Photography Professionals have an expectation to meet, and right now, I agree that C & N can, and will be expected to provide it for them with their current array of equipment. Sony has got good RMA service, but other portions have to improve and be built upon to really attract the professionals - and professionals are effective as a marketing tool of their own, as well as a test bed for new, high end technologies.
There has been a Minolta Film interlude on many pro photographer's portfolio - a testament to their sheer design genius. Now with Sony inheriting the same brains behind that genius, now these people also have the resources and marketing machine that, without it, had probably doomed Minolta in the first place. Do not forget that Sony is already very respectable on the highest end of videography technology. Despite of that, many of us, deep down can agree that the Photography segment is going to be a very tough nut to crack, so Sony has to work hard.
Now with guns a-blazing - with designs borne out of inherited Minolta genius, powerful Carl Zeiss optics (amongst them, includes with arguably the finest mid range zoom ever made so far for 35mm), coupled with a list of very effectively improved Tamron designs. Being the largest conglomerate to step in - when they say that "they want in", they are going to get it. C&N are both feeling the pressure. And I believe, this is easily seen: C & N are still keeping and selling their older entry level cameras on their inventory list.
So given time, they can be just as good. 2008 has been an exciting year for Sony and her users alike. Expect more to come.
