Did Sony make other brands obsolete in the compact series….
I always love to see new gear and am always interesting to see what happens with the big and smaller brand.
Some info on the new Fuji :
So the sensor is made by Sony (which is becoming almost normal) and you can an impressive 20 frames per second, add 4 more and you can film in an insane resolution 😀
It does however raise a question for me.
And don’t get me wrong, I LOVE(d) Fuji.
But with Sony having the amazing A7(r) cameras that have higher resolutions, are Full frame and fit almost every lens ever made is there still room for cameras like Fuji or for example Olympus.
I always used my XE-Pro2 with loads of fun and loved the way the camera operated but when I switched to the A7 series I honestly never looked back.
One of the big things for me with the Fuji was the form factor and the fact you can set the aperture via an aperture ring, but this “feeling” I also have when I mount for example my Leica R glass on the Sony (although I of course don’t have AF then).
I wonder what your thoughts are on this.
Did Sony bring out cameras that make the competition obsolete, or is there always room for more….
Of course there is always a huge user group that use the cameras and will keep with their brands, but seeing that R&D is incredibly expensive and Sony is probably taking a lot of the first time buyers with their new technologies I do wonder how the market is looking in a few years.
And don’t get me wrong I think competition is great because it keeps a company on the edge of their toes, but recently Sony has been making almost all the sensors for new cameras so they are getting very big in the market and with a great own line of compact cameras I do wonder…. so would love to hear your opinions.
I think there will always be room for more. They differentiate with features (smaller sensors can be better stabilized than larger and heavier), style, handling but there also isn’t a “one size fits” all thing. While full frame (or here in Germany we call it small frame) is for some situations an advantage it’s for others a disadvantage. The same way not everyone is using a medium format or large format camera. For people where size matters smaller sensors have their own advantage – especially for street photography and some other genres. Larger sensors result also in larger and heavier lenses … one of the reasons Sony made almost only f4 lenses for their system to keep them at least a bit smaller.
Fuji has it’s very own look through the x-trans sensor and the x-pro is probably the only affordable digital rangefinder camera for many people.
Panasonic is very popular for video where the m43 Sensor has also many advantages over fullframe. An area where it’s for many helpful to have a slightly larger depth of field while recording wide open.
The same for drones where the m43 sensor is a pretty good compromise between size and quality.
Olympus has fantastic lenses and the best image stabilization on the market (which is to some degree only possible because the m43 sensor isn’t that heavy and large) combined with innovative features and an update policy that makes many customer happy. Their system just makes a lot of fun, especially when you prefer to shoot with prime lenses.
And then there is Ricoh which might be an underdog but their Ricoh GR is still a wonderful pocket-able camera with an APS-C sensor.
Cameras are still just tools and there isn’t the one thing that does everything the best. Each system has it’s pro’s and con’s and depending on our needs we will pick the best option for it. I think we are in a time where we’ve more specialized tools – not like the past where two brands tried to cover everything with one camera system.
I think many people are even less loyal to one brand these days which is a good thing … they use multiple systems at the same time.
Good post Leif
Thank you.
I’m very happy we’ve such a diversity now. I think some systems probably won’t have the potential to be the market leader, but if they concentrate and do well in their own niche they don’t have to. It’s wonderful to have them and they help to innovate and push the others. I think Sony and Olympus are a good example of how two brands can work together without having a direct competition. Since Sony helped them financially they’ve shared quite a bit of knowledge and technology.
The situation couldn’t be better for us.
If I could have one wish it would be an open mount standard for full-frame and aps-c, like Panasonic and Olympus did for micro four thirds. Canon and Nikon had never an interested in doing it, but with the big success of Sigma (Art) & Zeiss lenses during the last months they could probably do it.
I don’t know what to think indeed. Maybe I am just a different kind of guy as many of you are. Because to be totally honnest I just don’t care about the brand.
I am a Nikon shooter because the day I made the decision to (re)start photography, the D40x there was a deal with 2 lenses. I used to shoot rolls with a Canon AE1 as a kid, I have other Nikons, a Sony Alpha99, a fuji XE1… I love them all. But at the end of the day, I really don’t care what camera I take as long it does the Job. And I always make a shot.
So, the eternal question is : What is my Job? Or in other words : what do I need.
I enjoy the technological improvements, but in the Studio, I shoot the same way my models with my trusty D80 as with my Sony or Df. In fact, I don’t think you could tell what Pictures were made with what camera. So for 90% of my use, I am fine with any of them.
And the other 10% ?
I love new cameras because they, step by step, push up the Limits. Pushing the Limits is the Thing I am Faithfull, not the Name of the camera. I just pick up the Features, check the price and pay. And I notice the brand back home. This is more or less my opinion.
Do I have a sony in my Nikon ? Or not? All I want is a good camera which fits my Needs.
Marc Eliot