Busted!

[bfitzgerald]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONROrBgy8uc

Note the comment about "allows us to remove the AF motor from the body"

Lol

[David Kilpatrick]

"We have no plans to do so"

They are clearly aware of Nikon's history on this front.

David

[alphaomega]

I thought it more important that the Sony representative stated they would do something when he was asked about Micro 4/3. That would tie in, to some extent, with what A1000 posted here and on Dyxum on Sony's future DSLR product line with EVIL/EVF and smaller cameras/lenses being included prominently. As I understood it women were very much in sight as customers for the new A2/3xx models and almost as aside "gentlemen".

[bfitzgerald]

Well he spoke about women as buyers for the cameras (added men too, but it's clearly a more female aimed model)
The fact he mentioned the in lens motors was interesting, he didn't have to say allows them to remove the motor from the body! Then he quickly adds, no intentions to do so at this time..but that seemed like a slip up to me.

Some talk about m 4/3 cameras, but having seen Sony's new 5 model line up, I am not so convinced they would be a strong competitor in this area. I believe the new A2xx-3xx models are not selling very well.

[KevinBarrett]

Actually, every salesman I've spoken to tells me they're selling like hotcakes.

[Javelin]

Same here. Henry's can hardly keep them in stock. The sales guys there (and ladies.. best one is a woman) say that if new users take a few minute to play with a bunch of cameras odds are they take the Sony in the end. It's the interface and the screen on the back that provides the biggest wow after that they are an easy sell once they know a few of the advantages in the live view

[bfitzgerald]

Not my experience at all, I know several people who work in camera retail in the UK, and they are not hot sellers, nowhere near the sales of Canikon.
The sales rankings on amazon UK are poor as well, and it's nowhere amazon USA rankings.
Even the Sony style staff I spoke to in 2 shops, a: They don't like them..and b: They are not selling great (v older entry series)

So I will have to take that for what it is, I would happily put money down right now, and bet they are not matching the sales of the last generation of models. On dp, there is a sales graph in one post, it shows abysmal sales for the entry models (beaten by Oly etc), how accurate that is.,, hard to say!