Sony's "flagship" dSLR to be launched by end 2008

Leonard Goh | Mar 25, 2008

In the competition for producing pro-dSLRs, Nikon and Canon have always been leapfrogging each other. But now it seems Sony wants a piece of the pie as well.

The Japanese company told us we can expect its "flagship" dSLR (rumored to be the Alpha 900) by end of the year. Although this full-frame dSLR had already made its appearance at the Photo Imaging Expo last week in Japan, the company remains tight-lipped regarding its availability and price.

But what Sony can tell us is that this "Exmor" CMOS full-frame sensor will have a resolution of 24.6 megapixels, and the camera body is going to be equipped with Super SteadyShot. There will also be optional vertical grip and hotshoe flash for this highest-end Alpha dSLR to date.

There are reports on the Web about the Alpha 900 sporting a retro-looking pentaprism (a set of glasses to reflect the image from the lens to the viewfinder) on a modern, professional camera body. Online sources also mentioned Live View for the Alpha 900, which will be the third pro-dSLR body to sport this feature, besides the Nikon D3 and the Canon 1Ds Mark III.

Full-frame comes at a price, and it is not cheap. We wonder how the Alpha 900 will be priced. Will it lean toward the Canon 1Ds Mark III range (since both bodies are sporting sensors more than 20 megapixels), or compete with the slightly less pricey Nikon D3?

For current Alpha system owners, this is no doubt good news, especially if they already have a good range of lenses from Sony and are looking to switch to a compatible full-frame body.

Keep a lookout here, because we're going to find out more about this elusive camera.

Update: The above image of Sony's prototype flagship SLR as it was displayed at PMA earlier this year is taken by our CNET.com counterparts.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET Networks)

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