Sony’s Alpha A35 has come to the end of its lifespan, with the SonyStyle store showing it as a ‘previous model’. Having been on the shelf for under a year, it seems there’s every chance we’ll be seeing a replacement sooner rather than later.

This leaves only the Alpha A77 and Alpha A65 as current models, both of which were released late in 2011.

Perhaps more interesting is the lack of movement in the traditional DSLR sector, with the entire Sony Alpha DSLR range currently out of production.

With the A580 and A900 no longer available, and very few rumours alluding to any replacement, this could spell a shift away from traditional mirror technology for Sony.

With all of the major releases throughout 2011 being of the translucent mirror (SLT) variety, could this spell the end of Sony DSLRs as we know them?

The lack of both a beginner and pro-end DSLR cameras does leave a notable gap in Sony’s lineup, meaning releases of both could be imminent. But will we see an ‘A580/A55’ release approach to cater for both DSLR and SLT markets, or will the company forego the DSLR production altogether?

UPDATE

Sony contacted us after posting this story, stating that they have no intention of leaving the DSLR market. Whether this infers a new model is going to be launched in the next few months remains to be seen, but we’ll keep you posted when any new informations arises.

Sony Quote; “We are absolutely committed to the DSLR / SLT market. Through our SLT cameras we believe we can deliver new benefits such as fastframe rate with continuous AF in both stills and videos. The a77 is proof of how serious we are about this market and the number of awards, including the What Digital Camera Gold award and the prestigious Amateur Photographer Reader Product of the Year show that this is model is rated very highly. Stock is now available and we are excited to find out what people think when theybuy, own and use this product.” Rachel Banin, Head of Personal Imaging, Sony UK.