Sony has spent the last few years spanking DSLR stalwarts Canon and Nikon with its A7 line, and the most recent A9 expansion to its mirrorless series has targeted sports and action shooters that are currently relying on the likes of the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and Nikon D5.

Now, with all three of the company's second-generation A7 models firmly set in the marketplace, the next logical step would be to bring some of the more recent developments to the next generation of camera – which makes the current rumours of an impending A7 III all the more believable.

Given that the A7 II (pictured above) was the first of the current-generation A7 triplet to hit the market back in November 2014, it would logically be the first in the series that Sony would look to replace. That camera's announcement was followed by the A7R II and A7S II in 2015, and subsequently the A99 II SLT model and A9, so there’s a whole heap of tech that the new model could scoop up.

The current rumours suggest the new model will arrive with the same AF system as the A9, which has already attracted much attention. With 693 phase-detect AF points and 93% frame coverage, the system has wowed those who have managed to get their hands on early samples.

The fact that Sony has been able to combine this with 20fps and blackout-free shooting has been particularly impressive on the A9. It seems unlikely, however, that the new model will sport such a lofty burst rate, given its traditional positioning as the affordable, all-rounder of the trio.

The new model has been rumoured for some time, although this has stepped a gear recently. Current rumours suggest that the model will land in November and will maintain a 24MP sensor, although quite whether this will be based on a new or existing design is unclear. Sony has tended to make incremental changes to sensors for new models, so its entirely likely it’s not one we will have seen before.

The new model will almost certainly also arrive with 4K video recording, a feature Sony has strongly pushed across its entire Alpha and Cyber-shot portfolio. The A7 II is currently the most senior model to lack this feature, so its arrival is very much expected on an updated version.

It's also likely that 4K video recording would be complemented by the same advanced video features that appear on the A7 II, such as S-Log2 and a headphone port for audio monitoring. Other features we may well see include a touchscreen, a feature that’s made its way into the recent A9 and A6500, and perhaps an upgraded viewfinder too.

2017-6-14 03:00