Sony Alpha line

[gphoto]

Does anyone know anything about the "pro" model of the Sony Alpha that is supposedly going to be released? If so, what will it be like? I have an Alpha already, but it would be nice to see Sony invest more in the line before buying any really expensive glass.

[superted666]

Nothing Concrete is known yet however the rumour mill is busy pumping out ideas like Full frame etc.

One model has been promised for towards the end of the year and the other was slated for 08.

I am in the same boat as you as i wish to buy the 70-200 SSM as ive heard some awsome hands on testing reviews but i need more than the a100 can give me (more than a low end DSLR can give me to be fair).

I setup a forum for all alpha users to discuss things like this if you wanted to take a look www.shootalpha.com

Also a direct link (http://www.shootalpha.com/sa/page7/files/8d55dcf1078e771a7d3844b0ef3e5ea8-20.html) to some pics of the new models.

[epicwelshman]

I'm sorry to say it, but those new models are pretty ugly. The current Alpha model isn't too bad, but I'm not a fan of the new ones. Also, those grips look really big!

[superted666]

Yea i agree with you,

They were only wooden moulds though, the finished product is meant to look more refined...

Link (http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/17/more-pics-of-sonys-new-alpha-dslrs-surface/)

There is a good quality supposed release photo from sony where they do look better but i cannot for the life of me find the link!

[gphoto]

Thanks for the links. Do you know what lens is on the camera? It looks like a pro lens of some sort, but I have not ever seen it before.

[epicwelshman]

Yea i agree with you,

They were only wooden moulds though, the finished product is meant to look more refined...

Link (http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/17/more-pics-of-sonys-new-alpha-dslrs-surface/)

There is a good quality supposed release photo from sony where they do look better but i cannot for the life of me find the link!

Oh those look much better. I'm still not feeling the triangular flash bracket on the pro model, but all in all they're a lot nicer than the wooden mock-ups.

[superted666]

Dont quote me on this but the first is a Zeiss 135 and the second is the 35mm f1.4 i think.

[gphoto]

How do the top-of-the-line Sony lenses compare with the Canon and Nikon pro lenses? What sort of quality does the 70-200mm have compared to the 70-200mm f2.8L lens by canon?

[superted666]

Very well actually,

The sony glass is essentially still minolta design and they have some brilliant lenses. The 70-200 in particular leads the class according to some reviews ive seen (im sure there are reviews to the contrary dont flame me) it is a very very good performer.

The only let down of the current sony pro lenses is they are very low numbers of production as they havent released there first pro cameras yet so because of this the lens prices are very high for the time being compared to say the cannon version.

Ed

[Plymouthbreezer]

Not that I'm in the market for a Sony DSLR, but anyone know the [speculated] prices on these new models?