Sony A450 released

[FrankLamont]

Somewhat a confusion to the lineup.

Sony's A450 has been released.
Here
Here

 

[Antithesis]

I don't understand why they would do that. It seems it's main gimmick is long battery life or something, but other than that it still really doesn't seem like a good place to spend R&D money. Although, it is one of the better looking Sony's I've seen (however meaningless that is).

 

[Garbz]

It's a Sony. What part of any of their product decisions makes sense? It seems like a better use of R&D money than creating a high def audio format that is so completely different from anything else with little to no benefit over the competition that even major studios simply don't like to use.

 

[Derrel]

According to dPreview, SONY now has six d-slr bodies priced at under $1,000. Wow! Six different choices! Not too long ago, I read a study that said when presented with more than four potential purchase choices, the typical response from the majority of purchasers was to make NO PURCHASE at all! None, as in "no sale".

It seems almost impossible to keep track of Sony's DX-body choices. And yet, at the top of the line, the A900 AND A850 are easily defined, and all alone. No morass of confusing model numbers and names, just 850 and 900. Very simple.

Sony is a consumer electronics company that bought a camera company's business and IP and patents, and is now selling d-slr cameras,so it's not too surprising that the company's marketing arm is making oddball decisions.

 

[inTempus]

<palm forehead>

Sony just isn't a camera company. You don't get the feeling they make cameras for enthusiasts... It's like they're frantically fishing... creating something a little different than last quarters model, throwing it out there and hoping it sticks.

 

[F1addict]

There number system was actually very simple up until this model...which I don't understand the point of, its just an A550 without the live view and tilt screen
A2XX was the base model, A3XX was the next up, A700 was the top, then they added the A900 and A850 above that and the A5XX models between the A3XX and A700

 

[FrankLamont]

Sony's theory appears to be... let's get every possible model out there; it's bound to appeal to someone. Well, it may be the case, if they can get through the confusion first.

 

[Antithesis]

I actually handled an a230 today at the store, and all I can say is: Sony is definitely trying different things. It seemed more inspired by a high-end stereo than a classic camera. I can see it appealing to some, but definitely not me. I also don't understand their lens line-up. It goes from semi-cheap to uber-expensive very, very quickly.

 

[Garbz]

Sony's theory appears to be... let's get every possible model out there; it's bound to appeal to someone. Well, it may be the case, if they can get through the confusion first.

Well really it's the same theory they apply to a LOT of their products. Just look at how many different minidisc products they made, and then look at the size of their target market. How many different memory sticks have they come up with, and again the size of their market. Mind you none of this gear was inherently bad. It's just a company run by monkeys with no clear cut direction other than "something electronic that makes moeny".

It seemed more inspired by a high-end stereo than a classic camera.

Funny you should say that. In the late 80s Sony had a high-end stereo that made audiophiles go weak at the knees. Back then "It's a Sony" meant something that didn't cause people to throw up where they stand. Other than the Bravia TVs I really miss the days where they made truly high-end equipment. Man my grandpa's turntable sounded better than his CD player.

 

[inTempus]

Funny you should say that. In the late 80s Sony had a high-end stereo that made audiophiles go weak at the knees. Back then "It's a Sony" meant something that didn't cause people to throw up where they stand. Other than the Bravia TVs I really miss the days where they made truly high-end equipment. Man my grandpa's turntable sounded better than his CD player.

Yup! I agree. I used to be a huge fan of Sony, every thing electronic I owned was made by them. That was many years ago. As you've noted, they've gone from a high end electronics manufacturer to doing nothing more than cranking out mediocre quality equipment as fast as they can to turn a buck. Now days if you say you own Sony audiophiles chuckle.

It's a shame... I miss the old Sony. Today I walk right past their products because I know that they're not a serious contender for my money. Their products are made for the masses, not the enthusiasts.

 

[Dao]

I think it is good to have a player like Sony in the camera market. They have deeper pockets so they are willing to try new things. And some innovation maybe pretty good that others follow.

 

[J.Kendall]

I'm sort of with Dao. Without Sony, we might not even realize just how great Nikon and Canon are. And who knows; maybe Sony will produce something that causes the next great digital revolution.

 

[inTempus]

I'm sort of with Dao. Without Sony, we might not even realize just how great Nikon and Canon are. And who knows; maybe Sony will produce something that causes the next great digital revolution.

I believe Nikon and Canon stand on their own. I don't believe they need Sony to validate their market position or their innovation and quality.

I suspect Sony will likely never be a major player (i.e. rival Canon or Nikon in terms of sales). Sony will compete with Olympus, Pentax, Fuji, etc. as a second tier camera maker. That's not to say highly qualified photogs won't buy their gear, there are loyalists for every brand. But in general terms, their cameras will fill the same niche as the rest of their product lines - modest quality at an affordable price.

 

[FrankLamont]

Yep, true...

Although surprise, surprise - Sony's making SD cards.

 

[Derrel]

I wonder about the possible SOny 34.8 MP pro d-slr body referenced at the above url????

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2447/3937308522_1dbfc8ee9e_o.jpg

This is the second time I have seen written reference to the 34.8 SuperHAD II sensor, which is an actual sensor Sony has written about before. In the document I am linking to above, from September of 2009, Sony's own web page describes the "DSLR-A1R".

Hmmmm....the big PMA show is in the third week of February....Sony has used PMA before to introduce SLR models. Maybe they'll announce a new high-MP model in a few weeks.