Medium Format Sony

For all talk about digital compacts or EVF-SLRs in the Minolta, Konica Minolta or relevant Sony ranges
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Birma
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Medium Format Sony

Unread post by Birma »

Interesting rumour on a possible Medium Format Sony http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr3-more ... -mamiya-7/.

I guess that would be another new mount? Could you move the lens further away from the sensor and use 35mm lenses?
Last edited by Birma on Fri Mar 28, 2014 7:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
Nex 5, Nex 6 (IR), A7M2, A99 and a bunch of lenses.
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bfitzgerald
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Re: Medium Fromat Sony

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

Might be that old school screw mount thing we saw on SAR a while back
I can't see Sony really going into MF in a big way not unless they use mount already out there
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Re: Medium Fromat Sony

Unread post by bakubo »

If Sony does come out with MF I think it is a given that it will have a new lens mount.
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Re: Medium Fromat Sony

Unread post by Eiffel »

Now that where the Hasselblad partnership may make sense ;-)
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Re: Medium Fromat Sony

Unread post by peterottaway »

Assuming it is a ILC and not an RX style version of the previous Fuji fixed lens MF cameras. If it does use interchangeable lens I assume it will have a FE lens adapter as well as possibly an A lens adapter.

Does Sony use the Hasselblad mount or an enlarged FE mount ? Absolutely thousands of hours worth of debate and abuse coming up on DPR even if the camera doesn't make it to production !
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Birma
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Re: Medium Format Sony

Unread post by Birma »

I was forgetting the Hasselblad connection, Eiffel. Interesting :)
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Dusty
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Re: Medium Format Sony

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Sony would be crazy to go into MF on it's own. First, you need a SYSTEM for MF, and if one thing Sony has proven, they don't know how to develop a photographic SYSTEM, only products in chopped up segments that are constantly changing.

You need LENSES, and if you're going to do your own mount, you have a lot to overcome. Perhaps they can leverage their relationship with Zeiss to have them re-hash the old Hassy CF lenses into their new mount.

I seriously doubt that those who use MF systems would look seriously on SLT or mirrorless systems, but I don't doubt that Sony would try that and wonder why they're failing.

They could 'cheat' and do a 'mini-MF' system by putting a square FF sensor in a DSLR body, using existing FF lenses, and there would be those who wold buy that. Using existing 24MP densities, that would give you 36MP, and using 36MP sensor densities you would get 54MP.

Give me either in a decent camera and you've made me very happy when I'm doing weddings, as the square format allows you to decide on orientation later via crop!

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Re: Medium Format Sony

Unread post by peterottaway »

I suggest that you look at the introduction of the Leica S2 as an example of how Sony could start off a new system. And the A series bodies are certainly large enough to support a larger lens mount which with say a larger EVF unit and dual processors is all Sony would require.

According to the information in LL at the time of the sensors release, Sony had been talking to the Danes for more than 3 years. And with the sensor it can be assumed they has been preparing the supporting bits and pieces required that could be scaled up to support such as system.

Love it or loath it but the electronic ILC makes a lot of things possible and Sony as has been pointed out many times is an electronics company. Whether they produce cameras in their own right or simply packages to others depends on the situation at the time. Sony has all ready said that their production grew by 16% in the last year and that without new facilities they would be at full capacity by mid 2015. So their camera making is a means to an end for them and will certainly provide the entire corporation with a wider range of knowledge, patents and IP in the broadest sense.

It is very likely that they could provide MF cameras at the same price or less than the Canon EOS 1 or the Nikon D4s even with a much more expensive sensor unit. It is not likely that many of the Canon or Nikon current faithful will change course, so like with Nex and the A7 Sony is going around them.
As in war you can lay siege one by one to an enemies castles and towns or you can simply isolate them, move on and let them fall of their own accord.And it is not as if they have a legacy system that will need to be carried over and supported.
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Re: Medium Format Sony

Unread post by peterottaway »

The current camera ecosystem is a carryover from the days of film and in this arrangement Sony can be no more than a bit player. As the saying goes in the gambling industry the house always wins. Sony it appears to be attempting to make its own future by offering a different range of options for current photographers and with an eye on the future.

Now never let it be said that I am afraid of possibly making a complete fool of myself in public but here is a few suggestions as to what may happen.

1. Small sensor of smartphones and P & S. These can be used in either Sony branded products or for other manufacturers. There may be smaller range of Sony branded cameras for well discussed reasons.
2. I inch sensor cameras that offer a better profit margin and have good performance if you don't push them outside their natural limitations. These can only get better with more production experience and software tailored to their strengths. I personally favour EVF over just LCD back panels but a lot of people seem to be fine without them.
3. APS-C will continue to the bread and butter mainstream cameras - what 135 cameras were in the film days. It would seem that rather than offer a complete range of cameras in several different body shapes there looks to be a smaller number of somewhat overlapping models. Perhaps one or two ILCE3000 type bodies followed by two or three NEX style bodies all with the same family of internals. They may then throw in a Nex 7 successor in the speculated A6 followed by Alpha A5x and A7x type bodies.So the days of having NEX 3.5.6 and 7 plus Alpha A3x,A5x, A6x and A7x are no more. It is cameras like the A6 (?) and Alpha 5x and 7x models that make decent money, In the long term there will be a complete transition to the E mount lenses. The higher end sensors will be AA free.
4. High end 36 x 24 and 44 x 33 sensors, AA free and for the next few years still Bayer style construction. I was dubious about Sony producing a 44 x 33 sensor but if you produce it then you might as well take full advantage of it.
Sony has two very different markets for these cameras. The RX/A7 and the A99 so by having two different sub frames both of which can possibly accept the FE and Super FE lens mount they would be able to mix and match according to market demand. Just like having both 24 MP and 36 MP cameras in the A7 and A7r. These would vary in price from the current A99 to about the same as the Nikon D4s to offer alternatives to current high end 35mm and MF cameras. So offering not so much an either or situation as currently exists but simply a range of price points and differing performances.
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Dusty
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Re: Medium Format Sony

Unread post by Dusty »

Comparing Leica and Sony is apples and oranges.

Leica is known for their support - something Pros wants - and for having a complete, working and little changing system. Sony, on the other hand, has shown no consistency in systems - always changing something - and breaking what used to work. Plus no Pro support and mixed reviews on standard support.

I wouldn't want to plan a model shoot with several $10K /day models and depend upon Sony systems.

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Re: Medium Format Sony

Unread post by peterottaway »

My fancies were just a bit of day dreaming on a slow Saturday. Speculating that Sony could follow the camera shape and a small lens selection such as Leica has with the S series was just an alternative take to not using the RX shape for a " field camera " and a A99 for a " studio camera " . Because after all Leica just starting with a couple of lenses and didn't attract the same type of criticism as Sony coped.

I think your ideas about the support level Leica ( amongst other ) is PR fantasy for most of us. I live 4000 km away from the Australian distributor for Leica and there is only a small number of these systems in the wild. So unless you live within a short distance of a distributor or a large reseller with stock on the shelf, support is purely theoretical.
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Re: Medium Format Sony

Unread post by peterottaway »

I would be north of here and if I did have such a job with 2 models and all the hangers on I would need to source ( by charter ) from Singapore. In order of distance from Singapore the preferred shoot sites would be -

1. Christmas Island or the Cocos/Keeling Islands.
2. Cossack.
3. Shark Bay/Dirk Hartog Island/ Coral Bay.
4. Geraldton to Kalbarri.

All of which is enough of a reason not to use manufacturers whose total production many be a couple of thousand cameras a year.
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