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JPT · 03-25-2014, 07:56 AM

I have a feeling that MF will get more popular (or less niche) in the next few years. As FF becomes more of the norm in DSLRs, a certain type of pro will want to distinguish themselves in terms of the equipment they use, not just in terms of skill. So I'm not surprised that Sony would use their sensor in a high-end camera of some kind. There have also been rumours of Canon working on MF. But I think its more likely that Fujifilm will skip FF and introduce an MF system with an X-trans version of the Sony sensor. MF is in their heritage and they still make film MF cameras.

Emacs · 03-25-2014, 10:09 AM

Originally posted by JPT

an MF system with an X-trans version of the Sony sensor.

X-trans will not work for MF: it is the niche for people who know what they want and it will be too hard to feed this fuji BS about X-Trans as it was for niche of clueless amateurs.

jogiba · 03-25-2014, 10:42 AM

Originally posted by Nesster

Of course, Sony can reverse engineer or license an existing legacy MF mount and have backward compatibility to a large base of lenses that way

It would be great if it used adapters like the A7/A7r but for MF lenses like the 645 and 6x7 Pentax lenses.

AquaDome · 03-25-2014, 02:04 PM

So there's going to be a large-sensor P&S from Sony. Sounds neat. Maybe they could put a printer in it and it could spit out pictures like a Polaroid.
Far more interesting to me is the bind this puts "FF Advocates" into. Since 135 format waxed when 120 format waned, does this mean "full frame" digital is now dead before it got out of the water? Or is this MF not going to be good enough because its actually a "cropped" medium format at under half the real-estate of "medium format"? I seem to recall way more 110 (and smaller formats) cameras on the road from 1980 to 1995.

I don't have much ammo, but if you're the "It has to be FULL FRAME" guy, I'm shooting all of it at your feet.

**monochrome** · 03-25-2014, 02:53 PM

Originally posted by AquaDome

So there's going to be a large-sensor P&S from Sony. Sounds neat. Maybe they could put a printer in it and it could spit out pictures like a Polaroid.
Far more interesting to me is the bind this puts "FF Advocates" into. Since 135 format waxed when 120 format waned, does this mean "full frame" digital is now dead before it got out of the water? Or is this MF not going to be good enough because its actually a "cropped" medium format at under half the real-estate of "medium format"? I seem to recall way more 110 (and smaller formats) cameras on the road from 1980 to 1995.

I don't have much ammo, but if you're the "It has to be FULL FRAME" guy, I'm shooting all of it at your feet.

This is a basic market management tactic. If the big players fragment the market by slicing it into more formats the little guys can't get enough share in any one format to compete.

Sort of like Tide. How many diffeent sized boxes and fragrances and concentrations of liquid Tide are there?

So many that Surf can't even get another size on the grocery store shelf. - and that's all that matters.

Sony sure is acting like they think Ricoh is a threat long-term.

Kunzite · 03-25-2014, 03:02 PM

And so does Canon, who's planning to enter the surveillance camera business.

**monochrome** · 03-25-2014, 03:06 PM

Originally posted by Kunzite

And so does Canon, who's planning to enter the surveillance camera business.

That's a growth market.

jogiba · 03-25-2014, 03:36 PM

Originally posted by monochrome

That's a growth market.

And Sony knows that.
Sony | Product Catalog Security Systems

rawr · 03-25-2014, 05:30 PM

Originally posted by jogiba

And Sony knows that.

As does Ricoh/Pentax, of course:

Security - Security Systems - RICOH IMAGING UK LTD.
http://www.ricoh.com/fa_security/support/download/pdf/Security_en.pdf

jogiba · 03-25-2014, 05:50 PM

You Tube

reeftool · 03-25-2014, 07:13 PM

Why not? It seems they want to have a piece of everything in the photo market so it wouldn't surprise me at all. They are also the top dog in the sensor market so it's also conceivable that they are designing and building a MF sensor for someone else.

Clavius · 03-26-2014, 04:38 AM

Sony is actually quite outspoken of their desires to enter the high end market: Sony Korea slides unveils the plan to focus on the “High-End” market! | sonyalpharumors

Or is a Sony Medium Format not considered high-end, just because its Sony?

Kunzite · 03-26-2014, 05:52 AM

Yes, they were speaking about high end A and E mount cameras. They're already there, but they want to "focus" on it (i.e. there isn't much margin in entry levels sold at discount prices).
You're missing the point that DMF is too niche for Sony. I really don't see them in anything that's not a volume market... and I'm talking about consumer products here.

Clavius · 03-26-2014, 06:31 AM

Wasn't FF mirrorless a niche nobody was supposed to be interested in too? LOL!

**monochrome** · 03-26-2014, 06:33 AM

Taking advantage of Ricoh's recent period of delay while financially restructuring and then rebuilding Pentax's production processes? Is there roon for four dSLR makers? Is there room four three system makers and an adapter platform?

Just askin'

Then again, April/May is right around the corner. Then July/August. Then Photokina. Then October/November.

03-25-2014, 05:30 PM	#24
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Originally posted by jogiba And Sony knows that. As does Ricoh/Pentax, of course: Security - Security Systems - RICOH IMAGING UK LTD. http://www.ricoh.com/fa_security/support/download/pdf/Security_en.pdf Attached Images

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03-25-2014, 07:56 AM	#16
JPT Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Tokyo Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,821	I have a feeling that MF will get more popular (or less niche) in the next few years. As FF becomes more of the norm in DSLRs, a certain type of pro will want to distinguish themselves in terms of the equipment they use, not just in terms of skill. So I'm not surprised that Sony would use their sensor in a high-end camera of some kind. There have also been rumours of Canon working on MF. But I think its more likely that Fujifilm will skip FF and introduce an MF system with an X-trans version of the Sony sensor. MF is in their heritage and they still make film MF cameras.

03-25-2014, 10:09 AM	#17
Emacs Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Moscow Posts: 1,223	Originally posted by JPT an MF system with an X-trans version of the Sony sensor. X-trans will not work for MF: it is the niche for people who know what they want and it will be too hard to feed this fuji BS about X-Trans as it was for niche of clueless amateurs.

03-25-2014, 10:42 AM	#18
jogiba Banned Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Millstone,NJ Posts: 6,491 Original Poster	Originally posted by Nesster Of course, Sony can reverse engineer or license an existing legacy MF mount and have backward compatibility to a large base of lenses that way It would be great if it used adapters like the A7/A7r but for MF lenses like the 645 and 6x7 Pentax lenses.

03-25-2014, 02:04 PM	#19
AquaDome Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: New Carlisle, IN Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,475	So there's going to be a large-sensor P&S from Sony. Sounds neat. Maybe they could put a printer in it and it could spit out pictures like a Polaroid. Far more interesting to me is the bind this puts "FF Advocates" into. Since 135 format waxed when 120 format waned, does this mean "full frame" digital is now dead before it got out of the water? Or is this MF not going to be good enough because its actually a "cropped" medium format at under half the real-estate of "medium format"? I seem to recall way more 110 (and smaller formats) cameras on the road from 1980 to 1995. I don't have much ammo, but if you're the "It has to be FULL FRAME" guy, I'm shooting all of it at your feet.

03-25-2014, 02:53 PM	#20
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by AquaDome So there's going to be a large-sensor P&S from Sony. Sounds neat. Maybe they could put a printer in it and it could spit out pictures like a Polaroid. Far more interesting to me is the bind this puts "FF Advocates" into. Since 135 format waxed when 120 format waned, does this mean "full frame" digital is now dead before it got out of the water? Or is this MF not going to be good enough because its actually a "cropped" medium format at under half the real-estate of "medium format"? I seem to recall way more 110 (and smaller formats) cameras on the road from 1980 to 1995. I don't have much ammo, but if you're the "It has to be FULL FRAME" guy, I'm shooting all of it at your feet. This is a basic market management tactic. If the big players fragment the market by slicing it into more formats the little guys can't get enough share in any one format to compete. Sort of like Tide. How many diffeent sized boxes and fragrances and concentrations of liquid Tide are there? So many that Surf can't even get another size on the grocery store shelf. - and that's all that matters. Sony sure is acting like they think Ricoh is a threat long-term.

03-25-2014, 03:02 PM	#21
Kunzite Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Romania Posts: 15,132	And so does Canon, who's planning to enter the surveillance camera business.

03-25-2014, 03:06 PM	#22
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by Kunzite And so does Canon, who's planning to enter the surveillance camera business. That's a growth market.

03-25-2014, 03:36 PM	#23
jogiba Banned Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Millstone,NJ Posts: 6,491 Original Poster	Originally posted by monochrome That's a growth market. And Sony knows that. Sony \| Product Catalog Security Systems

03-25-2014, 07:13 PM	#26
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,555	Why not? It seems they want to have a piece of everything in the photo market so it wouldn't surprise me at all. They are also the top dog in the sensor market so it's also conceivable that they are designing and building a MF sensor for someone else.

03-26-2014, 04:38 AM	#27
Clavius Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: De Klundert Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,150	Sony is actually quite outspoken of their desires to enter the high end market: Sony Korea slides unveils the plan to focus on the “High-End” market! \| sonyalpharumors Or is a Sony Medium Format not considered high-end, just because its Sony?

03-26-2014, 05:52 AM	#28
Kunzite Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Romania Posts: 15,132	Yes, they were speaking about high end A and E mount cameras. They're already there, but they want to "focus" on it (i.e. there isn't much margin in entry levels sold at discount prices). You're missing the point that DMF is too niche for Sony. I really don't see them in anything that's not a volume market... and I'm talking about consumer products here.

03-26-2014, 06:31 AM	#29
Clavius Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: De Klundert Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,150	Wasn't FF mirrorless a niche nobody was supposed to be interested in too? LOL!

03-26-2014, 06:33 AM	#30
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Taking advantage of Ricoh's recent period of delay while financially restructuring and then rebuilding Pentax's production processes? Is there roon for four dSLR makers? Is there room four three system makers and an adapter platform? Just askin' Then again, April/May is right around the corner. Then July/August. Then Photokina. Then October/November.

Surprising rumor: First hints about a Sony medium format camera?

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