The A99mk2 will not be released before June 2016

[delewin]

If we look at the new Amount, APS-C model recently released and soon to be available, the A68 I think it provides an insight to Sony's marketing and long term development strategy.

 

Where are all the pre-release reviews like we see for the A6300 and have seen for the A7r mk2? The simple answer is obvious. - None!

 

What can we conclude from this real world example?

 

1. It appears to confirm Molan's conclusions above that Sony is in fact just tinkering with the A mount bodies to keep all the A mount user base from creating very bad publicity for Sony.

 

2. Also it appears that Sony looks like will be "forced" to create one more high end A mount  to compete directly with the latest Nikon and Canon. But I feel we would be deluding ourselves if we expect any further significant upgrades in future native A mount bodies.

 

We have been patiently waiting for over 2 years now and it appears we will be waiting another year.

 

Does Sony realise that the longer Sony delays the release of the A99 mk2 the stronger the reality becomes that Sony has really deserted its full frame A mount customer base?

 

So as the saying goes: "The ball is in Sony's court".

 

More real-ware and not vapour-ware from Sony is required. Words with substance not just marketing hype.

 

What do you say, Sony?

[danmleephoto]

I find it weird that 3rd party OEMs are still making A Mount lenses, personally as a pro I like E Mount BUT its missing some features I love in my a99 and I would die for an a99II - a7 battery life sucks so bad, I have got the case relay from Tether Tools which has solved a problem but then a new problem, you cant use the grip - which throws the cameras balance waaayyy offf. Also only one SD card slot which proper irritates me, no GPS, not very well weather sealed (I got through two cameras in very very light mist) no rear lock that works well. a99 doesnt have that either but almost dam impossible to knock that out, unlike the ISO on the A7II / A7RII

 

The 70-200mm f4 lens sucks compared to the Tamron for the A Mount, especially with dim room focus.

 

I dont like the adapters especially the EA4 as its slow and doesnt do a good job in the dark, you seem to lose a 1 1/2 stop.

 

Give me a pro grade a99II as the a7RII for all its glory just ISNT pro.

[molan]

I find it weird that 3rd party OEMs are still making A Mount lenses, personally as a pro I like E Mount BUT its missing some features I love in my a99 and I would die for an a99II - a7 battery life sucks so bad, I have got the case relay from Tether Tools which has solved a problem but then a new problem, you cant use the grip - which throws the cameras balance waaayyy offf. Also only one SD card slot which proper irritates me, no GPS, not very well weather sealed (I got through two cameras in very very light mist) no rear lock that works well. a99 doesnt have that either but almost dam impossible to knock that out, unlike the ISO on the A7II / A7RII

 

The 70-200mm f4 lens sucks compared to the Tamron for the A Mount, especially with dim room focus.

 

I dont like the adapters especially the EA4 as its slow and doesnt do a good job in the dark, you seem to lose a 1 1/2 stop.

 

Give me a pro grade a99II as the a7RII for all its glory just ISNT pro.

 

Actually Sigma have stopped making A-mount lenses (you won't see any new releases from Sigma).

 

As I pro you can afford the E-mount lenses but almost $4000 for a 70-200 f/2.8 in the EU is insane, it closes to twice the Canon, Sony A-mount and Nikon prices for the same lens!!!

 

Not many private users can afford this kind of overprice (sure if you are rich and don't care about money).

 

I would like a FF setup with a 24-70 and 70-200 f/2.8 over $10,000 in E-mount, $7-8,000 in Nikon (D810), Pentax less than $6000.

 

Sony is by far the most expensive, better quality lens, sure, but if it's only very high end with G master and Zeiss, yet no professional services (Sony don't have pro service here in my country,  only  Canon and Nikon), then the customers will be limited to rich enthusiasts - a bit like Leica.

 

E-mount if only viable if adapted lenses are uses, unfortunately they have very limited AF capabilities - no eye AF and no video AF, really deal breakers for me.

[delewin]

I think Tamron is the only significant (in market share) lens manufacturer to create a new A-mount lens recently.

 

Could it be the simple fact that Sony owns ~12% of Tamron and Tamron are doing this to "show" that they believe Sony when it says it is coming out with a new full frame A mount body in 2016.

 

Or is it the simple fact that Sony owns ~12% of Tamron and is "pushing" Tamron into this to shift the focus away from the large number of full frame A-mount lens users that are really frustrated by Sony's lack of information on the future of Pro FF A-mount bodies?

 

I do agree with the previous comments regarding poor performance of the LEA3 and LEA4 adapters regarding AF no eye AF and no video AF. These shortcomings are real "deal breakers".

 

Sony, where is the LEA5? The A-mount adapter that gives ALL the features of native FE lenses to Sony A-mount lenses??

[geetee1972]

Sony, where is the LEA5? The A-mount adapter that gives ALL the features of native FE lenses to Sony A-mount lenses??

Well it's been released but just not by Sony. By Sigma. OK I know it will only work with Sigma and Canon mount Sigma lenses (how ironic is that?) but they're showing it can be done, which really does beg the question of Sony as to where their version is.

[Sator]

I am beginning to see things differently.

 

The big question is what the point of full frame E mount really is. The reason for asking this is that the only basis for why the a7 series is more compact is because they have hitherto been crippling the speed of the lenses to make them smaller, and by making the batteries too small. One of the key attractions of full frame is that it gets you shallower depth of field, but that advantage is lost if the lenses are 3/4-1 stop slower than APS-C mirrorless and full frame DSLR lenses. Now Sony have released these E mount f/2.8 zooms, and the combination of lens-body makes them BIGGER than their DSLR equivalents. There's no longer any point to even trying to make serious professional grade full frame mirrorless bodies smaller, because it just ends up looking odd and imbalanced when the body is dwarfed by elephantine fast professional grade E mount lenses.

 

Sony might as well make an a9 with a body similar in size to a DSLR.

 

At which point, the question becomes what the point of full frame mirrorless really is for the professional shooter. The only advantage FF mirrorless retains over a DSLR is live exposure preview, which DSLT A mounts have anyway. Some will point out the fact that FF E mount has IBIS, but that won't help you shoot sports and wildlife, where lens speed matters more. In many ways, the A mount is superior in terms of its autofocus capacities and frame rate, while surrendering nothing in terms of size advantage to professional grade E mount systems when shooting with professional fast lenses. In fact, when shooting with fast lenses, A mount further has an advantage over E mount in terms of compactness once the lens size is taken into account.

 

It seems that full frame mirrorless may only be a novelty fad for enthusiasts walking around with slow "quasi-pancake" lenses.

 

The reason Sony are bringing out an a99II rather than an a9 is probably because this harsh reality has dawned on them. It is because, in a sense, E mount mirrorless full frame is actually merely an enthusiast driven fad with limited prospects of making long term inroads into the professional market. If Sony want to genuinely challenge Canon and Nikon in the professional segment of the market, they are better off doing it with A mount. 

 

Sony had better get the a99II out right NOW, or else they are going to be left out of the party and forgotten come the Olympics. Nikon and Canon have managed to bring out the D5 and the 1DXII. But Sony is nowhere to be seen, in what is a total PR disaster for them when it comes to using this opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the professional market. Even if they announce the a99II in June, that is too little too late, since the Olympics are in August. Better luck in the 2020 Olympic year. I hope Sony has learnt from this fiasco. 

[D700]

...Nikon and Canon have managed to bring out the D5 and the 1DXII. But Sony is nowhere to be seen, in what is a total PR disaster for them when it comes to using this opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the professional market. Even if they announce the a99II in June, that is too little too late, since the Olympics are in August. Better luck in the 2020 Olympic year. I hope Sony has learnt from this fiasco. 

 

Sony is and was never really a comptitor for Canon and Nikon.

So an announcement of any Sony A-Mount Kamera has nothing to do with the olympic games ...

[D700]

Actually Sigma have stopped making A-mount lenses (you won't see any new releases from Sigma)...

 

They don't need anymore!

With the new MC-11 Adapter E-Mount customer's can buy EF Models; that seems to be the strategy.

Sigma shareholdes don't care about revenues from few A-Mount lenses.

[Sator]

Minolta (now Sony) most definitely was a competitor to Canon and Nikon. To say that Sony is blissfully contented to forever play second or third fiddle to other manufacturers rather than trying to increase market share, investor return and capital dominance is like saying that Sony is a non-profit organisation that exists purely to selflessly indulge in their love of the art of photography. 

[delewin]

Ha Ha I strongly agree with you Sator. Sony is in it for the long term and wants to be number one in Photography across the whole spectrum. 

 

I feel Sony is treating its A mount user base with a disregard and even really just ignoring them in the hope they will dump all the many thousands of dollars spent on Sony A mount lenses to again reinvest in many more thousands of dollars in FE mount lenses.

 

The only real question is: Is Sony going to build an FE adaptor for its A mount lenses like Sigma has?

 

Sony's silence is very telling.   

 

I really want to be proved wrong! (In 2016 and not in 2020)

[Sator]

And remember, Minolta did once become number one across the whole spectrum. Sony has all the potential be Minolta's second coming. 

 

To be honest, it has suddenly dawned on me that Sony is not only doing itself a gross disservice by failing to look after its base of A mount users, thereby creating a PR disaster, but it is committing suicide. Sony have severely underestimated the potential of the A mount DSLT system. Not only is the lens line up for A mount extremely mature and of high quality, but there is untapped potential for extremely fast autofocus, and frame rates that could potentially surpass that of their DSLR rivals—because the DSLT mirror does not have to move! An A mount rival to the 1DXII and 5D could have been something to marvel at. People say that the autofocus on the a7RII is DSLR-like but imagine what they could have achieved if they had put it into an A mount body instead: it would have been even better. It would be better to say that the Sony autofocus technology is being wasted on mirrorless cameras.

 

Sony have barked up the wrong tree by going down a dead end path of pushing mirrorless full frame as a more compact alternative. Well, here is the a7RII vs a99 with an 85mm f/1.4 lens mounted on both of them:

 

http://j.mp/1PnN90v

 

The shorter flange distance makes the body smaller, but it is just give and take, since the lens ends up bigger as a result. The net result is a size disadvantage. Mirrorless full frame is not more compact/portable, but, on the contrary it is larger and more bulky. Add an adapter in there and it is even worse. I own plenty of adapters for my Sony (I probably own more than you), but they are fiddly and annoying little things: another pair of lens caps to misplace, or else you accidentally take the wrong adapter with you (whoops). Not to mention the corner image degradation at shorter focal lengths due to the short flange distance of the E mount causing the light to hit the sensor at too steep an angle, something that is made even worse by IBIS because the sensor moves around on the E mount, which was originally an APS-C mount meaning that it has too narrow a mount diameter to take IBIS without compromising corner IQ. A mount is a technically superior dedicated full frame mount design. Worst of all there is the loss of full autofocus functionality with adapters. Adapters are hardly the cure all they are touted to be. 

 

It is often asked what the point of A mount is now that the E mount mirrorless system looks more mature. But it is actually the wrong way around. The real question is what the point of E mount full frame mirrorless is. I would say there is none...it is just a novelty gimmick and a pointless fad (I had to buy an a7II to learn that the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence).

 

A mount is the real deal. If Sony kills it off, they will be committing suicide. They would be better off long term if they promptly killed off the full frame E mount, which might be selling well for the moment on the wave of lots of advertising generated hype, but the technical shortcomings of its optical foundations will eventually catch up with it. They could then incorporate Z shift into A mount bodies to make the transition from E mount far more painless.

[D700]

...

A mount is the real deal. If Sony kills it off, they will be committing suicide...

 

 

A-Mount is dead!

The market for big mirror cameras (DSLR/SLT) is owned by Canon and Nikon!

These customers are interested in Sony, yes, but interested in modern E-Mount technology.

They will never switch to A-Mount, no reason why.

And this market is shrinking too - Why should Sony invest in a dead end street

Nothing but a waste of R&D capital that is better invested in the future = E-Mount.

Fortunately it's obvoius that Sony thinks and acts like this

[delewin]

Hi Sator, I have looked at your link and have to agree with you regarding total size package A7r mk2 plus native FE lenses are longer and possibly heavier than the equivalent A99 plus native A mount lenses.

 

But in terms of grabbing market share, Sony is not interested in its existing A mount user base, it is focusing all its efforts on converting Canon and now Nikon lens owners to purchase its FE mount FF bodies such as the A7r mk2 & A7s mk2. 

 

That way the "new" converts can use their existing lenses (with some limitations) and in future Sony expects them to purchase native FE FF lenses in the future.

 

It is all about increasing market share, not about existing customer care as numerous "tales of woe" on this forum and elsewhere testify.

 

Sator, I agree with you regarding the suitability of the A99 SLT design to easily exceed the capabilities of both Canon and Nikon best DSLRs.

 

But as I stated earlier, Sony is after "new" customers and unfortunately for the existing A mount customer base, we miss out.

 

It seems we have to "put up" with it.

 

That does not mean we have to "shut up" with it.

 

Put plainly I believe all Amount user have been "shelved" by Sony.

 

I look forward to being wrong, but from where I stand now, I do not believe I am wrong. 

[molan]

They don't need anymore!

With the new MC-11 Adapter E-Mount customer's can buy EF Models; that seems to be the strategy.

Sigma shareholdes don't care about revenues from few A-Mount lenses.

 

I agree, that's clearly the case and I suspect Tamron will do the same within a reasonable time-frame.

[molan]

I am beginning to see things differently.

 

The big question is what the point of full frame E mount really is. The reason for asking this is that the only basis for why the a7 series is more compact is because they have hitherto been crippling the speed of the lenses to make them smaller, and by making the batteries too small. One of the key attractions of full frame is that it gets you shallower depth of field, but that advantage is lost if the lenses are 3/4-1 stop slower than APS-C mirrorless and full frame DSLR lenses. Now Sony have released these E mount f/2.8 zooms, and the combination of lens-body makes them BIGGER than their DSLR equivalents. There's no longer any point to even trying to make serious professional grade full frame mirrorless bodies smaller, because it just ends up looking odd and imbalanced when the body is dwarfed by elephantine fast professional grade E mount lenses.

 

Sony might as well make an a9 with a body similar in size to a DSLR.

 

At which point, the question becomes what the point of full frame mirrorless really is for the professional shooter. The only advantage FF mirrorless retains over a DSLR is live exposure preview, which DSLT A mounts have anyway. Some will point out the fact that FF E mount has IBIS, but that won't help you shoot sports and wildlife, where lens speed matters more. In many ways, the A mount is superior in terms of its autofocus capacities and frame rate, while surrendering nothing in terms of size advantage to professional grade E mount systems when shooting with professional fast lenses. In fact, when shooting with fast lenses, A mount further has an advantage over E mount in terms of compactness once the lens size is taken into account.

 

It seems that full frame mirrorless may only be a novelty fad for enthusiasts walking around with slow "quasi-pancake" lenses.

 

The reason Sony are bringing out an a99II rather than an a9 is probably because this harsh reality has dawned on them. It is because, in a sense, E mount mirrorless full frame is actually merely an enthusiast driven fad with limited prospects of making long term inroads into the professional market. If Sony want to genuinely challenge Canon and Nikon in the professional segment of the market, they are better off doing it with A mount. 

 

Sony had better get the a99II out right NOW, or else they are going to be left out of the party and forgotten come the Olympics. Nikon and Canon have managed to bring out the D5 and the 1DXII. But Sony is nowhere to be seen, in what is a total PR disaster for them when it comes to using this opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the professional market. Even if they announce the a99II in June, that is too little too late, since the Olympics are in August. Better luck in the 2020 Olympic year. I hope Sony has learnt from this fiasco. 

 

I couldn't disagree more with you if I tried.

 

Canikon have the dSLR marked and they will keep it, Sony realises they can't compete in the pro marked - Sony would need pro service worldwide, but only E-mount have an emerging pro service and it's limited and only in some countries.

 

The key point of E-mount is no longer size, but IQ and features, but then again there is no way around size when you when you want fast zooms.

 

The E-mount most compelling feature for new users is adapters, yes, to be able to reuses existing lenses on the new E-mount camera is the key for any sales - since Sony can only hope to be the preferred second brand for dual systems for professionals.

[delewin]

When I read the press releases regarding the new SEL70300G, I can only feel more rejected by Sony.

 

I own a Sony A77V Mk1 and have spent many thousands of dollars in genuine Zeiss and Sony A mount full frame lenses with the longer term intent on "upgrading" from APS-C to Full Frame sensor body of the A99 mk2.

 

But All I see is more and more FE mount lenses being produced and no information on any new A mount full frame body.

 

To say I am really frustrated is a serious understatement. I am so frustrated that I could burst forth with language so "colorful" that I would be banned from this excellent forum.

 

Sony's silence is more telling than anything else.

 

I purchased my A77 when it first came out and it is nearing its "end of life" as I enjoy time lapse photography among other forms of photography.

 

I do not believe the existing A mount Sony user base should be treated with so much contempt and disregard.

 

 

I put a serious question to you Sony.

 

If you wanted a new product to satisfy your needs, how long would you wait before you looked elsewhere?

 

I believe the Sony A mount user base has waited long enough. In fact more than long enough.

 

Isn't it true?

 

You are telling us nothing because you have nothing to tell.

 

Actually you could tell us the truth.

 

No, you are not developing a new version of the A99, you are putting all your eggs into the E mount and specifically the FE full frame body and lenses.

 

You are leaving the PRO market to Canon and Nikon.

 

Obviously Sony only wants to be number 3 in the photography market

 

I would appreciate a formal reply from Sony and not continuing silence.

 

Apologies to those who are offended by my frustration. Actually it is Sony who should be apologizing.

[Sator]

Sony have said that the main reason why their FF mirrorless series is selling is because of their compactness. I quote from Kimio Maki:

 

AP: Can you summarise the benefit of choosing an Alpha 7-series camera over a DSLR in a single sentence?  

 

KM: Size. It’s all about size – it’s smaller and lighter. That’s the main reason of choosing our products. 

 

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/latest/photo-news/interview-kimio-maki-of-sony-if-customers-need-more-than-100-million-pixels-we-will-create-such-kind-of-a-product-63138

 

The problem is that the only time you get a meaningful size advantage from FF mirrorless is when working with just a single pancake and quasi-pancake slow lens for casual walkabout shooting:

 

 

The a7RII and a99 are shown with a 20mm f/2.8 lens. This was probably the original design vision behind full frame mirrorless but its popularity got out of hand. 

 

The moment you move up to faster professional grade lenses, you lose that size advantage:

 

 

Here the a7RII, 5DsR, and a99 are shown with a native 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. Add an adapter and it gets much worse. It is just physics that if you make the body smaller, the lens gets bigger. Either you choose one small body and lots of big lenses vs. one big body and lots of small lenses. The more lenses you carry in your bag, the worse the overall size disadvantage. Want a more compact professional camera system?—choose a DSLR/DSLT!

 

In some cases, mirrorless works out to be less compact than a DSLR:

 

 

Here the a7RII is shown with the 85mm f/1.4 GM lens and the Canon 5DsR with the 85mm f/1.2 lens. The Canon is more compact despite the lens being half a stop faster. 

 

Now that this realisation has begun to sink in, there is talk from increasingly desperate people now hoping for a 24-70mm f/2.0 FE mount lens that is more compact than the f/4.0 version. But the public have deluded themselves into thinking that Sony and Zeiss can collaborate to rewrite the laws of physics.

 

Adapters are the least attractive feature of mirrorless in the long run. Asked about adapting Canon lenses Kimio Maki of Sony said this:

 

Do you anticipate that someone who has a collection of long telephoto Canon lenses could potentially use them to shoot sports with the a7R II?

 

KM: I hope that our native lenses are better! But it will happen. I see people using Sony a7-series bodies and third-party lenses all the time, for video and for stills, because they already own the lenses. It works, but our native lenses are much better... 

 

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/0717419525/interview-kimio-maki-of-sony-the-customer-s-voice-is-the-most-important-data-for-me

 

I find that adapters aren't that practical to use. I have a lot of adapters for my a7II, and have accidentally taken the wrong one with me or have forgotten to pack one altogether. It's also an extra pair of lens caps to lose. Saying you chose FF mirrorless because of the size advantage so you can shoot with an adapted Canon lens is like saying that you're going on a holiday to Hawaii so you can enjoy skiing on powder snow. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Adapters are also fiddly, bulky, and they decisively kill whatever marginal advantage in compactness the body might allegedly once have had. Unfortunately, the body-adapter-lens combination ends up looking like some ungainly Dr. Seuss contraption:

 

 

Worse still, my A to E mount adapter reduces light transmission by about a 1/2 stop, and you lose far too much of the native autofocus functionality, which gets even worse with Canon lenses. It is always immeasurably better to use native lenses—hence why Sony actually make native E mount lenses! As Maki rightly says "native lenses are much better", and selling Canon lenses is hardly a viable long term corporate strategy for Sony. Also nobody goes on and on about the fact that you can adapt some vintage MF lenses to Canon and Nikon bodies then add focus peaking to the body with Magic Latern. Micro-misalignment between lens-adapter-body causes degradation of IQ in the corners particularly at shorter focal lengths (where due to the short flange distances and narrow mount diameter the E mount is "technically challenged" already because it was originally an APS-C mount). Being able to adapt vintage MF lenses might be cute and will have its niche, but for the vast majority of photographers, the last reason to choose mirrorless is as a vintage retro lens revivalist contraption. At the end of the day, when I pick my set of lenses for a shoot, I just find myself systematically avoiding the use of adapted lenses. I would gladly give up all of my adapters just to shoot with native lenses. So please, Sony, give me a decent A mount DSLT to use with my superb A mount lenses.

 

So what's the point of professional full frame mirrorless other than as a casual walkabout camera with a pancake lens? It isn't for the compactness. It is hardly for the ability to shoot with adapters (except for a minority of legacy lens aficionados). As for IBIS, the Pentax K-1 shows you can add that to DSLRs too, and so IBIS is hardly any more a feature unique to MILCs than wifi, meaning that IBIS is no longer a reason to choose a MILC over a DSLR. A new Canon patent for a hybrid viewfinder means that DSLRs will soon have live exposure preview, meaning that being able to see the exposure before taking a shot won't be a reason to choose mirrorless over DSLRs. In any case, you get live exposure preview with an A mount DSLT already. It certainly isn't for the faster frame rate or low light autofocus abilities. You have to wonder if there is any meaningful point left at all to full frame mirrorless cameras. 

 

Mirrorless FF cameras are going through the usual cycle that goes with all novel technology. First some enthusiasts delirious with euphoria proclaim it to be the road to Elysian Fields and declare the DSLR dead. Next people find the Revolution to End All Revolutions brings its own set of problems, and it isn't the magical path to El Dorado it promised. Finally, people arrive at the more sober realisation that like rangefinders, it has its niche, along with its own peculiar set of pros and cons. 

[Colorado]

Well said Sator! I would of put this much time into a response but I no longer need to. I 2nd & 3rd every word. Also nice visual aides. A photography forum with pictures... who would of thought.

 

Now if there was a way to make sure Sony see's these types of posts.

[Sator]

When I read the press releases regarding the new SEL70300G, I can only feel more rejected by Sony.

 

I own a Sony A77V Mk1 and have spent many thousands of dollars in genuine Zeiss and Sony A mount full frame lenses with the longer term intent on "upgrading" from APS-C to Full Frame sensor body of the A99 mk2.

 

But All I see is more and more FE mount lenses being produced and no information on any new A mount full frame body.

 

Sony's silence is more telling than anything else.

 

I do not believe the existing A mount Sony user base should be treated with so much contempt and disregard.

 

I put a serious question to you Sony.

 

If you wanted a new product to satisfy your needs, how long would you wait before you looked elsewhere?

 

I believe the Sony A mount user base has waited long enough. In fact more than long enough.

 

Isn't it true?

 

You are telling us nothing because you have nothing to tell.

 

Actually you could tell us the truth.

 

No, you are not developing a new version of the A99, you are putting all your eggs into the E mount and specifically the FE full frame body and lenses.

 

You are leaving the PRO market to Canon and Nikon.

 

Obviously Sony only wants to be number 3 in the photography market

 

I would appreciate a formal reply from Sony and not continuing silence.

 

100+

 

I sincerely hope Sony is reading this thread!

 

Sony: you know that E mount is an APS-C mount that got forced to double as a full frame mount. The mount diameter is too narrow and the flange distance way too shallow to allow engineers to design high-end lens in all focal lengths to serve the needs of professionals. As the Sigma CEO said:

 

...the diameter is very small and makes it difficult to design high quality FF lenses...it almost looks like E-mount was designed for APS-C more than FF.   

 

And as Zeiss have admitted:

 

“The short flange distance between the sensor and the rear element is an engineering challenge for ultra wide-angle lenses.”

 

As Sony has now candidly confessed: 

 

the A-mount has certain advantages over the E mount.

 

 

Certain advantages??? To put it another way, Sony know perfectly well that if they had predicted in advance that FF mirrorless was going to be this popular they would have fully redesigned the mount so that it was a proper full frame mount, wide enough to incorporate IBIS without causing degradation of corner IQ as the sensor moves. That makes the entire mount and the lenses that go with it much larger, but that is the proper way to have designed a dedicated professional full frame mirrorless IBIS mount. The FF E mount is something of an accident and mishap they cannot go back and change now. I quote from a Fuji manager on their reasons for not adding IBIS to the X-system:

 

TAKASHI UENO: First of all, our XF mount is not compatible with IBIS. You may be thinking that our mount size is similar to competitors’ and why Fujifilm cannot do it. The answer is simple: for the sake of image quality. IBIS has both advantages and disadvantages. IBIS moves the sensor in the mount to stabilize the image. To secure the amount of light at any position, the diameter of mount must cover the wider image circle considering the margin of sensor movement. The diameter of our mount was designed for the image circle without IBIS. It means the amount of light at the corners is reduced when the sensor is shifted. We could correct it digitally, but we don’t want to do it: we don’t want to compromise our image quality.

 

TOMASH: Why didn’t you design a mount in a size, which would allow implementing the IBIS?

 

TAKASHI UENO: To cover the larger image circle, not only mount size (and body size), but also lens size must be bigger. ​

 

 

Now look at these figures on comparative mount diameters:

 

Minolta/Sony A mount: 49.7mm

Sony FE mount: 46.1mm

Fuji X mount: 44mm

Canon EOS EF mount: 54mm

Pentax K mount: 44mm

 

The X-mount isn't much different in size to the FE mount!

 

The Sigma CEO is right. The NEX mount was originally an APS-C mount, and it is too narrow to comfortably take IBIS with a full frame sensor without causing degradation in IQ, or to readily design high quality lenses for. The FE mount is a technically retarded mount that will always create second rate lenses because of the inherent optical disadvantages of the design. It would be best to throw the whole FE mount into the rubbish bin and start again with a new mount, but it is way too late for that. But you have the A mount! The A mount is a superior dedicated professional full frame mount, and was a better candidate to carry IBIS. 

 

The A mount was the one that once made Minolta number one ahead of Canon and Nikon. It is the real deal: an optically sound mount that can be the foundation of a real high-end professional system. With it Sony can be Minolta's second coming like Apple's second coming under Steve Jobs, after Apple nearly went bankrupt. Sony A mount too can rise from the ashes and be number one again.

[D700]

...Sony A mount too can rise from the ashes and be number one again.

 

 

With A-Mount? Never!

Sony knows very well, that the future is mirrorless = E-Mount and even YOU can see this (if you are willing)

Yes they can become Number one - if Canon and Nikon don't switch to mirrorless soon.

DSLR/SLT is decreasing and for most people A-Mount is dead; people who are realsitic an not dreaming ...

 

Furhter invest in A-Mount is burning money!

[D700]

 

 The A mount is a superior dedicated professional full frame mount....

 

 

Maybe, but nobody bought it; the market deciedes!

And since long time he decided for Canon and Nikon.

 

So Sony had to switch to a new futer driving technology to be successfull.

And as a result, they ARE!

Without E-Mount they would still have retired from producing system cameras.

And if Sony splits off the image business into a seperate company the End of A-Mount is surely coming faster.

[Sator]

"The Market" is hardly some Divine Oracle. On the contrary, it is capricious, fickle and grossly irrational. What is the latest fad today can be just as quickly forgotten tomorrow. "The Market" demands that Sony rewrite the laws of physics by conjuring the Mirrorless Miracle of a 24-70mm f/2.0 FE mount zoom lens just as compact as the f/4 version. When none is forthcoming there will be trouble, as all of the starry-eyed people who brought into the mirrorless novelty thinking it would compete with M4/3 or APS-C formats for compactness will be sorely disappointed. Vacuous hype can only get you so far before the bubble bursts. That is why Sony need to use the extra economic shot in the art from a7 series sales to create a more credible long term A mount based strategy.

 

In any case, DSLT gives you EVF/live exposure preview, frame rates potentially much faster than DSLR, more compact lenses from a more mature A mount line up, no loss of overall compactness over mirrorless once lens size is considered, body better balanced against longer lenses, better battery life, and elimination of shake from mirror slap. Plus potential for an even better implementation of IBIS on a proper full frame mount in future instead of an APS-C mount passed off as a FF mount.

 

Who needs mirrorless?

[Colorado]

With A-Mount? Never!

Sony knows very well, that the future is mirrorless = E-Mount and even YOU can see this (if you are willing)

Yes they can become Number one - if Canon and Nikon don't switch to mirrorless soon.

DSLR/SLT is decreasing and for most people A-Mount is dead; people who are realsitic an not dreaming ...

 

Furhter invest in A-Mount is burning money!

A-Mount Never? You must have a couple of E-mounts at hand.

 

What would be wrong with A-Mount mirrorless?? I have used both E and A-Mount FF and without exception the A-Mount is a much better fit in my work flow. Controls, handling, and features all better with the A. Things as simple as access to the battery with my quick release mounted to the bottom of the body. If the only future option for Sony is the current E-mount they will loose at least one customer.

[D700]

A-Mount Never? You must have a couple of E-mounts at hand.

 

What would be wrong with A-Mount mirrorless??...

 

I'm using an A7II comming from Nikon DSLR and my last dinosaur was a A57, 3 years ago.

For me (and for Sony as you can see) A-Mount is a dead product.

 

As I wrote before, the (shrinking) DSLR market is dominated by C&N.

Sony is looking for a new Market and they did it right!

 

Mirrorless A-Mount doesn't make sense, as you can't take the advantages of a system with a short flange distance.

With E-Mount you can be small, if you like, and big if you need fast or big lenses.

With ancient A-Mount technology you're always BIG! And that's the difference!

 

And: For the installed base there are a lot of great adapters available to use A-Mount lenses.

This is a win/win situation for all of us and Sony.

There might be some "old shool" users who are not willing to change; but if they move to C or N, I think this won't be any problem for Sony as they earn more modern thinking users from the competition every day

 

I'm pretty shure, that in a year from now, nobody ist mentioning A-Mount any more ...

[delewin]

There is nothing stopping Sony from using an A mount body and inserting the mirror-less sensor.

 

Would not that be the "best of both worlds"?

 

Actually mirror-less A mount does make sense. The flange distance would be kept . Sony would simply re-mount the sensor to suit the lenses being used.

 

The FE (E) mount has only one real advantage. That is the ability to use an adapter to mount other manufacture's lenses so the photographer does not have to sell all the "old" lenses to use the new Sony body.

 

The mirror-less sensor would be mounted in exactly the same place as the current A99 sensor.

 

A mount has better balance and is more suited to long term active use. It is stronger especially in terms of torsional strength. One of the problems noted with adding big heavy lenses to the A7 line is the need to always support the lens with your hand or tripod mount, as the FE mount can distort (bend) over time with constant use.

 

This puts your image plane out of parallel to your lens plain and the only solution is to buy another body. (Simple but very expensive fix.)