Image Resouces has a lengthy interview with 3 Sony Managers that you can read in full here, or you can check out our bullet points from the interview below to save time:
- The Photo Market
- COVID impacted Sony’s still shooting business, but video continued growing and doing well
- Sony thinks that still, photo capture will return
- Other manufacturers have expressed similar sentiments, but some have reported increases or remaining steady depending on where they are in their product life cycle, like Fuifilm
- It’s Sony’s position that still photography will remain strong for years to come
- Photography is still growing but not as fast as video
- Hybrid cameras are great because you can do video and stills well with no shortcomings or cost increases now
- Video and photos have different ergonomic needs, though, so there is room for different kinds of bodies
- High-end video shooters have very special needs, while entry-level ones want simple
- Mid-level videography is largely covered by hybrid cameras and even some high-end shooters that do not need cinema levels of capture like XLR connectors
- Supply Chain
- Everyone is having issues, and everyone is trying to minimize the impact of COVID and China’s zero COVID policies
- Sony isn’t worried about supply chain issues going forward
- Sony did have some issues globally but not every region was impacted
- APS-C Cameras
- APS-C is still important, and Sony’s single mount is a strength for full frame and APS-C
- Sony needs to focus more on making APS-C bodies
- The ZV-E10 is designed to attract new users to E-mount
- The cost difference between APS-C and full-frame has become minimal
- The size difference between APS-C and full frame is also minimal now, but the overall kit size and weight can be quite different
- Sony focuses on full-frame lens design due to the minimal differences
- Full-frame lenses can be fully utilized on APS-C but APS-C lenses cant be fully utilized on full-frame
- FX-30 and ZV-E10 prove Sony is still dedicated to APS-C
- RX Series
- Sony still produces and supports the RX series, but they can’t say any more at this time
- The current lineup still sells well
- AF development and AIAF
- Images sensors, AI, and Autofocus are different technologies, but Sony combines them to maximize performance
- Scene recognition was the first way Sony tried to improve camera performance
- Sony now uses AI for AF, but originally they had to consider whole objects
- Sony’s AF/AI technology is the base of their system’s AF performance
- Sony will definitely be announcing more advanced AIAF soon
- BIONZ XR
- Each BIONZ chip is different, with separate rolls that work together to get 8x the processing speed of the BIONZ X
- The BIONZ XR in the Alpha 1 can handle a huge amount of data, like 50MP at 30fps while doing 120fps AF calculations during continuous shooting
- The BIONZ XR also provides better color science and reproduction along with lower noise and higher dynamic range and resolution for movies and stills
- Sony making the sensor and processor give them a performance advantage because most camera companies use off the shelf sensors and processors
- Alpha 1 Mechanical Shutter
- Sony decided to push flash sync speed since it hasn’t evolved over the years, so Sony developed a new dual-drive shutter
- You can do flash photography with an electronic shutter, but it won’t scan as fast as a mechanical shutter
- The Alpha 1 can sync at 1/400th full frame and 1/500th APS-C, but only 1/200th electronic
- Why is the Alpha 1 Shutter So Fast
- Sony can’t get into the details of its dual-drive shutter but they can say it uses an electronic actuator in addition to the conventional spring to enable high-speed drive of 1/400th sync
- The use of carbon fiber shutter blades also helps with robustness by reducing the moving mass acceleration and deceleration
- Alpha 1 still and video stabilization
- Video and stills need different forms of stabilization, and Sony will continue trying to improve both based on the feedback
- Sony’s 5.5 stops of stabilization isn’t tied to any particular mode
- What are the advantages of the new 24-70mm and 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses
- Customers liked the originals, but they wanted smaller, lighter, and higher image quality with better AF speed and tracking so Sony gave them what they wanted
- The new lenses were only possible using the latest technology
- Sony hopes improvements continue to come at a fast pace
- Sony’s latest XD linear motors and new optical designs were necessary for them to achieve new groundbreaking performance
- Lens elements have to move quickly and precisely
- Sony’s XD linear motors were first developed for the 400mm f/2.8 in June 2018
- The new 24-70mm f/2.8 Optical Formula
- The new design has twice as many ED and XA elements as the original, which would have been impossible or impractical before
- The entire optical design has to be started from scratch
- Sony also reduced focus breathing for video capture
- The new 70-200mm f/2.8 is also very different why
- It has fewer elements and a new optical formula
- The new formula allowed Sony to make the world’s lightest 70-200mm f/2.8
- The reduced element count made the lens even faster with Sony’s new XD linear motors
- The original 70-200mm f/2.8 is still being sold
- Sony doesn’t really comment on this beyond saying they do not discuss their strategies but are happy for the feedback about keeping lenses on the market
- What’s next on the lens roadmap
- Sony cannot comment on its future lens roadmap, but they have a lot of new lens ideas for the future that you should look forward to.
Sony A1: B&H Photo / Amazon / Moment / Adorama
Sony FX30: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II SEL70200GM2:
B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II:
B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
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