Sony’s response to their new digital SLR announcements ‘lacking video’ is just in. According to Mark Weir from Sony Electronic’s Digital Imaging group, they want to concentrate more on ‘still image quality’ and are still working on perfecting HD video technology for SLRs (they mention continuous AF and exposure control while recording video). And there you have it folks… in a way, this is a good thing - digital SLRs aren’t exactly video cameras and are better off taking high quality still pictures.
On another note: It seems that the A500, A550 and A850 cameras are the last announcements from Sony’s Alpha SLR division for the year 2009 (camera makers usually can’t/don’t pump out a lot of SLR models in a year, and Sony have already announced a total of six Alpha cameras this year)… maybe we’ll see movie modes on Sony Alpha models of 2010 or something.