p.2 #1 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
My own personal take with Sony's camera development is: if they have already developed the sensor for somebody else, might as well integrate it into a Sony product. They have been doing this lately - look at the NEX C3/5N - it's the D7000/K5 sensor.
p.2 #2 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
Their sensor tech for ff and smaller seems to have leap frogged everyone else with r&d funded by massive Nikon demand. It'll be interesting if 2 generations from now they decide to cut Nikon off, where will Nikon get their sensors?
Samsung would be the only company that has the capacity to supply them. If I was a Nikon executive that's what would keep me up at night, they're too small to own a fabrication plant and do deep research on imaging sensors.
They're in the same boat as Olympus and Pentax when it comes down to it.
p.2 #3 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
FlyPenFly wrote:
If I was a Nikon executive that's what would keep me up at night, they're too small to own a fabrication plant and do deep research on imaging sensors.
Nikon does make wafer steppers though, just like Canon, and they sell more of them. Maybe they just don't sell enough cameras to produce their own sensors profitably?
p.2 #4 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
AhamB wrote:
Nikon does make wafer steppers though, just like Canon, and they sell more of them. Maybe they just don't sell enough cameras to produce their own sensors profitably?
Could they make the sensors themselves? Sure. Hello Leaf digi-back pricing!
p.2 #5 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
At this moment, I think only 2 companies out there care about photography, Leica and Nikon. (and Zeiss of course, but they don't make digital bodies yet). I wouldn't consider buying from anyone else.
What about Ricoh? I know it's a tiny fish in a huge pond (the imaging business, that is) and that they've recently acquired a company in Pentax that's just gone silly, but they seem to care and to be able to think outside the box. Maybe they'll bring Pentax around to sanity after a period of quarantine and with the combined strengths of both houses will bring out something full frame that'll be competitive in terms of image quality, but still different. Maybe the first full-frame mirrorless? Or maybe I'm just dreaming out loud.
p.2 #6 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
corposant wrote:
My own personal take with Sony's camera development is: if they have already developed the sensor for somebody else, might as well integrate it into a Sony product. They have been doing this lately - look at the NEX C3/5N - it's the D7000/K5 sensor.
FWIW, the Sony A55 was announced with that 16mp sensor a little before the D7000 and K-5. The D800's sensor is the first that Sony doesn't have also coming in a Sony camera model, if I'm not mistaken. Most of the time, the Sony camera is announced a couple/few months before the Nikon body with the same sensor.
p.2 #8 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
I would love to go back to Sony A900 and Minolta colors if Sony would equip a conventional FF body (not Nex) with reduced flange to sensor distance and Alpha adapter such that I could use my ZE lenses and Alpha primes. Large lenses and Nex don't fit together for me.
I have never been happy with Canon colors and now that Canon seems to have lost sensor R&D capability and enjoy dollars sucked in by using old plants it could be a successful assault by Sony.
p.2 #9 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
i was one of the first a900 owners in Canada and it's been pretty faithful.
i considered jumpin' but am not really interested in the cost of switching. I'm not a fan of nikon lenses except for maybe the 14-24/2.8 so it might be a 19v2, 35/1.4, 50/1.4e55, 60, 80/1.4, 100/2.8 leica+leitax line-up if i did.
right now i'm satisfied with the a900, could see staying with it for maybe another generation of bodies or til it breaks. the SLT gadgetry doesn't really interest me photography wise (i got a GH2 to play with video), so the a99 isn't really on the radar. but if there was a new sony body with LV, 100% OVF, IBIS + 36mp, i'd be all over that. for me the next best thing would be the d800e.
p.2 #10 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
I'm actually thinking of buying an a900. I sold my D700 and moved into Nex, which I am very happy with. There is one thing, though, that my Nex 7 really doesn't do well and that is AF on fast moving targets in low light conditions, even with the LA-EA2 adapter.
I shoot dance concerts which are just too challenging for the Nex, and I'm thinking that an a900 body would do well at this. I have three good alpha lenses already that I use on the Nex, so I wouldn't have to buy a bunch of new lenses.
p.2 #11 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
partitura wrote:
I'm actually thinking of buying an a900. I sold my D700 and moved into Nex, which I am very happy with. There is one thing, though, that my Nex 7 really doesn't do well and that is AF on fast moving targets in low light conditions, even with the LA-EA2 adapter.
I shoot dance concerts which are just too challenging for the Nex, and I'm thinking that an a900 body would do well at this. I have three good alpha lenses already that I use on the Nex, so I wouldn't have to buy a bunch of new lenses.
I used to use my a900 for dance photography many times. The only possible negative would be so so high ISO ability - though it's at least a stop better than the NEX-7 in my experience. Single point AF is really quick and accurate but tracking will not be at the level of a high end Nikon or Canon. Not really an issue in this case if you know what your doing.
p.2 #12 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
ayler wrote:
What about Ricoh? I know it's a tiny fish in a huge pond (the imaging business, that is) and that they've recently acquired a company in Pentax that's just gone silly, but they seem to care and to be able to think outside the box. Maybe they'll bring Pentax around to sanity after a period of quarantine and with the combined strengths of both houses will bring out something full frame that'll be competitive in terms of image quality, but still different. Maybe the first full-frame mirrorless? Or maybe I'm just dreaming out loud.
+1
Ricoh seem passionate. They hit a home run with their small P&S film cameras (GR1 and GR21 series) and though they have not been a major player in the SLR arena for a few decades they have been at it, on digital, with passion it seems. I hope the semi flop with the big 24-85mm zoom and the sketchy decision to leave Ricoh digital camera marketing to Pentax isn't a nail in the coffin for new exciting products from them.
I do miss my Sony A900 at times, great camera, great results. At the time I had it I would not have traded it for any other brand. If I was in the market for a fullframe dSLR I would consider picking one up again.
p.2 #13 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
BokehBeauty wrote:
I would love to go back to Sony A900 and Minolta colors if Sony would equip a conventional FF body (not Nex) with reduced flange to sensor distance and Alpha adapter such that I could use my ZE lenses and Alpha primes. Large lenses and Nex don't fit together for me.
I have never been happy with Canon colors and now that Canon seems to have lost sensor R&D capability and enjoy dollars sucked in by using old plants it could be a successful assault by Sony.
You could sell your ZE lenses and replace them with ZF and use Leitax to mount them, or, in some cases, you could replace them with ZS.
p.2 #14 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
I Leitaxed my ZF lenses for my A900, but it didn't quite turn out as I had hoped. I had a really hard time nailing focus, and lack of live-view was killing me. I also didn't quite get the micro-contrast I was used to from the 5D2. Don't know why. Colors were nice though.
In the end, I got a used D700 to go with my Zeiss lenses. I still have my A900, but I'll probably sell it. I hope someone releases a FF mirrorless Nex type camera in not too far future, I dig the smaller size cameras. Then it's farewell DSLRs for me, I think.
p.2 #15 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
I agree with mortyb about the low micro contrast. It is caused by the excessively strong AA filter. Despite the beautiful colors and film like rendering, the A900 is a micro contrast killer. It doesn't do the exceptional ZA lenses justice.
p.2 #16 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
Also note that due to the process the Leitax mounts are put through, their accuracy is not always perfect, so at least there could be some infinity issues.
p.2 #17 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
carstenw wrote:
Also note that due to the process the Leitax mounts are put through, their accuracy is not always perfect, so at least there could be some infinity issues.
don't the ZE and ZF lenses already focus past infinity on the original mounts?
p.2 #20 · Sony A900/850 users jumped ship to Nikon D 800/E?
partitura wrote:
I'm actually thinking of buying an a900. I sold my D700 and moved into Nex, which I am very happy with. There is one thing, though, that my Nex 7 really doesn't do well and that is AF on fast moving targets in low light conditions, even with the LA-EA2 adapter.
I shoot dance concerts which are just too challenging for the Nex, and I'm thinking that an a900 body would do well at this. I have three good alpha lenses already that I use on the Nex, so I wouldn't have to buy a bunch of new lenses.
LA-EA2 AF is as good or better than the A900's older unit in low light. Sounds like you want an A77 or the upcoming A99, with superior AF to any of the older Alpha's or the LA-EA2 (which has the same performance as the non-A77 SLT's)
