Photo sharing: Sony Alpha

[fractal]

Nice moon shot Animagic!

 

[fractal]

 

[Hockeyman]

All right Havoc and Harry, translate this for me lol. Whats the benefit of this?

From Sonyalpharumors

Ok guys, I finally start to have a tiny bit more reliable info about the next A-mount cameras coming in Spring. I just have been told by one source (and confirmed via another one) that the next A77 successor is definitely coming and it will have on sensor PDAF. The big question they could not answer yet is if this means that the A79 (or whatever the name will be) comes with or without semitransparent mirror.

As you know Sony already patented such a camera (United States Patent Application 20130113982). I have been also told that Sony managers try to avoid answering any question about the future of the SLT tech. Lets see if the A79 will be the first camera without that mirror in between&

 

[havoc315]

All right Havoc and Harry, translate this for me lol. Whats the benefit of this?

From Sonyalpharumors

It could mean 1 of 2 things:

-- They skip the SLT mirror, and it will be a purely mirrorless A-mount camera. They must be expecting that the on-sensor PDAF is ready for prime time -- It can be fully functional, and basically equivalent to a dedicated PD module. The Canon 70D has almost accomplished this, but their on-sensor PDAF can't handle burst shooting from what I understand. If on-sensor PDAF can match regular PDAF, the obvious benefit -- no mirror blocking light, better ISO performance. The A79 would match the Nikon D7200 is ISO performance basically.

Or..
-- They are merely copying the A99 (and to a lesser extent the A7), which use on-sensor phase detection to "assist" the main focusing system. The A99 has both SLT mirror AND on-sensor phase detect.

Rumors have gone back and forth about whether A-mount is abandoning the mirror or not. The bigger issue I see from the rumors, is that the announcement date gets further and further away. The A79 was supposed to be announced in spring 2013 (if you believe the rumors). Then it got pushed to "possibly the fall of 2013). Then strong rumors of "very very early 2014".. And now, around April 2014ish..

Not sure it's worth waiting anymore. I mean, you can *always* wait for something better and cheaper. But there comes a point where you are sacrificing current satisfaction while you wait. I would definitely "wait and see" if the A79 was a few weeks from announcement, but now it is looking like a minimum of 3 more months...... And I could easily see it being pushed back further.

I feel like the A-mount is in the ICU, and Sony simply hasn't decided whether to pull it off life support or not. In-house, they are continuing to develop A-mount possibilities, but they are only releasing E-mounts... and re-naming the E-mount cameras as "A"...
At some point, Sony will have to make a decision, "ok, we have some A-mount cameras we have developed... do we release them, or do we solely focus on the E-mount and encourage A-mount owners to buy adapters?"

For now, Sony leaks rumors that the A-mount is alive, just so they can keep selling their remaining stock of A-mount cameras and A-mount lenses.

 

[fractal]

It could mean 1 of 2 things:

-- They skip the SLT mirror, and it will be a purely mirrorless A-mount camera. They must be expecting that the on-sensor PDAF is ready for prime time -- It can be fully functional, and basically equivalent to a dedicated PD module. The Canon 70D has almost accomplished this, but their on-sensor PDAF can't handle burst shooting from what I understand. If on-sensor PDAF can match regular PDAF, the obvious benefit -- no mirror blocking light, better ISO performance. The A79 would match the Nikon D7200 is ISO performance basically.

Or..
-- They are merely copying the A99 (and to a lesser extent the A7), which use on-sensor phase detection to "assist" the main focusing system. The A99 has both SLT mirror AND on-sensor phase detect.

Rumors have gone back and forth about whether A-mount is abandoning the mirror or not. The bigger issue I see from the rumors, is that the announcement date gets further and further away. The A79 was supposed to be announced in spring 2013 (if you believe the rumors). Then it got pushed to "possibly the fall of 2013). Then strong rumors of "very very early 2014".. And now, around April 2014ish..

Not sure it's worth waiting anymore. I mean, you can *always* wait for something better and cheaper. But there comes a point where you are sacrificing current satisfaction while you wait. I would definitely "wait and see" if the A79 was a few weeks from announcement, but now it is looking like a minimum of 3 more months...... And I could easily see it being pushed back further.

I feel like the A-mount is in the ICU, and Sony simply hasn't decided whether to pull it off life support or not. In-house, they are continuing to develop A-mount possibilities, but they are only releasing E-mounts... and re-naming the E-mount cameras as "A"...
At some point, Sony will have to make a decision, "ok, we have some A-mount cameras we have developed... do we release them, or do we solely focus on the E-mount and encourage A-mount owners to buy adapters?"

For now, Sony leaks rumors that the A-mount is alive, just so they can keep selling their remaining stock of A-mount cameras and A-mount lenses.

I'm afraid your analysis may be spot on. Even though I don't have an A-mount camera I would hate to see it go.

 

[havoc315]

... Also, I just wouldn't put much stock into ANY rumors until release is just days away. (In other words, until actual production models are starting to leak out).

If you look at the last year worth of Sony A79 rumors from SAR...
September 2013, "SR4" rumor, the A79:
The A79 specs he gave to me will be the same for the A7 (ILCE-7) and A79 (I have already posted these specs a month ago).

- 32mpix exmor hd chip (new generation)
- 4 gb buffer
- full mirrorless focus, 480 focus points
- evf 4mpix
- 8-14 fps/sec
- Magnesium body
- There will be a new vertical grip too (compatible also with current SLT cameras).
- I have been told that also the look changed a tiny bit and it somehow reminds of the old Minolta 700si (you can find them here on eBay).-

Shortly thereafter:
(SR3) Sony A79 and A9x cameras in Store by early 2014?

Then in October
SR4-One APS-C SLT A-mount camera with new 24 megapixel sensor (improved over the A77 sensor!).:


Then November: (SR4) New A-mount cameras coming in Q1 (and asking for help from trusted sources)
They will use the current sensors from the A7-A7r while the APS-C cameras will use an improved 24MP sensor. This part is yet not confirmed but other new sources told me that the A-mount cameras could also have some innovative features (read Z-shift and that kind of stuff). I am working on it to verify this.

Then 2 weeks ago:
(SR3) “I was left some specifications for that ff and aps-c size A-mound cameras. both has WiFi and NFC tech. Improved JPEG engine. aps-c A-mount has lock on selector dial (same as a99 dial lock). LCD for aps-c camera improved 912k resolution to 1.2k resolution screen. Translucent mirror reflection down 30% to 20%. improved phase detection AF sensor. both has same 19 point AF 11 cross type(same as a77 and a99). the name for both cameras still classified.”

And now:
Ok guys, I finally start to have a tiny bit more reliable info about the next A-mount cameras coming in Spring. I just have been told by one source (and confirmed via another one) the next Sony A77 successor is definitely coming and it will have on sensor PDAF. The big question they could not answer yet is if this means that the A79 (or whatever the name will be) comes with or without semitransparent mirror.

So in the span of just a few months.. we've gone from 32mp to 24mp.. Gone from "full mirrorless" to "better mirror" to "maybe mirrorless"....
We've gone from January announcement to "Spring" announcement..

Feels like, no matter what camera is announced, and no matter when, SAR will claim "we were right... just like we said in the September 12, 2009 post.. please ignore the other 75 SR4 rumors that were all wrong"

 

[Hockeyman]

The A79 is sliding down a slippery slope.

 

[Hockeyman]

It could mean 1 of 2 things:

-- They skip the SLT mirror, and it will be a purely mirrorless A-mount camera. They must be expecting that the on-sensor PDAF is ready for prime time -- It can be fully functional, and basically equivalent to a dedicated PD module. The Canon 70D has almost accomplished this, but their on-sensor PDAF can't handle burst shooting from what I understand. If on-sensor PDAF can match regular PDAF, the obvious benefit -- no mirror blocking light, better ISO performance. The A79 would match the Nikon D7200 is ISO performance basically.

I would be really happy with that if it were the case and that would put that camera into play as far as upgrading goes.

Or..
-- They are merely copying the A99 (and to a lesser extent the A7), which use on-sensor phase detection to "assist" the main focusing system. The A99 has both SLT mirror AND on-sensor phase detect.

Rumors have gone back and forth about whether A-mount is abandoning the mirror or not. The bigger issue I see from the rumors, is that the announcement date gets further and further away. The A79 was supposed to be announced in spring 2013 (if you believe the rumors). Then it got pushed to "possibly the fall of 2013). Then strong rumors of "very very early 2014".. And now, around April 2014ish..

Not sure it's worth waiting anymore. I mean, you can *always* wait for something better and cheaper. But there comes a point where you are sacrificing current satisfaction while you wait. I would definitely "wait and see" if the A79 was a few weeks from announcement, but now it is looking like a minimum of 3 more months...... And I could easily see it being pushed back further.

I feel like the A-mount is in the ICU, and Sony simply hasn't decided whether to pull it off life support or not. In-house, they are continuing to develop A-mount possibilities, but they are only releasing E-mounts... and re-naming the E-mount cameras as "A"...
At some point, Sony will have to make a decision, "ok, we have some A-mount cameras we have developed... do we release them, or do we solely focus on the E-mount and encourage A-mount owners to buy adapters?"

For now, Sony leaks rumors that the A-mount is alive, just so they can keep selling their remaining stock of A-mount cameras and A-mount lenses.

I cant wait forever and I really don't want to wait any longer than I have to. I was hoping to have something new for my trip at the end of Feb and as of right now 2 of my options (A99 and A7) are still a little pricey and then the third (A77) I don't really see as that much of an upgrade

 

[havoc315]

I would be really happy with that if it were the case and that would put that camera into play as far as upgrading goes.




I cant wait forever and I really don't want to wait any longer than I have to. I was hoping to have something new for my trip at the end of Feb and as of right now 2 of my options (A99 and A7) are still a little pricey and then the third (A77) I don't really see as that much of an upgrade

The A79 definitely won't be out by February. So your choice is to buy... or rent. Renting could be great, give you a chance to test out the equipment for a week. Though, then to some extent, you end up paying twice for it.

 

[Hockeyman]

The A79 definitely won't be out by February. So your choice is to buy... or rent. Renting could be great, give you a chance to test out the equipment for a week. Though, then to some extent, you end up paying twice for it.

But then renting also dips into my limits camera budget also.

 

[havoc315]

Figure out your priorities in terms of features, size and lenses.

Get past the excitement novelty and read nitty gritty real world reviews of each. (For example, I've heard grumblings that the a7/r has a very loud mechanical shutter that actually causes motion blur at some shutter speeds. Seems to be more of an issue with the a7r).

Consider lens availability, lens pricing. Consider the extent to which you need stabilization-- try shooting with SteadyShot turned off on your a55-- is it hurting your shots?

Try picking up both cameras in the store, how do they feel in your hand.

Think about your long term plans. Expensive FE lenses? Lenses with adapter? Expensive Zeiss for a99, or rely on Minolta and 3rd parties?

 

[HPS3]

Mike, you need to look on the DPReview.com E mount forums. There is lots of talk about motion blur on the A7r and also just quality control issues on the A7e. People are saying Sony might have rushed the cameras out before they were ready for prime time. I know many lenses, especially wide legacy glass is showing the color shift and smearing in the corners like on the Nex 7. Having used the A7 for a week, I was not really impressed. The Nikon D600 has the same sensor but shows better noise performance. Why is that? I've also seen people talk about the build quality such as the memory card door being really flimsy.

 

[havoc315]

Mike, you need to look on the DPReview.com E mount forums. There is lots of talk about motion blur on the A7r and also just quality control issues on the A7e. People are saying Sony might have rushed the cameras out before they were ready for prime time. I know many lenses, especially wide legacy glass is showing the color shift and smearing in the corners like on the Nex 7. Having used the A7 for a week, I was not really impressed. The Nikon D600 has the same sensor but shows better noise performance. Why is that? I've also seen people talk about the build quality such as the memory card door being really flimsy.

The d600 may have better ISO performance due to the a77 using some of it's sensor for PDAF. It also would explain why the a7 trails the a7r.

Another issue that keeps popping up, is the battery life. Sony dSLTs aren't great either, at 500-1000 shots on a battery. But the a7 is giving less than 300 shots (and the camera doesn't even come with a charger, you're supposed to charge in camera).

If you like shooting with wide angle lenses, I'd also worry more about the a7 corner performance.

And ironically given it's "compact" nature, I've seen many reviewers saying you really need a tripod to get the most out of the camera. (Between the harsh shutter, the small size, and lack of stabilization, guess it's not the begs for hand held photography).

 

[fractal]

Steve Huff : Fuji X-E2 vs. Sony A7.

Huff taking both cameras to Vegas for a comparison weekend test. From the pictures, the biggest shock to me is that the full frame A7 is smaller than the APS-C Fuji.

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2014/...x-e2-and-23-1-4-vs-sony-a7-and-35-2-8-report/


and some shots from me...

 

[havoc315]

On his blog, I asked Gary Friedman for his take on the a99 vs A7. If you don't know who he is, he literally writes the books on all the Sony cameras.


Gary L. FriedmanJanuary 18, 2014 at 1:35 PM
Well, other than the fact that the two have the same sensor, it's comparing apples and oranges. The A99 has better ergonomics, a more useful tilting LCD, and a longer battery life. The A7 is smaller, lighter, and doesn't have the A99's annoying wireless flash delay. The A7r might also produce better high ISO JPGs due to its newer Bionz processor - that's something I'll be investigating for the ebook. GF

[as a footnote, there is an easy work around that eliminates the wireless flash delay]

My take:
A99 is a better shooting experience but with more bulk.
The A7 can incredibly deliver matching (or in some cases, slightly better) IQ in a much smaller body. But in shrinking the body, it can be less ergonomic.

My personal concern on the a7-- with no image stabilization and with a less properly balanced body, would need very fast shutter speed to avoid motion blur. Which sacrifices low light performance.

 

[fractal]

 

[fractal]

Hockeyman,

SAR is now reporting that the A77 replacement will be in stores by June. They go on to say that Sony is being tightlipped about it since they developed several prototypes and don't want it leaked which will win out. The changes are NOT expected to be small.

 

[havoc315]

Hockeyman,

SAR is now reporting that the A77 replacement will be in stores by June. They go on to say that Sony is being tightlipped about it since they developed several prototypes and don't want it leaked which will win out. The changes are NOT expected to be small.

In perspective... It was a 99% confirmed rumor a year ago, that the A77 replacement would be in stores by June of 2013. Then it was a confirmed rumor that it would be January/February.
It was a confirmed rumor that it would be totally mirrorless and 32mp. Then it was a confirmed rumor that it would still be SLT and 24mp. All the while, there have been rumors of "big changes" but never anything specific.

I'm willing to bet that by the time May/June rolls around, the rumors are "A77 replacement to come by winter"

Mike --- I still stand by that the A99 is a wonderful camera. And at used pricing, it is a good camera for the money. And it would last you for years to come.
That said... I am concerned about the A-mount future at Sony. If I was starting from scratch, I would seriously be considering the Canon 6d and the Nikon D610. I honestly prefer my A99 from what I've seen, but in my mind, the future of the mount is very much in question.

 

[HPS3]

Havoc, having used both the A7 and XE2 aside by side, I will tell you the XE2 is close in size if you remove the A7 hump. The XE2 is a pleasure to use and straight forward with a real simple menu and button layout. The EVFs are really close with the edge to the A7 for size. The Fuji lenses are fantastic including the kit zoom. They have a list of fast primes that are exceptional including a 14 f2.8, 23 f1.4, 35 f1.4 and new 56 f1.2. I thought the A7 was ok but it wasn't special to me. When comparing the 2 cameras in RAW the differences are so small till 6400 (which is the highest native iso in the XE2).

 

[havoc315]

Havoc, having used both the A7 and XE2 aside by side, I will tell you the XE2 is close in size if you remove the A7 hump. The XE2 is a pleasure to use and straight forward with a real simple menu and button layout. The EVFs are really close with the edge to the A7 for size. The Fuji lenses are fantastic including the kit zoom. They have a list of fast primes that are exceptional including a 14 f2.8, 23 f1.4, 35 f1.4 and new 56 f1.2. I thought the A7 was ok but it wasn't special to me. When comparing the 2 cameras in RAW the differences are so small till 6400 (which is the highest native iso in the XE2).

Sounds like the XE2 outperforms it's sensor size. I feel the same way about the Sony RX100 sensor. I haven't heard much of a downside to the XE2........ So you've shot with almost everything it seems.... What are the cons of the XE2? The most obvious is the somewhat limited lens lineup. (Even if they do offer some great lenses). Of course, looking at their roadmap, the lens lineup should get pretty well filled out in the next year or two.
So if you stepped back and looked at it objectively, what are the cons of the Fuji?