Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 review

What you need to know

Reviewed by: Lori Grunin

Reviewed on: 28 January 2009

Tags: Sony, Sony Alpha DSLR-A900, performance, viewfinder, accessories

We like:

High resolution; in-body image stabilisation; good viewfinder; great accessory system; 24-megapixel, full-frame sensor; three custom-setting slots on the mode dial; two Bionz image processors

We don't like:

Can't lock focus-point selector; preview button much too easy to hit accidentally; some below-par aspects of performance; no live view; loud mirror; slow autofocus and single-shot speed; photos get noisy and mushy starting at ISO 1,600

CNET UK judgement:

A good first try at a professional-level camera, the Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 has the high resolution but lacks some of the performance and usability you expect from a model in its price range

Full review:

Sony makes a point of not calling this a 'professional' camera, instead referring to it as the 'flagship' model of its dSLR line. At around £2,000, it's priced like a professional model though, and its full-frame competitors -- the Nikon D700 and the Canon EOS 5D Mark II -- are widely, although not exclusively, used by professionals. Also, with such a high-resolution sensor, you need a really sharp, preferably fast lens, such as the Zeiss 24-70mm f2.8 that we tested it with; such lenses are expensive and generally out of reach for all but professionals. Continue Reading...