Sony's new DSLR

[S230]

After reading today's sub section of the newspaper about Sony doing photography and the first one that came out with the digital camera, I cannot help thinking that they are probably soon to release a new camera into the marketplace. It wasn't too long that they took over Minolta and for them to make such a large investment, they need to find ways to recover the cost spent into that company because technology gets out of date very quickly. They have the means and need to compete against two largest rivals. Nikon and Canon.

What I am thinking is probably within the next month or sooner because summer is here and it's a quarterly budgeting time for companies. Some of the features I can imagine is Image Stabalization, Continuous High speed shooting with large buffers, MEMORY STICK!!!, + Compact Flash or SD option and maybe Night Vision Photography which I believe Sony is holds the patent to night vision.

just my thought.. :)

[aliflack]

Got an email through from them yesterday promoting 'Aplha', which seems to be their SLR...didn't give a lot of tech specs but did show various images of the body with brief descriptions of the usual features (viewfinder, size of LCD, DOF preview etc).

Excited? Nah...

[S230]

the information was just published today. The model is Alpha DSLR-A100, 10MP, 3FPS, 2.5In LCD, Super Steadyshot Inside (Image Stabilization), Anti-Dust removal, ISO 100-1600.
The camera kinda looks like built from both Canon and Nikon. The dial on front looks like the D70 and dials on top looks like the 20D. The technology inside sounds like a glorified digital rebel bumped up to 10mp. Too bad it doesn't have Night Vision.
As for the Standard lens, it is a 18-70mm f3.5-5.6) cost approx $1200.
I am pretty sure lots of people buy it simply because of the name Sony is printed on it.

[Cammanpeter]

I checked out the images of the camera, lenses and accessories on the Sony Electronics website (there were 31 images), however there's not one shot of the back of the camera. I agree with S230, it does look like a cross between the Nikon and Canon digital SLR's with the old Minolta hotshoe.

[Rubi Jane]

It's expected to be available July 6 in Canada. Body $1099, w/18-70 $1199, w/18-70 + 75-300 $1499 (Cdn$)
I think you'll find it's 5fps (RAW) and 3fps (RAW+jpeg)
Here's a link to the Canadian Sony Online site (http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/servlet/CategoryDisplays?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&categoryId=100267). There's also a flash site (http://www.sonystyle.ca/html/alpha/main.html) with info including pics of the back of the body. Sony is going to introduce Carl Zeiss lenses for the Alpha this Fall.

In Canada they are running a photo contest (http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/servlet/StaticView?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&contentpage=../html/alphacontest/alphacontest_home.html) and giving away 3 DSLRs in Canada.

My marketing background has my gut instinct being that Sony looks pretty committed to DSLR...time will tell.

[michael_]

read up on this last week here http://www.sony.com.au/objects/other/alpha/index.html looks interesting

[Coco-Puffs]

ok, so I went to the Sony showroom in Ginza Tokyo to check out Sony's new SLR.

http://x30.xanga.com/815a062666c3061518960/w41235171.jpg
http://x53.xanga.com/463a0b326503061518916/w41235141.jpg


Good:
- It was light. Like Kiss/350D/rebel xt light. But it had a better balance.
- Grip. I think b/c the way the battery is located, its a lot easier to hold due to the better balance.
- Buffer speed, writing speed. Incredibly fast. You can keep on taking pictures and it will write into the memory card instantly.
- pixels...I guess
Bad
- dont know its full potential just yet
- location of shutter button. This is the one thing that bothered me the most. Instead of the shutter button being at the very end of the grip, the dial is, which is the opposite of Canons.

Also, zooming/mounting is like Nikon/Tamrons. Wide when you twist the barrel to the left, and long when you twist it the otherway. Had to check everytime when iw anted to zoom b/c I'm so used to the other way around.
and no Carl Zeiss lens yet; the guy said itll be out in mid-late Oct.

Oh, and there will be a higher end model from Sony soon. Overall, i think itll be a great entry level camera (for people that want more than the Lumix FZ5 or whatever those things are called) but i think us Canon fans would be better off if we wait for the new Rebel :).

they also had PS3, PSP (I REAAALY want this now), and this awesome tiny Vaio (perfect replacement for my Clie?)
http://x58.xanga.com/9d4a30326663061518935/w41235152.jpg
http://x13.xanga.com/37ba2527d303261518949/w41235162.jpg

[coreypolis]

it looks good on paper, then again so did the f828.

if you had a good amount of zeiss glass, and sony is continued to making more bodies and pro bodies, then I'd have a different oponion.

To me, alot of their advertising is, shall we say, very creative. Whether its smoke and mirrors or just slightly imbelished, I prefer to stay away from Sony in certain areas of technology, with cameras being one.

[cdifoto]

I've had 3 major Sony products and all failed on me just after warranty expiration. I won't buy another. Only my Discman still lives.

[Coco-Puffs]

The "Sony timebomb" was officially denied 2 days ago. BUT, my vaio failed on me along with so many other sony products.

and this camera, my instinct told me to stay away from it. The plastic piece the shutter is on is glossed/shiny material. Who in the right mind would put such material where its touched a lot and could get scratched? thats when i knew that this camera wasnt meant for acutally taking pictures, but is meant to sit on its own display and show off to friends.

[SuzyView]

Oh don't say that. I'm buying an LCD soon. I was going to get it this week, but don't have time. I have Nifty.

[Rubi Jane]

We've been lucky I guess. Every Sony item we've ever bought still works, even the first CD player from 1986, the first DVD from 1997, my Vaio (not that I use it much), Clie, camcorder, 60" grand wega, mp3 player, 2 P&S and other items. I've never had a Sony item fail, but that's not a reason for me to buy their DSLR. However they are often our first choice for TVs and stereo equipment.

[photographicsafaris]

Actually this is identicle to the old Minolta Dynax 5D body and it takes all their old lenses.

Canon and Nikon should be very warey. 10 Mpixels Anti shake sensor and dust removal... thats more than any Canon ever had. Also It has Minolta's flash system, without a doubt the best auto flash system.

If you've ever used a minolta you'd know that they make great products. Oh the screen automatically rotates when you rotate the camera. the screen also comes on to show info when you pull your eye away from the back, and switches itself off automatically when you put your eye to the viewfinder.

Their 17-35 f4 lens is amazing, their 70-200 APO G is also amazing, and theyre image stabilised. Unfortunately they are not full frame, which I need.

Backed by Sony's marketing machine, and knowing what I know now I'd be seriously tempted to convert and buy this along with a Dynax 9. If only they have full frame.


So dont be too fast to mock it, Newcomers to the market have alot to offer. Panasonic are also introducing and SLR which will have a ton of seethrough Leica stuff in it. And bare in mind that Samsung have brought the rights to manufacture the pentax DSLR's. So the future could be cold for Canon and Nikon.

Me I am still clinging to my 5x4 arca swiss and my Canon film bodies. I resist using my Canon 5D but its sooo practical. However a nikon coolscan IV makes all my (dust free) slide's 18Mpixel 18bit 70mb Tiffs. you cant fault that.

[photographicsafaris]

Actually this is identicle to the old Minolta Dynax 5D body and it takes all their old lenses.

Canon and Nikon should be very warey. 10 Mpixels Anti shake sensor and dust removal... thats more than any Canon ever had. Also It has Minolta's flash system, without a doubt the best auto flash system.

If you've ever used a minolta you'd know that they make great products. Oh the screen automatically rotates when you rotate the camera. the screen also comes on to show info when you pull your eye away from the back, and switches itself off automatically when you put your eye to the viewfinder.

Their 17-35 f4 lens is amazing, their 70-200 APO G is also amazing, and theyre image stabilised. Unfortunately they are not full frame, which I need.

Backed by Sony's marketing machine, and knowing what I know now I'd be seriously tempted to convert and buy this along with a Dynax 9. If only they have full frame.


So dont be too fast to mock it, Newcomers to the market have alot to offer. Panasonic are also introducing and SLR which will have a ton of seethrough Leica stuff in it. And bare in mind that Samsung have brought the rights to manufacture the pentax DSLR's. So the future could be cold for Canon and Nikon.

Me I am still clinging to my 5x4 arca swiss and my Canon film bodies. I resist using my Canon 5D but its sooo practical. However a nikon coolscan IV makes all my (dust free) slide's 18Mpixel 18bit 70mb Tiffs. you cant fault that.

Oh and I do know where to store all my Slides... My digital files are starting to scare me

[Tom W]

Every time I see the name "Sony", I think of BetaMax.

[Rubi Jane]

BetaMax
Ahh, the better video system of it's time. Unfortunately Sony was too arrogant and didn't sell/allow rights to use by other manufacturers, hence it's un/timely demise. At least they learnt their lesson with the Memory Stick

[davidfig]

Theres that eye-start focus system, and 10mp. They didn't sit on there butts. At least they didn't release a 6.1mp camera. Besides Canon and Nikon, how has those large professional long range lenses?

[AdamJL]

Canon and Nikon should be very warey. 10 Mpixels Anti shake sensor and dust removal... thats more than any Canon ever had. Also It has Minolta's flash system, without a doubt the best auto flash system.


I agree. Purists will probably stay away from the Alpha (for now), but a lot of new DSLR users (and the market is growing rapidly) will be tempted by Sony. Anti-Shake (on the body) and Dust Free are two very very important features.

[CyberDyneSystems]

I handled an "Alpha" today..
I like it!

It reminds of a 20D or more D60 or maybe 300D/Rebel for feel weight and size,. definitely a bit less substantial than a 10D and lacking the metal feel of the 10D and 20D/30D.. but siozed about the same as the 20D.

It's layout though different, was fine, they have Minolta's background to thank for that, and it really shows. No other Sony camera has been this well designed. Access to ISO adjustments is the easiest I have seen on any digital, something that Sony has embraced is the new functionality of ISO settings on digital as opposed to film,. and is a harbinger of the future for this still stupidly overlooked functionality on Canon EOS DSLRs.

I could only use it with the "kit" lens of course,. so my impressions are limited to use with a tiny lens,. but the Onboard IS was fine for these focal lengths,. great in fact. It seemed very simlar to using one of the small EF-S IS lenses on a Canon.

No chance to snap a pic,. but I might try to go back with a CF card and talk them into it.

Again,. with 10MO and anti shake @ a mere $1K with lens,. this is THE intro level DSLR for those with no investment or understanding of the investment in a system. (on paper of course :) )

If Sony can keep the Minolta system afloat than this will prove to be a serious DSLR system,. and though maybe it won't rope in all the pros, it might be all most ameaeutrs could ever use.

Best thing is that Canon has competition from someone other than poor old Nikon..
Big plus for all of us! :)

[cdifoto]

Yeah although I won't switch to Sony (ever), I like the idea of more companies getting into the ring to stiffen things up a little.

[S230]

Every time I see the name "Sony", I think of BetaMax.
lol... I totally agree.... tend to love and hate them... Their product is good but usually aimed for those that can afford them and tend to be propriety. Memory stick, BetaMax, MiniDisc, just to name a few. I guess it's finally time they started to look towards the consumer level where people can actually afford a "sony" product.

[AdamJL]

I handled an "Alpha" today..
I like it!

It reminds of a 20D or more D60 or maybe 300D/Rebel for feel weight and size,. definitely a bit less substantial than a 10D and lacking the metal feel of the 10D and 20D/30D.. but siozed about the same as the 20D.

It's layout though different, was fine, they have Minolta's background to thank for that, and it really shows. No other Sony camera has been this well designed. Access to ISO adjustments is the easiest I have seen on any digital, something that Sony has embraced is the new functionality of ISO settings on digital as opposed to film,. and is a harbinger of the future for this still stupidly overlooked functionality on Canon EOS DSLRs.

I could only use it with the "kit" lens of course,. so my impressions are limited to use with a tiny lens,. but the Onboard IS was fine for these focal lengths,. great in fact. It seemed very simlar to using one of the small EF-S IS lenses on a Canon.

No chance to snap a pic,. but I might try to go back with a CF card and talk them into it.

Again,. with 10MO and anti shake @ a mere $1K with lens,. this is THE intro level DSLR for those with no investment or understanding of the investment in a system. (on paper of course :) )

If Sony can keep the Minolta system afloat than this will prove to be a serious DSLR system,. and though maybe it won't rope in all the pros, it might be all most ameaeutrs could ever use.

Best thing is that Canon has competition from someone other than poor old Nikon..
Big plus for all of us! :)

Thanks for the post CDS. I'm chuffed there is someone else entering the market. I'm not Canon-snobbish enough to say I'd never buy a Sony, or recommend one, and this can only be a good thing for us the consumer. Nikon have been a minor thorn in Canon's side, but both Canon and Nikon have never really done enough to spur each other on for the consumer. The giant-that-is-Sony should shake things up a bit.

[Tom W]

Thanks for the post CDS. I'm chuffed there is someone else entering the market. I'm not Canon-snobbish enough to say I'd never buy a Sony, or recommend one, and this can only be a good thing for us the consumer. Nikon have been a minor thorn in Canon's side, but both Canon and Nikon have never really done enough to spur each other on for the consumer. The giant-that-is-Sony should shake things up a bit.

I don't think it would be considered "Canon-snobbish" to say that I'd never buy a Sony. It would seem more anti-Sony to me. And I am a bit anti-Sony. Frankly, I haven't seen much innovation out of them since the Trinitron.

In the grand scheme of things, I'm glad to see them entering the market as they have the money to stir things up a bit. Time will tell if they succeed or not, but they will certainly extract a response from Canon & Nikon that KM never could.

But I'll never buy a Sony. :)

[cdifoto]

I'm not Canon-snobbish. I have SanDisk CF cards! :)

Seriously...I just have bad experiences with Sony. That's NOT Canon-snobbery. :rolleyes: