Sony A850 - NOW SHIPPING - 24MP FF for $2K!

[groovyone]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0908/09082705sonya850.asp

Now it is official. 24MP STABILIZED Full Frame for $2000.

Features
Full-frame 24.6 effective megapixel Exmor™ CMOS sensor and dual BIONZ processors for detail-packed, low-noise images with high sensitivity up to ISO 6400 (with expanded ISO range)
Bright optical glass pentaprism viewfinder with 98% coverage
SteadyShot INSIDE™ offers up to 4.0 steps anti-shake performance with all lenses
Photo quality (921k dot) 3.0-inch Xtra Fine LCD
Fast, high-accuracy 9-point AF with 10 focus assist points

[zebulus]

Whoo Hoo!!!

[CFord]

$600 cheaper than the A900 and all it gives up is 2% on the viewfinder and 2 frames per second. I want to know what they consider affordable as that is the only clue to the price of the 28-75 2.8. It looks beefier than the Tamron version so it may share glass but looks like a new housing compared to the current Tamron model

[tc95]

OK...the 24-70mm G is official....at $800.00.....

[groovyone]

Originally Posted by tc95

OK...the 24-70mm G is official....at $800.00.....

28-75 f/2.8

[tc95]

Ok on another note...sorry to change topics...does the new Canon S90 look like a Sigma DP1 or DP2...???

[groovyone]

Reviews:

Luminous-Landscape

Originally Posted by Luminous Landscape

The Bottom Line
Sony has clearly decided that they want a major slice of the DSLR pie and are pulling out a lot of the stops to make this happen. With the new A850 they are taking no prisoners, undercutting their only real competitor, Canon's 5D MKII, by 25% in terms of price. Few observers thought we'd see a 25MP full-frame camera for under $2,000 this soon, but I can't see anyone complaining about it, except maybe the competition.

We'll done Sony.

Imaging Resource

Originally Posted by imaging-resource

If you want the most pixels in a small package at the best price on the market, the Sony A850 is where you'll find it. Canon's EOS 5D Mark II beats the Sony A850 in high-ISO capability and (slightly) in size and weight, and offers HD video recording as well, but at a price point that's $700 higher. Nikon's D3x offers the same resolution, but at a cost literally 4x that of the A850. If you're into landscapes or architecture, or need a studio camera with enormous resolution at a relatively budget price, the Sony A850 would make a great choice. It truly users in a new era of affordability for full-frame DSLR cameras.

Making full-frame digital photography more affordable than ever before, and at a level of 24.6 megapixels to boot, the Sony A850 is one impressive image maker, and a clear Dave's Pick.

[KBerntsen]

Okay time for a backup FF body. :)

[CFord]

There go your lights. But at least I'll get a chance to try it out.

[rfortson]

Well done, Sony!

[venchka]

I just got wind of the new Sony camera on another forum.

I have to ask myself. I say, "Self. How come Canon charges so much for Sony quality?"

[zebulus]

Originally Posted by venchka

I just got wind of the new Sony camera on another forum.

I have to ask myself. I say, "Self. How come Canon charges so much for Sony quality?"

The title of THIS THREAD answers that question rather well I think.

[groovyone]

In fairness to the Canon it does do HD video if you like that.

I hope the A850 shakes Canon and Nikon up a bit. If you had told me there would be a Full Frame DSLR for $2K a couple years ago I would not have believed it.

[jeffkohn]

I think it's great that Sony is getting competitive price-wise and putting some heat on Canon and Nikon.

But I have to wonder who the ideal user for this camera is. For serious tripod work, the lack of sensor-based LiveView is a fatal flaw in a camera like this. It's the only way to consistently get critically-sharp focus on a camera with such high resolution. And if you're not concerned with maximizing sharpness and resolution, 24mp is overkill.

What's puzzling is that there's no reason they couldn't have implemented sensor-based LiveView with this sensor. After all, Nikon did. But Sony has apparently decided that LiveView is just a toy gimmick to put in their low-end DLSR's for folks who want to shoot handheld with the camera at arm's length.

[dmora]

yea but who would want to buy a sony.