8 hours ago
| I own it | I want it | I had it |
| 51 | 0 | 12 |
The A850 is, next to the flagship DSLR A900, Sony's second full-frame digital camera. The two only noticeable differences in specification between the cameras is a slightly smaller viewfinder and a smaller buffer, resulting in slower continuous shooting, on the A850. With its tank-like build quality, intuitive user-interface and excellent handling the A850 is, despite (or rather because) of the lack of some 'digital' features such as live view or a movie mode, a no-nonsense photographers' camera that delivers excellent image quality at base ISO but cannot quite keep up with the competition at higher sensitivities.
Wildlife and sports photographers would almost certainly prefer better low light performance, faster continuous shooting and autofocus but for resolution-hungry applications in good light, such as landscape or studio photography, the A850 is a more than valid option. This is especially true for those photographers who operate on a tighter budget but do not want to do without the full-frame format.
| Body type | Mid-size SLR |
| Max resolution | 6048 x 4032 |
| Effective pixels | 25 megapixels |
| Sensor size | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| ISO | Auto, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 (6400 with boost) |
| Lens mount | Sony/Minolta Alpha mount |
| Articulated LCD | Fixed |
| Screen size | 3.00″ |
| Screen dots | 921,600 |
| Min shutter speed | 30 sec |
| Max shutter speed | 1/8000 sec |
| Storage types | Compact Flash (Type I or II), UDMA, Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo |
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz) |
| Dimensions | 156 x 117 x 82 mm (6.14 x 4.61 x 3.23″) |
| GPS | None |
The Sony DSLR-A850 is the most affordable full-frame DSLR on the market. It's a no-nonsense photographers' camera that delivers excellent image quality at base ISO but cannot quite keep up with the competition at higher sensitivities.
Good for: Resolution-hungry applications such as landscape or studio photography
Not so good for: Low light photography or anything that requires fast continuous shooting speed such as sports or wildlife photography
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Recommended
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75%
dpreview score
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