While thinking about that post about Nikon's current situation, I found myself looking back on some of my posts here about Nikon. I re-read the one where I asked myself, "could my next camera be a Sony?" The answer, clearly, was "yes" (the new generation of all brands' lineups required new lenses, so it was a perfect time to consider all options). But look at that wishlist:
- In-body image stabilization/IBIS (this was 2012, mind you, and Nikon stubbornly resisted this for way too long)
- Integrated GPS
- A little surprise and delight (referring to the pellicle mirror the A99 had)
Sony has top-notch IBIS, and Nikon finally added it much, much too late with the Z6/7 in 2018—six years after I was complaining in that post. Neither system boasts GPS, an omission I still don't understand. Sony actually regressed here: it was in that A99, but not in the newer mirrorless line that Sony has become so well known for.
As for the "surprise and delight", Sony had quite a few years where they were on a tear, technologically; it was a great time to be a Sony user. Their lens lineup really took its place among the top tier, and the cameras—while still too computer-y to earn my undying love—had a lot of innovation. Nikon sat on the sidelines for way too long: I'd say the Z9 was the first Nikon model in a long time that had a hint of that je ne sais quoi, with its lack of a shutter and freakishly fast sensor.
To be fair, Sony seems to have matured and that rapid pace of innovation might be slowing. The ⍺1 in early 2021 was a technological tour de force, but the recent ⍺1 II was a pretty minor iteration. My most recent model, the ⍺7 RV is a nice, solid upgrade over the ⍺7 RIII that was my first entry into the system, but it was also iterative.
Anyway, I thought it was fun to look back in light of that Nikon piece.