A850: budget FF?

[nightpiper]

What about this for an argument: who says that an A700 replacement will take place and whether this is soon? Perhaps the 500 series will fill the gap and anything above that is focusing on FF only. With Sony, nobodoy knows.

I mean, If you would have told me a few weeks ago that the 850 is a downgrade from a 900 I would have called you nuts as well. I guess you get where I'm heading it, right?

The way i see it, A700 is the hi end of the crop cams b4 next step into FF. If A500/550 now becomes the next in line before FF, then wudn't that already make it a replacement for the A700?

But i have a gut feel that this A500 series is juz lower end but with video feature. Might be in future all video feature DSLRs will carry the 500 series model. Non video will be split to low end A200 & 300 series & hi end remains 700 series for users who dun want video. The same gut feel also indicates a A730, changes similar to A200 --> A230, smaller, lighter, similar features but boost little improvement, maybe faster AF, better LCD screen & better noise ctrl/levels. Something to the movie ratings "G, PG, NC16, M18, RA, Now u have more choices" :bsmilie:

Of cos these r juz my speculations, nothing is confirm till set in concrete

 

[OldFlower]

What about the A700 replacement? It's about 2 years old, which in camera terms is a looooong time.

Or is the mid-ranged APS-C camera going the way of the dodo?

Too bad A700 is EOL, obsolete...
Luckily I grabbed myself another unit with kit lens at a great price.
A700 is a great cam for anything; outings, events, in the studio, even weddings.
Personally I find 700 fast and responsive, like a roadster... quick around corners, picks up fast, high top speed, and reasonably sized and weighted.

While the A900 is like trying to race with a Merc. CLK..! Though high quality cam, but Freakin' clumsy and hell of a HEAVY!!!

 

[OldFlower]

I think the A500/550 is probably to compete with Canon's 500D...
But to me, videos should be just done with a Video Camera - not DSLR cum VidCam..

The way i see it, A700 is the hi end of the crop cams b4 next step into FF. If A500/550 now becomes the next in line before FF, then wudn't that already make it a replacement for the A700?

But i have a gut feel that this A500 series is juz lower end but with video feature. Might be in future all video feature DSLRs will carry the 500 series model. Non video will be split to low end A200 & 300 series & hi end remains 700 series for users who dun want video. The same gut feel also indicates a A730, changes similar to A200 --> A230, smaller, lighter, similar features but boost little improvement, maybe faster AF, better LCD screen & better noise ctrl/levels. Something to the movie ratings "G, PG, NC16, M18, RA, Now u have more choices" :bsmilie:

Of cos these r juz my speculations, nothing is confirm till set in concrete

 

[jammerwong]

Can't wait for a A5XX or A700 replacement in the $1,500 to $2,000 region.

 

[XkaOnslaught]

I think the A500/550 is probably to compete with Canon's 500D...
But to me, videos should be just done with a Video Camera - not DSLR cum VidCam..

consumers seem to think otherwise....

 

[yokechye]

Too bad A700 is EOL, obsolete...
Luckily I grabbed myself another unit with kit lens at a great price.
A700 is a great cam for anything; outings, events, in the studio, even weddings.
Personally I find 700 fast and responsive, like a roadster... quick around corners, picks up fast, high top speed, and reasonably sized and weighted.

While the A900 is like trying to race with a Merc. CLK..! Though high quality cam, but Freakin' clumsy and hell of a HEAVY!!!

still lighter than a d700

 

[TME]

Too bad A700 is EOL, obsolete...
Luckily I grabbed myself another unit with kit lens at a great price.
A700 is a great cam for anything; outings, events, in the studio, even weddings.
Personally I find 700 fast and responsive, like a roadster... quick around corners, picks up fast, high top speed, and reasonably sized and weighted.

While the A900 is like trying to race with a Merc. CLK..! Though high quality cam, but Freakin' clumsy and hell of a HEAVY!!!

A900 clumsy? Nah... used it for 2 weeks in Canada... it works very well... love the viewfinder, the screen, the DRO and fast AF... only dislike... 20+MB JPEG files...

 

[OldFlower]

Perhaps you are not using a VG?
Mine are all with VG, and you say JPEG is pain? I shoot in RAW all the time... that's worse with A900! I can go take a shower and have dinner while the pics tranfers from card reader!
Real time consuming!

A900 clumsy? Nah... used it for 2 weeks in Canada... it works very well... love the viewfinder, the screen, the DRO and fast AF... only dislike... 20+MB JPEG files...

 

[yokechye]

Perhaps you are not using a VG?
Mine are all with VG, and you say JPEG is pain? I shoot in RAW all the time... that's worse with A900! I can go take a shower and have dinner while the pics tranfers from card reader!
Real time consuming!

i too used the VG. but i dun feel that the a900 clumsy. infact, it is just nice for my hands. it really depends on individual.

 

[Rashkae]

Perhaps you are not using a VG?
Mine are all with VG, and you say JPEG is pain? I shoot in RAW all the time... that's worse with A900! I can go take a shower and have dinner while the pics tranfers from card reader!
Real time consuming!

I think you need a proper card reader. Mine transfers an 8GB card filled with RAW images in 3 minutes.

Or use the USB cable that came with the A900. Unlike N and C, the sony cameras are bloody fast at USB transfers.

 

[TME]

Perhaps you are not using a VG?
Mine are all with VG, and you say JPEG is pain? I shoot in RAW all the time... that's worse with A900! I can go take a shower and have dinner while the pics tranfers from card reader!
Real time consuming!

I use VG all the time... plus always with 2 batteries since I started on the 7D. It's clumsy to remove the A900 from the bag, to hang off the neck but a joy to grip and use... it's a trade-off I guess... don't use RAW since I don't really need that kind of detail... A4 prints won't show much difference. Even A3+ prints won't show much difference. So I don't really bother unless the lighting is particularly tricky although I am always able to tweak the colour balance to something quite pleasing to the eye... not technically correct but I don't care... looks can already...

 

[OldFlower]

Hmm.. yeah I have never connected my cams direct via USB, might try that next time.
But still, the 900 is too heavy for me but it is good in studio work.
On the whole, I find all of SONY's Alpha design provides for reasonably good grip and handling. And I hope the 850 will not have a weighty issue.

I think you need a proper card reader. Mine transfers an 8GB card filled with RAW images in 3 minutes.

Or use the USB cable that came with the A900. Unlike N and C, the sony cameras are bloody fast at USB transfers.

 

[OldFlower]

I don't know, but I absolutely hate editing JPEGs - they are very unforgiving.
RAW files are fat I know, but it offers much more latitude and overs and unders are easily corrected along with color casts. This way, the final JPEG conversion is far easier to edit to final image although the process is lengthier.

I use VG all the time... plus always with 2 batteries since I started on the 7D. It's clumsy to remove the A900 from the bag, to hang off the neck but a joy to grip and use... it's a trade-off I guess... don't use RAW since I don't really need that kind of detail... A4 prints won't show much difference. Even A3+ prints won't show much difference. So I don't really bother unless the lighting is particularly tricky although I am always able to tweak the colour balance to something quite pleasing to the eye... not technically correct but I don't care... looks can already...

 

[pipo999]

Hmm.. yeah I have never connected my cams direct via USB, might try that next time.
But still, the 900 is too heavy for me but it is good in studio work.
On the whole, I find all of SONY's Alpha design provides for reasonably good grip and handling. And I hope the 850 will not have a weighty issue.

According to the specs the weight is the same to the A900. Strangely enough internally there are some differences so the speculation is on what it makes to compensate to have the same weight indeed. In the meantime however, no announcement yet, I guess we have to wait for the end of Japan summer holidays first.

 

[TME]

According to the specs the weight is the same to the A900. Strangely enough internally there are some differences so the speculation is on what it makes to compensate to have the same weight indeed. In the meantime however, no announcement yet, I guess we have to wait for the end of Japan summer holidays first.

It's supposed to have only one Bionz engine... don't think one circurt board is going to take up a lot of weight... the prism plus metal shell plus high build quality is still there... so I guess that's where the weight is going to...

 

[OldFlower]

According to the specs the weight is the same to the A900. Strangely enough internally there are some differences so the speculation is on what it makes to compensate to have the same weight indeed. In the meantime however, no announcement yet, I guess we have to wait for the end of Japan summer holidays first.

..crap..!
another piece of BRICK!! :angry:

 

[OldFlower]

Already booked one (another piece of brick), & I wonder WHEN will the 850 be released.. I heard it is 'soon', and I suspect it is Sep or Oct 2009. Just like A900 in 2008...

 

[yokechye]

Already booked one (another piece of brick), & I wonder WHEN will the 850 be released.. I heard it is 'soon', and I suspect it is Sep or Oct 2009. Just like A900 in 2008...

i wonder since it is a brick you say why u still wan it? might as well get a plastic body

 

[OldFlower]

Well, 850 has lower res so at least file sizes aren't large like with the 900..
as for weight, guess I'll have to pump up some muscles in my right wrist..
or I'll just use the 700 for long haul assignments...

i wonder since it is a brick you say why u still wan it? might as well get a plastic body

 

[Titan10k]

Or can get the Oly EP-1, light weight but very well built. Too bad half frame only.