B&H Lists the A99ii Discontinued

@Vitor: I think we are not that far apart. But I disagree when you say "Making a new mount is what forces people to buy new lenses. This is just business strategy, everything else is marketing to push consumers to upgrade." That is not how companies work - changing mounts is a huge risk. Yes, when E-mount was a success, they fully went for it.

you gotta love frankenstein movies to want to use adaptors though

RISKS, probably not in order, what did I miss ...
- Canon dumped FD to move to EF (EOS) #Winner
- APS film canisters (were all the, very few, dSLR mounts new, I think yes) #Fail
- Nikon 1-type (silly prices) #Fail
- Pentax Q (did you say silly prices?) #Fail
- Sony SLT (here, have a dirty extra surface, and can we take some light) #wow?
- Canon making 2x as many M cameras as lenses! #NoComment!
- Canon/Nikon sitting back watching Sony (FE), Fuji (APS), and m43 (video) eat their lunch #NikonHurtingNow
- Nikon putting out a Z mount APS body (their first and last?) #WhyBother?
- Pentax dSLR is the future! #OkayThen

Historically, Canon dumping the FD mount at a time when Canon and Nikon were already the dominant players ... at the dawn of AF ... was a massive risk! Nikon shooters could transition to AF with a body and one lens while Canon had no choice but to stay MF, dual shoot, or switch. While Canon users will have benefitted from knowing their lenses (optical formula of a lot of AF lenses was the same as the MF version) it was still an all expensive move. Pros who shoot 2-3+ bodies will have retained MF for landscape during transition but could easily jump to Nikon. Canon somehow managed to stay joint 1st/2nd during that time.

Contrast that to Sony (FF) and Fuji (APS) being very relevant today it is easy to see why Canon/Nikon are only serious about FF mirrorless ... their first FF bodies were not well received, and their lens choice a little odd. They are the better known brand (to the average consumer) but enthusiasts who've been watching Sony/Fuji/m43 have had plenty of time to switch already. Now they get to see what Canon/Nikon are planning if they want to switch to mirrorless they don't really need to stay on their current brand. Depends how tribal their minds are I guess.

Edited by dCap - 27 December 2020 at 18:51

MisterAndrew wrote: Is there anyone else who really does not want to switch to E-mount? I like A-mount. I don't like the E-mount camera bodies. I never have. They just don't feel right in my hand. If Sony made an E-mount body that resembles an A-mount body then I would consider it, but I don't see them doing that. I'll still hold out a glimmer of hope that there will be an A99III.

They did - the A3000/3500. But is was poorly specified and I think few were sold, so they abandoned it.

As an oldie I find the A7 series is the closest thing in shape and appearance to the kind of MF cameras I had for my formative photographic years. I never really liked the bulbous curved A-mount cameras (though I had four ) but the smaller-sized ones were okay.

What I really liked about the A-mount cameras was their flexibility and competence and their shape was a minor niggle I was prepared to put up with. But I found the A900 just too big and too heavy and once I'd bought the little Nex-6 I found myself using that for almost everything and the A900 (and increasingly the A58) stayed at home.

I did consider both the A77 series and the A99, but both had too little benefit to appeal to me.

re the A99ii being discontinued by B&H, that doesn't necessarily mean it won't be available elsewhere for a while longer, but perhaps the poor availability new does explain why the s/h prices are so high.

MisterAndrew wrote: I just noticed the A99II has been discontinued and it saddens me. I was hoping it would come down in price some and I'd be able to snatch one up while it is still available from major retailers. I suppose I'll have to keep an eye on the used market now. Is there anyone else who really does not want to switch to E-mount? I like A-mount. I don't like the E-mount camera bodies. I never have. They just don't feel right in my hand. If Sony made an E-mount body that resembles an A-mount body then I would consider it, but I don't see them doing that. I'll still hold out a glimmer of hope that there will be an A99III.

Camera platforms seem to dissolve on me just before a zenith. I would have been quite content to stay with Olympus and the four thirds mount if the 16mp e-7 had come out. I was at the point of abandoning Sony A-Mount waiting for the A77Mk3 when my wife bought me an A77Mk2 compelling me to stay and pine for a A99Mk2. Just when I was about to be in a position to acquire one, "poof". After Sony "swore" to a commitment to A-Mount, the rug is pulled.   

Edited by LAbernethy - 21 March 2021 at 10:56

The A900 is my favourite camera body and still my main. I think the A99II is discontinued everywhere, not just B&H. I only see obscure sellers (who have poor reviews) offering it along with eBay.

The LA-EA5 lens adapter has very poor reviews. Apparently it only works on 2 E-mount bodies and not all lenses work such as older Minolta glass. Is that correct? I would very much prefer if if they made an A-mount mirrorless body.

Edited by MisterAndrew - 20 March 2021 at 18:16

Fran wrote: The A900 is also my favorite camera body. And that CCD sensor was singing at 100 ISO.

The a900 had a CMOS

Edited by Jonas A-R - 20 March 2021 at 19:16

It's a pity we can't expect new A-mount cameras anymore but to be fair I haven't bought one since the A850 in 2010, so my lack of buying more A-mount cameras probably contributed a little bit to its demise.

On the other hand I really like the form factor of the A6xxx and A7X style bodies, no need for a grip or anything else for me, just the body feels great. It might have something to do having grown up with Leica rangefinders and later OM2/OM4 SLR's, which bodies are very similar in size and weight (and feel).

And to use my A-mount glass I still have a Minolta Dynax 7 for film and KM5D/Sony A700 for digital. The A850 was sold (pretty heavy and loud, allthough the files it produced are lovely) and I never got into the SLT mode, neither APS-C or FF. Maybe in a couple of years when prices have dropped I'll get a second hand A99ii, but given how much I like the small and nimble E-mount bodies I'm not in any hurry.