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So, it's been many months since Sony dropped the A900. It seems like much longer than that since we actually saw the mock-up... 18 months ago? I forget. It's been a while since the A300/350 twins arrived. And the A700 is super overdue for an upgrade. How overdue?
Canon's 40d landed right around the time Sony's A700 did. Canon launched the 40d successor the 50d nearly 6 months ago. At PMA 2009, Sony announced new glass and had ZILCH info on new dSLRs. There are a few reasons for this in my mind.
1. The A900 is new-ish. It's also expensive at nearly 3k body only. The mere announcement of the A700 replacement would steal sales away from a profit margin darling like the A900. Why? Newer bodies always get something that's just a tad better than an older body, even if the older body is higher up on the chain. It happens to Canon, Nikon, and it will happen with Sony.
2. The economy. It's not a good time right now. Sure you can count on selling A200 bodies all day and night. They've been selling well for Sony, you can find that body at any walmart. The A300/350 sisters are doing OK too. But the mid-level Sony means $1000 on the low end up to $1,500 or more depending on what or where Sony plans to position this body. It might be easy to move a body in this price range to CaNikon owners, that buyer pool is olympic. Sony's pool at the moment is more like a puddle.
3. Sony is trying to get something right. My guess is the video issue. You see, when Sony launched the A700, all I read from every rag and online review site was how the A700 had no live view. Some writers even snickered when Sony said "we won't do live view until we can get it right."
Then Sony released the A300/A350 and not only improved live-view, they ended up having the BEST live view. Of course pro review sites mention this in an understated way having been served by Sony.
This year's 'live-view' is video. Nikon rushed to be the first, Canon was right behind. They seem to like being first. While the video is stunning, it's not perfect. Two issues remain. First is the lack of auto-focus, the second is the strange artifacts that can be seen if the dSLR is moved or panned too fast. There are other little nit-picks as well, but I'll leave it at that. Is Sony going to resolve these issues or at least make them non issues? From a marketing standpoint, Sony MUST include video on their next dSLR. If they don't, the people that review dSLRs will mention the lack of video ad nauseam.
4. The new sensor: Sony could do the obvious thing and use the sensor they supplied Nikon for the D90. Or, they finally use a sensor design they announced many months ago, and apply it to their next dSLR. Sony showed off their new back-illuminated sensor that is a mini breakthrough if you ask me. It's a way to get more light to the sensor. Without any other improvement, the chip is already making a nice leap ahead in terms of image noise, dynamic range, and color gamut at a given light level at high ISO.
Right now it's been so quiet, it feels like the eye of the storm. Right now I feel like Sony's loaded a new dSLR in the slingshot, they've pulled back hard.... and they are holding. Someone is sweating bullets, dying to release this rock... so I'm going to wax poetic about the new model. This is all speculation, desire, theory and misc rambling.
1. I don't want a APS-C sensor with MORE megapixels. I'd much rather stay at 12MP. And if you can believe it, I'd have no problem with Sony going back down to 10MP if they delivered a sensor that simply stunned (for the price) but that will only happen in my dreams.
Like any other company, Sony is so worried that Joe-Six-Pack will knock such a design because brand/model 'X' has more megapixels so it must be better. I don't want a Canon 50d situation. Canon kept the pixel size from getting much smaller by using a gapless pixel design. But the noise and sensor rating (by Dxo) shows that even so, it wasn't enough to negate the added noise going from 10MP to 15MP.
I have a funny feeling Sony will improve the sensor and erase that gain by cramming more pixels on a APS-C sensor that nobody is really dying for.
2. I don't want full frame. Yeah I said it. I know it won't happen at this price point, but you never know. That doesn't mean that I don't like FF, however at this price point, I don't want it. I want APS-C for the time being because I don't want to lose the reach that I have with a crop sensor.
I want FF from a newer Sony body, like a true pro body with integrated VG with the A700 being my companion body. Ultimately, I'd like the A700 follow-up to sport my Minolta 80-200 2.8 HS for reach, and a true pro Alpha to hold a walk-around zoom. I'm thinking the 24-70 2.8 Zeiss or the brand new Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 IF EX DG HSM. Try saying that twice.
What else? Will Sony finally add the micro adjustments for Bf/FF issues? I'm sure they are tired of taking in bodies over this complaint. Canon and Nikon aren't innocent here either, however CaNikon have added this adustment ability to some models so kudos there.
Will the new body have a top mounted LCD just because? I don't need it, but I keep hearing about it from CaNikon fans, like Alphas are broken for not having it.
Will Sony implement video here (as mentioned earlier) and do it better? Will they add things that have been asked for like doing something with the dual card slots? Right now my A700 has two card slots and Sony has under utilized them. Switching between them could be better. Even better than that, Sony should allow me to write RAWs to one card and jpegs to another. Or for safety, write all odd pics to one card, evens to another. Or implement something else I haven't thought of.
What about the LCD? Does it go from 3.0 to 3.5 or stay the same? Does it get better by going OLED or maybe something more mundane like a wider viewing angle? Will it flip out in some fashion or stay fixed? Does Sony finally add better sealing or save that for a more expensive body?
Something I REALLY want is for the A700 VG to remain compatible with whatever new body Sony is planning. They already have three different grips (A200, A700 and A900) No need for more.
Geo tagging? Some photographers REALLY want this. I couldn't care less. Ditto for live view as well. I'm interested in video, but I don't want my photographs, viewfinder or ease of use to take a hit in any way shape or form just to have the video.
In closing I'd like to think that Sony would improve the power button on the new model. What? The power button on my A700 broke into two pieces. And before that, it wasn't clicking the way it did when it was new. It felt like it was moving through mud instead of that crisp feeling it once had. I sent it to Sony, and lost the use of the body for nearly two weeks.
I wasn't happy about that, but I was happy with the repair, and I was happy that Sony gave me a brand new LCD screen even though I didn't ask for it.
But then, a few months later.. the power button broke again. With only a few weeks left of parts and labor coverage, I sent it back to Sony. This time Sony dropped the ball. They claimed the camera showed signs of abuse or being dropped. They wanted nearly $500 to fix this. Worse yet they never contacted me. They simply refused service and mailed it back.
When I asked why, they said they called me but I never answered voice mail. Why they never e-mailed me the service person could never answer. When I asked for tracking for the return trip, they e-mailed it to me. Fuck holes. What can I say? Nearly $500 to fix a broken power button? I'm thinking $50-100 bucks just for the labor and maybe a minimum service charge.
Note to Sony, fuck you for asking for nearly $500 for a 5 cent power button. Fuck you for making it and the actual switch from such cheap and weak material. And FUCK everyone in the service center for not contacting me. When you don't get through on the phone, you use the e-mail you have on file. The e-mail you guys used to send me tracking info. Yes the info you had on file all along, this isn't rocket science.
God forbid if I purchased the Alpha A900 and the power button broke on me, would it cost a thousand dollars to fix? Would it break twice on me as well? I'm still pissed at Sony service. As for the the camera being abused, it was total bull. The area around the power button to this day is flawless, not a mark or scratch of any kind.
