Prepare your calendars (and your wallets), because Sony has unveiled a countdown for its next product, a ‘new concept’ that’s due to be announced within the next week.
While a still image of the countdown was first shared on the Sony Japan website, the official Sony Camera YouTube channel has since created a countdown video, embedded below, that points to an announcement being made at 9pm EDT / 6pm PDT on September 14.
No further information is being shared at this time about what exactly is being announced, but you can set a reminder on the Youtube countdown to be notified in advance of the virtual event.
So it basically is a combination of the A6600 and with an hybrid viewfinder as found in the Fujifilm X-Pro series. But being full frame.
Though it would not be a camera for me. I do think many people will like it.
With this formfactor and if indeed having a hybrid viewfinder it is a direct attack on Fujifilm X-Pro being the fact it is within the same price range and with a likewise concept.
What makes you think it is a hybrid VF? Everything points to it having an EVF.
And quite frankly, even though people like the idea of a hybrid VF, whenever I've tried any of the X Pro series I've found that I play around with the optical VF function for a few minutes but then go to the EVF. The OVF function is not that great. It's just a pass through OVF; it's not a DSLR OVF obviously.
I think all a hybrid VF does is add complexity without much real value.
I think - Because in the image shown the right part is taped off and it looks much as if underneath that tape there is an optical viewfinder.
I could be wrong of course as I do not see any lever to switch between modes. If there isn't there is still a great resemblance to the X-E series and of course Sony's own A6xxx series.
BTW - I don't disagree with your thoughts over the OVF. I've owned an X-Pro and X-Pro2 for years and have to agree that the OVF didn't get much use. The parallax always bothered me as did the fact that you always had a part of the lens in view unless you used specific lenses.
I agree these cameras for most people too are mostly switched to the EVF and used in that setting 98% of its time. Still an OVF adds a nice aesthetic touch to it.
If it is solely a Full Frame A6xxx then I wouldn't actually know why Sony would call it a new 'concept'. Because that would then be a huge exaggeration of things.
I`d say it'd make more sense to do the reverse , make an A7 bodied APS_C so that sports fans who want the most effective reach for the money can have a camera with at least a degree of decent handling .. the FF bodies which exist are more than small enough and too small for a lot of the zooms
$2100 vlogging camera that is as good as most $500 vlogging cameras. Btw, remember how the a6300 body overheated in as little as 10 minutes shooting 4K 8 bit video? They say this has a similar body.
"Btw, remember how the a6300 body overheated in as little as 10 minutes shooting 4K 8 bit video? "
No one remembers because your friends told us that no one shoots more than 5 minutes of continuous video. They were right about R5 so they were right about this too.
Only explanation I can think of is that they mixed up marketing campaigns. The moment you'll see promotion material popping op for a 'compact full frame', expect a new concept 😂
Following comments below, people think it will be an A7c. But that is not a new concept, is it - just a mix-up of two already existing models. No, Sony promises a new CONCEPT, ha! So, what could it possibly be??
- position sensitive photography, that allows you to take photo's from different angles that combine into a holographic image? And that can subsequently be 3D printed on your accessory Sony 3D printer - voice controlled auto video - "Hey Sony - take a follow focus video of that mountain biker that I am pointing at now - while I'll get a coffee" - auto shutter release, where the camera subsequently auto crops, selects the best image, post processes and auto uploads to your databank of choice
We know that it is called a "new concept" that requires a new line of lenses designated "v". If the new lenses were fully compatible with existing but merely more compact, I don't think they'd give them a new letter designation, like "V". We know it is supposed to be very compact. We know that even though the leaked specs make it look like just a compact A7III, the price is supposed to be somewhat above the A7III, now two years old. That price wouldn't be justified by merely a small size. I am enjoying the idea that a curved sensor fits this puzzle and that by using computational imaging and maybe enhanced sensor motion they can solve some of the old issues of curved sensors while reaping the benefits.
On the "just being realistic" theory there is never concept change, only "marketing fluff", so nothing ever changes. Fact is, all this technology changes by a lot. The pace and magnitude of real technological change has been huge. It is not all "marketing fluff" so calling it that is just a false sophistication. We never know how big a change will come from this or that new announcement, but big changes are common. It is only here that it is predicted, against all experience, that they will never happen: cell phones will never affect the real camera business, mirrorless will never replace dslrs, and on and on.
^ Not 100% sure what youre on about, but the digital camera market has definitely stagnated in recent years. Most cameras in 2020 havent evolved much since 2014 besides the obligatory increase in resolution and processing speed. Its no surprise the industry is contracting. Anyway if the leaks are true with this new Sony camera, its just an a7 II in an a6600 shell with a $2k price tag. Nothing really innovative or revolutionary there.
Whatever it is, I have little doubt that a feature of the camera that will be essential for me, is going to be somewhere in page 9, subsection 4, sub-sub-section 6 of the menus.
Outside of Super 35 mode requiring entering the menu, I can think of little else that does. And most cameras have a few settings of varying importance that do not allow them to be assigned to a button or the fn menu.
I find the Sony cameras to be plenty customizable and have no issues as I have everything that needs to be frequently used on a custom button or fn menu.
Perhaps the time people spend throwing shade at the Sony menu system would be better spent learning where things are. Then again you probably don't even own a Sony.
I own Sony A7R3 ( also a couple of old A mount cameras ) . I regard the UI and menu system as poor. That ( and the general ergonomics ) let the camera down IMO.
I had an A7R III and now have an A7R IV the menu system has improved quite a lot, but is still behind the competition. The A7S III looks like a good system, helped a lot by full touch screen implementation. Not everyone wants a video focussed hybrid, so let's hope this comes to the next generation of Alpha cameras asap. Bring on the A7 IV!
@Daft Punk - Maybe it's a good time to get rid of your Sony stuff then and move to canon??? Far better ergonomics and you'll love their menu system. Plus you'll enjoy the benefits of super low light AF and fantastic built-in stabilization. There's really no reason to make yourself miserable every time you pick up your very expensive camera. Just sell Sony and buy Canon, problem solved. This goes for all the others who up-voted your remark.
Just add that essential function to the "My menu page 1", or one of the programmable fn-buttons. Problem solved. Complaining about Sony menus is so 2015.
Yes it is the A7c. Full format the size of the APS-C 6600. Slightly above 2.000,- with a new relatively compact kit lense that is about 24-60, F 4-6. No 4k60, 24 Megapixel. AF on par with the newest Alphas.
Did they ever release anything related to the curved FF sensor patent from years ago? I bet it's related to that if its a new camera body that isn't a part of their FF interchangeable series. I'm excited either way.
It's a curved full frame sensor in the A7c and the "V" new line of compact lenses is E mount but casts an image that is designed to fit the new curved sensor. Adapting IBIS mechanics to depth, and adding new computational imaging allows compatibility, but not optimality, with regular FE lenses, and allows zoom lenses for a fixed curvature. Eventually a full product line, all FF. The sensor itself is essentially the A7III sensor that's been curved, which gives it better light gathering, more even exposure across the field, and less dark noise.
A curved sensor requires an entirely new lens line up with a specific field curvature. If it corrects barrel distortion it would be worse for lenses with pin cushion distortion. The only way a curved sensor is going to end up in an ILC is if it has flexible curvature so it can adapt to the lenses field curvature.
Medium format is usually 4:3 aspect ratio so it already has the advantage of a better telecentric optical path, meaning that light hitting the sensor is traveling closer to perpendicular to the sensor, resulting in brighter corners, and improved off-center resolution, particularly on wide angle lenses.
In mid September Sony will announce the new “Sony A7c” entry level Full Frame compact camera:
-Similar Sony A7III specs with 24MP sensor -It has the same A7sIII fully articulating screen -Autofocus algorithm is the one from the A7sIII -4k30p -body shape similar to the A6600 with EVF in the corner (camera is only slightly bigger) -it has IBIS -The camera will be marketed for vloggers and youtubers -Battery is NP-FZ100, -USB is Type-C. -it has a single SD card slot -It has both a mic-in and a headphone jack -Wi-Fi (11a/b/g/n/ac) and Bluetooth -price will be above A7III (2.100 Euro) -New lens line will be announced too: The compact lenses will have the code “V” -The first lens will be a compact travel zoom (something like a 28-60mm f/4.5-5.6 and similar to the Nikkor 24-50)
Its an a7 Mark III without the faux prism on top. It will be rangefinder style with the EVF to the left. 1 card slot. Specifications similar to the older a7 Mark II. RRP: $2000 body only.
Will the accompanying Sony mobile app for this model be uncrippled? Different to the A7iiir and above? I.e. Will focus points be visible on the phone live view? Will it allow touch focus + trigger (from one tap on the in-app viewfinder screen)?
I would like to see a full frame camera in the design of the a6xxx series with a fully usable touch screen with improved articulation and resolution. The original E-mount flange width allowed a full frame sensor to fit but the promise of smaller lighter lenses in full frame has only had limited implementation, hopefully that will change.
Let's see if it's somewhere between a traditional camera and a smartphone. With smartphones rapidly encroaching on the RX100 series's capabilities, Sony might need a new concept to replace it.
If this is actually, genuinely a "new concept" in photography, I will eat my own head. This will be a "new concept" in the same way that the Z6 and Z7 "redefined imaging," which is to say not at all.
If you read Sony Alpha Rumors, it's going to be the A7c camera, the "c" being for "compact"...basically most of what the A7III is inside the body of an A6xxx series, just a bit larger. Supposedly will have the flip out screen of the A7SIII with the new menu system.
So for those who like the A6xxx form factor but want FF this is for them.
The biggest controversies seem to be the rumored lack of 4K60 and the rumored price point of about $2000.
i would love to get a "pure stills" version of A7RIV (61MP) without any video recording, packed into R1XRII body size, with FEclens mount (not a fixed lens). For that i'd happily pay € 2000.
Correct me if I’m wrong but most of the still tech used in mirror less cameras is used also used for video recording so there really isn’t much added to these cameras to make them video cameras. It’s mostly software.
"video recording does not cost much to add" is a total urban myth, relentlessly repeated by noisy cheapskate hybrid/video users who want stills users to cross subsidize their wet FF video dreams.
Video capture is definitely "not just software". Especially hi-end 4k, 8k video requires a lot of hardware and R&D to go into video-optimized sensor design, CPU, bandwidth, higher spec memory card slots, audio amps, user interface, menu system, cooling! ;-) etc.
Plus software and license fees for video codecs etc. on top - also not for free.
nope. a lot of development work has to be done for each single new product. not to mention adding 8k video to a small stills camera body.
read my lips: "adding video capture to a stills camera causes significant additional cost." it is only the vocal vidro/hybrid users who dont want to pay for it and prefer to have stills users pay for video capture, even when they don't want, need or use it.
I SEE THE FUTURE, in the FIVE STAR RATINGS TO COME. In a few days, SONY will DELIVER THE FUTURE: a future that will TURN INTO FUTURE JUNK the next time Sony DELIVERS THE FUTURE. The FUTURE WILL REPEAT, over and over. Endless junk upon junk. Have to Go, over and out .... need to BUY A SHOVEL to bury the future!!!!
A7R5 release? Should be soon. 55mp sensor with less noise, better autofocus and more AF points, a bigger LCD with higher resolution, faster chip, bigger buffer, ... Or how about a MKii version of all the GM lenses originally released years ago? Nowhere would show Sony users that Sony is loyal to them. This would be a new concept to adopt and show the world they are here to stay for the long haul.
Coomer - its not a backward but a forward step. 10 less mp is nothing if you reduce the image noise and improve in all other areas affected by the higher resolution. Im happy with my a7r3 res, but the AF needs drastic improvement.
Coomer - enlighten me. Tell me of your insights as a Sony engineer or employee insights! Thought so....do you even own a Sony camera? Remember, its my opinions I wrote, and just the same as others have done. Im speaking from my own experience and others I know who own the same equipment. You are no better informed or smarter than anyone else here. Have a nice day
@carlos Wouldn’t it be more likely that they just improve the 61 mp sensor’s noise instead of going backwards?
It doesn’t make marketing sense for them to offer a lesser mp count. It would appear that they are not innovating which is Sony main marketing strategy.
Thenoilif- agree with you. But its disappointing that they chased the higher MP and gained some noise and loss of ISO use for higher shutter speed use when using their slower zooms. I wish they had a body for wildlife photography using a telephoto in lower light, when most photographers take photos, with the 50 to 60 MP, fast and accurate AF like on the A9ii, large buffer like on the A9, etc. That I would buy in a second and pay up to $6500 for
A camera with the body design of the A99II and good menus, that would be a new concept for Sony. 2nd new concept, or 3rd depending on how you count: It would use the FE mount.
4th, a digital M mount rangefinder based on the Konica Hexar RF, a body to which Sony owns the rights.
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