Specifically for the discussion of the A-mount DSLR range
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I don't know about the A77, but the NEX is easy to resist due to its lack of lenses (though I do have one). The 3.5/30mm Macro that was just announced will only be released in October! It's possible we won't see any other NEX lens this year.
And it's discontinuing the 290, 390 and 850, the latter according to AP because it's too similar in price and spec to the 900. Well, well, I am amazed it's taken them this long to work that one out! Personally I was quite cross when the 850 came out at what initially I recall was a large discount to the 900 because I'd just coughed up about £1,600 for the 900. Of course that looks a good deal now.
I am bemused by the huge flurry of activity from Sony over the last 18 months. Maybe it's been the same from Canon and Nikon - I don't know because I don't follow them and am not interested either. I suppose a marketing driven strategy makes good commercial sense and innovation is always good but for me it's just confusing - must be showing my age! I would much rather they had added a viewfinder option to the NEX than yet another bigger sensor. If it doesn't happen within the next 6 months I may yet switch brand to get that option now I've discovered the joy of being able to use excellent old glass on these new micro systems. Particularly as you can still pick them up for a song. Just bought an MD 135/3.5 in apparently mint condition for £25. That's less than the price of a filter!
The A850 only appeared to allow it to be at a lower price which was no lower than the A900 had fallen down to..just after it hit the shelves the A900 went up to around £2000 odd. It was probably an opportunity missed to offer a lower light pro based model with less pixels and have 2 FF bodies hitting the market at the same time. Seemed like a poor strategy at the time and one has to assume Sony have abandoned any hopes of courting the FF pro SLR market at least for now.
The models announced today are simply in line with their strategy very predictable to say the least. Temptation? Very little around here aside from my dislike of SLT I can't say the new NEX brings much to the party the previous models didn't.
I'd have no problems with NEX if it was more Canon G like offering dedicated controls and better handling. There isn't a lot of incentive in other areas none of my lenses with AF with NEX..I can't even fire my Sony flashgun via a wireless trigger with NEX which doesn't even have a flash built in anyway.
Always a negative nelly in the group. At least Barry is consistent in his role..
Anyway, lost in the new model announcement is the most promising news of all. There will be a nex firmware update that allows for MF "peaking" on the NEX 3 & 5. This shows that, contrary to what appears to be popular opinion, that Sony IS listening to consumer feedback...
they sure are, that's why we have seen heaps of low end models, which we have all been jumping up and down for but nothing to replace the A700?
well at least we have seen good upgrades for A300/350 to A500/550 to A560/580 but wait you need to live in one of the special countries to buy a A560/580 and Australia is not on the list.
Checking out all the camera stores in melbourne, there is hardly any Sony Alpha kit on display, yep Sony sure do know what they are doing
Lonnie Utah wrote:Always a negative nelly in the group. At least Barry is consistent in his role..
Anyway, lost in the new model announcement is the most promising news of all. There will be a nex firmware update that allows for MF "peaking" on the NEX 3 & 5. This shows that, contrary to what appears to be popular opinion, that Sony IS listening to consumer feedback...
You can call it negative but I call it "real world"
These are not cameras for photographers NEX has poor handling and the concept won't meet the needs of folks looking for a genuinely compact camera nor will it hit the spot for enthusiasts. The new SLT is just a mild update with a better sensor and battery life..but hey if you call that exciting don't let me stop you
I'm looking for "real cameras designed by people who understand photographers" not some suit in an office who's clueless
It would appear to me that the A35 almost completes Sony's exit from OVF cameras. As I understand it the intro OVF cameras up to A390 are being discontinued. Problem is the A35 is too expensive for an intro model. On the other hand they are following the Canon model of providing max. Mp in intro. models.
I can visualize the discontinuation of Sony's A560/580 when an upgraded A55 and the much heralded but slow in appearing A77 are released. Then Sony will be distinguished from CAN/NIK through their EVF offerings only. There will be one or two new FF EVF models as well so Sony will cover the spectrum with EVF DSLRs and and expanded range of NEX models. There will be no P&S premium model with RAW capture. Sony will possibly succeed if they maintain sensor impetus, provide an EVF that beats OVF and a combination of shutter speeds with fast AF as well as an expanding lens range including CZ. The Walt Knapp types of photographers will not be pleased but imagine an A77 that can outperform anything else on the market in terms of a performance/ price profile with 24Mp sensor and fast AF coupled with world beating shutter speeds. Time will show how they perform. Sony have a distinctive strategy in terms of product offering. Time will show if the can provide an Apple impact or if they fail. Personnally I am now looking for an improved A55 type camera. I have time on my hand as my A580 andNEX-5 are performing OK. More E-mount lenses please but small. Thanks.
The price of the A35 will drop so it won't be long before it's £400 and something which is about right for entry models. I respect Walt's views he has specific needs and I can't question that we're all individual I still think he would be better off moving to another mount as I have. It's very clear at this stage that our needs will not be met with Sony's strategy. Costly as that might be you can of course offload A mount stuff you no longer want to help cover some of the cost.
Sony will have modest/reasonable growth with SLT but it will appeal most to non fussy consumers and a lot less to enthusiasts or more serious users. Most likely it will have nothing at all to do with SLT as most buyers won't even know about it. Some will declare Sony's strategy a "winner" but that is only because they're putting more effort in, where as before most of the OVF models (A230/390 etc) were simply not competitive.
bfitzgerald wrote:Sony will have modest/reasonable growth with SLT but it will appeal most to non fussy consumers and a lot less to enthusiasts or more serious users.
The bottom line is there are gobs more non-fussy consuemers out there than serious users.....
Lonnie you are right but then I'm sure folks will pick the products they like best. Same with cybershot division they're ok enough cameras but Sony offer nothing remotely interesting to enthusiasts there.
They still don't get it and never really will average Joe is not photo enthusiast. That is why makers such as Canon do so well they can cater for both very effectively.
I was not being derogative when I stated "The Walt Knapp types of photographers will not be pleased" but merely stating that Sony obviously were moving away from his specific requirements. Time will show what future consumers think of the Sony strategy. I somehow think that Canon and Nikon may find that Sony continue to make inroads into their market share as the SLT offering expands and more lenses become available. If you are a budding sports photographer and you or your supplier has to look at the budget and Sony come out with a 24Mp A77 which can beat any of the expensive CAN/NIK cameras for AF/speed and have a EVF that is detailed and fast and costs 1/3 or so of the competition for same performance level and market leading video thrown in. Landscape photographers? Studio if this sensor has as good or better DR than A55 and remote flash plut tethered shooting and CZ lenses?
I would not be so certain either way. Sony sensors are probably now market leaders. That is a good platform to build on. Personnally I would hedge my bets. Being market leader is no guarantee of anyting today. Look at Nokia as one of the most recent examples of a falling giant. They will not "kill the golden goose" and upstarts take over and become the next stars. Nothing is certain today in electronics.
I guess I come into the serious non-pro user category. Since I do this for fun I am not exercised by such features as high speed continuous capture, very fast long zooms, or ability to print to poster size. However I do like to compose my picture at the pre-development stage if possible (which requires a 95% plus VF) and have the ability to use depth of field creatively ( ie very fast primes and ideally FF). Now I can do all this with the a900 and some of it with the NEX5 (using adapted lenses, not the current Sony E mount range), the main problem there being lack of VF.
So, for me, Sony still does it. If I was a pro? Probably not.
I really do feel that despite it's limitations the NEX is much, much more than a bridge camera - it just takes a little getting used to. One particular joy has been the panorama function, which is excellent and easy to use although this is certainly a feature which would benefit from a higher resolution sensor since the end print size is so much larger than a typical A4 or even A3.
It does seem to me that the size issue is terribly important and I'm delighted that manufacturers are addressing this with micro-systems. Pros used to carry Rolleiflexes or Leicas, which were so much more manageable than today's monsters of DSLRs. Indeed so were film SLRs, even pst auto-focus. I wonder which will be seen as the dinosaurs in ten years time?
The size issue cuts both ways I found the A55 too small with a grip that was not deep enough for me. In this case it's "too small" to be truly comfortable to me. I appreciate it's very subjective and down to each person..but I left the shop wondering if the designers made a camera for Japanese women's hands and forgot about everyone else!
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but nothing to replace the A700? 
