Sony SLRs

Alex53

Alex53

Alex53

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I might be getting thew wrong picture, as I don't really read up on all the news, but a couple of items of news I've heard lately have made me think the Digital SLR world might be up for a big shake-up.

1. Konica Minolta leaves camera business and sells mount to Sony.
2. Sony makes the sensors for Nikon DSLRs

This reminded me that Sony uses Carl Zeiss lenses in their consumer cameras, which have a reputation for being great lenses, to the point a significant number of pros who aren't happy with Canon's wide angle lenses, use manual focus Zeiss lenses with an adapter on Canon bodies.

So not only could Sony make an SLR and have great lenses supplied, but they could undercut Nikon's prices as far as sensors go, or sell Nikon less attractive sensors, as in older generation or whatever. Nikon would be in a bad position if they depend on a competitor for their supplies in any case.

For people who don't believe the Nikon/Canon dominance can be upset, there is a clear parallel. The Nintendo/Sega situation in the 90s, and look at Sega now after the Sony's Playstations.
 
Dunno, they didn't do that with the Playstation 1 and 2. The PSP does use those new discs though instead of a mini DVD.

My hope for Sony SLRs is that they either really offer something better and innovative and/or that they make Canon prices go down. I've read a couple of articles since my first message though and it looks like they'd go for the low end SLR market. I suppose that means small plastic bodies to compete with the 350D.
 
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Sony have said that they intend to get 25% of the dSLR market, they have also said that they intend to target upto advanced amateur. The problem is there no definition of what advanced amateur is; it is arguable that the Canon 5D and the Nikon D200 cater for the advanced amateur; certainly the 20D and D70 are in that ball-park.

Other things to consider are that Konica-Minolta will be making and designing the Sony dSLRs for them. This means at least for the present, a traditional camera maker is doing the work. It is fairly well accepted by most people that Minolta had at least one new dSLR in prototype (suggestions are a 7Dii) and maybe another for later in the year. The one for later in the year may well have been a pro-body like the Dynax 9; I suspect we will see this being dropped.

Potential for Zeiss lenses; well, it probably would not take a huge amount of engineering to take the 'new' Zeiss Nikon lenses and turn them into Minolta lenses; especially as they are Manual Focus but I can't see that happening; it doesn't play to the market that Sony are aiming at.

The summer (or even a hint at PMA) is going to be interesting; Sony need to make an immediate impression if they are going to get the 25% that they want. I'm not sure that they want to drive prices down too much tho', the reason to get into the dSLR market was for the increased margins as compacts/P&S make buttons.
 
Sony are sure going to shake things up but they would have to release ultra special to make current D-SLR owners switch systems i.e. sell all their lenses and start over.

It will be interesting to see how they treat Nikon though.
 
sony are planning to release their first slr in the summer. it will be based on the minolta lens mount and will be compatable with all minolta af lenses. there was word about that minolta were working on a new slr, probably a 9d, which is most likely what the first sony slr will be.
 
I will extremely surprised if Sony's SLR is a 9D; it would be too high end for the market they are chasing. A 7D replacement is much more likely; something like the current 7D but with a similar sensor to that of the D200 seems to make the most sense. For a 9D to make sense, Sony would have to revamp the high-end Minolta lens range which is currently lacking (the lens there are, are very good but they are very expensive and there aren't enough of them).

I'd love to see a 9D (I might even have the money put aside by the summer) but it does seem unlikely IMHO.
 
I hope Sony really invests but I am not hopefull. As has been said they have sensor design but no history in lenses. I don't know whether they have bought all of minoltas lens unit - if so and they expand it then it could be good. However, if the above comment about them not wanting to target the pro market is true then it doesn't sound good. It should be obvious to anyone that the most successfull camera comany (Canon) is the only one to target the whole market.

I think minolta's anti-shake technology is so good that it would strongly draw me to the range if I was buying an slr (which unfortunately I can't afford) but only time will tell if Sony can develop the potential properly.

I think it was a great shame that Fuji didn't buy minolta. Fuji has sensor design and a history in camara and lens design including pro level dslr and medium format quality lenses. Also minolta's anti-shake system added to the s9500/5600 would produce an excellent camera.
 
The conjecture is that Minolta will continue to make lenses for the minolta mount; remember Minolta will actually be making the dSLRs for Sony. Sony also have a minority shareholding in Tamron which they could leverage.

I do agree that the only way to break the Canon\Nikon duopoly tho is to target the whole market.....they are going to need a high-end camera to do this and to get it into the hands of the pros.
 
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