Is there a future for SLT?

[unpopular]

With phase contrast now available on the sensor, the huge success of NEX, and Sony's niche in the "serious amateur" market, do you think Sony will continue to produce "DSLR-style" SLT cameras in the future?

 

[skieur]

Basic marketting 101 applied to this is that if one company decides that the "DSLR-style" is dead, then all the competing camera companies will start looking for alternatives that work better. Canon or Nikon might come up with a better solution, but while they are working on it, Sony may be gaining market share with their SLT approach.

The current advantages of Sony's SLT system are:

1. the bright OLED viewfinder with real time display of camera adjustments on the image.
2. 100% viewfinder accuracy.
3. a quiet shutter with no mirror vibration which means slower shutterspeeds, less blur, and the ability to do close up street photography without being noticed.
4. fast frames per second which permits in-camera panorama, in-camera HDR and in-camera multi-shot noise reduction.

skieur

 

[unpopular]

skieur - I agree completely, but my point is will Sony stop making SLT and focus on NEX-like mirrorless systems?

It seems likely that with the VG-900 and yet to be confirmed full frame NEX still camera that the NEX lenses will be eventually made full frame compatible. IMO, Sony, Fuji and Ricoh are the only ones that are taking the Mirrorless market in a sustainable direction. Nikon and Canon's approaches have been pretty limp at best; the Nikon 1 is probably the worst idea since disk film.

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No matter the platform design, I don't think that optical viewfinders will last much longer. While not everyone may like them, the economics of a "solid state" viewfinder just makes more sense.

 

[skieur]

skieur - I agree completely, but my point is will Sony stop making SLT and focus on NEX-like mirrorless systems?

It seems likely that with the VG-900 and yet to be confirmed full frame NEX still camera that the NEX lenses will be eventually made full frame compatible. IMO, Sony, Fuji and Ricoh are the only ones that are taking the Mirrorless market in a sustainable direction. Nikon and Canon's approaches have been pretty limp at best; the Nikon 1 is probably the worst idea since disk film.

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No matter the platform design, I don't think that optical viewfinders will last much longer. While not everyone may like them, the economics of a "solid state" viewfinder just makes more sense.

Good question. The NEX system is a more radical departure from the SLR than the SLT and Sony certainly has a reputation for taking some very different approaches to technology and format. From a marketing point of view: Are they testing the waters so-to-speak, in order to determine which direction to go, or are they going to try and sustain BOTH approaches?

The A99 full frame SLT is still "in the wings" and may come out in the Fall. After that, there may be little room for innovation in the SLT line and perhaps they will go full tilt with the popular Nex system.

Sony however has never been very predictable.

skieur

 

[unpopular]

The NEX platform also seems more scalable in terms of sensor size. It would be much easier to engineer a compatible medium format NEX than an SLT since there is no diagonal element to account for.

 

[rexbobcat]

skieur - I agree completely, but my point is will Sony stop making SLT and focus on NEX-like mirrorless systems?

It seems likely that with the VG-900 and yet to be confirmed full frame NEX still camera that the NEX lenses will be eventually made full frame compatible. IMO, Sony, Fuji and Ricoh are the only ones that are taking the Mirrorless market in a sustainable direction. Nikon and Canon's approaches have been pretty limp at best; the Nikon 1 is probably the worst idea since disk film.

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No matter the platform design, I don't think that optical viewfinders will last much longer. While not everyone may like them, the economics of a "solid state" viewfinder just makes more sense.

What makes the Nikon J1 bad? I've never used one but I've heard horrible things. It's just surprising since....Aren't their sensors made by Sony?

I really dislike the idea of losing optical viewfinders. I know it'll probably happen eventually but...when I photograph I don't want to see in the dark. What's the point of seeing things in the viewfinder that the camera itself can't effectively capture without going to unusable ISO's or shutter speeds? Our eyes are the best optical devices that we as humans have at our disposal, and I'd really hate to rely on an electronic system for something that is so simple and naturally effective without it.

But alas, the EVFs will probably become mainstream if mirrorless becomes the new norm to keep the form factors nice and sleek. Now, if they make a very, VERY accurate EVF then I could probably get behind it, but...

 

[unpopular]

I am sure that the Nikon 1 uses sony sensors. My problem isn't so much the sensor itself, it's that it's an itsy-bitsy sensor.

Might be kinda fun with TV and 8mm lenses, but aside from that...

As for EVF it's kind of beside the point what we'd want. EVF's are cheaper to produce. We'll probably see high end optical DSLR's for the next 10 years, but I expect within that time EVFs will start replacing optical viewfinders in lower end cameras. I am very sure, however, within 20 years optical viewfinders will be "retro".

 

[ceejtank]

My only problem with Sony is that they use a lot of proprietary stuff that's annoying since you need adapters (not the case with all their stuff). Such as the Produo cards that my sony cybershot point and shoot takes. Little things like that make me not buy sony (the cybershot was a gift).

That being said - I feel that Sonys business model will determine what they do going forward. As long as people are buying their SLTs they will still pump them out. They probably will move more towards the NEX as well though. Just my .02.

 

[unpopular]

My only problem with Sony is that they use a lot of proprietary stuff that's annoying since you need adapters (not the case with all their stuff). Such as the Produo cards that my sony cybershot point and shoot takes. Little things like that make me not buy sony (the cybershot was a gift).

The only sony product I use is the a350 I own. Nothing else. The lenses are even all Minolta. The grip is Meike. The memory card is a Lexar CF - I'm pretty sure on this model I'd need an adapter to even use MemoryStick. I don't even use Sony's RAW processor.

We got rid of our x-box for a playstation 3. I was happy that, unlike the X-Box, I could replace or upgrade the hard drive with any hard drive, and that I could use any bluetooth or USB keyboard.

I bought my mother in law a Sony P&S. We didn't buy a card because it took the same SD card that she already had in her Kodak.

I keep hearing about this proprietary complaint, and maybe at one time it was true, or for some products. But I have never run into it myself; frankly, I wish people would just drop it.

 

[Derrel]

My only problem with Sony is that they use a lot of proprietary stuff that's annoying since you need adapters (not the case with all their stuff). Such as the Produo cards that my sony cybershot point and shoot takes. Little things like that make me not buy sony (the cybershot was a gift).

The only sony product I use is the a350 I own. Nothing else. The lenses are even all Minolta. The grip is Meike. The memory card is a Lexar CF - I'm pretty sure on this model I'd need an adapter to even use MemoryStick. I don't even use Sony's RAW processor.

We got rid of our x-box for a playstation 3. I was happy that, unlike the X-Box, I could replace or upgrade the hard drive with any hard drive, and that I could use any bluetooth or USB keyboard.

I bought my mother in law a Sony P&S. We didn't buy a card because it took the same SD card that she already had in her Kodak.

I keep hearing about this proprietary complaint, and maybe at one time it was true, or for some products. But I have never run into it myself; frankly, I wish people would just drop it.

You need to go out and buy an electronic flash unit for your Sony...

 

[unpopular]

From Sunpak or Metz? Wireless or not?

The minolta shoe is kinda annoying. But Sony is abandoning it for the ISO shoe.

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Why is it that anyone ever mentions "Sony" there is always this "Sony sucks because ..." argument? I don't care about what people think about Sony, what I am wondering is if the SLT and Alpha mount has a future.

 

[ceejtank]

My only problem with Sony is that they use a lot of proprietary stuff that's annoying since you need adapters (not the case with all their stuff). Such as the Produo cards that my sony cybershot point and shoot takes. Little things like that make me not buy sony (the cybershot was a gift).

The only sony product I use is the a350 I own. Nothing else. The lenses are even all Minolta. The grip is Meike. The memory card is a Lexar CF - I'm pretty sure on this model I'd need an adapter to even use MemoryStick. I don't even use Sony's RAW processor.

We got rid of our x-box for a playstation 3. I was happy that, unlike the X-Box, I could replace or upgrade the hard drive with any hard drive, and that I could use any bluetooth or USB keyboard.

I bought my mother in law a Sony P&S. We didn't buy a card because it took the same SD card that she already had in her Kodak.

I keep hearing about this proprietary complaint, and maybe at one time it was true, or for some products. But I have never run into it myself; frankly, I wish people would just drop it.

I have an Xbox, PS3, and a Wii(and many non-this generation systems). It depends what you want to do. If you want your network to go down for a month for security breaches.. choose sony.. because that's what happened. (I'm more fo an xbox fan). That being said - theyre both good systems. And if you have the right knowledge you can use any hard drive with XBOX as well. I Have mine hooked up simultaneously to my PC and using its own hard drive. So that isn't an issue for me. Also if you use windows you can sync your xbox to your pc, same as yuo can with the pS3.

It depends on the camera model I guess(or other thing youre buying), but it is a big issue, whether you've personally experienced it or not doesnt really matter because enough people have that it is an issue. It's not an "at one time" issue either.. my friend got a sony P&S within the last 6 months and it only took their pro-duo cards, so he needed an adapter. It's not a cost thing for us, its more if I want to upload, I need the adapter.. its just an annoyance.

Honestly - I think that's their biggest problem. I won't try most sony products if theres a comparable alternative for the exact reason.

 

[unpopular]

well. that's nice.

anyway, back on topic?

 

[KmH]

EVF's still have a lag time and some other display issues. The lag prohibits the EVF from showing burst mode sequences in real time.

EVF technology has a ways to go yet, and cost may continue to be an issue. It is said Sony subsidizes the cost of it's SLT cameras.

 

[unpopular]

I have no doubt the lag issue will be fixed, at least in well lit situations, that's just a processing issue. As for cost I'm not sure. Maybe, but theoretically EVF should be cheaper.