new sony alpha to be launched in june/july; news?

Szabla .. i think i know that smile .... so .. any details ? :)

Szabla wrote: Not now, but in warm time ;-)

???

Kiklop wrote: Szabla wrote: Not now, but in warm time ;-) hehehe .. i knew it :)

< quietly drags Kiklop&Szabla into a back alley, where the seamy underbelly of Dyxum'ers are waiting with bats (baseball & cricket both) to "convince" them to be more forthcoming. >

So, gentlemen!
D'you mean "summertime" (ish)?


- Steve S.

Szabla wrote: Not now, but in warm time ;-)

Northern or southern hemisphere?

Northern, northern... :-)

let's hope it's not the same as with 16-80 or playstation3...

Kumakichi wrote: June would be nice. I'm hoping they release the camera and the vertical grip at the same time. Also hoping the combination won't cost over $2000! :) It's most likely the case that Sony is plodding along slowly now due to R & D not lack of commitment. Canon and Nikon have been making camera's for so long that they can turn around new camera's in a short time. Once Sony gets there feet on the ground they should be able to pick up the pace and start turning around a lot new camera's. Whether those camera's are are going to be good is anybody's guess. I don't think anybody is going to mind if Sony takes awhile to release new camera's as long as they are good camera's and maintain a high quality. But I think Sony is going to have to change there goals on capturing #2 in the time they initially predicted. R & D isn't something you can throw a lot of money at in hopes that something good comes out of it. It takes time, a good team and proper organizing. Sony has deep pockets but they seem smart enough to realize if they aren't making the profit margin they predict in the DSLR market then they would go back to making what they did before.

I know I'm coming in way late on this, but there are many who do and will mind if Sony takes a while to release the new cameras. If the Canon 1D MK III is anything near what it's cracked up to be, and if Nikon does not say anything about the D3X by the time the Mk III is on the market (or shortly thereafter), I may very well make the switch at that point. I am very tired of waiting. Sony has already lost a huge number of former Minolta shooters (huge being a relative term in this case) who have already switched to Canon, Nikon or something else because they are tired of waiting.

The shortcomings of the 7D and A-100 are just a pain to deal with (inconsistent flash, slow AF, lousy ergonomics of the A-100 - at least for some, somewhat slower response time, and over priced accessories, to name a few). Another issue is the lack of SSM focusing lenses, including some of the new lenses that could really use it (like the CZ 85/1.4, 135/1.8, and to a lesser extent the 16-80). The lack of SSM focusing in high end lenses targeted at the advanced amateur/pro market is, to me, an indication that Sony doen't understand the market yet. And the ergonomics of the PMA mock-ups appear questionable, at least to many.

Sure it takes time to develop new products, but it also inherited much from Minolta (though we don't really know the details). It says its trying but it can't afford to take too much time. If Sony is going to alienate someone who has been shooting Minolta since the early 1970's (me), what are its chances with less dedicated customers? I guess Sony will find out.