Sony announces A900 (Full-Frame)

[S2K1]

Doesn't it?

LOL, I didn't actually read the DPReview one, but one I read didn't make mention of it.

 

[skieur]

It's $3 grand because I'm guessing it's going to be plastic fantastic like the A700, and not sealed..

No, sealed magnesium alloy.

skieur

 

[Samriel]

It really surprises me that it's ISO base is at 200. That just made sure that any small format studio shooters wont' be using it, and will be keeping their 1Ds MkIII's.

I'm no pro, so I'd like to know why studio shooters wouldn't be using it? Even with ISO 200 as the optimal ISO setting, I though in a studio you'd be able to easily compensate for it with the lighting settings...

As for the lenses, Sony has made an effort to get more lenses on the market, and I think they are doing quite well. The studio portrait or product photograph might be quite well equiped with Sony lenses and a A900.

 

[skieur]

I suspect that a Sony A900 with a few Zeiss and Sony G lenses would compete well with the image quality of Canon or Nikon cameras.

skieur

 

[shivaswrath]

should give the D700 a run for the money, excellent for Nikkor die-hards looking for bargains in the next year. . .

 

[reg]

should give the D700 a run for the money, excellent for Nikkor die-hards looking for bargains in the next year. . .

Nikkor die-hards already have $8k in glass to go with their D3s....

 

[Sw1tchFX]

No, sealed magnesium alloy.

skieur

Yep, did a little more reading and saw taht It must be thinner materials then.

I'm no pro, so I'd like to know why studio shooters wouldn't be using it? Even with ISO 200 as the optimal ISO setting, I though in a studio you'd be able to easily compensate for it with the lighting settings...

As for the lenses, Sony has made an effort to get more lenses on the market, and I think they are doing quite well. The studio portrait or product photograph might be quite well equiped with Sony lenses and a A900.

In the studio, ISO 100 gives you more control over your light and depth of field, especially if there's alot of ambient, and if you're shooting on location, it gets worse if you can't sync at 1/500th of a second. I often shoot at Lo-1 on my D700 becuase 1/250th of a second at ISO 200 isn't really a recepie for success in controling your daytime ambient. I guess i'm spoiled by my D70s. Also, if the studio pro wanted to shoot at ISO 100 and if the sony even has a pull setting, then they'd lose dynamic range. It's kind of a lose-lose.

It's like one time when I was in the studio, shooting with a 5D and my D70, same settings, except lights cranked by half when the 70 was used, completly different results.


In all seriousness, I wouldn't have as much beef with sony if they'd make the bodies better built (the A700 feels like a toy compared to the D2/300 or Canon 20-50D), and they improved the body ergonomics along with the AF system being eaiser to work with. Other then that, they're ok cameras, I love the tilt LCD of the A350.

 

[Big Mike]

Does anyone know if the camera has an option for smaller RAW files.

24.6 MP sounds great in theory...but that will mean huge RAW files...and once you take the image into Photoshop and add several layers...the file will be gargantuan. There are very, very few photographers who actually need that level of resolution. I've talked to quite a few wedding photographers and read an article about a top S.I. photographer...they all seem to agree that 8-12 MP is plenty enough for just about everything they do.

 

[skieur]

Does anyone know if the camera has an option for smaller RAW files. .

I believe that there is a compressed RAW format option which seems like a contradiction in terms but we will have to see.

skieur

 

[prodigy2k7]

Ya but it wont be compressed when u open it in photoshop

 

[skieur]

Ya but it wont be compressed when u open it in photoshop

Sony RAW software however has great dynamic range controls that are supposed to be better than others.

skieur

 

[prodigy2k7]

Sony RAW software however has great dynamic range controls that are supposed to be better than others.

skieur

ok...I wasn't referring to dynamic range

 

[8power]

Depending on real-life performance, the price of the thing might give Nikon and Canon something to think about...

I'll be buying one. Fabulous Minolta legacy lenses and superb new ones from Zeiss.

 

[Bifurcator]

Why would the pice cause Nikon to think? Isn't it about the same as the D700? Now if it were $900 (as I think a pro camera should be) then you might have a point.

 

[prodigy2k7]

Why would the pice cause Nikon to think? Isn't it about the same as the D700? Now if it were $900 (as I think a pro camera should be) then you might have a point.

Trying to see your point, who r u talking to, what is "pice", you think a pro camera should cost $900? Me too!