(UPDATED from SR2 to SR0) Huge surprise coming soon? 36 Mpx SLT this week according to Kirk Tuck.

Will the Nikon D800 topseller camera get a competition from Sony?

Now, I have to be sincere. I wouldn’t have posted this rumor if it wouldn’t come from a person I do respect a lot….from Kirk Tuck! Today he posted on DP forum the following message: “I spoke with two people today who sell Sony products. Both commented that there would be an announcement this coming week to introduce the Sony a99 (yes, that’s the official model designation). They added that it will definitely be a 36 megapixel sensor. ISO 100-4000, 12 FPS in raw. Definitely SLT design, no OVF. And coming quicker than we thought. I have reserved one with my local Sony dealer sight unseen. Not sure by we could see them shipping in Sept. I feel pretty confident in the sources. This will be fun. $2799 US. At least that’s what they think.”

Now before to get too much exited let’s start from the rumors I got via my sources. As I always told you Sony developed two FF SLT cameras, one with 24 Mpx and one with 36 Mpx sensor. Now, until now I heard that one camera would arrive at Photokina and another one in 2013. And the original Sony plan was to release the 24 Mpx first.

After reading Kirk’s message we can think at two possibilities:
1) I am sure Kirk is telling us the truth when reporting his rumor but it simply happens that sometimes rumors are wrong :)
2) Seeing the Nikon D800 huge sales success Sony quickly decided to anticipate the 36 MPX SLT announcement. It’s unlikely but sometimes miracles do happen.

For now I will rank this rumor with a low SR2 value only. But the best part of this rumor is that Kirk said the camera should be announced this week. So it will not be long until we find out if the rumor is correct or not. A Sony announcement is scheduled for this Thursday!

I hope other sources can just send me a short message to comment Kirk’s post. Thanks!

Some personal thoughts: The Nikon D800 uses a 36MPx Sony sensor and cost around $2999 at Amazon (Click here). An SLT camera with fast fps, better video, better AF for $200 would be a total killer (even if some here would miss the OVF). That 36Mpx may become the hotseller of the moment like the Sony RX100. It sill rules the ABSOLUTE camera sales ranking at Amazon US (Click here). But….that ISO 4.000 sounds a bit strange…

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Reminder (SR = Sonyrumor):
SR1=probably fake rumor
SR2=rumor from unknown sources
SR3=50% chance it is correct
SR4=rumor from known sources
SR5=almost certainly correct!