Sony a mount cameras

[jefwarre0]

What should I do?

I own a Sony a900 and a Sony a99ii and 7 lenses. Should I trade them in for a new mirrorless system or will the Sony a mount cameras continue to be supported?

[Sean_Mc]

Hi there,

It would be best to get in touch with the Sony support team who will be able to advise you on this. 

Best wishes,

Sean 

[ShakeyBluesman]

No one knows what Sony will do in the future but I suspect that the A mount users won't have the new releases that the E mount users enjoy.

The later mirrorless cameras and lenses are phenomenal. I have the a9 and a7iii, a7ii, and a7. They're streets ahead of all but maybe the a99ii, so light compared to all high end DSLR'S and with very fast autofocus speeds with the higher end lenses.

I still have my a850, a900, a99, a99ii full frame and my a700, a77, a77ii APS-C and around 30 lenses but only now use 99ii and a77ii occasionally.

All A mount lenses can also be used on E mount cameras via an adapter. I have the LA-EA4 which works extremely well, giving great focusing speeds with even some of my Minolta lenses. It may not be cheap but I think it's worth it particularly if you have high end A mount lenses. 

Sorry to witter on but maybe I've helped a little

Martyn

[jefwarre0]

Thanks Shakey Bluesman, for responding with a very honest view. I love using my A99ii, it does everything I need it t do. I just worry that if Sony do decide to drop the a mount body’s and my a99ii gets damaged or just wears out and I cannot get a replacement body, then I will be stuck or even finished.


Sent from my iPad

[jefwarre0]

Thanks for the advice.

Jeff.

Sent from my iPad

[ShakeyBluesman]

Hi Jeff,

I doubt Sony will disgard the A mount cameras and lenses just yet. They are still selling a99ii, a99, a68, as far as I'm aware and are still producing many A mount lenses. But even if they did stop there will be plenty of spares for years to come. 

Sony bought Minolta out March 2006 but there are great camera/lens repair shops out there who will still repair stuff. Recently the shutter release on my 22 year old  Minolta alfa 9 needed replacing and I had no problem getting it sorted. Cost me a little over £130 and worth every penny. I'll use it this winter for some wildlife photography.

Regarding the a99ii  I used mine a few weeks ago to shoot our local balloon festival with my 70-400 GSM2. Such a great combination giving great results.

So don't worry about your a99ii. You'll be using it for decades yet!

[jefwarre0]

Thanks for your reply it’s really helpful.

Sent from my iPad

[madge115]

hi jeff had  same thoughts as you about    yhe a  mount   the problem i had was the lenses iwanted the new 200-600 sony lens for my a9911  but it was a no  go for the a mount  as far as i am conccerned the a9911 is great bit of kit  but i am not sure sony are going to keep up with the lenses  i have now bought the a9  and the 200 -600 glens and it is  afantastic   combo  i do hope  sony will produce somelonger  reach lenses for a mount  otherwise it is third party lenses    good luck stick with sony  great cameras     madge 115

[jefwarre0]

Thanks, I just love the a99 mk2, it does everything and more that I want a camera to do.
I just don’t want to be left stranded with a camera that I cannot replace or get an updated a mount.

Sent from my iPad

[sidowse]

It is my theory that A-mount cameras, and particularly the APS-C A-mount cameras, are merely in a coma because the profit margins are less. All the E-mount camera-bodies are built ultra cheaply. (Hopefully this is to recoup R&D money only and the value will improve in the future, but it might not be). The E-mount having a larger user-base and being much cheaper to manufacture means that the A-mount was always going to take a back seat....on the bus leaving 3+ years later. The A6000 series are too cheap and tacky with regard to build (not the price) for my liking and are almost an oxymoron. If you are going to endure the extra cost and bulk of an interchangeable lens-system, what is the point of having a camera that is deliberately crippled. Even the A6600 is no successor to the A77ii. It may be better in lots of areas merely by virtue of being newer, but it lacks the fast shutter speed (1/8000), a flash, a fully articulating-screen, dedicated switches and dials etc that all together add mega-bucks to the cost of a camera with respect to accrued profit from their sale. For me, there is no point in the Sony A6600. You might as well go fullframe and get the A7iii, or an older 'R' model, but here again, there isn't really what you'd call a successor to the A99II and this is why I believe that the High-end A-mount cameras are still alive but have been back-seated to increase profits. Sensor and general camera-technology does not improve linearly year on year. There are hiatuses and then sudden leaps forward. I think that the new A-mount cameras will be made available when sensor-technology improvements slow down. I hope for an A77iii replacement this year or I'm going to jump ship for a fuji X-T4, BUT! I will keep my Sony A-mount lenses.