Posts Tagged ‘a900’
September 4th, 2009 by Derek
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Sony Alpha A850
Word just came up that Sony’s new full-frame shooter, the A850, has hit the store.
To review, it’s got the same sensor and dual-processor set-up of the A900, but cuts costs down a bit with a smaller viewfinder and slower continuous shooting. It uses the same grip as its bigger bro, though, and last I heard we had those too.
Sony has shown a real commitment to their DSLR line, and it’s growing every day. And, whatever reservations I may have about the other divisions of Sony, I find their larger DSLRs (the A700, A900, and now this one) to be quite excellent machines, and I like the very honest, no-nonsense tool aesthetic and feel they’ve built into their full-frame shooters. And, with a growing collection of constant-aperture zooms and Carl Zeiss lenses, it’s a system heavily worth considering if you need depth of field, low light, and studio resolution in one budget-friendly body.
Tags: a700, a850, a900, alpha, body, dslr, full frame, lens, roberts, Sony, zeiss, Zoom
Posted in DSLRs, Manufacturers, Photography, Sony
August 27th, 2009 by Derek
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Sony Alpha A850
Sony today announced it’s newest prosumer body, the A850. Sporting the same CMOS sensor as their other full-frame, the A900. So that’s a whopping 24.6 megapixels. It also sports the dual-bionz processors of its predecessor. It has no built-in flash, and I don’t see any movie mode here, and it drops from 5 frames per second down to 3, but those seem to be the major concessions to keep the price down.
Pricing is yet to come, but it should be the cheapest of all the available full-frame bodies. If you want to get on our waitlist, call us at 1-800-726-5544. The A900 was an impressive offering, and at the kinda price points we’re hearing for the A850 it’ll be a fabulous option for studio shooters, slow economy or not.
- 24.6 Megapixel, full-frame CMOS sensor (same as the A900’s)
- Support for all Minolta and Sony Alpha-mount lenses, with no focal length conversion ratio
- Sensor-shift image stabilization
- Dual Bionz image processors
- Optical viewfinder has 98% coverage and 0.74X magnification (A900 has 100% coverage)
- 3-inch LCD display with 921,600 pixels; camera does not support live view
- AF system made up of 9 main and 10 assist points
- Shutter speed range of 30 – 1/8000 sec, plus a bulb mode
- ISO range of 100 – 6400 when fully expanded
- Continuous shooting at 3 frames/second (compared to 5 fps on the A900)
- Hot shoe and flash sync port; camera does not have a built-in flash
- Dynamic range optimizer offers 5 steps of correction; user can also bracket for DRO
- Preview feature quickly takes a photo and lets you see the effects of adjusting white balance, dynamic range, and exposure compensation
- Dual memory card slots support CompactFlash and Memory Stick Duo media
- Optional battery grip
- HDMI output
- Uses NP-FM500H li-ion battery; 880 shots per charge
Tags: a850, a900, alpha, body, camera, dslr, expo, ISO, lcd, lens, roberts, Sony
Posted in Announcements, DSLRs, Manufacturers, Photography, Sony
April 15th, 2009 by Derek
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Spring Expo 2009
So, I somehow miraculously keep not mentioning this, but the 24th and 25th this month at or two Indianapolis (area) stores is our annual Spring Expo. We’re going to have most anybody who’s anybody (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Mamiya, Leica, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, Profoto, Induro, PocketWizard, FJ Westcott, RPS Studio, Manfrotto, Gitzo, Lastolite, and on and on and on…) out in our store, showing you the merch. If you’re within traveling distance, it’s really a good time to swing by and give us a visit, because there’re just too many toys to play with. It’s one of the two times a year I get to try one of the f2 constant zooms for my E-3, for instance. (Although, dyed-in-the-wool Oly shooter I am, I think I’ll step down and play some with the A900 and some Zeiss lenses and with Nikon’s under-rated D700, both of which are systems I’d have in a giant rolling case if my pay-grade allowed for it.)
I’m sure specials will abound as well, and for those of you who unfortunately can’t come out and see us I’ll be mirroring as much of them as humanly possible on our website as well, so remember to swing by the site that weekend and check on that equipment you’ve been scrounging for (and maybe some you didn’t know you needed, occupational hazzard).
Tags: a900, body, Canon, d700, e-3, expo, induro, leica, lens, manfrotto, Nikon, Olympus, roberts, rps studio, sigma, Sony, spring expo, tamron, tokina, zeiss, Zoom
Posted in Canon, Events, Manufacturers, Nikon, Olympus, Sony
December 29th, 2008 by Derek
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2008 is working its way to a close, and in the end-of-the-year fervor over Canon’s long-anticipated 5D Mark II and Nikon’s rather controversial (or so it seems on the forums, anyway) D3x, I’d like to take a moment to go over some cameras that, to my mind, didn’t get quite the recognition they really did earn out there on the market.
One is Nikon’s D700, the po’ man’s D3. Attacked on several fronts, mostly the decision to stick to “low rez” 12 MP and not to include video, somewhere in the shuffle I think the market lost sight of the fact that this is among the absolute best low-light cameras ever made (consistently getting the promised 2-stop ISO advantage over my own beloved E-3, in my own findings and comparisons). In addition, reputation has the weather-sealing on this up to snuff for pro use (even if the shutter is “only” rated at 150,000). All this for comfortably under 3 grand.
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Tags: 5d mk II, a900, alpha, alpha 900, camera, Canon, d3, d3x, d700, digital cameras, dslr, e-3, fuji, full frame, ISO, leica, Nikon, Olympus, pentax, roberts, Sony
Posted in DSLRs, Manufacturers, Nikon, Photography, Sony
November 21st, 2008 by Derek
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So, month’s ago when the new Sony digital camera, the A900, was being introduced I wrote a blog where I started touching lightly on my love of industrial design and the different approaches to camera designs. I promised way back when I wrote that I promised I would discuss the that famous red triangle that adorns the grips of the Nikon digital SLR cameras.
So, let’s talk about automobiles. I’m sure everyone here has heard of the DeLorean (at the least everyone knows Doc Brown’s car in Back to the Future), and most probably know the Volkswagon Golf. These cars, as well as dozens of others (including many highly celebrated sports cars dating back to the 70s), have something in common with Nikons dating back to the F3. Namely, an Italian designer named Giorgetto Giugiaro.
Now, if you believe the internet (and for now we’ll assume it’s not lying to me too horribly), Giugiaro designed the first Golf, which used a red line around the grill and the headlights for emphasis. When he designed the F3 for Nikon, the brought that same simple concession to color to the world of black professional SLRs.
This line, once dated, would expand into the ellipse found vertically beside the grip on the F5 and the D1, and would with the D2 series condense into the red triangle that adorns so many cameras right now, including the D40, D60, D90, D300, D700, and the once-again Giugiaro-designed D3.
So, there we go, modern Nikon cameras come from a design heritage that also includes several iconic cars like Lotuses, BMWs, Alpha Romeos, Bugattis, Mustangs, and more. Addressing Nikon’s continued use of an element introduced back with the F3, Giugiaro said this:
“For the Nikon F3, I added a red line to the professional-use camera, which used to be entirely black. I sought to make that the hallmark of the Nikon F3 through a bit of graphic flair. In other words, I added a bit of fun to it. Fortunately, the company likes the addition of the red line. I am delighted that the company still uses it extensively to give a family feel to Nikon’s camera line.“
Next time, we’ll look at the history behind the current, sleek legacy of Canon digital SLR cameras, and continue my push into digital camera comparisons via industrial design.
Further reading on the Nikon designs can be found here and here.
Tags: a900, alpha, camera, Canon, d3, d300, d40, d60, d700, d90, eos, grips, ISO, Nikon, roberts, Sony
Posted in Manufacturers, Nikon
November 19th, 2008 by Derek
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It’s been a series of odd coincidences around here lately. First off, Nick was taking an order for one of the more exotic of Canon lenses, the
800mm f5.6, so we were talking about exotic lenses in general and the big giants, like the
Sigma 200-500 f/2.8 (a piddling 34.6 lbs for over 2 feet of lens. It needs its own battery. No, really) and my favorite big honking lens of all time, the Canon 5200mm f14 (pictures and a copy of the brochure page here, here, and
here). Supposedly it had a working range of 18-32 miles and came with spotting scopes. Nice. This sucker reports to have been a very pocketable 220 lbs and 75.6″ long. Now, a lens taller than most adult men might sound massive, but if you stop to do some quick math and figure out that a 5200mm lens should be around 17 feet long, you might not find 75.6″ so bad.
It was a mirror lens, using mirrors in addition to glass elements to ‘fold’ light inside the lens, by first sending it to the back of the lens, then back up to a small mirror in the middle of the front element, and then finally sending it back to the sensor.
Then, the day after that, Jody was surprised to hear new announcements for mirror lenses (which have no aperture controls, you get one fixed aperture and need ND filters past that).
Then, today, I was reviewing the current Sony instant rebates, and saw the 500mm f8 Reflex sitting down in our Sony lenses. Apparently, if you buy Sony Alpha cameras you’ll find yourself in the unique position of having an available autofocus mirror lens, giving a fieldof view equivalent to a lens three times longer than it actually is.
Will it rival that $11,000 Canon for quality? No, but hey, for under $700 bucks and for it’s tiny size (well, compared to optically formulated 500’s), it’s going to be hard to beat. Don’t forget on any Alpha other than the A900 you’ll have a 1.5x crop making it a 750mm lens which is only about 5″ long.
Tags: 200-500mm, 500mm reflex, 50mm, 5200mm, a900, alpha, alpha 900, camera, Canon, crop, exo, filters, flickr, lens, mirror lens, roberts, sigma, Sony, Zoom
Posted in Lenses, Photography
November 6th, 2008 by Phil
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The big gripe has been RAW compatibility for the Nikon digital camera P6000. Up until now, the RAW file was only supported by Windows, or the new plug-in for Photoshop on the Apple platform.
Today, Apple has released the new RAW update 2.3 for iPhoto ‘08 and Aperture 2. The new update supports RAW files for the Canon EOS 50D, Nikon D90, Sony Alpha A900 and the Nikon Coolpix P6000.
This is big news for Apple users. I have heard a lot of complaints about compatibility for the P6000. This should address a lot of those issues.
Tags: 50d, a900, alpha, camera, Canon, d90, eos, news, Nikon, p6000, Sony
Posted in Manufacturers, Nikon, Photography, Point-and-Shoots
October 22nd, 2008 by Chuck
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This year we are in a very heated race, with many worthy candidates. If you are looking for change it is here now. You have a chance for a better system, more efficient use of available resources and still place less demand on your pocketbook.
The two major candidates are both offering change, breaking with the past and the old ways is inevitable. Even though the goals of the the major parties are similar, there are differences and you have to decide which direction you want to go. Nobody can anticipate everyone needs, there may be sacrifices required to get an overall system that best suits you best and incorporates your plans for the future.
It is important to remember that there are more than two parties in this race, that you still have many choices to consider. With the economy being a major factor as well, it is incumbent upon you to make the right choices for your needs. In the next few weeks and months remaining there will be many deals to stimulate the economy and to bail you out of your usual last minute crazy holiday race.
We all know who the two main candidates are for your SLR dollars. Canon and Nikon are perennially favorites and are once again neck and neck. Between them they have brought out (or are soon bringing out) no less that 7 new platforms in the past three or four months. Recent Nikon Digital SLR offerings include the D90 with video worthy of a High Definition Camcorder, the high mega-pixel high end Nikon Digital Camera for more performance the D300, and the two new full size sensors models in the Executive branch, the D3 and the D700.
Canon digital SLR cameras you ask? They too have been bolstering their ranks. The Canon Digital Rebel camera lined has two recent additions the Rebel XS, and the higer mega-pixel Rebel XSi, but the most anticipated Canon Digital SLR camera news is the Canon 5D Mark II! We are takin advanced orders for the new Canon. Like the new Nikon D90 the Mark II will also have High definition Camcorder quality video recording capabilities, a massive 21.1 mega-pixel image sensor and the new digic 4 processor.
Inspirational Poster ala Chuck
The true independent in this race is Sony. Sony manufactures every component of their DSLR cameras and lenses, so they control their own means of production. The new Sony Digital SLR that is getting rave reviews has the largest resolution full frame sensor to date in a “35mm” style camera body at 24.6 mega-pixels. The Alpha 900 is here now and is remarkable, add a comfortable grip and it is the equal of most any camera on the market, and at a price that is sure to put pressure on the other contenders.
Remember that Pentax and Olympus are also in the DSLR business, and there are many worthy offers and offerings to consider before you veto them from your agenda. This season we have killer Olympus Digital Camera deals. You be can walk out with a 10 mega-pixel E-410 with a 14-42 lens for under $400.00. The same Olympus digital camera with an additional 40-150 zoom, case with 3 year extended warranty, spare battery and 2 gb compact flash card, can be yours for 549.94. Talk about your stimulus package! Can we beat the competition for deals this season! Yes We Can!
Tags: 5d mk II, a900, alpha, alpha 900, body, camera, Canon, Canon 5d Mark II, d3, d300, d700, d90, dslr, e-410, full frame, lens, news, Nikon, Olympus, pentax, rebel xs, rebel xsi, Sony, Zoom
Posted in Canon, DSLRs, Manufacturers, Nikon, Olympus, Photography, Sony
October 6th, 2008 by Derek
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Bokeh the Fifth
Let me get this out of the way right off the bat: to the best of my knowledge bokeh isn’t directly affected by sensor size. I say “to the best of my knowledge” because, despite popular opinion, I’m not all crazy omniscient (crazy, yes, omniscient, no).
“But,” you say, “Derek! You told us way back when that sensor size affects bokeh!”
Why, so I did, good job paying attention. Here’s the thing: remember our lesson on Depth of Field? And I told you sensor size was a part of it? Aha, now we’re getting to the point.
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Tags: 50mm, 5d mk II, a900, affected, bokeh, camera, Canon, crop, crop factor, d700, d90, digital cameras, dx, full frame, lens, Nikon, Olympus, roberts
Posted in Educational
September 26th, 2008 by Phil
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We just got out of a training on the new Sony Alpha A900 camera. Wow! This little gem is amazing. Built like a tank. 24.6MP full frame CMOS. 5 frames/sec burst. Wow. Dual flash memory card slots. It takes regular compact flash cards for storage and memory stick as well. The steady shot in camera works VERY well. The lighting was pretty bad in the room we were in and when I shot with it, things were razor sharp. The A900 weighs in at only 850g. Not bad for a rugged body like this one. It’s a winner, folks!

The new flash was also available to play with. Model HVL-F58AM. It can pivot 90 degrees left or right on a horizontal axis, keeping the flash head in the optimum position when the camera is rotated from landscape to portrait position. Priced at $499.99
Roberts Imaging should see these close to the end of October at $2999.99.
Also coming soon from Sony, the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM priced at $1799.99 available January 2009. 70-400 F4-5.6 G SSM available January 2009 priced at $1499.99.
Tags: a900, alpha, body, camera, d3, full frame, roberts, Sony, zeiss
Posted in DSLRs, Manufacturers, Photography, Sony