Is the A-mount finally dead?

neilt3 wrote: And who the heck are M mount anyway ?!?

Midfielder. Plays for Chelsea.

punkskaphil wrote: neilt3 wrote: And who the heck are M mount anyway ?!? Midfielder. Plays for Chelsea.

Who the heck are Chelsea ???

mirthseeker wrote: Zhongyi Optics have just released, I believe, an 85 2.8 1-5X super-macro, including an A-mount version.

Isn't that a fully manual lens with no electronics? I suspect all they're doing is making a series of dumb adapters for different mounts (or maybe including these in the cad drawings for the back fixing).
So technically true, but not really an 'A' mount lens ...

I would be surprised to see any new entry level A-mount bodies. If anything, maybe the high end models will be updated. I assume we will have a new body or an official statement about discontinuation of the Mount, within the next few years. Limbo can’t last forever.

Personally I take a different approach than many people. Rather than point out what’s missing or flat out steer people away from A-mount, I suggest it as a practical system. The average hobbyist will find everything they could ever want, and at prices that keep them interested in building their collection.

I think people here get caught up in technology hype and in discussing the advantages the latest tech provides. I think a lot of those discussions are relevant for people that earn their living with their gear, yet often times not at all relevant for the majority of the population.   First of all, money is a limiting factor for most people. Those people can’t justify buying the latest tech, just so they can have a few added features. Second of all, those added features won’t inherently translate into better pictures for that type of user. Not to mention the fact that the most casual user wouldn’t understand those new features in the first place.

In my opinion A-mount is the best option out there, for anyone considering buying their first DSLR (SLT). With options like the A350, A700, and A580, A900 leading the way in bang-for-your-buck. Years later those people can always upgrade to the A77ii and A99ii and they will likely be cheap by then. At its price point, I love the A580. It is the one camera I would recommend most to the average Joe.

As we all know, the availability and low prices of Maxxum glass is the biggest benefit of all. A person can put together a bag covering all their needs for the cost of one E-mount lens. And despite the nay sayers, there aren’t any glaring holes in the lens lineup. At least none that most hobbyists would scoff at.

What would newer tech allow me to do that I am not already happily doing? Not much. Not enough for me to buy into another system. And not enough to recommend E over A, to those people looking to get their feet wet. The price difference is too significant, unless those people were to find really good deals on the used market for E. Only if a hobbyist insists on EVF, does the E-Mount system start to become more of a consideration in my opinion. And let’s consider this... how many times have you found a camera for sale with a very low shutter count? Seems fairly common. That leads me to believe that those people didn’t use their camera as much as they thought they would. Imagine spending thousands on E-mount, just to later decide it doesn’t interest you. A-mount is low risk, and if you catch Minolta fever like I did, it’s high reward!   

For me, a lot of this boils down to the fact that some people cannot remain happy if they don’t have the newest tech. That applies to smart phones, tv’s, cameras, you name it. Some people trade in their iPhone as soon as a new model rolls out, and are perpetually stuck in the racket of paying a monthly payment. On the other hand, a guy like me owes nothing on his iPhone 6s and thinks the advancements in technology are less desireable than keeping the money it would take to buy the new iPhone 11. Same with tv’s. I recently bought one for my bedroom. I don’t enjoy it any more than my 10 year old living room tv.

Edited by macronut - 02 December 2019 at 16:34

To conclude based on my original question - I do believe, that the A-mount is dead in the means of no further updates beeing in the pipeline. I walked through some shops in my area and none of them actually caries A-mount cameras nor lenses. There are no new lenses anounced by any of the vendors for years. As such, I deem the A-mount dead.

However, with the current offerings of lenses on second hand market, the A-mount is still a viable option for budget shoppers. I recently seen a Sony 300mm f2,8G including TC as low as 1100 USD. There is honestly no other mount which offers this kind of deals on superb lenses. The upgrade path then goes to the A7 line with adapter, so investment is reasonable into the new Sony lenses which should work well with it. Its a bit more questionable to invest into old Minolta lenses, unless you can get a lowball price.

Found it quite liberating when I picked up the 50mm ZA f1.4, nothing more to buy now as I have all the lenses I need (want). Now where's that carbon travel tripod...

I suspect that the A-Mount as a lens mount will be around for a good while yet; what is less certain is the longevity of the cameras this is based on. I'm still a little unclear on the expected robustness of the A-Mount alpha range in terms of use etc., and that may sign it's true death penalty before the interest in the mount wanes any? The A-Mount will continue to be enjoyed as a lens range for many years to come through the use of adapters is my guess.

BTW - care to 'open a book' on when we see the first "Is the E-Mount finally dead...?" thread?

Best regards, Neil.