Bloomberg has published a report on the rise of Sony through its full frame mirrorless cameras and states that Sony is now winning over professional photographers.
Unlike digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras, his Sony Alpha a7R III ditches the mirror-and-prism system that shows what’s coming through the lens. The Alpha’s mirrorless design lets image sensors grab light faster and stay in focus using sophisticated software. It’s potentially a tectonic shift that gives Sony a chance to break the pro-photography duopoly Canon Inc. and Nikon Corp. have enjoyed since the days of 35mm film.
At stake is a market worth $3.2 billion a year. Although it’s a niche industry with just a fraction of total camera (and smartphone) sales, Canon, Nikon and Sony benefit from the branding (and sales) boost that comes with being the main suppliers of high-end cameras and lenses for sports, news and the arts. “Sony is now in a position to try and grab more market share,” said Kazunori Ito, an analyst at Morningstar Investment Services.
“The a9 is really revolutionary,” said Michael Kooren, a news agency photographer who switched to Sony Alphas after shooting with Canon for 26 years.
Even so, adoption has been slow. Pro shooters are a loyal bunch, sticking to familiar gear with proven reliability. They also make substantial investments in what they call glass, the assortment of interchangeable lenses that easily cost more than the camera body. 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.
You can read full report at Bloomberg.
But Sony’s real competitiors are around the corner: Nikon will announce their first two full frame mirrorless cameras Z6 and Z7 on August 23rd, and Canon will also announce new full frame mirrorless cameras in next several weeks or months. Stay tuned.