I will post a report soon but was at the conference this afternoon, just found a usable wifi connection.

Firmware = A-E AF SSM SAM, aperture control with video, assignable functions to buttons inc ISO, Sony to co-operate with independent lens makers and mount adaptors, have fully embraced the converter/adaptor industry, show samples of 3rd party NEX stuff on their stand, say NEX will revivive photography and they will even get independent LENSES made for NEX - plus seven new ones inc Zeiss and G of their own.

Alpha 700 successor - sorry, it will have a translucent toilet seat which you can't lift in order to perform vital functions - like letting light pass through unmodified. Same SLT as A33 and A55. No option to lift and shoot without and this will be codenamed the ADVANCED ALPHA and launched along with vertical grip, new flash and 500mm f/4 G SSM.

David

Did they give a timeframe on this? and also did they give any details on the flash ?

I just order a used 50mm 1.8 DT on ebay for 150$ (including shipping and taxes) with the announcement of the firmware update. That will reduced my amount of teaching to my girlfriend how to make good movie with the old 58mm F/1.2 . Probably the next purchase for her will be the 85mm 2.8.

Anybody has got the link to download the firmware ? .

This is very great news ... it it like getting a new camera for free I think there is probably in good investment in the design team compare to before to produce such a quick change (We have software dev team in my company , and I can tell you that it is long long process now to qualify update software ...)

Thank for the news David,

Regards,

Frank

I can almost hear the wailing, gnashing of teeth, and pulling out of hair

We shouldn't be surpised I suppose - this is as SAR predicted. (That site is becoming quite a reliable crystal ball.)

Thanks, as ever, for the super prompt update David. Hope you're enjoying the lager .

Firmware will be out by mid October.
I think the 85 f2.8 will be more interesting than the 50 f1.8, but you got it for a good price so...

Regards

Great!
See post about LensBaby Composer for NEX, we are getting better

So the A7xx is a translucent what about the OVF?

Scary stuff..

How nice of you, how Sonyish of them...

If true, to me it means no more SLR/SLT to buy from Sony ever. But Nexes look the prettier still.

It's pretty logical - my alpha lenses go with Nex, and then I get into new system like Nikon or Pentax while getting adapters for their respective lenses to work with Nex as well.
So the Nex is the way to go while my a700's slowly fade over a few years period.

Good plan, ain't it?

hopefully A900's will go on sale soon. there isn't a single used one on Ebay to be had at the moment

That's it for me if OVF's are out at this level it's only a matter of time before they dump them across the entire range.
Call me a purist or a die hard but it's all over now..

I'm pulling the plug on A mount only pure sentimentality prevents a complete sell off of all my film stuff. But I'm open to offers on my A200 for starters mint as new spotless have hot shoe cover, original Sony battery extra Sido battery, screen protector and strap with manual unboxed. Very light use.

More to come stay tuned

The viewfinder on the A7xx mocckup certainly doesn't look like on the A33/55. Maybe a hybrid model? Didn't Fuji announce a hybrid VF for the X100?

Purist?
Apocalyptic?

As Bossel said, the viewfinder on the mock up doesn't look as the one on the A55. In any case, by the time you decide to switch or upgrade (you've been talking about for a while) Sony will probably have already an answer for you.

Maybe I read the Sony statement wrong but I saw no mention of any OVF model.
Looks like translucent is all that's up for grabs. What it looks like and what it is might not matter a whole lot.

Maybe DK can shed some light on things but I already thought he had with his front page article.

DK info is that no OVF but translucent mirror for what he call A7xx (I think it must be call A7X...) So we'll be have to wait a real A700 successor, next year, probably before PMA, as usual...

I'm not in a hurry for replace my trusty A700 (that I don't use that much but it is an excellent backup) but we know the A900/A850 will have the "same" technology and I'm curious about it.

Regards

The 'advanced model' (A7x?) will use a Translucent mirror - but beyond that no details have been revealed, other than that the mirror does not have a lifted mode for shooting, only for cleaning the sensor. It may still have an OVF and could have the mirror at 45 degrees, we don't know - or it could be exactly like the A33/55. Everyone has assumed this, but I did not say this. I simply said Sony revealed that it would use a Translucent mirror, and Paul Genge said this would be in position all the time when shooting. More than this is conjecture.

David