With Nikon and Canon being the top brands for DSLR cameras for so long, it has been tough for other brands to step up to the game as people are used to seeing Nikon and Canon more often. There has been a sudden shift where the pros in the Photography Industry are switching to new mirrorless Sony Alpha series. If you’ve Photographer friends, you would have seen this yourself. But what’s the reason behind this switch? We will find it right in the next few minutes.
Mirrorless Technology
The Sony Alpha a7R III has a mirrorless design, which captures photographs faster and sharper than the traditional DSLR technology. The Alpha’s mirrorless design lets image sensors grab light faster and stay in focus using sophisticated software. It’s a shift that has the potential to give Sony a chance to break the pro-photography duopoly Canon Inc. and Nikon Corp. have enjoyed since the days of 35mm film. As a result, Sony is now chipping away at the duopoly’s lead in the $3.2 billion market of cameras geared toward professional photographers.
A similar breakthrough in Digital Photography came two decades ago when Kodak and Fujifilm were at a loss as they stuck to film.
Sony’s incursion into professional photography began with the early development of image sensors decades ago. In the 90s, CyberShot cameras were launched as easy-to-use devices that fit into consumers’ pockets comfortably.
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Favorite Sony Feature: The Electronic Viewfinder
A distinguishing factor of Sony is the electronic viewfinder. It lets you see the picture as it really exists. A traditional viewfinder doesn’t do that. It shows you a look into the real world in front of you, whereas the electronic viewfinder actually shows you a digital image based on the camera settings you’re looking at. This feature is a huge advantage in Portrait Photography. It takes away the hassle of clicking the picture and then looking at it to verify if your camera settings are good to go. You can see the changes happen with the settings you make instantly in the electronic viewfinder.
Also, for the outdoor photography, the electronic viewfinder allows you to avoid the glare of composing a scene directly on his LCD, because the photo also shows up in the viewfinder. Another advantage to the Sony system for landscapes is the fact that you can set focus points very close to the edges of the frame.
The only setback that Sony is facing is the lack of availability of different lenses. Some pros say Sony hasn’t rolled out new lenses fast enough, and have complained that customer support has lagged behind Canon and Nikon. Sony is working to improve both, according to Hiroyuki Matsushita, the manager overseeing product planning at Sony’s cameras division. “We were aware from the beginning that this would be for pros,” he said.
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And the incumbents aren’t sitting still. Nikon is working on its first full-frame mirrorless camera, with more details of the device due to be announced on Aug. 23.
Canon hasn’t disclosed any concrete plans; they’re “within the scope of development,” a company spokesman said. “The hurdle for Sony is still high,” said Tomonori Igari, an editor at Asahi Camera. “It depends on how much they commit to creating a support structure, and also on Nikon and Canon’s mirrorless strategy.”
For the time being, Sony intends to exploit its lead. The Tokyo-based manufacturer has begun marketing Alpha cameras more aggressively. Its flagship $4,500 a9 model recently took top prizes at three professional camera competitions. The company also offers more affordable Alpha versions for amateurs and semi-pros. Sony forecasts operating profit will climb as much as 40 percent to almost $1 billion for the business in three years.
The company also said back in May that it’s aiming to be the top camera brand by 2021.
But whether Sony can continue to capitalize on its mirrorless lead and grow in its market share depends on how it fares upcoming competition that’s just around the corner: Nikon will be unveiling its full-frame mirrorless camera on August 23rd, and Canon is rumored to have one following close behind.
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