Amateur Photographer Magazine

 Sony Alpha 900 Camera Test -

Wednesday 17th December 2008

Barney Britton

Sony Alpha 900: at a glance >> 24.6 million pixels >> Full-frame CMOS sensor >> Approx 100% viewfinder >> 3in, 921,600-dot LCD >> Retail price £1,862 >> Our rating: 80%

>>Features
>>Build and handling
>>White balance and colour
>>Resolution, noise and sensitivity
>>Viewfinder, LCD, Live View and Video
>>Specifications
>>Dynamic Balance
>>Sony Alpha 900: Verdict

Incredibly, as well as being the first semi-professional DSLR from Sony, the Alpha 900 is the first really 'serious' digital SLR camera with a Sony/Konica-Minolta lens mount. Despite producing excellent film SLRs like the Dynax 9xi (1992) and Dynax 9 (1998), Konica Minolta never quite managed to get a foot-hold in the professional market before it backed out of photography in 2005, and until now Sony hasn't offered a convincing 'flagship' DSLR, either.

The Alpha 700 is a lovely DSLR, and was very innovative at the time of its release, but it lacked some of the flourishes of competitors like the Canon EOS 40D and Nikon D300. Although Sony is being studiously careful to avoid using the word 'professional' in its marketing literature for the new camera, it certainly appears that the Alpha 900 is a direct descendent of the Dynax 9xi and Dynax 9.

The Alpha 900 has the largest viewfinder of any DSLR, offering (virtually) 100% coverage, a magnesium-alloy body, a new high-precision AF system and – lest we forget – a full-frame sensor and the highest pixel count ever in a DSLR of its type.

Added extras include Dynamic Range Optimisation and in-built shake correction in the form of SteadyShot INSIDE, both of which should add considerable value to the Alpha 900's feature set.

Sony's decision to price the Alpha 900 so aggressively at below £2,000 has raised a few eyebrows, and no doubt rattled the competition a little, too, but it's great news for photographers. In fact, the Alpha 900 could just be the best value full-frame DSLR on the market.

Got an opinion on this story? Why not post a comment on our news message boards

Back to index