Sony A3100 mirrorless camera to be announced this Spring

Sony is rumored to announce the Alpha-series A3100 E-mount mirrorless camera with an APS-C-sized image sensor and DSLR-like design in the near future.

The entry-level E-mount camera is called A3000 and it has been announced in August 2013, being one of the company’s first signs that the NEX brand will be dropped in favor of the Alpha brand, the latter being previously specific to A-mount cameras.

One of the most interesting aspects of this shooter consists of its design. The device has been made to look like a DSLR, thanks to its large grip and large bump around the viewfinder.

Although entry-level models are usually replaced faster, the PlayStation maker has not launched a follow-up to the A3000 so far. However, an unnamed source is claiming that a DSLR-like E-mount camera with an APS-C sensor is being tested in China and it will probably be revealed this Spring.

Sony is allegedly on the verge of replacing the DSLR-like A3000 with the A3100 soon.

Sony A3100 DSLR-styled mirrorless camera coming this Spring

The source has not provided any names. However, the leaked information says that the size of the DSLR-styled device makes the source believe that this is E-mount model instead of a FE-mount one.

The A3000 is the only E-mount camera with a DSLR-like design. The Sony A3100 name comes from the fact that the company has replaced the A5000 E-mount APS-C camera with the A5100, so it is very likely that the same naming strategy applies to this series as well.

The source added that the Sony A3100 is currently being tested in Shanghai, China, but has failed to reveal an exact date for the device’s announcement event. However, we should expect the mirrorless camera to be introduced sometime this Spring.

About the Sony A3000 mirrorless camera

Sony A3000 comes packed with a 20.1-megapixel APS-C sensor, BIONZ image processor, integrated electronic viewfinder, and a 3-inch LCD screen on the back.

The low-end mirrorless camera is compatible with all E-mount lenses and it is capable of capturing RAW images and full HD videos.

Its ISO sensitivity ranges between 100 and 16,000, its continuous shooting mode stands at 3.5fps, while its maximum shutter speed stands at 1/4000th of a second.

The launch price of the A3000 and a lens kit was $399.99. However, the price of the camera has decreased last fall down to a little under $300 at Amazon.

Stay tuned for more details regarding the Sony A3100 launch!

Source: SonyAlphaRumors.