Why Sony's E-Mount Is so Significant in the Imaging World
A while ago, I shared a fun post by Taylor Jackson, where he points out that we’re all Sony shooters, whether we know it or not. At the time, I didn’t quite grasp the bigger picture of why that was such a significant statement, but after reading this super interesting article from Kish Sawh, I’ve gained a new understanding of why that is such an important statement for our creative community and for our industry as a whole.
You see, in a way, without Sony, there may not be a Nikon, a Fujifilm, or maybe even the globally significant and paradigm-shifting Apple iPhone.
To get a full understanding of how Sony has been pioneering change in the imaging industry over the last decade, we have to go all the way back to the release of the original a7 and a7R cameras. Those cameras were the start of the mirrorless revolution, spearheaded the path forward for Sony, and also changed the game for other brands like Nikon, Fujifilm, Apple, and many others.
Entering the fold at a time where DSLRs ruled the creative landscape, the a7 and a7R cameras were signs of what was to come and important catalysts for the amazing advancements that we all enjoy today. Looking back over the last decade, it’s interesting to put the significance of Sony’s E Mount and Alpha mirrorless revolution into perspective.
My Personal Alpha and E Mount Journey
I try not to date myself as a creative whenever possible, but let’s just say that I’m old enough to remember the first time that I saw a 720p television. At a time when the industry display standard was 480p, seeing an HD image for the first time was like getting a new set of eyes. That first experience was a moment that I will always remember and, looking back on it now, one that signaled where display technology was heading. The same can be said for the first time that I experienced my first full frame Sony Alpha camera.
My first full frame Alpha setup was the Sony a7 II with the Zeiss 55mm f/1.8. It was producing images for me that were insanely sharp and doing it with a fraction of the effort that it used to take me to focus and re-compose with my DSLR. Looking back on that time, I can tell that it was yet another pivotal moment in my career, as the experience with my a7 II was as significant as when I first experienced that 720p HD image. It was effortlessly easy to capture sharp portraits at impossibly shallow depth of field, and I could sense that Sony was determined to change the rules of the game.
New features like eye autofocus on my a7 II were facilitating a shift in my creative work while Sony was hard at work investing in sensor technology to provide a nexus for the industry to advance into the future. I can see now that changing the DSLR paradigm with mirrorless was just the beginning of Sony’s plans, as they've been relentless in the pace of innovation for themselves and through providing a platform for the industry to advance as a whole.
Speed and Innovation
Throughout the past decade of Alpha and E Mount development, the speed of Sony’s innovations and release cycles has facilitated a shift in the imaging industry as a whole. Revolutionary Sony sensors have created a platform for other imaging companies to thrive, where they may have been unable to otherwise. Take the Nikon Z9, for example. It’s quite feasible that companies like Nikon wouldn’t have been able to move to mirrorless if it weren’t for Sony’s investment in sensor development or their willingness to share and support the growth of other companies. I'm not sure about you, but I haven't seen any Canon sensors in other manufacturers' cameras lately.
By investing in sensor development when other companies weren't able to, Sony became the bedrock upon which other brands built their platforms. Sony put innovation and advancement of the imaging industry above its own brand and profits by its willingness to help other companies develop and advance their own cameras using Sony sensors. They’ve opened up their sensor technologies for other companies to benefit from and aren’t stifling our collective growth by keeping their best technologies only for themselves.
We’ve all heard the adage that “sharing is caring” by now, which is the simplest way that I can make my point about the fact that Sony has been sharing its technology to further the advancement of the imaging industry. That's what I admire the most about their approach to how they've led the industry over the last decade. It's not just about growing on their own. It's about community over competition. By advancing the entire imaging industry, everyone benefits, including Sony and the E Mount.
Fostering Progress
Taylor Jackson makes funny references to why we're all oblivious Sony shooters in his video, but the gist of his point basically boils down to: “Many of us are unaware that we’ve been shooting with Sony sensors all along.”
As I reflect on the 10-year anniversary of E Mount now, I keep coming back to how vital Sony’s technology has become for our entire industry. Many of the new products that are constantly and rapidly innovating are doing so thanks to Sony's sensors, and there's no question in my mind that we wouldn't have as vibrant a creative industry if these opportunities didn't exist for companies like Nikon, Apple, and others.
Keep in mind that if you have an iPhone, you technically have a Sony sensor powering your imaging. It has been designed for Apple based on their specifications, but essentially, you are benefiting from Sony’s sensor technology, and their investments in enabling cutting-edge innovations for others, who are often their direct competitors.
That is such a powerful and inspiring point to grasp, as it's infinitely more difficult to put the needs of others ahead of your own needs for the sake of a bigger vision that depends on everyone’s collective success. It’s essentially like being a team player at the highest levels, with the highest possible consequences, some of which could potentially negatively impact your own plans, products, and earnings potential.
Keeping E-Mount Open
Thankfully, even though Sony's ethos is to put community over revenue, they continue to succeed and stay at the forefront of industry innovation with E Mount and Alpha. They’ve kept E Mount open and accessible to third-party partners like Zeiss, Sigma, and Tamron over the last decade, which benefits us in a number of ways. We get to enjoy lower prices, more lens options, and increased innovation through friendly competition.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a die-hard Sony fan who’s been shooting with Alpha for nearly a decade, but with that personal bias disclosed, I have to give credit where credit is due.
They say that those who get there first get to set the rules of the game, and Sony has done an admirable job in setting the standard for our industry as the pioneer in full frame mirrorless. Leading by example, and with a focus on the long-term success of our imaging industry, Sony continues to exhibit an ethos of community over competition, through the embodiment of policies that benefit our industry collective, instead of self-serving strategies that hold back growth and innovation.
Other brands are starting to take note of this ethos and are changing unpopular policies and practices by following Sony’s lead. Canon has recently decided to reverse course and open the RF mount to allow for some third-party lens support, which is a testament to how Sony has been setting the standard in this regard for a very long time.
E Mount and Alpha have changed the game for me personally as a full-time professional creative over the last decade, and it's easy to see that Sony has also been pioneering imaging for the larger landscape of brands and products for other companies.
Cheers to continuing to set the standard for excellence, Sony, both in how you share your Kando with your own community and how you enable it for other communities who may not have the resources to achieve it on their own. I’ll be here toasting to the amazing decade that we’ve just enjoyed and to the inspiring innovations that I know we'll see in the decade to come!
Happy 10-year anniversary, Sony Alpha and E Mount.
Images used with permission of Reza Malayeri & Lemar Griffin
Yep, in a decade, they made Canon and Nikon change course. They had what, 70+ years and they ended up following Sony's lead. smh
They've definitely blazed a trail for everyone and set the standard for the rest of the industry to adapt and advance. It's nice to see the other big camera companies pushing innovation as well.
--- "What they may or may not have done, and I disagree with your conclusion,"
Canon and Nikon sat on their ass until Sony gave them good kick to follow their lead or fall behind. They chose the former.
-- "Only a child thinks a decade is a long time."
You may want to work on your reading comprehension. My use of decade was meaning in a short time. Here, let me help you: "Yep, in a short time, they made Canon and Nikon change course."
--- "Sony did, in fact force them to move to mirrorless, but that's not innovation."
The revolution was due to innovation. It was Sony's Face/Eye AF, sticky AF, hundreds of focus points instead of just a dozen clumped in the middle, high FPS, blackout free, etc, etc, etc.
--- "Nikon and Canon had inverse reasons to delay the move. Nothing more and nothing less."
LOL! Really, they were just delaying the move? So Sony just beat them to the punch? Grasping at straws seems to be your forte. Just for entertainment's sake, name those inverse reasons.
Ive shot Sony since my purchase of the A7R2 eight years ago. I moved over from Canon and sold my 5Dmk2 along with all its lenses. It was followed by two more Sony bodies the most recent being the A7R5. Along the way I picked up more lenses than I really needed. Such is the mental state of the photographer...if only I had that lens my photographs would be so much better.... Do I think Sony cameras are the best thing since bread was sliced and the best cameras out there....NO. Why do I hold that view when I own three Sony bodies. Firstly its a rather pointless and meaningless question to ask.
The reason is comparing cameras and imaging the one you purchased is the best because it was chosen by you is a fools errand. I read the word of fools all the time on this and other sites with this person or that person proclaiming what they use is the best and then over several column inches try to justify their choice to the world. The same goes with computers, and don't get me started on those whacky self build nuts...mine is sooo much cheaper...then spend the rest of their life with the back permanently off their computer sorting hardware and driver conflicts and other obscure software issues.
The real question to ask is; why do some photographers feel the need to proclaim to the world that their gear, what ever it happens to be is 'the dogs bollocks' and you would be a fool not to switch over to it. The latest, especially on this site are the photographers proclaiming the benefits of micro 4/3rds! is this all about trying to convince themselves and the world that having a small one is so much better than having a full sized one! They go on about how featherlight their kit is as though the alternative is some leaden weight! Though in the past Ive read some photographers complaining how light mirrorless cameras are and how they would rather have the weight and feel heft of a real man's camera!(mainly Cannon users)
The thing is different people want different things from their gear, so there is no best choice. You choose what you think works best for your own needs. Other peoples wants and needs in this context are by and large mainly irrelevant.
Sony has done well in recent years making some fairly innovative products along the way......., but let's remember before you raise your glass and start cheering ......stop and ask who they did it for and it certainly wasn't you nor any other photographer. It was all done for their own bottom line as thats how business works. Check out the current share prices of the main manufacturers. Sony sharing their sensor goodness was not done for the benefit of other companies it was done purely for the benefit of Sony Corp. The fact that other companies have been able to get a product leg up is a secondary consideration if indeed one at all. Lastly let's not kid ourselves into thinking that Sony or any other manufacturer are out there are benevolent outfits beavering away for the benefit of all the worlds photographers. They are most defiantly not.
Go ahead and be a fan boy or girl and imagine what you hold as you snap away is the dogs bollocks, then think about it. It's just a camera that takes pictures and thats about it.
What is interesting is the comparison of their share price over the ten year time period. From a low off of $9.22 up to over $120.00 to $81.01 today. At the start of all this their share price was going down down down. They had to innovate or they would have been yesterdays toast.
The really smart thing for me to have spent my £2400 all those years ago was to buy Sony Stock and not a Sony camera. With the growth in camera phones stand alone camera manufactures have to innovate or die. Thats been the real driver.
Thanks Eric for this really excellent comment. Normally this comment should be made sticky for all past and future articles that do exactly that, put one's equipment on a pedestal. Often the true motives behind the statement for the own equipment cannot be fathomed. Do monetary reasons (brand ambassadors, affiliate links, etc.) also play a big role? Anyway, thank you for this really excellent comment. There's really nothing more to say about it. I can only encourage everyone to look for the right equipment for themselves and not to be influenced by comments. In many cases, for example, the anatomy of the hands, age, experience and so on play a much more important role.
And in the meantime the quality of the products from various manufacturers is so good, that you don't have to worry about the quality of your images.
Klaus..Totally agree. I see hundreds of photographs weekly on a regular basis and I don't give a single hoot on which camera they were shot as its not really relevant. In all honesty the differences brought about between images I see are mainly done during post processing. That really messes with the pixels rendering any camera difference, especially when shooting in RAW, basically null and void. Ive seen brilliant photographs shot on a wide variety of cameras as well as seeing really terrible photographs shot on the very same brands. The only advice I would give about camera choice is once you choose it spend time learning how to use it for your chosen genre as shooting in a studio is very different from shooting wildlife out in the field.
Thank you for presenting Sony gear and the full frame format in a positive light.
Too many writers try to make us feel bad about ourselves if we choose to use popular brands like Sony and Canon, and also try to make us feel like we are fools if we choose to use full frame sensors. I appreciate that you do not put us down for our choices. Thank you.
My pleasure Tom. I'm all about creating with whatever is the right tool for the job, and for your needs. For me, that is Sony, and I disclose that to everyone, so it's not a surprise. Nonetheless, it's still important to give recognition and gratitude to pioneers when they lay the foundation for a community to thrive. Never about degrading creatives for choosing a brand they prefer. Keep being creative and ignoring negativity my friend! Cheers
Thank you Reza. There is a LOT of pressure being put on us to abandon the most popular brands and to abandon the larger sensors and to switch over to smaller niche brands and smaller sensors. I love that those brands exist and are innovating. And I love that smaller sensors exist. I fully support those who choose the less popular brands and the small sensor sizes - I am never going to try to convince them that their choices are wrong. I just wish they would stop telling others that our choices are wrong and continually trying to pry people away from what they are currently using.
Ah yes, "start of the mirrorless revolution" was with Sony, the third company to introduce a mirrorless camera system.
Maybe that means the first company to have a mirrorless system seen as serious competition to the DSLR? Certainly the first with a FF mirrorless. That could be seen as a revolution.
I have to agree Sam. It's hard to argue that the A7 & A7R didn't revolutionize the industry. They are the cameras that set the standard in Full Frame Mirrorless in my opinion.
--- "They were well placed to move more quickly to mirrorless cameras, having no significant investment in SLRs"
Sony saw the writing on the wall. SLR's are outdated and are on the way out.
-- "To infer they somehow invented FF mirrorless, or even set any standard, is ridiculous."
1. Again, issues with your reading comprehension. No one said they "invented". They said "revolutionize". They are two very different words.
2. I get it. You are in denial. But, instead of sniveling, state which camera set the standard in FF mirrorless? Maybe the one that made Canon and Nikon change course after 70+ years of milking their customers. Yep, that would be Sony.
I back-hand you with reason, logic, and facts, and that's what you come back with?
Instead of you acting like a pissed off little girl stomping her feet, why not counter my argument with facts instead of basically "Nah uh, nah uh. Didn't happen that way. Nah uh." And, read it twice, or as many times as necessary, just make sure you understand what you are reading.
You are so right, Eddie.
Sony did revolutionize the camera industry by making a given technology so widespread so quickly.
Revolutionizing is not coming up with something new. Revolutionizing has entirely to do with doing something in mass. If you come up with something completely new and ultra-innovative, you haven't revolutionized anything if you only make a few thousand units. If you take what someone else has done on a small scale, and you produce it in mass so that millions of people around the world are now using it, then you are the one who has revolutionized things.
For example:
Amazon has completely revolutionized retail sales / shopping in the US because they took something that was already being done on a big scale and made it happen on a much, much bigger scale. They made it normal to buy common everyday items via internet/shipping, whereas before, buying that way was far less common than buying in person at a brick & mortar. Today, just about every house on the block has Amazon trucks or vans pulling up and dropping off a package multiple times each day. Like my street literally has a delivery vehicle dropping off a package at least 50 times a day, day in, day out. 15 years ago you would only see about a dozen deliveries being made each day on my block. 12 increasing to 50 is a huge revolution! Yes, it is. And so is Sony and what they have done.
Exactly.
So what you're saying is... mirrorless? Not a revolution. Mirrorless with a bigger sensor? Not a revolution. Mirrorless with an even bigger sensor? Revolution!
I'm simply attempting to guess what the word 'revolution' in this article means. No one before Sony was producing mass market pro level mirrorless cameras and it was their FF A7 (more specifically the v3 cameras) that eventually convinced Canon and Nikon to get on board. Could that be the 'revolution' implied and not necessarily just the first to make a mirrorless camera? Both Nikon and Canon's first consumer efforts are now discontinued.
Yes, Sam, of course! If Sony is the one who expanded mirrorless sales to such a wide market share, then they are the ones who revolutionized the photography industry.
--- "Ah yes, 'start of the mirrorless revolution' was with Sony, the third company to introduce a mirrorless camera system."
Third time is the charm. Sony succeeded where the first two failed.
Well, since were are visual learners, here's a visual of what Sony has actually succeeded:
Not a Sony shooter, but you have to give them props for driving camera and lens manufacturers towards mirrorless systems. You can say that a few years ago Nikon and Canon were playing catch-up in developing a lineup of mirrorless bodies and native glass. Now that the bodies have achieved parity, support from third party glass manufacturers continues to favor Sony and puts pressure on the everyone to keep upping their game. It's a good time to be a photographer.
That's a great summary of my point Gary. Sony drives the industry forward through innovation, making everyone else better in the process!
Just like Canon revolution of video recording back on 5D mk2? Wasn't live view back then already just a trial function of mirrorless? Was dual pixel AF introduced by Sony? At the time of 1Dx mk2 had dual pixel AF function already Sony was releasing a7 mk2... Do you remember the AF in that? It won't focus on standing elephant! Were is all the Sony technology they were talking about years ago? Digital ND filter , android system in Sony cameras ? I like the way Sony is doing things and it's great that companies are challenging each other for our benefit, but loads of people are thinking that Sony did something amazing, while they were holding their technology back for years. They have a nice plan, but they do not care about anyone but them self just like Canon... You can call it innovation as much as you want. My credits will always go to Kodak.
--- "...Sony was releasing a7 mk2... Do you remember the AF in that? It won't focus on standing elephant!"
Sounds like cherry-picking on an isolated incident. I've never heard of that story. But, assuming it's real, it could have been a number of reasons: defective camera, defective lens, defective user, etc. If you think about it, would Sony have been this successful if it couldn't focus on an elephant?
Hello there again...I was just waiting for you :D will you do a bit of research and look back to 2016 and where Sony was back then? Do you really think that Sony was so great since the start after the got the camera department from Konica- Minolta? A7 ii was only good for landscapes...it was miles behind of AF possibilities of DSLR and that was one of the main reason tha Nikon or Canon wasnt even trying to go into mirrorless because they had professional sportphotographers shooting teir DSLRs and trusting them. It was only way for Sony to find a space on the market with full frame mirrorless, because they just couldnt catch up on DSLRs. Canon 70D ( aps-c ) which was released back in 2013 was already using dual pixel AF focusin while video recording and tracking subject. Sony a7 mk1 was released in october 2013...but sure when you have full EF mount lens lineup and hudge amount of lenses out there will you really go into mirrorless production? NO! And for that reason Sony came with mirrorless fullframe, which was an absolute joke of a camera, but that was the only way...and when othe brands where updating their fullframes every 3-5 years, Sony was updating a7 every year, because there was so much to fix and overcome.... and yes I remember even sony A7 mk1....because I like to do my research and like to know new tech
What you failed to grasp is the a7 was the beginning of the end of the DinoSLRs. Because, then came the a7s, a9, and a7iii.
-- "Do you really think that Sony was so great since the start after the got the camera department from Konica- Minolta?"
And? That got their foot in the door. Then, used that same foot to kick the competitions' teeth in. :D If you were smart, you'd realize the a7 is not the same as Konica- Minolta. You are aware of this? Yes?
--- "when you have full EF mount lens lineup and hudge amount of lenses out there will you really go into mirrorless production? NO!"
At the end of the day, they did go mirrorless. Yes? Son, even you went mirrorless. Wow, even with all that full EF mount lineup. LOL
They didn't start anything.. It was there already before A7 came out... All they did was make the other brands go mirrorless faster..... Just like you probably shoot more photos on your phone then on your camera...beginning of the end of big cameras? How is that of an argument? I had a7iii back in the days before I got 5D mk4, because the technology wasn't there yet. How many cameras did you got other then sony? How could you compare something you never had? Where are all the great photos of yours if you have Sony and think how great it is? Still trying to make your point? Can't even take you seriously with your gallery! Clearly you can't make an argument because you have no knowledge... Keep shooting, talk less.. It would help you to enjoy your life lot more.. And you will look less foolish to others. Bye bye
--- "They didn't start anything.. It was there already before A7 came out... All they did was make the other brands go mirrorless faster."
Sounds like you got lazy Googling for your answers. Minolta was A-Mount. Sony designed the E-Mount. It's a totally different system. I'll be the responsible adult and have you do the research yourself so you can be more informed for the next time.
--- "How many cameras did you got other then sony?"
Zero. At the time, the DSLR alternatives were OVFs. I hate OVFs.
--- "Can't even take you seriously with your gallery!"
Ditto. Your gallery is riddled with Instagram cliché. One-trick-pony. You're like a two year that did something that made everyone laugh so you keep doing it for attention. You have all that equipment, and that's all you do with it? Sad.
E mount and A mount is like EF mount, L mount, Z mount..do I care about that canon designed RF mount? Nope... You are lost in your own head ... I dont need to use Google pal. I do photography long enough to know. Will you use same mount when the flange distance is smaller? For that reason you fail to understand why Sony had only chance with mirrorless and Canon with Nikon only followed... You are making fan boy arguments over business strategy... Its like apple vs windows and android... Always the same guys... I dont point finger on Sony.. I point finger on you... You lack knowledge and try to look cool. Just like with the photos of girls... Nice girls, but, that's all.. Bye.. Won't waste time with you.. Enough guys here with your attitude so you can start group chat.
My Dad's tougher than your Dad! Are we having fun?
He must have like cabbage rolls, walleye, and corn on the cob. ;-)