Sony-a99-release-september-12th-224x119It's now being reported that Sony will be announcing a new full-frame DSLR (they call it an SLT since the mirror is translucent) on September 12th called the A99. The last big announcement from Sony, the A77, introduced a lot of new features but didn't quite take hold in the world of independent filmmakers. Rumored specs seem to indicate Sony is pulling out all of the stops on this one, but the real question is, will this be the best full-frame DSLR for video?

Here are some of the key specs that have been reported so far from Sony Alpha Rumors and Photo Rumors:

  • 24.3MP full frame CMOS Exmor sensor
  • Translucent mirror technology
  • ISO range: 100-25,600 (ISO-low 50 is also available)
  • 10fps and Shutter life of 200,000 shots
  • 2360k dots XGA OLED viewfinder
  • 3" tiltable 921k dots LCD screen
  • Full HD video recording at 1920x1080/60p
  • HDMI output [Ed. Note. - Clean?]
  • New multi-segment low pass filter
  • Selective noise reduction
  • Two memory slots: SD and SD+MS cards
  • Very light, weather sealed magnesium alloy body
  • Weight: 730 g.
  • Announcement September 12 -- Available in stores in late October
  • Price: around $2,800

If these turn out to be true, this is truly a next generation DSLR rather than just an evolutionary step. While mirrorless will likely be the dominant camera type in the not-too-distant future, this hybrid technology from Sony is the best of both worlds because it allows native mounting with Sony's Alpha lenses as well as phase detection autofocus during video recording. While the Alpha lenses might be less popular than Nikon and Canon, they are still comparable. The only problem is that if you haven't bought into the Sony system before, you've got to invest a lot of money in new lenses since almost nothing is compatible (except for Leica R and M42). So while Leica R is truly the Swiss Army Knife of lenses, they will not be the cheapest solution.

Either way, if the HDMI is clean as the specs seem to indicate, and Sony has developed a different low-pass filter for video consideration, then this could be the first real full-frame camera that doesn't throw away its resolution but also avoids aliasing and moire. If Nikon and Canon don't have a counter and the video on this camera is as good as some think it will be, you could potentially see a lot of users jump ship to Sony to take advantage of a clean picture and that "magical" full-frame look.

We'll find out soon enough whether this will be ultimate full-frame camera, but it will be interesting to see what Canon and Nikon will develop in response (especially since Nikon uses many Sony sensors in their cameras).

If you aren't a Sony Alpha user already, would any of you move over to Sony if this camera had good resolution and clean HDMI?

Links:

[via The Verge]

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Cinematography & Cameras