SONY DSLRA850

Sony DSLR A850 Review

Digital SLR cameras have long been the rage of photographers since the first hit the market a few years ago, and in 2008 with the release of the A900 DSLR model Sony made waves in the market by providing a (relatively) inexpensive DSLR camera to the picture-hungry masses (though at roughly £1700 it was still a bit expensive for some). The A850, the sequel to the ground-breaking A900 looks to make a splash as well by boasting the same sensor, body and electronics as the A900 at an amazing £500 less (clocking in at roughly £1700 in most markets).

The price difference comes from a number of very small changes made to the actual functionality of the camera in ways that most people simply will not notice (or care about) but still affect the overall picture taking experience somewhat. In continuous shooting mode, for example, the A850 can only handle a mere 3 frames per second while the A900 can dish out 5. When lining up shots through the viewfinder as well the actual coverage of the scene offered is only roughly 98% of actual shot in the A850 model whereas the A900 offers full 100% coverage. Hardware-wise there is also no infrared (IR) remote included in the purchase of the package - however it is available for purchase separately.

Picture-wise the A850 also has a slightly higher colour saturation by default than the A900 so some fine-tuning of pictures may be necessary, while additionally the actual end photos may come out slightly softer than the previous A900 may be able to produce (however this is marginally so at best and difficult to tell by casual observers). Overall, however, these minor differences are seen by most people as more than acceptable given the significantly reduced price range of the device and what it has to offer.

For those not familiar with the image sensor and what it can do for your photos the A850 can deliver an impressive 24.6 megapixel shot, the highest screen resolution available of any decent 35mm SLR camera available on the market to date. The internal image processing capabilities known as "SteadyShot Inside" further allow for pictures to be clearly rendered utilizing an internal processing system in order to better enhance over clarity reduce residual problems with image quality.

While some people may also fret over the slightly uncomfortable to press ISO and white balance buttons located on the top of the camera that may require two hands to operate (or one awkward grip on the side) the overall value of this camera makes any slight trouble well worth it.

Sony DSLR A850 Pros

• Highly affordable price
• Excellent quality photos
• Good internal image processing

Sony DSLR A850 Cons

• Slightly reduced picture quality over predecessor
• Uncomfortable to press buttons located on top