And here come the new Alpha cameras.

[mark_kesper]

<p>Well, today they were finally presented. <br>

The new Sony Cameras. <br>

(Link to sony <a href="http://store.sony.com/alpha-a7/cat-27-catid-All-Alpha-a7-Cameras?SR=hero:ver2:camera:A7:product2:ss">http://store.sony.com/alpha-a7/cat-27-catid-All-Alpha-a7-Cameras?SR=hero:ver2:camera:A7:product2:ss)</a><br>

The A7 /A7R and the RX10. <br>

I honestly think they seem to be quite nice camera. And also a weather sealed one. So probaby a very good allround camera.<br>

But as a Alpha A-mount user (both analog and digital) I wonder that will be of the A-mount line. <br>

However: The move to use a smaller mount is quite good since it makes cameras lighter and smaller, even if the lenses still to retain some size. And it finally give a cheap alternative to full-frame analog and hopefully good microcontrast, dynamic range and all that. Also they look quite classic compared to the 1980-2010 more bulky cameras. <br>

That said however there are a couple things they lack.<br>

1. A bit to slow continous 4-5 FPS for pro use (probably due to size/power/data flow restrictions)<br>

2. Maybe (not sure, good if someone can verify this) slower low-light use due to smaller mount?<br>

3. No internal stabilisation (?), maybe also due to size/power constraints. With that large resolution IS is quite good to have. But there will probably be lenses with OSS.<br>

4. No rumored EYE-controlled AF.<br>

All those things together might need more space in body and need more power. <br>

Will those things be considered pro enough to keep the A-mount or do you think it's all down to new "NEX/FE" line? </p>

 

[james_f6]

<p>Mark, A-mount will be alive and well, which is why Sony went to the effort of creating adapters to these new camera's that can use all current A-Mount lenses.<br>

These Camera's are Game changers, and Nikon and Canon should be worried.<br /> The mirror-less market is pretty much dominated by Nex series camera's. And now Sony adds two full frame camera's that now not only take new quality Ziess lenses as well as all older Nex Lenses, but they can also wear all A-Mount lenses as well.<br /> Sure Canon and Nikon will have the Pro market. But Sony is going for everyone else. <br /> The people that will turn to this camera are the ones who went and bought a Full Frame Nikon or Canon, and even crop sensor DSLR's and have come to realize that they don't want to carry around such a big thing.<br /> Enter Sony with Full frame small camera's that can accept via adapter a crap load of lenses from many different brands.<br /> These Camera's are a game changers. And I think this forum might have more and more people.<br /> That said my Tax cheque came through today, and most likely tomorrow I will be getting the A99.</p>

[mark_stephan2]

<p>For such a small body why are they so expensive? </p>

[Member69643]

<p>They're expensive so Sony can make money. :)</p>

[paul_de_ley]

<p>Pff - not even a measly 5 fps - I guess I'll wait for the next round ;)</p>

<p>As far as I know the mount diameter is irrelevant to the amount of light reaching the sensor, as long as the mount is not narrower than the diagonal of the sensor area. The projection of light rays from the rear glass will come in as a cone with a narrower diameter than the mount itself, so the edges of the mount won't cut out any light that would otherwise have reached the sensor.</p>

<p>In the case of the FF E-mount, all the photos or diagrams I've seen so far suggest that the mount edges overlap the sensor corner by a millimeter or so. Even then that doesn't have to be a problem provided the rear element is designed with a narrower diameter than the mount and a convex rear surface that projects light rays in a divergent cone towards the sensor (rather than a convergent one).</p>

[dan_south]

<blockquote>

<p>A bit too slow (continuous 4-5 FPS) for pro use</p>

</blockquote>

<p> Not everyone relies on spray and pray shooting. Especially when capturing 36 MP of data in each shot. </p>

[Colin O]

<p><em>"For such a small body why are they so expensive?"</em></p>

 

<p>Do you think camera prices are set relative to the size of the body?! Part of the reason full-frame cameras in general are much more expensive is that as sensor size increases, sensor production costs increase not linearly but exponentially.</p>

[mark_kesper]

<p>@James F: Thanks for the reply. <br>

Well, it might well be that way.<br>

@Paul De Ley: Well I thought the same. However it would be interesting to see if there might be a mode added later that resembles the Nikon Hi Speed Crop in order to keep the on-board chip data rate frame. So instead of 24 Mpixel x 4-5 fps maybe 16 Mpixel x 8-10 fps.<br>

@Dan South: True, but in many situations it's quite handy. </p>

[User_1172872]

<p>I really, really hope these sell extremely well. I want an A7 but I have too much invested in Canon equipment to switch. If Sony has a winner it won't be long before Canon and Nikon have similar designs. And I don't mind waiting, an EOS 40D is still a fine camera.</p>

[fast_primes]

<p>The supporting glass rollout, while vastly better than that for Sony's initial NEX series--is still substantially behind that for the Fuji X lens series (FF 28mm, 50mm and 90mm equivalents). Two virtually identical middle range zoom lenses, a long zoom and a pair of primes: a 35F2.8, and a 55F1.8.<br>

Kudos to Sony for being far sighted enough to design a full-frame mount on the NEX cameras and for the all-out spec of the 55F1.8 lens (a possible Summicron contender?), especially the 49mm filter thread (read unobtrusive).<br>

Scratching my head though over a $800 35mm F2.8 lens though. For whom is this intended? Wouldn't a 28mm make much more sense as an initial offering? And what about a portrait lens?</p>

[mark_kesper]

<p>@fast primes: Do you mean that Sony shold also have made Sony branded usual simple primes. Without all the Zeiss coatings? <br>

I like that Zeiss is in the game again, but of course the price premium for their glass is steep however you look at it. <br>

I can agree withat if you can make a neat camera package of say<br>

A7 (in Sweden ca 10 000 SEK equivalent) + maybe two of a cheap 24/28 mm 2.8 prime, cheap 35 mm prime, cheap 50 mm prime for say total equivalent of ca 20 000 SEK, then you have a winner for a student who like photo/video etc and will be hooked on Sonys products. <br>

However it may be that it's not possible doing enough high-quality glass that cheap or the agreement with Zeiss is that initially only their glass will be availabe. </p>

[wayne_naughton]

<p>4.5 FPS for 36mpl? That's pretty hot IMO. what pisses me off is that the lens lineup is all Zeiss...I love my Minolta glass. that's the important part of the equation for me...oh well.</p>

[andylynn]

<p>The Minolta glass is all SLR designs - unless they were going to revive rangefinder lenses from the Leica partnership era. They'll have to do new Sony lens designs anyway. (I'm sure they will, soon enough, but the early adopters will have to deal with the current small selection. When Fuji released the X-Pro1 there were just 3 primes, but that line is filling out well.)</p>

[timb196]

<p>So as I understand it; Samyang is coming out with 5 MF lenses: 14/24/35/85mm plus a T&S lenses in the next two months. Zeiss has announced apparently that it will produce a series of MF lenses for the A7 series althought this takes a year. Samyang lenses have been praised in stuff I have read for their Optical performance. I am potentially interested in the 24mm T&S</p>

<p>So couple that with the Zeiss ZA series, the Sony FE lenses plus the amount adapter, it looks like there will be fair set of choices.<br>

The LA-4 adapter supposedly has the a99 focusing system in it.</p>

<p>My take is this is by far better than the Nex introduction!<br>

Cheers<br>

Tim</p>