Sony A900
Posted on January 13, 2008 by Eric
Previously, Sony revealed the A700 and the A900 (rumored name) at PMA 2007. We were promised one of the cameras in 2007 and the other to follow in 2008. Sony released the A700 in fall 2007. Now, 2008 is here. Surprisingly, Sony launched the entry-level A200 at CES on January 6, 2008. The A200 didn’t make it to the second page before rumors of an A300 (with leak shots) were in full swing.
PMA is just a couple of weeks away and Sony gearheads are sitting on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting Sony’s next offering(s). Updated: The A300 and A350 were announced at PMA 2008.
What we know from Sony about the “A900″:
Flagship model (body)
- The highest-end α (Alpha) product
- Achieves high level of overall picture quality through development of new image sensor and
- Bionz™ image processing engine
- Super SteadyShot® image stabilization inside
- Realizes high performance that lives up to even professional users’ demanding requirements.
- One of the two prototypes stated above will be on sale within this calendar year.
This info comes from Sony’s press sheet at PMA 2007. Everything else is rumors at this point, including the pretty ad above (which has been floating around the internet). The Sony gearheads believe (wish?) that the A900 will feature a full-frame sensor that’s 20+ megapixels, which will compete directly with Canon’s flagship 1Ds Mark III.
Updated: Sony has announced that it will release a full frame DSLR this year featuring its 24.81 megapixel imaging sensor, which was announced at PMA 2008.
That’s all for now. Stay tuned to this page for more on the A900 (or whatever it will be called).
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28 Responses to “Sony A900”
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Sony is coming for it’s seat at the table soon. Full frame and SSS included…I may be in heaven sooner than I thought.
See my Sony A700 and A100 image galleries here:
http://www.sonolta.com
-Sonolta
This from the guy who at first swore off the A700 due to the watercolor noise issue.
Is there any blog this guy doesn’t show up in acting like a fanboy these days?
Go Sony! Few more weeks to go.
I doubt the upcoming A900 (or whatever will be its official name) will compete with the 1DS MKIII, since Sony has not yet reached a point where they can command such high prices. Such a product will happen over the next 3-5 years, based on where they are at that point in time.
I think Sony will introduce a Full-Frame competitor for the upcoming Full-frame Canon 5D MKII and also probably a potential Nikon Full-frame competitor in a D300 like body.
Yeah, I’m sure Canon is sweating the Alpha line about as much a naked Eskimo in December.
The A100 didn’t dethrone the XTi,
The A200 won’t either,
The A700 didn’t dethrone the 40D,
The A900 won’t touch the 5D or 1Ds.
You see, Sony, you shouldn’t have shown up so late. You wouldn’t have had to buy your way in like you did. KM??? Your mediocrity is revealed in your numbers? It really is. Wait. I have an idea. Let’s put Sony to a real world test. Fun, huh?
Days on market:
–> A100 = 596 days
–> Xti = 516 days
Difference = 80 more days for Sony
–> A700 = 138 days
–> 40D = 155 days
Difference = 17 more days for Canon
Ok, good stuff. So far we know just how long these have available for purchase.
Now, if we include the unbiased information that you yourself can see right now at flickr.com, we’ll know just how real the Sony threat is. I looked at the upload counts for each of these, did some math and here’s where Sony sits:
In 596 days: 3,045,228 uploads for the A100. WOW! 5109 per day.
In 516 days: 18,986,017 uploads for the XTi. 36794 per day. Hmmm.
Another way to say this is 6.24 times as many uploads for the XTi.
Yet another way to say this is 84% more uploads for the XTi.
And still another way is that the A100 maybe just wasn’t the answer. You have to crawl before you can walk.
Interesting, those extra 80 days and all. Maybe the A700 vs. 40D will work out better for you. Lets see!
In 138 days: 81,224 uploads for the A700. Cool! 588 per day.
In 155 days: 1,473,442 uploads for the 40D. 9506 per day.
Another way to say this is 18.14 times as many uploads for the 40D.
Yet another way to say this is 94.5% more uploads for the 40D.
And still another way is that the A700 might not be the answer either. Maybe the A700 should think about crawling before walking, too. Oh wait, that’s exactly what it’s doing. Ha ha!
I know, I know, the 40D has been out longer, good point.
But all of this is OK, right guys? Just some things for you to think about though.
For you Don, and I quote: “I may be in heaven sooner than I thought.” Well, I doubt it. And if take another look at those numbers, you might rethink your statement.
And for you Sean, I’m not so sure you aren’t really the same person as Don. You seem to follow his posts ever so predictably. In any event, for you, and I quote: “Go Sony! Few more weeks to go.” Wooooooo!!!!!! Look out world! Sony’s on F-I-R-E. A few more to go for what? An A200 revolution? Quit it. It just isn’t in the stars, or HDNA I think you call it. Uh huh. Maybe Sony will “acquire” some more DNA and start making cars, and Don can start another website. Hurry Don, maybe http://www.sonhonda.com is still available.
Idiots.
Gee Jason … did someone ruffle your feathers ?
Did anyone say anything about Sony “dethroning” Canon ? Sony didn’t manufacturer enough cameras to “dethrone” anyone if they sold every last unit ! They set manufacturing targets based on anticipated sales. They’re trying to attain 10% market share. Why on earth would anyone in their right mind expect to see more Sony photographers uploading pics than Canon photographers ? Why would you waste your time investigating that when it’s blindingly obvious to everyone that Sony hasn’t outsold Canon.
Don says Sony will have it’s “seat at the table” … cool. They will. They’ll be there with their first FF camera shortly after Nikon came out with its first FF camera.
As for Sony “buying their way in” because they “showed up late” … ummm, what exactly is your problem ? Canon & Nikon established their systems 15-20 years ago. So that means that nobody else should try to compete ? Or maybe they should do it the Oly way and invent a new system from scratch ? And then if they don’t “dethrone” Canon, their mediocrity is showing ?
Enjoy your market share Jason. Britney Spears sold a lot of CDs and is one of the most searched-for “musicians” on the web. The fact that there are a lot of XTi’s out there means that Canon has sold a lot of XTi’s … I imagine if you compare the XTi uploads to 5D uploads, you can deduce that the 5D is mediocre, too.
The world doesn’t revolve around you and your precious Canon gear Jason. If Sony achieves their 10% goal for 2008, then they were successful for the year. And … FWIW … Canon executives will undobtedly be unhappy because to them, a drop in market share matters. They don’t get paid to be “#1″; they get paid to make more money year after year. If they weren’t concerned, they wouldn’t be putting out white papers attacking in-body stabilization, talking up how in-lens is so much better at long focal lengths where “it’s needed most” while quietly rolling out more and more consumer grade IS lenses; they wouldn’t have responded to the 7D announcement with a 20D mated with a new 17-85IS kit lens.
I doubt I’ll ever see Sony have more market share than Canon or Nikon in my lifetime and I don’t really care.
Go Sony !
Idiot.
OK. I’m over the whole thing.
I’ll bring a high chair to the table for you Sony guys to sit in.
Not sure this kind of tone is needed? Why fighting like little kids about who has the better toy? If somebody gets out of the wrong side of the bed please don’t post on the web. Putting up statistics that are fundamentally flawed from a-z do not contribute either. Who frankly cares who is the market leader as long as we are happy with whatever cameras we use?
Every single camera that I came across had at least some flaws- none of them is so far perfect! More than one market player can only be good for all of us! So relax and enjoy.
Stef.
Well said Stef.
Exactly Stef.
More choice in the market is better for all of us.
And sony might be rather late in the market, dont forget they bring an old friend to the DSLR market. the Sonnar and Plannar Zeiss glass. And that can only be a positive for those in search of quality… And to those mourning on the disappeared Contax brand.
I m curious what the PMA will bring from Sony’s so lets wait and hope for some serious material.
Greetz
[...] son oficiales (han sido sacadas de un foro de Minolta en español), pero buscando un poco me he encontrado con que se habla de una cámara destinada a competir directamente con las tope gama de otros [...]
Boy, Jason, nothing proves your point like childish rambling. I can practically hear you stamping your feet from here. Just for your information, exactly how does how long a product has been on the market have to do with anything? Do yourself a favor and just shut up.
Idiot.
I OWN THE A-700 AND LOVE IT. I AM A MINOLTA CONVERT AND AM VERY SATISFIED WITH THE GEAR. THE ZEISS LENS IS UNBELIVEABLE. THANKS SONY.
Who ever thinks it is better to have one company “Canon” have a monopoly over the dslr market is best for consumers doesn’t think logically. I was excited to see Sony bringing in these new cameras. With their capital it is only a good sign for the dslr consumer. I could care less about Canon. Give me competition that creates better products for less. A full frame dslr that is affordable.
I said I was over it, so let it go.
This year is an exciting year for us A-mounters :) Go SONY! Keep it up! We want more!
Guys, just relax and enjoy the competition. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Lumix, Olympus… and so on… who benefit.. us ofcourse.. the features keep comming up hence the price is going down. imagine that (”,)
Jason ive a 3yr u can fight with
jason,
If you were as smart as you seem to think you are, you would realize that sony’s emergence in the SLR scene will do nothing but drive Nikon and Canon to make technologies more affordable more quickly. The more successful Sony becomes, the better prices we’ll all get on the camera gear we want.
If there were only two companies dominating the flat-screen TV industry, a 50″ would still cost $10,000 like it did three years ago. Competition is always good for the consumer. Quality competition is even better.
and competition that can beat the usual crew is even better than that ;)
Hey guys those cheerleaders on sonolta.com were hot. They show how good a Sony Alpha really is. I think those who think Canon is better are just brand biased. Sony Alpha is exactly equivalent to Canon products. Just different sensor, algorithms and strengths/weaknesses. I just think the in-chip steadyshot function in Sony makes it a winner. No need for anti-shake on all the lenses.
Majid Naghdi photographer
+98-912 204 3001
Sensor: Holy moly, a 25 megapixel full frame sensor! Be sure to bring lots of memory cards, because you are going to fill them up fast, especially if shooting RAW (and as a pro, why wouldn’t you be?). This is twice as big as the 12.2MP sensor in the competing Nikon D3, currently the darling of the photo forums. There’s got to be some serious computing horsepower going on inside the body, too, to process those enormous image files at a frame rate that is required for a pro-level camera. Presumably there are multiple card slots in the body, and perhaps extras in the optional battery grip.
Size: If there’s one thing I learned in design school, it’s to take photos of handheld products using someone with hands that make the product appear the size you want it to be. In other words, small hands make a product look bigger, and vice versa. Well, either the person holding the camera in these shots has small hands, or this is one gigantic camera! Hard to tell how it scales compared to the big Canons and Nikons, but it’s clear it’s a beast. No doubt stoutly made, however, for its intended professional use. Unlike Nikon and Canon, Sony have opted not to build the battery grip into the body, so that may actually allow for a lower weight than the competition if you don’t need the grip all the time.
Live View: Sony’s implementation of Live View in its entry-level A350 has been widely reviewed as the best approach so far, making it truly useful. (Lots of people dismiss Live View on a DSLR — “That’s what the viewfinder is for!” they say — but the fact is that looking at a screen from a distance rather than up against the viewfinder does have its uses, even for pros who often have to hold cameras above their heads to get a shot through a crowd.) The A900 brings Live View to a pro model camera in a similarly useful way.
WoW Sony A900 24.81 megapixel imaging sensor ? Are you printing billboards?
http://masterchong.com/v2/sony-alpha/pie02008-sony-showcased-sony-alpha-dslr-a900.html
There more info on the Sony a900
I don’t know for sure but usually when someone beats there chest and screams we are the best they usually tend to be a little insecure. I personally think Sony makes a very capable dslr. Can’t we all just enjoy the photography hobby and not sling mud? I mean really. Get over it. Sony is a big company with lots of r&d cash and will likely keep making better and better cameras. So what???
I use the Sony 100, with the auto focus 500mm lens and some other glass, it’s mostly the human error when it comes to photography, if we could see as fast as the camera we’d be it’s equal. Most photographers want all the putz and zzzzzzzzzzzz sizzle etc, instead of thinking about the work and o yea working the camera I mean hard. It likes to see a lot.
Regarding camera equipment, why do people defend the makes as uf it were their mothers?
Who cares whether Nikon or Canon wins? As a photographer for many years, I own Canon, Nikon, rolleiflex, Mamiya, Sigma Fuji cameras. They are all good.
Photographers see photos in 12-16 bits, while customers only 2 bits. They either like it or don’t. I have never heard a customer say “wow that photo looks like it was taken on a Nikon, canon etc.”
As an aside, regarding Sony a900. Everybody is wrong. I have a contact at Sony; Komei Machu
Katukaka He says the a900 will be approx $4000usd.
There is a smaller model fx for about $2000usd.
Anyway save your $4000. The way I look at it, If I spend $4000 I had better defend it.
Jason;
Sell your camera. Buy an xbox 360.
I guarantee you’ll fit in with all the big kids in the playground
Does anyone actually know the size of file that will be generated by a 24.8mp sensor? My worry is not the memory but the ability of tools like Elements to manipulate it without declaring it a “damaged file”