Sony rumors 2023
The Sony rumors are flying thick and fast. Even though the launch of the new flagship Sony A9 III has squashed some of the most recent chatter, it has ignited all new rumors in other departments!
There's also a lot of movement in the world of vlogging cameras, which is increasingly the noisiest area of the industry. And with the company doubling down on this category, the Sony rumors are super strong when it comes to content creation.
Sony A1 II
With the original Sony A1 having been launched at the start of 2021, we're not realistically looking at a replacement until 2025 – which probably means an announcement late next year at the earliest. That hasn't, however, stopped the early rumors surfacing… thanks mostly to the launch of the A9 II.
With the flagship sports camera featuring the debut of Sony's full-frame global shutter sensor, there is already chatter (and rightly so) that the Sony A1 II will likewise feature a global shutter. However, where the speed-oriented A9 II restricted resolution to 24.6MP, the A1 II is tipped to feature the same pixel-oriented sensor in the 50MP range.
Sony A7S IV
The Sony A7S III was launched back in October 2020, meaning that the video-centric Alpha camera is long overdue a refresh (though arguably it's already had at least three, in the guide of the Sony FX3, Sony FX6 and Sony ZV-E1, all of which have the same sensor and all but the latter have much the same features).
Good thing, then, that the long-awaited successor is currently rumored to release in 2024 – apparently later in the year, which would seem to sync nicely with the October launch of its predecessor.
Some extremely salt-worthy rumors have been whispered, including the omission of 8K (which would be unusual for Sony's video flagship) and the debut of a new dual-layer sensor. Could the latter point actually be referring to a global shutter sensor, as seen in the A9II? Either way, though, you can bet that Sony is going to cherry-pick the best bits from its enormously successful ZV line of vlogging cameras. Speaking of…
More ZV cameras
Eyebrows were raised when it was revealed that 48% of Sony's sales come now from vlogging cameras, but that explains why the company dropped five successive ZV cameras (known as Vlogcam in Japan) in such short order. And it also tells you what to expect from the company, as vlogging cameras are responsible for the post-pandemic recovery of the industry, being the only sector that's actually experiencing growth.
Thus, more Sony ZV cameras are coming. Given its wild popularity, a successor to the Sony ZV-E10 seems a likely first candidate.
Check out the current range in our Sony ZV-1 vs ZV-1F vs ZV-E10 vs ZV-E1 comparison.
New Sony FX camera
Information remains incredibly thin on the ground but, in addition to the A9 III and A7S IV, it is being reported that Sony will also announce a third camera in the next few months: likely a new FX model.
This makes a lot of sense, given that the FX3 and FX6 were in many ways rebodied A7S IIIs. So if we are indeed about to get an A7S IV, that would make a likely technological basis for the next FX camera.
The Sony verdict
What we think: Next year being an Olympic year, Sony's top priority will be getting the A9 III out of the door – no doubt flanked by more ZV vlogging cameras.
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