Sony Alpha 900: Introducing The Third WheelSept. 9: This train has been thundering towards us for months now. Canon and Nikon have been battling for the hearts and minds of the pro shooter with increasing intensity. But now, the game has been changed. Sony has introduced its long-awaited, eagerly (understatement) anticipated full-frame, 24MP digital SLR, the Alpha 900.Based on the specs and the care with which Sony has been building up to this moment, Canon and Nikon should be glancing nervously over their shoulders. (So should Olympus, Pentax, and Panasonic, for that matter.)Let’s start with something that matters relatively little to those lucky and talented press and sports photographers whose cameras are paid for by the publications they work for: the price. The Alpha 900 is coming in at three grand–less than half the cost of a 21.1MP, full-frame Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III ($7,799) and $2,000 less than a 12.1MP full-frame Nikon D3. Perhaps we will see new versions of these models at Photokina, but on price alone, the Alpha 900 makes a compelling case for consideration. That could attract enthusiasts and weekend warriors, Nikon and Canon’s bread-and-butter base.But it’s more than price: The Alpha 900 is the first full-framer with anti-shake tech and a bright, big honkin’ 100% field of view through the viewfinder. It also has plenty of claims about built-in dynamic range optimization and on-board picture-taking smarts, which will be verified or not in the various tests done by the photo mags and web sites. But these are the kinds of features film-soaked, pixel-poppin’ enthusiasts who don’t mind a “mere” 5fps burst rate would love to have, and at $3K, may even be able to afford.Just as the Alpha 100 changed the rules before it in the entry-level DSLR space (like forcing competitors to lower prices), I think we’re going to see an Alpha 900 ripple effect on midrange and high-end DSLRs in the near future.–Mason ResnickBACK TO THE PHOTOKINA FLASH HOMEPAGE© 2008 Adorama |
