According to new sources Sony will release a new firmware update for the A850 and A900. But we shouldn’t expect anything spectacular. The only new feature of the update will be the support for the one lens that none of us will probably ever buy…the super expensive 500mm f/4.0 SSM lens (Click here to see it on BH). I have been told the new SSM motor is too fast for the current firmware to handle. That’s why an upgrade is needed.
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Sony A900 at [shopcountry 3032].
Sony A850 at [shopcountry 3028].
110 Responses
more infos on the a57 plz!!!!
i dont know what to do. buy the 77 or wait
A77 is a completely different class of camera, if you think you can get away with using the A57, then you don’t need the A77.
I agree that the a77 is a different class of camera, but I wouldn’t necessarily agree with the statement regarding “getting away” with the a57. The kit lens on the a77 is much better than the a57 kit lens. If someone was looking at the a57 body and anticipating that they would be purchasing the 16-50 f2.8 lens that comes with the A77, they may decide to just purchase the a77 to save $100 off of the lens cost and put some extra money towards the a77 body.
I personally am waiting to see how the a57 performs in high ISO scenarios before I decide between the a57 and a77. I am waiting for the a57 to come out before I do a cost-benefit analysis between the two models. I don’t need the resolution of the a77 sensor, and if the a57 performs better when shooting at a high ISO level I will likely purchase it. I will miss the weather sealed body, but alot of people have complained about noise at high ISO levels with the a77. Either way, I will get the 16mm-50mm f2.8 lens.
Don’t need the 16-50mm, the Tamron 17-50mm will go just fine with a 5 series camera. I had it before the 16-50mm, the Tamron is a great lens for that price.
However the point I was making is that if DonDony can’t decide NOW that the A77 is the right camera for them, then they probably don’t need the extra features and more importantly, extra cost of it. I could understand some people comparing the A65 and A77, but not the A77 to a 5 series.
I have never had the pleasure of using one of these.
I have heard that the IQ is very high and can be compared against the mainstream top end cameras.
Makes me wanna go out and buy a second hand a900
I love mine. I don’t think you would be disappointed.
hmmmm…. support and updates on a “discontinued” product??
As reported by Sony Japan weeks ago the A850 and A900 are no mroe in production. But this doens’t mean you stop to support the cameras! The cameras still work and are still owned and used by people 🙂
Also A700 if true, it is the same generation as A900/A850.
I doubt someone with “just” a A700 will use the SEL-500F4. Keep in mind that lens costs ~ $13.000. You don’t buy something for that money when you only use part of the lens (1,5 crop).
You might be surprised. I bet someone who only had the a700 just might. We as people can be funny about things sometimes.
It also shoud be considert that a good amount of professional photographers using a A850/900 will have an A700 as backup body.
You do if you want 750mm equivalent.
No, Lotus Eater. That doesn’t make sense because the 24mp FF effectively HAS the “750mm” crop inside of it. This comparison only has any meaning if both sensors are of the same megapixel (i.e. an a77 with the 500mm F4 will have 750mm equivalent to the A900 (both 24mp)) but the A700 at 10mp is not getting any extra reach, its just losing all of the area cropped out (and contained in the 24mp image).
Larger sensel area.
The a77 has a greater pixel density. Therefore it will have better “750mm”. But it really makes no sense to buy this lense for a a77 or even a a700.
greatz
a900 crop mode is 10mp. a700 image is 12mp. The a900 crop mode is like an a200 sensor.
All Sony’s should be capable of working the 500mm G lens because many of us have legacy Sony’s as backup cameras, even if a77 or a900 are main camera.
I would buy the a57 only if ISO is really that good and it has more ISO steps then my a33. And it has to have a fully suported batteriegrip
i am happy to hear that ” new SSM motor is too fast for the current firmware to handle”.
Damn it. The A99 should be have ready now, not 6 months later.
+1 🙂
Sony wants you to stock on more lenses first pluging for the a99 😀
I’d prefer it to be release when it is ready.
Thank you Sony for not making me regret my decision to say goodbye.
Thank you Nikon for constantly putting out superior products.
What you got? Interested on buying cheap, second-hand stuff. Ebay if you don’t mind.
Rooru, I asked you some days ago, what Sony gear are you looking for?
Sorry, forgot to check the other thread. Recently spent some money in used gear so right now I’m only looking for a Macro setup (if you have the Minolta/Sony 100mm). Greetings!
Every time you make love to your Nikon DSLR, there will be a little thing that will eat at your heart knowing that inside every Nikon there is a Sony sensor.
Sony will always be your first, no matter what other skank you decide to bang.
haha @ skank
Cool dude… what Nikon P&S did you get?
I am sure it’s that much better than that Sony Android phone camera you must have had.
Maybe the new firmware will mean faster focusing all around? I can dream right. haha I love my a900!
Yep, me too! I’ll apply the firmware update just because. If Sony tweaked anything else then great. Otherwise, I can’t imagine it would cause any harm and if I ever do sell the darn thing’ it will be up to date.
They should add firmware to allow video recording. Sometimes I wish to record video with mine but can’t and don’t want to carry heavy DSLR and lenses AND a video camera. And right now Sony doesn’t even have a current FF camera much less one that does video.
I seriously doubt that can be done with firmware.
Well, if they could make the mirror automatically flip up I’m sure they can put a video mode… Maybe no manual controls…
Video would require different hardware and somehow I can’t see Sony offering a hardware upgrade for a camera that has already been EOLed.
I’m pretty shure that the a900 and even the a700 would be capable to record an image stream if fliping up the mirror and skipping pixels. However the only way that would be usable would be a clean HDMI out signal recordet with third party hardare as those bodies don’t even have an audio in plug. (Hovever with clean 4:2:2 out it should be capaple of great video). (I still can’t understand why anyone would like to use canons for videon the resolution is just so increadably poor if you e.g. Compare it to the A580)
it takes a little more than that I’m afraid. You need high full frame readout speed and/or selective column/row readout to get the 25fps+ required for video. Remember, these cameras dont even have live view and have a hardware design optimized for stills photography at 5fps. Video requires the addition of extra codecs (AVCHD, MP4) as well so it would be quite the battle to get it in there. However, I’m not saying its not possible, it probably is, but its probably not practical and as Carl pointed out, you normally wouldn’t do it on a camera which has been discontinued.
Having said all that, I’ve got a 900 and if they gave it video or even live view tomorrow I’d be a very happy man.
It wouldn’t necessarily need AVCHD or MPEG Codecs, those are only needed to write data onto Storage such as CF cards. As I said that wouldn’t make any sense anyway as the camera is unable to record sound. However it should be able to stream video live over the HDMI port, as it also has the capabilities to display still images in full 1080p via the HDMI port. In any case a clean, uncompressed HDMI out would give the best quality possible aswell as it would be the only usable option (even if Sony obviously wouldn’t give us that).
Be nice if they would do something about the high ISO noise. That to me will be the deciding factor if I continue with Sony. If the next FF body can at least rival the Nikon and Canon in high ISO performance, I will continue with Sony. If not, Nikon here I come.
The high ISO noise is fine for photographers who value dynamic range and color accuracy. I switched from the 5dmkII because of its obsessive noise-concern- they fucked up the red channel and lost 1EV of dynamic range to the A900.
Yawn.
The a900 is comparable to the others when you shoot in RAW and use Adobe Lightroom 3 or later.
The thing that made me mad the most is the fact that Sony did not release an update for my A580, though it has many bugs and could use recording video to various framerates.
It will be nice to have another opportunity to update my beloved pair of a850’s one more time with new fw, not that I plan on buy THAT lens anytime soon.
My luck I’ll probably screw it up………
Hm… the question is, if the new generation lenses 70-400 G II and 70-200 G II are as fast as that beast, too?
that is my guess
a850 and a900 was not discontinued for some time?
Indeed, but although Sony don’t have a reputation for stellar “pro service”, at least they do respect their customers enough to provide the necessary upgrades for even discontinued camera models, so they may work with new lenses. Not everybody will replace their A900 after a mere two or three years of use.
I only wish they would also release firmware to make the NEX-7 compatible with Minolta’s ring flash.
This is the first I’ve heard of this. What aspects of the ring flash don’t work? My understanding is that the MFC-1000 uses the same protocols as the rest of the Minolta (D) flashes.
Except for two shots (that may have been taken in manual flash control mode) all my shots with the ring flash are “un-exposed”. The pre-flash goes off in auto mode, but there’s no main discharge. With the twin flash everything’s OK (well, actually rather overexposed, but -2 EV flash compensation will solve that).
I’m not 100 % sure where the problem lies, but there is a problem.
The only reason they provide the firmware is that A900/A850 owners are potential buyers of the SAL500F4 lens. They’d simply sell fewer lenses without that firmware.
It’s nice to see the A900 on SAR again… IMO, it is the last real camera! And if you know how to use it, it’s IQ is as good as anything out there.
+1 as good, if not better- especially when paired with zeiss optics
+2
-3 The last real camera was the Minolta Alpha/Dynax/Maxxum 7, and it wasn’t even Sony’s. Of course, you’re right when you redefine that definition into FF DSLRs with OVF.
Having both, I’d say they’re more similar than different.
My all time favorite camera. Wish I could buy a digital version (like 7D) but with a bit better sensor (only slightly) and without it being really old, really expensive and pretty guaranteed to break down as soon as you buy it. Also FF would be nice. But then my Dynax 7 is FF 🙂
Search Konica Minolta’s corporate landfills for all those 9D prototypes they are supposed to have made.
Ahhh, the Dynax 7 arguably the best film SLR ever made and truly a thing of beauty …might defrost some velvia and take mine out for a nostalgic spin this weekend
cool, but I’m not even going to bother because if the update is only to cater to that lens… it’s pointless, for me anyway. But wait, doesn’t the shutter count start over @ every FW update? lol
When is the NEX-7 update going to be? Anything to crank up the AF would be good as well as a better WB..
the WB is superb on the Nex7 for a an auto WB
Tt
I wonder if as part of the focus response improvements we might see improved AF with other lenses? Here’s a question for you guys..
Does anyone find the CZ 85mm 1.4 makes a lower pitched louder “grinding” noise on the A850/A900 compared to the A55? I always wondered why it sounds healthier on my little A55 considering the A850 should have a more powerful motor?!
I would attribute it to the updated AF on the A55.
A900/850 simply have slower AF than A55. You will notice the difference on just about every lens. My A900 is so slow with 70-400G that i can’t track BIF at all, OTOH A55 did reasonbly job in AF-C tracking even with “slide show” EVF.
In the defense of the A850/900, I do believe the center point is probably more sensitive in lower light, but as pointed out- probably slower at tracking then the A55 (also considering the SLT full time phase-detection)
MCP Wannabe- I.E. Dingdong, probably this and probably that- you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about- again. Just take the next Soyuz trip off the planet and stay in space dingdong.
end of line.
Did you enjoy having your posts removed?
end of line.
Not nearly as much as enjoyable as yours being removed 😉 Now to get the admin to start deleting your bs lies and sony astroturfing since you can’t talk about cameras without looking like the south end of a donkey.
end of line.
a850 af is fast enough for people work or anything that fills the viewfinder to 20-30% and is unmatched by anything Sony in low light. I shoot events and have the pleasure to work with a850 + CZ24-70 and a77 + 16-50mm kit. Full Frame is 95% spot on in dark environments. a77 may get in that territory with the promised FirmWare upgrade.
I would say that the a900 would be faster with AF and center point in some situations with screw drive lenses. Especially with objects moving side to side. Head toward you or away from you is a different story with the a900 though. Not very good at that. The a900 has a stronger motor in the body for screw drive lenses than the a55 I would say.
Hopefully, they’ll add some additional features as well. The A900 and A850 compare very well in terms of raw noise output. i have shot weddings at 3200 iso entirely and using Lightroom 3 they results are excellent. I plan on sticking with Sony, due to heavy investment, but they have to stop being “johnny come lately”. Just like the A77, it’s a great camera but took too long to get released or provide any true data. After the long wait period, many Sony users had switched camp and in some ways you really could not blame them. Uncertainty is never a good quality with product upgrades. I fear that the A99 will take too long to get to the market and people will have purchased the Nikon D800 and Canon 5D MK iii cameras and have those manufacturers already developing updated firmware and technology before we even get a new camera to even look at. Also, how can Sony manufacture a large portion of sensors for Nikon and sit back on their own products; might as well shoot themselves in their feet. Sony has to up their game and be ready to release new cameras and technology alongside of both Nikon and Canon. The A99 needs to come out (for sale) very soon and not wait until September. Also, an integrated vertical grip and a selling price of 3 grand could really help seal some deals, but that’s a wish list item for now. While I am very happy and pleased with my A850 and A900, I would like to see a full frame option with the latest technology. I don’t think they’ll touch iso performance with the update, because if it’s good enough some buyers may opt to only keep their current full frames and not upgrade. Just my two cents.
You say as if canon and Nikon have no APSc users. Most who can’t afford full frame are still waiting for 7D and d300s replacement.
It’s nice to see another firmware upgrade, even if the 500/4 is not exactly high on my to buy list (if I had that much cash floating around I’d get a Minolta 600/4 and pocket the difference).
If they upgrade the other SSM motored lenses, I can image getting use out of it, however.
Hopefully the new SSM design has a compatibility mode so it can still be used on film cameras.
Better late than never, but it would have been nice if Sony had rolled out these updates before those models were discontinued.
Damn, the a900 has to be the best looking camera out there 🙂 Such a badass design. A77 is gorgeous too, but looks too mellow.
Nothing relevant…just wanted to share my feelings 😀
The A900 looks like a toned down Minolta 9, the A77 looks like a toned down 9xi.
agree and i have the a77 but this made me laugh: 😀
http://imgur.com/ky7Jh
Kai W is a pretty good reviewer for Canon and Nikon cameras but he didn’t really understand the A77 when he reviewed it. Like most pros and decent reviewers, they never gave the A77 a chance knowing it has an EVF.
When I saw he did the whole aesthetic comparison you can totally tell, he was about to say something ok about it but say he didn’t like it. That’s ok. His video was the one that told me I should really try it myself because most reviewer has no clue or biased at what about the A77.
Yeah I’m not so sure, A850 seems to fovus faster with 35mm 1.4 and my 14mm Tamron but the A55 with the rest! Let’s hope the A99 can be released soon, I’m not sure I want to buy another A8/9 series as the prices don’t seem to have fallen like the 5D II and D700 🙁
The new cameras from both Nikon and Canon have gone WAY UP in price and as you would expect that the old cameras would sell cheaper.
I would be supprised if Sony’s FF SLT will cost more than $2,400 if that.
Sony claims that in part the reason to get away from the OVF is cost so expect that the Sony EVF will cost less then FF from Canon or Nikon.
They never said that. They just claimed SLTs will be cheaper to produce than their 2-sensor DSLRs like the A580 which also has PDAF in live view.
The second sensor in the LV SLRs cost a pitance, they are very small and low res. when asked about an OVF in the next FF Sony said ‘not at that price’. Even the A850 was released with its main difference being the buffer size and size of the OVF. Sony EVF FF will be cheaper than the equiv EVF FF. in fact the EVF will cost more or less the same as the one in the a77, which would be unheard of if using an OVF and probably less given that yields would be higher and the cost of tech lower the more it is utilized/manufactured.
Okay,
That correct, it very well could be more about Sony’s profits and the saving may never be pushed down to the customer……….
‘That none of us will probably ever buy’? With all the bitching on here about how long it has taken for Somy to release and how Sony aren’t meeting the demands of ‘Pro’ shooters I thought SAR readers would be lining up around the corner to get the 500/4?! Seriously. I mean hasn’t that been why everyone is switching to Nikon or Canon?
Oh that’s right, it was more just people having a whinge as per usual, guess they’ll whinge about the price now that it is available instead – seems these ‘Pro’s’ assumed it would cost 49c and they were entitled to it from birth… You know, because they’re ‘Pro’.
If you took away all the grizzlers, acolytes and trolls, there wouldn’t be a lot of posters left here.
Agreed. I just wish there were more positive posts. It is funny though, you go on any brand specific forum and there is more bitching than positive – goes to show the grass is always greener. How many negative posts do you think there are around the new, expensive, non stabilized Canon 24-70 L II?
To be fair in that instance the lack of IS for such a bread-and-butter lens for many working professionals is actually something worth getting annoyed about, compared to the usual inane complaints. Stabilisation is one of the few inventions in recent times that actually makes a meaningful improvement to one’s photography, rather than just checking boxes on a spec sheet.
Of course, it’s not a problem we need to worry about, thanks to IBIS.
I’m happy with SSS on my sub 100mm lenses (indeed in many cases we’re better off as OS can degrade image quality) but once you get to 200mm+ I think the in lens option wins over. It would be nice for Sony to introduce OS on their telephoto lenses and introduced a firmware update which would automatically disabled SSS on a OS lens but given the 500mm doesn’t have it I can’t see this ever happening.
It might be better, but as to whether it is more than academically so is subjective. I have taken still shots with my 100-400 at 1/15th, I can’t see OS doing much better.
What about me?
Heh, now we just need someone to take “grizzler” and “troll” as their moniker, and the circle will be complete.
HERE!!! 🙂
great cameras, the a900 and a850, I have both. I’ve bought a second hand a850 first, as it was the cheapest full frame camera around. This winter I’ve got a second hand a900 for little more.
It’s good to know that sony is still keeping these cameras compatible with the new lenses, though I agree with the post, I’ll probably never buy the 500mm f4…
seems an odd step but maybe a good one if you want to stop the current FF users from getting tempted by the big 2’s releases. Not sure what they could add though, the A900/850 are pretty much as good as they are going to get.
I think I could make quite good use of the 500mm on my a700s. But then I make long lens shooting a standard and common part of my photography so know how to use a long lens. Probably more so than most a900 or a850 users do as it’s not a standard part of their shooting.
That does not mean I’m going to run out and spend $13,000 I don’t have, however.
not sure why you assume you know more about long-lens shooting then A900/A850 shooters… as if that statement has any legitimacy whatsoever??
Don’t worry – it’s the usual condescending arrogance from someone that obviously considers himself to be superior to, and more knowledgeable than, everyone else. Since, though, he has been proven wrong on so many occasions, such statements should be regarded as nothing more than BS.
A900 is very good as long as you don’t do BIF tracking. I have seen quite a few Minolta 600/4 mounted with A900. It’s 24mp sensor gives you same “digital zoom” crop factor as A700 but come with better ISO performance and nicer OVF. Since I am the kind of person always use center AF point only, I am very curious to see how fast the new generation tele lens (500/4, 70-400G II, 70-200G II) will make my old A900 do AF-C tracking.
Great, now you are better than full frame shooters…only in the World of Walt.
Great, like we needed to hear your grand soapboxing on the subject. Take the next trip to space, monkey.
end of line.
The point is that there is little wrong with Walt’s comment that he could make good use of the 500 on his A700, even though “I know how to use a long lens” is a little boastful. There was no need to say anything more.
But his pompous attitude always shines through – his remark about knowing more than A900 or A850 shooters (even if factually correct – which I very much doubt) is totally unnecessary, adds nothing at all and is completely supercilious.
lame firmware update! no new FF body on the horizont 😉
I hope for full manual video. A57 could be bestseller!
A57 could be bestseller with video manual controls!
ups wrong threat, can’t delete the comment lol
@ Admin: Have you got any additional info to this FW update for A850/A900 ?
Schedule or timeframe ?
No info but I hope it’s within the next weeks.
@Admin: Any update? Well I guess it was wishfull thinking or Sony just dont care about their customer base. 🙁
But anyway, I dont miss something in the A850/A900 firmware except a better JPG engine. If there could be improvements, this is allways welcome.