Future of A mount

Specifically for the discussion of the A-mount DSLR range
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Evildogsofdoom
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Re: Future of A mount

Unread post by Evildogsofdoom »

Dusty wrote:
bakubo wrote: I am not sure what you are getting at. Can you elaborate?
Henry,
you started this thread by saying that there were a lot of A mount lenses out there, and the also talking about sharing components.

Maybe I read you wrong, but my reply is based on thinking that electronic components and design R&D can probably be shared between the mounts - you shouldn't need a whole new CPU just because the same/very similar sensor is in different bodies, even if one is E mount and one A. Granted, having electronic aperture instead may mean a different output signal goes to the lens, but in reality it's probably going from the CPU to a secondary component that's doing the actual activating. Likewise focus sensors could be shared, as well as other components.

The problem with the lens design, however, is that E mount lenses, with their very short flange distance, are more like rangefinder lenses that traditional SLR lenses in design. DK had a whole section on this somewhere that I'm too lazy to find! :oops:

Sony is a big, rich, company, but like all companies they want to keep costs down and make profits. If A mount becomes unprofitable, it will go bye-bye!

Dusty
For me the success of the E-mount, improves the chances of the A-mount staying alive. As cameras become increasingly electronic, both ranges of cameras can share the main (and expensive to develop) components. The A99ii and A7Rii(i) can /do/ will share sensors, shutters assemblies, Bionz processors, EVF, TFT screens, possibly the IBIS mechanism. The R&D costs of the A99ii were probably pretty small as it uses a mixture of present and future E-mount components and can probably make a profit on fairly small sales.
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bakubo
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Re: Future of A mount

Unread post by bakubo »

bakubo wrote:Some have said the A77II has been discontinued. If so maybe a new one is on the way. But, either way, it doesn't mean the A mount is dead, I think.
I think the people who were saying several months ago that the A77II was discontinued may have been wrong. I still see them in stores in Japan.
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bakubo
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Re: Future of A mount

Unread post by bakubo »

Sony has also come out with the A99II a few months ago.
peterottaway
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Re: Future of A mount

Unread post by peterottaway »

And looking at the Sony Australia website as well as some of the local dealers it's still on back order.
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bakubo
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Re: Future of A mount

Unread post by bakubo »

I was in a store here in Hiroshima this morning and they had the A77II for sale. I see it at pretty much all the camera stores in Japan. It certainly doesn't appear to be discontinued yet. I am not even sure what discontinued means with regards to a camera. Don't they usually build a big batch and then over a long period of time sell them? Maybe if they sell a ton more than they expect they have to put it back in production. Sony still sells the A77II on their website:

http://www.sony.jp/ichigan/products/ILCA-77M2/
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Re: Future of A mount

Unread post by peterottaway »

Sorry I was referring to the A99 II.

But if they are having problems supplying the high end cameras then I think this would put back the release of the A77 III or the rumoured A88 24MB version of the A99 II.
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bakubo
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Re: Future of A mount

Unread post by bakubo »

I played around for a few minutes with an A99II at a store in Hiroshima today.
CHOLLY
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Re: Future of A mount

Unread post by CHOLLY »

bakubo wrote:I played around for a few minutes with an A99II at a store in Hiroshima today.
Well don't leave us hanging.... what did you think? :?:
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bakubo
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Re: Future of A mount

Unread post by bakubo »

In an earlier post peterottaway said the A99II was still on backorder in Australia so I just wanted to mention that they are available here in Japan. Anyway, it certainly seems like a very nice camera. Although I still have my A700, A100, and 10 or more A-mount lenses packed away in storage in the States (none of them are high end lenses though) I have been enamored with the m4/3 compromise of small size/weight with good quality for the last 5 years. Works well for how I photograph. If I was still shooting with A-mount though then the A99II would certainly be something I would desire. Desire, but almost surely not buy though since I don't see spending that much for a body. It is overkill (speed, etc.) for me. :)

A99II price is about 384,000 yen. Here it is at Yodobashi:

http://www.yodobashi.com/%E3%82%BD%E3%8 ... 003281716/

I didn't have an A99 right next to it to compare to, but is the A99II a bit smaller? The one at the store had the Sony 28-75mm f2.8 mounted on it and I didn't bother mounting any other lenses.
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Re: Future of A mount

Unread post by CHOLLY »

7 or 10% smaller as the A99II uses the A77 body...
peterottaway
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Re: Future of A mount

Unread post by peterottaway »

I'm not in the market for the A99 II as the A7r and A7r II are more than enough. But in the future I would like to add a A99 style A mount FF digital camera to my collection to supplement my A68 and my three film model 7 cameras.

Three may see excessive but I have added two extra bodies out of Japan at about USD 175 each to my original one that I purchased years ago. I can't see any company adding a new film camera to their product range so I'm just somewhat future proofing myself.

I am surprised that by now Sony has not covered the market for the A99 II more completely. Yes it would appear that Sony did not adequately estimate the demand, and they simply can't pick up the phone and say to their suppliers we need 5 times what we ordered and can we have it next week.
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Re: Future of A mount

Unread post by CHOLLY »

Earthquake damage set them way back....
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bfitzgerald
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Re: Future of A mount

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

Well no sign of the A77III unless it makes an apperance next year. That leaves the aged A77II at a price that's near to it's initial release in 2014. the A68 budget one and the A99II. Still something is better than nothing, out of all the bodies I can't see anyone buying an A77II for that price, A99II is pricey at £3000.

Wonder if we'll go to 4/5 year cycles yet there are probably way too many E mount bodies around too. Can't say I'm tempted to buy anything else unless one body dies
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bakubo
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Re: Future of A mount

Unread post by bakubo »

Here in Japan when I go in a big Yodobashi Camera or Bic Camera they still have Sony A-mount cameras, but they are almost hidden away on back displays. Of course, mirrorless Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, Canon, Nikon, Fuji, etc. get big, prominent displays. Sometimes Sigma cameras are even more prominent than Sony A-mount.
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bfitzgerald
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Re: Future of A mount

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

Reality check is I've been out a lot more recently ie taking photos and now it's "rare" to see someone with a dedicated camera (any kind of camera that is SLR or compact etc.)
There are some but if I look back 10 years ago (or even 5) it's way way less. When I was taking some sunsets in Dingle last year (pretty dramatic sunset at that), plenty of people were around and taking photos. Place is mobbed with tourists all year round - particularly popular spot for Americans. Apart from myself I saw one person with a camera and strangely it looked like an A57 the exact camera I was using, chances of that fairly slim.
Everyone was taking shots of the bay on phones. Walking round the town a couple of tourists with cameras and that was it (we're talking hundreds of people I walked past in total)

Other events I go to or just being around again it's far far less common to see real cameras - and when I do they're not packing latest models either. I think the industry is in big trouble. I'm sure E mount FF is doing OK with the high margins on stuff and the people who are buying and willing to invest the fairly significant sum into a system. But the pie is getting a lot smaller

CIPA figures for march out not long ago:
http://www.cipa.jp/stats/documents/e/dw-201903_e.pdf

Another big drop comparing 2019 March to 2017 that's almost a 50% drop. That isn't sustainable long term
I honestly think the industry is pricing itself out of the market. I know I'm not the best customer for camera brands - but I see the price and say "wow no thanks" and I'll "make do" with what I have. Or if I do buy something I'll dig around for a nice price on a lens on eBay - result is erm they don't make any money on that.

Products in low demand (ie photography stuff) should have lower prices, products in high demand have higher prices. That's just simple economics. Would I buy an A77ii at £650? Probably, will I buy one at £900-£950...not a chance. Seems simple to me even older cameras which should be dirt cheap to buy new are overpriced. The lenses are a shocking price for mirrorless . SEL 24-105mm F4 £1100 odd, same for a 70-200mm F4 £1000+. Aside from a couple of budget primes it's horribly expensive to build even a "basic" system on E mount. Once I saw the prices for L mount lenses I almost collapsed in laughter. Seems their strategy is price higher each year and hope to make up the sales drop with bigger margins. APS-C E mount is a token offering bar the cheaper older bodies can't see the attraction much in investing much into that long term.
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