Sony rumors 2024
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 III.
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 ZV-E10 II
Eyebrows were raised when it was revealed that 48% of Sony's sales come now from vlogging cameras, but that explains why the company pumped out 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 – starting with a successor to the Sony ZV-E10. I've been hearing rumblings that the ZV-E10 II will have a 26MP sensor (likely the same as the A6700 and upcoming A6200), giving it a very slight bump from the 24.2MP of its predecessor. However, it's among the cameras that apparently had its May release postponed by external factors. Rumor is that it's going to be announced in June, though release dates feel like a bit of a moving target right now.
If you're as confused as I am about how to tell all the ZV cameras apart, check out our Sony ZV-1 vs ZV-1F vs ZV-E10 vs ZV-E1 comparison.
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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. While there were initially some suggestions of a global shutter sensor, I've heard it suggested recently that the A7S IV could actually feature the same new partially stacked image sensor seen in the Nikon Z6 III.
This clever 24.5MP sensor is capable of internal full-frame 6K 60p RAW, full-frame 1080p 240p and APS-C 4K 120p. This would seem to make more sense than the previously rumored 40MP sensor, since keeping the resolution low would keep the low light and dynamic range performance high.
Sony FX3 II (instead of an A7S IV?)
It's long been rumored that another FX camera is on the way, and the current chat is that it's going to be the FX3 II. However, what's really interesting is the suggestion that we might actually get an FX3 II instead of an A7S IV rather than in addition to it.
Whether both cameras make it to market or not, it's very plausible that they share the same architecture – given that the FX3 and FX6 were in many ways rebodied A7S IIIs. Whether Sony decides to keep the A7S series alive or merge it with the content-come-cinema halfway house of the FX3 line will be very interesting.
Rumors from China suggest that the camera will have a 12MP global shutter sensor, which seems more than a little outlandish to me. When it comes to camera rumors, Chinese whispers are about as reliable as the stereotype – but given that Sony has thrown its weight behind global shutter tech, it's not out of the question.
Personally, the rumor that the A7S IV would feature the new partially stacked sensor seen in the Nikon Z6 III would make just as much sense for the new FX camera – and is where I would personally put my money.
Sony PXW-Z200 & HXR-NX800
While it's not news that gets most people excited, Sony makes some of the best camcorders in the industry – and camcorders have long been one of the most reliable pillars of the imaging business, so more is definitely good!
I've heard that Sony has registered a pair of new camcorders in China: the PXW-Z200 and HXR-NX800. No specs are yet available, but camcorders is a very well-paced segment where very few extraneous models are released – so I can only assume there is demand for whatever it is these will provide!
Sony A7 V
While little is known about the successor to 2021's Sony A7 IV, it is rumored that the A7 V will be announced at the end of this year. And there has been chatter from multiple sources that it could feature a 49MP sensor, which would certainly be a big leap from the 33MP of its predecessor – and big enough to tread on the toes of the 45MP Canon EOS R5 and Nikon Z8, but not enough to topple the resolution throne of the 61MP Sony A7R V.
Sony A6200
Expected to arrive in the summer, the Sony A6200 is said to possess the same excellent 26MP image sensor as the Sony A6700 – which is also apparently finding its way into the ZV-10 II (above).
My question is, does Sony – or the consumer, for that matter – really want or need both cameras?
New Sony RX1
If you've been waiting for an affordable alternative to the Leica Q3, you might be in luck. Sony Rumors has speculated that we could see Sony resurrect its full-frame compact camera line, with a new RX1 – which would be the first since 2016's RX1R II.
Compact cameras have been seeing a resurgence of late, thanks to the likes of the Q3 and Fujifilm X100V, so it would be interesting to see what Sony brings to the party.
The Sony verdict
What we think: This looks to be a video-centric year in the form of new A7S, FX and ZV cameras, but could Sony also resurrect its full-frame compact to cash in on the current X100VI / Q3 / GR III craze?
More camera rumors: Canon rumors • Nikon rumors • Olympus rumors • Fuji rumors • Panasonic rumors • Sigma rumors • Hasselblad rumors • Leica rumors • Ricoh & Pentax rumors • GoPro rumors
