How will Sony strike back?

scorsesefan

scorsesefan

Veteran
With the flood of new cinema cameras hitting the market (pretty much all taking aim at the fx3) one has to wonder when and how Sony will strike back? My wish list for an fx3 successor will have: 6K, open gate, triple base ISO, some form of raw, 16+ stops of DR, possibly global shutter, a larger LCD, EVF, 32bit float, false color, improved color science and improved IBIS as well as 10 stops of VND. Christmas 2025 or early 2026 release. Pipe dream?...

Right now it feels like Sony is that dude in a bar brawl who's off to the side calmly watching everyone duke it out... But he's the guy nobody wants to f*ck with because everyone knows he can kick everyone else's ass and no one wants him to jump in...
 
The funny thing is how after 5 years competition is still trying match or beat it. And the FX3 is little more than a reskinned A7s3. Since they put out the Fx2 you’d think a FX3 mark 2 would be around the corner. But as long as sales are still strong there’s probably no incentive for Sony to improve it. Equally hard to guess is what they’d choose to improve.
 
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You have to envision the bigger picture...only competition for Japan is Australia and those cameras are pretty niche, so not much will change which means Sony won't strike back too hard (needs to keep friends happy).

Incremental improvements, some fun additions to keep sales going.

Only hope left for major industry changes is America's Apple and how it's expected phones will be really crazy soon, very soon (few years), which will result in the Japanese becoming more tech-aggressive.
 
NorBro said:
You have to envision the bigger picture...only competition for Japan is Australia and those cameras are pretty niche, so not much will change which means Sony won't strike back too hard (needs to keep friends happy).

Incremental improvements, some fun additions to keep sales going.

Only hope left for major industry changes is America's Apple and how it's expected phones will be really crazy soon, very soon (few years), which will result in the Japanese becoming more tech-aggressive.
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I think the best candidate to shake up the industry would be DJI.

They completely dominated the drone market, stepped into action cams and knocked off GoPro, hit a home run with the Osmo 3, and beating Rode in the wireless mic market.

If they ever decided to enter the mirror less camera market teamed up with Sigma… can you imagine
 
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If Kinefinity wasn't around, I would definitely think so but they have 10+ years of not really shaking things up even though the prices were reasonable (and they had the experience making cameras for astronomy beforehand).

But if DJI would release a $1500 cinema camera that had everything, literally everything, then maybe...
 
I used to do these every month or so, for years and years...top-sellers, best-sellers...haven't done one probably since 2020 (R5, a7SIII):

Good for Nikon (rare).

ZR.png
 
NorBro said:
Major potential, Pocket 3 is very nice for a fingernail chip.
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I meant Pocket when I said Osmo it used to be called that. The image quality and color is good.

Though they avoid the bigger impediment to entering the camera market by using an integrated lens on both the Action and Pocket . The propriety lens mount is the gateway Japanese camera companies rely on to keep competitors out.
 
NorBro said:
I used to do these every month or so, for years and years...top-sellers, best-sellers...haven't done one probably since 2020 (R5, a7SIII):

Good for Nikon (rare).

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I remember, NorBro. You cured yourself of GAS and I'm proud of you. I on the other hand am still afflicted. In fact, I ordered the ZR at 430 in the morning in a fit of obsessive behavior...
 
Peter C. said:
I meant Pocket when I said Osmo it used to be called that. The image quality and color is good.

Though they avoid the bigger impediment to entering the camera market by using an integrated lens on both the Action and Pocket . The propriety lens mount is the gateway Japanese camera companies rely on to keep competitors out.
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A fixed lens would only go so far...they could do a lot with one for gimbals and drones, etc. but would eventually need more.

They need a normal, full-frame camera - not the Zenmuse 6K/8K ones they're doing now, which they also make lenses for - but just a normal camera with an interchangeable mount (would figure out which one to license or many), or they could also start making more lenses like Samsung did for theirs (but eventually decided it wasn't worth it).

The bottom-line is price. Any existing or start-up could try to compete, but prices would just need to be lower than S-C-P-N or there's no point.
 
scorsesefan said:
I remember, NorBro. You cured yourself of GAS and I'm proud of you. I on the other hand am still afflicted. In fact, I ordered the ZR at 430 in the morning in a fit of obsessive behavior...
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A little bit... :) but I think I mostly just lost interest in video production.

But it's going to take everything in me to not upgrade to a new iPhone.
 
NorBro said:
A fixed lens would only go so far...they could do a lot with one for gimbals and drones, etc. but would eventually need more.

They need a normal, full-frame camera - not the Zenmuse 6K/8K ones they're doing now, which they also make lenses for - but just a normal camera with an interchangeable mount (would figure out which one to license or many), or they could also start making more lenses like Samsung did for theirs (but eventually decided it wasn't worth it).

The bottom-line is price. Any existing or start-up could try to compete, but prices would just need to be lower than S-C-P-N or there's no point.
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They could make a larger version on the pocket that would use a super 35 but I don't think that would be a big enough step up in quality to justify the size increase. The pocket's main appeal is how unobtrusive it is.

Just describing what they would have to do to create an interchangeable lens eco system, highlights how unfeasible it would be.

What's more inline with DJI strengths would be PTZ cameras those are quietly become the real tech frontier. For event work far more advantageous to set up a bunch of PTZs and supplement that with a regular camera with operator.
 
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5 years ago during Covid (while arguing with Abe about AI somewhere on the forum), I said that I see a future world with automated cameras in rooms operating themselves (manually and creatively) and uploading footage to clouds for other AI to do the editing and having videos live before events even conclude (in addition to having live filming/broadcasting).

A few cameras, including Canon's new C50 and Nikon's new ZR, have frame.io integration so we're one step closer.

Improving PTZ cameras and getting some Apple-like shallow DOF tech in them is something I definitely see happening.
 
What camera companies do 'fighting back' or whatever has no relevance to us making films.

We may desire more MP higher FPS or an xlr handle that doesnt fall off or a viewfinder with more than 480p

The makers may or may not offer that.

The only fly in the pie is when producers start thinking the latest thing is somehow important and demand a model or brand.
 
Of course Sony has something in development, every camera maker starts on their next product once the previous one is released. These product cycles take years to develop.

They also have things that they "could" do based on the competition. Things that are more software based, as opposed to hardware based.

We know from Sony's history they have a pretty big ability to add features after launch. Just look at the F5 (oh hey, it actually does 4k!), Burano, etc.

I'm sure they'll evaluate what's currently out and make some adjustments here and there. But they won't suddenly pivot to entirely new designs and strategy just because a few new cameras came out.
 
I have to say, that since moving to the A7sIII/A7IV/A7C II trio I can not find a reason to need very much more. Every job I have done (stills & video) with these cameras has exceeded my expectations for the task at hand. I am sure if I had bought NorBro's Alexa there might have been some image quality improvement but for this nit-picky person, the "good enough" threshold has been achieved. That is tough to compete with as I am effectively off the market. If Panasonic had the lineup they have today back when I was shopping, I might have gone with Panny, but they did not, Sony had the products and they have held up well. I might enjoy internal RAW recording if I could skip the gray matter LOG stuff but it is not a deal breaker.
 
Bassman2003 said:
I have to say, that since moving to the A7sIII/A7IV/A7C II trio I can not find a reason to need very much more. Every job I have done (stills & video) with these cameras has exceeded my expectations for the task at hand. I am sure if I had bought NorBro's Alexa there might have been some image quality improvement but for this nit-picky person, the "good enough" threshold has been achieved. That is tough to compete with as I am effectively off the market. If Panasonic had the lineup they have today back when I was shopping, I might have gone with Panny, but they did not, Sony had the products and they have held up well. I might enjoy internal RAW recording if I could skip the gray matter LOG stuff but it is not a deal breaker.
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Very reasonable. I on the other hand still have GAS and obsessively chase the perfect camera even though my fx6 is fine and Sony has never let me down...
 
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