Sony announced they will release Flagship FF 24.6MP SLR before end of year

Most likely will be released during Photokina 2008

 

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/08013109sonypma.asp

1Ds Mark II and III had no competition in the high res stock photography world. Now they might get trumped.....

 

I'm happy to see this level of competition from Nikon and now Sony. Puts Canon in check. I just hope it will take months, not years, for Canon to respond.

Interesting. Isn't their 'super steady shot stabilization' based on moving the sensor to

compensate for camera shake? If so, the sensor has to be substantially bigger than 35mm

FF, doesn't it? And doesn't that also require a larger-than-35mm image circle, so how might

this work with existing lenses?

Maybe good for folks who are not already invested into the world of Canon. You don't buy a camera, you buy into a system. Its price point will make a difference to. Price of medium format has come down so may not be as big of blow to canon as may think. I am sure we are all interested to see what they come up with, but I wouldn't sell or buy any stock over it. :o)

 

Jason

No, the sensor is the same size as other so called full fram sensors.

<I>No, the sensor is the same size as other so called full fram sensors.</I>

 

OK, then the image circle, mirror box, etc. have to be bigger than what is standard for 35mm

full frame. If you move the sensor, it has to stay within the usable image circle, or you're

going to get dark corners or edges.

Welcome news.

I doubt they're trying to get pros to switch from Canon to Sony. If you'll notice Sony has now developed a full line of SLRs, from consumer to professional, as well as a bunch of new glass. I think they're trying to lure young photographers who will make up the next generation of professionals. Everyone starts somewhere. A body like this says "Sony is serious about photography and is here to stay". In five or ten years this will pay off.

The source I've heard from that was correct about all of these PMA announcements says that this new camera will be a Canon 5D(ii) level camera (he's handled it.) So I think some Canon/Nikon pros may try the Sony in addition to their rigs 'cause of the price, but we'll see. A $3000, 24mp FF camera is likely to turn heads. Canon won't be able to legitimize their $8000 1Ds anymore...especially to young pros.

 

Sony has worked out the SSS issue. Remember, the frame coverage on Digital Only lenses only barely covers the APS-C sensor, and SSS works fine on that.

The image sensor doesn't have to move that far to compensate for lens motion.

<I>The image sensor doesn't have to move that far to compensate for lens motion.</I><P>

 

It has to move <I><B>some</i></b>. Maybe small movements would be sufficient for

short focal lengths but I'm dubious about long teles, where motion blur is most troublesome.

Time will tell if this system works with long lenses or put another way, long teles have large

enough image circles for this to function well with them.

Most lenses have a bit larger image circle than needed. All have more than needed when focused closer than infinity. Nikon D3 knows when an APS lens is fitted and adjusts the image size accordingly. Maybe this camera knows the image circles of Sony lenses and adjusts the allowed maximum movement, or only enables IS with lenses that have enough coverage. The camera knows the focus distance so it can adjust the movement range based on distnace as well. There are many options to make it work. I only hope it works equally well with older Minolta lenses (at least D lenses). Otherwise there is no difference between moving to this body or moving to Canon or Nikon.

 

I for one have already put the money aside.

"It has to move some. Maybe small movements would be sufficient for short focal lengths but I'm dubious about long teles, where motion blur is most troublesome"

 

Nope, it always has to move the same amount. The same amount of blur is annoying, whether it's on a shot taken with a wide or a tele. If movement enough to cause a 1 pixel radius blur is annoying, and a two pixels makes the image unusable, then to get four stops of stabilizaztion, you only have to turn that a 16 pixel motion into a 1 pixel motion (or at worst, a 32 pixel motion into a 2 pixel motion). The new sensor has 5.5um pixels, so the motion range only has to be about 175um, (0.176mm or about 1/128 of an inch). Can't think of a lens that has so little extra coverage that it can't light up an extra 1/8 mm.

 

Now, how fast it has to move that 0.175mm distance is directly proportional to focal length.

I think this -

 

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Minolta/message/143467

 

pretty much lays all that to rest.

 

Ed

I'm a little worried that everybody seems to be so enthusiastic about the pixel count. I don't

think 24.6 MP appeals to all professionals. In press work you have to be fast, and extra Mb:s

are bound to slow both your camera and your computer down.

I'm working now with a 10.6 Mp camera and i don't want to have a bit more. With the raw

files around 16 Mb this is what my Macbook can process on a single battery charge, which is

a very stragegic measure for a reporter. Moore's law hasn't been in effect for some years

now so how are we going to get along with 24.6 Mp? The present Canon 5D seems much

better then.

This camera is not the FF camera for reporters. The Nikon D3 is more appropriate for that. This camera is more for landscape and studio photographers who need the extra resolution. If you've never dreamed about being able to afford the Canon 1Ds III or a digital back, then this camera probably isn't for you. Personally, I can't wait for it's release. :)

I think MP count is an issue for Pro's. Maybe not for news media who seem happy with even a 6mp pro handling camera, cause they can shoot then send images immediatly back to theie company headquarters.

 

But I have joined and looked at many photo stock sites, and some do not even accept images unless they are 12mp and over. Other require 16mp or more.

Jimmy, they don't care about the actual MP count. They're trying to draw a line that lets in Canon $8000 1Ds and $10,000-40,000 MF digital backs, in hopes that this will serve as a "screening" process. Granted, someone with talent can make highly marketable images with a dRebel or a Nikon D40 (or even a nice P&S) but they're playing a game of percentages. The "$8000 on up" crowd will submit a higher percentage of usable images, so the stock company doesn't have to do as much work screening images.

Doh, I should have waited for 18years, sold all my Minolta gears....