My Conclusions of the Sony Alpha, Future Looks Good

[dogbert]

"If Sony's future in DSLRs, is only going to be APS-C sensors, why not start with a clean slate like Olympus did with their 4/3 cameras?"

 

It takes a lot of time time and money to make a full suite of lenses. Canon and Nikon have been dribbling out their digital leneses at the rate of a couple a year. There is no way that Sony could have come up with a whole system of APS-C lenses in six months. Sony wanted to make a splash in its first entry into the DSLR market and wants to convince its buyers it has a credible full system in place that is here to stay. So it simply re-announced a whole lot of re-badged KM lenses.

 

Whether it goes FF or not with its next body I don't know. But I can see a lot of reasons why it would announce as many lenses as possible, even if they are not very useful on an 1.5 crop DSLR and even if it is not planning to go FF.

[robert_paul1]

Geoff, while what you say is true, it does not explain the 16mm Fisheye lens. They could hve picked another lens to fill out their line-up at the time of introduction.

[steve foster]

"Although it lacks the robustness and functionality of the 7D, it has some features that the 7D lacks (mirror lock-up?)"

 

FAO: Martijn,

 

The 7D has mirror lock-up. When you use the 2 second timer it automatically locks the mirror up.

 

Regards, Steve

[cmphoto1]

First, that rumored lens list I posted a week or so ago was WAY off. I am a big man, I can admit it. Moving on.

 

Second, I said Sony would not carry Zeiss along to the dSLR market. Yeah, I blew that one, too. Moving on again.

 

Third, I was surprised that there are so few Tamrons in the list. I do not know what to read into that beyond that there are still a glut of 28-75mm and 17-35mm out in the market.

 

Fourth, as others have said, the 16mm fisheye is by far the most odd lens in the group. As shown here in previous postings, it looks really bad on an APS-c.

 

Another odd-ball is the STF. How many shoot portraits with a 200mm equiv?

 

So, optimistically reading into this, I think that a FF is on the horizon. If Sony does, I hope that they do not horse around with the Canon 5D and go straight for the 1DsMkII.

 

It will take more than a killer camera to get the full frame EOS cameras out of the pros hands, however. Reference Antony Hand's post a few months ago on why he uses Canon for his paying work. That will take time and commitment.

 

Marketing REALLY seams to be firing on all cylinders!! Way to go, Sony!!

 

I think this was the right move to make. The A100 will definitely define the market-segment. I think they have the opportunity to introduce a bargain basement A50 as well. Strip the sensor and SSS (Drop "Sony" from "Super Steady Shot". We donﾒt call Anti Shake "KMAS") from the A100, replace it with a 6mp chip, lighten up some of the materials, drop the MSRP $200. Turn around and ask the Nikon D50 "How you like me now?!?!?" Make sure you get the head shake in there.

 

The A100 is not for me. I am hoping it will cause the price of the 5D to drop so I can pick up as a street shooter for cheap and dump my Hexar. I am optimistic about Sony;s future offerings (A100 and others)

 

chad

[bjmarkowitz]

Robert, Thanks for the response...I understand what you are saying, its not that the camera can't do it, its that the lens needs to be shorter to get the effect.

 

Chad, I don't think they will drop the SSSS. I think its their gimick. They may drop the price of the A100 and use that as an entry, or, reissue the 5d as the "A50" (i.e., 6mp with SSSS) and use that as the entry level, this as the next level up. That would make more sence. The SSSS is their ace in the hole, its what distinguishes this camera line from the Canon/Nikon brands. I can't see them going after the lower level without their #1 feature.

[bill_thorlin]

The date - 28 December 2005.

 

The posting - "The replacement for the 7D will be announced shortly. Should have been announced early December but then better late than never. AS I stated earlier in another forum it will incorporate the new Sony 10.3 MP cmos sensor. It will be released at PMA. Also due out shortly to is the replacement for the 100-400APO. Happy New Year to everyone . Yes this will be a very happy new year for everyone."

 

The poster - you guess.

 

The conclusion - 1 out of 3 was better than the usual average - and then there was 19 January 2006 and everyone was delirious.

 

Time to consign all this to the wastepaper basket of history.

[robert_paul1]

Bill, I think one out of three is still better than you've done.

[bill_thorlin]

Absolutely - my score 0 out of 0.

 

But then I never claimed "inside" knowledge.

 

RIP - "KM will still be producing photographic when I am dead and gone."

[robert_paul1]

Bill, I don't know what your problem is with people who have more knowledge than you, or seem to know more knowledge than you. Looking at KM Sea's and Eugene Cunningham's past posts, there was nothing in them that would be offensive to you, however, you seem to relish in how you ridiculed him (them). Unlike some other posters that made uncivilized attacks against you, Eugene Cunningham never once lashed out at you. Why do you have to be so nasty?

[bill_thorlin]

I really have no wish to get into a slanging match over this. You have your view and I have mine.

 

I believe, based on the written evidence, that his predictive success rate for a knowledgeable outsider was poor but for someone claiming to be an insider, or to have inside information, it was frankly risible. On this basis I was ( justifiably in my opinion of course ) highly sceptical of almost anything he wrote.

 

You choose to believe differently and I am sure you have your reasons.

 

So be it.

[peterblaise]

.

 

Getting back to SONY and the (ne Minolta) Alpha line ...

 

Does anyone else have information on how Sony is planning to or actually IS "marrying" their customers as Minolta never really did?

 

There's the road show in Japan with photogrpahers presenting,

 

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sony.jp%2Fproducts%2FConsumer%2FAMC%2Fevent%2Findex.html&langpair=ja%7Cen&hl=en&newwindow=1&safe=off&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

 

a photo contest in Canada

 

http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/servlet/StaticView?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&contentpage=../html/alphacontest/alphacontest_home.html

 

and Korea ... (lost the link - HELP!)

 

Has anyone seen anything like the Nikon, Canon, even Epson road shows?

 

How about publications - anything like the old Minolta Mirror of the later Konica Minolta Photo World? How about the Nikon and Canon publications - anything coming from Sony Alpha?

 

How will Sony connect with us, other than through sales of product (or no sales!)?

 

How are we connecting with Sony - does anybody have any DIRECT contacts available in the Sony AMC Alpha Mount Camera division or Sony distributors world wide, like Phil Bradon was for Minolta US?

 

Click!

 

Love and hugs,

 

Peter Blaise peterblaise@yahoo.com Minolta Alpha Photographer http://www.peterblaisephotography.com/

 

PS - Ridicule and ad hominym attacks will get us nowhere - let's share our experiences and move on, and comment les on our impressions of each other.<div></div>

[robert_paul1]

<<How about publications - anything like the old Minolta Mirror of the later Konica Minolta Photo World? How about the Nikon and Canon publications - anything coming from Sony Alpha?>>

 

Peter, as I recall, I've seen for sale at my local bookstore, a magazine called 'Sony Style' (or something like that), that was just one long advertisement for Sony products. And imagine, people actually paid money for it.

 

As for your picture of the Ring Light. The Control unit looks just like the old Control unit for the Minolta Micro Flash, the one with four flash tubes. When it first came out, it had the traditional hot shoe. When Minolta switched to their exclusive hot shoe design they added an adaptor so the Controller could be used on the new cameras.

That's why I asked in another forum question, whether I could just buy the circular flash head and use it with my Micro Flash Controller, and save some money. Michael H. replied that it, the new Ring Light, couldn't be used with my old Control unit. However, looking at the picture, I'm not so sure that I couldn't. I'll wait awhile and check with Sony and see what they say. Michael did say in the past, that he wasn't an insider, so he may be wrong about this.

[robert_paul1]

I looked at my Macro Flash and do see differences. I guess I need to look at the plug of the Ring Light and at the schematics, to see if it will work with my Control unit. The fact that Sony saw fit to use a traditional hot shoe, and adding an adaptor, must mean something. Otherwise, why not just incorporate their exclusive hotshoe into the Contrl unit?