Finally I have solid confirmation about the first Sony Alpha announcement of the year! Two trusted sources confirmed we are getting new gear soon. One of the sources told me it’s going to happened in mid February. Usually Sony does announce gear on a Wednesday, if they keep this pattern than it’s likely we are having a new announcement on February 14th.
What to expect? Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G: One of the sources confirmed that we are getting the Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G. That’s the only product where I have 100% confirmation.
What might be announced too: Sony A1 and A7sIII firmware update too (still to be confirmed) Sony 16-25mm f/2.8 G: I do believe it’s likely we might get a new 16-25mm f/2.8 G too. The reason for that is that a youtuber did “leak” this info by mistake for a very short time:
So unless he truly made a “Mistake” or wanted to “fool” us than I do believe this lens is coming too.
What’s unlikely to be announced: Sony ZV-E10II: I am sure it will be on market in Spring time but I got no evidence as of yet it will be announced in mid-February Sony A7sIV: I got no evidence on this camera and moreover Sony did not register any new Alpha camera model in China. While this is not a 100% accurate pattern…usually Sony China does register new cameras 2-3 months ahead of their announcement. Sony 85mm f/1.4 GMII: I got confirmation this lens will be in Stock by early summer. But no info as of yet when the actual announcement will happen.
CRAZY RUMOR: Early January a new source told me Sony would announce two new f/2.8 G zooms soon and that there would be some CRAZY WOW gear after that. So even if you don’t care about those G zooms you have to keep your fingers crossed these are coming for real in mid February. If that is going to happen expect me to share some exciting rumors soon after ;)
CRAZY DEAL: There is a new $400 discount on the Sony 2TB card sold at Amazon US, BHphoto and Adorama!!!
So stay tuned and subscribe my newsletter and my other social channels:
You can see the new rebates on those pages at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama. All of these rebates do repeat discounts we had during the holiday season. So there is no special new deal yet.
Soon we will get our new massive Sony A1 firmware update. And I thank Sony for listening our requests to bring on new features through consistent fw updates. But here comes my second request. In the exact three years since the launch Sony did not ONCE offer any cashback or discount on the Sony A1. This despite similar cameras like the Nikon Z9 being priced at $1,000 less.
I think it would be great for Sony to cut the price by $1,000 when they launch the major A1 firmware. That way we can also create some buffer between the A1 and future A1II…unless Sony plans to price it at $7,500!
The camera is tuned for speed, both in terms of performance and capture rate, with 120fps Raw drive and an autofocus system that’s a little more advanced than that from Canon or Nikon. That said, picture quality lags behind contemporaries, and you pay a premium for the cutting-edge tech. High-level sports and action photographers understand that nabbing a moment perfectly is more important than some grain in an image, so nothing quite matches the a9 III on the market for those needs. But if you don’t mind a slightly slower capture rate or intend to roll a lot of video, the Editors’ Choice-winning Canon EOS R3 and Nikon Z 8 are both top-notch alternatives.
