Sony announces new FF CMOS chip

[Ronald Garrett]

The A350 is slow frame wise. High mp wise. Just what I need for my flower photography. Carl Ziess lenses are expensive, but the ones I use are awsome. Sony is the only one to have them autofocus.

The A700 is aimed at the D300 market. At 5 fps they are getting there. They have not yet targeted the sports shooter. I think that will come. Sony manufactures some high end computers, so I think they are already prepared to tackle faster shooting rate.

I'm not trying to further Sony's cause. Just trying to take an unbiased look. At the very least I think the management at Nikon and Canon have turned an attentive head their way. That should benefit us all.

[ChrisPerry]

Sony has the resources in money, manufacturing, marketing/sales, research and fortitude to be a player in the camera market and even moreso now that it's mostly an electronics market.

They introduced how many bodies in the last year? All developed more or less from scratch? And lenses? I've not been counting, but prolly as many as nikon, canon and the little guys put together. Its taken Nikon how many years to bring forth a FF body? And Sony is taking 24 months from entering the camera business to showing a FF camera that beats everyone in MPs!

And I believe I read the the 24mp FF beastie will have sensor-based IS as well. Something that's been bandied about as not possible.

[Dennis_Vied]

Originally Posted by Ronald Garrett

Carl Ziess lenses are expensive, but the ones I use are awsome. Sony is the only one to have them autofocus.

Are the Zeiss lenses REAL Zeiss lenses, or built under license by someone else, i.e. Panasonic, or in this case, Sony? That has to be an awesome factor.

[DougAxford]

Last I heard Zeiss was being made in the far East after leaving Canada, after leaving Germany.

I lost track because they became a non-issue. Anybody really tested these in the last few years? What bodies do they fit?

Doug

[billsstills]

Its all good, I don't think you can wash away ninety years of glass and a little less time at camera making without very aggressive marketing.
It will be a long haul for Sony to try regardless of their latest offerings.

Canon has been very agressive in their marketing over the long haul just to become the leading camera brand while Nikon has not tried as hard while Nikon certainly doesn't have as much money to play with.
Nikon is kicking some ass now with very little effort while Sony is a dogs breakfast from where I'm looking.
I watch e-bay for lenses to buy and sell all the time; it's hard to obtain any Nikon lens cheep enough to re-sell it.
Sure Sony have the ability to do whatever they like but they are ninety years behind on glass.

Proficient Instuments are required for the top end of photography while cropping is time consuming. Time is money.

And... doesn't Nikon provide Sony with the machines needed to make the sensors? Steppers or whatever they're called.


Bill.

[diglloyd]

Originally Posted by DougAxford

Last I heard Zeiss was being made in the far East after leaving Canada, after leaving Germany.

I lost track because they became a non-issue. Anybody really tested these in the last few years? What bodies do they fit?

Zeiss ZF lenses (for Nikon) are designed by Zeiss (and that heritage shows in optical rendition), they have the outstanding Zeiss coatings, but are assembed in Japan by Cosina. The ZF lenses have "Lens Made in Japan" engraved right onto the lens barrel.

I have thoroughly tested all seven of the Zeiss ZF lenses (see my web site): the 25/2.8 28/2, 35/2, 50/1.4, 50/2 MP, 85/1.4, 100/2 MP. All are superb and I shoot them in preference to Nikon and Canon brand lenses most of the time (such an approach is not for everyone, they are manual focus and fixed focal length after all).

I don't know who manufactures Zeiss-designed lenses for Sony, but it's almost certainly a similar arrangement.

[DougAxford]

I may have erred. I was thinking of Leica who had the lens factory in Minden Ontario then was sold to far east company who had lower labor costs. But, was Leica using Zeiss optics?

You are right, manual focus let alone fixed focal length photographers are few and far between these days. Comparing the two types of lenses is apples to squash. I miss the old days sometimes, but then, maybe not. I always had to put a softening filter on to keep from showing every pore on the face.

Doug