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A99Mk2 will not be released in 2015


delewin
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Hi all,

 

I believe Sony will not release the A99 Mk2 before January 2016 for the following reasons:

 

1. Sony has been overwhelmed with success of the A7r Mk2.

2. Sony is pushing the FE lens series.

3. Sony is gaining significant sales of the A7r Mk2 body from Canon users as they move from Canon to Sony with the advantage of not having to sell all their Canon lenses.

4. 3rd party adaptor manufacturers are flocking to make adaptors from other lens manufacturers to the Sony A7r Mk2 mount.

5. Sony is reasonably expecting being nominated 2015 Camera of the Year with the A7r Mk2 from virtually every photographic publisher in the world, why would they bring out another "show stopper"?

6. From a marketing perspective, the A7r Mk2 has created the "wave", by releasing the A99 Mk2 in 2016 it maintains the marketing wave. (Keeps Sony's name on the lips of the photographic world.)

7. Sony has successfully created a light full frame camera of excellent quality and performance, the replacement A99 Mk2 will be significantly heavier than the A7r Mk2.

8. The A99 Mk2 would have to have significantly higher specifications compared to the A7r Mk2 for people to buy it over the A7r Mk2. Will it?

9. If it is better spec'd, by how much could it be? Would it be enough to swing the tide of users to the A99 Mk2?

10. What audience would the A99 Mk2 be focused. Apart from existing A99 and other Alpha lens users?

11. So, in short, regretfully, the market is small (compared to the A7r Mk2), and existing alpha lenses can be mounted to the A7r Mk2 with a Sony adaptor.

 

 

I am interested in hearing comments from other Alpha mount users. 

 

I wish I am wrong, but I believe my logic is sound.

 

My 5 cents,

David

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Hi, no one knows what sony does or not. 

The a99ii development is finished and there is no reason to hold it back till January... 

The specs will not be higher... equal or lesser.. its not the same sensor like the a7r2..  i think its a new backlight sensor too but only around 36MP. But one of the fastest AF in the World. 4k options and a better display.

E Mount is not A Mount and these are totally different Working Areas for both so no reason to hold the a99ii back.. 

 

I think the A99ii announcement comes in a few days.. around the 15 September that is the 3 year anniversary of the A99.

 

And if the A99ii better then the a7r2 dont forget: the a7r2 is only a A7 Brand... so there is a A9 in planing with absolutly killer Specs comming..

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To be honest, having owned (very happily) an A900 for number of years (2008 rings a bell) (and have a number of A mount lenses)

 

I'm quietly hoping to see an upsized A7Rii that fits "native" (no adapters) fast A mount lenses?

 

Interestingly is the lack of or slow release of fast lenses to suit the A7Rii given its price point, is the A-mount adapter a sub-optimal stop-gap

 

Where is Sony going, hopefully they know, and will soon give us customers some commitment in our investments

 

They won't get any of my cash until they do so  

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You make some interesting points about them not wanting to steal the thunder from the A7R2, but I think if they've already got a developed product (and does anybody have evidence that they do?), they wouldn't wait to release it.  The A-mount market is out there.  Sony realizes that they're not going to steal many users from Canon/Nikon with that mount, so they're only selling to existing users.  So in that sense, any A99ii wouldn't really compete with the A7R2, flagship of the FE mount, which is arguably the most exciting thing in photography right now.  So I see no reason for Sony to intentionally delay any release. 

 

But Sony's been woefully translucent about the future of A-mount, and surely must know that they're bleeding users because of their lack of development or even clear commitment.  The only conclusion I can draw is that they themselves haven't decided on the mount's future.  Why else the secrecy?  It makes no marketing sense.  Even if they were going to stop releasing new bodies, it would make sense to announce it, and if they were going to continue, that announcement would also make sense.  So the only conclusion is they haven't decided yet.   But if they do have a finished A99ii, I can't imagine them just sitting on it. 

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At this point an A-Mount "mirror-less" A99/A900 replacement is most likely seen as a product that would cannibalise the A7Rii sales....?

 

It would be nice to see such a camera, it would complement the top-end pro-consumer range nicely, cost wise lever nicely off the A7Rii development budget. (cheap/er to develop)  Not to forget adding more first-adopter disruptive technology to the market, great for the consumer, competition and choice.

 

It would (arguably) be a better fit with the heavier legacy A-mount, Cannon and Nikon lenses, and could solve many other complaints such as battery life, heat issues, storage, GPS and so on

 

The FE mount would still have prominence, hard to argue with the size and weight of the A7 kit 

 

I do find it hard to see the SLR mirror camera existing for too much longer, for those new to photography will most likely see the mirrored camera as a backward step in functionality and versatility.  Also, after seeing an interview Matt Granger did with a Zeiss representative, there was some discussion on lens design and the issues accommodating the flip-up mirror, this design issue disappears with the mirror, which may lead to cheaper/better lenses in the future..? 

 

Though I do see film as the visual equivalent vinyl, who buys a CD player these days....  

 

We wait in anticipation......

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With respect Golem,

no poster here set themselves up as an expert on what Sony will or will not do next. I simply put forward my views based on my marketing experience. Sony obviously moves by a different drum. :)

 

The other members of this forum offering their comments are just as valid as mine.

 

I want to be proved wrong.

 

The press releases regarding updating of some of the Sony Alpha prime lenses imply a continuation of the Alpha line of bodies, just not when this will eventuate.

 

What I am discussing is a "when" not an "if".

 

I am not saying that Sony will not offer an updated FF Alpha lens body in the future. I am suggesting that it wont be in 2015.

 

Kind regards,

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Delewin ...

 

Don't be taking it personally.

Note the use of the plural.

 

Everyone jumps in, and voila !

You have said congregation ...

wandering in the wilderness.

 

Matters not [to me anywho] if

you're proved right or not, it

not being about you singularly.

I'm just remarking on a common

phenomenon ... all too common ?

 

And BTW, welcome, Pilgrim :-)

 

------------------------------

 

OTOH, if it comes to matters of

"if " vs "when", ultimate demise of

the A-mount line is a "when". The

marketplace grows thinner with no

signs of ever returning to former

"glory days". In the more glorious

days, the EOS mount ended the FD

mount, the Maxxum mount ended

the MD mount, etc. If supporting two

parallel mounts per company didn't

fly back then, the writing is on the

wall for current hard times. No one

should expect more from Sony on

the A-mount front than perhaps an

elegant A-to-EF adapter system.

 

OK. So now I have sat in with the

unholy congregation ;-)

 

 

`

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Hi Golem,

 

Thank you for your words of welcome. :)

 

Also welcome to the "unholy" congregation, even though you look like you are just "passing through".

 

I do agree with you regarding the long term future of the Alpha mount bodies and lenses.

 

On a tangential thought, the "death" of the Alpha system will be delayed until Sony or Zeiss come out with the equivalent low light lenses in the FE series. EG SEL70200F4 to a FE mount 70-200 F2.8 or brighter. That would remove the benefit of mounting the "old" A mount glass.

 

Of course the cost of F2.8 zoom glass in FE mount will not be cheap at all.  :(

 

I do not think they will be significantly lighter, as most of the weight is in the glass.

 

(But hey; who said Sony (or any other company) is in the business just for the benefit of its consumers??)  :P

 

As you say, we are "wondering in the wilderness".

 

But we are wandering together and conversing to "speculate" on "the great unknown". That's part of the enjoyment of this forum.  :)

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As Sony A65 and Sony A77II owner I'm waiting for the A99II to switch to full frame as the A7RII is no option for me with an autofocus not working fast and reliable when using A-mount lenses (like my 70-400mm which I use for sports photography).

 

I'm glad having an A-mount body with a really great and fast autofocus with my existing A77II.

The same (or better) autofocus technology I expect from the upcoming A99II.

 

Sony has been updating it's premium A-mount lenses in the last months and I think that they even might use a new technology without the semi-transparent mirror (similar to the A7RII).

Other manufactures like Sigma and Tamron also bring new A-mount lenses and I don't thing that they would do that with a dead system.

 

So I keep waiting...

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  • 3 weeks later...

I remember Sony stating after the A77II release that they will only release updated products with "significant" advancements, because the public did not perceive the A77II as having enough improvements to warrant a newer model. This leads me to believe that with a lot of resources focused on the A7 line and its success the A99II has taken a back seat along with the need for Sony to fulfill their new criteria for updated product releases. The A99II  in its current state probably does not set the bar high enough and needs more work before release.  Just a thought...   

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I still use my A900 and A99 intensively - difficult light and need for fast focus with the A99. Sure, I want a faster camera and 4K; but, at the end of the day, I am still very happy with the A99 that I've had since December 2012. I can wait a little longer (I'll then decommission the A900 and use the A99 as back-up). BUT, I WANT GEOTAG  as I travel around the word quite extensively...

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New A-mount lenses from Sigma, Tamron etc forecast

nothing at all. They build the same lens across all SLR

platforms, then merely adapt it to the particulars of the

various systems. IOW, 95% of all the lens is common,

and 5% is specific to any particular lens mount system.

 

`

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  • 2 months later...

To be honest, having owned (very happily) an A900 for number of years (2008 rings a bell) (and have a number of A mount lenses)

 

I'm quietly hoping to see an upsized A7Rii that fits "native" (no adapters) fast A mount lenses?

 

Interestingly is the lack of or slow release of fast lenses to suit the A7Rii given its price point, is the A-mount adapter a sub-optimal stop-gap

 

Where is Sony going, hopefully they know, and will soon give us customers some commitment in our investments

 

They won't get any of my cash until they do so  

Exactly so.

I want to upgrade camera my camera body, but don't have the information to make a long term decision.  

The lack of obvious direction from Sony is making me consider changing ships.

 

None of my cash either!

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Sony needs pro-level body, able to focus in every condition, also in low light. Sony also cant trash a-mount lenses of Sony loyalists. Some flimsy adapter is not an alternative.

I agree, I have huge investment (for me) in A mount and moved from Konica Minolta. Please sony do not abandon us loyalist A mounters. 

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I'd be glad to see an A99II A-mount mirrorless, with all A7R2 specs, including the 5-axis IBIS ( or better ) and a modified version of A7RII`s 42MP sensor with the OS-PDAF sensors specifically designed for A-mount lenses.

Having a similar in size body to the current A99 it would avoid overheating, have room for two SD cards and A99`s larger battery. Of course, some other features could also be introduced, like higher MP shots using IBIS sensor movement, etc. Anyway, I`m decided now in selling my A99 and most my A-mount lenses, since the A7II and A6000 have become my workhorses!

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Delewin, I agree with most of your points about the logic of postponing the release of the A99 mk2 to 2016, as the A7R2 already won everything in 2015.

 

However, I think there's a market for the A-mount - I'm sure there is.

I'm a professional wedding photographer and wouldn't use E-mount for it: there just aren't enough long focal length lenses for that beautiful bokeh and I don't think there will be, because they will be heavy and totally out of balance on an E-mount body. Plus if I had to choose I'd keep the translucent pelicle for the simple reason of keeping the dust out of the sensor, so no worry about changing lenses.

Finally, it seems logical to me that Sony has been adapting to the market and churn out products based on the costumers reaction to each product. Wouldn't be surprised if that 42MP sensor was originally planned for the A99 mk2 but then adapted to the A7r mk2 because of the A7 series success.

If I had to guess I'd say the A99 mk2 will be basically the A7R mk2 (sensor + features) with the A99 body and better AF.

 

Now who would it appeal to? A lot of people!

For example those (many) wedding photographers that use the Nikon D750 or the Canon 5D mk3 and want a similar AF but with better image quality (from the 42MP sensor) together with the EVF and in-body 5 axis stabilization and proper 4K with continuous AF.

 

Finally, Sony still has a plan for the A-mount: not only have they been updating some A-mount lenses (although mostly minor updates), Sony also has a big share of Tamron and their lenses are still coming out for A-mount (look at the 35mm and 45mm primes released a few months ago)

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I would say that the A99II is most likely an Olympic year model. It is appearing at around the same time as the 1DX II and the D5, at the start of an Olympic year, because Sony need a fast sport reportage camera, if they are not to be forgotten about until the end of the Olympics. 

 

Sony have clearly decided on the SLT A-mount system to deliver speed because the mirrorless system is currently simply too slow to readily compete with a 1DX II or D5. The SLT system further gives Sony an inherent advantage over SLR systems in terms of speed, because the mirror does not need to move. 

 

If speed for sport reportage is what is driving A-mount development, then we can also expect that Sony too will make compromises on the sensor resolution in exchange for speed, just like Canon and Nikon. Both the 1DX II and the D5 are rumoured to shoot 15fps at around 20MP resolution. That means Sony may well also limit the resolution on the A99II to around 24MP so that the SLT design advantage can allow it to not only match but possibly even surpass its rivals for sheer speed. Or else if they did increase the resolution of the A99II to 36MP, they could at least have it shoot as fast at a higher resolution than its DSLR rivals can manage at around 20MP.

 

This means that it is probably less likely that the A99II will have a 42MP sensor. That said, Sony may well release a higher resolution rival SLT model to the 5DIV and the D610 later in 2016, one which does have a higher resolution sensor. However, with the 1DX II and D5 about to be released soon, this will not be Sony's first priority in an Olympic year.

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