The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

I hate to be the one bringing you bad news

ecsh

New member
Of course if Sony or Nikon or Canon had to go online and tell folks a specific rumour, regardless of how damaging it is, is false, then you would expect this every time, and i am pretty sure they do not care what we think as far as false rumours or any for that matter is concerned.
 
Of course if Sony or Nikon or Canon had to go online and tell folks a specific rumour, regardless of how damaging it is, is false, then you would expect this every time, and i am pretty sure they do not care what we think as far as false rumours or any for that matter is concerned.
Sony's gaming division has done this, but usually if they let the rumor go it is false and if they rebut the rumor it turns out the be true.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
I just browsed through the dpr review of the A390, and although it's not directly related, it shows that Sony has a strategy problem. I don't know how many DSLR models Sony has launched only the last 12 months (I can't count that far), many of them with only minimal, sometimes mostly cosmetic, changes. Still, Pentax, with only two models, is outselling them on the Japanese market.

So, they have to cut their losses, and although I doubt they are making much profit on the cheaper models, that is a market that they understand and can deal with. But a niche market that caters for a handful of middle aged, grumpy enthusiasts might not be Sony's cup of tea right now. Remember that they also halted the marketing of OLED TVs recently, leaving a greedy Samsung more or less alone in that part of the market. They are simply not in the mood to take any changes in the current economic climate.

If it's true, it would not be the first U-turn Sony have made. Anybody remember the ElCassette?
 

mwalker

Subscriber Member
Jono's right what do you go too? Canon?...been there done that...and I haven't had very good luck reliability wise with my A900 but the only way I would switch DSLR systems is if Leica came out with a R10 which according to them is a dead horse.
 

peterb

Member
The A900 remains a good buy but unfortunately for Sony there are other alternatives in the ball park for less (Nikon's D700 and Canon's new 5D MkII for example). And even though the Nikon pixel count limits the ultimate print size for pixel peepers and the Canon doesn't have the weather sealing NEITHER camera has the fabulous VF or the in-camera stabilization that the Sony has. Still I imagine the competition might have been a bit too disappointing for Sony. All because the people wanting these other rocks want them because they see so many 'Pro's' using them at weddings and press conferences. (Having just returned from a honeymoon in Vancouver I can attest to that as it seemed like people EVERYWHERE were using FF Nikon and Canon DSLRS!).

Interestingly I wonder if the under $2k A850 had any impact. I thought it was a bold move that I thought would surely would have tipped the scales a little in Sony's favor. But maybe not. Consumers who just do a cursory review of various DSLRs reading the words "unacceptable noise at ISO's above 400' who would easily be wowed by the superb images of the Sony machines may have gravitated toward the cameras with higher ISO performance (even though in most cases I suspect users will shoot at ISO 400 and under ANYWAY).

Still, Sony did announce a FF Zeiss 24mm f2 which from the initial images I've seen in dpreview are quite impressive. So I really wonder whether Sony will ditch their FF DSLRs or whether something else may be up. (Even with Beta Max that failed as a consumer product in the face of VHS Sony found an even greater market with the professionals who used NOTHING but Sony in their editorials suites giving them a virtual LOCK in that market providing Sony with an impressive profit center for DECADES). And if past behavior is any predictor of future events it seems like they don't just drop out of a market when maybe their initial projections weren't met. Sony has also made heavy investments in Konica and Minolta and a have a long-standing relationship, obcviously, with Zeiss that doesn't appear to be fading so I can't see them throwing in the towel THAT easily.)

Regarding the sensor I'm also surprised that with all of Sony's development and major announcements of their backlit sensor with it's claimed lower noise which certainly made me speculate if whether a FF version would appear in a future A900 and A850 MK II that such an announcement would have any basis. Plus, let's be honest, profits is profits. When you have customers buying your sensors why would you cut them off? UNLESS, there's a new player that may have wowed Nikon. I'd place my bet on Samsung who's been itching to get some of Sony's business.

If that were the case and now Samsung is making chips that Nikon prefers, I could see Sony making an announcement that spurred this thread. But I don't know really.

And while Sony in the pursuit of a source for FF sensors (should they continue to support--and bean counters be damned--this wonderful almost Leica-like niche they've carved out) may not go with Samsung (honestly when you already have the fabrication equipment how hard is it to continue manufacturing slightly larger chips than APSC?) I could see a scenario where they MAY go with Panasonic who just announced a patent for their OWN backlit Sensor. But one that follows the FOVEON approach of multiple layers of pixel sites stacked on one another. THAT might be something that could be up their sleeves--a development that has really put my imagination into overdrive.

I know I've rambled and I'm sorry. Suffice to say, I wouldn't count Sony out of the FF biz yet. And we may be in for some even MORE exciting times ahead. So don't go putting your Zeiss optics on Ebay just quite yet. :)
 
Last edited:

picman

Member
So don't go putting your Zeiss optics on Ebay just quite yet. :)
Well, you will not see my lenses there any time soon :)

After all these rumours my a900 and a850 with CZ lenses still takes pictures just as before. Uncanny isn't it :ROTFL:
 

dhsimmonds

New member
Peter....I agree wholeheartedly and you won't be seeing any of my lenses on eBay just yet either!! However, neither do I intend to be left holding an unsupported camera system for ever.

Unlike a mechanical camera, there are just too many things that can go wrong with a digital camera and even the mechanical bits have a finite life such as shutters at 150K actuations!

I have seen it all before. I have heard that Nikon are producing some of their own sensors including FF. They are also reported to have developed a totally electronic shutter capable of very high shutter speeds.

There are very few of the traditional camera manufacturers left in the digital race now. The electronic giants have swallowed up some and others have dropped off the perch. Olympus, Nikon and Leica are just a few of the originals left and they all have to get into advanced electonics to survive without fear of being held to ransom by the electronic giants who supply them and who very often are in competition with them! :wtf:

It is a very unhealthy situation at the moment IMHO. As the end customers and users we are in the waiting phase of the game but I am one that won't wait too long. :angry:
 

edwardkaraa

New member
Honestly for those of us whe were hoping the alpha would become the next Contax, there is reason to be disappointed. After several years all what is available is 3 Zeiss primes (and 2 zooms if you're into that) while if I stayed with Canon I would have had access to 9 high quality primes.
 

dhsimmonds

New member
OK Folks

A few days ago I offerred to do a bit of digging around amongst what I consider to be reliable and informed Sony sources and I have come up with the following:-

" Four new Alpha A-mount bodies to be announced in the last week of August.
Two A5XX replacements with video
A33 & A55(16mpx sensor) with pellicle or "translucent" cameras with EVF, fast fps &
fast AF video.(A possible hint at the way the A700 replacement and new NEX cams?

Many new lenses including the CZ24/F2 already announced

The A7xx probably not by Photokina but soon. It will have an 18 mpx sensor.

The A9XX, not by Photokina but soon. It is thought to be having a 30+mpx CMOS sensor capable of high ISO performance.

Also probably before too long a NEX 7 and an A850/900 firmware update."

Now the source of this info is the owner and editor of 'Photoworld', the respected newsletter of Minolta/Sony club and he also writes for the British Journal of Photography. He also has his ear to the ground in other camera circles and says that Nikon are also suffering as there is a global decline in DSLR sales largely contributed by the use of video stills capture amongst photo journalists. Hence the speed of video capability to high end DSLR's? Could also be the cause of all the anti-SONY hype in recent times?

Anyway on the basis of all this stuff I for one now intend to hold fire for a few months before jumping ship.:ROTFL:
 

Steen

Senior Subscriber Member
thanks for bringing us the good news .-)

Thanks Dave :thumbup: ... you still have time to edit your headline :D

(Just hit the Go Advanced button at the bottom of the page)
 

jonoslack

Active member
Re: thanks for bringing us the good news .-)

Thanks Dave :thumbup: ... you still have time to edit your headline :D

(Just hit the Go Advanced button at the bottom of the page)
And Another thanks from me too. It increasingly sounds to me like viral marketing from some Nikon source (not Thom I'm sure - I'd guess that he's just the unwitting mouthpiece).
If Sony are going to bring out a 30+MP body, then others will not be pleased!
 

Eoin

Member
Well the a900 replacement (a9xx) with better high ISO performance should keep those who like to shoot by candle light in dark caves happy,:clap:.

I wonder if the long awaited firmware update will bring some enhancement to the existing a850 / a900 ISO performance?.

Or perhaps it's an update that slowly over time will convert your Full Frame to APS-C so as you won't notice to difference when you are forced to get a new body and there is no FF offering left from Sony. :D

Jono, sorry to read of your nerve damage, that what you get with those cheap chairs :ROTFL:, seriously though, I hope you have a full and speedy recovery. :salute:
 

peterb

Member
...neither do I intend to be left holding an unsupported camera system for ever.
You've succinctly nailed my chief beef with the whole digital era. While film-less cameras have been a total liberating experience (no extra costs so one fires away like a maniac) it's also a double edged sword when it comes to camera models as a whole.

In the old days, as you pointed out, one bought a camera and film SEPARATELY. That is you bought into a camera's design and the optics available and let the film companies worry about sensitivity, resolution and grain. (My old adage was that you bought the best lenses you could find because the films were so bad. Then when films technology got finer you bought cameras with the best lenses because films were so GOOD!)

Today, you buy into a camera AND it's 'film'. And you're totally locked into it until the next generation sensor comes out. (To whit, Dave, your friend's admission that the new SONY FF sensor would be a whopping 30 MP with a lower noise high ISO performance--that confirms my suspicions that a FF BACKLIT sensor was in the works),

In the beginning when chips were constantly being improved in both resolution and noise performance with each new pass (a la Moore's Law as applied to photography) it was understandable. We were all pioneers snapping up each new generation as the improvements were clearly visible. Now we're at the point of sensor maturity (except for video and 3D which I'm sure will be next digital space race) and ABSURDITY (21mp vs 24mp vs 30mp????????).

I often wondered why in the digital age one had to throw out the bath water with the bath? That is, with once the frame size had been determined (APS-C, FF, micro 4/3 or whatever) why couldn't one send their camera back to the factory for a CHIP upgrade instead of a whole new CAMERA upgrade. I'm assuming the connections to the body are most likely the same. And firmware would take care of the rest of the issues. Menus are software driven so that's an easy fix as well. There would ALWAYS be new buyers into the fa manufacturer's fold and extant users would be a source of added income. Call me crazy but I just think it's totally idiotic to toss good, weather-sealed, magnesium alloyed bodies for a new one when only a few minor swaps are needed in a perfectly good one.

Anyway, I hope your friend is right. Lookin' forward to seeing to who I think has created the finest non-Nikon/Canon camera stay in the biz for a long time to come.
 
Top