Sony α 850
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| Sony Alpha 850 DSLR 10/08/2010 This is a superb camera for the serious amateur. The definition is outstanding. I have had some excellent A3 enlargements from my old A100 but the A850 offers much higher quality. With its 24 Mp sensor that isn't a surprise but comparing the results the A850 still produces a 'Wow'. The controls are easy to use and the Function button offers quick access to them. The camera is relatively heavy and won't fit in your pocket but this is a camera for serious users. A professional would doubtless want access to the greater range of lenses offered by Canon and Nikon but their cameras come at a much higher price. My old Minolta lenses are compatible with the A850 which is a bonus. The old 28-80mm Minolta 505 lens produces excellent results with the A850 and gives the new Zeiss 24-70 mm lens a run for its money. The Zeiss lens does have better contrast at higher magnifications though. An excellent camera which I highly recommend. By monk_man Bucks | |||||
| Need more stars! LOVE LOVE LOVE it! 18/06/2010 This is the most awesome camera there is. I can't believe you can get a professional quality camera at such a low price! I LOVE this camera. I thought I was a pretty good photographer before, but this camera has made me a fabulous photographer! I've taken shots of wildlife that I just stare at and can't believe they are so good. There is almost no challenge any more to getting amazing shots. If you are a photographer who likes the challenge of a difficult shot, you will probably get bored with this camera because it makes those shots just too easy. I'm still learning this camera's capabilities, but I LOVE shooting things with it! My house is now filled with framed prints that I took. When I actually got around to reading the manual, the pictures blew me away. I'm not a pro, I just take pictures like one! By SailorGal | |||||
| Too good for my eyes... 16/06/2010 I bought the Sony Alpha 850 in March, sold it two months later and firmly believe it is the best camera I have ever owned. Everything about the 850 screams pro-level quality; from build to lay-out and operating system and ease of use, this camera is outstanding. And it costs around $500 less than its nearest full-frame competitor. (And the Sony 50mm 1.4 prime lems is a little gem too.) So why on earth did I sell it? No live view. Poor eyesight inhibited my focusing competence via the viewfinder. That's it. Image quality is not a feature; it is everything and this camera delivers the best IQ I have seen to date. I hope this is an eye-opener to others... By David R. Evans Australia | |||||
| Sony a850 is One Fine Camera 26/04/2010 The a850 is one fine camera. I've been a Leica user since age 12 and found most other brands imprecise and unsatisfying, and was waiting for a Leica full frame DSLR. But when Sony announced the sub-$2000 full-frame a850, I had to bite, especially at a price differential of $21,000. After all, I've owned [and own] an assortment of Sony products and over 40 years have never had to replace any of them due to product failure. So the risk was minimal. Let me dispense with the frequently reported shortcomings of this camera, and the only reason I ranked it 4, instead of 5 stars. It does not include "Live View" or "Movie mode". As a traditional enthusiast "film" photographer I use neither of these features, so their omission is inconsequential to me. Their omission, however, allows highest end digital photography to become available at unprecedented low prices. If you need these features then look elsewhere. However, the strong points are: 1 - When Konica-Minolta ceased camera production Sony purchased rights to use their auto-focus design, originally introduced in 1985 for Minolta's premium line of "Maxxum" cameras and lenses. Therefore, any Minolta "AF" lens works perfectly with this Sony; and I already had 3 of them covering from 28mm to 300mm. They are readily available used at very low prices. The 50mm f:1.7 primary lens is particularly sharp. Thus, for the price of the body, I had a complete camera outfit. The current Sony lenses for the a850 are basically repackaged Minolta AF designs with improved weather protection. Additionally, Zeiss makes a superb line of premium professional lenses for the purist [but at high prices]. 2 - Anti-shake is mounted in the camera body, not the lens, allowing any lens that can be mounted to use this feature, even the 1985 Minolta lenses for the Maxxum. It will even work with non-autofocus lenses mounted with adapters. 3 - Sony "kit" lenses are priced significantly lower than competing brands since anti-shake does not have to be incorporated into each lens. 4 - A dial atop the camera allows instant selection of Auto operation, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual operation and 3 custom settings. 5 - Despite a myriad of features, the controls are easy to use. On my earlier Canon G7 almost all control settings, such as shutter speed, aperture, white balance, et., had to be set through the LCD menu - a slow tedious process, causing some photos to be missed. On the a850 all such settings are directly settable using controls accessible with the right hand. White balance, ISO selection, aperture and shutter are instantly adjustable. Once these buttons are mastered the camera becomes extremely responsive to use. 6 - Tha a850 takes noiseless pictures at ISO settings to 3200 while most cameras get noise interference above 200 ISO. Although this is the lowest priced full frame camera available, it is solidly built and does not feel flimsy. The 24.6mb CCD gives extraordinary results that look sharp, even on my Sony 70 inch HDTV. The smallest details can be cropped and enlarged without pixellation. However, with the 75mm to 300mm macro zoom lens the a850 becomes truly weighty and I use a monopod to increase stability. I can highly recommend the a850 to serious camera enthusiasts and professionals while it is probably more camera than an average family snapshooter needs. By E. Leute Vermont | |||||
| no-nonsense Full Frame DSLR 16/04/2010 Sony A850 camera is well crafted tool. It incorporates Image Stabilization camera based technology (SSS), which works very effectively with Carl Zeiss (CS), Minolta Maxxum, A-Mount designed Sigma, Tamron, Tokina lenses. A850 Full Frame sensor resolution is incredible. Image Resolution translates into sharp detail and natural color tones. At the same time, user who doesn't need full resolution for casual photos can choose 13 Megapixel or 6 Megapixel modes. Camera feels solid in hands. Controls are well positioned. Menu is intuitive. Auto Focus is fast and accurate. Low light assistant allows accurate focus at night. All 11 Maxxum, Sigma, Tamron lenses from my collection work very well on A850. Some lenses, like Sigma 20mm f/1.8 focus much better that on previous camera bodies. A850 does great photos with inexpensive Minolta Maxxum lenses, like 28mm f/2.8 AF, 50mm f/1.7 AF, Maxxum 70-210mm f/4 AF and other good oldies. My only concern is intimidating amount of features that will take years to master. For examples of photos made with Sony A850 google my name. By S. Pustylnik Rockville, Maryland | |||||
