Customer Reviews

Sony Alpha DSLRA850 24.6MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Sony A850 is an awesome camera, as long as you know what to look for in a camera system. You just aren't buying the body, you have to buy the glass :)
That said, when I was deciding to move up to full frame, I had to make a decision: Did I stick with Nikon, or try Sony? Well, I went with the A850 and I'm glad I did. It's a great camera.
I got myself the A850, the Carl Zeiss 24-70 f/2.8, and the Sony 70-400G and 58AM flash. Although the review covers the camera, realize I'm using these items with the body.


BUILD:

Solid feel throughout, with a very positive grip on the right. Command wheels "click" firmly, unlike cheaper builds that will be accidentally turned. Viewfinder is awesome, big, bright. Most buttons are within easy reach, except the ISO and WB buttons on the upper-right. I also don't like the optical preview button orientation (I prefer to press the button towards my body instead of inward towards the lens), but a small niggle. Once you pick up the A850, you know you're holding a solid piece of machinery. CF & battery doors seem to lack any sealing, so I'd be hesitant to take this out in any more than a very light drizzle. Rubber covers on the ports of the camera are very well-designed and actually hinge out, as opposed to flopping around like almost every other camera on the planet. CF door opens and stops at 90 degrees to the camera body - more is needed, as it makes getting out a CF card too hard for larger fingers.

OPERATION:

Overall, it's a camera that just gets out of your way, which is a compliment. First, some quibbles: There's no ISO listed in the VF display unless you're in the process of changing it. The AF points don't cover as much as the frame as I'd like (common complaint among FF DSLRs). Mirror slap is a noticeable "THUNK-THUNK", so don't think you'll be taking spy pictures with this any time soon.

Onto a couple of more important gripes:
No onboard flash, which really hurts for not having wireless flash triggering built-in. There is no "AF-ON" button like you find on Canon or Nikon bodies - Instead, Sony uses a button that can be used to toggle AF/MF, or switch to a central focus point, etc. but nothing exactly like the AF-ON operation from other cameras. Finally, using the "Quick-Navi" to change settings is a bit annoying, in that you can't change multiple settings at once - you have to reenter Quick-Navi each time. Not really time-consuming, as the button is right near your right thumb, but annoying. EDIT - Silly me! You can change multiple settings at once, after entering Quick-Navi mode, by using the front/rear wheels to adjust your settings, instead of the joystick. No longer a complaint!

Now the good stuff: The camera just works :) I love the SteadyShot meter in the VF, which shows you relative camera shake and lets you take a shot with minimal shake. Although I miss AF-ON, I do like AF-MF quick button, which lets me quickly take over focus when I need to. I also like the way the camera will illuminate AF points when you're in AF-C mode and using "Wide" AF points (the camera chooses the AF points). AF speed is adequately fast, though it can have trouble in very dim lights.

IMAGE QUALITY

Ultimately, the reason I bought into Sony. The image quality is amazing. Colors are outstanding. Detail is definitely there. I can crop for days and still end up with a large, high-detail file. I can (and do) print large, which was a deciding factor over the D700 (I did not consider the 5DII, as I dislike Canon controls).

I was initially really worried about the noise of the camera, that is until I read a blog from a wedding photographer that had recently switched to Sony. He gave good advice - Look at your images and really see if you *need* high ISO. I think high ISO has become the want-all, end-all criteria for buying a camera body, which is a shame. How about image quality? Ergonomics? Value? Lots of things to consider, although high ISO is nice to have.

For me, up to ISO 1600 is fine, and a well-exposed ISO 3200 looks pretty good. Interestingly enough, I've actually found myself almost completely ignoring luminance NR and only applying small amounts (15% slider in Lightroom 3) of chroma NR and images look very good! Maybe it's because of the "film-like" quality, but I actually enjoy having some grain in my images.

Also, the camera seems to underexpose anywhere from 0.3 to 0.7 EV - knowing to do a little ETTR really helps with noise and IQ in general.
EDIT - Camera no longer seems to underexpose after I switched my 'style' "Zone" setting to -1, which tells the camera don't worry so much about blown highlights when you're metering (even with RAW) - Camera now exposes how I would expect, and I don't to use a permanent exposure compensation!



SUMMARY:

Overall, a great camera (system). I like how the body performs, and I like the glass I can attach to it. It's not perfect, of course (what camera is?), but for $2000 you get a high-quality full-frame camera with loads of megapixels. If this suits what you shoot (which it does for me), then take a strong look at the A850.

I've had the chance now to use this camera for over a month and I love it. I have the 85 f/1.4 zeiss lens attached to it for portraits / weddings, and it gets the job done--the resolution is amazing. I will hopefully be adding the 16-35 or 24-70 later this year. Some make a big deal about this camera having high iso 'issues', but they are mistaken. I prefer natural light and have gone up to ISO 3200 without complications--using nik dfine's noise reduction software only makes it better! I also have used flash in order to lower my iso and deliver great imagery.

The camera feels solid and has some weight to it with good glass. The shutter noise is very distinct, but that is to be expected with such a large mirror. In-body stabilization is as advertised and is incredible--I'm able to get crisp, hand held shots at 1/15 s with an 85 mm lens.

I've always been told that with anything involving optics, you will never go wrong with the system with the best glass, and I believe Sony is the leader by offering zeiss lenses. Yes--they don't have all of the different lenses that Canikon offers, but 99% of my work is done in the 16-200 mm range, and they offer amazing lenses for that focal length range (I guess I could go even longer-twss-with the 400 mm G series lenses they offer).

Get this camera if you're looking for a well-built machine that can deliver professional images. Full frame for less than $2000 = awesome.

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.

When the DSLR-A900 was introduced into the DSLR market as Sony's first full-frame model, there were alot of complaints over its somewhat unimpressive noise handling capabilities, lack of customization and not so impressive price tag, despite the fact that it carried one of the highest resolution sensors (at 24.6 MP) at the time. The introduction of Canon's 5D Mark 2 gave a serious blow to the A900's marketability: the Canon's body had a 21 MP sensor with incredible noise handling capabilities, video mode and live view.

A little over a year later, Sony has done what no DSLR manufacturers have ever done before: released a mildly stripped-down version of their DSLR-A900, in the name of DSLR-A850.

If you have done your researches online (dpreview, steve-digicams etc.), you will find that the A850 and A900 are eerily similar. In fact, the only two things that keep these two siblings apart are the 98% viewfinder vs the 100% viewfinder coverage and the 3fps vs the 5fps continuous burst. The differences of the quality of the pictures taken with these two models are so marginal they're almost negligible for the most part. The reason being? The A850 carries the exact 24.6 MP sensor as its older sibling, the A900.

I was one of the few lucky people who was able to grab a brand new A850 for 1650 dollars (USD); everyone in the DSLR industry has praised the A850 as the only affordable full frame DSLR, and this recent drop of the A850's price tag was just too inticing for me to pass up.

One thing worth mentioning here: the A850 body does not come bundled with a wireless remote control, although the body does support wireless remote release. The A900 comes bundled with a wireless remote control, the same unit can be purchased for about 40 dollars if you believe you have any use for it. The remote control provides two basic usable releases: a 2-sec delay shuttle release and an immediate release. The other controls are meant for playback of slideshows on a Bravia TV only so they will not work even when you set the camera to playback mode using the built-in LCD screen.

The A850, as with all Sony DSLRs, does not provide their users with alot of controls over certain photograhic parameters. Although comparatively, the A850 (along with the A900 and A700) does alot better than their SLT-55, SLT-33, A5XX, A4XX, A3XX and A2XX series bodies.

The Auto-ISO function is limiting: we are given ranges such as 200-400, 200-800, 400-800, 200-800 and 200-1600 to choose from. The ranges suggest that the maximum ISO is 1600 whereas the minimum ISO is 200. The ISO can be manually pushed down to 100 and dialed all the way up to 6400, but it appears that Sony does not want their A850 users to use the lower or higher limits of the camera's sensitivities.

There is also no minimum shutter speed limiter to keep exposures from shaking from overly low shutter speeds when using the P, A and M modes.

Chroma noise is highly visible on the A850, usually appearing as tiny grains of reds and blues in the final image, especially in the shadows. The use of the DRO (Dynamic Range Optimizer) must be applied carefully, DRO and DRO+ are generally usable under most conditions, but the advanced DRO (1-5) should only be applied if you really need to shoot in really harsh contrasting situations.

The color output of the A850 is very saturated by default, especially in the red region. Since DRO pushes shadows out of the dark, it will draw alot of red blotches out of the shadows when a strong DRO value (like DRO +3) is applied over a generally dark exposure. My advice is to stay between DRO and DRO+, and avoid using DRO Advance +3 to +5 altogether for normal shoots. Do note that the DRO effects are not applied to the A850's RAW or cRAW files.

Chroma noise (especially red) starts to show after ISO 400 and becomes quite intrusive after ISO 800, but if you examine the pictures carefully, you will notice that despite of all those color blotches, the details on the exposures are unbelievably fine compared to any APS-C models we have today at equivalent ISOs. The color saturation stays strong all the way up to 6400, so if you shoot in JPEG exclusively, it may be a good idea to shoot at XFINE mode (about 19 MB per file) and post process with Photoshop later to strip off those tiny ugly blotches. Shoot in RAW if you don't mind the larger files and Sony's newest RAW handling software, Sony's Image Data Converter, IDC (free to use, version 3.2 or later) will clean up those color blotches even more effectively.

The A850's 24.6 sensor behaves like a real 35mm film in black and white mode. No post-processing is necessary if you shoot in B&W even at maximum ISO. At high sensitivies in black & white, the luminance grains in combination with the details of the full-frame sensor are simply breathtaking.

The A850 has 4 noise supression settings: Off, Low, Mid and High. The settings do not appear to have much effect on chroma noise, and does a horrible job at smudging the details at ISO settings above 1600, so if you need to shoot in color at high sensititivies, there may be no need to force the setting to maximum as any decent post processing software will clean up the color blotches for you without destroying the details of the original exposures.

Sony has rated the A850's continuous burst at 3fps maximum and provided an upper limit of the burst at around 39 pictures under XFINE JPEG mode. Dpreview has claimed that the camera is in fact able to shoot indefinitely using a Sandisk Ducati CF card. The A850 outputs files at a maximum of 40 MB per second, and the Ducati is able to receive them at 40 MB per second therefore keeping the A850's buffer from filling up and choking the system. I've slotted in a newer, Sandisk Extreme CF card (60 MB per second, UDMA 5) and the camera blasted away at a constant 3fps way past the 39 mark. Sony's very own Memory Stick HG Pro (their fastest) only writes at 30MB per second, so if you use a Sony Memory Stick with the A850, the system will choke up around frame 37-39 and come to a stop until the images have been written onto the card. Therefore, if you intend to use the A850 to shoot lots of dynamic scenes, get a high speed CF card with write speeds of 40 MB per second (266x) or faster. The A850 will love you for it. Using the Sandisk Extreme CF Card (16GB), I have held the camera down for 100 shots (perhaps more) in one burst and the camera was able to resume full function in about 1 second after I release my finger. With Sony's latest Memory Stick, I had to wait about 15 seconds for the A850 to recover just after 37-39 shots.

The A850 has no built-in flash. I was able to use the following three flashes with the A850 without any problems: The HVL-F58AM, the HVL-F42AM and the HVL-F20AM. The F20AM can be used to remotely trigger both the F58AM and F42AM at the same time in bounce flash and direct flash mode, remote trigger them in high-speed sync mode in bounce flash and direct flash mode, and the F58AM can perform lighting ratio control when attached to the A850 (although I only have two out of the total three flashes needed, as the F20AM cannot be triggered wirelessly as an off-camera flash).

Is the DSLR-A850 intended to be the poor man's version of a full frame DSLR? Hardly. With a bright, 98% viewfinder coverage, fast auto-focus with fine focus tuning for individual lenses, and a very respectable 3fps continuous shooting, this massive tank of a camera is able to hold its own against many full frame bodies out there. Bear in mind that with the alpha mount, the A850, like it's more expensive silbling A900, is able to use every single full frame alpha AF lens out there, be they entry level models that cost a little over 200 dollars or Carl-Zeiss models that command price tags higher than wedding rings.

This makes the transition from an APS-C system to a full-frame system so much less painful to the wallet, and anyone who picks up this DSLR body can start using it right away with any of their AF, full-frame compatible alpha-mount lenses. Cropped (DT) lenses are usable too although the built-in software of the A850 will automatically crop it's sensor to frame 11 MP from the center of the image sensor to match the FOV of the DT lenses.

The lack of live-view mode may be a deal breaker for some, but so far only Sony has been using the high-speed, continuous live-view system that actually works for the photographers instead of against them (on their APS-C models). Unlike contrast detection AF live view bodies or phase detection live view bodies (some models have both CDAF and PDAF) by other manufacturers, every single Sony live view models provide lightning fast auto-focus lock (not 1.5 or 3 seconds) with their duo-sensor systems. Their live view models do not black out during focus while giving the fraction-of-a-second AF lock other manufacturers can provide with PDAF. The time will come for Sony to implement the same fast continuous AF live-view system into their full-frame bodies, but for now, they have decided to leave live-view out probably to keep the price tags of these full-frame bodies wallet friendly, or until the same technology can be implemented correctly into one of their full-frame bodies.

Although Sony may never be accepted by most photographers as a maker of "true" DSLRs, they have clearly come up with a winner with the A850, despite its long list of shortcomings in terms of noise handling and customization options. The little rewards the A850 brings you are so much more important from a photographer's point of view that they outweigh all its shortcomings. With the ability to use virtually any full-frame AF lenses in the Alpha-Minolta family, the use of traditional flashes (it has a standard PC 1/8" (for Prontor/Compur) flash connector plus Sony's proprietary, multiple wireless flash system, wireless shutter release, continuous shutter release at maximum JPEG quality until the card is full, the exquisitely high resolution sensor with very fine details (the XFINE JPEGs are around 19MB each) when shooting at ISO 400 or lower, The A850 may very well be the ultimate 35mm DSLR for fashion and stock photographers that work primarily in studios with extensive lighting setup and landscape photographers that shoot using tripods most of the time. The 24.6 megapixel sensor delivers an astonishing amount of detail especially in RAW or cRAW mode, enough for nothing short of wall-size worthy prints.

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.

The Sony A-850 is simply an amazing camera. I was worried about some reviews claiming that the A-850 had a problem with high noise, but was pleasantly surprised when I began to use the camera. There is noise in high ISO (800+iso) images but this can EASILY be corrected in Photoshop or Lightroom. Also prime lenses are stabilized! This means that instead of using a high iso setting you can simply use a good prime at 1.8 30th.

The auto focus is extremely accurate, although a little slower with older Minolta lenses.

The image quality is incredible.

The price is incredible.

If you don't need video, and actually know how to use a camera, this is what you want.

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!

Heartily recommend to anyone considering a full frame upgrade. Unlike its usual marked-up approach, Sony have thankfully priced below market for a change with this model. In a month's use, it hasn't shown any weaknesses, is ruggedly built and solid in hand, has an excellent tonal range with creamy highlights - particularly apparent coming from the narrow range of the APS-C world.

Pair with a solid 50 lens and it's like shooting film all over again, with the true "visual presence" of the 35mm system as you look through the viewfinder, and with all the welcome advantages of digital.

This is an excellent full frame camera with a stunning 24.6MP that is capable of (with the correct lens) generating stunning pictures. Great build and handles very well.

This Sony a850 replaces my Sony a100 and a Minolta Maxxum 9xi. The lenses for these cameras fit the a850, so no new lenses had to be purchased. The viewfinder is the brightest ony camera I have owned, and the 35mm format suits the wildlife and scenery work I do. I wish I had this camera when working in Alaska, where a few of my Leica photographs made it into the Alaska Magazine many years ago. Too many years have gone by to fully describe the over 14,000 photographs in my file. I am 82 now, and I wish this camera had taken all of them. There would be far fewer to cull from Lightroom today.Sony Alpha DSLRA850 24.6MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)