Sony in 2020: new cameras for vloggers, filmmakers, cinema... and new lenses too
(Image credit: Digital Camera World)SKIP TO:JanuaryFebruaryAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctober NovemberDecemberFor all the Sony rumors floating around the internet, things have been pretty quiet...
02/01/2022
(Image credit: Digital Camera World)
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For all the Sony rumors circulating the internet, things have been pretty quiet on the Sony camera front – unless you're a videographer. If so, 2020 has been very busy!
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Best Sony cameras
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Best Sony Lenses
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Best Mirrorless Cameras
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Best 4K cameras for video
It is true that 2020 saw the arrival of the vlogging camera
Sony ZV-1
and the Sony A7C full-frame mirrorless compact model, but the
rumor the new Sony A7 IV
didn't seem closer at the end of the year than at the beginning and the real news towards 2020 was the arrival of the long-awaited
Sony A7S III
and, for filmmakers,
SonyFX9
and
FX6
.
It's been a pretty good year for Sony lenses as well, and in particular for indie lenses from Tamron and others. Of particular interest are Tamron's VXD lenses, offering enthusiasts specs that mirror those of Sony's lenses but at a much more affordable price.
So let's take a closer look at what happened with Sony in 2020... p>
January
Sony has given fans of its A6000 series cameras something to look forward to in 2020 with a new 16-55mm f/2.8 G lens and the Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS.
(Image credit: Matthew Richards/Digital Camera World)
A lot has happened in the world of Sony in 2020...and some things haven't. As early as January 2020, we predicted
the imminent arrival of the Sony A7 IV
. It's said to be a fourth-generation version of Sony's entry-level 24-megapixel A7 model, and we weren't just making this up – there were strong rumors of a new Sony camera on the way, and the A7 IV was our best guess. It turned out that there would be a new Sony A7 model later this year, but not the one we expected. In the meantime, we decided it was time to check out how the existing Sony A7 III held up against its latest rivals, which we did with our comparison.
Canon EOS R vs Sony A7 III
and
Nikon Z6 vs Sony A7 III
comparison. Canon EOS R versus Sony A7 III? Is it right? We thought so, because while the price of Canon's first full-frame mirrorless model had steadily come down, the Sony A7 III hadn't, and those two cameras ended up very similarly priced. Still wearing our comparison hats, so to speak, we also checked the
four versions of Sony's RX10 camera
still for sale at the time. Sony's policy of keeping older models on sale alongside newer ones is undoubtedly commercially smart, but it can be confusing for buyers, especially when older models start to look the most appealing. .
Sony's support from third-party lens manufacturers has increased significantly in 2020, especially from Tamron.
(Image credit: Matthew Richards/Digital Camera World)
Not all Sony news comes from Sony, of course. Tamron had a busy 2020, filled with new Sony lenses that were great alternatives to Sony's own optics. the
Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2, Tamron 35mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 and Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2
announced in January weren't just cheap, at $399/£399 each, they were also down to half the actual size. We also got wind of a new Laowa 15mm f/4.5 lens
>which would bring perspective control to the Sony lineup for the first time. 2020 has been an incredibly busy year for goals! We reviewed two Sony lenses in January, both much-loved additions to Sony's APS-C lineup at a time when many might have thought Sony had lost interest in its smaller format. mirrorless cameras. New
Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8G
suggested otherwise, adding a professional constant-aperture standard zoom for the first time, while the
Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3G OSS
was a welcome mid to long range telephoto lens for Sony's A6000 series cameras. Speaking of the Sony A6000 range, we also looked at the new base model
Sony A6100
and the flagship A6600. Both are good cameras but expensive. We hope the A6100 doesn't spell the end of the older A6000, as it costs a lot more, and although the
Sony A6600
is fast and powerful, its design now seems outdated. and its price places it against very good rivals.
•
Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3G OSS review
• p>
Review of the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G
•
Sony A6100 review
•
Sony A6600 review
February
As the coronavirus tightened its grip, Sony encouraged us all with its World Photography Awards, naming the finalists in February.
(Image credit: Pablo Albarenga, Uruguay, Photographer of the Year, Professional, Creative, 2020 Sony World Photography Awards)
Tamron and Laowa weren't the only companies to announce new targets, as February brought news that Tokina was planning p>
three new APS-C f/1.4 atx-m prime lenses for the Sony E mount
, including 23mm, 33mm and 56mm lenses. Tokina also had its eye on Sony full-frame cameras, announcing a new affordable portrait lens
Tokina atx-m 85mm f/1.8 FE
. a lens in its own right. New
Sony FE 20mm f/1.8G
would be the widest Sony FE mount lens to date, and it would also offer a surprisingly fast maximum aperture for such a wide lens. Sony's influence in the camera market extends beyond its own camera and lens lines, as we revealed in February that
Sony holds nearly 50% of the global image sensor market
. It is well known, Sony sensors are used from time to time by other brands such as Nikon for example. We have also heard of a
new Sony APS-C 43MP sensor capable of 8K 12-bit video
, but until that resurfaces in a patent application or a real camera, we should probably take that with a pinch of salt for now. Indeed, that was when the full seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic had become apparent, and there were signs that the
coronavirus could disrupt Sony's sensor business
, and indeed the entire camera industry. But to end February on a happier note, Sony announced the
Sony World Photography Awards finalists
, a reminder that photography isn't just about cameras and lenses. , but creative expression and social awareness.
April
In April, the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD offered Sony fans an affordable alternative to Sony's own 70-200mm f/2.8.
(Image credit: Matthew Richards)
March has been a quiet month for Sony fans, so we're jumping right into April, when
Sony announces $100 million global COVID-19 relief fund
at a very dark time for the whole world, and the
Sony World Photography Category Award
show us joy, destruction and despair. On a lighter note, we're reviewing a Sony lens that lets you
choose the focus AFTER taking a picture
and we reveal a
patent for Sony medium format curved sensor
. Why a curved sensor? Because it's a constant battle for lenses to render an image on a flat plane, when a curved sensor could reduce or eliminate many of the optical compromises and costly corrections that ordinary sensors require. goals, the
Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD announced
, which offers Sony users a cheaper and lighter alternative to Sony's own 70-200mm f/2.8 but still with a fast and consistent aperture, while at the other end of the price range, the
Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8
is an economical fifty prime lens for the same Sony full-frame cameras. We also receive a sample of the< /p>
Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G for review
. This is Sony's ultra-wide prime lens first announced in February and it's very impressive too!
•
Review of the Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G
May
The Sony ZV-1 is clearly based on an earlier variant of the Sony RX100, but is specifically designed for vlogging, right down to the clip-on windshield included.
(Image credit: Rod Lawton/Digital Camera World)
May2020 was all about cameras.
Sony launched the intriguing Sony ZV-1
, a pocket camera aimed at vloggers with its own clip-on microphone muffler to reduce wind noise. You didn't have to search too hard to see that the ZV-1 was essentially a redesigned and reconfigured RX100, without the EVF but optimized for vlogging. the full Sony RX100 range, now up to RX100 VII but with models going back to RX100 III still on sale. Sony might not be confused about all those RX100 models, but we were, so
we set out to compare the specs of all current RX100 models
, and figuring out which RX100 did what , and which one to choose. But there was even bigger news. Ahead of our full review of the Sony A9 II in June, we took a close look at the pro sports capabilities of the A9 II and how it compares to the two DSLR giants in this area, in our own
Nikon D6 vs Canon EOS vs Sony A9 II Olympic shootout
.
•
Sony ZV-1 Review
June
With no less than six Sony A6000 models currently on sale, how do you choose between them?
(Image credit: Sony)
We were on a roll. We compared the various Sony RX10 models in January and the confusing range of RX100 models in May, so now we've turned our attention to the Sony A6000 models. The A6300 and A6500 are now becoming hard to find, but in mid-2020 there were
six different Sony A6000 models to choose from
, from the old A6000 to the brand new Sony A6600. We have also released our
full Sony A9 II review
, a camera that seemed to disappoint many Sony fans looking for leaps and bounds in imaging technology, but was actually focused on improving connectivity and workflow for professional photographers. We think Sony judged it pretty well. This month, the
big winners of the Sony World Photography Awards 2020
have been announced, bringing an end to Sony's highly prestigious annual photography awards. The Photographer of the Year was Pablo Albarenga from Uruguay, who also took home a $25,000 prize. His “Seeds of Resistance” series combines photos of landscapes and territories threatened by mining and agribusiness with portraits of the activists fighting to conserve them.
The Sigma 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS, seen here on a Sigma fp body, will soon be available in a Sony mount.
(Image credit: Sigma)
June 2020 also brought more lens news, with the announcement that the
Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS
would come to the Sony E mount in July. This is a very practical telephoto/super-telephoto range for full-frame Sony cameras, and indeed even longer (150-600mm) on APS-C E-mount cameras. We also looked at reviews of two lenses that have been out for some time. – the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM constant aperture ultra-wide zoom, and the even wider Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G. If only (we thought) you could have the extra wide angle of view of the 12-24mm combined with the f/2.8 G Master optics of the 16-35mm! Later in the year, we would get our wish...
•
Sony A9ii Review
•
Review of the updated Sony A7R IV
•
Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM review
•
Sony FE 12-24mm f/4G review
July
The Sony A7S III is finally announced in July!
(Image credit: Adam Duckworth)
The Sony A9 II wasn't the only significant camera update this year. Even bigger news was the announcement (finally!) of the
new Sony A7S III
. We've been waiting for an update to Sony's video A7S model for so long that we were starting to wonder if it would ever arrive. So what does the new camera offer? 24 megapixels compared to the 12 megapixels of the old camera, perhaps? 6K video rather than 4K...or maybe even 8K? In the end, it was none of those. The A7S III had the same 12MP sensor as its predecessor and stuck to 4K capture. It was inevitably a bummer for rumor mill fans, but perhaps another example of Sony calmly and clearly thinking about what professionals need - in this case, setting out to create the best 4K camera possible. Of course, comparisons were inevitable, especially in light of the Canon EOS R5 and its jaw-dropping 8K video capabilities, not to mention the competition from the Panasonic Lumix S1H 6K. Our comparison
Sony A7S III vs Panasonic S1H vs Canon EOS R5
dissected the specs of all three cameras in an attempt to separate myth from reality. It also made us think of
Sony A7S III vs. A7S II
: Was the new camera so different from the old one? (Uh, yes.) The EOS R5 quickly became notorious for overheating - or at least for its pretty tight recording limits. This has focused everyone's attention on the head buildup in the latest 4K cameras, especially those with passive (fanless) cooling, which is almost all mirrorless cameras. It turned out that even the new
Sony A7S III was not immune to heat buildup
.
It was exciting! Sony has released its ultra-wide 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master. Is this Sony's best ultra-wide zoom?
(Image credit: Sony)
One of the coolest features of the Sony A7S III was its storage. It used two SD/CFexpress Type-A card slots to provide compatibility with existing cards as well as their next-generation alternatives. We thought we had to take a closer look, so our
What is CFexpress Type A?
explained this new memory card format. Essentially, it's a smaller alternative to the CFexpress Type B (the standard, you might say), which isn't as fast but much more compact. The other product launch this month was the new Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 G Master
. Not only was it the ultra-wide Sony zoom we've been craving, but we also got a production sample that same month and were able to release
one of the first Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM reviews
.
•
Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master review
August
We're posting our full Sony A7S III review and explaining why a 'only' 4K camera is so important.
(Image credit: Sony)
The Sony A7S III has another interesting feature - a completely new menu system. This won't mean much to non-Sony users, but for anyone who's struggled with Sony's long, confusing and often illogical menu system, it could be quite exciting. Unfortunately, we are told
Sony's new menu system will not be available on older cameras
. Apparently it's not as simple as a quick interface overhaul and firmware update, and the menus are hard-wired into the cameras' electronics at a much more fundamental level. While we waited for a review sample of the new Sony A7S III, we rounded up a few more Sony stories, like the reveal that
Sony is on track to make $192 more from image sensors than PlayStations
. Who would have thought? We also helped spread rumors about a
new model Sony A5 or A6 APS-C
, suggested by a new registration of the camera's name in Taiwan. However, we've already been burned by our speculation of a new Sony A7000 (very similar – another high-end mirrorless model) which turned out to be wishful thinking. Back to the Sony A7S III. We didn't have to wait for a loaner sample as Digital Camera World contributor and video expert Adam Duckworth went to buy one and wrote us a comprehensive and authoritative review.
Sony A7S III
< p>to close the month.•
Sony A7S III review
September
The Sony A7C is announced, a compact full-frame mirrorless camera with a vari-angle screen.
(Image credit: Sony)
August brought us the Sony A7S III, but September brought us a
brand new camera – the Sony A7C
. It was kind of Sony's left-field, like a compact rangefinder-style version of the Sony A7C, but with no new technologies to speak of. The buzz was that it was the smallest full-frame mirrorless camera ever with a viewfinder...but we figured if you cut the viewfinder off the top of an A7 III and fit it into the place in the body, it would be roughly the same size as the A7C. It would be a few more months before we could get a full production sample for review, but our first hands-on experience with the A7C left us feeling a bit cool. Was it really as small as everyone said? It didn't seem like much of a breakthrough in terms of size to us, and much of its compactness came from Sony's new 28-60mm retractable kit lens. his tenth birthday
, so we looked back on how its 29 E-mount cameras (yes, there were that many) changed the industry. Sony has emphasized from the start how it uses a single mount across its entire camera ecosystem, from compact mirrorless cameras to full-frame and its line of cinema cameras. He has a point. Joining the E mount system this month was the
Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD
, which the company claimed to be the "world's smallest and lightest 70-300mm". It's certainly good to see so many affordable third-party E-mount lenses when much of Sony's development effort seems to be spent on expensive high-end glassware.
The Sony HVL-F28RM is a new compact flash for Sony cameras.
(Image credit: Sony)
Also new was the
Samyang/Rokinon AF 35mm F1.8 FE
, a lens that is both compact (for a full-frame lens with AF) and inexpensive to buy. Sony, meanwhile, announced a
new LA-EA5 adapter
for attaching A-mount lenses to E-mount mirrorless bodies with improved autofocus compatibility. announced the
Sony HVL-F28RM Pocket Radio Controlled Strobe
and if you ever wondered how
convert a HEIF image to a normal JPEG image
, Sony has launched a free software tool for this too.
October
The new Sony FX9 was to offer full frame cinematography and a new lower price point.
(Image credit: Adam Duckworth/Digital Camera World)
October brought another new Sony camera review, but this time from the film world. The Sony FX9 has a full-frame sensor, advanced autofocus borrowed from Alpha mirrorless cameras and is the most affordable full-frame cinema camera to date – although its reign in this role will be short-lived, as Sony had another card up its sleeve in December. ..In the meantime, we hear a rumor that Sony may be planning a super-fast lens
FE 16mm f/1.8
to arrive in early 2021. Interesting!
•
Sony FX9 review
November
The Sony A7C is certainly compact... or is it Sony's new retractable 28-60mm kit lens that really makes the difference?
(Image credit: Sony)
In November, we received a sample of the
Sony A7C for review
. Would we change our minds on this? Not really. There's been a lot of talk about how small this camera is, and while it's smaller than typical A7 series bodies, it's still quite chunky compared to an APS-C mirrorless camera. We felt any small gain in size was outweighed by more delicate handling - although there's no doubt the vari-angle screen is more useful than Sony's standard tilting screen. We published a
Sony FE 28-60mm separated. review f/4-5.6
. This is the lens kit that came with the Sony A7C, now available separately. It's this lens that gives the Sony A7C its small dimensions, and if you put this lens on any regular A7 body, you get a similar benefit. The zoom range is rather short, but the optical quality is very good, and this lens is a very interesting alternative for all Sony full frame photographers who want to travel light. This month brings all kinds of interesting news. We hear more
rumors around a new Sony A7 IV
, including talk of a new sensor, 4K 60P video, and a price tag of around $2,500. That's not the only rumour. There are also stories about a
new sony a9s
, a kind of high resolution version of the Sony A9 with a 50 megapixel sensor and 8K video capture for a price of around $5,000. It's a little early to make much of these rumours, but time will tell!
Will Sony enter the drone business in 2020? Apparently yes!
(Image credit: Sony)
We do know, however, that Sony is getting into the drone business in 2021! The announcement was made in Japan, and
Sony Airpeak is a new venture that will launch in the spring
. That's all we know so far, although Sony talks about "3R technology - reality, real-time and remote" and AI robotics, so we might be looking at industrial applications, not necessarily consumer products. We'll see soon enough! Now remember the Sony FX9 from October and our clue to a rival product? It's here, with
Sony FX6 announcement
. It's basically the Sony A7S III in a compact camcorder body. This means it becomes the cheapest full-frame cinema camera of all. That might not cut the ice with crossover photo/video photographers quite happy with regular mirrorless camera designs, but for pro filmmakers, a proper cinema camera design with all the connectivity and modular mounting points they need need is a must, and it is an extremely important development.
•
Sony A7C Review
•
Sony FE 28-60mm f/4-5.6 review
< p>DecemberThe Sony FX9 impressed us, but the Sony FX6 introduced the same full-frame cinema quality at a price not much higher than a high-end mirrorless camera.
(Image credit: Sony)
We end 2020 with a
full Sony FX6 review
, and we also publish a story on
why the FX6 is the cinema camera the world has been waiting for
. An exaggeration? Video expert Adam Duckworth doesn't think so. The Canon EOS R5 may have set the world on fire with its 8K video capture, but the Sony FX6 is a reminder of what pro filmmakers really need - a balanced, capable camera that's good at everything, not just one or two. a darker turn as Sony confirms that eight cameras have been affected by production issues and is suspending orders as a result. As if COVID-19 didn't hurt enough,
a major fire at component company AKM Semiconductor
caused large-scale disruption. Based in Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, AKM is one of the world's largest manufacturers of integrated circuits and digital-to-analog converters.
Tamron continues to expand its Sony support with a new 17-70mm F/2.8 Di Zoom Standard III-A VC RXD for Sony APS-C cameras.
(Image credit: Tamron)
To end on a more positive note, Tamron announces its
new 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
for Sony APS-C E-Mount Mirrorless, which is good news for Sony A6000 series cameras, while low cost lens manufacturer
Viltrox releases a trio of fast lenses
for those same cameras, including a 23mm f/1.4, 33mm f/1.4, and 56mm f/1.4 lens. While Sony has had its own share of product launches this year, including cameras and lenses, this was a particularly good year for third-party lens support. The Sony E mirrorless system has been around for years, but it usually takes just as long for a system to gain momentum - and in 2020, Sony certainly has.
•
Sony FX6 review
Read more:
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Best Sony cameras
•
Best Sony Lenses
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Best Mirrorless Cameras
•
Best 4K cameras for video
Rod Lawton
Rod is the group review editor for Digital Camera World and for Future's entire photography portfolio. Previously, he was Head of Testing for the Photography Division and Camera Channel Editor at TechRadar. He has been writing about digital cameras since they first appeared, and before that he started his career writing about film photography.
Rod's near-encyclopedic knowledge of cameras old and new makes him an invaluable resource, whether we need to ask a question about transparencies or the latest X-Trans sensor. He owns all kinds of cameras, from Nikon DSLRs to Olympus, Sony and Fujifilm bodies, and you'll see him using kits from just about every manufacturer every day.
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