Will there really be an A99ii

Specifically for the discussion of the A-mount DSLR range
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classiccameras
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Re: Will there really be an A99ii

Unread post by classiccameras »

'A' mount has been fairly well developed over the years, although there are a few areas that need improving which Sony seem unwilling or incapable of doing, Jpeg out put for one. 'E' mount seems to be the new direction but IMHO is far from fully developed yet and too expensive. I still think 'A' mount IQ is better with the right lens. I could not get on with Canon and had only had partial success with Nikon, apart from my A-57 which is a star amongst its peers, I have had the most pleasing results with Olympus EM-10 and my old E-510.
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Re: Will there really be an A99ii

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classiccameras » Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:25 am
They need to dump the A58 and bring out a A57 11 for that section of the market, may be an A37 11 just to keep the body smaller
I would applause such a move (not to A37). My A58 takes super pictures, but the buffer is puny and the rear screen should be 3 inches. That 20Mp sensor is superb. I think just the right size for APS-C. I recently took some old RAW images taken by my A700 through Adobe Photoshop Cloud and was amazed by the quality I could now get from that obsolete thingy. In a way I think I have spent too much money upgrading from A700 through A350, A550 and A580 and then down to A58 (apart from the sensor) and over to NEX-5, NEX-5N and then NEX-6. Gave my son my RX100 and bought the much desired RX100M3. Most pictures are now taken with this jewel. I love the movable rear screen and the retractable viewer. What quality of images that 1" sensor can produce and 24mm wide is just the job for my type of photography. Now, if they could just fit a 24-105 or so lens into that body I would be even happier. Don't need 4K or super fast shutter speed.
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Re: Will there really be an A99ii

Unread post by classiccameras »

Absolutely a 57 11, Sony have just like the old Olympus E cameras taken some pretty heavy criticism from some reviewers over the years, and in some areas quite justified, but if you look at the whole package the A mount cameras have generally trashed the opposition in the same price bracket and some even further up the ladder, they really are great cameras and perhaps we as users have been over critical. However, there were/are areas that are crying out for improvement, but it does not stop me from using and enjoying the cameras. There often is a sensor on a particular camera in a series that shines above the others and for me that was the NEX-5N which fortunately got put in the A-37 as well, its slightly different in the older 57. Yes, Sony are doing wonders with small censors, much more so that the competition, perhaps with the exception of Fuji and Olympus (Sony sensor)!! The best pictures I ever took for colour and IQ was on my old Oly E-510, and that was 10-mp, I won't sell that.
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Re: Will there really be an A99ii

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Most of the images I take are for Alamy, where I now have just short of 8,000 for sale. All the Sony cameras I have produce excellent quality images and even under/over exposed images can often be recovered in Adobe Photoshop Cloud without unwanted noise. I refer to 16Mp in NEX-5n & NEX-6 as well as 20Mp in A58 and RX100M3. I only have one problem (referred to often by Barry Fitzgerald) and that is the slightly aggressive treatment of out of camera Jpegs. They seem overdone (excess NR?) and I mostly use RAW as base for Alamy. Gives me much "smoother" images, particularly in the sky. In my humble opinion the Sony image quality is so good that I don't even bother to investigate competitive products. I would never purchase a FF A or FE mount camera. All lenses in my possession bar one are APS-C. With sensors and lenses as good as they are now I see no need to indulge in expensive upgrading. Also I would never purchase a DSLR/SLT type camera now, but I do think that Sony should support those needing a larger camera than FE types. They should have an up to date A99 camera with 42Mp sensor and the same video capabilities as latest A7RII as well as an upgraded A58 with 24Mp sensor, bigger buffer, 3" rear screen, faster AF and 4K. Two SLT types should do unless they can now eliminate the mirror.
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Re: Will there really be an A99ii

Unread post by classiccameras »

Actually, with some hidden camera settings such as colour temp, and colour bias away from the reds, you can get half decent Jpegs, I also found that the pink tint which has been a problem with Jpegs can be removed by using day light rather AWB, Sony AWB can be a bit unreliable at times. If you stay below ISO 800, noise and sharpness are not really an issue. However, they are not good Jpeg cameras compared to Olympus and Fuji which are the best.
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mikeriach
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Re: Will there really be an A99ii

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I'd agree with the colour balance comments, same here.
Mike
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Re: Will there really be an A99ii

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Auto WB isn't great no idea why it's fine for daylight but indoors same yellow cast from years back odd considering the off sensor direct reading. Not a major problem but should be better

IMO it would be a better solution if Sony sold off A mount if they have lost interest there is plenty of life left in the mount it's bigger than Pentax and could have a long term future (Ricoh bought Pentax they see something in it their range is quite small compared to A mount s/h anyway) though Ricoh are not a great company they have at least kept it going. I would hope for that it would be best for A mount users to have a company that is dedicated to the mount.

Currently the adapter route isn't appealing for a few reasons mainly the styling of bodies/lack of battery endurance. I would still advise people to not sell off their lenses many won't fetch good prices (particularly the normal Minolta lenses) though some of the high end stuff might be good prices. We have no choice but to sit and wait on this one, but I want a company that is prepared to push A mount in charge not put all their efforts into overpriced E mount optics and a rash of body releases.
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Re: Will there really be an A99ii

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"...but I want a company that is prepared to push A mount in charge not put all their efforts into overpriced E mount optics and a rash of body releases."

You hit the nail. -- I looked at the A7RII and wonder what does it do that makes it worth $3200 for a miniature body, that will be replaced is a few months. I'm inclined to buy an A99, keep the A850 and wait for sony to get over the stupidity of miniature over-priced gear. -- They can't be showing a profit with this line.

Sony did the same thing with the TV line. They had some many variations that customers couldn't figure out what they were buying, and ended up not buying.
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mikeriach
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Re: Will there really be an A99ii

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Edward,

Unfortunately I believe the A7 series is making good money for Sony. I posted something on DPreview comparing the update cycle of A7 series to A77/A99. Essentially the A7 series has been updated on a cycle which is nearly half that for the A77/A99.
I aquired an A77Mk2 at a bargain price from a friend but that model is now around 18months old and it followed the Mk1 after around a 3 year gap. The A99 is almost 3 years old with no update in sight.

The A7 to A7II was 13 months, A7S to A7SII was 18 months and the A7R to A7RII 20 months. It is clear the A7 series gets high priority in development but then again it took a high investment to get the technology moving and with the flaws of the initial models, they needed a quick update to put it right before everyone lost confidence in it (keep the momentum moving).

The A99 was excellent straight off but it is long overdue a refresh. I believe everything they need now exists in the A7RII, they just need to make it fit in an A99 type shell. A lot of guys on DPreview seem to think we are asking for the mirror system to be continued. I'm not. If the new sensor has everything it needs "on sensor" (focus, metering etc) then drop the mirror and make it mirrorless. I'm sure there are benefits to be had. Match that to existing Zeiss and G glass and it's got to be a winner provided the price is right.

It would be relatively easy to do either a 2 or 3 tier range with 24mp, 36mp and a range topping 42mp model, it just needs commitment to the loyal A mount users. Personally I'd be looking at the mid-range model with either 24 or 36mp, as the base models tend to be lacking features (Canon 6D and Nikon D610). My current likely target is the Nikon D750 with a good 24mp FF sensor and decent frame rate, battery life and features. Two things I'd miss with the Nikon are the all aspect swivel monitor and the EVF. YES is said EVF. I've got so used to "what you see is what you get" I initially struggled to understand why my first test shots with the Nikon D7000 I borrowed looked awful. Through the OVF I saw a decent shot but on manual mode what I got was well overexposed. Lesson learnt, back to basics! Read and understand what the symbols are telling you.

Fingers crossed we get some news soon before I splash out elsewhere.

Mike
All my Sony SLT gear gone. Still got my RX100 though.
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Re: Will there really be an A99ii

Unread post by classiccameras »

Minolta or similar Japanese company should re form, Sony then sell the A mount side of their business to this company for a more dedicated brand which is crying out for a better range of bodies, and Sony can then stick to E mount and compacts
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Re: Will there really be an A99ii

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I want Minolta back or at least the mount to carry on any company that has some vision and can see the potential it has which Sony obviously can't (they made IMO too many mistakes and inconsistent update cycles and messed up 5/6 years ago when they had a real chance to do major damage)

Sony have announced their usual "winter cashback" offers as expected not a single A mount product is present in that (UK) The original A7 is cheap but it lacks IBIS, the other models are IMHO grossly overpriced. Sony's latest announcements seem to concentrate on boutique overpriced models they updated and overpriced their 1" sensor range too. E mount lens prices are terrible sometimes you can buy a Canikon equivalent F2.8 lens for the price Sony charge for an F4 one.

I'd still sit it out though despite this I have some hope Sony will see sense right now though I'm not seeing this massive E mount frenzy turn up real world I'm sure they are selling some but not nearly as popular as some forum posters would have us believe. Most of the Canikon users I've spoken too are not that interested, those that are have no intentions of dumping their mount they might add one + adapter that's about it really. E mount lenses are not smaller then DSLR ones, nor cheaper some are larger and more expensive
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mikeriach
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Re: Will there really be an A99ii

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Barry,

I spoke to several friends last week at the airfield about the E mount and using their Canon lenses on one as an alternative. They all laughed except one. The common comment was along the lines of "...do you really think we'd buy a camera from a tin pot outfit that doesn't even look after their existing customers, I don't care if my lenses do fit, no way."

The only voice of reason was a professional who said he knew the Sony sensors were the best around and the new ones on the A7 series were exceptional. However he used EOS-1D and EOS 5D bodies and he was more than happy with his FF output except for noise on the 1D (don't know exactly which model). On the other hand he thought the EOS-7D IQ was poor even though the Mk2 was an improvement. He understood the lenses fitted the A7 series but it would be a new user interface to learn and he was worried about exposure, focusing accuracy/speed and IS inconsistencies being introduced through the adaptor. So although he would probably see an improvement in IQ, all the above meant that he was not interested at all. He does keep up to date with the sensor advances.

Mike
All my Sony SLT gear gone. Still got my RX100 though.
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Re: Will there really be an A99ii

Unread post by classiccameras »

Mike, interesting and we cannot ignore the fact as much as people slag off Canikon, they have a very good customer support base world wide and are very good at promo, OK we know Sony make the best sensors currently and many camera companies are using them Nikon, Olympus and Pentax to name just 3, but it still does not make Sony A mount cameras any better. Canon and Nikon have both managed to get more out of the sensor with their software than Sony. Having said all that Olympus have probably achieved most on their OM-D EM cameras with the Sony sensor. I agree with Barry, Minolta needS to be resurrected and take back the A mount side of the business, they actually still exist but only as a support industry. Whether they would re introduce an OVF is another argument.
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Re: Will there really be an A99ii

Unread post by Pirate »

Ahoy!

Whilst I cannot answer the question from the OP, plus I don't use SLT, it's basically a fairly simple choice.

If like myself, you're a FF shooter (this may also apply to APS-C 3 digit Alpha shooters who also prefer the OVF format), we can either migrate to SLT or simply go to another brand who do produce OVF APS-C and FF bodies. One of the drawbacks is that it would be a move to either of the big two, and with that said, how important is in-body stabilisation vs in-lens? Clearly there are more technical differences, but as yet, Ricoh Pentax don't have a FF model body, though the Pentax K-5 and K-5 II APS-C models are just brilliant. I had the K-5 and to be perfectly honest, I found it to be light years better than the Sony A700 and the images were simply superb, and that was with a relatively basic Sigma 50-200mm OS HSM lens, but the Pentax Achilles heel is that K-Mount lenses are insanely high compared to the A-Mount on a like-for-like basis.

So, depending on your areas of interest or you would want to replace your existing lenses for equivalent alternatives, I don't know if it'll be cheaper or more expensive, though I do know certain Tokina AT-X lenses are top draw and readily available for both Canon and Nikon, though they're unstabilised. It's been happening for 2 - 3 years now that long term FF shooters who want OVF have sold up and gone to another brand, and I don't see that changing if shooters don't want the SLT models, and therefore, IMO, Sony have shot themselves squarely in the foot as they should, and could've taken the A700 and A900 which are basically the same with certain exceptions, and used them as the templates for OVF replacement models and upgraded them to be the flagship models of their respective formats, and I would wager that Sony would've retained their long term customer base instead of losing them to the competition. IMO, Sony (who are basically an electronics giant) have tried to re-invent the wheel and at the same time, passed their next generation of cameras to some techno boffins in their R&D department and asked to get as much onto their PCB as possible. Well, that happened and the SLT was born and it was clear from their introduction that there were issues with compatibility and having changed the hot-shoe, caused a secondary set of problems, let alone introducing a second mount.

So, what happened next? Well, it seems to me that it was quickly identified that the first wave of models fell short of the mark and Mk II models were then introduced, and you can apply that to some of their SSM G lenses which at best are upper level standard grade quality, so how they had the brass neck to put an insanely high cost on flawed over-rated glass is beyond my comprehension to understand.

So, will there be an A99-II? Personally, I could care less as my A850 is still performing as well today as it did when I bought it (I expect the same applies to A700 and/or other 3 digit Alpha and Dynax/Maxxum 5D/7D shooters), so if and when it has an electronic cardiac arrest, my A850 is all the camera I need, and should it ever croak, then unless Sony have realised their stupidity and re-introduced OVF models with superior modifications including high ISO - low noise handling in addition to many other things I'm not aware of, then A-Mount shooters will migrate elsewhere. I also find it both stupid and unacceptable that Sony never kept their cameras firmware updated from the A100 to the A900 in order to keep them as up-to-date as is possible much like Canon did for their EOS 7D until the EOS 7D-II was released, and the EOS 7D is of a similar age to the A700/A850/A900, so if Canon could do it, why couldn't (or more likely didn't) Sony do the same? I'm sure the Sony camera division is basically just a techno experimentation arm of their corporation as opposed to providing a dedicated product that their customers have been asking for. I would imagine most people will have at least one Sony product in their home, whether a PlayStation, Blu-Ray, phone, TV, DVD player or other product, but you're not going to find a Canon/Nikon TV or likely any other electrical item.

The choice is yours to make.
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bfitzgerald
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Re: Will there really be an A99ii

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

This turned up you can see the heated debate I suppose we'll find out if it's true soon enough
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr4-sony ... -november/
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