New cameras first look. And first popularity hint: Preorder insuccess in US?
The video on top shows the new camera preview posted by sonyelectronics. There is also a new NEX-3n image gallery at Dpreview and the full MTF graph form the new Zeiss lens at Sony US.
Whenever Sony launches new products I have the habitude to check the amazon rankings to see how big (or low) the preorders requests are. I checked the mirrorless (Click here), the DSRL (Click here) and the Lens (Click here) rankings and there is no sign at all from the new Sony stuff! The ranking isn’t a scientific tool but it may be a rough indication that these new cameras and lenses aren’t really what people was waiting for. Anyway it’s too early to make any reasonable analysis.
Meantime I re propose the preorder links with the new update Adorama links. Feel free to comment this post to add more links!!!:
US preorders:
Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 SSM A-mount lens at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and SonyStore USA (via AlphaCameraDeals).
Sony SLT-A58 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and SonyStore USA (via ACDeals).
Black Sony NEX-3n at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and SonyStore USA (via ACDeals).
Silver Sony NEX-3n at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and SonyStore USA (via ACDeals).
DT 18-55mm at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
Sony 70-400mm at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and SonyStore USA (via ACDeals).
Sony HVL-F20 Flash at BHphoto (Click here).
Sony HX300 at Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
Sony TX30 Black at BHphoto (Click here).
Sony TX30 Orange at Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
Sony TX30 Pink at BHphoto (Click here).
Sony WX300 Black at Adorama (White!), BHphoto (Click here).
Sony WX300 RED at BHphoto (Click here).
Sony WX300 White at BHphoto (Click here).
And here are the European preorder links:
The Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 SSM can now be preordered at Wex UK.
The NEX-3n can now be preordered at Sony DE, Amazon DE, Sony UK, Wex DE, Wex UK, Sony FR, Sony IT, Sony ES, Sony NL, Sony SE.
The A58 can now be preordered at Amazon DE, Wex DE, Wex UK.
Poki
3 months ago |Well, everything announced is either high-end stuff (which usually doesn’t sell well before any tests are out) or low-end stuff, the latter users usually are not the ones that wait months for the release of this stuff and pre-order it then.
I guess the “pre-order market” is most evident in mid range cameras.
Stan
3 months ago |+1!
I was really hoping for A58 and not A48 rebadged to A58. A58 looks horribly crippled to me. 1) Plastic Lens Mount – eh what??!? 2) Lower resolution LCD, as if this will save them so much money. Higher resolution one for A57 costs probably an extra $15, if that… 3) FPS, although I don’t care about FPS, some people do.
Things like new hot shoe i don’t consider as crippling the camera. Even though I have an iISO flash, i was expecting the old shoe to be dropped sooner or later.
RB
3 months ago |Well, I think there wasn’t anything sexy. Low end stuff is sold from the shelf, and sexy (high end) stuff like the RX-100, RX-1 is sold immediately, no matter of price tags and tests: You can have confidence that sexy (high end) stuff is outstanding. But there wasn’t anything high end but the 1.4/50. But what do you want with a high end 50 mm FF lens, when Sony doesn’t offer any appropriate body for it? And I think, with the current situation, a900/a850 owners are reluctant to invest even more in the system.
vodanh1982
3 months ago |Is the A58 sensor 1 stop better than the previous one?
Stan
3 months ago |Rumor. Not confirmed. Possibly a result of discussions on these boards. There is definitely a dynamic range improvement, which is what possibly turned into ISO rumor eventually.
I’d recommend to wait for DXOmark or DPReview to test the camera.
Sythrix
3 months ago |That was the rumor. I think more likely is equivalent noise results with a larger MP count. Also, I think the better dynamic range rumor is actually just referring to less noise in the shadows thanks to local noise reduction. I think the main advantage is going to be more detailed pics than the 57, at a reduced price. Sony’s focus appears to be on the elements that actually influence picture quality, rather than luxuries. Hence the Lower initial price point, and trade offs. If you’re waiting for groundbreaking… Then this probably isn’t it, but if you want a really good camera that still beats other entry level cameras, jump on board.
Pablo
3 months ago |SONY is not making the stuff people want. When they start to follow this idea and produce something we want, they won’t have a problem with sales, not even with pre-orders… It is up to them… Produce a lot of tiny increments of upgrades bodies that nobody notices? OK… it’s your choice. Bring out the FF NEX for a reasonable price and we will buy it.
Poki
3 months ago |I don’t get this whole “ff NEX” hype … What would we get with a ff sensor? Better dynamic range by about a stop? That’s not worth double the price imho when the current NEXs already have great dynamic range. Better high ISO? That’s something most people don’t need – and if they need it, they probably do sports photography or something similar, where a SLR is a better choice ‘cos of faster AF anyways.
Everything else should be quite similar using Zeiss lenses on both cameras.
Bosse
3 months ago |+1
Stan
3 months ago |+1
FF NEX will be too overpriced with no real gains, except for 1%-5% of Sony buyers. 95%-99% would prefer a smaller package of NEX-x7x, rather than NEX-x9x, which requires larger lenses or sacrifice max arpeture to reduce the size.
Alf
3 months ago |+1
And who would want a FF Nex with DX lenses only ?
Even future FF lenses won’t work properly on E-mount. The flange distance is too short.
Sure there is the VG-900. But it shoots in 16/9 aspect ratio, and yet the vignetting is still there.
Now imagine what it will look like in 3/2 aspect ratio.
Full Frame NEX is pure nonsense. Even more since the Metabones SpeedBooster.
Zohee35
3 months ago |A “too short” flange distance can never really be a handicap. A shorter flange distance just gives more choice for lens designs. A lens design can always compensate for a short flange distance, by adding a longer barrel creating space between the sensor and the lens element closest to the sensor.
Now had you mentioned the diameter of the mount, you could have had a point.
Carl
3 months ago |A larger lens is a handycap, especially for a camera touting how compact it is.
Right
3 months ago |It’s not a handicap if the body is smaller by an equal amount or more. It’s a limited or no benefit.
Pb
3 months ago |I just want it because I’m a bokeh whore!!!! And I bet there are people out there who do for the same reason too! Sony has already proven its possible to create a full frame compact camera with the rx1 and if you put on a good lens on it then you’re not limited to dx lenses. I have a set of non Sony FF lenses ready to go but I just need a small body that has decent performance and doesn’t cost a kidney like the Leica M does
Tom S
3 months ago |Speedbooster?
RB
3 months ago |It’s not the ISO or resolution or noise: It’s the diagonal of the sensor, which defines the focal length for a given viewing angle. The focal length, in turn, defines together with the aperture setting the focal depth and thus the possibility to separate the foreground from the background. Moreover, longer focal lenths give more pleasing appearance of the image (less distortion etc). That’s why medium and even large format cameras are still around and portraits are preferably shot with medium format cameras.
Tom S
3 months ago |Again, speedbooster seems like a pretty good workaround..
crazydoctor
3 months ago |There are products for everyone’s need and everyone’s wallet. If you don’t need that or don’t have the money to buy it, you can at least anderstand that some people are excited to have a small camera with maximum image quality.
Of course, the performance/price of aps-c camera is far better and most people don’t care about very high ISO or pixel peeping.
You can have the same reasoning for everything in life, and without luxury we will all be eating in fast foods or going in 1 stars hotels…
Bosse
3 months ago |Yes, but Sony is a company in urgent need of making money and a FF-NEX camera does not seems to be a very strong path in doing that.
I can’t see that a FF-NEX camera will be nothing else than a niche product due to both its price on the camera and its FF-lenses.
Tom S
3 months ago |+1
I used to dream about a FF camera, but with the crop cameras being as good as they are,and items like the speedbooster coming, I tend to agree FF will be more and more niche. With a Speedbooster, we can approximate the FOV on great lenses like the Zeiss ones, and get an extra stop of light, which pretty much cancels out the FF sensor advantage in low light (though with a shallower DOF)
MrLee
3 months ago |+1
anton
3 months ago |Amen to this superbly rational discussion. I wish people could give straigt answers to these sort of questions because I accept that, maybe, I might be missing something: what sort of new avenues would a FF NEX open for you? What kind of photographs/photography is not possible with your current set up? And, if people are this desperate for FF, why are you not buying a second hand 5D with a 40mm f2.8 right now for a fraction of what a NEX FF set up would cost you?
john
3 months ago |When Sony change the name on their cameras to either Canon or Nikon they will have no problems with sales or pre-orders.
Zohee35
3 months ago |Heh, true story.
Wataru M
3 months ago |The 7n will probably spark more pre-orders.
Simon T
3 months ago |NEX is doing ok (I say ok because in relative terms it’s sharing a market with other makers micro 4/3 etc)
SLT’s wipe out time Sony are in big trouble in the DSLR wars, that’s because they’re ignoring users, not looking after customers with firmware updates, not making DSLR’s anyway (which people want more than they want SLT’s) it’s really quite obvious that Sony are going to drop A mount.
As for the new hot shoe won’t make any different at all to their position bar annoy their current users. Was far too late to change the hot shoe and really I can’t see why the bothered, it’s not even a standard hot shoe as radio triggers don’t fit properly as the front contacts prevent you pushing them home.
Sony are going down and they only have themselves to blame. Any decent products they dumped (A700/900/580)
Bosse
3 months ago |It’s probably mostly conservative photographers and sports or action photographers (and those who listen to their opinions) who do not like the Sony Alpha SLT cameras with it, in my opinion, wonderful electronic viewfinder!
Are you interested in how the exposure and colors will be in the finished photo, has an electronic viewfinder a big advantage over an optical one!
I am quite sure that the electronic viewfinder is the future, but many photographers are so conservative that it will take some time to sell on a broad front!
Have read several articles written by photographers who strongly advocated the optical viewfinder, but after trying Sony’s electronic viewfinder a longer time been very fond of it. Some of them have said that it took a period of habituation before being able to take on the great benefits of electronic viewfinders!
Simon T
3 months ago |They have no reason to look at Sony
IBIS means not a lot when the lenses are as expensive if not more expensive than their competitors (bar the prime IBIS factor) no advantage there.
Missing lenses (70-210mm f4, 24/28/35 primes at reasonable cost, no 85mm f1.8 either) lots of gaps.
No real entry model anymore A58 is a plastic toy, A77 is so noisy it makes your vivitar look half good, A99 so expensive few will pay the asking price.
As for pros needing an EVF give me a break please, experienced photographers who know about exposure and WB settings need hand holding? Sure I can appreciate some of the advantages of the EVF’s but most don’t want it, so Canikon sell TONS of DSLR’s with OVF’s that people want and buy.
You do the maths SLT has failed in the market big time. To offer SLT models was one thing, but to stop OVF models was a major blunder from Sony
Bosse
3 months ago |As I said, conservative photographers…
CTPhotographX.com
3 months ago |Yeah… old guys like me who want a full working flash system without issue or compatibility foibles.
Nothing to do with EVF/OVF whatsoever. I like EVF. But NOBODY asked for it before it was implemented. The stuff we have asked for repeatedly is ignored.
Sorry Sony, but the consumer is too educated these days. If you don’t get the pros singing your praises, then the enthusiasts will scoff and not recommend to casual users as a stable system with defined direction for future expansion potential.
Yes, we would all do well to spend our money conservatively, and not frivolously on adhoc promises that never manifest reality the way they were marketed.
Simon T
3 months ago |As I said more like 93% of photographers (ie the bulk of the market) don’t want what Sony is offering. If you don’t make it people can’t buy it.
Following a path purely to be different is fine, but not if it’s not what people want. If SLT was working Sony would have 15%+ market share they’re not even in double digital nor close.
You might call OVF users Luddites but that’s the reality of the market big demand for OVF’s very little demand for SLT/EVF products. Like it or not that’s how it working out. No sign of EVF DSLR type products from Canikon either wonder why…
lorenzaccio
3 months ago |I don’t think I am conservative, as I can use OVF, EVF, or even the back screen, if needed (if the camera is small enough).
The problem is that 1) I don’t value the shift from OVF to EVF a good-enough benefit per se to buy a camera + into its ecosystem, and 2) the Sony ecosystem misses too many accessories + lenses + support I can already find in Canikon fields. Plus: the uncertainty about the future of FF alpha mount does not help at all. So, as I will have to buy an FF camera soon, why should I buy a Sony? Because it has faster fps? I mean: do I care enough about it?
anon
3 months ago |Canikon sell TONS of DSLR because they are Canikon, not because anything else. Sony once makes a DSLR with the best OVF, second only to the most expensive DSLR of its time(I remember reading the review). How’s the sales? Surprise, not so good. They said it doesn’t have liveview. Sony responded with A580, which has the fastest LV(similar to SLT). How’s the sales again? Surprise, not so good. Again.
AG
3 months ago |Yes it’s very hard to get people to switch from Canon and Nikon brands because they are entrenched in those ecosystems. With SLT being a new approach, Sony never communicated it’s benefits effectively. Still they have some great gear, but it’s not consistent.
CTPhotographX.com
3 months ago |“Not because of anything else”?
Wouldn’t have anything to do with catering to the needs of their customers would it? I don’t recall CaNikon abandoning their entire flash system for a microphone designed by Fred Flintstone… which could easily just have plugged into the side of the camera.
I don’t recall CaNikon forcing EVF upon their customers… TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT attitude.
I don’t recall CaNikon DSLR lines suffering from too much Mirrorless attention.
We wanted flip up mirrors on SLT… no answer.
We wanted tethering… no answer.
We wanted the a99 as 36mp as rumored for two years until a week before launch… fuggetaboudit.
We wanted iISO improved… not abandoned… screw you!
I can’t think of one feature asked for in the past years which has been answered. Yet features never asked for are hailed as revolutionary… yet only mask the loss of functionality they hide.
Sony don’t have ears.
Sony only got mouth…
“Eat our crap and love it before some low rent bottom feeding forum troll calls you a whiner”.
Bosse
3 months ago |+1
Tom S
3 months ago |+1
Stef.
3 months ago |Please do not say that Canikon, or more precisely Nikon is listening to their customers! You are joking? Have you spent any time over on the Nikon forum? Super lousy service, faulty cameras and they took AGES to admit it! Canon…similar story. I was about to jump ship at some point and boy…am I happy I didn’t!
The grass is not greener on the other side. The fact that Sony is not selling that many high end cameras is not because they are worse but because they have not been that long in the market and people who are invested in Canikon gear are not jumping ship that easily. In the Nex segment they are doing pretty well.
Stef.
jciv
3 months ago |When I saw the A58 details, I ordered the A57.
Stan
3 months ago |and I decided to wait for A78
jciv
3 months ago |I am tired of waiting. My 550 isn’t healthy.
Stan
3 months ago |I know that feeling. I sold my A55 recently, betting that A58 will be better than A57, in hopes of catching a better deal for it before the market is flooded with used A57s. Now i’m dissapointed and will up it to A78, or A68 if they even decide to make that one.
Frank
3 months ago |+1
GreenLens
3 months ago |CZ 85/1.4 is the closest match to the new 50/1.4 in MTF– similar resolution, better contrast wide open.
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=11039068
AG
3 months ago |Sony released some excellent gear, 16-50/f2.8, A77, A57, NEX-7 and NEX-6, RX-100, RX-1. I probably missed some here.
Point is they were innovating and gaining traction during a time when Canon/Nikon were doing the same old thing. Now the question is – are they just going side-ways and releasing new models just for the sake of it being a new year? The A58 seems like it.
lorenzaccio
3 months ago |Well, nex and rx line were quite succesful because Sony was actually innovating, and creating a new market.
Alpha was not so succesful because Sony tried to compensate for a lacking ecosystem with innovations that the large part of the market was not interested into. 16-50 f 2.8 is a great lens, but not enough: Sony needs more of that. In fact Canon and Nikon apsc lens line is quite lacking (e.g. it lacks an apsc designed 2.8 long zoom): Sony could try to compete there, by offering an excellent series of 2.8 zooms designed for apsc (hence much smaller and possibly less expensive than FF equivalent, otherwise what’s the point…)
In that case, I would buy an alpha tomorrow. EVF I could care less
Denis
3 months ago |APS-C is for consumer market. Pros prefer full frame for significantly higher IQ, which APS-C is unlikely to ever match. Damn, best APS-Cs are still worse than ancient 5D classic (noise wise) not to mention superior optic resolution and rendition with bigger sensors. Better APS-C lens selection won’t change anything: take a look at Pentax. Consumers will buy cameras with pro labels on them.
iJAKE
3 months ago |After I upgraded from an a77 to the a99, these new Sony announcements are not interesting to me anymore. I suppose more new FF lens would help. The Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 is something I’d love to have but is really that much better (image quality wise) than the current Sony 50mm 1.4 that I already have??? I guess it’s worth it for professional work but I’d like to see more lens for the us non-pros. I would rather see a new version of the Minolta/Sony 24-105mm or newer 24-70 and 70-200 lens.
incognito
3 months ago |45th place for highest Sony DSLR
LOL 
Stan
3 months ago |Yeah, kind of sad…
AG
3 months ago |At least RX-100 is in top 20 (#19).
Gerrymac
3 months ago |sony release of the A58 seems to have missed a trick…No great update on the A57 if anything it is a down grade with all the corners being cut in quailty of product..I will be keeping my trusty A57 until something better comes along as the A58 is NO update……
mjp
3 months ago |sarcastic remark…
sony had a choice to differentiate from the Nex 5 lineup, either equip the 3N with phase detect pixels or use a plastic mount.
Stan
3 months ago |I’ll try one as well
Sony has had a chance to create an awesome replacement for A57. And they did – A58 with a plastic mount.
CTPhotographX.com
3 months ago |Nothing says “quality” quite like plastic.
ageha
3 months ago |Plastic mounts are the future! I hope more Alpha cams will have plastic mounts in the future.
Stan
3 months ago |Yep, what is Canikon thinking! Plastic is like bubble wrap
Its the s**t!
MrLee
3 months ago |ZZZZ… NEX Full-frame = No real benefit other than to charge A LOT more and Wait, and Wait, and Wait on overprices tiny lenses Im sure…
Denis
3 months ago |Speak for yourself. I would love to have 1 and even more stop improvement of higher ISO noise at least. Actually, Sony must design a sensor that works well with short flange distance, otherwise there’s no need to go mirrorless at all. In this case I would happily use my M-mount leica gears
Gabriel
3 months ago |With SpeedBooster you can use FF lenses like they are construct for, and with 1 stop aperture gain. FF sensor is now not really useful, unless you want all the juice of top lenses, SpeedBooset add glasses in the light path and so decrease quality.
HennessyLieu
3 months ago |SONY NEX-3N is a great price to buy, for me personally I want the 16-50 Power Zoom and the price kinda expensive it cost 350 or something and 3N come out with 499$, just have to spend 120$ save it up and you got 3N with 16-50 Power zoom. It best price for both world.
It also a good price who people who want to have 2nd camera
Gabriel
3 months ago |A 120$ Nex3 Body only ? It’s just a dream
Francisco G.
3 months ago |So dissapointed with the A58 “update”. Was looking forward to purchase a second body, guess I’ll have to wait for the A78. (Crossing fingers it won’t be a downgrade!)
kevin chu
3 months ago |3N is a downgrade version of F3,who will buy 3N since F3 is now selling very cheap.
HennessyLieu
3 months ago |Yes 3N is a down grade of F3, now Sony try to make it as small as possible for peoples to easy carry and portable Compact DSLR so yeah they do throw out some stuff like an adapter for EVF, tjat kinda sad and it can only shoot 4fps not 10 fps that also a sad thing, Sony can make 3N into 10 fps but why Sony design to make it 4 fps.
For me personally, I want the 16-50 mm power zoom but I also want a 2nd camera, so the 3N is a perfect 2nd camera to buy. The 16-50mm lens kinda expensive and 3N come out add 120 or 50$ and u get both camera and lens.
Simon T
3 months ago |Even a budget NEX has a metal mount, I guess A mount users are lower down the priority list.
A58 isn’t an update it’s a downgrade in most respects. Send a message to Sony don’t buy cheap plastic junk
JEFF
3 months ago |The real interesting camera to watch is NEX-7N
They would put their most advance 24MP sensor in it
I am anxious to see if it can match NEX-5N in high ISO ie ISO 3200
if it can that is the camera to buy
At this point, full frame NEX even if available but with limited lens
is not interesting to me