Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 (Body Only) Reviews: Digital SLR Camera

Photo of Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 (Body Only) Digital Camera

10 Real Customer Reviews - In Summary

“Image quality, ease of use, ergo, viewfinder, in-body stabilisation,…” Anonymous verified purchaser View all 10 real customer reviews

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Product Details

3" Screen, 1x optical zoom, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo storage More »

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Expert reviews
Product details
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Real customer reviews

10 verified purchasers have reviewed this product.
100% of people recommend it.

Show scores of…

All purchasers (10)

Build Quality	9.5
Ease of use	8.8
Features	9.2
Image quality	9.7
Value for money (at time of purchase)	9.5
Overall rating	9.3

Experienced amateur (4)

Keen amateur (2)

Professional photographer (1)

Other (3)

*not all purchasers provided a score or review

Score 9.0/10

Anonymous verified purchaser , “Professional photographer”

+ Image quality, ease of use, ergo, viewfinder, in-body stabilisation, responsiveness, build, partnership with Carl Zeiss

- No magnification with Live Preview, cannot use mirror up with wireless remote, poor raw conversion software (needs a lot of improvement), lens lineup needs primes/long teles/speciality optics (preferably Carl Zeiss)

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7 of 8 people found this review helpful

purchased 12 Mar 2009

Score 10.0/10

Slough, M Mayger , “Hobby photographer”

+ 1st class camera for sharper pictures
There catching up with film cameras in this part

- No built in flash

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11 of 17 people found this review helpful

purchased 09 Jan 2009

Score 9.0/10

Anonymous verified purchaser , “Experienced amateur” More like this »

+ Dynamic Range optimiser. Fantastic resolution,anti-shake built into the body, best resolution LCD, 100% view finder

- Doesn't automatically switch memory cards when one is full. No onboard flash for those odd occasions, a little noisey at high ISO, rip-off price of top flash gun and screen protector and vertical grip.

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5 of 7 people found this review helpful

purchased 13 Mar 2009

Score 9.0/10

Andy, Cambridge

+ You can get extremely good image quality by combining Carl Zeiss lenses with Sony Alpha 900.

- The usable ISO is only up to 800.

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2 of 3 people found this review helpful

purchased 14 May 2009

Score 10.0/10

Peter, Farnham common , “Experienced amateur” More like this »

+ A fantastic camera. Just as easy for an amateur to use as a professional. Massive 24.6 mp files. Great view through view finder but it does take a bit of time, particulatly in darker conditions, to see the photo rather than the screen size. Easyily solved by quick trial photos. The side hand grip is a must! Very useful.

- None I'm aware of so far.

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2 of 3 people found this review helpful

purchased 18 Jul 2009

Score 10.0/10

Lodd, Aberdeen

+ Massive power and flexibility

- Professional camera for experienced photographers only

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1 of 4 people found this review helpful

purchased 03 Jun 2009

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Expert reviews for Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 (Body Only)

PC Advisor expert review - by Gavin Stoker

Sony sees the 24.6Mp Sony Alpha A900's market as the semi pro, identical to Canon's equally pixel festooned 5D Mark II.

This Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 (Body Only) review continued on PC Advisor

reviewed 31 Mar 2009

Product Features

Camera Type	SLR
There are 2 main types of camera: The SLR and the Compact. SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. SLR cameras use a prism to reflect the exact image as seen through the lens and so offers a more accurate viewfinder. SLR cameras have detachable lenses offering greater flexibility if you wish to take a variety of different photographs. Compact cameras have a built in lens and an ‘above lens’ viewfinder which is less accurate but they are often cheaper, more sleekly designed and easier to carry anywhere with you to capture that moment perfectly without having to fiddle with complex settings or a bag full of lenses.
resolution (Megapixel)	24.6

Optical Zoom Ratio	1
The amount by which the camera optics (lens) can bring the subject closer.
Screen Size in Inches	3
Screen size is measured diagonally from corner to corner.
Digital Zoom Ratio	1
Not to be confused with optical zoom, digital zoom enlarges a portion of the image thus simulating optical zoom. In doing so, some image quality is lost.
Face Recognition	No
A function for automatically detecting peoples faces and correctly adjusting the focus and exposure to take the best photo
Image Stabilisation	Yes
If a photo is taken at a slow shutter speed, or at a long focal length, the effects of ‘hand shake’ will be amplified. Some cameras come with built-in image stabilisation which is designed to act against this to produce sharper images. It’s great for low light shots without a tripod, like at a gig.
Image Stabilisation	Optical Image Stabiliser
If a photo is taken at a slow shutter speed, or at a long focal length, the effects of ‘hand shake’ will be amplified. Some cameras come with built-in image stabilisation which is designed to act against this to produce sharper images. It’s great for low light shots without a tripod, like at a gig.
Colour	Black
The main colour of the product.
Memory Card Slot	Yes
Having a memory card slot allows you to save data to a memory card and then transfer it to another device. For example you may put a photo from your camera or mobile phone onto a memory card and then plug it into your printer to print directly. Memory card slots come in many formats: Compact Flash Card Memory Stick Duo Micro SD Card MMC SD Card SDHC Card
Media Format	Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Media Format	Memory Stick PRO Duo
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Media Format	Compact Flash
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Media Format	Memory Stick Duo
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
PictBridge	Yes
An industry standard allowing images to be printed from camera to printer, without needing a computer. CIPA PictBridge Standard Website
Macro Mode	Yes
This mode allows close-up photograpy of small objects such as insects and flowers.
Video Recorder	No
Video recording functionality allows the capture of videos in mpeg or avi format which is great if you want to capture a whole scene, not just one moment.
Manual Focus	Yes
Almost all modern cameras have autofocus. Manual focus allows you to override the autofocus and set the distance yourself. This is especially useful if your camera is struggling to focus in a low-light or confusing scene.
Timer	Yes
Having a timer function is essential if you want to get into the shot yourself. Make sure your camera has this feature if you plan to go on holiday and capture photos of you and your friends or family having fun together.
Under Water	No
An under water feature means your camera is safe to dive with, usually between 3 and 5 metres. Most dSLR cameras will require expensive separate housing so consider investing in a waterproof digital compact first.
Dimensions (mm)	116.9x156.3x81.9
The size of the device in millimetres, in width x height x depth.
Weight (g)	850
The weight of the product in grams.
Flash	Yes
Whether or not your camera has an in-built flash. Flashes are essential for fully capturing a low light image.
Flash	No
Whether or not your camera has an in-built flash. Flashes are essential for fully capturing a low light image.
Body Only	Yes
dSLR cameras have detachable lenses and are sold in a variety of combinations. This facet lets you know whether the package your are considering comes bundled with a lens or whether it is just the body of the camera.
Resolution (Pixels)	6048x4032
A camera sensor, that captures the photograph, is measured in pixels. The number given here is the horizontal amount of pixels followed by the vertical quantity of pixels. The more pixels a camera sensor has, the bigger and higher quality the image will be.
Shortest Shutter Speed	8000
This is the fastest speed at which the camera can take a photo. Faster shutter speeds really freeze the action and are great for sports photography.
Longest Shutter Speed	30
This is the longest exposure your camera will take. The longer you take a photo for, the more light is let in and the more motion is captured. Long shutter speeds can give fantastic, artistic results. Try photographing the night sky at 30s or longer to see how the rotation of the Earth causes the stars to curve through the scene.
Longest Shutter Speed	30"
This is the longest exposure your camera will take. The longer you take a photo for, the more light is let in and the more motion is captured. Long shutter speeds can give fantastic, artistic results. Try photographing the night sky at 30s or longer to see how the rotation of the Earth causes the stars to curve through the scene.
USB Port	Yes
Socket for connecting devices such as a computers and other components
WiFi	No
Wifi allows you to connect your device to wireless routers or modems which allows you to connect to broadband internet.

Also known as: Sony DSLR-A900 Body Only, Sony Alpha A900 (Body Only), Alpha DSLR-A900 - body only

Digital Cameras Buyers' Guide

Photos taken with this camera

Manufacturer's Description

24.6 megapixel Digital Single Lens Reflex (D-SLR) camera, body only. Supreme imaging and professional features. Full-frame CMOS sensor with Exmor™ technology. High-performance pentaprism viewfinder with 100% coverage. High-speed 9-point AF, SteadyShot INSIDE and photo quality 3.0-inch 921k dot LCD.

* Ultra-high resolution 24.6 effective megapixel 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor with Exmor™ technology plus on-chip A/D conversion and dual noise reduction for flawless, detail packed images * Ultra-bright optical pentaprism viewfinder with 100% field coverage * Advanced new Dual BIONZ image processor utilises performance of 24.6 effective megapixel full-frame sensor for ultimate imaging performance * SteadyShot INSIDE optical image stabilisation offers 2.5-4.0 steps anti-shake performance with α-mount lenses or Konica Minolta a-mount lenses* * 5fps continuous shooting at full resolution 24.6 megapixels * Photo quality 3.0-inch Xtra Fine 921k dot resolution LCD screen for critical shot evaluation * Fast, high-accuracy 9-point centre cross AF with 10 focus assist points and F2.8 sensor * Rugged magnesium body with aluminium alloy chassis and controls sealed against dust and moisture * High sensitivity up to ISO6400 (in expanded ISO range) with high-ISO noise reduction for clearer low-light shooting * Secondary top-mounted display panel * Evolved D-Range Optimiser delivers beautifully balanced exposures with rich shadow and highlight detail, especially in backlit situations * Intuitive Quick Navi display for fast, easy access to camera settings * Intelligent preview gives immediate feedback of adjustment settings * High-capacity InfoLITHIUM battery allows up to 880 shots between charges (using viewfinder) with % display of power remaining (CIPA measurement) * Dual anti-dust system protects sensor during lens exchange * User replaceable high quality focusing screens (option) in L-type (grid pattern) and M-type (super spherical acute matte) * HDMI™ output for viewing on HD Ready display plus PhotoTV HD mode for optimised Full HD images on compatible BRAVIA television * SteadyShot INSIDE was previously known as Super SteadyShot

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