The A450 is there ... :-)

[pakodominguez]

Pretty sad really, no improvements at all, same VF size.

A big yawn around here..
Somebody needs to tell Sony how to do a model line up, they just seem to bash stuff out without even thinking about it.
No sorry, this won't do at all..

You know Sony was (probably still is) the leader on hadycams. You know Canon try to compete with Sony in this market, as well as Panasonic, JVC, etc... but specially Canon. Did you know Canon just announced (yesterday, jan 5 2010) a new line of HD handycams call *LEGRIA*, whit 3 series targeted all the spectrum, from the cheap amateur to the advanced almost-pro user ( HF S21, S20 and S200; HF M31, M36 and M306, and HF R16, R18 and R106) 9 models in one day...

I think that, if Canon is doing this in order to get more parts of the market to Sony, is because what Sony is doing in the dSRL market seams to be a good idea for the Canon Marketing Department.

I think you were right when you said that, the one who bring FF for cheap will have more chances for winning this battle, and Sony is one step ahead. Now we have to wait and see what's the next step for Sony regarding this new technological generation that they start with the A5xx -if they will follow that path for the next 2 or 3 years or if it is just an intermediary state, while they find an answer for the challenge they took on the Video dSRL -the 'if we do it , we'll do it right" true

It is a shame you have spent the last months with a myopic criticism on every Sony announcement, from the APS primes to every single camera they brought to the market, only because they don't carry what you want. We better realize for once that Sony won't follow the Minolta way (big bang for cheap) and only the time will show us who is right.

Regards

[KevinBarrett]

How about a side-by-side?

[David Kilpatrick]

That indicates a complete change to the prism design and geometry - the lower eyepiece, the sensors placed over it instead of below. I have no idea why they would do this other than a) to improve the viewfinder in way I don't fully understand b) to cut costs by making it cheaper in some way I also don't understand.

David

[alphaomega]

Well, I must admit that the release of the A450 leaves me completely "underwhelmed". I simply fail to understand the logic of now having no less than six new models for P&S upgraders and a huge gap between the A550 and A850. I never understood the logic behind the A850 either. Apart from resistance from the "middle men" with stocking and which ones to promote to prospective customers, the actual potential end users must also be completely dazzled by the choice and the relatively small differences between the cameras. I must admit that I agree with Barry F. that Sony needs some kind of a "compass" to guide them with their product strategy. I have said before that a couple of years ago they had an excellent platform from which they could lauch their next releases, consisting of A200,300,350,700 and 900. These provided a reasonable spread with perhaps too much of a gap between the A700 and A350. So they could have provided a new line-up with A230, A380, A500 and A550 beefed up a bit to be closer to A700 while waiting for a 7D beater (A750?). There is a lot of disquiet amongst the ex Minolta fraternity waiting for the A700 replacement. For my part I have really lost interest in Sony DSLR releases. I now have a new A700 and nearly new A350, having "cascaded" my old A700 to my son and A350 to my wife. If Sony intends to entice me back they better come up with a A700 beater with 16-18Mp APS-C & ISO100-6400 quality coverage and real enthusiast goodies. If they don't do that I shall remain aloof. I don't even bother reading DSLR reviews now. The A700/350 combination does me fine.

[bfitzgerald]

I completely get Sony's strategy, it consists of this.

1: We have 6 entry DSLR's, lower level and upper entry, bottom ones are purely for p&s upgraders
2: Upper entry ones are the A450/500/550, Sony hope that A2xx-3xx users find these appealing to move up to
3: Sony is sure that anyone who buys sub A700 level, is not serious about photography, which is why they have ripped some features out, Sony "know" that users don't need this stuff.
4: A7xx model will arrive shortly, but your price for admission will most likely be £1000+, no idea on an A6xx model
5: Sony are not that interested in legacy Km users or previous A100 ones, you should have moved up to the A700, if you didn't, you will have to take the "Sony simple" specs and features of the lower ones..take it or leave it.

We can look back, and see the top guy's comments, "almost everything you could want in a mid priced DSLR" Which confirms that Sony think they know best (translated I would call this out of touch, and arrogant!)

They are experimenting on LV and non LV models, probably to see what is selling, and how many. The "machine gun" approach is to offer minor variation which might bag more users, they will reel in the target board and see what hit, and what did not.

I said I get what they are doing, but I completely disagree with it.
I see no reason for this number of models, and I think it's a serious error to assume that they know what buyers are looking for. FPS isn't enough on it's own, not when we have bare bones features on these models. The really sad part is, I might have even looked at the A450, but not without MLU, and a few extra bits, that cost nothing more than some firmware code. Sony don't understand that features do matter, and that not everyone wants to dump a grand on a body.

[KevinBarrett]

I must say, it is reassuring that Sony is offering main-sensor live view in a model without any other form of live view. That, at least, gives me hope for the future a700 replacement. Might we have main-sensor live view with a nice big pentaprism?

[motor]

Now this might be a far fetch but what do you think of this reasoning. I could be off based but it may just make sense. If the 200, 300 and 400 series are all step up series and for beginners and new 400 series is the same as the 500 series now then the 500 series becomes the middle series with video. The 600 and series will be a simipro series replacing the current 700 series with LV or mirrorless idea. The 700 series becomes the highest pro series using APS sensor no LV view but highest pro series out right now like both Cannon and Nikon are. The 800, 900 and maybe even 1000 or M1 would be dedicated to Full Frame. That would then set sony cameras in a solid step up series state for cameras. It is just a thought sense the 400 and 500 series are basically the same. This would just void the 500 making it the middle camera for video sense it seems to have the high ISO and Hi Frames.

Just a thought

Motor

[kingfisher]

Now this might be a far fetch but what do you think of this reasoning. I could be off based but it may just make sense. If the 200, 300 and 400 series are all step up series and for beginners and new 400 series is the same as the 500 series now then the 500 series becomes the middle series with video. The 600 and series will be a simipro series replacing the current 700 series with LV or mirrorless idea. The 700 series becomes the highest pro series using APS sensor no LV view but highest pro series out right now like both Cannon and Nikon are. The 800, 900 and maybe even 1000 or M1 would be dedicated to Full Frame. That would then set sony cameras in a solid step up series state for cameras. It is just a thought sense the 400 and 500 series are basically the same. This would just void the 500 making it the middle camera for video sense it seems to have the high ISO and Hi Frames.

Just a thought

Motor

you are very close motor

greetings
gustav

[Eiffel]

I'm not sure I see the rationale for the current lineup, but this may be an intermediate step towards a more logical one:

- Low cost entry level cameras without screw drive motor (see SAM on all new lenses)
- Higher resolutions from entry level up (14 MP?)

The current approach may also serve to confuse the competition in their bread and butter business.

I wish more efforts were put on the high end market, but I presume this is not where money is made!

[KevinBarrett]

DPReview has made a correction in their announcement of the DSR-a450:

Viewfinder...
• Magnification approx. 0.83x
• 95% frame coverage

Thats .83x up from .80x. Apparently, in the reengineering of the viewfinder, they found room for a 3.75% increase in viewfinder magnification. Either that or they rounded off the .03 in the specs of the a5xx series. I doubt it will be enough to notice in use, but it's something.

[InTheSky]

That indicates a complete change to the prism design and geometry - the lower eyepiece, the sensors placed over it instead of below. I have no idea why they would do this other than a) to improve the viewfinder in way I don't fully understand b) to cut costs by making it cheaper in some way I also don't understand.

David

I think there is place need for the mirror reflexive system to switch for the first live view technology of Sony, meaning that when you removing it in the same body has one camera using it, you have to put the view finder in a different place. Less distance for the light to go ... means you need to be closer to the mirror. This is my guess ...

Regards,

Frank

[Greg Beetham]

Well I get the impression they are fumbling around trying to invent an LV DSLR that's actually useful for something, (like macro LV zoom focus check MLU and take the shot without the mirror flapping down and up, or the same thing for birding), and hoping that they'll find some customers that will buy some of them while they do it.
Greg