Sony has confirmed it will be making a full-frame replacement for its flagship A900 DSLR. No further details were given during a round-table discussion at the CP+ show in Japan, but we find it hard to believe the result will step away from the SLT technology the company has invested so heavily in.
"It’s not a big news but I take the chance to remind you the A99 with 24 Megapixel will arrive in September. The other Full Frame camera with 36 megapixel will arrive in early/mid 2013. Yes, it’s the same sensor of the Nikon D800 (Click here to check specs)."
"It’s not a big news but I take the chance to remind you the A99 with 24 Megapixel will arrive in September. The other Full Frame camera with 36 megapixel will arrive in early/mid 2013. Yes, it’s the same sensor of the Nikon D800 (Click here to check specs)."
bluetsunami wrote:
It seems like all of the pipelines related to the photographic sector from Sony is half to a full step slower than any other of the big names
The floods apparently really hurt Sony, from what I understand. I mean, the A900 actually got the 24mp sensor before the D3x.
Sony have their hands full with the NEX and high sales volume DSLRs plus lenses at all levels for the two platforms. People overlook that, even though they are now a clear #3, they have lots to do with lens releases in particular.
They are turning out models like there is no tomorrow, and have done for a couple of years now. There is also the sensor business.
Sales from full frame DSLRs are actually very small with 4 year cycles, they can afford to wait and see, I think, as a matter of priorities. Sony hit a huge home run with the A900, my guess is they want to be quite sure they get the full frame segment right again.
Unlike the establishment, they are focused on innovation. I doubt their next FF camera will be expensive, the fine D800 is priced at a very consumer friendly level, Sony will go lower, of course.
Floods were a hiccup, but now the main selling lines are flowing again.
What I find interesting is the rash of NEX competitors, some of which are very expensive.
And we see very few credible people suggesting they are leaving the business these days.
Lotusm50 wrote:
Interesting that the Nikon D800 will arrive about a year earlier than the Sony camera with the same 36mp sensor -- and Sony is making the sensor.
This would almost make me think that Nikon secured an exclusivity agreement on the sensor for a certain period of time.
philip_pj wrote:
Sales from full frame DSLRs are actually very small with 4 year cycles, they can afford to wait and see, I think, as a matter of priorities. Sony hit a huge home run with the A900, my guess is they want to be quite sure they get the full frame segment right again.
Unlike the establishment, they are focused on innovation. I doubt their next FF camera will be expensive, the fine D800 is priced at a very consumer friendly level, Sony will go lower, of course.
Reading through the responses from quite a number of A900/850 users at the sonyalpharumros linke above, it's clear there will be a significant number of defectors to the Nikon D800. Sony has been slow to cater to their FF customers with updated lenses and the uncertainty of exactly what the next FF A900 replacement will be does not help, particularly when the D800 comes along and checks most of the boxes that many would want at a price even lower than the A900 was introduced at. Sony will likely offer a lower price, high MP FF body in a year but it will not be anything like the A900 or D800. The irony is that while Sony's innovation and willingness for change works for them in the NEX line, I think it works decidedly against them in the FF DSLR market. Abandoning the optical finder and putting a stationary translucent mirror in the optical path is a risky move by Sony for that customer base since most are not willing to be Sony's guinea pigs/ beta testers when it comes to their own business and clients. It is definitely a more traditional group overall. The other issue is that the very success of the NEX -and Sony's willingness for change/ innovation - creates just enough doubt in Sony's long term commitment to the traditional A mount to cause potential high end, FF users to pause before jumping in.
bentley59 wrote:
When did $3000 get to be consumer friendly?
The A900 was more than that at introduction. Neither of these cameras is really aimed at the average consumer but at the Pro, Semi-Pro, high end enthusiast market.
FlyPenFly wrote:
I've thought about the D800 a lot but the platform just doesn't have the lenses I want to use. All very good lenses but nothing special.
Plus for my needs, I prefer Sony's flash system over the vaunted Nikon CLS.
Where can i find out more about the virtues of Sony's flash system? can i get faster Xsync? is there better control of third party flashes and studio lights?
I love the NEX-5N even tho i have to tape a flash trigger to the HVL-F7S to trigger my off camera lights.
FlyPenFly wrote:
I've thought about the D800 a lot but the platform just doesn't have the lenses I want to use. All very good lenses but nothing special.
Plus for my needs, I prefer Sony's flash system over the vaunted Nikon CLS.
The poor lens adaptability of the Nikon system could make it a definite non starter for many around here. For me, the saving grace is the availability of Zeiss ZF.2 and Leitax mounts with Leica R, Zeiss Contax and Olympus lenses. There are also a few Nikkor lenses that I definitely want to try such as the 14-24 zoom..
I guess I just don't find anything in their regular line up that would want to make me give up the ZA line other than the 14-24. Unfortunately with the 14-24, I would also have to rebuy all my Lee filters which is painful to think about.
