Sony A850 - the amazingly cheap but robust DSLR

As I've predicted a while back and then again more recently Sony has released A850 full frame DSLR camera. Let's take a look at highlights of this magnificent camera:
- 24 megapixel full frame (35mm equivalent) Exmor sensor
- Dual Bionz engines
- 98% frame coverage viewfinder
- Dual memory card (Compact Flash and Memory Stick)
- Built-into body image stabilization with 4 stop effectiveness
- 3 inch 921K LCD
- Weather sealing

The only difference between it's more expensive sibling (A900) are the smaller viewfinder and slower continuous shooting rate (3fps vs 5fps respectively).
Lets take a look at why this camera going to be more important than recently introduced Nikon D300s and Canon 7D.

It became clear a few years ago with release of first full frame DSLRs such as Contax N and Canon 1Ds that 35mm format provided for some special advantages over the cropped sensors. Due to their size - the individual photosites (pixels) do not have to be so small. This single aspect meant more sensitive sensors and higher quality output due to specifics of sensor manufacturing process and its information conversion. Full frame cameras with larger photosites meant lower density of the pixels and more space for each, which plays out nicely if you need to keep the heat down. If sensor warms up too much - it will produce artifacts called "noise". With larger area and lower density this issue becomes less critical and allows for longer exposures and more sensitive sensors before any noise becomes apparent.

Second major benefit of the larger read-out area is the increased size of the actual picture. More pixels in the resulting image means that it can be cropped (cut on all sides) to a greater degree than the smaller image. This can be extremely useful when you want to enlarge a portion of the image without sacrificing the quality. Image now can be recomposed after it was taken without significant loss of detail and effect on maximum print size.

Third main advantage of the full frame camera is that wide angle lenses now become just as wide as they have been on 35mm film cameras. Many photographers have been really annoyed by the cameras that have smaller sensors, which results in the decreased field of view through any lens. But on the full frame - a 16mm lens will have the same angle of view as it would on an older film camera. This allows photographers to shoot in tighter spaces and capture more of the scene without standing further away from the subject.

But why is A850 important when there are other full frame cameras on the market - Sony A900, Nikon D700, Nikon D3x, Canon 1Ds MK3, Canon 5D Mark 2, etc.

The answer is quite simple - Sony with all of its amazing specs costs only $1,999.  That's at least $700 below the cheapest competition in the form of Canon 5DII and Nikon D700. But not only is it a lot cheaper - it does it with 24 megapixels vs 21mp in Canon and 12mp in Nikon. And if you point out that it's not about how many pixels camera has - it is about the entire system, about the ability to capture detail on low light and more. And you would be right.

But then again - you shouldn't look down at A850 as a toy. It is just as capable as Canon and Nikon (with a few omissions). Canon has video recording capability, while Nikon higher frame rate and built-in flash. All three systems have a great number of lenses, but only Sony has auto-focus Carl Zeiss lenses. And are they good! Tack sharp, fast in terms of motors and apertures.

One can actually pick up A850 with an excellent  f1.4 or f2.8 prime/zoom (such as Sony 50mm f1.5, Sigma 24-70mm f2.8, etc)  for the same amount of money as Nikon D700 or Canon 5D2 body only.

Another major advantages of Sony are excellent, even if ugly visually, ergonomics and quick change menu system. Sony has one of the easiest and fastest to manipulate menu software. The camera is a delight to hold in the hand as it conforms to the hand and has a very nice balance. The viewfinder is stunning, hi-resolution LCD is sharp and images are very good quality wise.

Of course it is not without a few shortcomings - it doesn't have on-board flash and can only do 3 frames per second. Yet, both of these are not as crucial to photographers who are after high-quality, high-resolution images. if one needs flash - he or she will likely prefer to use a dedicated hot-shoe unit instead of the small one that some cameras come with. And while 3 frames per second is going to handicap sport photographers, it doesn't mean that it's completely not suited for sports. In fact, as many will point out - learning to use the existing capabilities of the camera is a lot more important than just trusting high-speed continuous shooting of any camera. I have taken and sold pictures of motorcycles and cars on a track, which traveled at great speeds. Yet, I've used camera that could only capture 2.7 frames per second.

While the competition (5D2 and D700) is represented by very capable cameras with great abilities - it is the combination of price and solid specs of the A850 that will attract a lot of people to the full frame camp. Today more than ever, people are price conscious. And A850 with the price tag that is $700 less than the closes competition which is not even closed in terms of resolution but offers similar build quality and a few advanced features is definitely going to stir things up in the DSLR market.

I can only praise Sony for raising the bar and putting pressure on the other manufacturers. While it is unlikely that Canon and Nikon will respond with their own low priced full frame cameras, it will force them to implement more innovative features to stay attractive to the buyer, while maintaining their price points.