Sony's planned obsolescence

[Streets]

It seems as though Sony comes out with a bevy of new models faster than they can be reviewed. I feel like a caveman with my happiness in owning an A200. I think that I owned a Nikon F1 for over ten years before anything really better came along. Before the Nikon, a Leica G3 was my companion for about five years. Geez, I don't even want to get started on mobile phones. The only things that haven't really improved over the years are the optics one hangs on the front of ones camera. Can you say "Zeiss Planar"?

[WCKSer]

Sony is not the only one rushing out with new models such a rapid pace that we have a hard time keeping up. Canon and Nikon are doing the same thing. Can we call this a camera war?

[TCav]

Sony is a consumer electronics company. That's their mindset.

It may slow down now, though. Sony is running out of model numbers, and whenever Sony runs out of model numbers, it discontinues the product line (i.e A290, A390, A580) The A37, A57, A65 and A77 still have room to grow, but the A99 is probably the end of the line.

[Ozzie_Traveller]

G'day mate

Originally Posted by Streets

..... Can you say "Zeiss Planar"?

The answer is Tessar

and you both ^ are right
Regards, Phil

[Marawder]

Originally Posted by Streets

I feel like a caveman with my happiness in owning an A200.

Dude, it's time to upgrade...like, NOW!

[bella]

Amongst my Sony gear, I still have an A100 that im happy to pull out and use as a backup
Its far too confusing with the double up of models in each brand, I cant work out what does what better

[ItDontMeanAThing]

Originally Posted by Streets

It seems as though Sony comes out with a bevy of new models faster than they can be reviewed. I feel like a caveman with my happiness in owning an A200. I think that I owned a Nikon F1 for over ten years before anything really better came along. Before the Nikon, a Leica G3 was my companion for about five years. Geez, I don't even want to get started on mobile phones. The only things that haven't really improved over the years are the optics one hangs on the front of ones camera. Can you say "Zeiss Planar"?

Hence the standard advice to buy good glass and change/add bodies as needed. Cameras are now computers. Manufacturers will continue to make them do new and better things*, releasing new models to keep up with the other manufactures. I like when companies do that because those who must have the latest keep feeding the used market with slightly used product. Maybe someday my photography will be good enough that having the latest and greatest will make a visible difference. Until then I'll shop for new cameras that were released 2-3 year prior because the prices are attractive. Also the warts and benefits that were overlooked or unknown during the initial reviews will have become known.

*Or just new things.

[Krichton]

Originally Posted by Marawder

Dude, it's time to upgrade...like, NOW!

Seriously. I don't know how anyone can stand owning one of those old sonys. I know, I have one! Theres's no live view, hd video, the bodies are small, noise sensitivity is crap, and the shutter is so loud that I might as well be slamming two cymbals together every time I take a picture.

[Ozzie_Traveller]

Oh Krichton

Oh .... what a suggestion

Originally Posted by Krichton

Seriously. I don't know how anyone can stand owning one of those old sonys. I know, I have one! Theres's no live view, hd video, the bodies are small, noise sensitivity is crap, and the shutter is so loud that I might as well be slamming two cymbals together every time I take a picture.

Now although I don't own a Sony, I do know that some cameras & their owners treat their sony camera like an old pair of shoes ...
The laces might have broken & been retied in a knot; there might be a hole in the sole letting the rain water in etc etc but the shoes fit perfecly and they bend and flex in all the right places, so why chuck 'em away

Sony cameras are not like the 'big-name, big-volume, shameless sameness of the canikex cameras ... they have 'class' and 'distinction' > so like a favourite pair of shoes, why chuck 'em away??

I'll now leave it to a Sony owner to continue the waffle
Regards, Phil

[NHL]

Originally Posted by Ozzie_Traveller

I'll now leave it to a Sony owner to continue the waffle
Regards, Phil

Well I'm one of those guys...

I shoot with some pretty high-end Canon and Nikon gears, but also I can surely attest (at least with the A900) that the Sony's AF best them all:
http://forums.steves-digicams.com/ca...00-os-hsm.html
http://forums.steves-digicams.com/so...quivilent.html

Most manufacturers advertise how fast their AF's are, but wait till you turn the light off in a darkened studio, and see what occurred when the shutter is pressed and nothing happened because the camera couldn't focus... I got frustrated on such occasions with my brand new D800, and it's AF is rated for -2EV too (Canon is worst than this), but luckily my trusty A900 was around and saved the day every time!
-> No wonder Sony used to sale the only mirror lens that can autofocus @ f/8 with their dSLRs, and not offered by any other OEMs

Also this old Sony does not have a liveview either, but it does have this Intelligent Preview Function in manual, which I can use to setup my D800 by for the shoot... Yes, the A900 is noisy, but then in the studio the highest ISO I ever need is 200. Its mirror is loud too; However this large mirror enables one of the brightest viewfinder in the business. Yes, better than the D800, and my friends who shoot with their 5D's are pleasantly surprised as well when they got a chance to look through the Sony's.