-
Introduction
-
01.Physical Tour
-
02.Components
-
03.Design / Layout
-
04.Modes
-
05.Control Options
-
06.Conclusion
-
07.Specs
-
08.Comments
Sony Alpha A900
Previous: Page 4
ModesNext: Page 6
ConclusionManual Control Options
The Sony Alpha 900 is a $3000, full-frame sensor SLR. It's manual control options are varied and all-encompassing. There are no shortages of settings to tweak, and you can save them to the three custom shooting modes for later use. These can be accessed through the three spots on the mode dial; a useful feature if you often move from one shooting situation (such as indoors under florescent light) to another (such as outdoors in daylight) and need to quickly adapt.
Focus
Auto Focus
The auto focus on the Alpha 900 can be set to either Wide, Spot or Local. Wide uses the normal 10 focus points, but also adds an additional 10 sensors around them that help to find the right spot if the object of your desire is off-center. Spot uses the center focus spot, and Local uses the 10 focus points. None of these are arranged in a diamond around the center, with an additional one in the middle. For focus mode, you can choose between Single-Shot AF (AF-S), Automatic AF (AF-A) or Continuous AF (AF-C). The auto focus illuminator is rated to an impressive 7 meters, although we were unable to test if this would blind the subject.
ISO
The ISO range in the default automatic mode is from 200-3200 in 1/3 of a stop steps, but is expandable to 100-6400. The automatic ISO can be limited to ranges of 200-1600, 400-1600, 400-800, 200-800 or 200-400.
White Balance
The white balance presets are Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent and Flash, all of which can be tweaked slightly and saved to one of three custom settings. There's also Auto mode, Manual and Color Temperature (2500 - 9900K) the last of which can also have added color filters in 19 steps of magenta/green compensation. There's also a white balance auto bracketing tool with a range of three stops in either direction, to help you get the perfect color from the image.
Metering
The Alpha 900 has a 40 segment, honeycomb patterned metering system. This can be set to Multi Segment, Center-weighted or Spot.
Shutter Speed
The shutter in the Sony can go from 1/8000 of a second to 15 seconds, plus a Bulb mode. This is the standard range we expect to see from an SLR of this price. Teh flash synch speed is an impressively fast 1/250 of a second, or 1/200 if the iamge stabilization mode is enabled. The shutter is rated for approximately 100,000 cycles
Aperture
The Alpha 900 does not have a kit lens, and the apeture is dependent on the lens that is used.
Image Stabilization
Most SLRs put the iamge stabilization in the lens, but the Alpha 900 uses sensor stabilization, where the sensor is on a plateform that moves to adapt for camera shake. This feature is controlled by via a switch on the rear of the camera. Sony states that the new SteadyShot INSIDE is 1.5x more powerful and 1.3x faster than their previous generation of image stabilization, and that you can take photos that are, on average, 4 steps slower than normal. We'll be taking a close look at this bold claim when we test this camera soon.
Picture Quality / Size Options
The Alpha 900 shoots at: RAW, cRAW (compressed), JPEG (Superfine, Fine or standard), RAW & JPEG (fine) and cRAW & JPEG. It can shoot in 3:2 and 16:9 aspect ratio, from 6048 x 4032 (24MB) to 1984 x 1320 (2.4MB). We welcome the inclusion of a RAW & JPEG mode, as this gives the best of both worlds.
Picture Effects Mode
The Sony Alpha 900 doesn't have a picture effects mode, though color, brightness and saturation can be altered by shooting in Creative Style modes: Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Clear, Deep, Light, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night View, Autumn Leaves, B&W and Sepia.
One of the new features that Sony is touting is the Intelligent Preview function. When you activate it, it takes a picture that is stored temporarily, that you can tweak before taking the real photo. You can change the D-Range Optimiser, white balance and exposure, and when you are satisfied with the results, the final image is taken and stored. With the breaking news of CompactFlash memory cards now available at 100GB, the need to save space rather than just shooting at all the different settings seems slightly less urgent. But if you're trying to keep down the number of images taken, we can see how this might be useful.
D-Range Optimizer
The D-Range Optimizer works on images that have areas of both extreme light and dark to capture the greatest amount of detail and range of colors. It can be set to Standard, Advanced Auto or Advanced Level, and each level offers greater control than the previous. It can also be bracketed to store images at all three levels of optimization from one photo.
Shop for the Sony Alpha A900
Latest News
& Reviews
-
12-Feb-2012
Nikon S4300 First Impressions Review
We’ve put the slim touchscreen Nikon S4300 through its paces at CP+ 2012 in Japan, comparing it to the rest of Nikon’s lineup. Read on to see how we think the sub-$175 S4300 stacks up against the competition. Read More...
-
12-Feb-2012
Sony Cyber-shot TX200V First Impressions Review
Sony took the waterproof elements from the TX10, combined it with the sleek, glossy design of the TX100, and made a brand new Cyber-shot camera—the TX200V—that is one of the most stylish waterproof models we’ve ever seen Read More...
Top Rated Digital SLRs
-
$1,049.951Canon EOS 60D
The Canon EOS 60D is a top-notch camera in terms of performance, handling and flexibility. However, the performance of the kit lens leaves something to be desired. Read full 7-part review
$1,049.95TypesProsumerAny Megapixels0,8< 8 Megapixels8,108 to 10 Megapixels10,1510 to 15 Megapixels15,> 15 Megapixels19.00 -
$589.952Nikon D5100
The D5100 is the latest entry-level DSLR from Nikon, with full 1080/30p video, an articulated LCD, and the same image sensor as the D7000. It lacks an internal focus motor, but we found it produced some of the most accurate colors we've seen yet. Read full 7-part review
$589.95TypesAny Megapixels0,8< 8 Megapixels8,108 to 10 Megapixels10,1510 to 15 Megapixels15,> 15 Megapixels16.2 -
$1,239.953Canon EOS 7D
The 18-megapixel Canon 7D delivers high resolution stills and full HD video in a well-built camera designed for serious photographers without the desire (or budget) for a full-frame model. Read full 7-part review
$1,239.95TypesProsumerAny Megapixels0,8< 8 Megapixels8,108 to 10 Megapixels10,1510 to 15 Megapixels15,> 15 Megapixels19.00 -
$1,199.004Nikon D7000
The Nikon D7000 is a powerhouse camera at an excellent price. It offers a huge range of features that will make shooting quicker and easier for the experienced shooter, with lots of customizable options and quick control access. Read full 7-part review
$1,199.00TypesProsumerAny Megapixels0,8< 8 Megapixels8,108 to 10 Megapixels10,1510 to 15 Megapixels15,> 15 Megapixels16.9 -
$569.995Sony Alpha SLT-A55V
The SLT-A55 is a well performing SLR, with a wide ISO range, good color and relatively low noise. . Read full 7-part review
$569.99TypesConsumerAny Megapixels0,8< 8 Megapixels8,108 to 10 Megapixels10,1510 to 15 Megapixels15,> 15 Megapixels17
Features
-
DigitalCameraInfo New Year's Giveaway
Check back every day for the rest of 2011 to see what we’re adding to the grand prize package. It all starts with the Sony NEX-5N and ends with over $4000 in prizes! Read More...
-
DigitalCameraInfo.com 2011 Select Awards
After a year of tireless testing and deliberation, we’ve made our selections for the very best cameras of 2011. Read More...
(add your own)