Sony Alpha a850 review
Verdict
The a850 pleases yet perplexes in equal measure. It's certainly a fine camera, like the a900 before (and still currently above) it, yet one that seems a little misplaced in the market place.
If its price point really undercut the competition then it'd be a genius proposition to full-frame hungry consumers. But despite the removal of the in-camera remote, lowering the burst rate and shaving 2% from the viewfinder's field of view the effective monetary compensation is somewhat paltry.
The a900 was, by and large, a superb studio camera thanks to its 24.6MP count, but lacked low-light capabilities to the same standard of some of the competition. What the next generation of Sony DSLR is really waiting for is the implementation of the Sony's backlit ‘Exmor R' technology - something that lacks here and leaves the a850 in a curious position of offering nothing ‘new'.
In effect there's an argument to bag an a900 over this newer, less-equipped venture each and every time. That is unless, of course, your savvy shopping locates it at a sensible price that trounces its initial RRP.
The a850 is a solid piece of kit that pulls down the full-frame DSLR price-point by a whisker, but otherwise sadly lacks that anticipated next-level punch and, as such, feels like a bit of a gap-filler in Sony's newly and rapidly expanding DSLR range.
Have your say!
Latest comments
March 25 10:40
WDC
The '17' for value reflects the initial narrow price difference between this and the a900 (which scored 18) at the time of release and review. And $1000AUD difference between the two cameras has no relevance in the UK, given the a900 and a850 body only prices are roughly £1800 and £1700GBP respectively.
December 10 17:42
goran
i have a850 great camera.
November 09 01:19
paul
just upgraded from an alpha a300 to the a 850 , the camera rocks , that said the a 300 never let me down , did every thing a starter dslr should ,i like the easy to use menus , the build quality , and the fact all my a 300 accesorys fit the a 850 , at this level live view and video are not neaded , this is a camera that is easy to use and takes brilliant photos
February 26 22:00
Tora
baehlttawk777July 5, 2011 Thanks for your efforts, but can you tell me about its maximum shutter speed? Because i'm trying to take some night shots, as well as pics of stars.