly.
But maybe “dumbed down” simply means that they were trying a whole bunch more AF points, and found it didn’t work well or was too cumbersome.
Why does everyone just assume that sony is once again screwing everyone???
Prototypes usually come in different flavors to see how experiments pan out in the real world over a design bench
The Mino Shoe IS one of the reasons I’m with Alpha. Taking that away is like taking away a reason to be with Alpha.
While we’re at it, saying “The A99 should have an ISO shoe, because it’s a standard” is just as stupid as saying “The A99 should not have a popup flash, because professional cameras don’t have popup flashes”.
People argue that, too. On the internet, at least.
wow, revive my old hvl-f32x?
If I would be sony and try to locate some leaks, I would send out some samples with a ISO hot shoe 🙂
iISO hot shoe is better…why downgrade? That’s the problem when Sony does listen to every damned thing people say…
Adapters increase failure rates… plain and simple.
As if Sony doesn’t already have enough problems with current flash compatibility… FOR FREAKS SAKE!!! The forums are rife with questions about “what protocols work with what camera” and “SLT compatibility with legacy flash” and “which HS/TTL with which system”…
LORD HAVE MERCY on us Alpha flash users!
________
How bout’ this plan Sony…
“Let’s make everything work with everything. Completely backward compatible WITHOUT adapters or firmware updates. And let’s create a multitude of native accessories to improve the usability of our product”.
Sony… You have the opportunity to EVOLVE the Mino flash mount and functionality into the most robust feature rich system ever devised. You know… like a Pro Grade FLASH/VID light combo?
WHERE ARE YOUR VISIONARY DESIGNERS SONY???
_______
Yes, sorry I’m pissed just hearing Sony might change the mount. God I hope it’s not true.
YOU’VE BEEN LISTENING TO TOO MANY MINO/FLASH IGNORANT TESTING SITES SONY…
Hey I got an idea! WHY NOT CHANGE THE LENS MOUNT AS WELL? There are more lenses avalible on Canon and Nikon. Why not use one of those lens mounts?
HIRE ME SONY!
The “Mind of Minolta” is just too big for Sony.
It’s too ridiculous! Why would Sony change the hotshoe? To allow third party manufacturers to sell more? To make their own recent flashes obsolete? Sure!
Crazier thing may have happened, but I think this is too insane to be true.
I can’t think they have dropped the minolta/sony iISO hotshoe, if so it’ll seriosly piss off a lot of current users with investments in sony and minolta flashes. I’m not buying a sony camera without iISO hotshoe for sure. Then I just can change brands.
One advantage of an ISO hotshoe is the ability to use the large variety of accessories that need it as a cold mount without having to use an adapter first.
A cold mount that is widely available and costs practically nothing. I’d prefer to keep the advantages of iISO.
New hot shoe = self eject for flashes, just as it does on other cameras. And flexibility? Of course, flashes flopping around on an adapter, that’s flexable and will break more. Sony is sure dumb. And modern? That stupid ISO shoe is nearly a century old, was designed for flashbulb flashes that had no control. Antique, antique, antique, a fine example of Sony’s thinking.
What Sony should have done if they were modern was put the wireless radio units out of business by building that into the camera. End of ISO because every other camera maker would have to match that. That is if Sony is really the future, which is very unlikely.
I’d be game for a completely wireless flash system.
What do you find missing in the latest wireless system (HVL-F58AM and later flashes)?
Sony should create a metal iISO hotshoe on the a99 and not the ISO.the time when a99 were launched,automaticly the sale of hvl-f43am and hvl-f58am will drop.i think sony should sell the ISO adapter cheaper rather than implement the new ISO hotshoe..
What a waste of time and im really frustrated on behalf of minolta fan!
Asking Sony to build in a wireless control trigger is like asking Sony to think. Lately, there doesn’t seem to be much thinking involved with Sony product development. I, like most on this forum, have a wealth of equipment from Sony and have spent thousands of dollars for it. Initially, the only gripe made years ago was about Sony’s noise handling and to some, limited lens line up. Sony could have kept the optical viewfinder and dealt with the noise issue first and would have gained some new customers. Then, for those that wanted video, they could have matched Canon’s 5D and been okay. Canon and Nikon have no autofocus for video and manual controls, but Sony isn’t gaining as much clients from them as people are jumping ship from Sony. Sony should poll present customers on features and innovations they would like to see and then determine which are feasible to implement and which are not. They can track customers through product registration. Hopefully, Sony realizes that they have a lot riding on this camera and if they screw it up it may be goodbye to much of the camera imaging division. I think they are having lunch with General Motors execs and seeing who can F-up a product more. Them with cameras or GM with not releasing a Corvette that looks just like the concept vehicle.
Sony’s proprietary hot shoe needed to be replaced. Ask anyone who uses radio triggers. TTL will still work (see Nikon and Canon). The standsrd is how the flash is connected to the hot shoe. Go and buy a PW 2 or 3. They are all the same except any one with a Sony who has to buy adapters for each one so it will fit the hot shoe and flashes. That is stupid. Plus the present connection between speed light and hot shoe is anything but tight. The plastic components are not worthy of the price we pay.
The Pixel Kings for Alpha work perfectly on HSS and TTL. Case closed for needing adapters for full function Alpha Radio Slaves. BTW… They snap on and off flash and camera very fast and securely too. That Pixel King is some nice kit.
Where do you buy these Pixel Kings? B&H, Adorama? Soounds interesting.
There are already radio triggers for the iISO mount.
TTL is NOT part of the ISO 518:2006 standard. TTL is a proprietary function, not a standard.
If TTL works, it is because you use a Nikon transmitter for a Nikon camera and a Canon transmitter for a Canon camera. The transmitters has to support the proprietary Canon or Nikon protocols for TTL communication.
Which of those transmitters are you going to use for the Sony? None of them!
A transmitter will have to support the proprietary Sony protocol. So a new transmitter for Sony will have to made. If this transmitter has not already been made by your favorite transmitter company, it is because the company thinks the Sony market is too small. If you think that the differences in mechanical mount does the difference, I have a bridge to sell you.
This is the kind of user stupidity which drives a company to take stupid decisions to please their users.
Does this mean I can use my Nikon SB800 speedlite on the A99? hmmm
you can make it fire (if this isn’t bogus, which i really hope it is), but it’ll not be any TTL control. you can do that by using an adapter today.
I would think they’d change the NEX menu system before changing Alpha “standard” shoe.
As a semipro photographer who shoots alongside a Canon shooter, I have to say this really makes me happy because this means more compatibility with radio trigger systems. And since the a99 is aimed at the pro market, this makes a lot of sense…
…which leads me to believe that it may be very possible that future non-pro models may still continue utilizing the proprietary flash.
Sorry, I just can’t get worked up over a hotshoe, either way Sony goes is fine with me. There are so many other reasons the A99 promises to be a landmark camera worth owning.
I wonder if us A77 can ever get the split rail removed by a factory certified mechanic and replace it with the new standard hotshoe?
Just some food for thought.
Anybody want to have this option? Chime in.
I wonder if the new/future flashes will communicate to the camera through a special port/cable? Or BT perhaps? Wifi enabled flashes and cameras that can be orchestrated from a laptop/tablet/phone would somewhat make the iISO/ISO shoes a mute point.
But then again, why fix something that’s not broken?
If this is about durability, why not make the iISO shoes with tougher materials?
Changing the Flash Hotshoe has to be one of the most retarded backward decisions SONY has ever made
In any case, for Sony to keep antiquity happy they also have to have a PC flash connector on the camera too. And it better be one that can stand the huge voltages those older flashes used to use.
Now where did I put my supply of flashbulbs and the minolta ISO hot shoe holder/flash for them. Worked ok in the 50’s, the new future from Sony. They are going to make a killing selling flashbulbs 🙂
And maybe the next new product from Sony will be flashpowder holders and the powder. I always wanted to try that.
If they’re devolving to the ISO shoe, then they BETTER bring back the film advance lever. Winding it makes a “squeaky” noise for better cat photos. It’s called “Auto Puss Mode”.
GahREAT sales gimmick!
I feel like Sony just stabbed me in the back. It hurts.
I have always been a bit disappointed with the proprietary hot shoe. First it was cheap plastic, not medal. There was never a tight secure fit. There was a significant wobble or play between the flash and hot shoe. I never hear of Nikon having this wobbly play in their flash system. I have broken off a piece of one of my 58’s where it concoct to the hot shoe because while carrying it around it would wobble from side to side snapping off a piece of the flimsy plastic insert. I also snapped an adaptor that I had to use with a flash bracket mainly because the use of an adaptor with the flash bracket just result in a top heavy flash. The weight with its typical loose wobble eventually snapped the adaptor. When asked about eventual TTL radio triggers for Sony their rep said that given the numbers of Sony users and their proprietary hot shoe it wasn’t worth their time and effort. Given the poor quality of their connection (plastic/cheap) I don’t see the advantage of Sony’s present hot shoe configuration. It definitely doesn’t work any better than Nikon’s present flash system.
Looking at the moaning and gnashing of teeth here at the change to flash mount I thought this was a major issue to the majority of Alpha users. Over a hundred comments to the fact.
Then I noticed that the same names popped up to repeat what they said earlier over and over again.
A case of a very vocal minority?
Yes, I can fit my Elinchrome wireless flash trigger to my Sony gear now…
Why couldn’t you do that before?
No, you can’t! Whatever Sony SLR/T equipment you may own will still have the iISO hotshoe. But your existing Sony flashes will not work with the A99 if indeed it is equiped with an ISO hotshoe.
My guess is, Sony are not so stupid that they make a new ISO hotshoe just to cater to people using a dumb, non-TTL radio trigger, when those people can just buy an appropriate adapter – or use a product that fits on the iISO hotshoe. They’re neither difficult to find, nor are they very expensive.
Nice！A99，come on！
Why does changing the way pins are spread out on a hotshoe is a drawback?
And why is iISO abandoned just by doing this? The same functionality will be implemented. The only thing changing is the way the pins are seen by users. Its just a change of position and shoe design.
Why does adding a extra pin (that could eventually add a lot of opportunity for new features) is a drawback?
Why is changing plastic for metal, bad for sony?
And why is adding the ability to use many accessories already out there be a cause to blame sony?
Someone asked “why change something that works”!!! Its called Progress, Evolution, and many other things. Its like asking “Why go to digital cameras when film cameras worked as well”. Thats insane.
Just relax and think before you whine about everything!!
Common guys, get serious for once.
All your words about progress, digital/film etc. lead me to believe that you don’t even know that this is a step backwards to old stuff.
Sony is replacing a design from 1988 with a design from 1913.
That is not like going from film to digital. It is not even like the step backwards from digital to film. It is like going from digital and back to glass plates.
And once again:
This will not bring you more compatibility with Nikon and Canon equipment. The protocols are different.
If a third party accessory maker wants to make specialized accessories with the Sony protocol, it is foolish to believe that he will let a small thing as a shoe shape hold him back.
It’s not a pin-out change… It’s a mount change. And most of the accessories people “think” they need to attach are cold mount, not hot.
Requiring an adapter to provide native functionality is DEVOLUTION.
Going to an ISO mount doesn’t necessary mean going backwards. It’s not like the ISO had been at a standstill since 1913. Plenty of camera companies had taken that mount and enhanced it to their specification, yet maintaining the core fundamental properties of the mount. The Minolta’s iISO mount was a revolution when it was launched because it allows plenty quick mounting and removing of the flash compared to the ISO mount flashes back then, which still requires screwing the nut down tight. But modern ISO mount flashes (e.g. the newer generation nikon flashes) no longer is that cumbersome. If sone uses similar system, then attaching & removing the flash should be just as easy.
In studio environment, with studio strobes, TTL triggers are not very useful at all, since you are going to have to control the strobe’s output anyway. But the number of studio triggers out there in the market definitely is more in ISO mount than in iISO mount.it is one less barrier for new users to adopt a sony system…
For the very few who will be using their camera in a studio there are adapters to fit ISO devices on iISO hotshoes. Then again, there are also many devices made specifially for iISO hotshoes. Here’s one:
http://www.phottix.com/en/studio-accessories/phottix-strato-ii-multi-5-in-1-wireless-flash-trigger.html
Now, where’s the compatibility problem?
It’s the same issue. Existing users loathe the fact that you now need a iISO to ISO adapter. New users will loathe the fact that they will need a ISO to iISO adapter to use their studio triggers. Hence they will hesitate to change to Sony system. Either way, Sony is not going to win everyone’s heart by switching mount, but it sure is going to be easier for non-sony users to switch now. Yes, you can argue all you want that you can use adapters, and that iISO mount is much more superior than ISO mount. But, the fact still remains that there are a lot more practicality for 3rd party ISO accessories compared to iISO mount accessories. And the poll in SAR confirms that a lot more people are happy that new Sony cameras now comes with ISO instead of iISO mount (yes, I’m of the 2,159 who voted that they liked new sony cameras to come with ISO hotshoe mount). That says a lot about the approval of the choice. And yes, I had been using Alpha system since A100, and had been using the iISO mount for a long time. I have no problem with the iISO mount in terms of usage, but I very much prefer it to be a ISO mount where I can share the radio triggers with my other friends using other systems and perhaps, convince them (with much ease) to switch over to Sony system based on other virtues of the system. It is just one barrier less for others to switch.
The only triggers you can use on several brands are “dumb” triggers, i.e. they only enable manual flash control, which is hardly very future oriented.
Besides, such triggers already exist for Sony’s hotshoe.
If you are only going to use the triggers alone, that is not an issue. But if you are going to share the triggers i.e. in a rental studio, then that is an issue because the triggers in the studio is likely going to be for ISO mount hotshoes. And if you are a hobbyist who shares your enthusiasm for photography and studio equipment with friends using other brands of cameras, then that could be an issue too. Yes, in all these scenarios, an ISO to iISO adapter will solve the problem, but really, it is not as elegant a solution. Short run, everyone using iISO mount flashes will whine (yes, I have three of these flashes), but in the long run, it is going to be beneficial to the growth of the system both in terms of accessories as well as system acceptance by new or potential users. It really is not a bad thing, and certainly ain’t the end of the world.