Where Sony is going, I am not to sure they want to go to far into the Pro level, I have become more and more concerned as of late. I hope they don't !!

I don't want to see features that have garnished the P&S cameras but if they can get the iso performance as good (better) as on the WX1 that would be a game changer, I think the race has moved from high MP to high iso on that alone they are way behind at the pro level camera.

we shall see..

Still love the A850 but could it be the last of an attempt to breech the pro market?

See YA
Kevin

.........that's somewhere off in the future I think. All depends on demand. Right now Sony has its sights set on a full lineup and establishing more marketshare/presence in the market.

I think we will see two distinct types of cameras, entry and enthusiast... of all levels of both.

I think the list above is a good cherry picking list for the new A7xx, none of that is impossible/improbable (from my view) to add into another higher level camera.

C

Hello

I'm holding out for this body and think that with these features we could have a really special camera on our hands. Sony are you listening? Please put us out of our misery.

Just curious what you see an in camera .gif feature to be useful for. Might be a really stupid question but I don't think I've used a .gif file in years, I've been wracking my brains and can't think of anything.

Matt

I want an a7xx that is basically the current a700 w/ improved noise and JPG performance, and improved AF. That's it basically. The a700 is almost perfect otherwise.

Yes, it will be nice to have some of the features you mentioned added, but this is a must:

"Eyepiece Shutter built in -added"

Amen!

for internet demonstrations of any kind. A video without the sound, and without the huge file size.

I think it would be nice to have something like that in a camera, so why not recommend it... I say :).

Carl

I say leave the video off. It messes up the optical viewfinder. The one on the a550 is like looking through a black hole and it only has live view. I hope the viewfinder is more like the 850/900...big and bright. You got it right on the better ISO/noise and auto focus. Just improve the basics and I will be happy.

Sorry I find that statement a big exaggerative honestly.

The A500/550 have the same size viewfinder as other DSLRS in its class (and much larger than Oly DSLRS about the same price range), such as the Canon T1i, Pentax, Nikon...

So unless you are shooting full frame or high end APS-C, the viewfinder is at least average to the market class.

And if video runs off the main sensor, *which it undoubtedly would....* that will have no affect on the OVF at all, so I don't understand that statement either. *Even live view on the Sony's doesn't shoot images from the small sensor, that's just for viewing purposes in one of the two live view modes.*

But I agree, the larger the OVF, the better. Its why I bought the A900 in the first place.

Carl

* edited 12-18 10:35 am

I tried one at a store the other night because I wanted to check out the live view. I would like to use live view but it still has some issues that Maybe will be fixed as the technology improves. I didn't mean to sound negative. I guess I am used to the higher end cameras. I just thought that if I was using this camera I would have to use the live view because the viewfinder seemed small and dark to me. This live view is better but I still had some problems with the blackout and the freezing as I was trying to follow a child and shoot at a fast rate. Maybe I didn't try it long enough to fully see what it can do. I had been trying the new competitors model that has live view and the movie mode and it has a decent viewfinder also. I wasn't impressed with the live view on it either. This one (a550) just seemed small to me but like you said, it's probably because I'm used to the higher end cameras. I read somewhere( which could be wrong) that in order to get the new live view to work with the 2 separate chips that they had to make the viewfinder smaller to make room for it. It appeared that this was correct in my opinion. Anyway the only reason I said this was I hope that if they add live view and video (which I'm sure it's probably coming) to the 7xx and above models in the future, I hope they keep the viewfinders big and bright for those of us that don't use those things. Of course if the right camera comes out I may be using it too. The reason I'm a fan of Sony is the Viewfinder and the anti-shake being in the camera instead of the lens. I would just like to see a great camera like they have with the 700, 850 and 900 models continue to be improved in the basic areas and not be overloaded with "extras". I like a simple camera that the photographer can use everyday without being so complicated that you have to have a built in Help menu. Improve the noise, ISO speed, FPS, OVF, MLU, shutter speed etc. Also focus on a wider range of lenses with good prices. Again, I did not mean to sound negative. The 550 will be a great camera for the right user. Sony makes great products and they have the means to leave the competition behind if they want to. Maybe that will start happening in 2010. I'm looking forward to the next "pro" model (or semi-pro). Paul

No need to boost resolution... I think 12mp is still the sweet spot for APS-C sensors. Improve the high ISO performance some (without a hit to image quality) and I'll be happy.

Other stuff:
- LCD panel on top of the camera so I can shut off the main LCD and conserve battery
- MFCLV and Intelligent Preview modes
- Micro focus adjustment

Put those features in a camera that costs less than $1,500 and I'd own one for sure.

"I guess I am used to the higher end cameras."

That makes much more sense now, thanks for clearing that up. Be as negative as you want, I'm not suggesting otherwise, just wasn't understanding.

Carl

Just give me a bit improved A700 with less noise, faster and smarter AF + usable high-ISO modes. You can keep LV and video, I don't need them.

Carl. I like everything on your list and it all seems very achievable. One thing I would like to see is better routing with the memory cards. When shooting Raw + Jpeg have Raw go to one card and Jpeg to the other. Also have the camera automatically switch between cards after one fills up. Also when shooting Raw + Jpeg why not also have Raw + Xfine Jpeg?

Eric-

I would like to see a button that you could push to add grid lines on the viewfinder instead of changing screens. One for the rule of thirds lines. I would like to see another one that would show you how an 8X10 etc. would crop. I do portraits and I think that would be handy sometimes.
Another thing that a previous camera had (Fuji S5) would also be handy for portraits. After you take a shot and are reviewing it, the camera automatically detects the faces in the photo and it zooms in so you can check expressions, closed eyes etc. It would be quicker than using the zoom and pan buttons. I think these would make the Sony cameras even better for portraits. What do you think?
By the way, Your list is great! This would be a perfect camera! As long as the viewfinder is bright, I can live with the live view & video.

Such a camera would work as an upgrade to my A100. I don't need high Megapixels or video. What I want is something that is well build and can handle high ISO nicely. Also, the price should hover around the $1000-1200 price. Lets see what transpires.

Yeah, (almost) everything everybody else has already said! Mostly just a "better" camera.

Carl, I wish to add to your list an in camera GPS unit that can easily link my photos to Google Earth.

But if Sony could do it, they would sell a lot of cameras.

I wish they would make a camera that would embed a code into the metadata that would not allow right clicking (copying) on the photos when you post them on a website. This may not even be possible but it would be a nice feature. They are putting the copyright feature on cameras now so why not?

I was thinking about making a facebook page for my business but there is no way to disable the copy feature on the website. I was thinking "I sure wish my photos had some kind of embedded code in them to prevent copying". There are a lot of websites that don't give you that option and it would be great to have. Could this even be a possibility? Could it stay attached like the metadata does? Is that just a thing you could do on a website or could it be put into a photo?

Anyway, its just a thought:)

EDIT: Maybe it wasn't a good idea since nobody has replied.:(

http://sonyalpharumors.com/sr4-sony-a7xx-to-come-by-end-2010-9/

"I wish they would make a camera that would embed a code into the metadata that would not allow right clicking (copying) on the photos when you post them on a website. This may not even be possible but it would be a nice feature. They are putting the copyright feature on cameras now so why not?"

Not possible with Jpegs.

It is up to the site they are posted on and even then there is a workaround saving the page.

Jpeg is an open standard and cannot be restricted by one manufacturer.