What to expect from Sony in 2012. A rumor-speculation mix.
An AE mount rendering from Jay (SonyAlphaLab.com)
Year 2011 has been a difficult year for many manufacturer. In March a Tsunami hit Japan and for months after the Fukushima nuclear plant limited the energy access of factories in the area. Even worse the Thailand flood from October stopped the sensor and camera production for months. Full production capacity will be reached in late February early march only. That’s why the roadmap of almost all companies changed and some of the cameras and lenses I would have expected in 2011 haven’t been announced.
So what’s going to happen in 2012?
First, it’s very likely that also the original 2012 roadmap shifted for a couple of months. So it’s not easy to guess when exactly the enw cameras will eb announced. Let me take the chance and propose you a possible general roadmap of what to expect in 2012:
January: New Sony compact cameras
February-March: New NEX camera ad lenses. As you know the original Sony roadmap showed three new lenses for 2012. I can guarantee you that the roadmap changed…in better! There will be more lenses than expected and one-two new pancakes too.
April-Mai-June: More new NEX camera and lenses + high end compact camera + new NEX camcorder + the new A99 camera. If the roadmap didn’t change because of the Thai flood the A99 with 24 Megapixel should be announced around that time. And it will come with a bunch of new lenses (high-end wide angle zoom, high end tele zoom, new Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 and the 500mm f/4.0).
August-September: It’s Photokina time and the biggest news could be the new high end FF camera with 36 Megapixel and the sort of hybrid AE mount NEX-7 alike fullframe camera. There will be again new NEX and Alpha lenses.
In general the big new technologies in 2012 will be the Fuji organic sensor, Sony new 36 Megapixel sensor, Olympus new viewfinder and Global shutter (Sony/Panasonic). I haven’t heard anything revolutionary coming from Nikon and Canon.
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Hello World
2 years ago |All i need from Sony is a more serious and pro “auto bracketing” for my NEX.
EB
2 years ago |And a fast AF for NEX.
Blue
2 years ago |Hear, hear.
Carl
2 years ago |It’d be sad if all future high-end prime lenses were Zeiss designs, and the Ex-Minolta team was relegated to zoom duty.
Alex
2 years ago |Zeiss 50mm 1.5? Hope this is a typo.
admin
2 years ago |Oh Sorry! Was just ebaying for the Zeiss Sonnar 1.5 M-mount lens for my new NEX-7 that is coming today
Seeky
2 years ago |The 50mm f4 must be a typo too….?
Maximus
2 years ago |yes, its the 500mm f4
Aero
2 years ago |Nikon is going to develop it’s new ionic sensor that captures 120MP with native 512,000,000 ISO that out performance current Nikon D3x at ISO100. The FPS is 1,000. And video recording allows 1080p at 6000FPS. It’s only $20,000, BTW, oh it is coming, huh, 2020.
O
2 years ago |Take the a77. Replace its sensor/shutter/AF for full-frame.
Don’t forget to fix a77 issues like tethered shooting or buffer a little bit small….
Keep the price at 2000€.
Thank you!!!
D.Ortego
2 years ago |Yes, that’s the one with built-in Adobe CS6 Creative Suite with Lightroom.
Arnold
2 years ago |Admin, are you sure that the LX system will really have this organic sensor now ?
As at DPreview Eric Fossum stated that research should take a few more years, according to the advancement of Fuji’s recent patents.
Shouldn’t the Fuji LX be announced at the CES in January instead of February ?
Thank you, I hope you feel better and are less overwhelmed now
Aalpha100
2 years ago |Organic, Can it catch colds?
beware
2 years ago |no just mad cow Disease
JB
2 years ago |I hope the A99 comes out before summer. I hate it when new cameras come out after summer.
Linh
2 years ago |I don’t get this… At least two new NEX cameras within 5 months? That sounds rather… impossible considering they’re still pushing manuf. for the NEX-7. And if they dare announce a NEX-7N or something similar just a month or two after I receive my NEX-7 (I’m assuming I’ll have it by Feb’s end), I’ll punch Sony in the throat.
Ok, fine, I probably won’t mind if the new NEX cameras are to be full-frames.
Arnold
2 years ago |Maybe he meant A mount Alpha cameras ?!
I also would be VERY surprised if new NEX cameras are announced before Photokina.
stickytape
2 years ago |NEX-C3 and NEX-5N successors lol
JB
2 years ago |“I haven’t heard anything revolutionary coming from Nikon and Canon.”
Well, they at least have high ISO cameras for spring. I am hoping the A99 will have the same High ISO as D700. That would be a dream come true.
Spoon
2 years ago |I’m 99% confident that it will be atleast within a third of a stop in terms of noise in midtones and highlights, *after* taking into account the slight light “loss” and less noise in shadows. Plus atleast a stop more DR at base ISO and possibly 3 times as much information (potential detail) if it indeed will have around 36 MP. What’s not to like?
Linh
2 years ago |BTW Admin, you should remove the two bogus NEX-7 reviews that are dragging the score down.
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/cameras/sony-nex-7/#ratingandreviews
Harvey
2 years ago |Yeah, what that’s about??? Can I review my new lawn mower of my last trip to Barcelona there too?
extra|ordinary
2 years ago |ADMIN,
Can you elaborate on the new NEX cameras you predict in Feb/March? I would not have anticipated anymore NEX models so soon.
Also, this is the first I have heard of a Zeiss 50/4. Would this be a macro? Or perhaps a tilt/shift?
admin
2 years ago |Cannot talk yet about the new NEX cameras. I only know they are coming and I am working to get the bulletproof specs.
Dulaney Ward
2 years ago |Shouldn’t we at least expect that there will be a replacement for the NEX-C3 this spring?
What’s more puzzling to me is your failure to mention any new Alpha aps-c cameras, Andrea. Shouldn’t we be getting an A35 replacement? an A55 replacement? Wasn’t the latter rumored to be coming soon?
Dulaney
AlphaWorld
2 years ago |Are there any news about new firmware for A77??
Alain
2 years ago |I hope the new roadmap is coming soon !
2 nex PANCAKES !
and a wonderful ZEISS protrait lens !
could be wonderful !!!!!!
matgay
2 years ago |thats a pretty bad nonsense rendering. i physically compared the two mounts side by side, the scaling is waaaay off. the e-mount versus a-mount does not have that much clearance between the two. and no electrical contacts or screw drive for a-mount. it is a pretty bad rendering because not same size, and if it were same life size then how could the smaller mount fit inside? would enjoy more a photo of how they might make the hybrid mount device.
polpaulin
2 years ago |FF NEX but without these stupid-nonsense 36 mp , 24 is already too much on FF
Guest 6456
2 years ago |24 is just fine, but not too much. 36 is still reasonable(2x 16mp on APS-C)
Marek
2 years ago |I’m little concerned this site is getting more about mirrorless NEX line then about A-mount cameras and lenses. I do do not care about NEX which in my view is intended primarily for P&S shooters who want better IQ of their holidays snapshots. Well, NEX 7 is an exception. But I want to hear more good news from A-mount world. Particulary I would like to hear more about new high quality lenses in affordable price range (1000$ max).
hanugro
2 years ago |It is interesting how Sony play out the E-mount. E-mount is important for them because it pull people with older and other mount to buy a Sony system/body. Now, with the rumor of dual mount system in 2012 (if the world has not ended
), Sony will bring people who has bought E-mount body to taste the A-mount (for example just buy the AF CZ lens to try dSLT).
Also people who already has A-mount to taste the future (mirrorless A-mount). They are really combining the alpha system. They already stated that A-mount body will always be more powerfull than E-mount.
Nice play by Sony. If I ever want to taste E-mount I will buy the rumored dual mount system instead of NEX.
JonasM
2 years ago |LOL
Carl
2 years ago |It would be more accurate to say Sony is getting more about NEX than A mount.
Don Cox
2 years ago |I can’t think of any reason why I would want an A-mount camera or A-mount lenses.
The E mount is a different story.
Carl
2 years ago |As an A mount user, I can think of a few good ones.
What the ???
2 years ago |Few reasons for A-mount:
1) allow for more light
2) Super sonic motors for silent auto focusing
3) better telescopic capability
4) handheld stabalization is easier to do on heavier cameras vs light cameras like the nex
5) shutter roll is easier to prevent when manually focusing on alpha glass
6) without alpha glass, full frame nex rumor wouldn’t exist …
7) Particles on the glass are not as prevelent in the image as nex glass is (like shooting in a misty or light rain enviroment)
8) most important: The NEX wouldn’t even be that popular if it didnt have the ability to adapt these alpha lenses
Don Cox
2 years ago |The main reason I don’t want an A mount camera is that I have a load of Nikon lenses.
Your No. 1 point is untrue.
Silent focussing is not of importance to me: if I ever wanted to shoot video seriously, I would use a separate sound recorder.
Point 3 doesn’t make sense: you can put a giant tele lens of any make on an E mount.
Point 5 I do not understand.
I don’t think the popularity of the NEX series is much affected by the A mount adaptor – my bet is that the Canon and Nikon adaptors sell far more, and that most NEX users have no adaptors at all.
Matt
2 years ago |1. Wrong. How exactly does Alpha mount allow more light? Would that be through the 30% light sucking ‘translucent’ mirror? I think the point you were making is that Alpha has faster lenses? Well this has nothing to do with mount.
2. Wrong. Every E-Mount lens has SSM – can you say that about Alpha lenses?
3. Wrong. Considering the crop factor is the same as all A-Mount (1.5x) excepting A850 and A900 (1.0x) then this makes no sense.
4. Are you talking about keeping a heavier camera steady is easier than a light one? Then yes – for short periods. After that no. If you are talking about in body IS vs in lens IS – lens IS has shown to be more effective but does obviously only work for lenses that have IS.
5. What? What does shutter roll have to do with manual focussing?
6. NEX FF rumor exists because people believe that E-Mount would fit a FF sensor. Sony won’t release a FF, E-Mount only camera with no FF native E-Mount glass. Has nothing to do with A-Mount FF glass.
7. Where did you get that idea from? No really I am curious. My guess is this statement is completely absent of any factual information to back it up – but if there is I would be quite curious to read about it.
What the ???
2 years ago |@ matt
1) translucent mirror is irrelevent to the glass (thats a in camera thing). We’re talking about alpha vs e-mount on the same camera (doesnt matter what camera). But without getting all geek squad, simply think of the two mounts as two different sized windows on a house, the larger window allows for more light to enter the room then the smaller. I think the confusion is that the smaller lens (e-mount) are able to achieve similar lighting qualities as the alphas buy illuminating “smaller rooms” of equivalent ratios so to speak. This has everything to do with the mount.
2)Thats just absurd, I dont know of a single emount lens with actual SSM technology, they use stepping motors. Please point one out.
3) crop factor of a sensor has nothing to do with the telescopic ability of a lens. Please show me a 600mm lens in a e-mount (hint: doesnt exist or even come close.)
5)shutter roll is caused by torquing the camera. lighter/ smaller objects torque easier then heavier/larger … thats basic physics … also rotating the rings on the lens causes torque on the camera which can cause shutter roll.
6) e-MOUNT lenses produce a circular image too small to fit on a FF sensor … square peg, round hole concept.
7) e-mount glass has a much smaller surface area then Alpha glass (in general). Foriegn objects will cover a greater percentage of the surface area in smaller glass than larger glass. Try shooting something from behind a chain link fence (I’ve done this at skate parks). You can focus on a object through the fence and the fence will dissapear, but leaves a light hazzy distortion in the pattern of the fence in the image. This distortion is more prevelant on smaller glass because it covers a greater percentage of surface area. Hold your finger right to your eye and you wont see much past it, pull your finger back and you can focus on alot past it. This is caused by a greater surface area of your eye being covered by your finger. If your eye was bigger, it could see more around the finger, hence, alpha lenses.
I’m not knocking the e-mount glass by any means as if it were inferior or pointless in comparison to alpha glass. E-mount also has a lot of advantages over alpha as well, Im just naming a few advantages of alpha over e-mount is all.
matgay
2 years ago |i had 2 very good reasons:
the zeiss 85mm & 135mm.
only way to get “autofocus” zeiss on dslr. nikon, canon dont have autofocus zeiss. and these two 85/135 lenses are better than any 85/135 for nikon or canon.
RVN
2 years ago |sorry sir, zeiss for nikon and canon doesn’t have 135mm
they have planar 85mm1.4 
c.d.embrey
2 years ago |The Sony NEX 5n is the BEST VIDEO camera under $5,000.00! And you can buy four of them for the price of one 5DII, or 2.5 if you buy them with the EVF
Hauke
2 years ago |I so agree!! NEX doesn’t interest me at all… It’s a bit frustrating to scroll through all the news about NEX. Maybe you should start a separat blog on NEX? Like sonynexrumors??
Matt
2 years ago |Wahhh wahhhh wahhhh. Sony ‘NEX’ cameras are ‘Alpha’ cameras – get over it! Just because you aren’t interested in them doesn’t mean this site should change.
Marek
2 years ago |NEX has currently following main disadvantages:
* autofocus not fast enough for action photography,
* too small body = bad ergonomics,
* problems at wide angle because of short registration distance. I bet there will not be FF NEX for this reason.
Anybody serious about photography therefore will not buy NEX as his main body if ever.
I would like to see separate thread for NEX at this site.
RVN
2 years ago |+100000
*except number 3 and 5 =D
nex camera is good but have a some limitation for many photograph
pancanikonpus
2 years ago |how many outstanding order still left for sony to deliver…
beware
2 years ago |FF / APS-C CAMERA WITH TETHERED SHOOTING / REMOTE CONTROL POSSIBILITY
c.d.embrey
2 years ago |I’d be interested in a FF NEX only if it had the new Nikon 16Mp sensor
For me, NEX is about small and light.
Steve Jones
2 years ago |That AE mount rendeing is a nonsense. First think is it omits the electronic contacts for A-Mount and the aperture control mechanism, both of which would intrude into the E-Mount.
However, more fundamentally, it’s not to scale. A-Mount has a throat diameter of 49.7mm, whilst E-Mount is 46.1mm, just 3.6mm less. That means the E-Mount throat should be shown as 93% of the diameter of the A-Mount.
To finally squash this stupide idea that an E-Mount lens can be fitted through the throat of A-Mount, look at the available lens dimensions. All the E-Mount lenses I’ve seen to date are 62mm in diameter. It’s simply impossible to get a 62mm diameter tube through a 42.7mm diameter circular orifice, and that’s before the aperture control ring and A-Mount electronic interface are taken into account.
The only way to make this work at all would be to make the A-Mount movable – perhaps by splitting it in two or having it open up something like the aperture in a lens. However, I can’t for the life of me think why you’d want to do that. The resultant body would be at least as big as a “tradition” A-Mount and the ability to use E-Mount lenses is hardly a big attraction (the ability to use third party legacy mounts might be, but there’s even more likelyhood of body fouling).
That render is a poor job – at least do it to scale.
D.Ortego
2 years ago |I agree with you on all points and this is why Sony isn’t being taken as seriously as Canon and Nikon. I love my A900 and Zeiss 135 lens so I’ll say that loud and clear! However, as the good professor stated …’the force of marketing is greater than the force of technology’. If they’re not careful, Sony could end up as the Black & Decker of the camera market.
Steve Jones
2 years ago |You are misunderstanding me. It’s the interpretation that’s been put on the story that I think is wrong. If what is intended is a modular system (which I think is the only one that makes sense), then there’s value in that, but these half-baked ideas that you can somehow shove an E-Mount lens through the throat of an A-Mount when it’s clearly physically impossible is not the work of Sony, but of those who’ve never designed anything in their life.
Guest 6456
2 years ago |Be ready to be surprised. Sony can and will make it happen.
Carl
2 years ago |Sony’s solution is duct tape.
It worked for NASA.
Jason
2 years ago |I am glad to see that Sony is going to release more Nex camera’s so soon after the latest Nex camera’s. Luckily, I have not bought a Nex camera yet.
Joe Hansen
2 years ago |Is there a roadmap for the camcorders? The VG20 just came out and I would like to see whats coming down the pipe in cameras and lenses before I plunk down coin for it…
What the ???
2 years ago |“I haven’t heard anything revolutionary coming from Nikon and Canon.”
uhhh … google Canon 1DX = 14 fps, 61-point AF (20 cross type) and ISO up to 204,800
OR google “Nikon D800″
Wheelus
2 years ago |Look up the definition of “revolutionary.” With Nikon and Canon you might also add more weight and more money. But there is nothing revolutionary in these two cameras.
Hellven
2 years ago |1DX and D800 are not revolutions, they are updates…
Matt
2 years ago |1DX is a $7k pro camera – Sony have never played in this field and aren’t about to. D800 doesn’t exist yet. These are rumors – and there is definitely nothing ‘revolutionary’ about the rumored spec. Is nothing more than an update.
c.d.embrey
2 years ago |Please, please, please, Tethering on ALL APS-C/FF Sony cameras. The Eye-F card is not a substute!!!
Don Cox
2 years ago |Yes, tethering would be very useful, especially for microscope work.
I see Sigma have just added it to their SD1.
nolens
2 years ago |I would add a reply:
- Classic aps-c dslr
- Nex similar to hx100v
yurilee
2 years ago |To Admin:
May I ask if there will be a higher performance zoom lens for E-mount?
That will be of better optical performance (better color, contrast, sharpness) than the current 18-200mm, with a shorter zoom range and a larger max aperture?
yurilee
2 years ago |Will the upcoming G-lens be more tele or wide than the current E 18-200?
Alfonso Cuitiño
2 years ago |Pancakes!
Matt
2 years ago |I would like to see the NEX trickle downstream to a ‘serious compact’ with smaller fixed lens (prime or short zoom) with a different body shape to become a Cybershot series camera with G Lens. Either prime 35mm equiv f2 or better or zoom 24-50 equiv f2.8 or even f3.2. As it stands Sony have a gap in their market for a camera like this.
Conny
2 years ago |Despite the NEXs (and therefore the e-mount’s) obvious success in the field i really hope that Sony isn’t makeing the same mistake as they are doing with their compact cams. A new version every 3 months, requiring new acessories (e.g. underwater housings) since the old ones are not compatible etc. If they do the same with the SLR/SLT cams or their mounts (two is enough) then i’ll definitely change to canikon after more than 20 years with Minolata/Konica/Sony. I am not against new technologies or technical prgress at all but there should be a backwards compatibility. I just hope Sony’s cam devision is able to push developments forward for both lines (Nex/Alpha) and their mounts and lenses with the necessary and equal power.
camet
2 years ago |If sony was smart they should have just made an aps-c or FF nex 7 style body with translucent mirror using A lenses to start. Then they wouldn’t have to waste resources making the nex line or this proposed new A and E mount FF camera.Instead they make the stupid looking NEX 3 and 5 cameras with a limited not so great E lens line up. i wouldn’t have been hard for them to make a NEX 7 slightly larger body which has translucent mirror tech and compatible with existing A lenses. Now they’ve got an nex 7, and if you want to use A lenses, you gotta fork out 400 for the adapter with the mirror. Same thing with the 5n, 700 for body, 400 for the A adapter and 400 for the evf, which is essentially the same thing as the NEX 7 with the adapter. Camera makers sure don’t think ahead these days.And now they what make a FF A lens camera that will also take E lenses? What, there aren’t enough sony cameras out there? That is just Retarded with a capital R.
DP
2 years ago |Uh, somebody isn’t thinking ahead, but it sure ain’t Sony and I’m guessing you don’t work in any sort of marketing department. You’re (flawed) assumption is that anyone buying a 5N would *have* to buy the A mount adaptor and/or the EVF to make it useable?
Manufacturers build certain lines for the crowd that purely shops price point…duh, it’s basic marketing 101. The NEX line has been successful for Sony…I’m sure Nikon and Canon both wished they “wasted” resources capturing more of that market.
E-mount lenses allow consumers to “ease” into interchangeable lens systems because the marketing makes it seem much less intimidating and at the same time get legitimate performance…at least that’s my take and the feedback I have received from other NEX-5 and 5N owners. SLRs are just “too much” for some of them.
Choices are good for consumers…please take your capital R and stick it right on the front of your screen name.