Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

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Sony makes a point of not calling this a "professional" camera, instead referring to it as the "flagship" model of its dSLR line. However, it's priced like a pro model, and its full-frame competitors--the Nikon D700 and the Canon EOS 5D Mark II--are widely, though not exclusively, used by professionals. Additionally, with such a high-resolution sensor, you need a really sharp, preferably fast lens such as the Zeiss 24-70mm F2.8 we tested it with; lenses like the Zeiss are expensive and generally out of reach for all but professionals.

Furthermore, Sony provides some of the most innovative and pro-friendly accessories we've seen, such as its sideways rotating HVL-F42AM flash and VG-C90AM battery grip. The latter almost exactly mimics the control layout of horizontal operation when shooting vertically. As with other Sony models, the A900 remains compatible with Konica Minolta lenses.

Editors' note:

This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.com. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some other products in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia.

Design

The camera's design is reminiscent of, but not identical to, the DSLR-A700. At just more than 850g, it's hefty, though lighter than the Nikon D700 and about the same as the 5D Mark II. A small status display on the top provides some limited information--shutter, aperture, battery and shots remaining--while the rest of the information appears on the back LCD. As with the A700, the A900 lets you access and edit all your settings directly via that display, which we happen to like. The controls take a bit of getting used to since many of them look and feel the same, making it hard to remember their locations. It does provide three custom setting slots on the mode dial, which is very useful, and the large, bright viewfinder is a pleasure to use.

There are three custom setting slots for quick access on the mode dial
(click for larger image)

The A900 has two design flaws, however. First, there's no way to lock the navigation joystick, which you use to shuffle around AF-point selection. If you always use the Spot or Wide AF, which don't move, it shouldn't bother you. But if you use the Local AF, the selected AF point frequently gets changed by accident. Second, the Preview button is also far too easy to trigger accidentally. When set for the Intelligent Preview, it switches the camera into a different mode that you have to escape. Everyone who handled the camera accidentally triggered it. Also, while it's not really a design flaw, the A900's mirror is unusually loud.

Tags: Mode, Flaw, Sony Corp., Camera, Nikon Corp.

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