This may be a stupid question but...

[XKAES]

What's the difference between "Sony Alpha Full Frame" and "Sony A-Mount System"?  Just wondering because they are two separate sections on the Forum.

Edited March 23, 2021 by XKAES

[thebeardedgroundsman]

Sony A-mount system is the older system of mounting lenses onto the camera body - dating back to the time of Minolta cameras who were taken over by Sony. There are still a couple of A mount bodies available, I believe, The Alpha a99ii.

A-mount lenses are also available. For people with A-mount lenses, switching across to the new E-mount, there are adapters so you don't have to totally change your system all at once.

A-mount cameras are available in both APS-C (cropped sensor) eg: A68 and Full - Frame sensors eg; A99.

Full frame refers to the size of the sensor, which is based on the 35mm that was used in the old SLR film cameras. 

Whereas APS-C has a smaller sensor which 'crops' the image. Both Full-frame and APS-C are available in both Sony A-mount and E-mount Cameras.

In practical terms Full frame should allow for better images and larger prints but use up more memory space. Also, lenses on APS-C cameras give a focal length of about 1.5 X what you have using the same lens on a full frame camera. EG: a 50mm lens on FF has a focal length of 50mm  (approx. the same as the human eye) whereas, on an APS-C camera it has an equivalent focal length of 75mm (Slightly telephoto).

 

[Pieter]

6 hours ago, XKAES said:

What's the difference between "Sony Alpha Full Frame" and "Sony A-Mount System"?

This is indeed a bit ambiguous. Sony Alpha refers to Sony's entire offer of interchangeable lens cameras and lenses (though arguably not to the Cinema-line). Sony Alpha is comprised of both A-mount and E-mount.

Since A-mount is not being updated anymore, pretty much all discussion on new camera stuff is about E-mount. I guess this is why the moderator decided to add a special section dedicated to A-mount, to make a platform for people to discuss their legacy equipment.

[XKAES]

So "Sony A-Mount System" is a subset of "Sony Alpha Full Frame"? 

Makes it a little difficult to know where to post certain questions.

[Pieter]

2 hours ago, XKAES said:

So "Sony A-Mount System" is a subset of "Sony Alpha Full Frame"?

Technically 'Sony A-Mount System' is a subset of 'Sony Alpha' (not neccesarily fullframe as there are APS-C-sized sensors and corresponding lenses for the A-mount system as well).

I guess anything related to A-mount should be put under 'Sony A-Mount System'.

[thebeardedgroundsman]

I like the fact that there is a section for A-Mount. I have an A68 (aps-c) and an A99 (FF).

The questions and discussions tend to be more about experiences and queries that are harder to find answers for elsewhere on line - due to the older and less mainstream nature of A-mount rather than E-mount which is so successful in today's world.

Of course there are also the sections for adapted and legacy lenses which are perhaps even more specialist / less mainstream.