I agree with this Hank ... yet at the same time I do wish Sony would cut back on the minor variations with-in a model line every thirty seconds, and had offered an A950 or something using the same OVF, activated the dual card slots to shoot redundant parallel capture, instituted live view, and upgraded the sensor with this new one for a better IQ and high ISO ... which seems to be a minimal R&D endeavor, and would have further amortized their existing investment possibly producing a better pay-out per camera with an existing user base that is still relatively satisfied with the A900.
-Marc
Marc,
Didn't you just describe a D800? As good as the A900 is (and I think most here are in agreement on that subject), I think it became clear to Sony that they will never gain market share playing third fiddle to Canon and Nikon tech. The EVF and translucent mirror are disrupter technologies meant to differentiate and excite. Sony is all-in and I think it is a good gambit.
Camera tech is changing dramatically as witnessed by the mirrorless segment. SAR reported today - via Sony's own numbers - that Sony is the market leader in the mirrorless space. I think Sony is carving out a niche that the big two have so far been reluctant to commit to in a convincing manner. By owning this space early, they can sap more customers from Canon and Nikon as users move up to a DSLR(T). A NEX user would be almost immediately comfortable using an A99 where a more traditional OVF experience would be a bit of a step backwards for that user.
Face it, Sony is playing to new customers, not to the old. If the old customers embrace this new direction - and many are - then they are welcome aboard the train. Otherwise, they are heading for the OVF world of Canon and Nikon - and how long before those companies go EVF? Maybe they will, maybe they won't but as EVF tech continues to evolve there won't be much argument for an OVF.
In my community I am starting to see more and more entry level Sony SLTs in the hands of my friends and neighbors. I think there is a powerful draw to seeing your photo before it is captured that gives a level of comfort to a beginner. That same technology can be used even more powerfully by a pro.
Sorry for the extended diatribe. As a pro who shoots more film cameras than digital, I get why people are passionate about the OVF but I see the merits of the EVF and think that is where the future lies.
Chad