There seems to be a lot of speculation about the Alpha 900 or Pro, and uncertainty about the timing of introduction. The August 14th date is not the 900, it’s two Cybershot models. The Alpha 900 will, as far as we are aware, be shown to the press on September 9th/10th worldwide.
It will go on sale on September 30th but we expect to see it offered by Foto Gregor, Köln, from September 23rd onwards – with one camera and grip on display in the window, and orders taken. I base this prediction on Foto Gregor’s record of the past 36 years of my attending photokina! They have never failed to show the most exciting new SLRs in their window when no other shop in the world had them available.
The actual camera will be not be for sale but will be loaned from Sony, who will be showing it at photokina starting with the pre-opening press day on September 22nd (Monday), where it is likely that Sony’s stand will be closed to the press. Some other stands will be open, and those with press passes will be able to enter the halls despite the exhibition not being open to the public.
Press preview information may be embargoed until September 23rd, or may be released immediately on September 10th, assuming that copy deadlines will in any case prevent most magazines from printing anything before photokina. Websites, however, can response within minutes and an embargo may therefore be placed on the images of the camera and new lenses. It is also possible that pre-production samples, known to be in use already, have a condition of use that no images are released from these cameras.
We hope that the new 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G SSM is shown with the Alpha 900 on Sept 9/10th too!
Shirley and I have our trip to photokina booked, and will be in Köln from Sept 20th, attending the pre-opening day in full, and returning to Scotland on the 24th in order to go to press for our October professional magazine (Master Photo Digital) edition. Pictures from the Sony stand will be posted on this site as soon after the start of photokina as possible, whether or not we are able to attend the earlier launch. If all goes to plan we will have an Alpha 900 review in the 2008 #4 edition (Autumn/Fall) of Photoworld, which will be mailed at the end of October.
To attend photokina (23rd-28th September, Tuesday to Sunday, Cologne/Köln, Germany) and be one of the first to handle the Alpha 900, check in at:
http://photokina.en.koelnmesse.info/
– DK