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Sony announced over 20 new lenses

Nikon with ZF lenses are looking better every minute. 50/1.4 is available already, and the 85/1.4 is close behind. If they offer a 25 or 28 then life could be good. They have aperture rings also : -)
 
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I would go for Canon rather than Sony alpha.

1. I have a set of Leica R and Contax C-Y lenses, Sony alpha is not compatible with these. Has anyone heard of a C-Y to Minolta or Leica R to Minolta adaptor ring ?

2. So far, Canon's sensor is superior to Sony's particularly in low ISO settings.
 
You mean high ISO settings I think ... which is true about Canon for sure. ISOs of 1000 and even higher are quite acceptable when exposed properly.
 
You are quite right.

The other important question waiting to be answered is whether these Sony alpha bodies are full framed or partially framed.

Canon has his legs in both. Nikon only has partial frame. Where will Sony go ?

At the moment, Canon dominates the market with their partial frame, as the sell of the partial is a lot more than the full frame.
 
Dirk!

Thank you for your long answer. I couldn't agree more with what you say in your post.

When I used word "promote" I did not mean it in a commercial sense. More like "popularize" or "spread the rumour" - because that was how I interpreted the reference to a possibility of Zeiss glass on Sony bodies. :)

I personally think that the "dream" (if there ever was one) that Sony Alpha line will offer Zeiss glass is over. So I am puzzled whenever the reference to this possibility crops up - hence my reaction.

My armchair analysis is that Sony does not need superior (read Zeiss) glass to capture their stated whopping (what was it - 25%?) share of the SRL market. Majority of market does not need superior glass, they just need &le amounts of sensibly priced competent glass - and that is what Konica Minolta/Tamron/Sony have plenty. Very seldom do people switch over to other systems because of superior/inferior optics. Majority of optics these days is good enough for majority of people. I know members on this forum are an exception, but this a tiny minority. :)

As for that rumour on photoscala.com posting, I find that really amusing. If anything the glass on that camera DOES NOT look even remotely like ZEISS glass.

Chi! Partial frame, almost for sure. My guess (and only a guess) is that the "new super body that will (not) shake the world" will be a rebadged KM D5 with a memory stick and possibly with their 10 MP sensor a la R1, but most probably the old 6 MP with 10 MP reserved to the more pro oriented successor of 7D. 20 new lens models - the sheer number tells me that this will rebadged KM stuff. You cannot possibly bring out 20 NEW lens models in a year's time.

I have joined the silly guessing game.
 
I trhink you are right with the statement about the majority.

The only problem I do see, is: The rebadging you described in your posting is exactly what Minolta did in the past. So if they did not succeed to come over 3% marketshare in DSLR market with this strategy, how Sony thinks they will succedd without anything REALLY special?

I doubt that the body only will help here alone. They can not offer it significant cheaper than Canon. And for teh same price, they can not offer significant better DSLRs than Canon.

So with what can Sony really suprise/differentiate? It has to be something unique.

- Antishake? Is history, nothing new and the market did obviously not see "AS" as the significant difference to be convinced to buy the product.

- Sensor? no, see obove

- Build quality? The majority does not need "Contax quality"

Maybe someone has better ideas, but I can only think of lenses, to really differntiate from others nowadays. At least from a marketing perspective. Not everybody will see the difference between Zeiss glass and other lenses. But nevertheless it sounds good in a sales pitch
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I agree that it is difficult to come up with 20 new lenses within a year. But if these are rebadged Contax & ZF lenses, this would be possible IMHO.

9 N-lenses (17-35, 24-85, 28-80, 50, 85, 100 Makro, 70-200, 70-300, 400)

Maybe some 645 lenses? (i.e. 140, 120 Makro)

around 3-5 ZF lenses - fixed focal lenses.

x-amount of RTS-mount lenses

So the design of at least +14 new lenses would be already there, only production and quality control would be the problem. And some of the "old" RTS mount lenses would not be bad either. With new anti-flare know-how, this would be also interesting (21mm, 25mm, 18mm, etc.)

But as you said, how many and which one is now speculation and guessing. But I am pretty sure that some will be Zeiss lenses. Both because of our sources and because everything else does not make sense in my view.
 
Dirk!

It is a fun game. My guess against your guess. And your mysterious "source". :)

Dirk, it is a real paradise picture you have painted with the assortment of the beautiful Zeiss glass above. But how much such system would cost? Who would be able to afford it? Definitely not the 25% market share.

It is indeed a good question - what will be Sony's competetive edge, if (according to my infinite wisdom) Zeiss glass it is not. My short answer - nothing special on technological front, but just sheer Sony marketing muscle, pervasive omnipresence, price wars until it hurts. Think Sony, think BIG! What differentiates Sony from other players is that is is very HUGE (even such not so small companies as CANON are dwarfed by Sony). As someone from Latvia observed on photo.net - he is happy that Sony have taken over Konica Minolta photo business - at least he will be able to buy their products from now on. Previously there was only one small company selling/distributing Konica Minolta in Latvia. They had one shop in Riga. In comparison there are dozens and dozens stores selling Sony stuff, including huge specialized Sony only centers. Despite all SONY's marketing talk about excellence, I think that they are aiming at mass market. SLRs missing from their product line-up? No problem - let's stomp in and milk the cow.

Incidentally, I don't think they will succeed :)
 
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