Sony is apparently going all-in on mirrorless cameras as it discontinues a few of its remaining older models of DSLR cameras.
Sony has removed all of its A-mounted cameras from its website which includes models like the A99ii, A77ii and A68. Even third-party DSLR camera retailer, B&H has listed those cameras as “no longer available,” according to SonyAlphaRumors. The support in buying these cameras an official capacity has seemingly ended as one way to get your hands on them is buying them used through other third-party sellers.
These older A-mount cameras are not precisely DSLRs but are instead DSLTs; meaning these cameras don’t use a traditional mirror set up when reflecting light onto the camera’s sensor. Instead, Sony uses a special pellicle mirror that splits the light into portions that go through the camera in a way that hits both the phase-detection and traditional sensors. The name of this process is called SLT (Single Lens Translucent) which uses real-time phase-detect AF while recording video and viewing in live view. While it sounds a little different from DSLR camera setups, from another perspective DSLTs are quite similar to their mirrorless DSLR counterparts.
The obvious difference between it and mirrorless cameras is the lack of mirrors used in its process. Light goes directly into the camera’s image’s sensor which makes DSLT seem like tech from a bygone era in today’s world of cameras. So knowing Sony is pulling its A-mount cameras from its stock is not surprising as it focuses on what is a modern camera.
Whether this move is going to hurt Sony’s bottom line as the company is hitting top sales in the mirrorless camera market. in 2020, Sony produced 1.15 million cameras which are higher compared to Canon’s 1.05 million and Nikon’s 250,000. As for 2021, Sony has expanded its range of E-mounted glass to over 60 different lenses, launched the FX3 camera and a super expensive $6,500 camera, Alpha 1 which features 8K video recording.
