sonyalpharumors

@CRB, I must disagree. It’s generally accepted in Sony Forums and Reviews that the SEL1855 for the NEX cameras is better than the SAL1855 for the A55 (a reasonable comp). Even Zeiss is coming out with their 24mm lens end year that is supposed to be pretty fantastic. As the NEX line is just about a year old, give Sony some credit for having 7 lenses by end year.

The pro sector is not where these companies make money. Selling to consumers in high number is the objective.

It’s hardly surprising to see Nikon fall (can’t talk about Canon): their model range is based on limiting features. At the top is the D3x/D3s that no one in the lucrative sector can afford or is willing to lug around all day. Then you have D700 with slightly less performance. Degrade a bit and you have the D300s and so on. I know, it’s a little more elaborate than this FF vs APS, but you get my drift. There are plenty of features that could be found in the lower models but are taken out to create the range. But they are basically all the same camera.

Sony’s product management is based on user types. Take the recent annoucements. The A77 appeals to the high tech brigade (sports, fashion …). Ultra fast, ultra high resolution … The NEX-7 appeals to street shooters, landscape photographers/hikers (that would be me), even birders (use a long lens and you can leave you bins at home …) and everyone with legacy glass from Leica, Zeiss, Zuiko, Takuma, Lomo … It’s a very different type of reasoning and it’s by far the best approach. It’s probably more dangerous though.

I thank them for innovating and wish them well !

Well, when it comes to glass quality Sony’s absolutely unable even to reach Canon or Nikon, but most consumers don’t really need that, of course.

I do admire Sony and all their innovation but let’s not get too carried away here. As we all know, Panasonic was the first company to enter the ILC market with a very well engineered G1. The rest after that, while they did well in the IQ department, did not do very well in AF and the lens selection department.

Here are why I think C/N did not venture into this market yet.

Firstly, this is a highly experimental market. Just look at all the drastic design changes that the early product had to go through within these 3 years. The manufacturers are still fiddling with the designs – should there be a viewfinder? should it be electronic? a flash hot shoe? built-in flash? how small should it be? hand grip? collapsible lenses? how small? what kind of sensor works best? I believe C/N are watching for the best combination and design before they launch their first models. They have a healthy profit and healthy market share from their dSLR till now. They can still watch and see.

Secondly, unlike dSLR, in the ILC market first mover advantage may not count as much. Most buyers of ILC only use their kit lenses, as a package, like the point and shoot camera. So there is little lock-in in terms of lens ownership, flash and etc. I know, some pros buy ILCs and they use their accessories on them, but in general, PnS upgraders form most of the ILC crowd. So if the ILC owners want to change camera, they just trade in their camera body and kit lens for a new set… There are no expensive lenses to lock them in. Although with the introduction of premium lenses, this may begin to change… but hey, there is still only one Leica lens for m43 and one Zeiss for NEX. Besides, first mover advantage is overrated, Canon’s early entry into the digital market only gave Canon a short period of dominance over Nikon.

Thirdly, introducing a new ILC system camera would hurt the traditional dSLR market.It is like admitting all these talks about ILC killing dSLR. So if C/N were to do it, they want to make sure the trend are real. If you go talk to a C/N executive, I am they will still tell you their sales of dSLRs remain strong and their financial results remain good for now… Now you can’t say they are lying because Canon and Nikon are still making good money till last quarter. Need more proof, read the line about the A77 and NEX 7 again.

But if C/N did introduce an ILC, the competition would be good for consumers. There is still plenty of room for ILCs to improve and I am still waiting for Sony’s answer to the Panasonic X series lenses. There is no point making the camera body so small really, if your lens sticks out like a bull in heat… And I still don’t understand why despite all the great things they have added to the NEX-5N, why didn’t they JUST GIVE ME THE AE-LOCK BUTTON!! And despite having a really exceptional 16mpx sensor, why did you stick that super noisy 25mpx into the very well designed NEX7 ??!! Yes, I have seen the RAW output, it is very very noisy and I don’t need that extra large noisy files so you can sell more memory cards to me, Sony.

I find it interesting when people say a brand will never fall. Look when they released the iPhone, or even the 3G etc. Now I don’t care for them much so let’s not talk about the particular product here. But when it came out, everyone said it was an expensive toy, that windows mobile was a million times better because it had the features and the software. That they wouldn’t trade it for an iPhone until it was pulled from their cold dead hands. ‘professionals use blackberries’ they would say. Remember this was before android was a blip on the radar. Within a couple of years, windows mobile was dropped and had to be completely reimagined, blackberries are fading, professionals are using iPhones and Android phones all the time. Toys indeed! Now I don’t care one bit which of these you personally think is best, in fact it matters not one bit for the pointbi am making.

Professionals are stubborn and they often won’t go with something unless another professional tells them it’s good and that they are switching. It takes time. And believe it or not professionals often aren’t ‘gear whores’ they just want what is going to work for them. And often a brand will have exactly what they are looking for, but they aren’t constantly checking what gear is coming out etc, they want what works and what they know.

I know for a fact that devices like the Sony FS100 and Panasonic AF100 are starting to infiltrate the film sectors, where those who would have only looked at a Canon 5D or 7D before are going with these.

But one infiltration starts to occur and professionals start using these products, they start spreading like wildfire through the professional communities.

The mass exodus from AVID to Final Cut is another example. It can happen in less than 2 years.

Look at the pro video camera market. Our PDW700 cost more than 2 x RED Ones, but everyone wants the REDs. People stopped buying professional video cameras and started buy 5Ds and adapting them.

Trust me, Canon and Nikon can EASILY fall.

Sony need to continue on their A Mount too. Don’t leave A Mount and concentrate on E Mount…

If NEX7 is not exist. A77 going to be very attractive for me, no matter price or quality.