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This is the full frame 23+ megapixel Sony A850 which I bought with a good quality Zeiss lens Zoom to 80mm auto-focus/exposure TTL metering . There is no down side to this camera. It is a tremendous value in my opinion. I also purchased a Zeikos Dig Flash made for this model high power, it has no built in flash, it does not take video, however I didnt buy it for those functions . I always use separate flash and I have a great HD Video cam and like it . It is a super Dig SLR . The ratings are all true. The tremendous detail great color ability to shoot RAW & JPEG set the color to Adobe, RGB etc.. My first few shot I made a greater than life size poster after cropping a photo at nearly 50 feet away taken with flash and using Adobe CS5. The detail is spectacular it seems like I can crop blow up crop and blow up almost indefinitely without seeing a single pixel. If you are a pro you will leave your Nikon and Canon and maybe your Leica by the wayside and grab this your next shoot. Im truly amazed and I know Sony must have something coming even better because I understand they will be revising this model though Im not sure what they can do better, This cam does it all and only a very few ultra-specialty photographers will ever require more. If you can find one buy it!Read full review
What an incredible camera. I have had several Sony Alpha cameras and two Nex5 cameras. I had held off buying the 850/900 because they lacked the live rear screen viewer that the A550 and below have. That and the ability to tilt the viewer is a major plus when one has to put the camera above a crowd to shoot an otherwise unobtainable picture. I miss that feature. But, the price was too good to pass up and I purchased this A850 from Ritz Camera Clearance Center on e-bay very cheaply as it was a discontinued model / display model. Pros: The A850 feels right, is easy to hold and super easy to learn to use. The images are exceptionally sharp, perfectly exposed and the ability to do severe cropping w/o affecting the overall image quality in post-production is a major plus. Cons: Lack of live tilting viewer, Lack of video (both included on the just released 24mpl Nex7). Others have noted the 3fps and 90% viewfinder, but for me, they are non-issues since I do mostly travel photography and portraits where the lack of either feature is not a deal breaker. Lenses: I have a full-frame 18-300 Tamron 3.5-5.5 zoom that works remarkably well with the camera. With the Sony extended warranty, this camera should give the user years of dependable shooting.Read full review
My background is using a Leica 8.2, Leica R9 with DMR, Panasonic Lumix GH1 and GH2 and a soso Sony 380. Before shelling out $10'000s for a Hasselblad or Phase One, I wanted to try a digital full frame sensor at a modest price, the Sony alpha 850. The 'kit' offer from a reputable US professional camera store was so ridiculously attractive compared to European prices that I took the risk and bought it through Ebay. Camera arived well and prompt, no Swiss customs to pay (why?) and all works with very curteous people at the other side of the ocean. Why did I attribute only a 4/5 on "features". The usual: no live view, no tilt screen, no flash unit, no video. Try this on a Leica! The camera takes excellent pictures through any excellent lens. The old Minolta (AF) lenses work great as well. I must have excellent Tamrons (4 of them, even one for the R Leica) because they are really good lenses, also on the 850. To have the anti-shake inside the camera body is the logical thing to do, makes for much smaller lenses; no Sony invention, though. Bravo for the innovative people at Minolta. The better image quality one always attributes to the Leica lenses. Now the 850 takes the better pictures. The camera conveys some positive expression in the images that I cannot only attribute to the 24 Mpix. The Leica 10 MPix and Lumix 16 Mpix are also excellent and sufficient. It must have something to do with the aspect ratio, rays hitting the sensor from a less steep angle than an APS-C or the Leica sensor. After only 12'000 shots in three months I have to research this further. Everyone notices the difference! The important buttons are well arranged around the body, not necesary to dig in umpteen menues. Image processing is good (I am a professional in that), AF and focus in general works well and fast (after the new ROM upgrade even faster). The 380 always has problems with focussing on a moving black cat, not so the 850, it is always on the mark. I use the camera a lot on irregularly moving objects - our 19 cats and other animals, no studio stills and I am pleased with the results. The camera is solid built, weight and size is no consideration when you are used to lugging around a Leica R9 with DMR. Of course, the GH2 is smaller, lighter ... Viewfinder is bright and large, rear screen is very good, battery life okay. I have yet to find things I do not like about the Sony alpha 850. Would I recommend it to buy? It is a totally underrated camera and must be excellent value for money from any angle. And it takes great pictures easily.Read full review
This is an excellent, well built, well designed, full framed 35mm sensor equipped, professional quality camera. The viewfinder is bright and the 98% viewing area coverage makes it easy to compose photographs. There is no "live view" feature, but if you are used to using a 35mm film camera, this should not be a problem. The 3-inch display on the rear of the camera is large and bright, making it easy to see your photographs or navigate the menu. As with all displays, if you are in direct sunlight, the images may be difficult to see in detail. Auto-focus is fast and there is a feature that allows for "fine tuning" the focus and having the camera remember the focus setting for each lens. Manual focusing is easy due to the bright viewfinder. The lenses available from Sony for this full frame camera, are excellent but costly. Very good alternatives are the older Minolta Maxxum auto-focus lenses which are available used. Maxxum auto-focus lenses work well on the camera and yield great results for a fraction of the price of the Sonys. The control dials and buttons are well placed and easily accessed. At around 2 pounds, the camera is a bit heavy, but again, if you are used to the old 35mm cameras, this is not too big an issue. Battery power is good, but it is a good idea to buy an extra battery as a back-up. The Sony battery not only uses a graphical representation of remaining power, it also gives a numerical percentage of available battery life. The camera has no video feature which is good because there is no chance of accidently shooting a video when you just want to shoot a photo. The camera has the option of using Compact Flash (CF) or Sony Memory Sticks as storage media. The software that comes with the camera is easy to install (I used it on Windows XP and Windows 7 based computers) and easy to use. Images can be stored in JPEG and/or RAW format. I have read that Sony has discontinued this camera, so its availability may be limited.Read full review
I'm a long time digital photog and much longer time film. I learned on a Canon F1 film camera. This is my 3rd Sony DSLR, I started with an A100, then to a wonderful A700 that I had (still do) for almost 3 years and now the 850. The fullframe sensor blows me away, it captures a HUGE amount of information. You can crop a portion of an image and blow it up to almost whatever size you want. The shear information density to an image makes them appear smoother. My 70-300G lens reacts especially well to the format, it was a very good lens on the A700 but it's spectacular on the A850. Another lens that likes the format is my 28-75 f2.8. The range wasn't particularly useful in a crop frame camera but on the 850 it performs like a 18-50 would on a crop frame; it was too tall before but it's now a good walk around lens. I haven't tried my 11-18 yet. If you're used to any other Sony DSLR you can pick the 850 up and start shooting, the controls are almost identical to my 700. The feel is quite substantial especially with the 70-300, but to me it's not heavy it's solid, and strong. No bells and whistles, some of which would be nice to have, like HD Video. But I knew that going in. The only thing I wish was there is the pop up flash but the omission is a physical not monetary thing. The huge view prism is in the way. I wanted the most camera money could buy and I do believe I got it. Only one big gripe, Sony still hasn't made progress on high ISO noise. I did a portrait session at 800 and there was easily detectable noise in jpeg even if the noise was invisible in the original RAW files. Speaking of RAW, the freaking files are 33-35 meg! Even the jpegs are 22+ meg, talk about eating drive space. It looks as if this is the camera that I've been waiting decades for. Almost forgot to mention: the images are gorgeous! You can see my shots at flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomd77/Read full review
Verified purchase: No
When you first pick up the a850 you might be surprised by it's simplicity. Almost every control you will need has a dedicated button. The camera is built very well, I love the viewfinder. The IQ is fantastic and it's refreshing to pick up a camera that is built for one purpose, still images. No gimmicky video. The intelligent preview works like a champ, the rear lcd is clear and bright, the body is superb in every regard. The a850 is currently the only full frame that offers in body stabilization. While in body may not work as some lens stabilization features, it's nice to know that every lens you attach will have help to get that perfect shot. This is a fantastic camera for landscape and portrait shooters. On the downside, it is not my first choice for sports, there certainly are better options out there regarding AF and high ISO performance. Every camera will have some sort of sacrifice, I have to own or shoot with a camera that covers every aspect of photography perfectly. If you adapt your still and build your skills the a850 will not let you down. The sensor on this camera demands decent glass. If you are just starting out pick up a single prime lens and learn to use it to it's potential. Avoid the cheap zooms, they are cheap for a reason. They typically lack quality optics and will leave your work flat and dull. A sharp prime and good skills will carry you into a wonderful world of photography.Read full review
Strengths: The full-format sensor and 24 megapixels - you have no idea what details he gives! Excellent ergonomics: all the wheels and buttons are there where you can customize yourself. Beautiful colors and skin tones (skin tones) - without exaggeration. Faithful AvtoBB (white balance), even for shooting in a PAB value and does not have, but all the same time, great saves. Elegant viewfinder is bright and big. The work of the accumulator of about 850 -1000 shots on a single charge. Adequate AvtoISO, now do not have to think about and monitor exposure. Well, the stabilizer of self-other. Rent-stabilized fixed-aperture can not in every system;) • Weaknesses: Only 3 frames per second (increased buffer size, in contrast to A900). Noise in the shadows are visible from ISO 640-800. For filming in the PAB is not concerned, everything is ok. Well, actually not normal looking at pictures in 100% increase. You can print without noise A4 ISO 1600 ceremony.Read full review
I got mine for $610. For a 24mp full frame camera with built in image stabilization that is insane. As long as you don't want video this camera is an out and out steal used. Minolta A glass is cheap and very good to great. People are still asking more for a Nikon D700 which is over 10 year old technology and 12mp. You can get a first generation Canon 5d cheaper but same deal, half the sensor size, old tech, no stabilization.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
As an a700 owner, I knew the ergonomics, button layout, and menu are what I like. The full frame sensor image quality is amazing with a noticeable step up in dynamic range. I have few 80’s Maxxum lenses that possess the pleasing aesthetic quality known as “Minolta Colors“. They are exceedingly robust with astounding craftsmanship and gain an additional exposure value with the a850 in-body image stabilization. (Don’t lens designers have enough optical, mechanical challenges without stabilization?) I also have a few modern Sony and Tamron lenses are sharp and accurate. The body is large and heavy, but to me it feels like quality manufacturing and durability. The optical view finder is excellent and larger than an APS-C camera which helps during composition. There are no “bells or whistles” on this still image making machine, just basics which is good. Get one while you still can find one.Read full review
If you are a photographer, not someone necessarily interested in being or becoming a videographer, then i would highly recommend this camera. Its true, it has no live view and that ISO above 1600 is probably not really usable. What it does bring to the table, however is a full frame sensor, excellent form and function for a stills camera, and an ease of use and degree of instant familiarity that make it an absolute joy to use. I shoot only in raw, use old, but clean, Minolta glass and get some of the best color and bokeh of any camera system I have ever used. If you can find clean copy of this camera, and if you are primarily a stills photographer, should get one.