Sony A77 DSLR: Will housing makers ignore these specs?!?

Definitely not financial problems. They had the best year ever, in 2010. I think they are too busy, grinding out the mainstream cameras, to fool with mirrorless.

 

Too bad for them and for me though!

I'll invite everybody in this and other forum to drop Ikelite a mail. If we can do 100 or even more mails, maybe Ikelite will reconsider ??

I have allready dropped 10 mails !!

I'll invite everybody in this and other forum to drop Ikelite a mail. If we can do 100 or even more mails, maybe Ikelite will reconsider ??

I have allready dropped 10 mails !!

I don't think harrassing them with email bombs is going to do any good. For one thing, the camera availability is tight right now thanks to the Thai floods, although they'll hopefully get production back up and start distributing again in January (they've switched over a different factory to resume production of both the a65 and a77).

For another, I suspect part of what is difficult about housing the a77 is the "joystick" controller vs. the typical cluster of 4 cursor buttons with "OK" in the middle. I don't know if Ike has supported past DSLR's with joystick type controllers from other makers, have they?

For another, I suspect part of what is difficult about housing the a77 is the "joystick" controller vs. the typical cluster of 4 cursor buttons with "OK" in the middle. I don't know if Ike has supported past DSLR's with joystick type controllers from other makers, have they?

I contacted them by E-mail, and they replied telling me that the problem was the joystick controller. Oh well, I guess no joy for me.

--Mark

Well, they did say they'd house the a65. Same OLED electronic viewfinder, same sensor, same just about everything aside from AF points and max shutter speed (but max flash sync is probably the same). Slightly slower burst rate. I think the a65 even has the same option of electronic first-curtain shutter. Just smaller bodied, more standard controls (no joystick), and without lens focus calibration.

I could easily see upgrading to an a65 for underwater and having an a77 body for above. My primary interest in the a77 is body ergonomics for out-of-water use, the better rear screen actuation, and focus calibration for tele use. None of those three topics really apply below the surface.

Well, they did say they'd house the a65. Same OLED electronic viewfinder, same sensor, same just about everything aside from AF points and max shutter speed (but max flash sync is probably the same). Slightly slower burst rate. I think the a65 even has the same option of electronic first-curtain shutter. Just smaller bodied, more standard controls (no joystick), and without lens focus calibration.

 

I could easily see upgrading to an a65 for underwater and having an a77 body for above. My primary interest in the a77 is body ergonomics for out-of-water use, the better rear screen actuation, and focus calibration for tele use. None of those three topics really apply below the surface.

The a77 is also a more rugged body and weather sealed. This is very important for what we do.

I think the focus calibration would be very important for macro shooting.

--Mark

Don't get me wrong - I'd love to have an a77 housed, too. But if it's not going to happen because of the joystick....the a65 does gain most of the advantages (you do have a point about focus cal) over the a55/35/33.

(Speaking of which, if your interest was macro only, you can manually adjust the focus on the other bodies...there's a tutorial on how to do it with pics. I've done it for the a55, although of course you're fine-tuning the AF module position (or maybe the translucent mirror position), hence it's one adjustment for all vs. per-lens)