[Winder]

I just looked at those iso1600 and iso3200 pictures and they are awefull! I don't want this sensor, when this is the real output that the sensor is producing!

Sony has the worst JPEG engine of any of the manufacturers. Sony JPEGs are not a goof indication of how this sensor will perform for Nikon or Pentax. Not to mention this is a pre-production camera. It is way to early to judge what this sensor can do.

[northcoastgreg]

I think the point of this camera must be to boost SD card sales.

I have to agree. Sony is really struggling to break through the Canikon stranglehold on the market, and have decided to try their hand at reigniting the silly MP wars. Hopefully, consumers will have enough sense to avoid to fall for the "bigger is always better" lunacy.

Rumor is that Nikon will release D800 with the same sensor and probably Pentax by Feb-Mar.

Can Nikon and Pentax really be this foolish? Hopefully not. If Nikon uses this sensor in the upgrade to the D300s, I suspect it will only serve to increase sales of the D7000, particularly among professionals who use APS-C cameras. What professional wants to spend extra time waiting for his files to load up in Lightroom or Aperture? There's a point of diminishing returns to packing more pixels into a sensor, and by 24 MP, that point has probably long been passed. Meanwhile, there's some very real disadvantages to files this size (other than ISO issues noted above), such as increased PP times, increased file transfer times, and higher storage demands.

[tuco]

What professional wants to spend extra time waiting for his files to load up in Lightroom or Aperture?

I'd think those "pros" would do what everyone else does that has a 24MP and more camera from Sony, Nikon, Canon, Hasselblad, Pentax, Phase One, Mamiya and Leica. They would have a computer with enough horsepower and memory.

[Edvinas]

Hmm, I bought *ist back in 2006 and was upgrading to every new Pentax flagship DSLR after that. If new Pentax DSLR will be just K-5 with this new sensor, I think this will be the first time when I will skip the update... K-5 resolution is more than enough, noise control and DR are excellent... and I already struggling with huge K-5 RAW files (don't want to buy new SD cards and new computer). 24Mpix upgrade is not for me.

[RonHendriks1966]

Well updating my computer is an ongoing process. Lucky us, it does get cheaper. Running a 4core, but going to a six-core processor. Using 32 GB PRO UHS-I cards. Still some discspace leftover, but never enough. So that's not the thing to spoil a new camerapurchase on.

If it only is better then the last one.

[ManuH]

They would have a computer with enough horsepower and memory.

I'm using a quad core i7 3.4Ghz running @4.5Ghz and I still find LR not fast enough. 24MP is not going to help. It will need 50% more horsepower. Like I said elsewhere if ISO/DR is equal or better to the 16MP sensor, it's OK, if not, I have not much interest to slow down my workflow for no practical gain.

[Jan-61]

At first glance, I thougt this was a kind of joke, as the shown A77 really looks like a K200D or even more a K20D !

Anyway, I agree that 24MP @ APS-C really does not make a lot of sense. For FF it could be another story.


Jan.

[tuco]

I'm using a quad core i7 3.4Ghz running @4.5Ghz and I still find LR not fast enough. 24MP is not going to help. It will need 50% more horsepower. Like I said elsewhere if ISO/DR is equal or better to the 16MP sensor, it's OK, if not, I have not much interest to slow down my workflow for no practical gain.

That's odd. I have similar specs and edit larger files than 24MP in LR just fine. Granted, LR is a memory hog and after a lot of edits needs to sometimes be restarted. But I'll export from LR to CS5 and have them both open editing the file.

[ManuH]

That's odd. I have similar specs and edit larger files than 24MP in LR just fine.

That depends on your own tolerance to responsiveness There's always a delay when you try to see a picture at 100% for the first time. It's workable but it could be much faster. But it's not as bad as the netbook (AMD C-50) I was using while on vacation

[Winder]

Solid State Drives......... Made the most difference of any upgrade I have made.

I'm not sure I understand the complaint about 24MP being too much. There are a whole bunch of Canon 5DII, A900, A850, Nikon D3x, P-1 Digi-backs, & 645D users dealing with 20+ MP every day. By this time next year 20+ MP will be the norm for APS-C and I expect FF to be over 32MP.

Until I see some real tests done in RAW and processed in LR I wont be able to have an informed opinion on the new sensor, but I expect Sony has done a very good job with the new chip. They have a lot riding on its performance.

If the Sony sensor does fail to impress then it will open the door for the Samsung 18MP sensor which might be a better stepping stone for the next Pentax body,

[Digitalis]

strange that it runs on the same battery as A700. One would think that in 4 years time there should be some development in the battery bussiness.

I would have thought there would have been some improvement too, but it seems that creeping featurism got ahead of sony in this case. I wonder how much those batteries cost.

[ewalk]

I was/am tempted by the NEX-7 and the CZ 24mm combo, but I might just buy a K-5 and some FA/DA Limiteds instead.

The initial high-ISO for the A77 looks *horrible.*

[jogiba]

I'd think those "pros" would do what everyone else does that has a 24MP and more camera from Sony, Nikon, Canon, Hasselblad, Pentax, Phase One, Mamiya and Leica. They would have a computer with enough horsepower and memory.

I have a 6 core PC and Coolermaster HAF X 942 case with USB 3.0 ports on the front panel that I plug in my USB 3.0 Pretec card reader with Sandisk Extreme Pro 16 GB SDHC UHS-I Memory Card . It uploads twice as fast as my 16GB Extreme 30mb/sec SDHC memory card.

[adpo]

if theres a new camera that can push down the prices of the k-5 further, i'll be a happy man. as it is right now, i'm getting by with my little k-x and doing all my PP on a little amd based netbook without much of a hiccup. The extra megapixels would be nice to give some extra detail and a bit more versatility in cropping, but i doubt i need double the megapixels i have now.

as for the a77, it seems very impressive and competitively priced along with the new 16-50. It does it's intended job well and hits pretty much everything its target market wants. I think its creation was a brilliant strategy from sony in targeting the prosumer market who may not need insane ISOs, but has enough mouth-watering numbers (12fps, 1080 60p recording, 24mp, etc) to make it a serious contender in the wealthy amateur market.

[pentaximus]

I hope Pentax won't abandon the prism. I hate to look at EVF.

Amen to this. EVF has a long way to go in my book.