[jogiba]

On the "con" side of the ledger this camera's most obvious deficits in today's marketplace are Live View and video capability. Sony's Live View implementation on the A550 and A380 is excellent – better in terms of autofocus than just about competitor, so it isn't as if Sony doesn't know how to do this properly. No Sony DSLRs has video yet, and it's been conjectured that this is because there may be a conflict between sensor anti-shake and video recording. But, I doubt it, since Pentax has sensor-based shake reduction on the K7 and also video capability.

Sony Alpha 850 Review
Sony launches DSLR-A850 full-frame digital SLR: Digital Photography Review

[pingflood]

DAMN.

Hopefully this will inspire some action from the competition.

[deadwolfbones]

Sony A850 announced today.

$2000 MSRP, same internals as the A900 except 3fps vs 5fps and 98% VF coverage vs 100%.

No live view, no video.

Pretty impressive camera.

Sony Alpha A850 Review
Sony launches DSLR-A850 full-frame digital SLR: Digital Photography Review

[little laker]

If I'm seeing things right they have In-Body image stabilization, with a full frame.
Something I heard couldn't be done not all that long ago (although I thought it'd come soon enough)
So I'm impressed, although I have no plans on buying one at this time.

[deejjjaaaa]

Bingo. You need the lenses and the Sony top of the line gear is HIDEOUSLY expensive. Not to mention a FF camera and corresponding glass is MASSIVE and heavy beyond belief.

no you don't 24mp on FF is less demanding that 14mp on APS-C and buyers of sub $2K FF body will be OK w/ a 3rd party lenses... and FF glass is not heavy if we are talking about people who are not into serious tele... and A850 is just 850g.... K20D is 800g and K30D is 750g.

[deejjjaaaa]

Something I heard couldn't be done not all that long ago (although I thought it'd come soon enough)

850g FF body w/ FF sensor stabilization (4 stops claimed -> probably 2 stops delivered)... K7 looks overweight @ 750g

[deadwolfbones]

Whoops, apologies to jojiba for duplicating his post.

[lithos]

That rattling you hear is the sound of things being shaken up...

[Big G]

This is an excellent stake in the ground by Sony, I hope this camera is everything I hope it to be.

It certainly brings affordable FF, high res camera bodies to the public - I would seriously consider one of these in the future. However, by the time I do decide to invest in a FF body, the price is likely to be even lower!

[octavmandru]

This looks like a dream came true.
It's an unbelievable nice camera. I love the BG in the MZ-S style. And with all those buttons.

It's a winner.

[Ratmagiclady]

850g FF body w/ FF sensor stabilization (4 stops claimed -> probably 2 stops delivered)... K7 looks overweight @ 750g

What a silly concern. A good film body without winder weighs around 800g, and it doesn't have to have all that battery supply and the like. The K-7's made of metal. This is a good thing.

So, Sony made a slightly-heavier camera, now the K-7 is supposed to become lighter because someone made a full frame that no one's handled yet and may, for all we know, end up feeling cheap in the process? I mean, I hope it doesn't, as there's enough cheap-feeling stuff out there on the market, anyway, but I honestly don't see the point of worries like that.

Whatever size the sensor, past a point, lighter is not 'better,' anyway.

[Ratmagiclady]

This looks like a dream came true.
It's an unbelievable nice camera. I love the BG in the MZ-S style. And with all those buttons.

It's a winner.

*peeking* I do like the design, mostly, (not so sure of the button layout or the rear dial being way over on the right, or that fussy-looking AF mode switch on the body) but the grip is a yay, as is them not being afraid to put a proper-looking finder housing on there.

It might even be a model for me to look at if they have something in a nice 85 to put on there. (And if I had that kind of money to begin with. But I don't really care about Live View or video. )

And they really ought to get that Sony name down off the finder housing, the branding just isn't doing it: they ought to put the word 'Alpha' up there. They do have a few really nice design ideas there, though.

It might even be a model for me to look at if they have something in a nice 85 to put on there.

You mean something like this? Zeiss ZA Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ( Sony SAL-85F14Z ) - Review / Test Report or something like the pentax equivalent to the unicorn.

[Ash]

Oooh, but we all knew this was gonna happen, right?
The Canikoners are no doubt taking note...
Wonder how Pentax will respond?

[Alfisti]

I'll tell you why it's a concern, i walked around all day for three weeks with the 100D and rarely felt it's heft. I now use a 20D and after an hour my shoulder hurts ..... weight is a severe pain in the arse on any mount but when you're selling pancake primes as a central figure in your line up a camera nudging a kilo is absurd.

What a silly concern. A good film body without winder weighs around 800g, and it doesn't have to have all that battery supply and the like. The K-7's made of metal. This is a good thing.

So, Sony made a slightly-heavier camera, now the K-7 is supposed to become lighter because someone made a full frame that no one's handled yet and may, for all we know, end up feeling cheap in the process? I mean, I hope it doesn't, as there's enough cheap-feeling stuff out there on the market, anyway, but I honestly don't see the point of worries like that.

Whatever size the sensor, past a point, lighter is not 'better,' anyway.