Sony will unveil four cameras and a video camcorder today, including one that targets serious photographers.
The issues with Japanese camera production from the tsunami are now in the past, says Christopher Chute, an analyst at researcher IDC. Now, camera makers have to contend with softening sales, due to the lingering effects of the recession. One bright spot: Consumers are still shelling out big bucks for fancy cameras, he adds.
Sony's $1,399 SLT-A77 digital SLR (body only) boasts a 24-megapixel image sensor, which is substantially larger than other cameras of its class. It can shoot up to 12 frames per second and produce video clips up to 29 minutes long while constantly auto-focusing
In essence, photographers can get a fast-shooting, fast-focusing camera that can also double as a high-quality video camera for shooting weddings, sports, school plays, concerts and ballet recitals.
Pro photographers have embraced digital SLR cameras for the cinema-like quality produced by their large image sensors, which are some 20 times the size of those found in traditional video cameras. But most digital SLRs have severe time limitations. Canon cameras, for example, can only shoot up to 12 minutes at a time, making them hard to use for longer events.
Canon rules the lucrative digital SLR market, commanding a 46% share in 2010 and 19% of the overall camera market, which includes low-cost point-and-shoot models, according to researcher IDC. Nikon has a 33% share of SLRs and 17% overall; Sony is at 12% and 16%.
But Sony's share of digital SLRs has steadily risen since the company entered the market in 2006, finding an audience with consumers and portrait and fashion photographers, says Mark Weir, Sony's senior technical manager.
With the A77, Sony has its first serious camera for pros and prosumers. Pop Photo tech editor Philip Ryan calls it a "breakthrough" that "shows a real commitment to high-level imaging."
The breakthrough comes in the form of a "translucent" mirror. Traditional SLRs use a mirror to compose the image and reflect it back through the viewfinder. During "live view" video making, the mirror moves out of the way, eliminating auto focus. Sony's solution is a see-through mirror that doesn't move.
Composition is through an electronic viewfinder, which historically hasn't responded as quickly or been as accurate with color, but Ryan says the A77 has the best electronic viewfinder he's seen to date.
Sony first introduced the translucent mirror on last year's A55, a $799 consumer digital SLR. But while Pop Photo called it the "camera of the year" for 2010, the A55 had problems with a delay in the fast-shooting mode. No such issues on the A77, says Ryan, who got a sneak peek at the camera recently.
The new cameras
•The A77 ($1,999 with 16-50mm 1.8 lens) and the smaller A65 ($899). Both have the translucent mirrors. The A65 has a plastic, less sturdy body, and shoots 10 frames per second. Available in October.
•Two new additions to Sony's compact, mirror-less NEX line, the NEX-5N and NEX-7. The NEX is aimed at point-and-shooters who want to tote a light camera with pro features, without the bulk of an SLR.
At $1,350 with lens, the NEX-7 will cost just as much, if not more, than a full-featured entry-level SLR. It has a 24-megapixel image sensor and ability to shoot in low, low light. Shutter lag — the time between pressing the shutter and taking the picture — is 20 milliseconds. Sony says that's the fastest for any interchangeable-lens digital camera. The NEX-5N has a 16-megapixel sensor and will sell for $700 with lens. Both cameras will be available next month.
•A camcorder, the VG-20, which sports a higher price than the previous VG-10 model, $2,199 vs. $1,999, and a bigger image chip, 14 megapixels instead of 12. The advantage of the camcorder is that it has the same big image sensor as the Sony SLRs.
Sony's niche in SLRs is "looking at things from a different perspective," says Chute. "They develop innovative technology and bring it to affordable price points as soon as they can. These sorts of things are benefits consumers can understand."
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