Sony A900

Review Index – (updated 21 July’09)

AlphaMountWorld
“Considering this is Sony’s first whack at a near professional level DSLR, the results are impressive (can you hear the applause from its users? I can). One only has to wonder what Sony has up its sleeve for its eventual replacement, or even higher level offering. As is, we currently have the A900. A camera that were it an automobile would be a Mercedes Benz, it certainly is built and handles like one. Although I hardly rate lenses or cameras in my reviews any longer, the A900 will be one of the last exceptions to the rule and it goes without saying that it had to be given my highest rating for any camera I’ve reviewed yet.”
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Buy-n-Shoot
“While it is often easier to talk about the bad than good, overall the Sony A900 is undoubtedly a solid performer in the DSLR arena: it’s resolution is superb, it performs quickly and efficiently across the board (thanks in part to its dual BIONZ image processors), and at lower ISO speeds is capable of producing high quality images that are detailed, sharp and fairly accurately colored.”
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Trusted Reviews
“The Sony Alpha A900 is an immensely impressive camera, equalling or surpassing its few rivals in almost every criterion with a combination of superb build quality, blistering performance and class-leading image quality. It would suit any advanced enthusiast or a professional who wants a lighter alternative to a D3x or EOS-1D.”
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Photography Review
“Image Quality is simply fantastic. As long as your sensitivity needs aren’t higher than ISO 3200 for nearly noise free images, the A900 will impress you with color gradation, excellent dynamic range, and mind boggling detail. Raw files are out of this world good and compare well to medium format rigs costing thousands and thousands of dollars more.”
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DigitalCameraInfo
“The Sony A900 delivers excellent image resolution at 24.6-megapixel resolution, paving the way for substantial cropping and large-format prints. Burst mode shooting at a tested 4.4 shots per second is also very impressive,especially considering the fact that JPEG images run roughly 20 megabytes each, which is a lot of data to move quickly. Accurate color reproduction, though, is a problem for the A900, which scored poorly in our color testing and only so-so on white balance.”

Professional Photographer Magazine
“The difference between using D-range optimization and not using it is quite noticeable. Even though the f-stop and shutter speed is the same in both of the model shots, with D-range optimization turned off, the image exhibits quite high contrast. Set to maximum, the exposure is much more natural. D-range bracketing definitely extends creative control.”

RegHardware
“This is a very good high-end DSLR that will please many users. That said, we think some potential buyers might be put off by the lack of one or two features. We also think that there’s room for improvement in the area of handling. But its full frame viewfinder and built-in image stabilisation system are cracking features to have.”
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GoodGearGuide
“Despite the lack of Live View, which we don’t care for much anyway, Sony is onto a winner with the A900, as it’s an absolute joy to use and captures photos at a huge resolution. We love all of the included buttons, its menu system, the big viewfinder, the position of the shutter, and the overall size of the body; it all just works.”
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Shutterbug
“This camera is not lacking a single important feature and it’s particularly competent in terms of autofocus and off-camera flash photography. In my estimation, the A900 will meet the needs of virtually any photo enthusiast as well as some professional photographers. Even so, it’s relatively uncomplicated and very convenient to operate.”

PDNGearGuide
“The best image quality we’ve ever seen from a DSLR shooting in good to moderate lighting; beautiful viewfinder with 100 percent coverage; great price for such a high-resolution, handsome camera; gorgeous 3-inch LCD could be the best screen on a camera yet; great value for studio photographers on a budget.”

PhotographyBlog
“The auto-focus system, while capable, leaves a lot to be desired. The AF points need to be arranged more sensibly, and all of them need to be a cross type – or a double cross type, like the central one – in order to be really useful.”
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CNET
“The Alpha DSLR-A900 isn’t bad for a first full-frame effort, but Sony has some catching up to do with Nikon and Canon, both of which have had far longer to refine their products in this class. (Though Sony’s lack of a huge commitment to optical image stabilization works in its favor here.) I really tried, but I just couldn’t feel the love.”
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TechRadar
“As with the smaller Sonys, the A900 delivers nice, punchy contrast, excellent colours and saturation and very good exposures. It does get noisier at higher ISOs and it can’t match the Nikon D700 in this respect, but it’s fine up to ISO 1600.”
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PCWorld
“A full-frame 35mm sensor is indeed exciting, but I’m not convinced of this model’s value. It may be a good value to you, if you crave the wide-angle capabilities that full-frame offers. Nevertheless, I’ve seen equal or superior results from 12-megapixel DSLRs, for less dough.”
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Bill Caulfeild-Browne (Luminous Landscapes)
“I was initially so blown away by the resolution of this camera that little voices of doubt about the comparative value of my medium format gear began whispering in my ear.”

Digital Trends
“The Sony alpha DLSR-A900 is a terrific camera. It’s clearly for serious photographers who want excellent quality and are interested in making large prints and/or severe crops. It’s easy to recommend.”
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Luminous-Landscape (Field Report)
“Maybe it’s the blocky sold body design, maybe the incredibly robust feel, and possibly the sense that the controls are designed by and for photographers.”

CNET.co.uk (Preview)
“Photos aren’t as sharp as we’d like, though the high resolution lets you get away with a lack of sharpness, to a certain extent, since you don’t have to crop in as far to get the same size print.”

DPExpert
“Do cameras really need to have such mass in order to be indestructible? High ISO images are not as clean as from the Nikon and Canon equivalent cameras.”

TheOnlinePhotographer (Compared to the Nikon D3)
“If I were an art photographer, especially shooting for fine printmaking, I’d get the A900. Its image quality is superlative, yet it’s still reasonably portable, fun and comfortable to shoot with, and easy to use.”

PhotoReview
“It’s important for potential buyers to note that this is a photographer’s camera and, as such, it is wasted on anyone who isn’t prepared to explore (and utilise) the many controls and functions it offers.”
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Lets Go Digital (letsgodigital.com)
“Some features that struck me in practice are, for example, the limited functionality of the dual card slot. Besides that, some information flows from the camera to the photographer don’t seem to be complete, or at least; they are limited and certainly when compared to the rivals in this segment.”
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Digital Camera Info (digitalcamerainfo.com) (First Impressions)
“It also fits well into the hand and is comfortable to hold, although it is somewhat bulky. Having the vast majority of functions assigned independent buttons is fantastic as it avoids navigating menus whenever possible.”

Popular Photography (PopPhoto.com)
“Sony plays it safe when it comes to metering. The camera’s 40-segment Multi-segment (its name for evaluative) metering mode is terrific at preserving highlight detail. But that also means that it tends to underexpose, especially in scenes with high contrast.”

Kemple Media
“Overall I was pleasantly surprised by its robust build, and ability to handle the elements. I say surprised because on the surface the camera is extremely light and unassuming in the hand.”

DPReview
“More than anything else at this end of the market, a true photographer’s camera, with at least one totally unique feature (the Super SteadyShot stabilization) and one that offers the best viewfinder and highest nominal resolution (and the lowest ‘cost per megapixel, incidentally) in its class.”
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Camera Labs
“Ultimately Sony has created a worthy flagship for the Alpha range that not only boasts high resolution full-frame performance, but delivers it with a responsive and enjoyable photographic experience.”
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Gizmodo (Hands-on Preview)
“I also liked the large, comfortable eyepiece – it makes my ancient Nikon D70 feel like a pinhole camera—and the very bright,100% coverage viewfinder. The controls around the 3-inch, 270dpi LCD screen were quite intuitive.”

British Journal of Photography
“Noise is a little unnatural, which was to be expected by this enormous pixel count. The very fine salt-and-pepper character of noise will often virtually vanish, as just a few pictures will need to be enlarged to 100% or more.”

Luminous-Landscape (Field Report)
“As far as image quality is concerned, bear in mind that I had to look quite closely at the files – serious pixel-peeping really – to see the differences. I always figure that if I have to look this closely then the differences are probably so close as to be insignificant.”

ImagingResource (Full Review)
“What’s sure is that the Sony A900 is a fit rival for Canon’s best camera, which costs $5,000 more.”

DCResource (Preview)
“As you’d expect from a flagship, $3000 camera, the DSLR-A900 is exceeding well made — the cliché “built like a tank” is quite appropriate. The body is made of magnesium alloy, though do note that it is not weather-sealed. The only parts of the camera that could be a little stronger are the plastic doors over the memory card and battery compartments.”

DPRreview (Preview)
“As we started to dig a little deeper, pore over the fine print and actually use the Alpha 900 we were, increasingly surprised – and almost always pleasantly so – at some of the decisions made by Sony’s engineers when designing its flagship SLR.”