Sony’s Inevitable a8 Series Camera Bodies

Currently there is a rumor stating that Sony is going to introduce an a6700 camera body that will basically be an a9 with an APS-C sized sensor. But that rumor got murky as people said their definitely is a high end APS-C camera in the works but it may not get the a6 marketing name.

Which actually makes perfect sense when you think on it…

The a5 series cameras are more likely than not slated for retirement. There’s little purpose for them with the a6000’s pricing scheme.

The a6 series seems poised to be the medium quality APS-C camera offering.

The a7 series is the medium and medium high quality series full frame cameras.

The a9 series is the extreme quality full frame camera body.

Do you see what’s missing?

An a8.

Currently Sony has no high quality APS-C camera body that meets the needs of wildlife photographers, birders, and casual sports shooters. The a9 is too expensive and doesn’t offer that little extra reach an APS-C sensor does.

So that would mean an a8 is needed wouldn’t it…

An a8 would also follow what seems to be Sony’s current naming strategy. Odds = full frame. Even = APS-C. Isn’t marketing fun?

So what would the a8 be?

I’m kind of suspicious that the a8 series will be Sony’s high end APS-C camera series and will ultimately be remarkably similar to Fujifilms X-H1 camera.

The Fujifilm X-H1 is a high end APS-C camera with better ergonomics and software… from a product development standpoint that is exactly what Sony needs to offer with a new APS-C camera. The a6 series cameras have terrible ergonomics that genuinely piss off a large number of people.

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Sony’s a8 series, like Fujifilm’s X-H1, would more likely than not have an LCD on the top of the camera body.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a larger viewfinder and two selector dials on the body as well.

It wouldn’t make much sense to try and shove 40 megapixels into an APS-C sensor… Sony will probably stick with a 24 megapixel sensor, although possibly improved over a6000 series sensors in one way or another.

Pricing

Pricing will probably end up being a little steep… it has to be priced above the a6500 and there has to be an increase to cover the inevitable more complex and larger camera body.

So if the desired retail price for the a6500 is $1400, and a similar camera the Fujifilm X-H1 is priced at $1600, it’s easy to see an a8 have introductory pricing of $1699 or $1799.

Ultimately…

Ultimately Sony has a ton of customers whose needs they have not yet met. Sony needs their own 7D series, their own D500, their own high quality APS-C camera body. I myself am one of the customers for just such a camera.

And there are many others who would also buy a high quality APS-C body to go with their full frame Sony body. 

Sony needs a high quality APS-C body series… it’s going to happen sooner or later and I’m guessing it’ll be sooner.