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Sony Alpha A900 24.6MP Digital SLR Camera (Black) | 
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| Brand: Sony
Category: Photography
Buy New: See price in cart
New (6)
Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 18513
Media: Electronics
Floppy Disk Drive: None
Monitor Size: 300
Includes Software: Yes
Display Size: 3
Maximum Resolution: 24600000
Shipping Weight (lbs): 5
Dimensions (in): 12 x 14 x 9
MPN: DSLR-A900
Model: DSLR-A900
UPC: 027242745650
EAN: 0027242745650
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | 35mm full-frame 24.6-megapixel Exmor CMOS image sensor | | • | Body only; lenses sold separately | | • | SteadyShot INSIDE in-camera image stabilization; Dual BIONZ processors for up to fast 5 fps performance | | • | 3.0-inch Xtra Fine LCD photo-quality display; Intelligent Preview Function reduces trial-and-error | | • | Accepts CompactFlash and Memory Stick Duo Media memory cards |
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Product Description
The flagship Sony A900 DSLR features a 35mm full-frame, 24.6-megapixel Exmor CMOS image sensor, as well as SteadyShot INSIDE, the worlds first body-integrated image stabilization solution for a full-frame DSLR, and Dual BIONZ imaging processors that deliver continuous shooting up to 5 fps with superb image quality and ultra-low noise. The A900 also offers a large, ultra bright glass pentaprism viewfinder with 100-percent coverage, an Intelligent Preview function that lets you see the effects of manual adjustments on an image before you take the shot, and best-in-class viewing with a 3.0-inch Xtra Fine LCD photo-quality (921K pixels) display and HDMI output with PhotoTV HD compatibility.
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| Customer Reviews:
Sony Hits a Homerun January 5, 2009
Brian Smith (Miami Beach, Florida USA)
Competition is a very good thing and Sony just joined the professional full-frame DSLR competition with the a900 by hitting the ball out of the park.
I love this camera. It's got big, bright viewfinder thanks to a pentaprism that reminds me of the Nikon F that I owned many years ago. It's built solid as a brick - just like cameras were in the good old days
Sure, it's got twenty-four-and-a-half-million-pixels, but that's only part of the story. The files are excellent with lots of shadow detail and tack sharp thanks to the growing line of Zeiss lenses.
Sony A900 December 8, 2008
John Smiley
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
The Sony A900 is everything that they advertise. A little back ground, I came up through the ranks shooting the Minolta max 7 & max 9. And when Minolta produce their first 7D digital. From the 7D came the A100. I shot the A100 until the A900 was produced.
The A100 was slow about focus and not very accurate but the A900 is very accurate focus and with the five frames per second very fast.
[..]
Biased Opinion November 29, 2008
wes (Fabulous Las Vegas)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Let me start by saying that I teach a digital photography class at the local community college, and I've seen/used/taught about every major brand and many minor brands of digital cameras, and I think every manufacturer makes a camera that is right for different people with different requirements. That being the case, the alpha900 is amazing. The resolution is not only record breaking, but the clarity of each of those pixels is quite good (with the right lens). The image stabilization on a full-frame sensor is a first (and so far, only). 5 Frames per second? At 24.6 megapixels? It is a testament to Sony's knowledge of electronics. The view finder really does exemplify why "live view" is more of a marketing checklist item, and not really necessary; looking through the view finder is a joy.
But, the world of the a900 isn't all roses. If you have a collection of Sony/Minolta lenses, hopefully they're all full-frame. Yes, the a900 supports APS-C lenses, but there is no real advantage to them with this body over other Sony DSLRs. The a900 does "find focus" better than previous Sony DSLRs, but the location of the focus points aren't as well laid out as other Sony models. While I usually carry an external flash, so the lack of a pop-up flash isn't a problem for me, many users will find the lack of one to be, at least, an annoyance.
And last, but certainly not least, is post production once the images are off of the camera. If you primarily shoot in RAW (as I do), and do much post-production, be prepared to bring your computer to it's knees. These files are huge, and all that wonderful resolution comes at cost; that being the amount of pure computing horsepower required.
Given those few caveats, the alpha900 really is a big step forward in digital SLRs, in many ways. If you can justify the cost of this body, it really is worth having, and you'll be surprised at just how much detail a single image can have when its almost 25 megapixels.
Sony's Flagship Camera November 10, 2008
R. Brown (Palo Alto, California)
23 out of 27 found this review helpful
Sony has finally claimed the high ground with its long awaited full frame sensor. And at 24 megapixels, this sensor probably achieves the nominal resolution of 35 mm color film. According to Digital Photography Review, this sensor achieves a resolution of 2,700 lines per 24mm of sensor height, which equals 2,700*25.4/24.0=2,858 lines per inch.
The camera is well built with plenty of buttons to control its functions. It is easy to use and produces stunning picture quality when used with high end Zeiss, Sony or Minolta lenses. I am very pleased with the portraits and landscape photos that I have obtained using the A900.
However, the A900's high resolution sensor is somewhat susceptible to noise. Packing 24 megapixels into this full frame sensor means that each pixel collects less light per unit time than does each pixel of a 12 megapixel full frame sensor. In consequence, the 24 megapixel full frame sensor is less immune to noise than the 12 megapixel full frame sensor. When no in-camera noise reduction is applied by the A900, noise becomes apparent at ISO 800 and it becomes objectionable at ISO 1600. In contrast, the Nikon D700 and Canon 5D both have 12 megapixel full frame sensors and consequently introduce less noise than the A900. However, as noted by E.J. Tastad in his comment to this review, it is possible to resample a 24 megapixel image to obtain a 12 megapixel image that may contain equivalent or less noise than an image that is obtained from a 12 megapixel full frame sensor.
The A900 places large demands on the computer where images are stored and post processed. The best image quality is obtained from RAW mode which consumes 36 megabytes per image file and stores 12 bits per pixel. Compressed RAW (cRAW) mode, which consumes 24 megabytes per image file and appears to store only 8 bits per pixel may be less useful for subsequent photo editing. And opening one of these 36 megabyte RAW image files using Adobe Photoshop can be time consuming. I have upgraded my 1.5GHz PowerPC G4 Mac mini to a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Mac mini in order to decrease the time required to open a RAW image file to a reasonable delay.
The high resolution of the 24 megapixel sensor is achievable only with high end lenses such as the Zeiss 85mm f1.4, 135mm f1.8 and 24-70mm f2.8 lenses, (presumably) the newly announced 16-35mm f2.8 lens, as well as the Sony G and Minolta G lenses. My own measurements with the Imatest lens test software reveal that many of the lower quality, non-G Minolta lenses (and presumably also the equivalent Sony lenses) are not sharp enough to exploit the high resolution sensor. Exceptions to this statement include the Minolta 28mm f2, 50mm f1.4 and 70-210mm f4 lenses, which are not G lenses but are close to G in quality. Nevertheless, be prepared to purchase an expensive set of lenses if you want to get the most out of the A900.
For these reasons, the A900 is a camera best suited to those who demand, and are willing to pay for the highest possible resolution from a digital SLR. For those who would prefer to invest less money in the camera, lenses and computer, the Sony A700 is another professional camera with a 12 megapixel half frame sensor. And, according to jcb's comment to this review, Sony's recent firmware upgrade to the A700 now provides it with in-camera noise reduction that appears to be equivalent to that of the Nikon D300, a fact which makes the A700 a bargain at its current price of $999.
Superb camera, amazing photoraphic tool! October 30, 2008
Alex Vox (Winnetka, IL)
11 out of 23 found this review helpful
If you one of these who once upon a time really enjoyed great Minolta's bodies, this camera brings best of the best. The first thing you notice even before you tried anything is how amazingly beautiful it is. The sophisticated yet logical design of the cam, the layout of the controls, the perceived quality in its every detail are uncommon.
Words can't describe the feeling when you take this baby in your hands. It fits there as a glove, the balance is terrific and the way it handles is beyond compare.
Sony commissioned one superb camera in A900. I took some shots with it, and the way camera performs sounds as a music. The quality of the imaging is just beyond anything I saw in my life. The color, sharpness, details, balance are mind blowing. I made some portraits and on higher ISO it performs delightfully.
In four hours I had my hands on this camera, I realized that I must have it. When I analyzed the images back home, the quality of images left me speechless. Words can't describe the impact of its terrific quality. The macro (flowers) are so detailed, full of halftones, the faces are so natural, real, appealing.
I was amazed by different cameras at different times. As technology goes it makes imaging more advance and and sophisticated. But with all that in mind, this Sony's camera is a killer. Its quality goes as far as I never experienced it before.
For $3000 tag Sony makes you a gift. If this cam would be twice the price it would still be a bargain. Try it and you will forget in a second that any other cameras exist.
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