Sony to Unveil a New Entry-Level Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera: Report

Sony is reportedly gearing up to announce a brand new mirrorless camera line: an entry-level camera that will be its smallest and cheapest full-frame body yet.

sonyalpharumors is hearing that the camera will not be part of the a7 or a9 lines — it will likely be the first model in a brand new line, possibly called the a5 or a6.

Based on a newly discovered registration filed by Sony Taiwan, the camera looks like it will use Sony’s NP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery, have a USB Type-C port, feature a single SD card slot, have built-in mic and headphone jacks, and offer Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity.

Aside from these basic details, not much else is known about the upcoming camera. It may or may not feature an electronic viewfinder — leaving it out would give the camera an ultra-compact a6XXX-style form factor.

The Sony a7 III currently costs $1,998, so the upcoming camera will presumably come in far under that price point. The full-frame (but previous gen) Sony a7 II is currently priced at $898 and the Canon EOS RP costs $999, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Sony were targeting that range with this new camera.

sonyalpharumors reports that Sony is almost certainly targeting a mid-September 2020 announcement for the new camera, though exact dates are difficult to nail during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they may be subject to change.

“This will be the ultimate Sony FF camera to carry always with you,” sonyalpharumors writes. “It will also attract plenty of new customers that might not be able to pay for the a7 III.”