Sony Alpha 850

The affordable Sony Alpha 850 shares much of the Alpha 900’s DNA, including that 24.6Mp full-frame chip. But does the reduced cost make it a more tempting proposition than other sub-£2000 full-frame D-SLRs? 

Features & build
Like the Alpha 900, the Alpha 850 uses the same CMOS sensor – a resolution that hasn’t been bettered by a D-SLR since. The pixel count dwarfs that of the 12.1Mp D700 and edges the 21.1Mp EOS 5D MkII in this instance, allowing you to print an A2 image at 240ppi without the need to rescale your file, while larger-scale images are easily within reach. It’s not quite as impressive when it comes to the ISO range though, which runs from a conservative 200-3200. Though this can be expanded to an equivalent ISO of 100-6400, it’s still short of the ISO 25,600 equivalents achievable with the D700 and EOS 5D MkII. 
The Alpha 850 employs a 9-point AF system arranged in a diamond formation, with an extra 10 AF-assist points to aid focus acquisition, but interestingly for a high-end D-SLR, there’s only a single, more sensitive cross-type sensor in the centre of the ‘finder.
The Alpha 850 uses the same dual BIONZ image processors as the Alpha 900, but the frame rate has been cut down from 5fps (frames per second) to 3fps. The Alpha 850 features a 3in screen with an impressive 921k dot VGA resolution, though surprisingly, there’s no Live View available. Instead you get an Intelligent Preview, which produces an immediate preview of the image on the rear screen, allowing you to assess different exposures and White Balance settings should you wish. Of course, no Live View also means that there’s no HD video on offer, either.
To counteract camera shake, the Alpha 850 features Sony’s SteadyShot INSIDE – a sensor-shift mechanism that allows you to shoot at shutter speeds up to 4-stops slower than you would be able to do normally. As it’s built into the camera and not lens-based, the benefit is that it’ll work with any lens you attach. There’s also an anti-dust system, which shakes foreign objects from the sensor.
As well as a CompactFlash card slot, there’s an additional slot for Sony’s Memory Stick Duo format, though you don’t have the luxury of using both the card slots simultaneously – it’s not possible to use the extra slot as a back-up or JPEG option for instance.
Moving on to the design, the Alpha 850 sports a very functional, no-nonsense look, with a very distinctive pentaprism – there’s no built-in flash, here. The handgrip is large, and has been nicely sculpted with a rubberised coating. The chassis is constructed from aluminium, offering a solid core, but the overall impression isn’t quite as refined as the D700 or the EOS 5D MkII, as the camera feels more ‘hollow’ and the rubber coating isn’t as extensive.

Performance & handling
The AF arrangement in the viewfinder is grouped quite tightly, meaning you’ll have to recompose for subjects that are either side of the frame, while the active AF isn’t very well signposted – especially in bright conditions. It’s only highlighted for a brief moment when you select the AF point and again when you focus. The central AF point works well though, helped by the fact that it’s sensitive to both the horizontal and vertical info, but the other 8 AF points tend to hunt a bit. The viewfinder, as you’d expect for a full-frame D-SLR, is very clear and bright.
Rather than having a large top-plate LCD like its rivals, the Alpha 850 has a very cramped, small display with minimal shooting info – giving only your exposure, frame count and battery level during shooting. It’s accompanied by quick access controls for Exposure Compensation, Drive, ISO and White Balance and these can be toggled via the Command wheel on the front and either selected on the LCD or on the more comprehensive rear 3in display. All key shooting info is displayed on this screen and it can also be adjusted here, without the need to delve into the menu.
Hit the Fn button and with the small joypad (which is also used to select your AF point), you can move through settings on screen, adjusting them via the command dial. Once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s a fairly hassle-free process – especially as there’s not a great deal to adjust. When the shutter
is fired, there’s a big ‘clang’ as the mirror is raised up, and this vibrates round the body. It’s quite noticeable, and not as refined as you’d expect from a camera at this price-point.

Value & verdict
The big question about the Alpha 850 is why it exists? The only features to separate it from the older Alpha 900 is the slightly reduced viewfinder coverage, lower frame-rate and lack of a remote control/trigger. Everything else is the same, bar the slightly lower price. If you’re prepared to sacrifice the aforementioned features, and work a little slower, then the 850 will reward with some great images, but it would have been nice to find something new. Yes, it’s the most affordable full-frame D-SLR on the market, but it still isn’t quite a match for the Canon EOS 5D MkII or Nikon D700. 

AT A GLANCE
Price: £1699 (body only)
Resolution: 24.6Mp (6048x4032 pixels)
Lens mount: Sony Alpha
Focal length multiplication: 1x
Viewfinder coverage: 98%
Focusing: 9-point selectable
Burst rate: 3fps (14 RAW & 37 JPEG)
Write times: 2.5secs (RAW), 1.7secs (JPEG)
ISO range: 100-6400
Shutter range: 30-1/8000secs + B
Monitor: 3in, 921K dot VGA
Anti-shake: CCD-shift
Live View: No
HD Video: No
Storage: Compact Flash & Memory Stick Duo/MS Pro Duo/MS-PRO HG Duo 
Weight: 850g
Dimensions: 156x117x82mm

Visit:  www.sony.co.uk