A short update on the A99….
After posting the A99 specs I got contacted by another source. He confirmed that the specs are pretty much spotted right. But firmware isn’t finalized yet so small things still can change. I have been told Sony is working hard to avoid some of the early problems we had on the A77 launch.
Meantime it sounds like the NEX-5F (or someone told me the final name may be NEX5R) and the 16-50mm pancake lens are going to be announced in late August. But there is even more stuff coming along that!
ZPk!Qg~~60_35.JPG)
Go Sony!
12 months ago |Hey Andrea!
Thanks for all the work on this site. What’s the hold up with the NEX-5N replacement? I thought the camera was going to be announced already? Is Sony waiting for Canon to announce its new mirrorless? Any word on specs for the new NEX5R? Possible viewfinder? New 18MP sensor? Anything?
Thanks Again!
admin
12 months ago |Yes, I also thought that. But there seems to be some kind of delay. Sensor shoudl be the same of the NEX-5n. No surprise here.
matgay
12 months ago |Sony is working hard to avoid some of the early problems we had on the A77 launch
great news!!
no recall please
The Lotus Eater
12 months ago |What? The A77 wasn’t recalled.
matgay
12 months ago |full frame league… 5d3, d800 almost
Jay - SonyAlphaLab
12 months ago |I’m kinda surprised it’s the same sensor?? It’s the same as the Nex-C3 and Nex-F3 as well pretty much. I was hoping for a next Gen version myself.
Jay
The Lotus Eater
12 months ago |Would have been nice to have had an improved sensor, but there isn’t much wrong with the one that’s in the 5N.
passer-by
12 months ago |Indeed. It’s a pretty good sensor. 16mp is also nice.. not too small, not too big.
Jon
12 months ago |Any word on differences between Nex F3 and the 5F other than maybe a touch screen and wifi support on the 5F? I’ve read opinions that F3 and 5F might be too similar to each other in terms of features.
Keithyman
12 months ago |Firstly, if an article or news item on this excellent site is about A mount camera, then the comments, in my humble opinion, should also refer to A mount cameras, Not NEX. This is also true in the reverse regarding NEX articles and comments. It would be nice to see that happen.
Secondly, if Sony knows of the shortcomings of the A77/A65 then why haven’t they given us, or even mentioned, a V2.0 firmware update to help us.
They also must know that the average A77/65 owners are very unlikely to fork out for a FF cam when they already spent their hard earned money.
Yes, I know there are the rich, the well off, the pro’s and the lucky ones who’s business buys their stuff for them, who can and will buy whatever new thing is thrown at them and who will not worry if it has problems ‘cos they’ll just go out and buy the next big thing. Aren’t they the lucky ones.
Many, many more people, however, cannot afford to buy another camera and these people want Sony not to ignore them but to help them by getting firmware updates to their existing cameras and giving them confidence in Sony as a company.
Pei
12 months ago |Read the article again. First part is A99 and the second part is 5R.
Brendon
12 months ago |There were 2 A65/A77 firmware updates which fixed all the problems. So what is the issue with either camera that requires a v2.0 firmware update ?
Mark
12 months ago |Flash exposure problems; lens profiles for all Sony lenses, not just the few that are currently provided; faster start-up and shut-down; faster formatting of cards; quicker way to access formatting of cards (on A700 & A900, if you press the menu button while in “play” mode you go directly to the menu page with the format feature – not so on the A77); make the stupid “?” button customizable. These are some of the potential upgrades a firmware update might accomplish. Canon just did a firmware update for the 7D that expanded that camera’s buffer. I don’t know how it did that (unless it intentionally suppressed buffer capacity upon the camera’s release), but doing the same for the A77 would also be a benefit. Improved high ISO noise performance also would be a benefit (the A700 became a far better high ISO camera with the fourth firmware upgrade it received).
Steve
12 months ago |Yes,flash
I wasn’t surprised to read on other blogs about a flash problem on the a77.
I tested the a77 for one day (overnight) not planning on buying but just to better understand the EVF and had a problem with my Sony 58-flash…………
I thought it was me and forgot about it till I read about others see the same thing.
I think Sony needs to officially address this as it looks like more than a handful of customers are correcting this by setting flash compensation.
Maybe its a feature
Renz
12 months ago |manual audio controls and tethered shooting. canon was doing this a long time ago.
Amit Zinman
12 months ago |What a about an earphone jack? wi-fi support? PAL/NTSC framerate support for all models?
wth
12 months ago |+1
Especially wireless + tethering
Cyberacc
12 months ago |I must have 24p support, so if my local PAL model won’t do 24p, then I’ll have to reject the local distributor’s model.
The Lotus Eater
12 months ago |Why must it have 24p? Are you exporting movies to NTSC countries?
NEXfive
12 months ago |Guys, PAL models offer 25p and newer ones 50p, while NTSC has got 23.976p, 29.97p and 59.94p (1000÷1001 x 24 or 30 or 60). This is caused by different oscillators and therefore you’ve got to switch a NEX-FS100 off and on when switching between PAL and NTSC, because the complete system needs a restart. Nevertheless this isn’t really expensive stuff, I doubt Sony will ever give this feature to consumer models, just to keep it for professional Camcorders. Additionally 25p can be easily converted into 24p, while there are much bigger losses the other way round.
Boomstick
12 months ago |Of course it will have 24p. It just needs the option to turn off IS in video mode.
The Lotus Eater
12 months ago |The PAL region models are unlikely to have 24p, but 25p.
Cyberacc
12 months ago |24p – because 25p is *not* an official Blu-ray standard. 24p is universal on all Blu-ray players around the world (because film is shot at 24p). For more info see such sites as:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray#Video
So, Sony, please ensure PAL countries get the 24p option on the FF cameras.
The Lotus Eater
12 months ago |Just because it’s a Blu-ray standard, it doesn’t mean the camera has to support it. All PAL TVs will play 25p absolutely fine – in fact more than will play 24p – as 25p goes hand in hand with the PAL 50Hz standard.
Unless you want to specifically burn a Blu-ray disc at 24p, then it’s essentially pointless. 25p offers exactly the same benefits as 24p, and offers better compatibility for TVs without 24p playback in the PAL regions.
Cyberacc
12 months ago |Why should I be restricted to playing my movies in PAL countries? Not many NTSC-market TVs or Blu-ray players can play 25p. All Blu-ray players can play 24p (and convert if necessary). Didn’t Sony have a major role in starting Blu-ray? Yet Blu-ray does not have 25p as an official standard. So why is Sony inconsistent and not giving PAL countries a semi-Pro/Pro camera video that complies with their own Blu-ray standard???
I must have 24p as a professional moviemaker.
Yong
12 months ago |Can we have the a99 earlier..?!
Dee
12 months ago |Andrea, is there any mention of the size of A99 by your contacts? How about weight?
documensony
12 months ago |Same size as A77, the rumor goes
BigP
12 months ago |I keep my fists to all succeeded!
I look forward to a new toy and I hope that it will have the money: o)))
thanks admin for the site … I think because it has Sonyrumors one of the best sites of rumors ….
Rooru S.
12 months ago |Hope Sony do well this time and put themselves as a serious manufacturer…small features like tethering is a must to keep many people happy..external mic on nex-5r or f (whatever) would be a great addition…even if they want to get some money, they could offer a cold shoe but with audio mic in. A Minolta hot shoe would be awesome too, even if they just want to get more money from user as long as they provide better support compared to 3rd party manufacturer…and let’s not forget lenses…
A-mount needs at least a TS (24mm at least) a cheap but weathersealed 70-210 f/4 with SSM FF-Able and a proper update of current offering with SSM, coatings and/or weathersealing, a release of good old 200mm f/2.8 or maybe even offer a f/2 G, and I could go on and on…E-mount is another story hahaha but will be happy with the pancake G zoom if it’s small enough and quality keep the G standards of better performance compared to normal Sony lenses.
w1th0utnam3
12 months ago |Still no leaked photos of the prototypes?
PersonX
12 months ago |Hi Andrea,
How sure are you about the rumor regarding the announce date of the
NEX-5F and the 16-50mm G pancake Zoom?
Because if the announce date is late August I can forget about getting the NEX-5F in combination with the pancake zoom in time for my honeymoon on 7 September…
What price range would you estimate for the 16-50mm G pancake zoom?
There’s a cashback action on the Sony NEX this month but I assume the NEX-5N will receive a price drop directly after this because of the NEX-5F?
Thanks!
Pei
12 months ago |Congratulations. If your honeymoon is in developed Asia, you might have a chance to pick one up locally. Otherwise borrow a NEX from friend for the trip.
Dulaney Ward
12 months ago |Andrea, ny word on the announcement date for the FF camera?
admin
12 months ago |Hi D!
Late August I heard!
Mike
12 months ago |Hi Andrea,
any chance the mythological ‘fast aperture standard prime’ will come along the NEX-5whatever?
I don’t care about the new camera as my 5N is doing just fine – only a hot shoe could change my mind. But I’m longing for a small, fast everyday lens.
Thanks for the good work!
admin
12 months ago |No word about that yet
justme
12 months ago |please please DON’T put the A99 name on it: to me it’s a “End of the Road” sign.
Use something as A90, A97 or A95.
rikken
12 months ago |just me
＋1
I hope FF announced late August
Should be named like 97 or 88.
99 should be reserved special weapon
same level as fs700,1dx,d4.
Henrik
12 months ago |I realy hope the NEX-5F will have built inn GPS can you ask anyone about that?
Phillip
12 months ago |I am sitting and waiting very unctuously. That’s for the Sony A99 now. Well I have the a77. its near perfect, it still lack a bid of noise compared to my wife’s canon 7D. So I am quite P#ssed off that the bloody 7D is is slightly better when it comes to that (noise), BUT I find the 77 kicks bum in all other aspects, I know the Canon people or most of the review sites deny that. Well I recon they complain due to a bid of competition lately. Now the 77 is perfect fast, user friendly and good color dept. BUT will the 99 future the same settings as the 77 but with a full frame sensor, lets be honest the alpha 900 full frame was crap. NO video, it lacks ISO , noise, speed and its color dept was crap. I had the 900 for a while, and gave it away. for some reason I still stay with Sony. why I don’t know, maybe because I want to believe that they will take the lead, well I recon throw a full frame sensor in the 77 with all of its combinations, yo will have the perfect camera. just work on the noise and color dept a bid, and Sony will be the unbeatable camera .
Please Sony bring out the best camera ever build, make my dreams come true, and safe me the fights with my canon idiot mates to defend Sony all the bloody time
sergei
12 months ago |A900 has been an awesome photographic tool. Jpeg sucks ass, but RAW output is fantastic. I love mine but I can’t wait to get a Full Frame a77:) with better low light AF accuracy and ISO performance.
Solo
12 months ago |the a900 color is superior to the d700, d3, d3x, 5d, 5dmkII, I could keep going, you must not know how to process raw files.
DragonEye
12 months ago |Exactly!
While a850/a900 leave something to wish about, the image quality is outstanding. Sure with good glass, good skills and good post production.
As for A99 I consider it as my second FF body.
Steve
12 months ago |It sound like from a specification standpoint we already know a great deal about this camera, as all of the rumors have basically shown it to be a full-frame a77 and nothing more.
What strikes me as being odd is nothing has been reported about how wonderful the image quality is or any other operations that a photographer testing the camera for Sony would say about it, or how improved this is from what has been before.
It seems to me that someone could have stated something like “I can’t tell you about this technically BUT would you believe how great…………….. “
I for one fear that many of us are going to be disappointed and this disappointment will not only be for what we want but don’t get from this release, but a disappointment for Sony in general.
I really hope to be wrong, and hope that this is not just a warmed-over a77 with a full-frame sensor, but a true step forward by Sony and a camera that not only people like me that has a sizable investment in Minolta/Sony and Sony Zeiss optics but others that thought only Nikon and Canon made serious cameras for serious photographers.
poke
12 months ago |I thought or maybe assumed that Andrea remarked that this was a new 24MP sensor. I was hoping that just because this was FF vs 77′s APS-C size that is why they considered it different. Here is to hoping.
Beachrider
12 months ago |I agree with Poke. This is FF, that is a major separation from a77. The 100+ cross-PDAF elements is a major separation, too. Fears that it is an a77 are TOTALLY unfounded.
Steve
12 months ago |Your right, I forgot about the almost unbelievable rumor about the improvements in AF and yes it is a new sensor.
Have we seen this sensor elsewhere yet?
AlphaK9
12 months ago |+1
E
12 months ago |I agree with you that so far we are seeing leaflet information, and not user experiences.
But of, maybe it is an FF – a77 with a better AF system, and hoper fully just a small premium price…
Phyoshin
12 months ago |Don’t you think it is time to have some leaked pictures of the A88/99?
thanks
Phillip
12 months ago |Agreed a few leaked pictures will do the trick, All I tried to say sony should make the a99 & 77 settings and functions the same, however I want a dramatically better color dept and Iso setting without the noise increasing, that is one of sonys major issues.
Clyde
12 months ago |Since we have all these “official specs”… Shouldn’t there be an “official name”?
Is it an 88 or a 99?
voyager42
12 months ago |Clyde: I agree!!!… Apparently we are around 5-6 weeks away from announcement and we don’t even know the MODEL NUMBER!!!… Makes most of the rumors sound stupid… If we don’t know what model is being released how can you believe anything else…
Admin still calling it an a99… If it is an a99 then the specs are just average… I won’t be buying for certain. I might be tempted if its an a88 knowing there will be another model next year…
I just sold my a77 on ebay… sticking with my NEX-7 which has become my go-to camera for APS-C…
Can’t believe all Admins sources do not know what the model number of the new camera in August is!!!… Weird!!!…
Dulaney Ward
12 months ago |Not too weird, really. Model numbers are often fuzzy until the official announcements. Whatever the model number, it looks like we’ll be getting another FF camera next year, maybe two. I don’t see anything ordinary about these specs, given that it is a FF camera.
Pei
12 months ago |Andrea, could you give me your opinion on “liquid chrystal mirror” translucent mirror technology making the rumor round at 4/3 Rumors?
From 4/3 Rumors dated 07/10/12 (rumor is actually more than a year old) on possible future 4/3 camera:
… But there is also a second FourThirds prototype that he is testing. The name is E-P330 (again a FAKE name). It is be very similar to the current E-330. It has a similar technology to the Sony A33/55, but it does not have a translucent mirror, it has some kind of liquid chrystal mirror. The advantage is that you have no light loss when you take the real picture. The mirror can electronically change between 50% translucent and 100%. When you don’t take pictures it uses 50% of the light for the AF-system and 50% for the sensor. When you take the picture it uses the full 100% alight source. The disadvantage is that it is not as fast as the Sony technology and you do not have any AF if the mirror is at 100%. The prototype iuses the same E-620 AF-system. The viewfinder is integrated in the body and has the same specs as the VF2 for MicroFourThirds. The LCD can be tilted and it uses the same [shoplinkshoplink] sensor. It takes movies with 720p. You can use an external microphone. Panasonic GH1”…..
Carl
12 months ago |Variable reflectivity LCs aren’t a new technology, they’ve been around quite a few years. There was talk about using them in privacy glass, but I don’t know if anyone has ever shipped product with them. The problem with using them as a camera mirror is that they aren’t (or haven’t been, at least) particularly linear devices, which is not something one would want permanently in the image path of a serious camera. Of course, technology marches onwards.
harma
12 months ago |From my experience, I would expect an announcement on September, and not August. August is a vacation month – at least in most parts of the world – and it wouldn’t be as wise for sony to make announcements during that period. Also I would expect and hope that a new firmware release for the a77 would come out simultaneous with the a88/a99 announcement.
Maxwell
12 months ago |ISO 25!!!
Strange in these electronic days it is not possible to get
some fake really low ISO values, like ISO 25, 12, 6 etc.
So we don’t need ND filters.
Sekiz
12 months ago |Maybe they r thinking somebody might take pictures of the sun in iso 6 and burn the sensor. Other than that I also wish to have shallow depth of field possibilities on a very sunny day on the beach with extremely low iso.
+1
Borat
12 months ago |Andrea-
Any chance the 16-50 pancake will be the new kit lens with the NEX F5 (or 5R or whatever its called)?
admin
12 months ago |yes!!!
Beaur
12 months ago |It wont be coming with the pancake. If im correct, the pancake will be priced around $499.99 USD and will be ship in November.
Borat
12 months ago |wow, that would be awesome. I wonder if they will keep the same $699 price point on the camera if they sell it with a G pancake zoom????
SonyHemuda
12 months ago |$899 = Nex-F5/5R + 16-50 pancake!
LR
12 months ago |if the F5/5R is as big as what became the nex-f3, then im not in. It would lose the size advandage of the pancake zoom in so I’m very much aware about the rumors incoming and ready to buy instant a thiny nex5n.
GeminiRx
12 months ago |I just hope that the A99 or whatever or is called has a headphone jack and manual audio gain controle.
Tom
12 months ago |Agree, and to me, even more importantly. Clean HDMI output, so I can use an external recorder (like the D800 allows)
passer-by
12 months ago |A99 Mark 1.
Brett
12 months ago |Bypassable compression on the audio track would be nice.