Sony A77 mockup shown again (+mid-range speedlight flash)
Sony displays the A700 successor prototype at CES along the new mid-range speedlight flash. You can see a few pictures at Photographybay. On a first look there seems to be no difference between that body and the protoype shown at the Photokina in September 2010.
Photographybay says that: “No word on the release date, but one would expect it to arrive at or around PMA 2011 in September.“
Arepo
3 years ago |Oh no, September is too lat for my vacation …
emopunk
3 years ago |Could the unmarked lens shown on the mockup be an upcoming 50mm SSM?
Ezio
3 years ago |double gripped rings means zoom. (1 ring for focus 1 for zoom)
I saw those in person at the Henry’s Photo tradeshow in Toronto last year, pretty darn impressive prototypes!
damiga
3 years ago |This had better be one hell of a camera for this long a wait. Seriously looking at the A850 now due to the wait.
john
3 years ago |It had better be a game changer
lastoneleft
3 years ago |Damiga: you said it right bro… better be hell of a camera after this much wait – guess it has been 2 years now I want to change my KM7d?? geeesss…. (thought Sony will get out an a700 replacement sooner)
Ezio
3 years ago |KM7D released late 2004, discontinued when sold to Sony in Q1 2006.
A700 released September 2007, discontinued mid dec.
A77 tbd…. looks like the 3 year cycle just got longer
emopunk
3 years ago |@Ezio: to me it looks like that thin silver line in the grip could be there just for aesthetics. After all, it’s supposed to be a prototype.
Ezio
3 years ago |that silver line is sandwiched between 2 rubber gripped rings. basically it is a focus ring and a zoom ring. I’d love a replacement for the 50 1.4 as well, but seeing as how there’s 2 rings, it ain’t going to be a prime.
the other factor is that the silver ring has always indicated as SAM lens. SSM lenses are indicated with the wording SSM written onto the lens, usually right beside the lens name.
The prototype itself tho its just basically hard plastic (very well built plastic if i may say), you couldn’t rotate the lens rings on the prototype.
emopunk
3 years ago |You’re probably right. I really wish a CZ 50mm SSM to come out soon. That would push me very hard to go FF
acolyte
3 years ago |I don’t see a 10-shots mode like in A55! -_-
Marcin
3 years ago |Odgrzewany kotlet .Sony pokazuje ten sam prototyp od trzech imprez targowych
( A konkurencji dla D300 i 7D u Sony nadal nie ma 
( A konkurencja nie śpi . Nikon D400 już nie będzie na APS-C tylko FF i będzie to połączenie modelu D700/D300 . Ciekawe czy Sony bedzie wstanie dogonić konkurencje w szybkości i zrobi super sprawną FF. Czy znów dostaniemy napakowaną mega pikselami pełną klatkową lustrzankę do studia 
a reporterzy kupią znów Nikona i Canona 
.
A po kole nastaw nie widać by użytkownik mógł ustawić własny profil no chyba że w menu
Kiril
3 years ago |No ISO button again. Does not Sony learn…..
Myst
3 years ago |sony should fire the mock-up design team…
until we have some real specs for the camera i won;t blame Sony for anything, well…except the delay in coming up with a successor or a important DSLR market segment, but if they come out with something great i rather they take their time…
R0B
3 years ago |ffs sony release it already, or at least some specs, the first time they showed it it was pretty exciting, the 3rd time round its just the same old s**te, pencanikon for me if sony doesnt speed up this release
Panfruit
3 years ago |Mid-range flash looks like it does side-bends like its elder sibling. That is very welcome indeed!
Thundercats
3 years ago |The flash does look like a more compact F58. Speaking of flash, anybody remember that old rumor of a new HVL-F64AM flash?
The 7XX prototype looks the same as previous models that have been displayed. I love the lean and rounded look. Similar controls and dial position as my old A700. The front dial on the A580 is not as (ergonomical?) confortable as the A700′s dial position.
Does anybody know if the 7XX will be a fixed LCD design? It would also be nice to have in camera control of off camera flash parameters.
Mark
3 years ago |All we know is…nothing really.
Alex F.
3 years ago |A couple of things on the good old A7x/7xx prototype
- that movie button seems pretty cramped & very un-ergonomically placed compared to the rest of the buttons
- the fit is quite fine & the finish very even for a prototype
- i can’t recall seeing any other prototype cameras from Sony bar very rudimentary NEXs
I have heard that there was an A7xx very close to being released some time ago that didn’t have a movie mode, but then Sony realised the mistake of not including video so this design was boxed & the currently awaited A7x/7xx was started from scratch.
My thinking is that what we are seeing is one of those boxed A7xxs with a movie button and a few stickers codged in…. So what we are seeing is already last generation!
I was out taking some snaps back at the start of October when a random chap saw me using my Sony gear & came over for a chat. He seemed to have some good contacts in Sony (if the fact that he has an A900 that he didn’t have to pay for is anything to go by;)…) & after a bit of careful directing of the subject matter he dropped a few hints that he had been hands on (or at least around) the A7x/7xx in use & it was uber-impressive.
Not so long ago there was talk of perhaps seeing the A7x/7xx before the end of the year (asin 2010 not 2011!) & by the fact that it probably wasn’t a million miles off being able to be released at the start of October we have to wonder why it looks like its going to be at least another 6 months until release….
1) This 2nd generation A7xx was developed pre-pellicle so they have gone back to the drawing board again & now we are on mk3 A7x/7xx
2) Some other new technology has come along pushing things back further.
3) Sony are running short of sensor production space so they are having to wait till further production capacity is online
4) They are still trying to judge the popularity of the pellicle tech vs. trad OVF tech – perhaps made difficult by the seeming lack of current availability of the A55 & A580 in some markets.
5) The A580 has proved more popular vs the A55 than they were predicting so have decided to release an A7x AND A7xx & need the extra time to fully develop both cameras
6) With a rumoured 24MP they need to upgrade their lenses as i would imagine the only current aps-c lens that might resolve 24MP it the CZ 16-80 (feel free to correct me here!). This is a lens that has a few weaknesses & really could do with at least SAM (but preferably SSM) for video shooting. Lens development isn’t an overnight job & with real need for NEX lenses as well as better aps-c lenses & with the other lenses that we know are in development this is really holding things back & they won’t release the A7x/7xx untill there are the lenses to go with it.
Just my tuppenny worth
clivengu
3 years ago |SAME PROTOTYPE….prototype that never progress at all… this is the biggest joke from sony for their fans this year.
Sergei
3 years ago |I took the plunge and bought A850, better have this in hand than a list of maybe specs and god knows when release and store availability:)
acolyte
3 years ago |Hope you enjoy it!
I’ll start considering that too.
icie
3 years ago |The new mid-range flash looks interesting. If earlier information holds up, it will have the swivel design of the 58, which is actually an extremely useful and versatile feature for a flash, but at perhaps a lower price. Very excited about this.
Myst
3 years ago |me too, hopefully it won’t be much over 300$, and go down to 1/128
ron
3 years ago |There are no microphones. Will be in the movies without a voice
Old mode dial. It is fake 
Adi
3 years ago |Hei, guys, did you read Andrea’s note? Don’t get to enthusiastic.This is THE SAME mockup Sony shown 1 year ago, and again showed it last Fall.But last Fall a Sony executive told that the REAL A7xx will NOT look at all like this old prototype. So don’t try to analyze it, it’s “fake”.
David
3 years ago |Please don’t call this an A77 if you don’t know the name of it. That, plus if it is an EVF then it is basically worthless to the professional. This is a mockup worse yet, which means there is nothing on the horizon. This looks like a Canon 7D body mold modified to look like a “Sony” body. I prefer the retro look of the A700 and A850 any day.
SonyA700
3 years ago |What’s the point of Sony showing a year old prototype? Are they really saying that a prototype hasn’t changed in 12 MONTHS??
..and no A7xx in the shops until Nov/Dec then….*sigh*.
john
3 years ago |If this mockup is as close to the final A77 as the NEX mockup was then we will be in for a big surprise.
If Sony showed what it actually looks like it would tip their hand to Canikon as to whats under the hood.
Sergei
3 years ago |Now that we’ve seen a580 that mock up pretty much is well behind it if you look at it again. I love what the tilt screen lets me do on a550 and will gladly buy another such device as a replacement
Chester
3 years ago |http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/Sony_shows_Alpha_700_replacement_at_CES__more_information_news_304848.html
So the A77 will have ISO settings up to ‘hundreds of thousands’? I wonder how well a high res. APS-C sensor behind a translucent mirror will handle ISO 102,400. Admin, what do you think?
If this thing pulls a miracle and performs like the D3s or 1Ds Mark IV (doubt it), I don’t know what to think.
Pepperoni
3 years ago |If the specification is not finalized yet, who the hell knows then the production will start. I wouldn’t expect this camera to arrive before Q4 of 2011.
zstan
3 years ago |“If this thing pulls a miracle and performs like the D3s or 1Ds Mark IV (doubt it), I don’t know what to think.”
hopefully at the old a700 price too. or cheaper.
john
3 years ago |“The body shell will be made from magnesium alloy and the finished product will be priced in the same area as Canon EOS 60D type products.”
Myst
3 years ago |D3s is in a class of it’s own cause it has a 10mp FF sensor
the 1D Mark IV has a APS-H sensor with 16mp which is a lot closer to a APS-C sensor, but at the same time the D3s is about 1 stop better at controlling noise.
with 24mp it won’t be hard to keep noise down till about ISO 1600, but after that, considering it has a translucent mirror, it would be a real challenge, although i expect twilight mode to be made better so the high ISO settings will be available only in that mode, with regular setting going up till about ISO 25.600.
Panfruit
3 years ago |24mpx in APS-C == not desirable in the least.
SonyA700
3 years ago |“Michael Bubolo, the national DSLR trainer for Sony Alpha, told Amateur Photographer that details are still not finalised, but that the camera would probably be launched this year (2011)”
PROBABLY???? Only PROBABLY??? A few months ago it was rumoured to be announced NOW!!!
hansen
3 years ago |I hope the successor of the A700 will come before september! I need it in Juni. I need it for my trip. If there will be no success i think i will buy the Canon 60d or better 7d. September will be to late for me ;-(
Shame on Sony that it will take that long for!!! So long without a APSC (Semi)Pro Model!!!
neia
7 months ago |delayed due to flood in thailand..
puh
3 years ago |this is not real a700 successor, only presentation plastic toy with a700 grip!
i cant wait real thing!!!
Joel2
3 years ago |I think it’s safe bet the A77 will use the same 16mp sensor found in the A55 / Nikon D7000, but placed within a semi-pro body and include a more advanced AF module. This talk of ISO within the hundreds of thousands is pure nonsense.
neia
7 months ago |wrong.. the a77 use newly developed 24mp with 19 focus point.. haha.. lol..