2011 is the year for Sony professionists!
Here I am again working on new rumors! Photokina is over and it didn’t bring us any new A700 or A900 successor. But the last 4-5 weeks I received many rumors about those cameras and the new lenses. I thank all anonymous sources for sending me the info. I didn’t post most of those rumors because I wanted to double-triple check everything with other sources. In those days I learned that the rumors I received about the A77, A950 and the new Zeiss and Sony G lenses have proven to be 90% correct. So I will start to post some rumor soon.
What I can tell you now is that 2011 will be a very exciting year for professionists. New High-end APS-C and a new fullframe camera will be announced. And both will be from ground up redesigned cameras with some very advanced technologies. There will be new Zeiss primes/zooms and also High-end NEX cameras and lenses. I have only two bad news:
1) It looks like Sony stopped the development of the firmware upgrade for current Sony A850/A900 cameras. The reason is that they had issues with the software of those cameras.
2) The A77 and A950 (tentative name) will not be announced during the first 4-5 months of 2011. So we have still to wait a little bit 
Yes I do agree with you, Sony is late with the A77 and A950. We all expected those camera to be announced in 2010. But my sources told me that this happened because Sony wanted to bring some very advanced innovation with those cameras. So let’s wait and see…
To all my sources: It would be nice if we cans tay in touch so please create a fake email account to contact me. I would love to stay in touch with you. Thanks 
Bye!
Andrea
Bryan
3 years ago |A bit upset on no firmware update for A850/A900. been hoping for it almost a year..hmmm
sdchew
3 years ago |Any chance there will be a new prosumer NEX camera in the 2011 lineup? Or is that the new ‘groundup’ APS-C camera you are referring to?
Sky_walker
3 years ago |4-5 months? Not bad, I thought we’ll see A900 successor no sooner than in Q4 2011, yet there’s hope for Q2.
New Zeiss lenses – makes me happy ^_^ Hopefully we’ll see lot of lenses in 2011, I really expect that after huge break from releasing them in 2010, when other companies shown 3-4 times as much lenses as Sony did.
John Sison
3 years ago |Ouch! I was hoping the a77 would at least be released in the first half of the year >.< Looks like I'll be sticking with my a350 for a little longer
jack
3 years ago |Nice. Please find more info on NEX lenses and nex-7 body
Arthur
3 years ago |Sony should ask Nikon do design new firmware for A900. Pathetic. I don’t know if pros are going to ever respect and buy Sony FF cameras if it takes them half a decade to update a very good camera. It is not asking much to put an integral vertical grip, weatherproofing, and a new software. Pros are minimalists, and they don’t need all that fancy stuff.
Myst
3 years ago |i really doubt pros would care much for an improved firmware, which makes the camera get less noisy JPEGS, if you are really a pro you will shoot raw or raw+jpeg and import most of your files for editing.
waterproofing is not 100% and sony most probably would like to avoid lawsuits, hence the no waterproofing designation to cameras, i’ve shoot with my a200! in rain/blizzards and it’s working just fine
as for a vertical grip you can always buy one, i for one rather have the option of not having a square camera, unless i want it.
Myst
3 years ago |hmm i would also say this is great news for advanced amateurs also, zeiss glass is always welcomed and everyone who has a sony DSLR wants to own at least one zeiss lens.
for me at least the time of their supposed arrival is perfect, and i rather they took more time on the cameras and bring something good than release them sooner and they wouldn’t be as good.
kerlu
3 years ago |I’m expecting a FF Nex
One can dream, right ?
David
3 years ago |My prediction….2011 will come and go without anything from Sony…R.I.P.
Michiel
3 years ago |Andrea, thank you for all the rumors! Last month i discovered this website, and from then on, i check it every day.
I hope Sony will develop the new camera’s faster, and give more details about the camera’s..
fumi
3 years ago |Sony announces “new mirrorless model” at 13:00 October 12 (in Japan).
http://sony-alpha.saloon.jp/rumors/nex-new-model-coming-soon/
admin
3 years ago |Thanks Fumi!
lololo
3 years ago |2010 is the year for Sony A700 replacement!
2011 is the year for Sony professionists!
guess what is 2012 year for
BMan
3 years ago |End of the world?
mike
3 years ago |Already jumped ship. Why wait when I can already can be using? Kept my NEX-5 though.
acolyte
3 years ago |Jumped ship as in to Canikon?
mike
3 years ago |yep, Canon 7D
BMan
3 years ago |Cool, so you have any nice gear to sell?
mike
3 years ago |ya, http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/pho/1993453366.html
Oscar Soto
3 years ago |Time to buy an A580 next November to use until the new cameras are released?
Sony should announce the cameras early so we can know if it’s worth the wait. I want to know what’s exactly that “very advanced innovation”
Joel
3 years ago |Maybe a couple months early, but no earlier than that. It loses the momentum an announcement gets and if they announce far enough away then they lose the goodwill (like RED Scarlet where everyone now is wondering if this is a Duke Nukem Forever project)…. and then by the time they finally release, everyone’s response is ‘meh.’
Already this thread has quite a bit of that with several A850/900 people hearing that the firmware is canceled and the response is ‘I already moved on.’
mike
3 years ago |ya. http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/pho/1993453366.html
Jonathan
3 years ago |Having not moved to digital yet from my Dynax 7, I am now considering getting a Sony A550 while stocks last to tide me over until either (a) Sony gets it act together and produces a sensible prosumer model (preferably full frame at about 12-16MP) or (b) I have saved enough money to switch to a Nikon D700 and replace my f2.8 Alpha mount lenses with the equivalent Nikon mount versions.
Sky_walker
3 years ago |There’s no slightest chance for low-MPx full frame camera from Sony. Only Nikon does have it right now on the market (EOS 1D is APS-H only, something Sony does not have). There’s nothing really to wait for. Duh.
Jonathan
3 years ago |According to dpreview.com, the following full frame cameras with under 20MPs are still regarded as current: Nikon D3S (12.1MP), Nikon D700 (12.1MP), Nikon D3 (12.1MP) and Canon EOS 5D (12.8MP). There are also rumours of a Nikon D800 full frame camera with around 16-18MP.
With Sony unable to produce a software fix for the poor noise levels of the A850 and A900 cameras at all but the lowest ISO ratings, perhaps they ought to consider a slightly lower pixel count of say 16-18MP.
The problem with the Sony range is that there is gigantic gap between the A580 and the A850. The Nikon range includes two cameras that fall into that gap. Both have under 20MPs and have a built in flash (useful for fill in) and they are the D300 (which could match the rumoured A750) and the D700 (which could match the once rumoured A800).
damiga
3 years ago |delaying the a700 replacement is understandable, but why kill the actual a700 so long before and leave me with no options?
acolyte
3 years ago |This is a question forever unanswered.
Tristan
3 years ago |Learning from the messages above, seems SONY will release both a7x/7xx + a9xx at almost same time.
If it’s ture, that will really break the rule of alpha before. I thought a9xx will be released at least 1 year after a7x/7xx’s release.
acolyte
3 years ago |The rule has been broken for a while when they did not give us a replacement for a700.
Wayne
3 years ago |I can’t keep waiting for Sony, really disappointing. I don’t want to jump ship but what else can I do?
acolyte
3 years ago |Get better lenses. One way you can kill time o_O
JB
3 years ago |Come on CZ 50mm F1.4 or CZ 35mm F1.4
These lens are cash cows.
RIP Firmware A850. I still love my A850, even though it will be V1 forever.
fido
3 years ago |if sony really wants to go ´pro´ they´d better come out with something like the nikon d3s or 1dmkIV.. and ditch the old minolta-flashmount or the pellix-system…
traditional dslr, that is the way to go.. don´t start messing around with pellix or what so ever.. pro´s like to have a system waht is reliable,wich is proven in hard conditions.. just ditch the amateuristic gearhead-crap, and everything will be allright..
and, choose between zeiss or g… make the zeiss-lenses fully sealed, or go on with the sealed g-series.. not both..
you could integrate both systems in one lens…zeiss quality, with g-sealings…
should be not too difficult for sony..
most g-lenses are rebranded minolta-lenses btw..
if sony wants to go whole hog, they´d better take things very seriously.. not screwing around like they are doing things now..
if sony wants to compete with canikon, they´d better be seriously prepared, and do whatever they can..
just my 2 cents..
Jonathan
3 years ago |Owning a Minolta flash that is capable of 1/8000s HS sync, ditching of the Minolta hot shoe would be another reason for switching away from the Alpha mount. People who say that Sony is the only company that uses a proprietary hot shoe are being disingenuous. Just because Canon and Nikon use the same physical design of hot shoe doesn’t mean that you can use a Nikon flashgun on a Canon camera or vice versa. Canon, Nikon, Olympus, and Pentax use the standard ISO hot shoe with various proprietary electronic connections so limiting cross brand usage.
Edgars
3 years ago |http://www.photoclubalpha.com/2010/09/23/nex-firmware-update-details-in-full/
Paul Genge of Sony UK
“Two more comments he made are worth relaying. Asked whether there would be no further development of the full-frame range, Paul said they intended to complete the A3/5/7 developments and would then turn their attention to new full frame, including an Alpha 900 replacement with features yet to be decided.”
It is nice, someone decided A950 specs and launch time before Sony
jjack
3 years ago |Company cares only about about their profit. If they can make more profit with non pro users, they would most likey delay designing pro models. And that’s totally understandable fron the view of company. Why would u want old style technology forever, seemed like. A company that is not improving nor at least trying is just DEAD company. New technology will change paradime someday. Understand my misspelling plz lol
acerlim
3 years ago |i think sony will not launch A77 unless they solved overheating problem .
acolyte
3 years ago |Again, it’s not a problem. It’s a limitation, as it also occurs in Canikon cameras. Sony just think it’s an issue. Canikon goes like ‘nah, not worth worrying about’
Doug
3 years ago |If this website refuses to publish rumors until they’re confirmed it should drop the word “rumors” from its name. A confirmed rumor isn’t a rumor at all, it’s news. Maybe sonyalpharumors.com should be renamed sonyalphanews.com. That would more accurately reflect what this site publishes.
acolyte
3 years ago |Then what are the SR2-SR4 rumors? SR5 is almost correct, but it’s possible that it’s wrong. If 80% of the rumors posted in this site are far from the truth, I bet you won’t even think about commenting here. Most of the sites that re-publish the articles here actually post more random stuff.
A ‘confirmed’ rumor means that the rumor is out there. If there’s just one person making up stuff, it’s not a rumor. It’s called BS
admin
3 years ago |Hi Doug! I do not “refuse” to publish everything. As you can imagine I do receive many rumors but you will agree that it makes no sense to post them all. The goal is to filter the rumor and to post rumors that are a little bit more reliable.
contraspirit
3 years ago |Every month, nay, every new day spells falling behind competition. Not that I’m greatly concerned with Sony’s prosperity. I’m just surprised with some evident lack of common sense. Sony, wouldn’t it be reasonable to have your customers at least understanding your motives, if you cannot have them satisfied? And the fact is that lots of enthusiast photographers do not understand the current policy. They don’t need technical revolutions and Guiness records tomorrow. All they need is just one semi-pro camera today. Is this too tall an order for a corporation like Sony? Even if specifications of such camera fell behind D7000, 7D and K-5, crowds of enthusiasts would anyway jump at such a body.
Because it’s exhausting to hope against hope.
acolyte
3 years ago |In a way, it is a challenge. Why should they develop a camera that would bring them less money than the new ones? We complain about a700 replacement not coming in, but the Japanese happily eats up the new cameras Sony send out (note the sales). They’re challenging their own marketing model by trying to push for a700 replacement :\
Vlad
3 years ago |I can’t see any marketing model. They should just fire the whole marketing department IMHO
contraspirit
3 years ago |Can’t help feeling that this challenge is too long. Nothing personal against the Japanese, let’em eat up whatever they want, but is it reasonable to be domestic market-oriented while Minolta/Sony users all over the rest of the world have to switch to Canikon? Is this a way to earn money?
P.
3 years ago |I discovered the site a few months back and check it out every so often. Some of the commenters need to relax on criticizing this site. There no need to get all bent out of shape.
Thanks Andrea for all the hard work.
Robert Poirot - NLPIX
3 years ago |I lost my interest in new alpha developments and the sony toy store.
I Sold both my a700′s and all DT ans DC glass. And i bought myself a new a900 an a lot of old minolta and sigma prime lenses 18, 24, 28, 50 and 85 mm) on ebay.
Together with the sigma 24-70 2.8 hsm ans sigma 70-200 hsm for reportage’s and event photography. That has to do for many years. With enough light the a900 in a great camera.
jake
3 years ago |Is it worth buying a new a900 now for $2000? I found some who has the cam but never used it.
hansen
3 years ago |I’m Angry. Will the successor of the A700 ever come? Sometime we heard, that sony feel the preasure and working hard on the successor of the a700 an we will se it at the end of 2011.
Then on Photokina they show the same mokup as on pma and no working prototype.
Then we heard that we will se it at the first quarter of 2011 and now not before 4-5 month.
I curious about what beginner model we will see before sony gave us the successor of the a700. When we will see it ever.
I more and more doubt that sony isn’t the right one. Or it is ony for beginners. And as Semipro i feel sometime fool of from sony.
Hope we will see the A7XX sooner.
David
3 years ago |I already commented…sweet and simple…but I would like to add…
Forget it already. Sony lost their groove. It’s time for everyone to just forget about new Sony stuff…either jump ship or go buy another A700 to replace the one you sold two years ago because you trusted this dumbass company to replace it in an appropriate amount of time. Sony…you SUCK!!!!
I own an A850. I love it. As long as you use TOPAZ LABS Denoise program, you needn’t worry about noise at any ISO level. As for me…if I don’t see something by Christmas…I’m going to look for an A700 and just focus on wide aperture lenses instead of focusing on whether this body is better than that one…it really is ridiculous when you think about it. Lenses have always been more important than camera bodies. The A700 is an excellent camera. I wish it had a top LCD but oh well it’s still a great body.
Dear Sony…I’m never trusting you again, and never purchasing a new camera body from you again, ever. I trusted you, and you let me down. All you’ve done in the past three years is release one crappy soccer mom camera after another. Who the hell wants an A33 or A55? And what’s with the NEX cameras and their tiny bodies that look ridiculous with a full-size lens mounted. Who are the jackasses running Sony’s camera operations these days?
Alex
3 years ago |I don’t understand. What is wrong with the A900?
Yuki
3 years ago |1 – A900/A850 firmware development has been stopped as of a year and half back. Only serious bugs in the firmware are corrected after the cut-off date. If no major bugs (a major bug is considered to be a piece of code that can result in camera malfunction, decreased functionality from advertised specifications or other substantial deviations from the reference design) are found, no further work is done on the firmware. Programmers are on the schedule to write firmware in time for the QC department and test subjects to verify correct operation of the upcoming models.
(partially taken from SSPPH (Sony standards and procedures in programming handbook)).
2 – Information in the original post is not correct.
3 – Can the “admin” use spell-checker or at least proof-read his writing?
(e-mail provided to write this post is not real, so you can’t contact me)
admin
3 years ago |Hi!
1) According to my sources the development has been stopped 6 months ago
2) Can you say what exactly is not correct?
3) Damn, my poor english. I used the spell-checker to correct the post.
Thanks!
feedmatekill
3 years ago |good luck to all of You waiting for these supposed cameras.
Today I bought d300 to replace my a700, I can’t afford waiting any more, if my a700 dies I have no other camera other than my old a200, and there isn’t new a700 to buy (a550 just isn’t good enough). a850 wasn’t an option cause I need fast burst mode (at least 5fps)…I will surely miss some of my lenses…
GL to all sony users and fans.
Edgars
3 years ago |Simple suggestions, if you are a pro, then go for A900, if not, A700 still is exellent, and A580 is an option. If you are a whining child…
JB
3 years ago |Ummm, Nikon sounds like the D4 and D800 are coming out in Spring 2011. 2011 is going to be a very interesting year for camera professionists.
qbic
3 years ago |This A900 firmware “thing” sucks big time.
celle
3 years ago |http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=nl&sl=nl&tl=en&u=http://www.fotomateforum.net/viewtopic.php%3Ff%3D57%26t%3D2126%26sid%3D7bb005fa2c29a30f2c86cf84993f4d99%26start%3D10&rurl=translate.google.com
a900 user
3 years ago |i’m really pissed off about sony’s inability to provide a new new firmware for the a900. not that is neccesary for me personally, but sony should listen to the people who buy their most expensive gear!
that’s pretty shitty!
Dana Kincaid
3 years ago |You said the same thing (delayed so we can have new and really advanced features) about the Oly E5.
I understand you wanting to hype the site here, “Wow looks what we found out!”, but really… And, when you are in error, you damage the brand by causing people to be disappointed.
David
3 years ago |What is a “professionist”????? There is no such word.
Big Canon guy
3 years ago |Ok guys, this is confirmed. I am very excited! According to Sony, i will be $1,000 poorer this year when the new NEx comes out. =)