Skip to main content

Has Sony Australia really just outed the upcoming A3500 mirrorless camera?

sony australia self leaks images specs upcoming a3500 mirrorless camera

Usually when information about a new product leaks before its official announcement, it is because someone with inside knowledge forwards the info to one of the various rumors sites on the Internet. Rarely, however, does a company itself leak details on an upcoming device on its own website. One of these rare moments just happened, and the product in question is the upcoming Sony A3500 DSLR-styled mirrorless camera – possibly a successor to the A3000 that we saw back in August 2013. But, is it really a new camera, or just a rehash of an existing model?

ilce-3500-front-slantedLooking almost exactly the same as its predecessor, one could easily mistake the A3500 for the A3000, if it weren’t for the distinctive lettering on the front. And the similarities continue throughout the technical specifications: 20.1 megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor, maximum ISO of 16,000, Full HD video, 230,400k-dot 3-inch rear screen, and integrated electronic viewfinder. And even the weight appears to be exactly the same, at 14.5 ounces, including the battery. This has us scratching our heads a bit: Did Sony even bother to change anything about the camera for this new model, or are the leaked details of, in reality, those of the A3000, used as placeholders until the official announcement? It could even just be the same camera, with a different name for a different market.

What we can say for sure is that the A3500 is coming with a new kit lens, a smaller 18-50mm f/4-5.6 without Optical Steady Shot, Sony’s optical image stabilization system. The slightly shorter zoom range (50mm versus 55mm on the A3000’s kit lens), slightly slower aperture of f/4 (vs. f/3.5), and lack of OSS could be seen as a step-down from the A3000. But these omissions do seem to make the lens physically shorter from what we can tell from the leaked images, which helps create an overall slightly smaller (and probably also slightly lighter) package.

At the moment, we have no information on when the A3500 will be officially announced, or if it’s destined for the U.S. market. Until then, we have to take the leaked details on the camera with a grain of salt. But from what it looks like now, the A3500 will only be a minor update of the A3000, with the new kit lens being the most significant change.

(via Sony Australia via Photo Rumors)

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Felix Esser
Felix is a freelance tech journalist with a strong focus on photography. Based out of central Germany, he contributes to…
The Xperia 1 II brings Sony’s mirrorless camera tech to a smartphone
sony xperia 1 ii camera launch date xperia1ii lifestyle design man large

Sony’s Alpha-series mirrorless cameras are known for the best-in-class autofocus and fast continuous shooting, and those same features are now trickling down into Sony’s latest phone. The Xperia 1 II will ship July 24, with pre-sales beginning June 1, Sony announced today. The Android 10 device also borrows tech from Sony’s gaming and entertainment products.

No, the phone won't get a large APS-C or full-frame sensor like an Alpha camera, but Sony is integrating several key performance features of its camera line into the Xperia 1 II, like a 20-frames-per-second burst mode. That's as fast as the sports-oriented -- and $4,500 -- Sony A9 II mirrorless camera.

Read more
Sony A6600 vs. Sony A6100: A choice with no wrong answer
Sony A6600 top with 16-55 f/2.8

When Sony announced A6100 and A6600 on the same day, many were left wondering which one of the APS-C cameras was right for them. Although there are several similarities in both systems, the differences could be enough to sway your decision when picking the right camera for you.

The A6100 is currently available for $600, while the A6600 is $1400. That's quite a difference, but higher cost doesn't always equate to better quality. Instead, the features and performance are what separate the two -- but in many ways, they're closer than you might think.
At a glance:
Sony A6600

Read more
Fujifilm X-T4 vs. Sony A6600: Top APS-C mirrorless cameras compared
Fujifilm X-T4

That Fujifilm and Sony are now direct competitors for flagship APS-C mirrorless cameras is a bit strange.

A few years ago, you picked Sony if you liked high-tech gadgets with fast performance, and Fujifilm if you were a more traditional photographer who preferred a slower, methodical approach to image making but still wanted high-quality results. The companies targeted different customers, and their products were fine living in their respective bubbles.

Read more