(SR5) Sony lobbying for the next FF cameras (to be released in 2012)
I am getting tons of enthusiastic emails from dealers and photographs that claim to have seen and tested the A77 and NEX-7. And some of them also told me that Sony is already “lobbying” for the next fullframe cameras. Sony wants the dealer to push the Sony products also because their upcoming fullframe cameras will be even more amazing than the A77. I have been told that Sony is currently talking with all the major dealers to redefine the marketing strategy. I will give you some concrete details about the strategy as soon as I can. The only good news that I can give you now is that there will be more new fullframe cameras than I thought. I now heard about three different fullframe camera coming in 2012!
There has been no Sony A900 price drop yet because Sony plans to release the next FF cameras in 6-9 months only. It would be to early to clear the stocks now. The Sony A850 has been discontinued.
FF status check:
A900 at Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.
A850 at Amazon, Adorama, B&H, J&R, eBay.
If you have some fullframe rumor to share drop me a message at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com! Thanks!
P.S.: The A35 and NEX-C3 are in Stock! Check:
Sony A35 at Amazon (Click here) and B&Hphoto (Click here).
NEX-C3 at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
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Kalpurush :)
10 months ago |“their upcoming fullframe cameras will be even more amazing than the A77″
WOW!!! Exciting time for Sony and it’s users!!
Bring it on Sony!
make.believe
Lonnie
10 months ago |Oh great, so maybe I WON’T be getting the 77 and I’ll save my pennies for the A??…..
Sky_walker
10 months ago |if you are ready to wait a year…..
Edgars
10 months ago |May be there will be another delay for A77… you never know, make.believe it some day will be released!
Carl
10 months ago |They should all be used to waiting by now.
The A700 will be like all those 1950s American cars on the streets of Cuba, still puttering along decades after the rest of the world moved on. Give it long enough and it’ll stop being silly and start being iconic.
Gg
10 months ago |Sony stinks like ass when it comes to cameras. Get a nikon
Steve S
10 months ago |Hey Andrea, what did the dealers think of the new EVF?. To me if the EVF is not close to an OVF it cancels out all of the great new features of the a77. I have the a700 and the a33, when I shoot with my a33 and go back to the a700 it’s a BIG difference. Also will the a700 vert. grip fit the a77?
admin
10 months ago |The EVF is very good but still not perfect. That’s what they say. It’s hard to get used to EVF when you are used with OVF.
Steve S
10 months ago |I guess I will have to wait and see if I can live with it, I hope so because then my only future option is NIkon or Canon. My a700 is still a great camera that I could still use for a long time. I am a wildlife photographer so the new af, 12fps and better high ISO performance could help a lot. What about the vert. grip will it fit the a77?
Frosti7
10 months ago |WOW WOW WOW!
Admin, please any info on a compact (or even a NEX) version of FF, or just perhaps A55 sized FF-SLT? something which is not “gigantic” ?
admin
10 months ago |Yes I have info, but I cannot share it yet as I am working on it. But all I can say is that “ROGER looks good ROGER”
dac38
10 months ago |Well I hope that simply means .. Roger – NEX FF 2010 – Roger.
Carl
10 months ago |2010 has already passed…
If Sony makes a FF NEX, makes it small, designs its microlens array properly, and prices it at a fraction of what the M9 does, Sony will destroy it’s competition in the high end compact space.
J-Man
10 months ago |I hope they do bring out a FF NEX, but first they need a full lens lineup in E mount, if Samsung can do it with NX, there’s no reason Sony can’t do it.
They need high quality pancakes & zooms for when you want compactness, and fast primes for DOF control/speed when you need it.
frosti7
10 months ago |NEX FF is a dream, but one that wont come true
no manufacturer is smart enough to produce a camera that eveyrone wants, amazing.
Jojo
10 months ago |FF NEX is indeed a dream. It would have even more lens problems to solve. Even if Sony thought there was a realistic market for a compact FF NEX-ish system they would need to get the DX version established first. Personally I question the potential demand for a FF version (i.e. real buyers rather than expressed forum interest); even FF SLRs is a much smaller market than DX.
Does the expression “lobbying” reinforce the view that even within Sony there are some with serious reservations over the viability of FF SLRs.
Sky_walker
10 months ago |good… finally some new marketing strategy. So far I have heard only VERY bad opinions about it in the US, CA and AU. Here in Central Europe it’s fine as far as I see, but definitely there’s tongs of things to do for Sony in the USA.
jg
10 months ago |That is very important news indeed.
Jimmy
10 months ago |//start rant
Do they have a marketing strategy? Wow!! Then it’s pretty bad, if there is one. I’m from Eastern Europe and apart from a couple of electronic retail chains + Sony Center (which are the most expensive – shame to them!) their’s SLR’s & Nex cameras don’t exist in retail, only Canon and Nikon and sometimes Pentax. You can only find them in online stores with next to 0 stock, months after they are released in other countries in Europe, and for people who now what to look for. The others just buy a Canonikon dslr because that’s what they find in stores and the seller tells them to buy. Last year the Nex 3&5 appeared for the first time at the end of august in Sony Center (which actually is not a store owned by Sony, but by a local firm) with more than a 100 Euro than the normal price and in one year there has been no deal for a Nex 5, like in other countries. Oh and don’t get me started on their “european warranty” – if I buy from another country in UE, I don’t have warranty in my country, although we are in the UE so I have to buy from here where the prices suck just for the warranty. So I’m pissed at Sony and their shitty “marketing strategy”. Hope they’ll do better with this generation of products, but I sincerely doubt that.
//end rant
acolyte
10 months ago |Those //rant tags should be actual tags like spoiler tags. I just love it.
Robby Ticknor
10 months ago |Somewhat unrelated question about the a77
does anyone know if the nifty multi-shot iso noise reduction/hdr/pano stuff will work when shooting raw?
I only shoot raw, and that disables a lot of the cool stuff on my current alpha.
i would love to see a hdr raw — some way to increase the dynamic range using multi shots in a raw file.
admin
10 months ago |Doesn’t work with RAW.
Sky_walker
10 months ago |…because RAW format is supposed to be as untouched as possible. So stuff like RAW HDR equals nonsense.
Still though – I wouldn’t mind if Sony would figure out that they can make 12 bit TIFF files with their.. ekhm… cool stuff
Steve Jones
10 months ago |It should be technically possible for Sony to produce a multi-image RAW that could be post-processed using the same algorithms that are used in-camera. It maybe too much to ask for something like Lightroom to be able to handle multi-shot RAW files as it’s a bit specialised, and no doubt there are lots of proprietary SONY algorithms. However, I’d settled fo a TIFF.
agorabasta
10 months ago |Could easily work with raw. No problem whatsoever.
Just record the raws for all the individual exposures together with the shift/geometry correction info for stacking.
The changes/additions to the current raw converters is then primitively straightforward.
Sergei Zhukov
10 months ago |It’s easier to invest into a good tripod instead. Great HDR panoramas still require thinking and planning – tripod slows you down to allow for that.
Stewe
10 months ago |I think that there will be a99, a85 that will cost about 1500$ for body and a1000(or whatever) that will be alternative for d400 and 1mV.
Kalpurush :)
10 months ago |$1500 for a99? It won’t be as cheap as you are thinking IMHO.
john
10 months ago |Nex 5 body with a FF sensor = Nex8 @$1500
Nex 7 body with a FF sensor = Nex9 @$1800
passer-by
10 months ago |Full Frame NEX probably going to be called FEX-1.. hahaha
Stewe
10 months ago |I’ve said 1500$ for a850 succesor)
Carl
10 months ago |Sony will almost certainly try to price their A850 successor just the tiniest bit bellow what the Canon 5D mkIII will cost. As such, the actual price will likely be determined more by what Canon does than what Sony does.
Stewe
10 months ago |Will see, bro. Untill next year we know nothing.
lynnee
10 months ago |its so funny eevryone is argueing about the camera costs of over a few $100s when nobody say anythibg about the sony ACCESSORIES!!! Buy the camera and ur commited to the sony system, yet all sony accessories are priced 10x what they should costs, for example $20 for a plastic cover that costs a dollar to produce. go ahead and take a look at ALL the sony accessories prices and see if they are righteously priced.
totalreader
10 months ago |+1
I think now is a time to make FF camera with price really less than 2000$
Not stupid $1999.99/$1949.99 but REALLY LESS!
Raul S.
10 months ago |Maybe an A55 sized FF SLT camera with less features could make it to your desired price range of 1500USD…anything bigger, professional aimed, FF camera is going to be on the intial 2400USD price tag, just as A900…
Maybe they’re going to make a A99, then A95? to the people on budget that doesn’t require all the features (ala A850) and then a A85? for the enthusiast that just want to go FF with good quality but it isn’t going to make money with it…
Or am I in drugs? O_O
Carl
10 months ago |They’d have to be careful what features they cut, though, as even the low-end full frame customers are pretty demanding. If they took away DOF preview, bracketing, DMF, etc they might be in for quite some backlash.
The A900/A850 already took a hit because of no live-view, video mode or built-in flash, and they are otherwise great photographer’s cameras.
Sergei Zhukov
10 months ago |Pretty exciting!!!! I love my Sony A850 and it’s straightforward functionality. Bring it on, Sony!!!
Maxwell
10 months ago |What you really want now comes always “next year”.
But any news are good news, a small/compact FF camera could be interesting.
But for me the next 1-5 years I hope a NEX7 or A77 will do, or both.
jg
10 months ago |Yes, but it only works this way because you read RUMORS
matgay
10 months ago |1.) high iso(vs. d3s), low mpixel model for low light photos
2.) ultra high resolution (vs. d3x)/mpixel model
3.) very low priced stripped down entry model, priced cheaper than some aps-c
4.) full frame mirrorless???
Even though Sony had announce all future will be slt-mirrors, I really wish they will keep both SLT and regular mirror DSLR choices.
matgay
10 months ago |just when i about to sell of my sony stuff and jump ship to nikon d4, sony decide to finally get serious. guess ill be holding to all my zeiss lenses still.
Mikey
10 months ago |I think that, at least for Full Frame, it can make a lot of sense to have 3 cameras. The entry level model can be an SLT model. Then they can have their top of the line SLT and and top of the line camera with mirror.
Lastly, if they are going to push full frame for consumers, they need to release a set of more consumer oriented lenses. 16-35 F4, 24-120 F4, 70-200 F4 lenses.
Sergei Zhukov
10 months ago |Full Frame compact is possible with primes only, I guess:) FF cameras need bigger glass. We already complain NEX lenses aren’t compact. IMHO, this won’t happen. NEX 7 is the closest to compact as we’ll get.
I went full frame for shallow depth of field for portraiture and that “special movie look”, when stopped down to f4 and f7 no one can tell the difference, so why bother? Big aperture FF lenses are usually big and heavy. F4 FF zooms aren’t compact either. It is a PRO niche.
Carl
10 months ago |24-120mm (ish) definitely, but the 70-300G is already does just fine as a slower telezoom.
The design team in Osaka haven’t really cared about fixed aperture F4 zooms since the late 70s, so I can’t see them changing on that front anytime soon.
Mikey
10 months ago |I want to hear more details about the EVF. Is the EVF on the NEX7 and the A77 different? The A77 has a big hump for the EVF so I’m guessing that the A77 EVF will be bigger but obviously I don’t know.
Also, what about the EVF is it hard to get use to? Is there a lot of lag? Does the increased resolution make a difference? Are the OLED EVF colors accurate? The OLED screens on the Olympus cameras are NOT accurate.
Simoquasimo
10 months ago |There is clearly marketing strategy and I’m going to be “the victim” of it. First I bought a55 then I
I’m going to get a77 and finally this FF one
Kalpurush :)
10 months ago |“They” want all of your money! Smart marketing, eyh?
Raul S.
10 months ago |Look at Canon users…they got first T2…then T3 with small improvement…They like to get the most from usera =)
The next thing Sony need to do (while releasing thse FF bodies) is release a version of all their current F2, F2.8 lenses in F4…Also a version of all their Screw-driven AF lenses in SSM…Re-release a improved version of Minolta lenses that aren’t in the current line-up and deserves to be on it…And also a Tilt-shift lens…All this in a 2-3 year program and they will see profit =) Take over Canikon…! XD
Videograph
10 months ago |I can’t find any remaining A900 stocks. ,-)
Sky_walker
10 months ago |Well, I guess that the most welcome set of full frame cameras would be along the lines:
1) Canon 1DmkV competitor – high burst speed, very good high-ISO, lower MPx count, great video mode
2) Studio camera, the A900 successor – traditional DSLR with OVF, high resolution sensor with excellent low-ISO quality (+ISO50 mode), probably the CCD sensor for low ISOs without any noise at all (something along lines of Sony Super HAD CCD II), high sensitivities limited to 3200 or so, no video mode obviously.
3) Cheap, small size FF – price below 1000 USD, lightweight body, size of A77 (I doubt they can make it smaller right now), stunning video quality, something to compete against Canon 5D.
Though rationally thinking I doubt that the A-bayonet user base is big enough for dedicated studio FF DSLR. So probably we’ll end up with one cheap and two expensive FF cameras – one with higher and one with lower resolution. Perhaps one OVF for more traditional shooters.
Anon
10 months ago |The A77 doesn’t look much smaller than the 5D, both of which are too big for my tastes.
Sky_walker
10 months ago |well, A55 is waaaay too small for my hands, so… it all depends on a user.
A700 is roughly perfect, A900 is great too though. Small cameras don’t work with me. I hate getting my fingers hurt while trying to press a button.
Robby Ticknor
10 months ago |+1 a55 is too small! i think the a700 is just about the perfect size
lhkjacky
10 months ago |++1 A55 is too small for me too!
The size of A77 is just perfect.
David
10 months ago |@Sky_walker
Your 1, 2, 3 is too complicated. People will bitch and want ALL of those things in one camera.
I think the 1-2 of high-res low-ISO studio cam and lower-res high-ISO cam is a simple route where people should easily be able to decide which one that they want. Hell, even the “low res” one will be 24mp at least.. more than enough for most people.
Then have the same video, viewfinder, button layout etc between all of them. Otherwise people will bitch that they want the high ISO camera *AND* the better video functions etc etc…
Carl
10 months ago |Nikonians seem surprisingly accepting of the lowish resolution of the D3s/D700.
Though I guess Sony would have it worse, simply because Sony bashing is a more popular passtime than Nikon bashing.
Sky_walker
10 months ago |They accept it for glory mostly. Look at sales – D3x is what earns money for Nikon. And I’m all fine with it – as same as I’m OK with Canon god-knows-how-many megapixel sensor…. cause either of them is pointless for me.
David – well, I don’t know. All of these kinds of FF cameras already exist on the market – only not under one brand. So I don’t see how that’s too complicated. Keep in mind that target market for full frame are professionals and people with more deep knowledge about photography, not your neighbor
so likely there wouldn’t be anything difficult for them to understand the differences…
MajorTom123
10 months ago |What about new FF lenses? I’m still waiting for a 4/24-120 or similar for my A850. I would buy it for 1000 EUR immediately!
JB
10 months ago |+1
knurd
10 months ago |3 FF cameras!!!!!! I seriously hope one is a more affordable, stripped down consumer version.
Glenn
10 months ago |Can’t wait to get my hands on the A77, I’m curious about the EVF! I’ve worked with the A33-A55, great camera’s but I really disliked the EVF (the resolution is to low, and I had the rainbow effect). But the now that the A77 has many more pixels, hope it will be so much better! Everything else about the A77 looks so much promising!
Robby Ticknor
10 months ago |I agree.
really curious as to how the EVF of the a77 has been improved.
i used the a33/55 at the sony store and the rainbow effect was driving me crazy (I’m one of the people that can’t use a DLP tv because the rainbow effect drives me crazy too).
1piece
10 months ago |3 camera, I’m hoping a990 (replacement of a900); a950 (replacement of a850), and a99 (full-frame version of a77) There have been too much focus on SLT b/c of NEX-7 and a77, I’m hoping SONY put more focus DSLR focus for FF, at least in the upper cost range, we look for more stability and reliability than rather than fanciful features.
Glenn
10 months ago |Sony allready said they won’t make any DSLR anymore… so I think you should forget about the A990 and A950…
Sky_walker
10 months ago |oh did they? Last time I checked there wasn’t any official statement of the Sony Imaging on this matter. What we know is that Sony now has 100% focus on SLT tech. Will they release any classical DSLRs – life will show. But for now I doubt. SLT gives them specs edge over Canikon and they really would like it to stay there.
SRL
10 months ago |Thank you,
Please post this Sony announcement
I remember when this story came out here at SAR but don’t recall who told us.
I think the market and Technology both have a say in this.
I’ve not seen the a77, but I have used the a55 and It’s not a replacement for the viewfinder in the a85 or a900 or any Nikon orr Canon pro camera…….yet!
David
10 months ago |Well, the a55 isn’t *MEANT* to be a replacement for the a850/900. That’s setting the standard VERY high since they are pretty much the best viewfinders on the market. And they cost a lot of money for the huge pentaprism, add a lot of bulk and weight too.
The a55 is meant to be a replacement for the a500/550/560/580 series. And I think it does that well. It’s bigger and brighter for a start.
I’m sure the full frame replacement should set a higher standard for EVFs. After all, it’s electronics, so the improvement will be very fast!
Sky_walker
10 months ago |A55 isn’t meant to replace the a500/550/560/580. 560 and 580 were released simultaneously with A55 if you don’t remember and these two are replacements for the 500/550 series.
A55 is a pioneer of SLT tech and that is it’s sole role. 580 won’t have any replacement soon – it gonna be discontinued, perhaps return in future if Sony marketing finds out that there’s a market for it. But A55 doesn’t replace anything.
David
10 months ago |Well no it’s not a direct replacement. But it’s the same sensor. Similar price point. Same type of person would buy one or the other. Maybe “substitute” or “alternative” is a better word.
Either way, the a55 is far more comparable to the 5xx series than the a850/900 cameras!
Rushmore
10 months ago |I beg SONY to release next FF with Optical Viewfinder.
Dear Admin,
you should do a poll for Optical Viewfinder & EVF.
I feel
EVF + LCD = Too much Digital
OVF + LCD = We have best of both world
JB
10 months ago |Sony can us make lots of camera bodies But they need lens! That is their weakest point.
+1 for 24-120 F4.
A CZ 24-120mm F4 like the Lendary R1 would be a dream.
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/alpha-lens-poll-analysis/
FullFrame NEX (24x36)!
10 months ago |Sounds like three price categories. Entry Level, Mid Level and High End.
Sony is really going to spank the competition in the near future.
Please work on a FullFrame NEX with an E Mount Sony!
Or at least a mount that will accept Leica/Voigtlander M lenses.
Don Cox
10 months ago |Something a bit smaller than full frame, maybe 20x30mm instead of 24x36mm, would still make a very good NEX.
If the pixels were full colour it would be better still.
Andy F
10 months ago |3 cameras makes sense, A high res pro camera with a OVF, a cheaper EVIL camera and a FF A mount Nex camera. Perhaps all 3 could share the same sensor or the high res sensor only appears in the OVF pro camera.
One thing which will be critical to the success of these cameras is lenses, Sony needs to gradually replace most of the lenses in its current range and up date the 85 & 135 ZA’s with SSM, and add further ZA’s like 35 f1.4, 50 f1.2, 200 f2, 60 f2 macro, 14-24 f4 so it can take filters, and T/S lenses. Also needed are fast G telephoto lenses like the 500 f4, plus 24-105 F4 and an update to the 70-200 f2.8 Failure to do this will limit Sony’s inroad into the pro market.
Froo
10 months ago |The optical construction of those two ZA lenses is unsuited for SSM-ification. Too heavy elements moving around. It won’t happen any time soon, as they will have to be completely redesigned for SSM.
I agree about the 50 and (possibly) 200, even if bringing out (back?) a 200/4 macro might be more fruitful.
The 70-200 is already very good, so I don’t see that happening, either. A cheaper 70-200/4 might be good though, as that is one of Canon’s top sellers to the “semi-pro” crowd.
Rob
10 months ago |Art Wolfe, who is not a semi pro said on one of his shows that the 70-200 F4 is a favorite lens because the optics are great and the weight is less of a problem – and this from a guy who usually has a few assitants around to carry his gear.
Carl
10 months ago |I’ve often found myself shooting my 80-200/2.8 one handed. It’s not a light lens, but the weight issue is overrated if you ask me.
Sky_walker
10 months ago |“A cheaper 70-200/4 might be good though, as that is one of Canon’s top sellers to the “semi-pro” crowd.” – it’s also a top-seller in Minolta glass, so I hope Sony hears the market and will release it soon… hopefully with weather-sealing of some kind
Erational
10 months ago |You hot the nail on the head. A camera company is nothing without decent lenses. Some of the lenses you mentioned go back 25 years, with coatings updated in the 90′s.
If Sony wants to ride the filmmaker DSLR/ SLT wave, they are going to have to refit SSM on their G/Zeiss lendes
Froo
10 months ago |Filmmakers don’t use AF. They use focus pullers or pull focus themselves. A couple of AF points in the middle of the image is completely irrelevant for real filmmakers.
Sky_walker
10 months ago |“Some of the lenses you mentioned go back 25 years, with coatings updated in the 90′s.” – They are ’90s lenses updated in 2006….
Sergei Zhukov
10 months ago |What’s up with current ZA glass? I have 85mm and 24-70mm – both focus fast and accurate. I’m happy with them the way they are. I tried ZA 135mm – focus is spot on and extremely fast. SSM is cool, but I’ll get whatever works best.
Froo
10 months ago |+1
JB
10 months ago |A 85mm with SSM and environmental sealing is more than enough reasons for a upgrade.
David
10 months ago |Sigma 85 doesn’t have environment sealing, but the build quality is excellent. I imagine it’s pretty water proof since there’s nothing moving, zooming or rotating. And it has HSM focusing which is fast, accurate and silent.
emopunk
10 months ago |I would hope all FF A-mount models would be with OVF. There will never be any EVF comparable to OVF. Ideal situation would be A900 like OVF with complex digital overlay informations – but I don’t know if that is possible at this time.
Erational
10 months ago |Admin. reported here awhile ago that there would be no more OVF Sony cameras.
admin
10 months ago |Exactly, no more OVF.
emopunk
10 months ago |Well, if that’s the decision even for FF models, I find it quite a risky one.
lynnee
10 months ago |dont say “never” evf, just look at sony’s hollywood line of video cameras. none of the video cameras have ovf. and these are hundred thousand dollar cameras that sony produces. so the technology for evf can only get better
J
10 months ago |An effective marketing strategy might be the most important last step in becoming a real threat to the big 2. I hope that includes providing some means of on-site rental in major markets.
David
10 months ago |Absolutely.
They should also be trying to sponsor influential pros.
Zack Arias just said he is going 100% canon now. Even though he said he thinks the 5d2 autofocus is terrible. And he hates the 24-70L. He wanted a high resolution camera though, can’t afford the D3X, and the D700 is only 12mp.
Sony actually would have been perfect for him. The a900 has excellent autofocus which locks on easily even in darkness. It’s high resolution too, and the zeiss 24-70 is fantastic. Yet I bet he never considered them an option.
Sure, there are reasons why he wouldn’t go Sony, but the point is that you need these pros to influence people and turn Sony into a “proper” manufacturer in this industry.
Sky_walker
10 months ago |Yep. There’s few important things to do:
1) Sponsor photographic events
2) Hire people who have photography as they hobby and already got some knowledge in Sony centers as salesman. Train them to know all the stuff about Sony gear. I heard lots of complains about sales people in the US.
3) Hire several photographers as ambassadors of the brand – try to pick these taking parts in photo-events and these owning websites. Good opinions from them may change the perception of the brand amongst pro-shooters, though Sony: listen to what they say and try to implement improvements.
4) Improve sales network and always have some pro and semi-pro gear to show. Not just A290s with 18-55 lenses.
5) Buy adverts in photography press. LOTS of them. Put a pressure on the fact that Alpha is a serious system that has much to offer.
…and so on. Sony seem to have lots of cash but somehow it isn’t spending it right… yea, I’m not the advert expert really, but obviously Sony folks also don’t do their job well outside the Europe. >_>
SonyA77
10 months ago |Basically do what Canikon have been doing for years.
Sky_walker
10 months ago |Yes… well… let’s see if they figured it out themselves.
Photocine
10 months ago |Bring it Sony!
I’m getting the A77 and will certainly get the A99.
I already have the website ready for it!
HD
10 months ago |Same here!!
Erational
10 months ago |Like Stewe, I think Sony is going to shoot for a $1500 Full Frame model. To get there it likely will not have the metal underbody. Also, it like will not have the FPS of the huger-end models,
What Sony REALLY needs to do is stop screwing-over their dealers and have real customer support if they want a shot at the Pro market.
buel
10 months ago |What’s about FF lenses? A new high quality (Zeiss or G) 24-105/4 would be nice, a weather sealed update of the 80-400 and a 17-40/4 solution too … ok these are my dreams.
rayheart7
10 months ago |wow! time to change canikon monopoly! Really i want to buy a new camera, especially a FF… and new lenses too! but how to wait?!
so a dilemma. buy now a a77+lenses or wait a99+lenses?
matgay
10 months ago |buy now nex7(because its so high res and compact), and wait for a99. full frame will be worth it, a77 will be collecting dust when a99 comes
rayheart7
10 months ago |mmm…for now i’m not interested in nex7. …and yes, when a99 will be amoung us it will be amazing…thx
emopunk
10 months ago |It depends on your needs. If you need FF soon, I guess Canon and Nikon will arrive sooner with new models. If you’re not heavily invested in A-mount lenses, then you might consider switching brand.
Carl
10 months ago |If Nikon are going to use a Sony sensor for their next FF, then the best they can hope for is a simultaneous release with Sony.
Canon stagger the releases of their 1Ds series and 5D series, so one of them will likely get replaced by the time the new Sony-sensored full frame cameras are ready, unless they plan to hold back the release to see what their competitors are up to in terms of features and pricing.
rayheart7
10 months ago |it could be a choise, even if i like sony. it’s more a wish to buy a more efficient camere not only for better iso performance but also for DoF…however something to consider also for lenses. thanks
ghj2
10 months ago |My primary interest is videography and I was thinking last night how awesome the Samyang 24mm 1.4, 35mm 1.4, and 85mm 1.4 would be on a full frame camera. If the video capabilities of the Sony full frames are at least as good as what the A77 is rumored to have that will really be something.
Rob
10 months ago |I wonder when the first DSLRS will introduce “clumping” of pixels to produce very large virtuial pixels that have high ISO/saturation like some of the new SONY videocams.
john
10 months ago |The D400 thats why it’s delayed
Robby Ticknor
10 months ago |Ya, i was wondering if something like that was possible…
to be able to say, ‘i don’t care about 24 megapixel’… back it down to 12 mp, and then have a group of pixels act as a new bigger virtual pixel — presumably with better dynamic range and noise/iso
Minoltian
10 months ago |size doesnt matter… i have both tiny a55 and big 1dm3.. both fits my hand
JS
10 months ago |Well a new FF would be welcome, three would be excellent, if 2012 is a certainty. This would make skip the a77 altogether. Sony would do well to speed up that release so it doesn’t lose out on sales from people like me who are interested in the a77 but would be willing to wait for the FF’s if it’s less than a year away.
Greenieadi
10 months ago |Sony really needs to introduce more lens line up before introducing these FF bodies.
24-105mm F4, 70-200mm F4, 200mm F4, 400mm F5.6 or 600mm F4 in SSM, G or CZ might be good.
It’s a matter of time before ppl realises Sony have more choices of bodies in relative to lenses.
I’ll probably stop at buying/keeping 2 bodies and needs to save up to buy more quality lenses instead.
JS
10 months ago |Maybe you should try a Minolta lens or two:
http://bit.ly/oaKQa1
Almond
10 months ago |Where exactly can we buy these Minolta lenses in “new” condition?
JS
10 months ago |Look around…there’s plenty of places (try Ebay if you are really stuck). But the point is that there are plenty of quality lenses on the A-mount system from before Sony was in the DSLR business.
So all the complaints about the lack of lenses, especially FF lenses, aren’t exactly true. It seems that more people are overly concerned with being able to show a list of lenses and compare it side by side with the big two.
Dr. Tom
10 months ago |+1, I only use Minolta glass and I have about 15-20 to pick from.
David
10 months ago |Wow, an a900 replacement with nicer high ISO performance, faster burst rate and more sophisticated autofocus would be amazing. To me, they are the only real weaknesses of the Sony full frames.
I’m not even bothered about resolution.. 24mp is already very good!
And yeah, some cheaper f4 glass would be fantastic. 16-35 f4, 35 f2 and 70-200 f4 would be welcomed.
Carl
10 months ago |Resolution of the sensor is good, but I’d prefer it if I wasn’t forced to use an AA filter.
Would be nice if they could either make it removable, or to offer one of their multiple FF models without it.
john
10 months ago |Well there is this but according to the website they only do P&S and Camcorders from Sony.
http://www.maxmax.com/IRCameraConversions.htm
Carl
10 months ago |The A900′s AA filter is bonded to the sensor.
David
10 months ago |Maybe that’s the case in theory, and I’ve never seen a camera without an AA filter. But I must confess that I have ZERO problems with sharpness on my a850. Like really, it’s insane the amount of detail it can pick out in a well-lit scene. On a wide angle landscape you can pick out the number of bricks in a house, or the wheel nuts in a distant car.
I don’t even know how big you would need your images to really *NEED* 40mp or lose the AA filter.
Have you any example images with and without AA filter? I’m curious!
Carl
10 months ago |About 4/5ths of the way down this otherwise unrelated review, there’s a crop from an A900 next to a crop from a Pentax 645D (which has no AA filter).
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/sigma_sd1_review.shtml
To my eyes the Pentax creams the pants off the Sony, at least with fine detail and heavy cropping factored in. For web sized, uncropped images, both are overkill, of course.
Images from the Leica M9 and Kodak SLR/c are a similar story, though both have about half as many pixels as the A900 so can’t resolve as fine details and have their share of bugbears in other areas of performance (colour shading, IR contamination, etc).
David
10 months ago |Yeah, the 645D definitely wins, but it *is* medium format after all, so has a huge advantage there. Not a very fair comparison to compare full frame with medium format. Though I will concede that the M9 is sharper but less fine detail due to lower MP.
However, is the removal of an AA filter giving you anything that you couldn’t get by software sharpening? I’m not trying to be difficult. I’m just wondering how much this really is a “problem”…
Carl
10 months ago |The 645D isn’t a true 6×4.5 medium format camera. It’s sort of an in-between format, with an area of 33x44mm, rather than 42x56mm. The format advantage over 24x36mm isn’t that profound.
And, of course, comparing same-sized crops is totally far game, as smaller format lenses tend to be sharper on a per-area basis than larger format ones are. It’s when you look at an image holistically that MF shows its advantages.
I prefer to use the absolute minimum of sharpening on the photos I make. If I had a camera with no AA filter, there’s a good possibly I’d use none at all. I have an active dislike for the heavy-handed unsharp masking that seems prevalent in modern photography, it results in artificial, plastic looking images, at least in my subjective opinion. But given its prevalence, I guess I’m swimming against the flow there.
José Magalhães
10 months ago |All the news about A77 here
http://atributos-1.blogspot.com/2011/08/sony-a77-esta-para-chegar.html
Jean-Michel
10 months ago |Obviously, the so much expected zeissikon, but made by $ony could be a priority too.! Evrybody knows that we really need a competitor to the Leica M9. Whar do you think about that, M. Sony ?
Marcohard
10 months ago |Admin, since you get tons of enthusiastic emails from dealers and photographs that claim to have seen and tested the A77 and NEX-7. Please let us have more details about these cameras. It is hard to choose which to buy.
Simon_P
10 months ago |Admin, can share with us what will be the “class/price level” of the upcoming FF? a.k.a. 1Ds + 5D + M9 would be perfect combination…wahaha
acolyte
10 months ago |Weird comments today. There is such a low % of trolls. I guess everyone like it?
Sony have to make a revolutionary affordable FF to pull me in. I’m still in APS-C land
Or at least my pocket is.
Carl
10 months ago |Trolls favour the A77 and NEX threads, in my experience.
Andrew
10 months ago |Its time to show the people that canikon is not the only camera maker that exists in this world.
amik
10 months ago |Hi Andrea
Are your sources able to give any reliable information about image quality for the A77? The extent to which the A77 may be a substitute for a FF will be a key consideration in deciding whether to buy. The specs look great but will it help us take beautiful images?
admin
10 months ago |That is something I am working on. They only gave me general impressions based on pre production cameras. I hope to see real tests soon. All I can say they were all very happy with the quality at LOW ISO.
David
10 months ago |Of course it will. The a580 already has BRILLIANT image quality. And 16mp is already more than enough for most purposes. The a77 will be at least that good, and 24mp.
The beautiful photos are up to you. And image quality really isn’t a huge factor in cameras now imo. ALL image quality is amazing – even the entry level cameras do very well now. Plus with good processing you can really make images even better. For me the important thing in a camera now is handling, the build quality, features that make things more convenient.
And the a77 won’t replace full frame, simply because it is not full frame. Different field of view. You physically can’t get the same DOF effects with the same framing as on FF.
amik
10 months ago |David – I know what you’re saying, but I have a a580 – and frankly I was disappointed with the image quality compared to my a100. ISO is much better, and it’s sharper – but the a100 just had a quality to it that made images more beautiful, like a kind of softness that came through. Maybe it was the CCD sensor, I don’t know – but many of my images with the a100 were like a beautiful painting, whereas the a580 is like looking into a mirror – sharp, saturated colour and a bit devoid of soul. Same thing with the A55 from what I’ve seen. I know this can be fixed to some extent in post-production but I’d prefer that beautiful quality right out of the box. With 24 mps on an APSC sensor I worry about that artistic quality in the A77.
Appreciate your point about FF – all the better for buying next year!
Simon_P
10 months ago |Andrea, take it as my personal comment only, no offence.
I think we should better review the SR1-5 system. On your side, may be you think it is certainly correct (say 90%+ correct) Sony will launch 3 FF in next couple of months, but given there are so limited info in the thread, and it is not surprise Sony will make further changes to the roadmap for whatever reason, should we rate that at most SR4?
admin
10 months ago |No offense at all Simon! I referred to Sony making lobbying with many dealers. It’s a vague rumor I know, but it is interesting to hear that they are worldwide engadget to promote their future FF strategy!
Jaye
10 months ago |Sony just blows hot steam. No pro in their right mind would buy a sony DSLR. Without proper pro services like NPS and CPS, Sony will forever remain in the realm of rich amateurs and old farts who like to shoot their expensive useless leica glass on their adapted NEX camera body.
Sky_walker
10 months ago |Nigel Barker? Michael Reichmann? Obviously insane people.
But I’d better not feed the troll…
SonyA77
10 months ago |I think Canikon users like Jaye troll due to the fear of what Sony are doing.
They see Sony starting to chip away at the Canikon dominance, they also see Sony being innovative and this frightens them. In five years or so, Sony have come a long way. The dSLR market is rapidly changing, mirror-less is starting to take off and neither Canon nor Nikon have an answer. Who knows what the next five years will bring?
Why else would Canikon users constantly have a go at Sony? They are just attacking what they fear.
Sky_walker
10 months ago |Well, I wouldn’t be so sure of that. Canikon folks troll 4/3 and Pentax users as well…
It would makes SAR even more popular! 
I guess we should get some psychologist to help people here for free.
Carl
10 months ago |Putting their lives to productive use, no doubt. Personally I’d just rather go out taking photos.
Froo
10 months ago |I agree, but that being said, it’s highly unlikely that Canon will let this market pass them by. I’d expect an APS mirrorless from Canon this fall, sadly I must say as I like how Sony can pretty much stomp freely over these grounds
If the Nikon rumor is correct and they have a small 2.7x sensor in their mirrorless, we might at least enjoy a 50/50 split between Sony and Canon in the mirrorless APS market 
acolyte
10 months ago |Canon has let this market pass them by for a while. Even Nikon need time to market them and prove that they’re better than Sony to non-Canikon fanboys.
A 50/50 split between Sony and Canon in the mirrorless APS market.. will take quite a number of years.
Mirrorless in a way make cameras look ‘cheap’. This is not what Canon wants.
Nemo
10 months ago |My quess is this:
2012 we will see, 2 a-mount FF cameras. High-res and low-res and both EVF.
Also, we will see a FF nex.
Hopefully they can make EVF even better that this a77 will have, so that it really blows you a way and sensors has to be truly superb!
Simon_P
10 months ago |I hope there will be a flip up mode for FF SLT. Some serious photographer cannot accept there is a piece of glass blocking 1/3 light and creates internal reflection
Froo
10 months ago |It’s 1/3 of a stop, not 1/3 of all light, big difference. That is negligible for the gain of continuous AF, but the reflections are not, and I hope you are right with the flip up mode (or that Sony have found a way to drastically reduce these reflections).
jojo
10 months ago |We all benefit from more choice in FF SLR market, whatever system we use. The previous rapier thrust from Sony into this market may have failed, now comes the flying cutlass surge. Whether it succeeds or not we can only benefit – whether from a new FF contender, C & N being kept on their toes, or more top notch lenses to use on Sony DX bodies.