Open Letter To Sony

The basic problem with A mount is that it is increasingly out of step with advances in camera technology, the future is clearly mirrorless, I and others may wish that Sony would keep the old mount alive with A77ii & A99iii mirrorless A mount bodies (bear in mind that the A99iii would also date and there would be a clamour for an A99iv etc), but it's a lot simpler to provide a good quality adapter to E mount and concentrate sensor/processor/lens development on fewer product lines.

While I am sure there are those for whom a big DLSR sized body is the bee's knees, most are not so fussy. Certainly there seems to be more talk of the lack of touch screen user interfaces than the need for a bigger body.

The LA-EA5 seems a pretty good solution for A mount users to migrate their glass to E mount bodies - it is, of course, a shame they don't work on all E mount bodies, but it won't be long before the only ones that don't work with it are obsolete and folk will wonder what the fuss was all about. And the LA-EA3 & 4 are not that bad a solution for the older bodies.

Nevertheless, I am a pretty committed A mounter - I doubt that I will ever be able to afford to replace the range of A mount glass I have on E mount. I can see that I may have to make the move one day, my A mount bodies won't last forever. Currently I am weighing up the option of an A7iv (surely it will be out soon), A7Riv (or v) plus LA-EA5 v a couple of spare A99iis to keep A mounting until I die (at my age this is a credible option).

I know the more recent A7 series bodies out-perform the A99ii, but I'm not at all sure I care - I know I don't use most of the bells and whistles on the A99ii, do I need more? But when was it ever about need?

addy landzaat wrote: ATM Sony has arguably the best backward compatibility re. lenses from any camera maker. With the LA-EA5 you can use lenses from 1987 and on, Canon from 1989 and Nikon from 1996. (Maybe one could argue Pentax has better backward compatibility).

that may be the case especially if you add in things like techart AF adapters for L-mount and contax too. Wasn't there recently a AF adapter for Pentax too?

but regardless of that if I were to pick a system for best adapter support it'd be RF-EF one because all EF mount lenses work as well as native lenses on RF (TCs and all) which no other brand can really claim as far as I know. Considering the vast collection, availability and good prices of EF lenses, doesn't really matter if you can't adapt the other mounts.... (of course if you own a ton of a-mount/F-mount glass its not great for you)

Kudos to the original poster. I whole heartedly agree on all fronts.

I also agree with the later comments about continuing the A77II and A99II. Or for God’s sake at least Sony could have given us Minolta/Sony loyalists a final warning to place an order. I bet they would have sold a few thousand A99II cameras if they would have released a thank you statement and countdown to the A-mount farewell. Furthermore, there are those of us that will not buy into E-mount by time soon, if at all. We will continue to use the system that we are heavily invested in. As for me, I’m still investing in it! Ordered two lenses before they disappear like the cameras did. 70-400 G2 and 135 1.8 ZA. That’s a total of $4000!!! A-mount may not be “the future”, but it is definitely my future. And I’ll dump thousands more if new in box A99II AND A77II cameras present themselves to me. I’m also not finished buying Minolta glass. A few remain on my wish list. For me personally, the best thing about E-mount is the drop in A-mount glass prices. A like-new 600mm f4 HS should be arriving in the next few weeks from overseas. After shipping and taxes, under $3000. A previously unattainable price on a pristine copy. On a side note, it’s missing the 5 drop in filters and I’m looking to buy those. Anybody that would rather have money than filters they never use, please send me a message.

I feel much the same as Phil, and happy to stick with my a-mount bodies and lenses but have bought an LA-EA5 as insurance for when the bodies eventually drop off the perch so as to be able to keep using my a-mount glass.

I'm hoping that the (soon?) to be released a7iv, and future a9iii (and other bodies) will provide full functional compatibility that's currently limited to just the a7Riv and a6600.

It might be nice if Sony would prioritize ergonomics over styling. The A7 cameras do keep getting more comfortable, but they are not great. The A77 bodies aren't very good either, but some things were better on them. The A6x00 bodies don't work for me.

I am not asking for larger bodies. Plenty of bodies smaller than the current Sonys are nicer hold and use.

Edited by QuietOC - 15 September 2021 at 11:14

Jozioau wrote: I feel much the same as Phil, and happy to stick with my a-mount bodies and lenses but have bought an LA-EA5 as insurance for when the bodies eventually drop off the perch so as to be able to keep using my a-mount glass. I'm hoping that the (soon?) to be released a7iv, and future a9iii (and other bodies) will provide full functional compatibility that's currently limited to just the a7Riv and a6600.

A good strategy, I may do the same.

pegelli wrote: More proof that body shape ergonomics are very personal. I found the original A7 body the best to hold, only the shutter button was too far back but for the rest it was ideal for me, and from a body shape perspective I liked it better than my current A7ii/A7Rii. I also find my A6000 really nice to hold, comfortable and all buttons easy to reach without really have to move my hands around a lot. DSLR wise I found the A700 and A850/900 the best and better than the 77/99 iterations. Never really used any of the other SLT's so can't comment but the A580 I inherited from my father feels a bit clunky in my hands.

The only points of the a99/a77 I like over the a700/a850 is the power switch location, it made it easy for one handed operation and the screen hinge for low/high angle shooting. I never liked the a500-a580, and similar SLT's a58/a68. I did like the a57/a37 but it was the experience with the NP-50 batteries of the a37 that soured my look at the a7/a6000's.
I do not see a switch to E-Mount in my immediate future. As much as I like the A1/A7RIV/A7III, price vs what I have in A-Mount in conjunction with my needs makes a switch unlikely.

I think I prefer the A99m2 body over the A900 body - bus these cameras are so different, I feel it is strange to compare them....

Back in the day I chose the Minolta Dynax 7D because of the pleasant grip