While I’ve never seen a Sony dSLR “out in the field,” so to speak, I’ve been assured that the company knows its way around a single-lens reflex mechanism. To that end, there’s a rumor currently zipping about the Internet that pertains to two of the company’s dSLRs, the A200 and A300. It seems Sony is planning to consolidate the two models into one, and would be first announced this April. So the rumor goes, at least.
Says someone pretending to be W. Mark Felt:
It will use the same a700 sensor and will have LV with phase detection AF. The LCD will be tilting, HD and touch screen. The design will be equal to a200 with a bigger OVF than a200 and pentmirror. It also will have video HD 720p and 30fps with AF.
Maybe Sony liked what Matt said the other day, that a company’s success can be judged by how simple its product line is? Why bother having so many dSLRs that are so close to each other, spec-wise, when all it does is confuse the consumer. “Do I want the A200 or A300, or maybe I want the A350? You know what, forget the whole thing, let’s play Hungry Hungry Hippos.” Or maybe Sony is merely tightening its belt in anticipation of a rough year ahead?
If nothing else, I will say that I would thoroughly appreciate a touchscreen LCD on the back of my SLR. Not that I have one, mind you, but on the back of my imaginary one. It’s in my imaginary camera bag that I store in my imaginary closet that I have in my imaginary apartment that I have in the imaginary city of Rio de Janiero. Yikes!