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Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Taylor Sherman

New member
Yeah, perhaps full-frame Foveon sensor. Will it be mirrorless? Hmm.

How small could they make a MF RX-1 I wonder? Would it be worthwhile with a fixed 50/2 lens on it? The RX-1 has huge IQ improvements over anything else that size, could they make a medium-format fixie good enough to be another such leap?

There has certainly been a lot of talk about "hybrid" cameras and perhaps square formats from the rumor mill over the past couple years.

Do the FE lenses have rectangular baffles on the back? That would kinda rule out them going with a MF mirrorless that lets you use FE lenses in square crop.

There's that whole "Z-shift" thing too. That would certainly be new.
 

philip_pj

New member
The a7/a7r are the products of getting on to a year's market development lost to the A DSLRs, so 2014 will see them charge back on that front, probably with a bigger, better sensor and associated developments that they will hopefully never sell first to Nikon. There might be anything on this 'black ops' camera and it will very likely feature a high end variant to raise the image quality bar. At least one with super fast/accurate AF, high fps, and with other factors to ensure niche development of each model. One a studio focused model?

DSLRs are now quietly settling to a reduced standard size, as the DF, a77, a99 and 6D are all around 750 grams. Maybe a set of models (50Mp-36Mp-24Mp) stabilised and standardised re tech and with other factors to ensure niche development. The new a77 is out soon, it is the next look at their 'product test bed' model.

In RX land (a parallel team), a high Mp model (or more likely models) is almost inevitable, as the 2/35 Sonnar is good for 36Mp and more. They either need a range of them (24mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm) or some form of zoom. Users are increasingly looking for quiet cameras, maybe something there in an ILC RX, differentiated from the a7/r?

More FE cameras have been signalled already, different to the a7/a7r. How? No idea. The smaller 'NEX' series might head slowly towards redundancy, evern Zeiss are featuring an article of the Touits and longer ZMs being used on an a7r:

Touit and ZM lenses on the Sony Alpha 7R

Trying to anticipate Sony is like dancing with an 800 pound gorilla - you don't stop when you want to. They never stop. 2014 for Sony users is a case of:

Buckle up bonehead, you're going for a ride! :)
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
The smallest Medium Format camera with an EVF would be awesome!
Agreed. A smaller non-645 based system in the "spirit" of a Mamiya 7 or a MF Zeiss Ikon would be very appealing to many who are alright with a closed MF system... Provided it's highly portable with high quality lenses. Given Sony's track record they don't usually put significant R&D into their "halo" models without it trickling into other products be it SLT technology, IBIS, cutting edge sensor tech, etc. Maybe a system like this with a leaf shutters option a la the RX1 is a possibility.
 

Michiel Schierbeek

Well-known member
Hmmm...it's on his way. :dh2:

So it will have no Foveon type of sensor but the same sensor as Hasseblad and Pentax.

Because it will have no mirror, would it be possible to mount numurous MF lenses on it with adapters because it will have a shorter flange distance?
 

mjm6

Member
Agreed. A smaller non-645 based system in the "spirit" of a Mamiya 7 or a MF Zeiss Ikon would be very appealing to many who are alright with a closed MF system... Provided it's highly portable with high quality lenses. Given Sony's track record they don't usually put significant R&D into their "halo" models without it trickling into other products be it SLT technology, IBIS, cutting edge sensor tech, etc. Maybe a system like this with a leaf shutters option a la the RX1 is a possibility.
I'm sure you meant to say "Mamiya 6" there... Hahaha!

Man I loved that camera. Not the original one (with the collapsing bellows), but the second one with the collapsing hard mount.

It sounds like we all agree, though. We need a MF camera in a rangefinder format, ala Mamiya 6 or 7, with an EVF and focal plane shutter.

Then, give me a cropped mode for 35mm lenses with adapters, and get this, you wouldn't have to rotate the camera to shoot verticals, you just rotate the sensor crop area.

Plus, with an appropriate adapter, you could shoot the Canon 17mm and 24mm TS lenses and fully cover the sensor, depending on the size (if it's the 44x33 as mentioned in the rumor link, it should cover).

---Michael
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
I'm sure you meant to say "Mamiya 6" there... Hahaha!

Man I loved that camera. Not the original one (with the collapsing bellows), but the second one with the collapsing hard mount.

It sounds like we all agree, though. We need a MF camera in a rangefinder format, ala Mamiya 6 or 7, with an EVF and focal plane shutter.

Then, give me a cropped mode for 35mm lenses with adapters, and get this, you wouldn't have to rotate the camera to shoot verticals, you just rotate the sensor crop area.

Plus, with an appropriate adapter, you could shoot the Canon 17mm and 24mm TS lenses and fully cover the sensor, depending on the size (if it's the 44x33 as mentioned in the rumor link, it should cover).

---Michael
I haven't used a Mamiya 6 and I've only tried a used Mamiya 7 in the store. I really liked it and if there were a digital version I'd sell my M kit off to finance a portable EVF MF system in a heartbeat. I haven't used my M since I got my A7 and A7r in December.
 

mjm6

Member
Hired,

The biggest difference between the 6 and the 7 (other than the change in lens mounts and focal lengths, they were not interchangeable) was the collapsing mount on the 6, which made the kit smaller in a bag, so it traveled a bit better than the 7.

I suspect they got rid of the collapsing mount from the 6 to increase the performance with a fixed, rigid mount on the 7 and 7II.

My M9 is just about out the door for me now because of the a7r, but I'm still struggling with the lenses to keep/sell. Must test more before making a decision.


---Michael
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
Hired,

The biggest difference between the 6 and the 7 (other than the change in lens mounts and focal lengths, they were not interchangeable) was the collapsing mount on the 6, which made the kit smaller in a bag, so it traveled a bit better than the 7.

I suspect they got rid of the collapsing mount from the 6 to increase the performance with a fixed, rigid mount on the 7 and 7II.

My M9 is just about out the door for me now because of the a7r, but I'm still struggling with the lenses to keep/sell. Must test more before making a decision.


---Michael
Oh okay. Good to know. I'm good on portability with the A7 series really but it would be nice to have something smaller than a 645 body or a Phase body to carry around. I also have large hands so there is only so small I'm willing to go as well. I thought the Mamiya 7 was a great size for a MF camera though personally. Not too big but not too small.
 

bensonga

Well-known member
B&W sensor wouldn't be "never before made" … Leica MM did that already.

- Marc
A B&W sensor in a mirrorless camera body would be "never before made" however....and that's what I'm hoping for now. The Leica MM has tempted me ever since it came out, but I just don't think I could get used to 35mm rangefinder focusing. I have a hard enough time focusing my Mamiya 7II.

Gary
 

biglouis

Well-known member
Even if they could I can't see why Sony would release a MF model. It is hardly a mass market product. Maybe they would do it for reasons of reputation but they are not exactly tapping into a market as lucrative as displacing either Nikon or Canon.

I'll probably have to eat my words but does anyone except for a specialised niche of professional photographers actually need a 50mpx MF camera in this day and age?

LouisB
 

BackToSlr

New member
Even if they could I can't see why Sony would release a MF model. It is hardly a mass market product. Maybe they would do it for reasons of reputation but they are not exactly tapping into a market as lucrative as displacing either Nikon or Canon.

I'll probably have to eat my words but does anyone except for a specialised niche of professional photographers actually need a 50mpx MF camera in this day and age?

LouisB
My guess is that it would be a MF with fixed lens like RX1 series...rest of the ecosystem will work with Sony E mount system, and it will be one MF grade addition to the kit...

N
 

bipbip

Member
But what I really want is a camera with the A7r sensor and a quiet shutter with no lag.
I'm with you on this one. The thing that most attracted me to the RX10 was the possibility of having the option to choose a noiseless shutter (save the price). Can't see why this option isn't available on a mirrorless body or indeed why Sony doesn't offer their equivalent to Pentax's pancakes for that matter; they produce small bodies but stick to standard sized lenses, me no understand ...
 
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