(SR4) Sony A77 to be unveiled in Q3 (third quarter)
A few days ago a dutch A77 rumor created a lot of buzz announcing the A77 would be announced in April. As our trusted sources pointed out quickly that rumor is NOT TRUE! De facto the rumor was a mix of already published SonyAlphaRumors and a few added WRONG specs. As you know the “A77 packshots are ready and currently being reviewed by management.“. If no problems will occur during that process the A77 will be on market in Q3 (July-September).
All sources point me out that this will be an amazing camera. Much better than anything out there (in the APS-C world). We should expect a real huge improvement over the Sony A55. They know that people is frustrated because of the long wait. But they have not a single doubt that it will be worth the wait!
I repost our correct specs (collected form trusted SonyAlphaRumors sources):
- 24 megapixel sensor
- FullHD
- New advanced OLED(?) EVF
- UNCONFIRMED -> There were rumors (and also a Sony patent) about some kind of hybrid viewfinder ( a là Fuji X100 (Click here to see that camera on Amazon)
- ISO will go ‘up into the hundreds of thousands’
- price will be in the same area of the Canon 60D ($900-1200. Click here to check price)
- The A77 has a bigger and robust body compared to current SLT cameras.
- The A77 will not have a flip-up mode to allow shooting without this extra sheet of glass in place.
- It will take CF
- With the new battery you can take around 1.000 pictures.
P.S.: Paul Genge of Sony UK said that “this camera will include such high specification features that current A700 owners will be amazed”
P.P.S.: We have a new facebook page! Join us at http://www.facebook.com/sonyalpharumors!
Reminder (SR = Sonyrumor):
SR1=probably fake rumor
SR2=rumor from unkown sources
SR3=50% chance it is correct
SR4=rumor from known sources
SR5=almost certainly correct!
HD10
3 years ago |A camera with an APS-C 1.5x 24mp will start experiencing lens diffraction as early as f/6.3 and diffraction will be significantly bad from f/9.0 onwards.
How can a 24mp APS-C sensor be a good thing for those who need to shoot at even smaller aperture settings?
AVESTA
3 years ago |that’s why this is a bad idea… unless they know something we don’t
Myst
3 years ago |true, until i see a test with a 10mp camera and this 24mp sensor(if it’s true) at f/11 and f/16, of course the 24mp image has the 24mp can be down-scaled to offer better quality, but i am still curious to see how much does diffraction really impact shots.
GF1
3 years ago |Who cares anyway? little too late SONY
April or Bust.
Myst
3 years ago |you know who cares? well i don;t really know who does care, but i can tell you who doesn’t care if sony release it in 2011 or later… people who enjoy photography more than their actual gear.
acolyte
3 years ago |Sorry, but I have to side with Myst here.
Joel
3 years ago |You will experience the very same level of diffraction for any given lens no matter how large that cameras sensor is. You’ll just be able to notice more off it with the higher resolution sensors. The solution to that is simply the resize the image to a smaller image to that of say 12 or 16mp if you’re that concerned.
pmac
3 years ago |People are getting carried away with diffraction. A 24Mp sensor suffering from some diffraction effects at (say) f8 will still have vastly more resolution than a 12Mp sensor without diffraction effects.
Diffraction changes where a lens gives its best, it doesnt reduce the best it can give.
HD10
3 years ago |The issue of a using 24mp APS-C 1.5x crop sensor and the resulting lens diffraction is a concern for those who need to shoot at smaller apertures.
If you accept the limitation of shooting wide-open till the mid-aperture settings then this is not an issue for you. It will however be a major concern for others who need to step down past f/9.0.
Sky_walker
3 years ago |Oh Sony Sony Sony…. this ain’t being funny anymore. Is there any, even slightest, reason why to wait that long? I mean: What they are doing out there? Inventing the wheel?
Joel
3 years ago |Yes, they’re re-inventing the viewfinder
Sky_walker
3 years ago |… duh… just put pentaprism, people will joy pentaprism in April more than holographic viewfinder in god-knows-when.
Josh
3 years ago |A little disappointing. Hopefully the NEX-7 is out before then.
Gregor
3 years ago |Ok. Im done. I’ll jump to Canon tomorrow! Finish! Fuck Sony!
acolyte
3 years ago |Why not now? o.o Why wait ’till tomorrow? o.o
Milos Janata
3 years ago |He still has some hope for today’s evening:]
Alex
3 years ago |Of course you are, Greg, of course you are.
SonyA77
3 years ago |Do you have good stuff to sell off cheaply? What’s your eBay id?
AVESTA
3 years ago |hahahaha
admin
3 years ago |You will regret it
Matthew
3 years ago |I’m most concerned about two things. A the frame rate for movies as 30fps isn’t acceptable for me ( i need 60fps) and I need to be able to change the aperature mode in movie mode. Going to happen? If so, then I’ll up grade immediately from my a350
Adi
3 years ago |There are 4 PS and superzoom cameras which Sony anounced this year, all supporting 1080p60. What makes you think that A77 will be only 1080i ?
Sky_walker
3 years ago |“30fps isn’t acceptable for me ( i need 60fps)” – OMG. That’s all I can say. lol
Milos Janata
3 years ago |no OMG. even my HX5 has 1080/60. I need it too.
Video starts to be very important feature.
I am almost sure it will have full manual control too
Adi
3 years ago |HX5 is 1920×1080@60i (interlaced). The new camera are 1080p60 ( 60 frames progresive ) so twice the number of frames as 60i is practicaly the same as 30p.
Sky_walker
3 years ago |60i in Sony version is actually a 30p in different container, so no difference at all.
As for 60p – I said OMG cause difference is so very slight that I see no reason at all to bother with it, IMO saying that “30fps isn’t acceptable” is childish at least. Did the guy noticed that DVD, Blue Ray, ground TV and cinema are all made in much lower framerate than 60fps? He doesn’t watch anything, or what? Duuuh…. seriously… it brings pure facepalm on my forehead.
Only real, noticeable at first sight advantage of 60p is… slow-motion capture, a special effect, that’s all. Not much of a usability value anyway.
(BTW: I wonder where Matthew has been during the A55 release when Canikon fanboys were crying for lack of 24p mode – far slower than what you want, something that brings much more noticeable difference than between 30p and 60p)
Milos Janata
3 years ago |60i gives me slo-mo, 30p not
Milos Janata
3 years ago |i agree, not much difference between 30p and 60p… damn reply buttons:)
c preece
3 years ago |That’s a loooong wait on top of an already way to loooong wait. Lose most of the good spring and summer outdoor season (my favorite time for taking pics). I doubt it will be out before the a77, but if it is, I may consider the Nikon 300s replacement. Again I doubt it will be out before the a77 if it’s using the same sensor. Odd that packshots are now being reviewed and the products 8 months away?
acolyte
3 years ago |Yeah, they will have to do a few software tweaks, breaking up the correct lens-camera pairs, then the rest is just market strategy – of their numerous new camera plans, which to get out first? How can they build up the correct tension? (obviously they’re not doing a good job at it)
Anyone more experienced in this field?
john
3 years ago |The Sony execs that are to review the packshots are going on a 6 month vacation.
Other wise one of the rumors is BS
Matthew
3 years ago |There is actually a big difference between 60p and 30p. It’s called resolution. You may watch a final DVD at 30p, but recording at a higher rate and then outputting at a lower rate has saved me when editing coutless times. In professional video, it’s all about timing, often times that means you need to be able to slow stuff down, even just a little, with loosing quality. So it’s not just about special effects.
I borrowed an a55 and tested in extensively against my Panasonic tm-700 and the tm-700 just killed the sony in quality. NOt to mention that I can’t change the aperture with the Sony, or use it for more than 10 minutes at a time. I’m just waiting however, for Sony to come out with some other camera to get rid of my a350 which I like, but hopefully change it to something with great video and a better body. Then I’ll be happy.
Anyway, given that resolutions are going up and not down, why not just make the video as high end as possible? Either way, anything less than 60p isn’t enough. Just think of how much I have invested in my lenses, with 60p and my lenses I’ll have a dream camera!
damiga
3 years ago |>>They know that people is frustrated because of the long wait. But they have not a single doubt that it will be worth the wait!
Do they also know that people will only wait so long before jumping ship? If I didn’t have so much invested in lenses…
c preece
3 years ago |I’m not heavily invested in lenses and I’m one my first and only Sony camera so it’s easy for me.
acolyte
3 years ago |I’m sure they are also worried to lose to Nikon’s new camera specs. After all, they may have some leaks from Nikon for their new technology. If theirs and Nikon’s comes out around a similar time period (e.g. year), they want to do it better, and do it right this time.
Remember, Sony is an electronics company, not a camera company.
damiga
3 years ago |>>Remember, Sony is an electronics company, not a camera company.
Yes and no. Sony is a huge company with many divisions, one of which is their imaging division. What does that have to do with anything? Canon, Samsung, Panasonic all do more than just cameras. Your point?
acolyte
3 years ago |My point is that the Sony imaging division is smaller than Canon’s, Samsung’s, and Panasonic. Sony is a bigger company, but not the camera division.
Got the point?
Damiga
3 years ago |You’re trying to tell me that Sony sells less point and shoot, SLRs, camcorders than Panasonic and Samsung? It’ll take some googling but I’m pretty sure you’re mistaken on that one.
Sky_walker
3 years ago |It’s not about sales. It’s about division size. One doesn’t need to have much in common with another.
hanugro
3 years ago |Man get your fact right. Sony is one of the first company creating digital photography with their Mavica line long before Canon and Nikon even think to replace film with sensor. Sony P&S is (was) number 2 in sales (or at least in the top 3) in the world. Their dSLR line is usually rank no 3 under Canikon (albeit Canikon has 60-70% market) all over the world. To compare Sony camera division with Sammsung and Panasonic is an insult IMHO.
They bought the whole Minolta mind in 2006. They have merge the whole P&S, dSLR, and camcorder under 1 roof late 2010.
Their path is clear. More integration of P&S, dSLR/T, and camcorder but they are not creating 1 product that fit all. They will make dSLR/T that have P&S and camcorder technology. Make P&S that have dSLR and camcorder tech. Finally Make camcorder that have P&S and dSLR (interchangeable lens) tech.
acolyte
3 years ago |And to clarify what Sky said, ranking and sales helps to define the quality of the team, not the size of the division.
Yes, Sony P&S and camcorders and dSLRs tries to merge closer and closer. BUT, the division is different.
Digital Cameras, Digital SLRs, Camcorders. Those are three divisions already. Different targets of market segment. Different sales strategy. May be the same people (and therefore make the total division size smaller), but different designs. Perhaps different engineers even.
I don’t know how Sony works, but as a hardware & software engineer, I’m guessing.
AVESTA
3 years ago |at the same time, I think they’re just trying to create hype.
People want what they can’t have. So, even when the camera does come out, it’ll be limited quantities so people are going around town trying to find one.
mafiosito
3 years ago |Jump ships is not an option for too many lenses, Dont think I would if I could, when I know something awesome is coming. I love the Alphas I will wait somewhat frustrated but it is aparently worth the wait. My “precious” a700 will do the job until then
c preece
3 years ago |There is some truth to that…a580 is still not available anywhere in Canada and who knows when it will be. A77 comes out in August and we don’t see it in Canada until November. Now where talking a 10 month wait.
Steve Long
3 years ago |Sony’s a big company that has a great deal of manufacturing and marketing experience, and having said this I’m sure that it will be a good product.
After the specification and design phase is completed (as it looks to be) a July – slept scheduled release in my opinion is about right given the tremendous amount of work that is required to bring a product to market worldwide.
Watching this website like I have, reading all of the speculation about a camera body, I hope that it will live-up to all of the hopes and dreams many of you seem to have for it.
As for me, I have two a850 and don’t have any plans on adding a new body just yet, although this could change if it “walks on water” like many hope and it proves to be a real game-changer in image quality and low light performance.
So great, enough with this speculation over when or if Sony would release a a700 replacement, this is it isn’t it?
Now, on with the next topic; Sony where are all of the new high quality lenses to support this 24 megapixel sensor and better with AF systems that are video ready?
Camera body’s come and go, it the lenses that are an investment. If Sony’s business plan is to start consumers in photography with a33’s and a560’s and move them up to an a77 and better then Sony needs to market optics to match. As of now, most young photographers leave Sony and move to Canon if they are serious about the art.
mafiosito
3 years ago |It’s true about 24mgpxl diffraction factor…maybe thats why they are making a new kit lens
Sky_walker
3 years ago |They are making new lens cause… well… A77 + current 18-55? would kill people laughing. Remember when A700 came out? It got 16-105 lens in kit, one of best Sony lenses for mid-range buyers. Now we’ve got whole SAM crazyness so there isn’t a chance we would see the new key camera without any good new lens to pair with.
acolyte
3 years ago |I’m up for a better kit lens.
GH
3 years ago |Diffraction still won’t make resolution worse than a lower megapixel sensor at small apertures. So, while you may not see much of a resolution advantage of a 24mp sensor over a 16mp sensor at f8, the 24mp wont be worse, and you will still have an advantage at wider apertures.
mafiosito
3 years ago |Lol all the ship jumpers post your ebay ID, I’m looking for deals. Have a good trip out there and see you again @ a77 release Q3 LMAO
Vlad
3 years ago |Well, Sony is to blame to a big extent. See you in 10 years when you’ll still be using the A77 if Sony follows the same path.
SonyA77
3 years ago |eh? The A700 has only been out since Sept.07 how does that make it 10 years then?? Get a grip, it’ll only be FOUR years by Sept.11 and Sony have been concentrating on the low to intermediate line because you have to start at the bottom and work your way up.
I am astounded that Sony released the ground-breaking A55 a mere five years after entering the market, they are in the number three slot before Pentax and Olympus.
Some people need to get some perspective…
Sky_walker
3 years ago |Vlad says that in 10 years there won’t be any A77 successor. Not that A700 was released 10 years ago.
Well, big hype anyway.
Vlad
3 years ago |Relax. That was just an answer to mafiosito, because I do think that Sony didn’t do it right.
1. I don’t see what you mean by “only” 4 years – that’s a long time for having only one pro APS-C model.
2. If you have to start up at the bottom and work your way up, how do you explain starting with the A100, A700 and A900 and then coming up with the low-level? No matter how you look at it their marketing sucked and that is true not only for the imaging division.
3. About the perspective – where do you get the nonsense that the A55 is the number 3 slot behind Pentax and Olympus? Your statement doesn’t make sense for almost 2 reasons:
a. you are mixing models and brands
b. in case you are talking models you do not have the numbers to support such a statement
4. I think Sony is finally getting on its feet with the NEX, the SLTs and the A580, but this is now. You can’t convince me that they had something that can be called “strategy” for the last years and that’s why I keep a critical eye – hence my first comment.
pmac
3 years ago |Vlad – I think you misread the previous post. He said “before” not behind, Pentax and Panasonic. And he’s right, after tousling with them for the last few years the NEX and SLTs have broken Sony free from the pack and put them in serious contention with Nikon and Canon.
Secondly – I disagree with you completely that Sony hasnt had a strategy for the past three years. I think the problem is its a strategy that is still playing out. I believe that Sony decided almost three years ago to completely reboot the alpha brand. Low cost changes to the entry level stuff were progressed to keep some marketing guys employed but all real engineering was poured into new technologies. Those technologies (nex and slt) are (so far) a huge success.
This is not risk free but if Sony can emulate this success with the A77 (and A7XX if it exists) then regardless of short term losses through late 2010, early 2011 then Sony is looking good to further build its market position.
c preece
3 years ago |pmac
It’s been said on this site that Sony had an a700 replacement close to ready and realised that it wasn’t going to fly because it didn’t have video. They have said if they are going to do DSLR video they are only going to do it right. This I assume means full time auto focus hence the a55. Then decided they would put video into a regular SLT (a580). Sorry, but this doesn’t appear to be well thought out nor planned. Sony got caught with their pants down with the original a700 upgrade because they didn’t have a plan in place to include video and were paying for it now. Time will tell if it was worth the wait, but the wait isn’t the result of 4 years of focus on the upcoming a77 which by the way isn’t a replacement for the a700 if it’s not a DLSR
Vlad
3 years ago |@pmac You’re right – I misread the post. My bad. But while I agree that the A55 is a success, my point still stands – the A55 being before Olympus and Pentax means nothing for the reasons stated above. We don’t have any numbers about that.
About the strategy. I really disagree with that lame excuse everyone is giving – Sony poured all of their efforts into new technologies. Or that they want to make it “right”. Does that mean that they couldn’t make some incremental upgrades? Put an intelligent preview on the A700 and sell it again? Put a new sensor and sell it again? For a company the size of Sony this would be extremely easy and certainly won’t eat all of their resources and hinder innovation! In the end, not only they did not provide those incremental upgrades, they literally discontinued the A700 and there still isn’t even an announcement of another model! I would really like someone to explain to me how this is a strategy!
People, especially pro-users do want some consistency – when you buy into a system you want them to deliver on a regular basis and there is only one way to approach it – look at their history. Anyone who doesn’t want to waste their money would prefer consistent incremental upgrades rather than sporadic innovation.
Also, I am not completely sold on “you start at the bottom and work your way up.” Consumer features are mostly automated pro features. I this sense photography works exactly the opposite – you start from the pros. Another point is that consumers would be more inclined to buy from a company that has some pros to stand for it. Looking it from this angle, Sony started perfectly IMO – A100, A700, A900, but they didn’t follow up. Huge mistake!
Daniel
3 years ago |I agree with Vlad. I said this before, Sony doesn’t understand the DSLR market very well neither are they trying to do so. I feel a little bit disappointed that their marketing proves to be this arogant.
They should have thought it better before announcing that they are going to change the game.
All this talk about one camera especially is to be laughed at.
Even if the a77 will be as good as we all want it to be it will be far from being enough to change the game. While a700 was dicontinued Nikon had a very actual d300s and Canon brought the 7D which took the lead in the aps-c segment. The a77 is all about the higher APS-C segment duel between manufacturers…but the game is much more, it is also about lenses, high optical performance combined with endurance(metal weathersealed bodies) and let’s not forget the FF cameras.
We have seen a lot of consumer oriented activity from Sony(DSLR and SLT with kit lenses). That’s not bad. This was their game lately. They cannot change anything yet above it. They lack the weapons to do so.
I still wonder why arent’t there some new ZEISS and G lenses out to support their intentions!?
4 years for a cmera replacement in this class is too long by any standards!! FF cameras from Canikon get changed faster…Sony’s strategy is odd to say the least.
Does anyone remember that I’ve been saying for some time now that the a77 would be a nice gift for 2011s Christmas!? It turned out to be a bad joke, since spring and summer would have been the perfect time to enjoy this new camera…to take it out and get nice pics.
Oh, well…
I’m committed to my lenses more than anything else so i’ll wait and see. My a850 works well but I would love to get the a77 also. I won’t do so before I can read some serious reviews to see how it does.
I also think it is about time Sony should start to think about a 70-200 G replacement…
Oscar Soto
3 years ago |I was waiting for the A77 last year and after Photokina 2010 I decided to wait no more for Sony to release the A700 replacement. I’m currently using another brand but I still have Sony gear for sale. If you wanna take a look follow this link http://myworld.ebay.com/bccrendon1/
acolyte
3 years ago |Yes. Instead of saying ‘Hey Sony, I’ll jump ship’, post here ‘Hey here’s my ebay id – look out for my Sony gears’
Or stop whining.
Oscar Soto
3 years ago |Done – http://myworld.ebay.com/bccrendon1/
I already moved to another brand. This waiting was just ridiculous
acolyte
3 years ago |Not you -.- you’ve done what you have to do.
Dulaney Ward
3 years ago |Actually, four and a quarter years after entering the DSLR market in early June, 2006, with the A100.
Tristan
3 years ago |That’s really a shit news!
Q3 is god damn toooooo long. when will the FF be available?
Q3 in 2012?! Force me to buy a a850?
acolyte
3 years ago |I’m not going to buy a850. I’m not interested in FF atm :\
Andy
3 years ago |That’s way too long, my a900 along with 24-70, 70-200, 135, hvl 58, need company!!!
hansen
3 years ago |sahme on sony! so long without a semipro apsc mode ;-( And still we have to wait so long
rttew
3 years ago |What is the hold up??? This camera really needs to be a winner for Sony.
Dulaney Ward
3 years ago |Abdrea, did your trusted sources say that the A77 will be “on the market” in Q3, or “unveiled” in Q3?
admin
3 years ago |Hi Dulaney! One thing I learned is that every source means something different. (For example dealers do receive info about when the camera/lens will start to be sold. In that case announcement and availability should be very close. I have a date about the possible announcement but it has still to be confirmed. If that turns out to be true than the A77 will be “announced” (press release) at the beginning of the Q3!
Adi
3 years ago |Extrapolating:
HX100V and HX9V – announced February 1, presales starting in February and available starting in April…
A77 – Anounced July 1, presales starting in July, and available in September…
If the A55 story repeats and you want it better order one in presale in July or get to store and get one imediately when the first batch hits the store. If you will wait for the reviews to com out you my not be able to find one before Christamas.
I expect the price to be US 1199 (in US) with the kit lens included.
Myst
3 years ago |if the kit lens will be a 16-50mm f/2.8 then the kit will be around 1600$ at least
Sky_walker
3 years ago |Oh I hope you are damn wrong. Tamron 17-50 F/2.8 runs for $390, so I hope for price not higher than $600, preferably much lower. I want this lens, and I don’t want it expensive!
Myst
3 years ago |@Sky_walker
i hope i am wrong also… but given that the rebranded sony 28-75mm sells for much more than the tamron 28-75mm i would expect a newly designed 16-50mm sony to sell for more than a 17-50mm tamron :/ in the end we will always have the tamron for a low price so i don’t really care too much about the new lens, cause optically it would be very very hard to beat the tamron lens.
Sky_walker
3 years ago |Yes, agreed. Tamron is a great lens so I heard, but I’m just very curious of what Sony wants to present in order to compete. If it’ll be better optically than I can pay some more cash but otherwise I’ll add another Tamron to my collection… especially cause I have stupid feeling it gonna be somehow optimized for video… but well, no rush for me anyway.
ser
3 years ago |Andrea, where is the 3-sensor camera?
is another camera?
Sky_walker
3 years ago |another one. A77 is SLT, not 3-sensor.
admin
3 years ago |It’s a videocamera. Don’t know exactly when it’s coming.
David
3 years ago |This is a mythical camera that does not exist. Sony no longer makes pro bodies. They relish in the free PR because it gives them a chance to expose everybody who is waiting for a pro body to their crappy line of toy cameras, period. There is no 3rd quarter release. That tune’s been played 5 times already. It’s over, there is no A700 replacement coming, ever.
Myst
3 years ago |wanna bet?
SonyA77
3 years ago |Are you still here? Shouldn’t you be out shooting with your Canikon, or is mummy keeping you inside tonight?
NONE
3 years ago |Its not good enough to say its going to be an amazing camera. The A77 has to be better than the D400 and not the D7000
Dulaney Ward
3 years ago |I am sure that they have aimed ahead of where they think that the D400 or any possible Canon is going to be. I hope that their aim is true.
Myst
3 years ago |if it’s priced like the nikon d7000 it has to be better than that camera not a camera that is like 500-600$ more.
Wayne
3 years ago |(SR5)There is never going to be a replacement for the A700, not in Q3 not ever. Sony will release this A11, A22, A44, A56 (upgrade for A55) with built in satellite dish and cell phone. PISS POOR Sony and not acceptable
Milos Janata
3 years ago |Well, last time I watched some live stream a few weeks ago, some guy from sony was talking about focus on consumers mainly. So maybe You are right
Dulaney Ward
3 years ago |No, he’s not right. Of course, those of us interested in the A77, or even the A9xx, are consumers as well.
Milos Janata
3 years ago |I agree that semi-pro and consumer line is merging together.
acolyte
3 years ago |Especially those rich kids who doesn’t know what they’re holding. They help blur that line.
“Mommy, I want a camera”
“OK, let’s find out what’s the most expensive camera and buy that”
acolyte
3 years ago |Btw, personal experience. I’m not making things up.
Steve Long
3 years ago |I agree somewhat with David….
I have yet to see the strong commitment to photography that Minolta had. Sony purchased the camera line years ago now I’m still not sure that they know what they want to do with the product group.
Do they want to be a Nikon/Canon or a Casio.
As someone that has a big investment in Minolta and Zeiss glass I would like to know so I can plan how and when to move to someone else.
I would like to buy some new glass but till I’m sure Sony’s commitment I’m holding on to my money.
The next professional products from Nikon or canon without a Sony follow-up product will likely cause me to switch platforms.
SonyA77
3 years ago |They have released the A33 and A55 in the last quarter of 2010. I think they know EXACTLY what they want and who they are aiming at and it isn’t current Canikon users for a start, it is a completely new type of user.
acolyte
3 years ago |Correct.
Naive consumers (no, naive is not amateur. It includes a lot of pros due to their saturation to the market) assume that when a new product comes out, it tries to compete with existing products.
I just bought an Acura ZDX. What does it tries to compete with? BMW X6? Meh. Doesn’t feel anything like it. It’s on its own. The only car that could compare to it is Accord Crosstour, and that’s slightly different also. Toyota Venza is nothing close to it.
And so, if you shooters want Sony to be on par with Canikon, get real. They’re going on a different direction. If you don’t like it, Sony’s not for you.
That’s why we have free market. A brand is not for everyone.
So, open up your eyes and stop being stuck on the past.
It’s useless to hope for the next generation.
Look for what comes after next.
Chris
3 years ago |rofl.. you americans sure build ugly cars : D
i see you guys are always amazed about the fact that we have mercedes taxis here in germany haha
nrd
3 years ago |You guys are right. And not that the new user is a bad one…just evolving. I feel I’m one of those. I’m not a noob but not a pro either so I don’t want an entry level prosumer body. I like techy things like my iPhone and such and welcome huge leaps in innovation. Canikon don’t have that unless you’re paying premium for a D3/5D. Screw that. I was pissed when the D3100 didn’t have an external mic jack and crappy autofocus so I jumped ship…even though I don’t agree with doing that but the new Nikon line is a joke. Sony is showing promise with the gamble of the SLT line. A55 for me and I don’t regret it. Sure I can’t get a grip for it and the battery sucks but that’s small stuff that doesn’t bother me. It’s a fun camera…like driving a Mini Cooper. Not the best car but DAMN is it fun and all I need. Plus, it’s cheap. I’m already seeing D7000′s on craigslist for under $1000 CDN new and A55′s can’t even be seen in stores here. That says something.
acolyte
3 years ago |By the way I have to side with Steve for one – yes they don’t have the same commitment as Minolta does. And I don’t think in the short time they’ll ever. This is a step back which we just have to swallow.
kmfan
3 years ago |Slow down. WHO ARE the Canon users? Majority buy Rebels because they don’t know any better and that’s what everyone reccomends. Today there are other options in the entry level segment (K-x, D5000, NEX, etc). With NEX, Axx, A5xx, and other cameras using the Sony sensors, Sony just eroded Canon’s APS-C camp.
Sony doesn’t have to win Nikon’s or Pentax’s APS-C market share, they’re onboard with Sony sensors.
It’s not about Sony vs Canikon anymore. It’s Sony vs Fuji/Kodak/Samsung and other sensor makers. What is known today, Canon doesn’t seem to be onboard with Sony’s sensors. They can lose APS-C market share in 3 years. FF? Sony is working on it.
It’s not Sony that’s going after Casio, it’s Canon that’s going to be FORCED to compete with Casio.
Knurd
3 years ago |It’s funny how Sony claims this’ll be the best camera out there right now. Sure it will be if it were to come out right now. Anyone can say that a 2024 electric car will be way more fuel efficient than any of today’s cars and for the same price. Don’t be stupid Sony. Get your head out of the P&S and 3D TV butt and get some cameras/lenses released.
admin
3 years ago |Not Sony claims that but my sources. Please do not confuse a rumors website with Sony!
nrd
3 years ago |actual title of one of your posts…
A77 will be superior to any other APS-C camera. New professional NEX coming! (Sony says)
If I’m confused then perhaps there is something lost in translation here. Also, here is another similar post title…
P.S.: Paul Genge of Sony UK said that “this camera will include such high specification features that current A700 owners will be amazed”
kmfan
3 years ago |When you’re the one that bakes the bread, you get to decide how moist to make it.
Steve Long
3 years ago |I doubt few question that Canon will soon release a follow-on to its 1D or wildly successful 5D or that Nikon will ship a replacement to its incredible D3x and D700, but we that watch this website and much of the Photo press do question what Sony’s plans are for its A850 and A900 flagship.
Canon has released several enthusiast bodies’ that compete head-on to A700 market segment as Nikon has with its D7000 camera but Sony’s ships three completely different technology’s in its NEX, A33/A77 and its A560/A580 products all good cameras but aimed at the upscale point-and-shoot market not the enthusiast or professional photographers like many of us.
I believe that Sony will soon ship a camera called A77 or maybe even one called A750 but this doesn’t mean that it will be the replacement for the A700 we all have been waiting for.
Dulaney Ward
3 years ago |Hmmm. If the folks at Nikon & Canon were actually to believe that Sony is aiming at no more than “the upscale point-and-shoot market,” then Sony will soon be laughing all the way to the bank. Yes, the A77 will not be the camera we have been waiting for. Instead, I am beginning to get the feeling, it will be a camera we haven’t even dreamed of–yet—but soon will be drooling over.
admin
3 years ago |+1 !!!
c preece
3 years ago |I’m not carrying a lot of Sony gear right now so jumping ship is an option if the a7xx fails to impress me. I hope your right and we see something that is truly impressive. I have my doubts though as I still don’t believe Sony has been listening to its advanced or prosumer customers.
Two things that stand out for me are the speculative costs being equivalent to the Canon D60. I would hope that along with all this spectacular new technology that Sony wraps it up in a magnesium alloy body with some good weather sealing. Putting this new technology inside a great body is going to cost a few bucks which I’m willing to pay for if it’s done right I want to be outside with it in all conditions without fear of getting a little wet, cold or otherwise. D60 pricing seems to me to be either too good to be true or cheap which means costs will be made up in the body material.
The other fear I have is Sony’s affliction with attention deficit disorder. They act like a kid in a sandbox that only spends 30 seconds on each toy before it’s discarded for the next one. Recent lower end models were discontinued within a year; batteries are inconsistent across models, memory card and wireless control inconsistencies and lastly firmware updates are few and far between.
RB
3 years ago |So, lot’s of people want to go Canikon if Sony doesn’t give you a Canikon in April, right?
Hey, wake up! I’m a Sony Newbie, coming from Leica. I had a look at Canon’s, Nikon’s, and Sony’s offer — totally unbiased. The natural successor of my Leica would have been the D5Mk2, as I could have adapted my damned expensive glas to it. But after having a closer look to the said full-frame cameras, I easily ended up with Sony’s a900. Simply because I have considered it as the best camera! And, guys: I haven’t reget it a single day! I love my a900 and I strongly believe that Sony will continue to build premium cameras. Simply because they need their aura for the consumer models — which bring the money for the development of the fine stuff. (I’m totally egocentric here: Let Sony sell a lot of colorful plastic cameras (which actually give a superb image quality!) — as long as they invest the earned mony in better sensors and cameras, that’s absolutely fine with me!)
Don’t be nervous guy, you will get your a77 (as I will get my a950 one day). Of course, Sony could be a bit more communicative with dates, in order to make waiting more humane…
Francisco
3 years ago |Yeah Sony why cant you at least announce in April? You could start selling them in late May or June!
Steve Long
3 years ago |RB,
I love both of my A850 equally and would not change them for any current Canon or a Nikon D700 (If someone gave me a complete Nikon D3X system that would be different. And I love my Zeiss stuff
What I don’t love me is my old Minolta 50f/1.4, My Sony 100f/2.8 Micro, my Sony 35f/1.4 and even my Sony 70-200f/2.8 G lenes that I see as lacking when used with a FF camera and would like to slowly replace them with new sony stuff that is equal or better than Canon or Nikon.
I also do like how hard it is to use radiopoppers
Does Leica have a strong lens selection, I’ve never looked, but I know it’a fine camera.
I’m still hopping that Sony will get with it so I don’t need to spend big $$$ all at the same time becase I have given up on them.
RB
3 years ago |Don’t be jealous, Steve. There is a lot of religious hype around Leica. For Leica folks there can’t be a better camera out there and better lenses — especially, if they come from Asia. This is a fundamental believe.
For us Ex-Leica guys, it was a hard time to consider buying a camera from Japan. And then came the shocking reality: My Sony (G) / Zeiss lenses blow my Leica lenses away. Period.
You don’t believe me? Check out the various tests/comparison you find on the net. Compare the MTFs of the lenses… (Only be careful when it comes to the Zeiss C 1,5/50 ZM — this is a classical (“C”) portrait lens of the years 1930. The “blurr” at open aperture is intended to overlay the sharp image with a “halo”, giving a glorious appearance of the model).
And: there are technical and physical limits: I don’t own the 2,8/100 Macro (yet), but a macro lens which is good at 1:1 isn’t good at infinity (that’s why Zeiss restricts themselves to 1:2 to have a more universal lens). The 2,8/70-200 is excellent according to dpreview (so, don’t be exaggerating with your claims beyond technical/physical limits) — and as it appears discontinued, I assume, that Sony has an even better version of it in the pipeline. The 1,4/50 is sharp as in sharp at 2,8. But have you ever tried to use the “blurr” at 1,4 creatively for portraits…?
Bob Yanal
3 years ago |“The A77 will not have a flip-up mode to allow shooting without this extra sheet of glass in place.” Meaning, what?
Mark
3 years ago |It means you can’t clean your camera sensor easily.
Sky_walker
3 years ago |What?!
No… ofq not!
It means that you cannot make photos like with DSLR – you press shutter, mirror flips, photo is made. Instead it keeps making photos with the mirror down – like the A55 – reducing sensitivity by 1/3 EV, and introducing occasional artifacts.
Sam
3 years ago |I hope the release of A77 will have A57 and A37 coming along too
Rob
3 years ago |@Bob – Meaning the translucent mirror won’t flip up.
Paul W
3 years ago |Very disappointed… never mind the A700 fraternity waiting for a new model…I am an A350 user who has been ready to upgrade to a new 7 series for the last 1.5 years ….was hoping for April latest. Too much tantalising now. Get it out there. People are ready for the upgrade path now.
What was all that in the last interview saying apologies for delay and they know they’ve underestimated the demand for a new 7 series. Begining to loose patience at this news.
zstan
3 years ago |one thing i am sure, by the time i can afford a77 it should be out. =D
i am more concerned with what kind of kit lens will sony make for the a77?
Well canon 7D has 15-85mm, will sony a77 have a 16-80, but f2.8-f.35 which cost about $400? =D
Rob
3 years ago |I have my CZ 16-80, and think it’ll be just fine.
Sky_walker
3 years ago |It will be this lens, as a new kit for A77. Not Zeiss.
pancanikonpus
3 years ago |I am same as others, frustrated for long wait. But i do believe the wait is not from the camera itself but is it kitlens. Due to huge improvement on this camera with new technology implementation. Kitlens have to remake to fit the condition and performance.
By only release A77 camera alone will foresee Sony bang by all customers when lacking of the lens supply. I still willing to wait since the selling price is one of the correct rumor (SR4).
Sony have hard time to deliver the baby on time; this is a naughty baby ever
feedmatekill
3 years ago |to be honest i have just spent more money then I can afford buying used zeiss lenses so the new body will have to wait anyways
q3 is just fine
pancanikonpus
3 years ago |i thought mirrorless camera need new design lenses. See m43 from panny users happy with the lenses roadmap. thus, why you say those old zeiss can use in future A77 body…
RB
3 years ago |This depends on two things:
1. The distance from the mount to the sensor and
2. the resolution (quality) of the lens.
If you keep the distance (A-Mount) and have good quality (Zeiss) there is no need to change anything. If you shorten the distance between mount and sensor (NEX, mFT), you need to redesign the lens. If you increase the resolution of the sensor, it may rule out the resolution of the lens and you should invest in a better lens.
MF
3 years ago |What do you guys mean by diffraction? And do you not think that sony would have taken this in to consideration???
FM
3 years ago |I agree with you MF. Why would they not take this into consideration?
contraspirit
3 years ago |The A750 might appear in February-March 2010. It has to be a great body! Not quite a body, rather a mockup, and not quite in March… But the camera is to be there in autumn 2010, so keep tabs on Photokina, the body has to be gorgeous! Not quite the A750 however, rather a A77… But anyway in 2010 Sony will give you the A700 successor. Well, actually not quite in 2010, but in early 2011 the supercamera will arrive! Mmm… Maybe, not quite in early 2011, but have one more look at the mockup meanwhile, isn’t it beautiful?! Still, it’s a mere trifle in comparison with the real A77 which is expected by mid 2011. In fact, not quite by mid, probably in the third quarter. But it will be the best camera ever seen in history! Perhaps, not quite in the third…
To be continued.
I hope to be understood correctly. This is not about Sonyalpharumors. This is all about Sony.
Sky_walker
3 years ago |ROTFL
This was a great summary of what’s going on. You made my day, hahaha
Jiri
3 years ago |Yes, this is exactly what has happened… ! and it continuing, funny Sony.
Daniel
3 years ago |very nice…so true:))
J
3 years ago |102 Comments?:) Hmmm. I hope, sony is online!:)
pancanikonpus
3 years ago |– World APS-C Poker Championship –
6 players entered the arena: Canon, Fuji, Sony, Nikon, Panasonic, Olympus
Canon [2,3,?,?]: Pass! (…no EVIL…) -balance 3mil saved
Pana [Q,Q,?,?]: I raise 1.1mil (GH2) -balance 8.9mil
Fuji [9,J,?,?]: Fold! until end game!(better focus DC) -balance 0
Nikon [Q,A,?,?]: Raise 5mil (up coming mirrorless) -balance 5mil
Olym [K,K,?,?]: All in! 10mil (E5 already ready)
Sony [K,A,?,?]: Hmm…(I got nex5 #2 in UK) Hmm… All in!
Canon [2,3,?,?]: Arg… left 1mil after many fold, panic now =.=|
Canon [2,3,?,?]: Arh….Arg….Uh…. All in!
last card reveal (March, Jun, Sept)…
The Champion are … ???? !
pancanikonpus
3 years ago |forgotten, pana is all in too!
ufosgalore
3 years ago |As a current A700 owner I am torn now.
I would love to upgrade soon, and the A77 certainly looks promising, featuring video and a better high iso performance compared to A850 and A900 (high iso performance is my main concern with the 850/900 as I shoot in lowlight/indoor without flash).
but
I have a lot of Minolta glass, so I can’t wait to go full-frame. I was hoping the sequel to the 850/900 would show up in the near future.
It would probably be too expensive for me, but would open up a great secondhand 850/900 market. But it doesn’t look like it’s happening anytime soon.
So
Do I wait for the new A77 and get great high iso performance and a bonus of HD video ?
Or should I stop waiting and go with a decent A850 now, which better suits my full-frame glass, but with features from 2009 and subpar high iso performance?
Or do I just wait for 2016′s release of the A97?
Hmm, in hindsight this post seems slightly off topic here, but I feel it reflects the doubts that come with this period of uncertainty revolving around Sony Alpha’s.
SonyA77
3 years ago |The question is, why do you want to go FF?
Sky_walker
3 years ago |The question is, why do keep limited to APS-C if you can go FF?
acolyte
3 years ago |I don’t know o.o I don’t feel like going FF for some reason
ufosgalore
3 years ago |Why not? A bigger viewfinder, and I can actually use my 85mm 1.4 and 28-70 2.8 for what they were designed to do. In stead of settling for a meager cropped image and an unpractical cropfactor. That just doesn’t do justice to that fine legacy glass. I think it will make a world of difference.
(That, and it sounds cool)
RB
3 years ago |Go for the a850/a900 and use CaptureOne as RAW converter and be happy. There is no Hi-ISO issue up to 3200 in this combination (or use ACR if you like the brummagem colors). And remember: Hi-ISO is not all: The larger sensor format gives you a much more beautiful shallow depth of field in relation to the angle of view!
ufosgalore
3 years ago |Thank you for the tip.
Do you have experience with lightroom for the RAW files? Is that any good? It is a big part of my current workflow. Would be a shame to change that.
And about the iso, I’m not convinced. How can CaptureOne help out so much when most tests conclude that anything above 400 iso is clearly noticeable, and 6400 is not useable?
RB
3 years ago |Well, the Sony hardware is excellent, the JPEG engine is crap. And it seems that folks look at the out-of-cameras JPEGs, only. But once they have tried out a decent third party converter, they are impressed by the perfomance of the a900….
I have tried out LR3 and ACR 6.x, too: With ACR 6.x you can even use ISO 6400 (sic!) — of course at the cost of detail. But me, personnaly, I prefer to restrict myself to 3200, switch off NR in CaptureOne almost completely, and enjoy the abundance in detail. Yes, you have read right: Noise reduction almost off at ISO 3200 gives hardly visible noise.
One important thing: Switch off (or to “low”) the In-camera-NR, too. Otherwise, the camera will “destroy” even your RAW files and C1 or ACR can’t do anything good for you anymore….
Thomas
3 years ago |Damn, I was really hoping for a Q2 unveiling. Well, well, if it gets unveiled in Q3, when can we expect it to be in stores? Before Christmas?
SonyA77
3 years ago |Past history suggests one month from announcement.
Thomas
3 years ago |Ok, thanks
c preece
3 years ago |That depends on where you live. North American seems to run 2 to 4 months after release. Still no 580 in Canada.
FRIM
3 years ago |Announced high ISO of A77 is mystery to me. Since they are going to double pixel count to 24M I do not understand how they achieve such huge improvement in CMOS chip sensitivity. I’m suspicious that it will be done by software, by combining sequence of images into one. This can be done and can help in certain situations but quality will never be perfect if subject is not still. So my guess is that it will be pretty useless for pro use and sensitivity of chip will not be actually better then in A850/A900.
SonyA77
3 years ago |I think it’ll be in-camera trickery.
Even the A580 with the latest sensor only goes up to 12800 (the D7000 does 25600), they aren’t anywhere near hundreds of thousands.
BMan
3 years ago |Consider the following:
The new 24Mpix sensor is a foveon-like design.
Thus, even though it has double the density of the old 12Mpix, it actually has BIGGER pixels, therefore capturing more light on each pixel.
If this also includes organic detectors, sensitivity can be further improved.
We can suppose that the current 16Mpix CMOS would be capable of 51200 in 12Mpix density. Then it is easy to assume that if the light intake doubles due to bigger pixels the sensitivity would also go up. And the next stop is of course already above 100k. That is using current tech in foveon-like setup.
Just add further CMOS improvement AND organic detectors, and it’s easy to gain another stop or two (reaching ISO in the hundreds of thousands…)
It’s not THAT impossible really.
BMan
3 years ago |Another thing to note.
A foveon-like design would increase pixel size, thus reducing diffraction effects.
A 24Mpix APS-C foveon sensor has a similar pixel size of a 6Mpix APS-C.
So diffraction no problem till f/16 or even f/22…
I think this might be an actual breakthrough, and something that could be called a wonder camera – it would easily destroy the competition)
BMan
3 years ago |Actually, just disregard what I’ve just said
A Bayer array does not need 4x as many pixels as a foveon like design.
I’m too much in the display tech (where you DO need bigger pixels in a “bayer” pattern) and got it all mixed up.
*blush*
RB
3 years ago |WRONG. For you (and the signal) it doesn’t matter whether you expose 1/100 sec or 10/1000 sec; whether you take one shot with 1/100 sec or 10 shots with 1/1000 sec and sum up those images. The sensor is exposed for the very same time. For the noise, however, it makes a significant difference. That’s statistics…
mafiosito
3 years ago |LOL contraspirit you deserve an Epic Win comment award
Steve Long
3 years ago |This is all real nice stuff, but is this something Sony or others are going to release anytime soon?
Does anyone have a believable rumor about Sony shipping a camera with such groundbreaking chip?
If this was to happen and the camera was to sell under $3k most of us would be lining-up to buy it!
acolyte
3 years ago |It is, in fact, a believable rumor. The problem is with the launch date.
And yes, it will sell under $3000. After all, over time the price for the same technology gets cheaper right.
SonyA77
3 years ago |If it sells at the street price of a 60D I will be very impressed!
sleekdraft
3 years ago |as much as interesting the comments here are (140+ comments and counting! i really hope sony reads this one), but i even find more amusing is the nikonrumors site with this forum thread (http://nikonrumors.com/2011/01/21/it-happened-sony-replaced-nikon-from-the-2-spot-in-the-uk.aspx%5C). i lol a lot. btw, admin, how do you know canonrumors.com and nikonrumors.com? you own those too right?
Sandro
3 years ago |I wonder if they’re gonna fix the aliasing and moire issue offering a true 1080p video like the GH2 (which is the only one right now)
Bob
3 years ago |I thought this post concerned the A77. I agree with contraspirit and ufosgalore. I to have been waiting for a replacement for the a700. I will keep mine as a second body. Further I have made several trips expecting to have the a77 with me. (trips must be planned several months ahead) and have yet to have this “new and amazing” camera in hand. I am going to Yellowstone in the spring to shoot “bears and babies” and again in the fall to shoot the Elk rut. A camera like the a77 would be nice to say the least. I thought I would have it for the winter trip to Yellowstone I just completed. Sony’s attitude is what I call Wimpee management (the character in Popeye cartoons who would gladly pay for a hamburger next week if you gave him one today) This is what I must say to Sony – stop the wait, get the a77 to market or give us a set of firm stats and a firm date for shipment. I have called SonyStyle and they have stated they have not only no information concerning the a77 but no one I talked to knew what an a77 or replacement to the a700 was. Does not leave on feeling confident does it.
stacey
3 years ago |Bob, interesting I am in the same situation on trying to decide to wait or not.
I am going to Hawaii in Oct 2011 and then Africa in 2012 feb.
I want the A55 now, so I can get used to it, but don’t want to regret not waiting!!