Sony rumoured to remove in body AF Motor for A37!

[bfitzgerald]

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr4-smal ... x-and-slt/

It's not confirmed yet of course, but it was predicted some time ago that they would follow Nikon on this. I personally have never agreed with that strategy as it limits the appeal for screw drive lenses to buyers. That is why I would not buy a Nikon that has no screw drive AF available.

But..the difference between Sony and Nikon is that many A mount lenses (even current ones) are screw drive. Nikon have a lot more AF-S lenses than Sony do too. If this is true though I think that is a bad move for A mount users, and eventually it might creep up to the next body as well.
I think the strategy is flawed for one obvious reason. You are free to buy third party lenses for any mount, so removing the motor does not guarantee you buy a Sony SAM/SSM lens, nor a Nikon AF-S one. But it is undoubtedly designed to push sales of those lenses.

[alphaomega]

I saw this rumour as well. I thought at the time that Nikon made the same error when they introduced intro models w/o screw drive. I also believe that Sony are making the same error if they pursue this path for Alpha cameras. On the other hand most buyers of cameras such as the A35 rarely buy more than the kit lenses, these being 18-55 and 55-210 type lenses.
There is probably a cost and size consideration here. Maybe the A35 is for women wanting a "proper" camera for "small" hands. Surely it is not for grown up men as they have just increased the size of their A55 replacement.
On the other hand I should not really complain too much as my latest purchase was the NEX-5 and I am scheduled to purchase a NEX-7 sometime this spring. On the plus side here I can use my motorless lenses with my LA-EA2 adapter. Sony's ways are inscrutable at present. With Adobe having abandoned XP SP3 for LR4 and CS6, my last purchase will be the NEX-7 for a very long time. I am jumping off the replace - replace wagon, as what I will have with the NEX-7 added is more than "good enough" for me.

[bfitzgerald]

Surprised only one comment maybe folks are ok about it? You could argue some people won't buy this model and won't care. Would be a shame though to go down this path and there is a risk it might end up in the A5xx range too.

IMO the argument about "cost savings, smaller size" are incorrect pushed by those who support AF Motor removal. I still think it was a mistake for Nikon, looking at Sony's range it's an even bigger mistake (ie they don't have enough SSM/SAM lenses)

[mvanrheenen]

Surprised only one comment maybe folks are ok about it?

Maybe some folks are done arguing about every single thing Sony says and does for the week and are using their spare time to enjoy their hobby

Mark

[bfitzgerald]

I agree we should shut the forums down and never have any more discussions

[Greg Beetham]

Barry on my part for what it’s worth I just struggle now to raise any great concern over what Sony does or is likely to do, take the D800 for example, that’s a camera that if Sony was serious about making good cameras would have made a year ago, but for me the reason they haven’t is because they don’t have the capability of designing or building such a camera, I doubt that Sony would even be able to copy a photographic machine of that calibre without screwing something up… or several something’s.
But back to the rumoured A37 without a screw drive AF motor, hmm I think it may be (if it comes to pass) an el-cheapo fringe dwelling on chip CDAF mirror less A-mount for compatible lenses such as the ones with in lens motors and may at a pinch have focus peaking MF for the regular screw drive lenses, it’s just a wild stab in the dark about a rumour, but if it realizes any substance in fact I don’t know what that would mean for the screw drive version of the A-mount, with Sony at the helm anything is possible….and then some.
Greg

[mvanrheenen]

I agree we should shut the forums down and never have any more discussions

Well, maybe that's a bit drastic

My point is that not everyone here is as keen on discussing every single step, every single time Sony makes one. Before you know it, we're discussing the lack of comments Sony uses in the code for the 32nd page of their online manual for a NEX neckstrap. (No, please, DON'T go there!)

Now I will step back the off-topic bench and let you guys discuss.

Mark

[Heidfirst]

it's certainly not confirmed - afaik 1 person has said not compatible with Minolta lenses but did they specifically mention screw-drive?
After all many existing Minolta/Sony lenses aren't fully compatible with the A65/A77 anyway. http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/produc ... patibility

& even if they do remove screw drive on the entry level cameras just how big a problem is it?
The stats say that only 1.5 lenses are sold per DSLR body & that includes the enthusiasts who end up with 5, 6 etc. so many people obviously don't even buy 1 extra lens.
& then most of the likely lens candidates to go with an entry level body are already SAM.

[bfitzgerald]

Well we shall see soon enough. It would be a serious blow for some, but you could argue it might move up the range to the A5xx models at some point.
There is a reason I would never buy an D3100 and D5100 and lacking a screw drive is one area, the other is firmware crippling.

I think it's a dangerous game to play not ensuring full compatibility with AF. Let's not forget many of the Sony lenses are screw drive too.
This was talked about a few years ago with old Toru banding it around on a video interview as something they were thinking about. Only time will tell if they do take the AF motor out.. I don't buy the "most entry buyers" argument. A lot of folks buy a less expensive body as a back up or second body, that becomes a lot less attractive if half your lenses won't even AF on that body.

[Heidfirst]

Let's not forget many of the Sony lenses are screw drive too.

not really too many these days (most of the sub £500 ones are already SAM) & there are probably SAM or SSM replacements on the way for those that aren't yet.
There are definitely advantages to at least SSM & especially if contrast detect AF is going to become more important - the downside is that I'm fairly certain that more in-lens af motors fail than in-body.

& I don't think that I buy your 2nd body argument (& I use a 2nd body, have done for years) - do I really want to fit alarge, expensive lenses to a small in your words "crippled" body?
No, I'm going o buy an A65 or such like for £600 rather than an A37 for £450.

Think that I'm back to what I've said before - your views & mine are diametrically opposed because of our differing needs & neither you nor I represent the majority.

[Greg Beetham]

While idly browsing through the compatibility list for the A77 I noticed near the bottom of the list the Minolta 1200 Macro Ring Flash (the one Sony decided not to make) with a compatibility notation about needing an LCS-EB70 item, I set out on a mission of discovery to find out what an LCS-EB70 might be.
It turns out it’s the body case for the NEX7, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-LCS-ELC7-P ... B005YCWM82 (the LCS-EB70 is apparently part of LCS-ELC7) why would you need that to make the ring flash more compatible with the A77?
Greg
Ps does anyone know what ‘lens compensation’ is? Whatever it is, just about none of the current and previous lenses have it, apparently the A77 needs it….whatever it is.
Pps you’re correct Heidfirst, if the A37 (rumoured) turns out to not have a screw drive focus motor it won’t be of any great concern, at least not too me. What might make me sit up and take notice though is, (very extreme speculation follows) it turns out to be an MD/SR mount camera.

[Greg Beetham]

The ‘lens compensation’ looks like it might be an ‘in camera firmware feature’ to do with lens shading and aberration control, so the compatibility list mentioning all the lenses without lens compensation means that no work has been completed for those lenses to be added onto the in camera data base…best guess.
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/sony- ... view-17845
Greg

[Dr. Harout]

While idly browsing through the compatibility list for the A77 I noticed near the bottom of the list the Minolta 1200 Macro Ring Flash (the one Sony decided not to make) with a compatibility notation about needing an LCS-EB70 item, I set out on a mission of discovery to find out what an LCS-EB70 might be.
It turns out it’s the body case for the NEX7, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-LCS-ELC7-P ... B005YCWM82 (the LCS-EB70 is apparently part of LCS-ELC7) why would you need that to make the ring flash more compatible with the A77?
Greg
Ps does anyone know what ‘lens compensation’ is? Whatever it is, just about none of the current and previous lenses have it, apparently the A77 needs it….whatever it is.
Pps you’re correct Heidfirst, if the A37 (rumoured) turns out to not have a screw drive focus motor it won’t be of any great concern, at least not too me. What might make me sit up and take notice though is, (very extreme speculation follows) it turns out to be an MD/SR mount camera.

I noticed that LCS-EB70 too. It must be a joke. After all we are a few days ahead from April 1st.
Lens compensation is for JPEG in camera compensation. That doesn't bother me, as I do not shoot JPEG, only RAW.

[longvale]

Screw still there on the A37 check http://www.photoanswers.co.uk/upload/14 ... 1-1200.jpg

Does it have the same evf as the A65/77

[bfitzgerald]

Yup the info must have been wrong it would have been very risky to take the motor out.
A65/77 have a better EVF