Being on a college campus three days out of the week gives this writer plenty of opportunity to witness photographers in action, and has even given her the chance to speak with a few. For a long while, DSLR cameras have been the bread and butter of almost any photographer worth their salt, and while the pictures captured by these machines are gorgeous, especially in the hands of a particularly talented photographer, they pose a few problems, with some of the chief complaints being their high price and bulkiness.

Sony has entered the playing field in an attempt to challenge at least one of those factors, however, by offering the world’s first series of mirrorless, interchangeable lens cameras that also feature a full-frame image sensor.

Interchangeable lenses and mirrorless cameras are not at all new to the market, but the final aspect of Sony including a full-frame image sensor is new, and is bound to be a very high selling point for the new line of cameras. Until this line became an option, mirrorless, interchangeable lens cameras offered SLR advantages for photography in a smaller, lighter package, but with inferior lenses and image sensors. This new line of cameras will put Sony’s products in line with the image quality of a SLR camera while still keeping the compactness and lightness of a regular mirrorless camera.

This will definitely be a game changer in the market for cameras this upcoming holiday season. That is, if people are willing to shell out the cash; while these new cameras offer more portability and convenience without sacrificing quality, they are still rather expensive. The Sony Alpha 7R is priced at over $2,000 just for the body, while the Alpha 7 will for between $1,700- $2,000, depending on if a kit lens is purchased with it, as well. Still, for any photographer intent on taking quality pictures, but looking for something a bit more friendly in terms of portability, this new mirrorless camera from Sony will definitely make it onto a wishlist for Santa this Christmas.

[Image courtesy of the official Sony online shop.]