Yes, yes, I think we all agree that the A series makes a nice digital back for a lot of favorite glass.
It is the native AF FE mount glass that fits the cameras that's lacking. 4 cameras and 2 primes is meager at best (plus, a slow 35 and 55/1.8 are too close in FL to be of real value). Expensive slow zooms defended by high ISO arguments forgets the value of subject separation and use of higher shutter speeds using cleaner base ISO. All the zooms are slow. Ergonomics (both physical and especially operational) of the Sony tiny-tot cameras is unnecessarily awkward and bewilderingly complex.
My bigger concern is the lack of a FF frame replacement for the A99 ... a much better featured camera than any A series, but now aging. That is a LOT of A mount ZA glass that will be orphaned should Sony not continue the SLT FF camera. The massively inelegant LEAE-4 adapter is NOT the answer ... nor is handling the camera by the lens which may kind of work for the 135/1.8, but not so good with other ZAs. Next we'll need strap lugs on the lenses : -)
ZAs will become paper-weights if there is no native FF camera, especially as Sony eventually trots out the FE line and twenty more FE mount cameras. The SLT is beginning to smell like the Contax N system all over again. Great Zeiss optics with no camera. At least the Leica R lenses were mechanical and could be adapted.
It's about optics ... the long term investment in them ... not re-buying everything over, and over, and over ... (unless of course you are Guy
).
- Marc