I'm confused by the term OVF ... it seems to be used 2 different ways in this thread.
I think it should be regarded to mean Optical viewfinder as opposed to Electronic viewfinder (which shouldn't be confused with the LCD on the back!
Questions to those who seem to know a lot more than I do about all of this: (partially because I haven't read everything available yet, and haven't experimented with these cameras enough yet).
Do you think the black-out something that can be over-come in future? Also, is it necessary to have the review appear in the VF after the shot? Both these add up to way to much time before you can take the next shot. This isn't just a need for sports shooters BTW ...
I'm sure the black out can be overcome - I would have thought a firmware update would do it . . . . but if you have auto-review switched on, then you should switch it off, it's unnecessary, and if you want to see what you got, then it's quicker just to press the review button.
I don't think you should make any judgement about shot to shot times until you've turned it off (although I think we all agree that it would be better with a shorter blackout time).
Is the horribly grainy VF image in lower light necessarily always going to be so?
I'm not sure - I guess it can be improved - but it's always going to be a trade-off between graininess and response time. My personal feeling is that the EVF works really well, but don't expect to make anything other than composition/exposure/focus judgements from it.
I can see holding these little cameras at arms length to use the LCD ... but most certainly do relish doing so with a camera the size of an A900 except just occasionally for an over-head shot or worm's eye perspective.
I've been using the A33/55 for a few weeks now (quite extensively) and I always use the viewfinder and (almost) never the LCD - it really does provide all the information you need to get the shot - it's a case of getting used to it.
I personally saw the A900 as the successor to the Contax ND ... Zeiss AF optics and all that. . .. . . snip
If they add a video/movie capability into an A900 type FF camera it will be an attractive alternative to existing ones such as the Canon 5D-II ... especially so if the EVF is a good one and the constant focus ability of the A-55 is retained. Imagine the color out of such a camera and the zing of the Zeiss optics. Wowzier!
-Marc
Well - I wonder if they aren't planning some kind of hybrid OVF/EVF, which would provide the best of both worlds. If Fuji can do it with their little 35mm then I don't see that it's beyond Sony's ability.
I can see that it would be possible to have a translucent fixed mirror behind a normal mirror - you could lock up the normal mirror, which would then give you an EVF and constant phase detection autofocus, together with the advantages of no mirror slap and constant live view . . . or you could unlock the mirror which would give you what is basically the same as an existing A900.
One thing I think we can be sure of is that it any A900 replacement will have both live view and a good movie mode, and almost certainly more than 30Mp
all the best