Sony to launch high-speed, silent mirrorless camera

Won't be surprised if it is not bilingual like most other sony camera models for

this shrinking domestic market and one wonders why these once powerful electronic

J companies are struggling. Sony in particular isn't bothered to make their camera bilingual

to sell to the world market.

@zichi - Most Sony cameras I have played with in stores that are sold in Japan don't have a multilingual menu option. It is the main reason that has kept me from buying one.

Many mirrorless cameras can be put into "electric shutter" mode but from what I have read (and experienced with my Fujifilm), this new Sony doesn't suffer from the typical shutter lag experienced in other mirrorless offerings when using the silent mode.

I have also read that this is being heralded as a sports or wildlife shooter's camera but for many pro's the cost to switch systems from a Canon or Nikon system is estimated to be very expensive.

As for lugging around gear, the bodies on most pro-grade mirrorless cameras are getting larger every year and so too are the lenses. In the beginning the smaller size was a selling point but that is a non-factor now. I'm originally a Nikon shooter and my 70-200 f2.8 is basically the same size as the Fujifilm equivalent that I am considering buying.

All smoke and mirrors! Nobody in their right mind will cough up close to 5 grand for a Sony camera body! No professional will shift from either Nikon or Canon, I dont care how "silent" the Sony is, they are bound to bite the dust.

@jazz350 - Sony has had phenomenal success in the mirrorless market in the past few years. The internet is strewn with testimonials of pros jumping ship to Sony or other mirrorless brands. This particular model may not be the DSLR killer many believe it to be, but that day is coming soon and this is just the first step. The iterations to follow will only improve. I personally know photographers that would make the switch to mirrorless if the shutter lag is eliminated. This seems to be the direction Sony is moving with this new body.

With the rapid advances by Sony and Fujifilm in the mirrorless market, the day is coming when Nikon and Canon had better put out high end mirrorless systems or their share of the pro camera market is doomed.

The silent mode is but one appealing factor of these cameras. The biggest draw for me is the electronic view finder that is pretty much WYSIWYG and allows me to make in camera corrections to exposure and f-stops quickly. I can slow down and push fewer frames knowing that I got it right the first time. It makes my landscape shooting life a lot easier.

Sony bought Konica Minolta and got into the camera game. A lot of people use Sony... I seriously doubt they'll bite the dust anytime soon. I'm not going to change from Canon because of my lenses... but I'd definitely consider Sony if I was starting out.

I first used an Olympus OM-10 film camera and ended up migrating to the Canon EOS for many years as it was a great system, easy to use and as good as Nikon without the snobbery. In recent years though I am really drawn to the Olympus mirrorless series - fantastic design, compact and beautifully made. To replace my aging EOS 50D which is too big in this day and age, it would be a toss up between the Olympus or the latest Alpha series by Sony which seem to have an edge for processing power and very fast auto focus. Decisions decisions...

By the way, unbelievable as it seems, Sony models bought in Japan, even the top end Alpha ones do not generally have an English menu. In fact they appear to have only Japanese. You have to request the "international model" which is available at larger Bic Camera / Yodobashi etc. They appear to be identical except the multi language menu including English is unblocked. It seems Sony is the only major manufacturer to do this. I have absolutely no idea why but have first hand experience when I bought an RX-100 pro compact by Sony for when I do not want to lug around my Canon SLR. The man at the store (Bic Camera in Yurakucho) seeing I was not Japanese suggested I buy the international one as the models on display had no English. The price is the same in Bic Camera. But certain models may be pricier outside Japan so perhaps Sony want to control prices / sales between markets.