(SR5) A77, new lens and vertical grip with dust and moisture protection!
I can confirm you the A77 camera, the new 16-50mm f/2.8 SSM lens and of course the battery grip will have dust and moisture protection. I will make an A77 shower resistance test as soon as I can 
Message to all my anonymous sources: Thanks for sending me all those info. Please understand that I will try to doublecheck every piece of info to avoid to make mistakes. Thanks!
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Comment from Jonathan: Hi Milos
I think your theory is corre...
Comment from Milos Janata: @Sky_walker
I previously owned 40D I fr...Comment from john: Judging by the logo colors the "golden s...
Comment from DalaaBacho: I have used my A700 at a rain soaked Suz...
Maveric19
10 months ago |That is very good news as this camera I’m sure will be used in all sorts of environments. Welcome to the big league Sony. What is the lowest temperature it will fully operate at? That might be a concern for those in cold climates.
Robby Ticknor
10 months ago |Does this mean they will be coming out with ‘version 2′ of some of their other lenses with weather sealing — 70-200 2.8?
Maveric19
10 months ago |It will only make sense $$$.
Huibu
10 months ago |What you meant is $ense, I believe…
Maveric19
10 months ago |Same difference
emopunk
10 months ago |It would be about time for Sony to do a nice update of the lens lineup.. Including weather sealing..
Edgars
10 months ago |in addition to WS also include SSM motor.
José Magalhães
10 months ago |I also shared this notification here
http://atributos-1.blogspot.com/2011/08/sony-a77-esta-para-chegar.html
Thank You
Kalpurush :)
10 months ago |@Jose
Nice site mate
Was reading the comparison chart of a77 vs 60D and D7000;
where it says D7000 is 18MP! Isn’t it 16.2 MP?
P Thomas Lambert
10 months ago |Andria,
You taking a shower with a camera! How daring of you. Please remember that this is a family Web Site.
Just don’t soak the camera and lens.
P Thomas Lambert
Physica
10 months ago |But….. Moisture Protection is not equal to waterproof is it ? or it will have the same level of water resistance as the OM E-5?
If yes , that’s great news!
Daemonius
10 months ago |No its not, its same as D300 (if I remember correctly). So trying shower isnt clever idea.. Especially not with Sony RMA.
Olympus is kinda almost waterproof and slightly submergable for short time. K-5 is even guaranted to work under 0°C temps (guarantee to -10°C).
Pretty much it will be same as A900. It should survive rain and some dust (or snow, sand etc.). But I dont think its good idea to push it.. Its Sony, not something else.
Steve Jones
10 months ago |“I will make an A77 shower resistance test as soon as I can”
Right – sure you will. With somebody else’s camera I suspect, I certainly wouldn’t do it with any of my kit.
Albert
10 months ago |hahahah lol
A77 IS NOT at the same level of pentax K-5 water resistant.
even 7d and d7000 are dust and moisture protection, but not capable of resist a diract water shower likr k-5 at all
is the a77 at the same level of k-5??
vincent
10 months ago |there was an outdoor event i documented with an a700 in a heavy rain…the event involved using flour (yes because its some kind of flour war)…no problem at all, my camera even got thrown with the flour and i just wash it using the rain…the camera still works
if the a77 claim to have more than this than i think it does
Sky_walker
10 months ago |What’s the relation of camera “level” to it’s weather sealing, again?
Too much RPG games
Cameras don’t level up! 
The weather sealing will be as good as producer makes it and that’s totally unrelated to target market. Some entry-level cameras have better moisture protection than other pro-level. (Pentax being here a great example of well-made protection) We’ll see how good Sony will be, but looking at the label “moisture protection” instead of “full weather sealing” makes me not really willing to put it under the shower. :]
Edgars
10 months ago |What is so exciting photography inside waterfall?
Milos Janata
10 months ago |There is usually a hidden treasure..
Carl
10 months ago |Sony is going to increase the camera’s CON stat. You read it here first.
Wake Up!
10 months ago |What’s a Pentax?
I remember reading something about Ricoh purchasing what’s left of the Pentax camera division at a fire sale price.
Less than 2% market share, quality control problems out the wazoo, crappy slow zooms.
What a forgettable company!
Sky_walker
10 months ago |It’s a company that never dies even despite of everyone foreseeing it’s death for ages.
Carl
10 months ago |Pentax make nice cameras and lenses. It’s just everything else that they somehow screw up.
SRL
10 months ago |Much appreciated!
I stress-out just walking by a kid with a squirt gun when I’m carrying my a850 with one of my Zeiss or 7-200 /f2.8 G lenses attached.
FK
10 months ago |I’ve already been using the 700 in strong rain a lot of times and i never had any issues with that, and with strong rain i mean that the camera was wet from outside, and that my clothes were soaked full of water from head to toe there was definitively a lot more of water involved then in a regular shower, I’ve also been shooting it during heavy snowfall and that wasn’t resulting in any problems, too.
It’s does it job as what it is: A tool you can work with an I think the 77 will do that, too. (I’m not quite sure that the 65 will keep up however)
admin
10 months ago |Of course I will NOT do that not matter if it is mine camera or your yours. It was only a bad joke
Alfonso Cuitiño
10 months ago |Ha! This is going to be the most awesome APS-C camera ever
My December
10 months ago |Of course. Read the previous news/rumor, apparently the A77 already got an award for design.. or something like that.
Kalpurush :)
10 months ago |WOW! So haPPy!!
Now, we have to watch for the price? Hope Sony will keep the price low to compete with the CanKons and compensate the long waiting!!!
JB
10 months ago |Nice. I would Like and update on all CZ.
Admin, any news on the CZ 50mm?
Sahaja
10 months ago |for APS-C a CZ 55mm or 60mm would be better.
FK
10 months ago |I don’t see a need for a Zeiss designe in that range, in my opinion they should rather bring out a remake of the Rokkor-PG 58 1.2
Carl
10 months ago |A SLR version of the M-Hexanon 60/1.2 would also be acceptable.
aiwen
10 months ago |And what about AF micro-adjustment ?
David
10 months ago |That’s fantastic news. It was always a criticism (rightly so imo) of Sony stuff. Good to know that they are listening.
Hope the build quality is good too and not incredibly plasticy. Magnesium alloy body and weather sealing sounds like it should be good!
reinz
10 months ago |can’t wait for this camera XD go sony gooo!
Jennzhen
10 months ago |How many Sony lens have this kind of weather sealing?
Kalpurush :)
10 months ago |One which is coming on the August 24th!
Jennzhen
10 months ago |Incredible news then ^____^
Sky_walker
10 months ago |I really, REALLY hope that more will come and we gonna see series of WR lenses similarly to Pentax.
Jennzhen
10 months ago |Will it drop the price of non-WR lens though?
*hoping for cheaper CZ*
Sky_walker
10 months ago |I hope that 16-50 will drop the CZ price – many people would be happy of it.
It’s a great lens.
But we’ll see. Market is crazy recently so you can’t take anything for sure
JeffreySun
10 months ago |What is the kind of the 16-50mm/f2.8 lens? ZA, G, or normal Sony? I’m quite interested in it, thanks!
JeffreySun
10 months ago |Sorry I got the answer already.
tardigrade
10 months ago |The A77 is certainly looking like my perfect camera !
Can’t wait for the announcement now and then the release.
Andrea, do you have any information from your sources about the dimensions of the body ? I was wondering how it compares size wise to the the current A55 ?
Thanks for a great site.
john
10 months ago |Bigger than A55.
Very close the the A700
tardigrade
10 months ago |Cheers. Just looked on DPReview. The A700 was / is HUGE !! The A77 has got be smaller otherwise what is the point of SLT ?
Ah well, we’ll all know on the 24th Aug.
SonyA77
10 months ago |There are plenty of people like me that want the A77 to be the same size as the A700.
Maveric19
10 months ago |I love the way my a700 fits my hand so if the a77 is the same size that would be a plus.
Roman
10 months ago |Exactly. Me too!
Esa Tuunanen
10 months ago |Remember that SLT-bodies still retain mirror chamber and also PDAF sensor must be there so you really can’t decrease body size much any, unless it’s from ergonomically wrong places like from grip and space for controls…
Which happens already way too often.
Sky_walker
10 months ago |A55 was already too small for me so… god defend us from any more down-scaling of A-mount cameras. If I want tiny camera I can use my Nokia with Zeiss glass
Rob
10 months ago |Some cameras have much ballyhooed moisture and dust resisitance, but look what actually rules in the field!!! It sure isn’t Canon!!!!
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/antarctica-2009-worked.shtml
john
10 months ago |Have you seen this one?
http://www.swiatobrazu.pl/sony-dslr-a900-na-rajdzie-dakar-14518.html
Sky_walker
10 months ago |I seen the A900 & Sony 70-400 used on Dakar race on my own eyes over a year ago. It still had a few scratches here and there, hehehe, but works perfectly fine!
People worry too much obviously.
Koso
10 months ago |None of you is afraid of that huge number of 24MP? That means the area of one sensor will be again getting smaller!!! I’m seriously afraid of low light and HDR photography qualities! I would rather appreciate 12MP senzor with double the sensor-area. Or am I wrong with my thoughts?
Sky_walker
10 months ago |Area of one pixel will be smaller. Sensor will still remain APS-C. Sony said that the 1:1 pixel-peeping quality will be on pair with current cameras so I’m not worried. You’ll gain much more details though and much more space to crop
Even if signal to noise ratio will remain the same. You won’t loose anything hopefully. But we gonna see how it goes when some real tests will be done (and I’m not talking about dPreview here).
Koso
10 months ago |“You’ll gain much more details though and much more space to crop”
I don’t agree at all: when you want to crop twice you need to have 4!times as much pixels and thus you get even 4times smaller pixel area!
Tanglefoot
10 months ago |What???!
At least make sense & explain your point clearly if you are going to argue.
Koso
10 months ago |Sorry if it was not clear enough! I just wanted to point out that for being able to crop 2times closer you need to increase pixel quantities 4times (because you always multiply axb sides) so for getting only 2 times closer you pay by 4-times smaller sensor area and thus there is anticipation to worsen ISO sensitivity 4 times.
I hope now it is clear and hope I am right?
Milos Janata
10 months ago |@Koso Yeah, i prefer ISO to MPX, another advantage is that u don’t need expensive sharp lenses.
Sky_walker
10 months ago |Milos – you don’t actually “NEED” sharp lenses. You will want them, but there’s no harm in not having one – just scale pictures down to 12 MPx and you’ll have photos roughly as sharp as from 12MPx camera (actually: they will be sharper!).
Google for specific tutorials.
Photoshop, Lightroom or that ACR standalone app can batch-process images for you to have everything back in 12 MPx or whatever your favorite size is
“there is anticipation to worsen ISO sensitivity 4 times.” – No. It doesn’t work this way. Look at it like this: Sensor as whole, all pixels in it has some signal to noise ratio. Say… 10:1 meaning that 10% of data from sensor is noise. This ratio is roughly the same for sensors of one generation (with higher density being bit worse, but difference isn’t a huge gap as some want you to see it), and as time goes on it improves (one year old sensor have worse S/N than sensor released in this month). Now: If you will have high density sensor than more pixels will present noise, but also there will be much more pixels with actual signal. So if you print a picture from 12 MPx sensor, and a picture from 24 MPx sensor – both will have same amount of noise, only first sensor will have it made of bigger stamps, while second one from smaller stamps (cause pixels are smaller). Obviously because sensors are made in Bayer pattern – you will prefer second picture much more due to color accuracy and details. What you might loose though is dynamic range and colors dynamic as this is something that can’t be recovered by scaling pictures.
But in either way – don’t worry that A77 will behave worse than A350 or A500. Sony didn’t stood still in place – they made progress, didn’t just scaled pixels down to put more of them on sensor.
Pixel-peeping wise it should be similar to A55. Picture-wise it should be noticeably sharper on large prints or large-screen viewing.
Carl
10 months ago |The cheap Minolta 50/1.7 does just fine on the 24 megapixel A900.
Milos Janata
10 months ago |@Sky_walker Look at it from my perspective :
1) Every pixel is a discrete device. Every device has own (internal) noise. Smaller surface will receive less photons which means less usable signal… SNR goes down
2) Less charge/value in the pixel means bigger chance to be distorted by external noise (radio waves, electromagnetic fields, atmospheric charges) Everything is inducted in circuitry.. SNR goes down
3) Quantization process converts voltage to numeric value.
To get proper voltage which is optimal for conversion, signal must be amplified first ..and it adds another distortion and noise.
These are my thoughts, I might be wrong and I have no proof:) I think this topic really deserves an interview with some real expert/engineer
And one crazy practical example. Take D300 and D3 which should be the same generation. Crop D3 picture to get same surface as APC and look at noise.
BTW: If the pixel binning rumor is true, I stop care about megapixels:)
Rob
10 months ago |Sounds like Nikon has taken control of your brain – which is nice if you don’t like thinking for yourself.
Alex
10 months ago |it’s actually scary. packing that much pixels in that small area means smaller photosites. the high ISO performance will suffer. let’s see how the A77′s firmware will fix that.
SonyA77
10 months ago |The 16mpix A580 has no problems with high ISO does it? Compare it to the 12mpix A700 and it beats it. More mpix does not mean poorer high ISO, each new generation of sensors has already proved this.
David
10 months ago |Exactly. The 16.2mp a580 is damn amazing at high ISO.
john
10 months ago |Wasn’t the last flash Sony released, forget the model,weather sealed as well?
Koso
10 months ago |Have you heard about “pixel fusion technology” thah should be used in future sensors? I think this would be worth to wait for! You could then make e.g. 2×2 pixel fusion by a “simple click” and change the 24MP senzor into a 6MP senzor with 4-times bigger photosites in “hard photoscene-circumstances”.
I don’t understand, why the main players are not already chasing after this instead of bringing so many by far less important features. Are there some crutial technical difficulties with pixel fusion? Has somebody more info?
john
10 months ago |Yeah the Nikon D400 is rumored to have pixel binning
http://artoftheimage.blogspot.com/2011/07/nikon-d400-big-surprise-high-iso-image.html
Could be a 5 year leap ahead in ISO performance BUT but fall back 10 years in resolution.
Like everything else “there is no free lunch”
I’ll keep the resolution thanks.
Sky_walker
10 months ago |Awesome. My Photoshop can do this since… since ever. Plus: it has awesome de-noising algorithms. I guess I can make even A200 perform like D3s/D400… only the output pictures will be around 2 MPx – but I won’t put that in adverts of my A200s
. LOL
Yea, it’s not the same, never the less principle is equally silly, not revolutionary.
BTW: Isn’t it what Canon already do with their sRAW format?
Koso
10 months ago |Ska walker: have you listened to the video link sent by John? (by the way, thank you John very much for that info.I suppose you are from PL, aren’t you?)
If Nikon is going to implement it into its new camera I’m afraid THEY would not do it if YOUR Photoshop does it… They clearly explain, it will have significant impact on ISO performance, so I’m afraid you long explanation must be wrong!
Sky_walker
10 months ago |Yep, I did. It’s only somewhat better than down-scaling in photoshop. My photos down-scaled 4 times are also uber-sharp and noise-free, especially when I apply de-noising before downscaling. Makes photos look outstanding. 4-times downscaling is a huge process, you loose shitload of data but the outcome is really sharp and noise-free.
Don’t get fooled by excitement of some guy who read website of “mr. nobody”. Canon does this process for quite a while in sRAW files – if Nikon adds it than this won’t be any kind of revolution, just catching up the competition.
http://www.chrisridley.co.uk/blogs/all-posts/sraw-files/
“It needs to be added that 1/4 size sRAW does pixel binning of 4 neighboring pixels in Bayern pattern:
G B, R G, into a single pixel with (R, G, B) values. The effect is pretty similar to what Foveon or film-capture does; since the need for demosaicing disappears (i.e. you don’t need to interpolate for the missing color values), the resultant image becomes quite sharp. I’ve been finding the 2.5mp sRaw option on 10mp 40D to be extremely sharp and noise-free”
This text was written in 2007.
Milos Janata
10 months ago |@Sky_Walker And You quote another nonsense here. Just words.
Show me the pictures ok?
Here u can see sRAW has no benefit at all, still useless in terms of lowering noise in real world
http://forum.ourdarkskies.com/index.php/topic/26322-raw-vs-sraw/
Sky_walker
10 months ago |Milos – How does it make my statements nonsense? And why “another”? What does it prove against anything I said? Nothing. It stands in-line to my POV. Please, re-read what I say cause looks like you don’t understand it.
“You can make your own conclusions, I see a slight loss in detail in sRAW1 and sRAW2 compared to the full raw. Any difference in noise is insignificant, and is probably due to the fact that your viewing a smaller picture that is just hiding the noise.
If you look at the simply re-sized un-cropped full size raw you will notice better color, contrast and detail. That tells me that whatever binning or interpolation that is done in camera, that it is tossing away some of the color data. ”
What do you try to prove Milos? That you call my statements a nonsense, while under the link you gave I see nothing else but a confirmation.
Let me remind you my part:
“I can make even A200 perform like D3s/D400… only the output pictures will be around 2 MPx” (…) “My photos down-scaled 4 times are also uber-sharp and noise-free, especially when I apply de-noising before downscaling“.
Same conclusion comes from pictures you linked.
Milos Janata
10 months ago |@Sky_walker
I previously owned 40D I from my experience, there is no benefit in shooting sRAW but filesize.
“I can make even A200 perform like D3s/D400… only the output pictures will be around 2 MPx” (…) “My photos down-scaled 4 times are also uber-sharp and noise-free, especially when I apply de-noising before downscaling“
Please upload those pictures I want to see that. Cos I just tried it and they wont look as good as d3s even with no noise reduction applied on d3s, both at 1.5 mpx.
I used well lit iso 3200 shots from imagining-resource, neat image software and better A390 samples.
And remember in bad light conditions the A200 would look even worse. So no, You didn’t convince me.
LOL why I am wasting time on this, It will change nothing anyway
SonyA77
10 months ago |What “far less important features” to you may not be so for other people. If you don’t want 24mpix, don’t buy it.
Milos Janata
10 months ago |I just hate there is no alternative… I really wish You 24 mpx sensor but I wish low mpx sensor with superb ISO for myself:]
emopunk
10 months ago |You’re not the only one
Jonathan
10 months ago |Hi Milos
I think your theory is correct but the other side that Sky is trying to mention is you can’t currently compare picture quality from a sensor x years ago to a new generation sensor as SNR have improved allot. If Sony has taken the technology from the old A700 sensor and just made it into a 24MP sensor I believe your thoughts would be perfect but the issue is it’s a new sensor and they have claimed the quality will be on par with the previous generation even when comparing at the pixel level.
So putting this into terms with your comments of being 4x more SNR we could say something like this (although I have no idea if it’s true and will have to wait for the final product to be sure)…
A700 might have had a 10% SNR but the new 24MP sensor might have say a 2.5% SNR due to technology enhancements and more efficient ways of capturing that light. So the end result you will have more data captured but at around the same SNR taking into account the increase of MP’s…
It’s an interesting one and I think we are going to have to wait until the camera is out as at the moment it’s all speculation and I don’t think anyone will be able to answer this question until we can get testing done and see the improvements made to the new sensor. Interesting times indeed!
Maximus
10 months ago |Yes, the HVL-43 is water and dust protected
john
10 months ago |Thanks
SonyA77
10 months ago |I have a rain cover off eBay, complete water and dust protection for body and 400mm lens.
FreeRadical09
10 months ago |Good news, but I’ll be impressed when Sony comes up with a solution for preventing dust from landing on the sensor at all. I’m sick and tired of noticing dust spots on my pictures upon review because on the damn screen they are not visible due to the brightness of outside.
When Sony solves this, then I’ll say: GOOD HEAVENS, I MUST OWN!
It can’t be that hard, Sigma does it already…
Cyrus
10 months ago |And…
Is the A77 screen RGBW ?
http://www.dpreview.com/news/1108/11081005sonyRGBWwhitemagic.asp
Sky_walker
10 months ago |Nope. That one is VGA and will start shipping as a component in October, so too late to hit the A77.
Never the less that’s something cool for next generation.. next-next generation of SLTs/NEXes/DSLRs
Terryfried
10 months ago |or A99
Carl
10 months ago |I’m very much a proponent of weather sealing. Photo opportunities don’t stop when the rain starts.
The A900 isn’t badly sealed, but I always freak out when I’ve got an old Minolta lens on and it starts pissing down. I don’t want my precious babies to get fungus infestations.
I certainly plan to pick up at least one full frame sealed lens, if only to use as a beater during rainy days.
Mikey
10 months ago |Any news on whether the old a700 grip might fit the a77? I’m selling my a700 and wondering if I should keep hold of the grip for a while…
Pacman
10 months ago |I wish all the lenses they release soon will be on that level.
My December
10 months ago |Seriously, people fear about the A77′s ISO performance? Do we really need to use those super high ISOs anyway? Like we want to make night looks like daytime handheld? Probably good for indoor sports, but how many here really took pictures of sports anyway? Some if not few.
Powerful noise reduction at high ISOs only kills detail.
emopunk
10 months ago |Ehm… This post is quite scary.. You’re joking, aren’t you?
Milos Janata
10 months ago |In dusk time We can tell people to move slowly.
In night time We rather take photos of statues.
If the market follows those trends I rather go painting.
ps: I still believe You are joking.
ru
10 months ago |fux sony be Canikon!
knurd
10 months ago |Hmmm, shower resistance. Insert adult film joke here.
Carl
10 months ago |Well porno flicks are filmed on DSLRs these days. Maybe there’s actually some truth in that.
john
10 months ago |Judging by the logo colors the “golden shower award” should go to Nikon.
DalaaBacho
10 months ago |I have used my A700 at a rain soaked Suzuka Race… At somepoint the camera shut off and I had to wait for it to dry out before using it again. Simply using a plastic grocery bag was a simple yet ghetto fix for that problem I also Own the A55, A850 and A900… I have used these cameras in similar if not worse conditions and have never had any problems with shutting down or failing to operate. I think the moderate steps Sony has taken to protect the camera in inclimate weather is absolutely fine for the average person to moderate Extremist. For me I am also using rain covers from now on not trying to push my luck with multi $1000 dollar equiptment when a $20 or even free solution is available… As for sub zero temps and snow I have used my A55 and 900 in these conditions for upwards of 4 hours without failure…. I am a huge fan of shooting in the elements and with my Alpha’s I feel very confident that I have all that I need to get the job done.