Remember when Sony cameras were exciting? Not just 'good cameras', but surrounded by the kind of buzz that almost seemed to be sawing through the collapsing reputations of Canon and Nikon.
Not long ago it really did feel a bit like that. So much so that I abandoned my collection of Canon gear via the murky process of second-hand selling and switched to Sony. Now… well, I'm not saying that I've been drawn away from my Sony but I really miss riding the wave of an aggressive entrant to the market (and others have already looked elsewhere).
Now, sure, you might reasonably point out that Sony has long made cameras, but I specifically mean the Alpha mirrorless cameras that catapulted it to the top of the camera tech tree. That only started in 2013 with the original Sony A7 – the very full-frame camera that made me ditch Canon in the first place.
At the time I was shooting on an EOS 7D, bought because the 5D Mark II I really wanted was well out of my financial reach and I'd outgrown my 350D (or 'Digital Rebel' as others might know it). I was on a Canon trajectory, with lenses, lights and other accessories, too – and I was getting work creating video content, so Canon's embracing of HD video had kept me for a bit… but I knew I wanted full-frame.
Sony catered to that, and then to my 4K desires, soon after with the A7 III. You might say that Sony had learned how to enter a market from the success of the PlayStation. There, when Sony arrived, Sega and Nintendo dominated, but successive PlayStations also brought desirable media features (DVD, then Blu-ray) to stay ahead of the competition.
Now, though, is Sony as exciting any more? Despite its Q2 financial report noting a ¥129.3 billion (around $834.9 million / £660.1 million / AU$1.29 billion) sales increase, Sony described this sector as "essentially flat" in the investor call (the income increase was connected to exchange rates).
The company said that it will adopt a "more cautious production and inventory plan." (Sony's imaging division did grow significantly year-on-year in Q1).
Okay, production and inventory aren't the same as product – and the stock levels of other brands have been "cautious" to the point of some cameras being downright unavailable – so perhaps there is no need to worry. But no one likes to hear about caution from Sony – especially if, like me, you're an A7 III owner.
Why? Well, I tend to skip generations, and I haven't got any richer. So the next camera in that series, expected in early 2025 according to the latest camera rumors, might well be the next body for me.
Conversely, if Sony uses it to flag a lack of "caution" in its feature improvements, perhaps I'll be keen to find a company looking to innovate – a new underdog. Remember those rumors about a DJI camera? Now there is a company with some amazing tech (but it would likely be fighting the US government – and that's a significant underdog factor)…
If the best Sony cameras aren't lighting your fire right now, check out all the innovation going on with the best Canon cameras and the best Fujifilm cameras.
