Sony a850

Photo answers review

Photo answers rating

Looking at the choices in the full-frame DSLR market, it’s quite clear that it’s been a category squarely aimed at the pro users. The Sony a900 provided the brand’s pro option, but it was felt there was room for a cut-down version to attract new users to the full-frame family – without asking them to pay a fortune to join. Enter the a850, which actually shares the majority of the features found on the a900, including the 24.6MP sensor.


Features & handling
Clearly there has to be some compromise, but it’s actually only a small one – at 3fps the a850 has a slower frame rate than the a900, and you don’t get the remote control in the box. Significant changes are that the shutter is less durable than that fitted to the pro model, but at 100,000 cycles it’s hardly a bad offering. You also have reduced coverage on the viewfinder, at only 98%, but if you’re prepared to accept a 2% loss of coverage then the camera can be assembled quicker.

What you do get is a very solid camera that has a sensor with more resolution than most other DSLRs. The really unusual feature on the a850 is the built-in SteadyShot INSIDE (stabilisation), which isn’t on any other brand of full-frame DSLR. This has the advantage of giving you a four-step benefit on shutter speeds, thus helping to reduce blur from shaky hands in your images. Sony has installed a dual BIONZ image-processing setup in the a850 that it claims will offer low-noise output at higher ISO settings. We’ll discuss this more, but our findings suggest that in the normal operating range up to ISO 3200 it does work, but in the extended range it’s not so rosy. The 3in LCD panel is full of detail thanks to a 921k-dot resolution and is therefore as easy to use in bright outdoor lighting as indoors. The 9-point AF system has selectable focus points, which are quite hard to see in the viewfinder, and so isn’t as intuitive as on other brands of DSLR.

The more traditional photographer will appreciate the simplistic and functional layout of the Sony a850. Its chunky design sits well in the hand, and there’s a solid grip to grasp. The buttons are really well labelled, so you can navigate your way around the functions quite easily. Focus modes between manual, continuous and single shot AF are selected on a rotating control situated on the front of the camera, and in a similar way the metering selection sits on the rear of the camera within easy reach of your thumb. ISO and White Balance controls are available through single button access, so you don’t have to delve into the menus. The Intelligent preview function allows you to see the effects of aperture and shutter speed before you take the shot, and the D-Range optimiser improves the tonal range of images.


Performance & image quality
The camera isn’t fast, and even the preview images take time to appear on-screen. This is common on very high-resolution cameras, but it shouldn’t be this slow. The images are certainly packed with detail too. We had the luxury of one of the Sony G-series lenses to test with this camera (35mm f/1.4), so the image quality should have been at its best. We were expecting more than what we got, so it will be interesting to see results from the 28-75mm lens that will be kitted with the body (not available at time of testing). The ISO performance isn’t bad, but there is a big difference between ISO 3200 and ISO 6400. Noise levels really ramp up in the extended sensitivity settings. 


Final verdict
You can’t expect a pro performance from a camera in this price bracket, but while the a850 might lack speed it does take nice quality images. The stabilisation technology works very well and you can’t argue with the build quality. All in all it’s a good way of getting a high resolution full-frame DSLR for a bargain price, but the Canon 5D Mark II is a serious competitor for a few quid more.


Key specification
Street price £1700
Effective resolution 24.6MP
Sensor type 35.9x24mm CMOS
Crop factor 1x
Lens mount Sony Alpha
Exposure modes Auto, P/A/S/M
Metering modes 40-segment honeycomb-pattern
ISO range 200-3200 (100-6400 expanded)
Shooting speed JPEG/RAW 3fps
Card type MS, CF
LCD monitor size 3in 921k dot
Aspect ratio 3:2, 16:9
Live View No
Autofocus 9-point diamond array (10 assist points)
Integrated cleaning Yes
Built-in stabilisation Yes – Sony SteadyShot INSIDE
Weight/size (wxhxd) 850g/156.3x116.9x81.9mm