Sony a900 - Needed improvements

[alanbrowne]

I've done a review of the a900 here:

http://aliasimages.com/Sonya900Revue.html

 

It includes the following firmware implementable improvements that I believe will make the camera that much better than the great

camera it is:

 

1. When in MLU drive mode, allow the Remote Commander to control the shutter.

 

2. 2 second shutter delay - does not immediately raise the mirror.

 

2 second shutter delay should always (as in past Maxxum/Dynax cameras):

 

-Raise the mirror

-Delay 2 seconds

-fire the shutter

 

3. Exposure compensation, whether in the main display when selecting the compensation sub-window or on the exposure compensation

display:

-Front dial: reflected (ambient) light compensation.

-Rear dial: flash compensation

 

4. Preview should allow ISO adjustment and zooming in on detail.

 

5. MLU time-out. 30 seconds after the MLU is fired, the MLU is cancelled if the shutter is not depressed again.

 

-Add a menu option to fire the shutter (take the image) after the 30 second time-out.

 

6. Add option to record raw files in Adobe DNG format in lieu of ARW.

 

7. Add non-resettable counters accessible via the menu.

Shutter releases

Images recorded

 

Embed the above data in the EXIF data.

 

8. Tethered shooting: show images on PC/Mac immediately as they are shot.

 

Cheers,

Alan

[paul_de_ley]

Nice summary Alan!

 

A small note viz 2 sec MLU in previous alpha models. I don't have an a900 myself, but I can confirm that with the

a100 the 2sec MLU really lifts the mirror 2 sec before opening the shutter. It would be very counterproductive

indeed (as in: brainless engineering) if the a900 doesn't do that. Can you actually release the shutter without a

lens to confirm

that the mirror stays down until right before shutter release?

 

As to improvements needed for the next firmware version: my personal single biggest one would be full shutter

unlock & focal length programming functions to allow steadyshot to work with any manual focus lens that can be

physically adapted onto alpha mount. As far as I understand, the a900 currently provides neither shutter unlock

nor focal length entry? Of course if it really lacks shutter unlock then you can't really check the exact

sequence of 2 sec MLU

action of the body alone.

 

And an aside: do you happen to know of any full reviews published to date in a print photo magazine? I don't

subscribe to any but have been scanning store shelves for the past two months and found none sop far. The

November issue of ProPHOTO Magazine has a one-page preview-like writeup in their November issue, right before

one-and-a-half page about the Canon 5D MkII. They are pleasantly positive about the a900 but not really providing

any factual test results.

[peterblaise]

.

 

Notably, PopPhoto magazine's full review this month (pages 80-86, December, 2008) used the word "annoyed"

that you can't save the preview picture. Who ever thought of a camera taking a picture that you can't save?

Only from the mind of ... SONY! Argh! I can't recall any Minolta camera every garnering an "annoyed" review,

especially NOT the Minolta Alpha/Dynax/Maxxum 9 that this camera is supposed to be the decedent of!

 

PopPhoto did conclude, however, that this full-frame camera is a candidate for their camera of the year

(resolution, viewfinder, ergonomics, price), along with my favorite, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 micro four-

thirds half-frame DSL/EVF that has real knob controls like the Minolta 9, by the way! Sony missed this?

 

Alan, the 1985 Minolta Alpha/Dynax/Maxxum 507si/600si/650si reintroduced direct input/direct readout knobs

(especially for drive mode, exposure mode, metering mode, exposure compensation, and flash compensation)

that were then implemented in the subsequent 9 and 7 models (and some of which are also implemented in the

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 - did they hire former Minolta engineer photographers or at least buy and use Minolta

507si/600si/650si/9/7 cameras? Panasonic is buying Sanyo, and Sanyo used Konica Minolta lenses ...).

 

Thanks for the review, Alan. Why not put the facts into

 

http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Sony

 

... and the opinion into a talk page behind your fact's page, and grow the Alpha resource there?

 

See also David Kilpatrick's extensive A900 reviews at:

 

http://www.photoclubalpha.com/

 

.

[peterblaise]

.

 

More Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 Digital SLR Reviews:

 

... with 24.6 megapixels in full 35mm frame capture, 100% coverage optical viewfinder, sensor-shift based

antishake (SSSI Sony Steady Shot INSIDE instead of SSSS Sony Super Steady Shot), dual image processors

for 5 frames per second capture at full resolution (two Sony BIONZ engines), 3.0-inch "Xtra Fine" Sony Trinitron-

like back LCD with non-live, non-savable preview before capture, and of course with image post-capture review.

What features and benefits do others here think differentiate the A900, and what matter to you?

 

DPExpert:

 

http://www.dpexpert.com.au/archives/2008/11/reviewsony_a900_dslr_zeiss_247.html or http://tinyurl.com/5gcjjx

 

"... Sony tell us that this is not their professional camera. It is intended for the well-heeled amateur who is either a

fan of the brand or has some legacy Minolta lenses in the bag. So it sells against the Nikon D700 and the Canon

5DII – formidable opposition. The Sony compares well with the other two, but the Zeiss lens, while sensationally

good, is expensive..."

 

The Online Photographer:

 

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2008/11/the-sony-a900-f.html or http://tinyurl.com/6dqpy4

 

"...The [Nikon] D3 is biased toward getting the picture no matter what; the [sony] A900 is more biased toward

getting the best picture..."

 

Also exploring the new http://www.dxomark.com/ (beta), a free resource dedicated to RAW-based camera image

quality, ranking cameras based on real-life photographic scenarios, see the Sony A900 FOURTH (behind Nikon

D3, Nikon D700, and Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III) here:

 

http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/eng/DxOMark-Sensor or http://tinyurl.com/5bduvh

 

DPReview:

 

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydslra900/ or http://tinyurl.com/6q35ne

 

"...The Alpha 900 represents in a nutshell the almost schizophrenic nature of Sony's digital camera division...[yet

it's] a true photographer's camera, with at least one totally unique feature (the Super SteadyShot stabilization) and

one that offers the best viewfinder and highest nominal resolution (and the lowest 'cost per megapixel, incidentally)

in its class. It's capable of stunning results at up to ISO 400 (and is fine at ISO 800-1600 as long as you're not

printing posters), and it is incredibly fast and responsive in use...anyone who thinks a consumer electronics giant

can't make a heavyweight photographic tool is seriously misguided...the Alpha 900...offers enough to gain our

highest award..."

 

Cameralabs.com:

 

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Sony_Alpha_DSLR_A900/ or http://tinyurl.com/5jp9jw

 

"...But while the A900 does have HDMI and a VGA screen, it’s lagging behind in other modern features. There’s

no Live View, and hence also no movie mode. There’s no Wifi accessory, nor a GPS option that’s dedicated to the

A900. Then there’s that incredulous top information screen which doesn’t do a flagship model any favours. All are

odd decisions and omissions given Sony’s reputation as an electronics giant and gadget leader...Then again you

may not care for modern gadgetry on a DSLR and find Sony’s approach with the A900 refreshingly traditional..."

 

.

[ilkka]

I think recent Amateur Photographer (a UK magazine) had a test of A900. I did not see the actual article but they have usually quite good tests.

 

One can be annoyed with the preview image but if it is so important to be able to save it, why not just make an image and review it? Then either keep it or delete. For some reason Sony could not get live view built in so they came up with this alternative. It should be okay for studio still shot use and I cannot really imagine many other places where I would like to use live view anyway. If that was the only thing they were annoyed about, I suppose it speaks very well of the camera.

 

Some comments to the original list of improvements:

 

3- I always set it so that front dial controls aperture and rear dial expo compensation. I rarely use flash and don't really care how to set compensation for that. I only hope it is not something that can easily get on the way of normal operation.

 

4-Not sure how much detail there is in the preview image. I don't think it is a full size image. If you need to zoom in, it may be easier to just make an exposure and then zoom. What do you want to achieve by adjusting ISO? Exposure compensation? The camera can hardly estimate noise in a preview image.

 

6-This should be an option in every digital camera on the market. Sadly it is not in any.

[peterblaise]

.

 

Earlier: "... One can be annoyed with the preview image but if it is so important to be able to save it, why not just

make an image and review it? ..."

 

... because the purpose of preview it to see the effects of adjustment, which Sony DOES offer - you can play with

exposure and other settings and see the effects before taking the "real" shot. We cannot equally play with the

exposure and other effects on an already captured shot, but great suggestions for Sony to offer that feature, too - to

adjust and resave an existing shot on the card - even if from a different camera - Photoshop in-camera! ;-) Nikon

does.

 

We're just miffed that the camera doesn't save the test preview. I presume it's a quick, un-de-Bayered 1/2 dimension

capture (2-dimensional 1/4, or 4:1 Raw conversion requires no time- and resource-consuming de-Bayering), but what

if the subject scene changes in the meantime and cannot be duplicated? Lesson: always carry a pocket camera to

shoot the LCD preview on the back of your Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 so you can actually permanently record and save

the preview picture that's about to be lost forever! Argh!

 

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 live view preview even shows ISO and shutter speed change effects by blurring motion

in the preview - all dialable in, including showing it realtime through the viewfinder. It's a half-frame 12 megapixel

camera, sort of like half of a 24 megapixel full frame camera, but it gets many things right that Sony does not, that

Minolta used to get right (like direct input and readout knobs), like full preview (in Minolta's DiMage DSL/EVF series),

and with a lens, the Panasonic G1 is less than 1/3rd the cost of the Sony A900 without a lens. Half performance,

one-third cost - cool!

 

.

[peterblaise]

.

 

Looking at the Sony CyberShot DSC-R1, I see a humongous top with

 

- viewfinder,

 

- flash,

 

- AND pop-up-rotatable LCD.

 

So ... so I see NO REASON why Sony could not have also included an on-board flash with wireless remote control of

accessory flashes into and on top of the Sony Alpha DSLR-A900, along with it's mere (by comparison to the R1)

pentaprism and viewfinder.

 

Frankly, Sony could even have included a rotatable LCD in the A900, now that I re-look at how nicely done all these

features are integrated into the the vintage Sony R1.

 

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=sony+dsc-r1&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2 or http://tinyurl.com/5ls944

 

Dang.

 

.

[peterblaise]

.

 

Wow, the Nikon D3x 24 megapixel version is $8,000 - the Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 at $3,000 is lookin'

good! (The Nikon, to be honest, has some very, very desirable features, and is most unarguably

WORTH the price ... of 2 1/2 Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 cameras?!?)

 

http://www.calumetphoto.com/item/NZ24031/?t=CM01&a=CM01 or http://tinyurl.com/6xywwx

 

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