Sony Alpha 850 review

Thanks to the arrival of the Sony Alpha 850, the aspiring full-frame digital photographer now has another reasonably priced DSLR to consider, and only a few features separate it from the Alpha 900

The competition

Image: Nikon D3X

Apart from the Sony Alpha 850 and 900, the only other digital  SLR that offers 24 million pixels is the Nikon D3X, which is almost  three times the price of the new Alpha camera.

Among other things, the additional cost buys Nikon’s superb 51-point AF system, Live View capability (with autofocus) and a maximum continuous shooting rate of 5fps.  It’s a great camera, but the cost puts it well beyond the reach of most  enthusiast photographers.

The most likely non-Sony competition for the Alpha 850 is the Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

Image: Canon EOS 5D Mark II

This camera has more extensive weather sealing and customisation options, as well as Live View, HD video recording technology and a marginally faster continuous shooting rate of  3.9fps. Low-light shooters will also appreciate the Canon camera’s sensitivity extension settings, which give a maximum ISO equivalent of 25,600.

However, it doesn’t offer in-camera image stabilisation or wireless flash control.

Overview

Thanks to the arrival of the Sony Alpha 850, the aspiring full-frame digital photographer now has another reasonably priced DSLR to consider, and only a few features separate it from the Alpha 900

The competition