Photoclubalpha

bfitzgerald wrote:....
Ok let's start at the top.
Sony want to keep selling me A mount bodies..right like what?
....
So the choices are quite limited for A Mount users right now, that's because Sony don't really have a proper range of models, and they're out of date on a couple. Most of the time I think about a second hand body (that's not exactly going to make Sony much money)

I'm quite happy with the lenses I have, no doubt some of the lenses might struggle at higher resolution..some would likely do well enough.
Pretty pleased I never invested a huge sum in some of the premium offerings, whilst lenses tend to hold their value fairly well..with an uncertain future I won't take a huge bath if things turn sour.

I guess you're stuck, then. Sticking with Sony is going to save you a lot, I agree. I wonder how much is "the grass is always greener", though? Canikon seem to carefully evolve each new line -- seldom do they seem to be revolutionary.

Rumor is that Sony will come out with new A-mount bodies next. I don't think they'll abandon it, not as long as there's still some market there, but I don't think they'll be able to maintain a "complete" lineup like Canikon. We need to be realistic about that!

Sony's a jack of all master of none, that's their problem. Try this..not working, oh let's try something else, then try something else
Persistence reaps rewards, that's my take

Yeah, that's my problem too. However, persistence solves a lot of problems. I think that was Edison's take on the light bulb problem.

Vidgamer wrote:

Greg Beetham wrote:...
The other one sounds like it is going to be mirrorless and wear an A-mount, (again if true) and if so it remains to be seen how the backward compatibility stacks up, everyone who has invested lots of money in expensive A-mount lenses will be watching that one closely.
Greg

It seems pretty obvious to me -- if Sony improves the on-sensor PDAF enough to be as good as traditional PDAF, they can finally drop the mirror. This simplifies the design of the camera, saving money.

Despite claims that Sony has no plans for the future, I suspect that this has been their goal for years. SLT was just a necessary first-step in this direction.

I guess we'll have to see.

Well yes it seems that Sony would like to build a mirrorless A-mount (if you can call a mirrorless A-mount an A-mount, an SLT isn’t strictly an A-mount either) but the problem with on chip PDAF is keeping it working with A-mount lenses …all of them and doing it without affecting performance, they haven’t done that yet.

If they kiss goodbye to all screw drive lenses they might do it, they got rid of the i-shoe so I guess they could scrap screw drive AF too, perhaps Sony assessed that whatever repercussions that happened from ditching the i-shoe were acceptable, and doing the same with screw drive lenses won’t be much worse…but it will be.

They might initially test the waters with an A-mount mirrorless without screw drive AF but with enough other advancements to bedazzle enough people alongside another more regular DSLT, just like they did when phasing out the DSLR.

Ok say they do bring an A-mount mirrorless, so what? All they have done then is build a larger version of the E-mount, one with a large empty space in front of the sensor (that doesn’t have screw drive most likely) and what does that achieve? You then have an E-mount doing E-mount stuff, and an A-mount doing E-mount stuff too, but not as well because it can’t use E-mount lenses or any other lenses apart from A-mount lenses, (and most likely only some A-mount lenses) whereas the reverse is true.

The E-mount is not a full system, and neither is the A-mount, there are lenses and accessories missing from both, gaps that should have been addressed long ago in the case of the A-mount so that it would become a convincing system.

It doesn’t appear to matter that the E-mount isn’t a complete system as it seems that users are happy with it the way it is, and putting up with the adaptors.

Sony were never going to challenge Canon or Nikon making a haphazard half system here and a half system there with an incomplete accessory list including at least one that doesn’t work properly and then repeat that unsuccessful tactic by doing it yet again with an even smaller incomplete system such as with the FE mount.

So no their object wasn’t to always build a mirrorless A-mount it was to gain the expertise to build the E-mount, I have no idea what the future is for the A-mount (or what’s left of it) and maybe Sony doesn’t know either, but it’s not looking too bright.
Greg

This year will be revealing in terms of what they do with A mount.
We know an A77MkII is due very shortly

But aside from that model we have no information at all. It is possible they will do another A99 (no doubt with the same sales disaster asking price)
If they do nothing else this year I'd be worried.
If next year the only do a modest update to the A58 (or nothing at all) and nothing at all above that (ie mid range)

I think you can say A Mount will be on a slow wind down. They might run production of the A77II and a FF body for a bit then game over.
I could be entirely wrong, it's the middle ground that concerns me most. If you don't have a comparable product to compete with the no doubt soon to be released 750d, you might as well pack up and give in. This is where the sales volumes are, not high end APS-C or FF

Few people will jump on A mount and invest heavily in pricey glass for a couple of bodies and an uncertain future
Maybe I am stuck..bang per buck wise for the moment, but hey I don't run the show at Sony HQ if you don't put up a fight you can't expect to win

When I got my A100, was that the only camera for A-mount at the time? I think Sony only had a couple of cameras for a while after that. I dunno, it's always seemed a bit slow on A-mount. With E-mount, they don't seem to go a year before they roll out another entry-level camera. Perhaps they're slowing down with A-mount, but hard to tell if it's really any different yet.

In the end, enough people have to keep buying A-mount cameras to keep Sony interested in it.

Personally I don't think I'd be interested in an A-mount as they are. I know the A100 is a bit slow, but it works. I might like a future mirrorless A-mount; it seems appealing to me. However, it makes more practical sense to just stick with E-mount; I can always use an adapter if I really want A-mount lenses.

Everyone has their own needs and desires. For me I just don't see losing IBIS as something that is appealing
It is true I don't always need it, but it is very useful when you do.

Some e-mount lenses have OSS. OSS > IBIS. Although it's nice having IBIS for all lenses, it's not like the Nex is stuck. But if you mostly use long tele lenses, then a-mount makes more sense. Plus, the size thing doesn't matter so much.