(SR5) Sony delays the A99 launch :(
I have many new rumors I am working on but one of them is actually a bad news. That’s why I start with this. I learned from my TOP sources that Sony delayed the A99 launch. Reason for the delay is the (again) Thai flood. Sony needs time to evaluate the A77 customer response and the A77 production delay will not allow them to launch the A99 in Spring as originally planned. Instead the A99 will be launched in September at the Photokina show in Cologne. To make it worse the whole Sony FF roadmap has been shifted forward, this means the second FF camera (with integrated vertical grip) will probably hit the market in early 2013 only.
The A77 will be 100% available eveywhere in March. Right now you can find few cameras only at Amazon DE (Click here), Amazon Japan (Click here), with shipment in USA in March only (Click here), and overpriced on eBay (Click here).
Now guys, like you I am also in a bad mood because of this news. I understand that Sony has a very good reason for delaying the A99, and sincerely they really cannot afford to repeat some of the early A77 bugs experience on a camera that is supposed to appeal the pro market. But Nikon (with the D4) and Canon (with the 5DmarkIII coming in February) are pushing forward and Sony really has to come BIG at Photokina otherwise they will miss the train. In general Sony should decide first if they want to be a serious contender in the FF market and than develop a clear and reliable product strategy. I believe Sony has the technical knowledge to challenge Nikon and Canon. But they should really start to make us “feel” they are serious with FF.
A couple of suggestions:
- New sensor technology with quantum leap forward is needed. That would allow to create a massive advantage over current Canon-Nikon cameras. See what’s going to happen with the new Fuji sensor technology tonight to see how this will create a huge buzz.
- Push super video quality on FF cameras. it’s something that will hurt Nikon.
- More top quality FF lenses. A top lens system matters!
- The camera specs should not only look good on paper but work for real from the very first day
- Make a fullframe mirrorless system. Again, create an advantage over Nikon and Canon like they did with the NEX-7.
In sum Sony, make it right at Photokina…create a historical event! It’s the only way to win credibility! And one more message to my readers. To cheer you up I can share you right now that other rumors I will post soon are very positive 
P.S.: The A900 which was marked as “discontinued” is now “in Stock” at Amazon (Click here) and Bhphoto (Click here).
Joe
2 years ago |I am okay with this. It will give me more time to save money. Sure, I wanted a response timed with the D4 and the 1DX but if I am going to drop $3000-4000 or even $6000 on a body, I want it to be perfect. Sony needs to know, however, they will get my money if they release. If they don’t release, they won’t get the money. Plain and simple. I am sure many of the people on this thread feel the same.
Jakob Røjel
2 years ago |I’m 100% in line with Joe , we don’t want to spend serious $$ on less than perfect EVF technology.
My dream is that they use the mirrorless advantage to create a more pluggable camera architecture,e.g. such that the EVF can be upgraded.
/Jakob
Joe
2 years ago |Well said. The EVF in the A77 is near-perfect but leaves a lot to be desired. I expect nothing less than a miniature Bravia in the viewfinder and I’m willing to pay the big bucks if it is correct. As for now, I have my A77, I love it and I am going to make the best out of what I’ve got.
The Lotus Eater
2 years ago |The EVF is “near-perfect but leaves a lot to be desired”?
A bit of a contradiction there I think.
Joe
2 years ago |Touche! I’d give it a 95%, but hard to get to 100%. Fair enough?
The Lotus Eater
2 years ago |Nah, viewfinder coverage is 100%! :p
Carl
2 years ago |Owning an actual Bravia, I’d say the A77′s EVF is on a higher level.
Or do you mean you want a viewfinder that’s 40 inches diagonal?
Zstan
2 years ago |Sigh. No Sony for Olympics then.
Joe
2 years ago |True. I can’t think of a better way to showcase your technology more than the Olympics. Hopefully we’ll get the A99 before 2014.
eb164
2 years ago |it’s not good advertisement to miss the olympics for a couple of months.
togs in the olympics might got the sony, but its more probable to go with the canikon as a sure solution, that would be even worst for sony because they would had failed to compete with the big 2
klw10
2 years ago |I am thinking Sony will have some photogs running around with some a99s at the Olympics. We will just not see them until later in the year. It seems to me the problem is production correct? They want to make sure they can produce enough for launch.
pancanikonpus
2 years ago |This is i am speculated. no surprise ‘at all’
lol…
most important with this delay, not see any improve on the a77 production ‘at all’
lol…
pathetic!
Ralph
2 years ago |The Photokina in September will be a good place to introduce the A99. No need to be worry about this.
Wirralpix
2 years ago |I’m not really surprised by this news but this gives Sony some breathing space to concentrate not only on getting the A77 up to full production (and with improved firmware) but to make sure that the A99 is technically perfect.
JChristopher
2 years ago |I am not buying the reasoning: “evaluate customer response”? Really? The A77 is sold out almost immediately whenever a seller has them. If the market had responded poorly, resellers on ebay would lose money. I think the real reason is to develop the sensor and lower noise. Which, frankly, is not as bad as some would have you believe. But they are the loudest so Sony feels they need to respond.
Spoon
2 years ago |Evaluating customer response is much more than simple sales numbers and/or evaluating demand. It should also include comments from those customers on faults and possible improvements or addition of features.
TypeZeiss
2 years ago |It is sold out everywhere but they need to be sure t his isn’t due to supply constraints. Once production is in full swing and stores are being stocked, then they can make a evaluation. It will also take the camera getting in consumer hands and them posting on the net for them to see what needs to be improved on.
JonasM
2 years ago |It sold out, ‘yes’, but how many units were in the market? The A77 and the NEX-7 had and still have, a huge supply-side problem. Until supply is increased, there’s no telling what is the acutal customer response.
harpo
2 years ago |There are a lot of Sony users out there that are stating they will have nothing to do with a new FF camera if it’s not a traditional DSLR camera. IMHO Sony wants to gauge the SLT market with the a77 to determine their next offerings. IMHO they are seriously considering both an SLT and a DSLR replacement for the a900. If this happens expect the SLT to have the better specs of the two as that’s the model Sony will be pushing. Again just MHO.
Vivek
2 years ago |Better to be late and be a bit more thorough than launching pathetic cameras with pretty much the same specs! How many DSLRs have Sony launched and are no longer in current production?
I would like Sony to come with the following:
1. Flash and lighting accessories.
2. Better lenses- expand your arsenal don’t keep making the same old stuff.
3. Better sensors but also better bodies to go with them. Nikon rules when it comes to functional bodies that are also robust.
4. Continue with the NEX-7. Hopefully, the NEX-8 would allow me to wrap all my fingers around the grip..
Donald Burghardt
2 years ago |If we have to wait, okay, but let them get that damned noise out of the system. In High ISO the A77 is horrible. i prefer an old second hand A900 over the A77 at this moment. The EVF is something i couldn’t care less about.
SonyA77
2 years ago |The A77 high ISO isn’t “horrible”, this is continually banded about by people who don’t have one. Down-sample the image and then see what happens.
The A900 is Full Frame and you can not compare it to the APS-C sensor in the A77.
harpo
2 years ago |+++1
Dave Cox
2 years ago |+1. Yet again, a non-A77 owner makes a completely unqualified comment on A77 noise. It makes my blood boil….
Drith
2 years ago |This why Sony will never catch up to nikkon and canon. They have no respond and they are slow. I think the Sony camera department will become just like the tv department. In case you all are wondering, Sony is already miss the train. Nikkon has d4 and possible d800 and canon has 1 dx and 5dm3, and Sony has no answer. They can’t give nikkon and canon a 9 month ahead start. Don’t get me wrong I love my a900 but I’m enjoying my 1dsm3 with all the 3rd party accessories.
JonasM
2 years ago |I disagree. Sony leads in innovation big time. Their cameras still lack in areas but to say they are behind isnt fair at all, nor is it an educated statement. The NEX series cameras and the A77 proves that point.
russellsbags
2 years ago |A77 has way better specs than the new D4 (sensor size apart) and when you look at the price difference the A77 has the clear advantage.
The D4 is a prehistoric slug in comparison. It’s also so ugly, but then all Nikons are.
Who needs the FF Sony? People who are NEVER satisfied.
Vlad
2 years ago |+1. 6000US, lol.
Aero
2 years ago |A77 has pretty bad Tonal Range. Tonal Range matters for photographers who print their works, or to produce highres works on web. Both printing on magazine size paper, A77 produces worse image than D7000, or even a D300/D90.
Vlad
2 years ago |Are you serious? Pretty bad tonal range? What camera are you even looking at? Not the A77 for sure.
JB
2 years ago |“A77 has way better specs than the new D4″
Really?
tandem gene
2 years ago |That’s good to know. Because many reviews have noted the serious ‘lag’ problem on A77. Unlike Sony, Canon and Nikon’s top of the line cameras are their most responsive.
Vlad
2 years ago |For the right (five times more!) price, they better be.
SonyA77
2 years ago |Sony aren’t really interested in catching up to Canon and Nikon, they are innovating and attracting new users.
David
2 years ago |Yup. No point doing the exact same thing that Canon and Nikon already do well
In the enthusiast class, the a77 is still the best camera imo, or at least very competitive
And in the entry level, the a35 is fantastic. Outstanding image quality, and so cheap.
I’ve been recommending a35 + the 35/1.8 to everybody who asks me what to get
Andrew
2 years ago |Exactly what happened to Minolta R.I.P.
Zstan
2 years ago |Admin…what about the 500f4 then? Delayed as well….?
Carl
2 years ago |Seems to be par the course with that lens.
Green Pattern
2 years ago |d**n u thai flood….GGRRRRR…..may the power of the sun evaporate u into thin air…literally
Andy F
2 years ago |What a shame, Sony are going to miss the boat and looks to be concentrating on the more profitable APS-C market. I can see some loyal Alpha followers to be seriously tempted by the 36MP Nikon D800 next month
Vlad
2 years ago |How are they going to miss the boat if they concentrate on the more profitable market?
tandem gene
2 years ago |Well, per Ken Rockwell’s mindset, the ones that can afford $8000 cameras would rather wait for a worldwide recession and buy their cameras for $6000 instead.
At any rate, where is that FF CDAF global shutter CCD hybrid lytro near field camera that was rumored?
march
2 years ago |i wish A77 will make more better and fix most of common bug for consumer !:) and i am waiting my A77 coming too ! XD
Beer_Stalker
2 years ago |My A850 will be 3 years old by the time the A99 arrives and if it’s 36MP+ then I’m sold. I have zero interest in a camera with a v.grip.
BTW if you knew what a quantum leap was you wouldn’t be asking for one.
Spoon
2 years ago |Simple fact is that major leaps in noise performance (say several stops) and DR are no longer possible, unless they manage to capture say twice the amount of photons that enters the camera.
monkeyfacemcbride
2 years ago |what by using say the same method that the Nikon D4 uses, concentrating on quality of data rather than quantity
Vlad
2 years ago |Ad then sell it for 6000US?
Don Cox
2 years ago |“unless they manage to capture say twice the amount of photons that enters the camera. ”
A lens with one stop wider aperture will do that.
However, this would conflict with the loud demands for pancakes.
c.d.embrey
2 years ago |Yes, I really want a 85mm f1.4 Pancake, also a 135mm f1.8 Pancake
ghj2
2 years ago |Before investing more in top quality full frame lenses they badly need to take care of the Nex users- the lens lineup for those users is abysmal. For every one Sony full frame user there are probably 1,000 Nex users, if not more.
Don Cox
2 years ago |1,000 NEX users – but how many ever buy another lens beyond the kit lens that came with the camera?
russellsbags
2 years ago |I have. I also have the EA2 so have no shortage of lenses.
Carl
2 years ago |I have a great fear they’ll make the same mistake Minolta made with their Vectis system, where they pretty much put the A mount on ice so they could expand their V mount lineup. In the end everyone lost out.
If a manufacturer is going to support two mounts simultaneously, they have to take both mounts seriously, or their competitors will eat their lunch.
tobiasNEX7n
2 years ago |fine by me and I agree with Vivek and Andrea, Sony needs to concentrate on FF for mirrorless, the only way to beat the competition
c.d.embrey
2 years ago |A Full Frame mirrorless will require a new lens mount and lenses. A Full Frame A-mount would be the about same size as an A900 without a pentaprism, sorta like an A99 would look
Carl
2 years ago |There were plenty of full frame cameras that were substantially smaller than the A900 back in the film era. The Olympus OM-1 comes to mind.
monkeyfacemcbride
2 years ago |Good, get the A77 right before you go further, you cant build a solid house on sand. Define your key criteria well with noise levels, retention of detail and reduced reliance on NR being the TOP priorities. If its going to have video, lets have SHARP video not the mush of the current A77. Make it responsive, make the AF snappy and think of a way to let the EVF work better under low light and NO-LOCKUPS. Now, once you’ve got a camera that can do that then you can add the less used bells and whistles
p.s. Beer_Stalker the “quantum leap” misunderstanding always makes me laugh too.
Sahaja
2 years ago |Whoops. I guess they shouldn’t have pulled the A900 then.
Hope the delay doesn’t turn out to be as long as A700 to A77.
Maybe they need all their new full frame sensors to supply Nikon for the D800.
Mr M
2 years ago |Suddenly realised Sony has alot of expectations to live up to. It is the only manufacturer that has vested interests in mirrorless , DX DSLR and Fullframe and compacts plus Video.
Not an easy task in to prioritize eh …
Nawaf
2 years ago |So the A99 will be made in Thailand? They should have shifted it to Japan. Do you guys think you can wait while the competition has better gear?
Can’t wait for Fuji’s announcement today but the pricing I’m not sure about. The Nex 7 is taking forever to get to stores and others have caught up already.
I’ll wait in out and see what’s on the table in a few months time.
@900 wed photag
2 years ago |Do you think sony is taking FF serious?
SLTPro
2 years ago |As much as it would truly pain me to sell my awesome Zeiss glass, and I don’t like the thought of losing in body stabalization as I shoot 100% prime, I’m getting really pissed off with Sony and what seems to be a complete lack of interest in us FF users.
If they’re not going to take us pros seriously then you know what, that new D800 is looking like it might be awfully tempting, and I never thought I’d even be considering a switch, not in a million years. I even sent Paul Genge a message about a project I want to develop to help Sony gain vital feedback from us handful of Pro’s and aid in new FF camera development..something I was willing to do completely independantly, never heard a word back…what an arsehole. Hmmmm…what to do.
@900 wed photag
2 years ago |I’m at my wits end, I have 3 full frame sony bags and there starting to get glitchy, I have one 850 with a bad hot shoe, has anybody come across this and I what have you done?
Stewe
2 years ago |Just invest your money in second system. Strength of both, weakness of none.
@900 wed photag
2 years ago |wow! why didn’t I think of that…man I’ll just buy every model, by every manufacturer that way Ill have every thing covered! gotta go, double parked my jet!
Aiden
2 years ago |Hah!
Stewe
2 years ago |Said arse that spend money on 3 not cheap cameras.
Vlad
2 years ago |What do you mena precisely by “complete lack of interest in us FF users”?
usch
2 years ago |I’m fine with that … I will be broke anyway when my pre-ordered NEX-7 finally arrives.
And I don’t care a bit for a bulky camera with a non-detachable vertical grip, so that’s no bad news either.
c.d.embrey
2 years ago |A lot of people agree! Canon (5D mkII and Nikon (D700) sell a lot of Grip-less FF cameras. For film shooting I use a Nikon F100 instead of the bulky/heavy F5.
Nico
2 years ago |I think this will hurt Sony…another “Almost made it”. How long has the 500/4 been shown/promised, took 4 years for the a77 to finally materialize. The a900 and a850 are out of production with no replacement now. This is terrible business practices shown by Sony.
Why would an Olympic photog grab a new a99 to shoot with for a key event. Sorry, but if they have Canon or Nikon, they have backups available at the venue w/o them having to have them personally. No way I would shoot something else w/o the pro support the others provide.
I hate to be so negative, but it’s the same old same old we’re seeing from Sony and this is leading me to switch. I’ve shot Minolta/Sony now for 20+ years, but the trend continues and therefore by the time they release the a99 I’ll easily have the funds for the D4 or 1Dx…I’ve been holding out as the a77 wasn’t what I really want, the a99 was, but if I have to wait another 13-15 months, well, a brand change may be in order.
The Lotus Eater
2 years ago |Are you a pro photographer?
SLTPro
2 years ago |+1, Nico my man, I feel your pain. Can’t we all get together and write to Sony with some sort of petition! My project to find a voice for Sony pro’s may be the answer but as I had no response from Mr “Can’t be arsed” Genge I’m not so sure!
Aalpha100
2 years ago |+1
Christopher
2 years ago |Wasn’t the original rumor about 3 FF cameras? Is the A99 the “affordable” one, or was that a third camera?
RVN
2 years ago |it’s ok if a99 will delayed for a good sake, just bring us a new lens and we’ll be okay
hope CZ 50mm/1.4 come soon.. not delay too 
digitalia
2 years ago |Sony’s problem is not technical but managerial. They have the tech know how to produce anything they want. They do not have knowledege on the sales and marketing side. Look at their stock prices and yet they are giving stringer an award. They need to get him out. Also to photograph at the olympics you would also need a 400, 600, or 800 mm lens. The 600 mm minolta apo hs was a decent lens just start producing that again. I don’t think sony has any clue on who is buying their cameras. They are losing market share to cell phones in the compact, but a lot of those customers come into my store looking for an up grade. After the entry level purchase I want them to come back and either get a semi pro or pro camera. Which system do you think I sell them. Where is a 28-300, dx fish eye, 24-105 f4? On top of that where can you go in and buy a 300 2.8 70-200 2.8 135 1.8 or even a 70-400 sout of new your city? No where sony does not support their dealers in the states well. My store stocks all of that for cannikon. Sony has a long way to go
David
2 years ago |I class Sony as schizophrenic
They release alphas which are plastic crap. Tiny viewfinder (worst in their class), flimsy build quality. Built in smile activated shutter and other crap. Terrible plastic lenses too.
But they also release the a850/900 which are solidly build (far better than a 5d2), an enormous viewfinder (largest in any dSLR) and have NO extra stuff like live view, video, tilty screen etc. And lenses like the 16-35 (best in it’s class), the 135/1.8 (in it’s OWN class) etc etc.
There is NO brand image at all. Just a mish-mash of random stuff that can be great or terrible depending what you get.
@900 wed photag
2 years ago |+1
I couldn’t agree more I have 2 850 and a 900 love em I bought a 580 for a vacation so I could do video (HATE IT!) I wanted to smash it to bits in Rome. Does NOT want to be sent in manual mode at all. I would try to change the shutter one stop and it would jump from 200 to 2000 the worst! missed soo many great shots while trying to adjust my camera! never again!
SLTPro
2 years ago |+1…A handful of gems (A850/A900, Zeiss 24,85,135, Minolta 28/100 e.t.c)that you just don’t get with Canikon and then a load of old s*ite..That’s the system switch dilemma!
c.d.embrey
2 years ago |Sony’s cameras belong to a consumer division and are sold at Sony Style stores and very few camera stores. The Digital Cine and Broadcast Video cameras belong to a professional division and are sold by Professional dealers.
In southern California I can rent the FS100 through the F65, but no still cameras.
This means that I can own throw-a-way NEX 5hs and two of the relatively inexpensive NEX 7. But no way will I buy into a Pro System without Pro back-up from Sony. So my SLRs and DSLRs will remain CaNikon.
Pebble
2 years ago |Haha just like the old Philips: Let’s make things better.
We can, but we WON’T…
Vlad
2 years ago |“Sony’s problem is not technical but managerial. ”
+1000
Dan
2 years ago |Based on the direction its looking, I agree. I’m really hoping they do the smart thing’ with the A950(?) by not trying to make it a toy, like most everything else. The A77 is targeted to the theme-park crowd.
Atlasman
2 years ago |The Fuji sensor could also halt the release of the new systems. If smaller design lenses can be realized by this new sensor, then what’s the point of bring out a system with larger glass? Especially if this sensor delivers high ISO performance.
Just thinking out loud here.
Jonathan
2 years ago |I understand the floods and earthquake was shocking and caused allot of issue but how is Nikon still able to roll products out? Also where is the A77 firmware updates? Tethered support, or even a comment from Sony to confirm/deny it will be added in a future firmware or not?, I’ve asked Sony direct via e-mail, Facebook (tried the phone did not work well) also SAR is trying to get an answer on this still… no one can confirm anything and it’s Sony’s top of the line APS-C camera… Surely the firmware engineers should have had a bit of time to respond or update firmware quicker with the floods and delays of the A9x to improve the A77 to make it rock solid, responsive and get back to customers about some basic questions? I think Sony is not taking things as seriously as they should be and I’m also starting to wonder if the time has come for me to take a serious look at switching systems perhaps?
Stewe
2 years ago |It would be really nice to give source codes for the firmware so that programmers have chance to release unofficial firmwares.
Atlasman
2 years ago |Sony’s NEX format is close to being an all-around capturing system—I have the 5N and have a pre-order for the 7 and that’s not about to change.
I traded in my Canon 7D for it and this decision still looks good to me.
Now I’m on the look out for my 5DMKII replacement.
Dan
2 years ago |For me this is a double-edged sword. I was dead in the water without a camera so I purchased the A900 and the ZA 135 in December. The A77 was too hard to find and I know a guy that had the A65 and he ended up returning it. Nothing but personal tastes but he struggled with the glare off the viewfinder in sunlight. Besides, I decided I wanted full-frame. Paid full ticket so it still sorta hurts.
This news will at least help to vindicate my purchase but with the 5D III coming next month may well have me wishing for the stars. I rolled the dice with Sony so my hope is they won’t let us down in the end, but who knows in this market.
beware
2 years ago |ha ha only sony … delays that much
SonyA77
2 years ago |You obviously have no idea how long Canon and Nikon users have to wait for their rumoured cameras.
Deemow26
2 years ago |The delay is disappointing but I’m not convinced by the reasoning. Sony’s biggest issue is GLASS. They are rapidly developing the bodies, sensors etc. but I don’t see as much progress as with the lenses. IMHO this is the biggest issue not noise. If they want to go into the pro market with FF they’ll definitely need to address this as otherwise the camera will just end up targetting the prothusiast. Not quite sure where Sony wants to fir in the pro market Studio or Sports/Wildlife. Sony’s pro market challenge will be about winning people over from Canikon not creating a new market. The is opportunity to create a new market with the new FF NEX – sub Leica.
One positive point to note is its good to see that Sony is being driven by technology not marketing. Missing out on the London Olympics is no easy decision, but then again Sony should do well if Nikon sell lots of D4s.
For Sony to push to be number 1 just building the bodies won’t work. They need the glass. Right now they haven’t got there yet.
SRL
2 years ago |As someone who has been watching Sony’s management of the acquired Minolta camera division nothing surprises me anymore. And this rumor is one of many that rightfully make all of us, professionals and non-professionals alike question the future of the A-mount camera.
As a photographer whose first SRL was a Minolta SR1 handed down from my dad and has owned many different A-mount bodies starting with the Minolta Maxxum 9000 in 1985 the last few years under Sony’s management have been annoying, although If not for my investment in optics I just would not care.
But, I can’t help being struck that the recent product announcements of new FF professional cameras from both Nikon and Canon are just not that exciting and somehow even after four years sense the release of the D3’s I somehow believed that Nikon D4 and Canons new pro body would be more revolutionary than evolutionary.
Also I can’t help but notice that both companies announcements stressed ISO performance and image quality and not megapixels for their new professional cameras; something quite different than Sony’s approach .I wonder if Sony isn’t seeing the light and rethinking using sensors with massive megapixels in its pro cameras and possibly even the plan to completely move away from the DSLR model is up in the air for discussion.
No, I’m not surprised that Sony is delaying both FF optics and bodies and would not be surprised at this point if Sony never ships the new 500mm f/4.0 or a new FF body.
SonyYay
2 years ago |Haha, not surprised seeing as every camera and lens from Sony has been delayed since 2006. No new info here.
Atlasman
2 years ago |Last year I decided to shift gears away from DSLR and toward mirrorless—the future of capturing systems.
I will not trade in or upgrade any of my full-frame equipment. When I shoot for dough, the 5DMKII is more than enough to satisfy the needs of my clients.
Someone please deliver a mirrorless full-frame.
David
2 years ago |Every consumer electronic EVER is delayed at some point
We are on a rumor site, speculating about the future
As far as Sony is concerned, they just released a kickass prosumer model a77 and they’ve had production problems. They still need to get those camera to customers first.
stewe
2 years ago |Well, you know that all that they adding now is nothing more than whistles and bells. Personally i think that delaying launch is perfect time to announce more a-mount lenses and that the lenses are need to be their goal. If sony will make special function for their 36mp matrix so that it could work on 16mp, but without any noise on iso 6400, and a bit of noise on iso 12800 then it would be perfect. Actually i don’t know why they don’t add this in a77 so it will work on 12mp but really noiseless. And how about adding lower res, but faster than 60 fps on photo and 10000fps in video? Meh…sight. Now where is my manual helios?…
Dan
2 years ago |Well, at least my recent A900 purchase won’t become a $200 relic as quickly as I thought.
Jesse Lim
2 years ago |Same here with my A850. Well as a A77 too, I find OVF really replaceable even the SLT EVF is truly amazing. But when it comes to studio and flash photography, OVF is always my best bet… I don’t know, maybe time will tell XD
JonasM
2 years ago |Personally, as long as I can get the specs ahead of time (SAR baby!) I am okay waiting. I can live with the NEX-5 and the LA-EA2 a while longer and spending my cash on the SAL24F20ZA and 1635ZA meanwhile.
Question to Andrea though: will this delay NEX releases as well? I would assume so since they are produced in Thailand too…
Dirk
2 years ago |@Jonathan
Sorry, but you did not expect constant firmware-updates from Sony for the SLT-77!? That is the only point I would never trust them! Firmware-update means for them to throw a new camera on the market…
Back to topic: sad news!
Jonathan
2 years ago |Hay Dirk, Yeah I did expect Sony to react faster once issues were reported and found which they did but there is still issues remaining yet no updates, news, acknowledgements..etc..etc. One thing I’ve been asking constantly since launch was if the A77 would have tethered support, It’s been asked in Sony UK live video sessions, in forums, via e-mail direct to Sony yet we still have no idea if they will be adding this feature which blows my mind… They advertise it as an almost fully digital camera yet they take away a major digital component many entry level camera’s have and that many studio users love and need… I fail to see the logic and fail to see how Sony has not released any statement saying the feature is coming as once they do I will purchase an A77 as I’m wanting to get into some studio work myself but I’m not spending the money on the A77 without confirmation of this basic feature they could take to another level if they wanted on this great camera!
Dan
2 years ago |We should have a poll …blessing in disguise, or total disaster?
C
2 years ago |I guess that I won’t have that camera for PAX, oh well. I was hoping to get 135mm out of the Zeiss 135mm, but I’ll deal.
As long as there’s a mirror lock-up and (I hope, but it will never happen) a high-bitrate video codec, I don’t mind making like shades and dealing with it.
The Lotus Eater
2 years ago |Why would you need mirror lockup on a camera with a fixed translucent mirror?
BMan
2 years ago |I call BS!
All SONY pro/advance amateur cams were ALWAYS announced in August/September.
Why would this time be any different?
The only things that got announced in winter/spring were compacts and the entry level A2XX/3XX models.
I (with very little inside info – only with some basic logic) doubted the whole “early in the year” release of the A9x thingamagick. It was all just marketing BS to keep people interested while nothing new really happened from September onwards …
Unless of course SONY shifted it’s focus yet again to some new wonder tech that will make them king of “something” a couple of years too late.
It could easily also be a “check” to see if the 24Mpix APS-C cams will sell well and how the new CaNikon low MP FF’s will do.
The best way to lose market share is to always delay your own products to re-evalute the market when a new thing/player joins.
/rant mode off
And a year ago, I honestly believed that SONY was the right path to me.
Now I can only hope that my A900 and A850 don’t die anytime soon, as that would facilitate a complete system change – which can cost quite a bit.
m’eh ..
Stewe
2 years ago |What exactly isn’t enough in your a900?
BMan
2 years ago |It’s more than enough. Only problem is that my A900 warranty expires in this year, and the A850 is already out of it (bought it used). So when (/if) I experience failures, there will be nothing useful around.
I don’t need a buggy camera with a gazillion features. I need something that makes pictures, if possible without a “free” water color effect added in.
The A99 if and when it arrives (given the rumour, it’s quite possible that the new FF will be very low priority, or perhaps even a complete redesign of an almost finished product – like the A750 to A77 scenario) might have something that will beat the competition of today, but it might come too little, too late!
Actually come to think of it, the cards have already been shuffled.
The new CaNikons are due in this year (and are most likely already in the production phases), and if they are better than what SONY can offer, they’re easily done for. In that case I IMHO believe that SONY would simply marginalize the FF market.
But – let’s wait and see what the competition brings!
Stewe
2 years ago |Давай будем оптимистами=) Если срок гарантии истек это еще не значит что камера застопориться к тому же камеру можно ремонтировать и за свой счет. В любом случае имея не дешевую камеру я предполагаю что вы не бедняк и сможете позволить ту же смену затвора.
Big_T
2 years ago |I’m in the same boat as you BMan, I don’t want to switch systems but my beloved a900 is now out of warranty and I don’t really have confidence in the body as I have had experienced 2 or 3 shutter failures with the a900 series. It doesn’t make sense to buy a new 850 or 900 body now as they are basically the same price as release date.
If Canon comes with something special soon, I might jump ship and go back to canon, although slightly regrettably as I’ve come to enjoy sony colour .Nikon is great but overpriced imho.
I am looking forward to the sony offering, but if they don’t come soon with some solid info one has to think the a900 replacement might go the way of the a700 replacement.
Pebble
2 years ago |(Deleted, respons on wrong location)
Dan
2 years ago |I agree BMan. Maybe this is a good time for me to buy Sony’s extended warranty while I still can. Alternately, I could bag my new Sony gear up and return the whole thing’ and just sit around for Canon/Nikon to offer their new models. The thought of that makes me sick!
Atlasman
2 years ago |With both Nikon and Canon bringing out low megapixel, full-frame flagships, it would be prudent of Sony to do likewise with their A-99.
MF Lens
2 years ago |I don’t buy the flood thing for the new Sony FF. I have been a user since Minolta era and never recall hearing Minolta/Sony ever produced their top range camera outside Japan. This is a bad excuse, I think.
When Canon and Nikon are pushing to showcase their best in the Olympic, I am sure Pentax will also come out something for the Olympic. Sony, on the other hand is sitting behind “evaluating” don’t know what.
SonyA77
2 years ago |Here we go again…
Have Sony ever officially stated an announcement date or even the model name?
These are RUMOURS, so don’t bet your life on them happening and don’t get frustrated when a RUMOUR turns out to be wrong…
There has not been a delay, you can’t delay a RUMOURED announcement!
David
2 years ago |Yup. This.
These are rumors. The a99 isn’t even officially announced yet. It’s all speculation.
Jonathan
2 years ago |I think people are annoyed because Sony discontinued both the A900 and A850 (meaning a replacement is coming but looks like it’s back on the market (again, they can’t make up their mind, is very poor planning and does not offer confidence to the users) Sony’s FF line is also behind were it needs to be, they are also not the top player in this field and if they want to be they need to work hard and delivery/execute well of which they are not currently doing well IMHO.
Seeky
2 years ago |Error
Seeky
2 years ago |Waiting is no problem for me, being just an amateur. I can easily skip the a77, (won’t even talk about a99) and wait for the a7 the next gen top Aps-c. But in the meantime, I would like to have lens choices. Sony’s dslts optimal for video?
Don’t let me laugh, the cheapest SSM lens they offer is around 700 bucks!
EE
2 years ago |The first manufacturer out with a FF mirrorless has my money, assuming of course it’s thousands cheaper than a Leica (the only alternative).
As an aside: Whatever format or system I use, I only want fast primes, .95-1.4 range is the sweet spot. Sony’s got serious work to do here, why bother making 1.8 when you could go 1.4 (which is where the competition is)? I’m honestly baffled by that.
David
2 years ago |huh?
I think Sony’s main problem is a lack of mid-range. More 1.8 lenses would be good for the lineup as a whole. i.e if you want an 85 you have the £150 2.8 SAM, or the £1400 Zeiss 1.4. Nikon and Canon both have affordable, £500-600 1.8 lenses.
Sony already have great fast primes.. 24/2, 35/1.4, new 50/1.4 soon, 85/1.4, 135/1.8, 200/2.8, 300/2.8
Looks good to me
Carl
2 years ago |I wouldn’t class 200/2.8 and 24/2 as especially fast, personally. Especially considering both the competition offer 24/1.4 and 200/2.
MyAlpha
2 years ago |This is right decision. A77 just got out and it don’t have any sense to go so quickly with A77.
Bengt Nyman
2 years ago |I wouldn’t mind if Sony concentrated on its EVF technology and produced a Mirror-less, Full-Frame, High-ISO, Top-IQ camera with an excellent set of Zeiss lenses.
There are already too many DSLRs and compacts out there.
Brad H.
2 years ago |I don’t get why they are going after the conventional FF market again.
They tried to undercut both Nikon and Canon and that didn’t work because of a half-baked design, legacy, after-sales service and lens availability. After-sales service will never mature into the same network as Nikon and Canon and I don’t think professional mindshare can fit in Sony for that reason alone. Lens availability will never be as strong as the current duopoly.
The rumours pointing to an FF Hybrid Alpha/Nex mount-camera sounds like a plausible avenue to take rather than a SLT/DLSR rehash. The mirror and associated bulk needs to go, and while SLT is novel there are drawbacks.
Imagine an FF (rangefinder-styled and/or sized, whatever…) camera with a similar hybrid-EVF to Fuji that could possibly be licensed (although I’d be fine with the Sony EVF). The hybrid mount is complex but do-able, and with such a hybrid camera as-is you could just use E-mounts, while those stubborn SLR-users can apply an expansive battery grip that would boost usability and provide balance for bulkier A-mounts.
We are on this edge of incredibly mature sensor, shutter, processor and display technology. All someone has to do is package it up neatly. NEX-7 and X-Pro1 are the closest examples pointing to an era I believe will place conventional DSLR’s into a still profitable but small market.
Carl
2 years ago |In what respect is the A900 half baked design? Lack of live-view?
tandem gene
2 years ago |If it was fully baked, it would rise taller. Perhaps.
JB
2 years ago |I don’t buy it either. Nikon was hit hard by Tsunami and Floods but still deliver their cameras before Olympics and Photokina.
So many events happen in Summer and Spring. Why does Sony release a new camera just before winter?
Sony should keep FF production in Japan.
Stewe
2 years ago |Has anybody consider that there could have been agreement between Sony and Nikon that allow Nikon to use their sensor and earlier release of d800 and d4 in exchange for sales share and license for lenses or something valuable?
c.d.embrey
2 years ago |Way back in the rangefinder days Nikon released lenses in both Nikon mount and Leica screw mount. An A77 with an auto focus Nikon 24mm f1.4 would be an interesting combination. So would an AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR in A-mount. Maybe a AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II zoom for the A99. One can dream
MF Lens
2 years ago |I read it somewhere Nikon is claiming the sensor as their own (and not a Sony sensor). Anyone knows more detail on this?
Carl
2 years ago |Sony needs to stop blaming the Thai flooding soon. As a company with hundreds of factories worldwide, I’m sure they can find one or two with spare production capacity. I can understand them needing a few months to bring in the tooling and train the staff, but if they’re taking the better part of a year to get back on their feet, that sounds like the problem is managerial, not simply bad luck.
Dan
2 years ago |Well, at least they’re not blaming Bush!
Vinny
2 years ago |As a landscape professional, who’s been waiting for this next generation of 35mm sensors (and over 30 megapixels) before finally leaving film and getting into digital, it looks like from this news that Nikon will beat Sony to the punch here. I have always been a Nikon user, BUT have also been willing to start over with Sony and those Zeiss zoom lenses. But if Nikon’s D4x is released before the Sony A99, then you can be sure Nikon will get many of the customers who’ve been waiting for this next set of pro DSLR’s. And the 17-35 2.8 wide angle by Nikon has been my bread and butter lens for over 10 years and is every bit as good if not better than the Zeiss ones. But I was at least open to the idea of switching to Sony. This news would very possibly be the end of that idea, for many people (not just me), if true.
Camaman
2 years ago |I think Sony is pretty sick of the fact they need to introduce a SLT FF model in the first place just to save face.
They are a forward looking tech company and they know that if they had 1 more year they would introduce a revolutionary EVF only camera with few studio primeas and aim it for the pro’s…
sonyboy68
2 years ago |I can’t believe SAR ! Sony will launched the FF with new lenses for Olympic Games !
Steve G.
2 years ago |I think they need to improve the SLT as to not embarrass themselves again. The A77 has let many people down. Fix the JPEG, produce higher quality lenses and improve the video capability (enable longer videos!!).
Wheelus
2 years ago |For those of you in the US who want a Sony full frame, B&H has the 900 for $2700 and for those who move fast, Amazon has the 900 for $2300. I suspect that they won’t last long at that price.
zstan
2 years ago |I think Andrea has done such a good job about giving us the latest rumors until a lot of readers get too hyped up and have over the moon expectations.
I think most of you wouldn’t know that when the D4 and 1DX were announced, their respective rumor sites only caught hold of solid specs about 1 week before the release. ONE WEEK.
For the a77 and NEX we got it like MONTHS back. So i wonder how those canikon people were feeling all those while with no news at all.
lifeispixels
2 years ago |I have a mixed feeling about this news. It’s a shame they have to delay and we have to wait. On the other hands, this will give them more time to fully assess the market response to A77. A77 is currently their top SLT model and its success or failure pretty much translates into what A99 is going to be. Sony have yet perfected A77 firmware and there are still loads of bugs that need to be fixed before they can truly evaluate customer’s response, not to mention they can’t evaluate true sales figure yet if there is still problem with inventory.
Also Nikon D4 has just been released so the delay will give Sony time to re-think of A99 specs to make sure it’s future-proof enough to compete with future Canikon offerings. Full frame cameras can’t be replaced yearly like entry leve DSLR anyway… lot of thoughts have to be put into from both manufacturers and consumers. If I buy A99, it’s going to stick with me for at least 4-5 years. Big investment
JustAPro
2 years ago |Sony is really pissing me off now!
You can’t rely on anything…
One of my two A900 recently died so I was hoping to be able to replace it with the upcoming A99 but i cannot wait until september (or whenever, if they present it photokina it will hit the stores 2013). And even though i do really like my A900s, it just doesn’t feel right to pay another 2000 Euros for an “old” camera by now.
I seriously have to question my choice to stay with sony has a professional, that 5d mark III may be very tempting even though switching systems would be a massive loss of money
Dan
2 years ago |The rumors here on SAR do certainly make me want to consider Nikon or Canon. I’ll keep my new A900 and 135 and I’ll order the 3-yr SARGE warranty from B&H, but that’s it.
SRL
2 years ago |+1
I feel your pain
I rolled the dice big time when I purchased two a850 and about 10k worth of Zeiss lenses.
I love both the camera and the lenses and don’t regret the discussion EXCEPT the likely outcome will mean that when it comes time to upgrade to new cameras or replace a dead camera I’ll need to switch platforms and move to Nikon or Canon and then eBay the Zeiss lenses.
It was a gamble all along going with Sony, I knew this starting out.
Clifton
2 years ago |The A99 is more of a D700/5DMk2 range camera anyway, so it wouldn’t stand against a D4 or a 1DX.
To be honest I would very much doubt Sony would have shown anything this early in the year anyway, the A77 is still getting its feet on the market, its silly to stop that train before its really left the station. Sept Photokina is perfect timing.
Dan
2 years ago |You’re right although Nikon and Canon will likely release their new FF’s next month. This will place Sony in ‘technological’ years behind. Sure wish I had been more patient before I ordered my new Sony gear in December. Oh well, at least I’m saving 15-percent or more on my car insurance.
Tristan
2 years ago |Will Sony launch some new FF lens in Spring still? Especially the 50/1.4 ZA?
Dan
2 years ago |I have come to learn that you can’t figure on Sony/Zeiss to do anything until the last minute. If the rumor says ‘this Spring’ then it will more likely be November.
Walt
2 years ago |It seems strange since Sony has followed a clearly visible route for several years that we now have people who apparently bought in the discontinued FF line in the last several months expecting somehow that Sony’s route of the last several years would somehow make a 180 degree turn back to DSLR. How come they were not paying attention?
a700 folks had some reason to speculate and wish, but that’s clearly been over for a while. FF folks have had their path demonstrated to them in what happened to a700 OVF DSLRs. If Sony were to reverse the trend of years and bring out 900 series OVFs the hue and cry from 700 series people would be considerable and they would just shoot themselves in the foot doing FF only.
This spring or in the fall for Sony’s FF SLT does not matter, they are highly resistant to any feedback in their consumer oriented design path. You know what it will be. They played the same game on the a700 folks.
BKD
2 years ago |“If Sony were to reverse the trend of years and bring out 900 series OVFs the hue and cry from 700 series people would be considerable”
The hue and cry from one A700 person would certainly be considerable.
“This spring or in the fall for Sony’s FF SLT does not matter, they are highly resistant to any feedback in their consumer oriented design path.”
But the A700 was a consumer camera (as has been every one of Sony’s DSLRs), so what’s your point? But I think that what you will find is that the SLT refects a large amount of feedback. Just because they didn’t deliver the specific product that you wanted, causing you to throw your toys out of the pram, doesn’t mean that they don’t listen to their customer base. You had the opportunity to cut your losses many years ago. You bet on the wrong horse – tough luck, but you o need to build that bridge and get over it.
Lionel
2 years ago |:’( I must wait more time for have a A900 occasion for a good price …
Peter
2 years ago |Better to wait a few extra weeks than risk the shame ……. Sony can not afford another body that will have as many weaknesses as the A77 was the placing on the market .. first impressions do much …..
People from Nikon is looking forward to D8OO is now behind the door and Canonisti 5D Mark III a month too …
and we are waiting for Sony’s announcement in September and let us pray that it was worth it!