Sony Alpha A850 Review 2025: Part II

Sony Alpha A850 Review 2025: Part II 
December 2025, Carl Garrard

Welcome to part II of my Sony Alpha A850 review! I appreciate the patient readership, I mean, it's only been twelve years since I wrote the first part. So much has changed in the photo industry since way back when. From the dominant rise of smartphones and it instant gratification virus, to the mirrorless gear craze, both have seemingly become more prevalent than fundamental stills photography. Let's face it, the average persons pocket camera and confidant is the smart phone these days and traditional cameras seem nearly extinct on the streets. Where the fundamental photography community is headed in the future... well I really have no clue. But for those who that have discovered photography as it has been traditionally taught, as it can be mastered, I think they at least understand that there is something very special that contrasts the 'instant gratif' and gear obsession craze we see today. Stills photography as a craft or as a profession is in stark contrast to what that can offer. Fundamental photography is exactly that, more fun, more engaging, and also more rewarding.

So you might be asking what the hell does any of that have to do with a Sony A850 DSLR review? Everything actually, because I think its design is as much of a fundamental photographers camera as it gets, and the current camera market is completely void of anything like it.

A850 Review: Prelude

Starting with a little history which is necessary for the context of this review, let's set the way back machine to September 2008 when Sony introduced the highest resolution DSLR to the camera market, the grandfather of the Sony A850, the Sony Alpha A900. It came at a time when $3,000.00 US dollars was considered a great deal for a pro grade full frame DSLR, and none of them had this much resolution when it was announced. Shortly thereafter Nikon answered with the 24mp D3X, but at nearly three times the cost! (I own that camera now too, btw).

The Sony A900 was my first full frame DSLR. I chose it over the Nikon D700 at the time, but only by the tip of a split hair. 

In many respects the A900 made big headlines. With its once eye popping sensor specification and class leading viewfinder, there wasn't anything like it out there. It's design ethos also carried over a lot of handling and ergonomic DNA from previous Konica Minolta cameras too. In fact, this is much more a Konica Minolta DSLR than the industrial design seen from Sony's cameras today that seem to carry none of that design ethos over at all. 

The engineer and design team at the time were former KM employees who had been given the green light to finally bring a full frame DSLR to the original A-Mount. Their first.

There were criticisms in the press of the A900 due to a lack of core features it's competitors had; features such as a live preview or even video functionality. Since the acquisition of Konica Minolta in 2006, Sony were on a fast track to get new cameras out there fast. I remember handling prototypes of the A900 under NDA with Sony before launch. 

Sony didn't anticipate live view and video features being mainstream when they started design on the A900 late in 2006. Adding those features would have delayed the A900 further, because new circuitry and a new sensor would have been required.

Criticisms were bolstered by expectations of Sony to revitalize Konica Minolta into the kind of company that could finally compete head to head with the likes of Canon and Nikon. Given the popular namesake and near endless resources it seemed nothing could stop the new version of Konica Minolta, and people expected Sony at the least to match it's competitors, but really to beat them.

I also remember back then Sony were a bit arrogant, boasting publicly they would be #1 in DSLR market share in a couple years time- not wanted, but would be #1. So yeah, looking back it seemed a safe assumption by the community at large that the A900 would beat its competitors. 

But it didn't, at least features wise. Earning key professional photographer endorsements and developing long term confidence would take more than a bit of lens rebranding and a couple enthusiast grade DSLRS.

Why Sony Ultimately Failed to Stay in the DSLR Market

Gaining market share is a recipe that cannot be changed. Pro cameras , pro level support, honest marketing, a robust lens lineup, and fast pivoting to customer needs would have cemented a stable and successful direction of Sony's new camera division. But senior Sony management didn't fight the kind of fight that many had expected they would (nor claimed they would). 

In hindsight it appears Sony management had a different plan all along. Pump the brakes...sound of a scratched record...

Over the next few critical years Sr. Management at Sony seemed stubbornly unaffected by sage advice from industry pros, experienced press, and even veteran KM employees who knew just how to take real market share from the big two. I know this first hand since I was meeting with Sony frequently in NDA and press meeting events in the early years.

What happened instead, was that over those few years Sony would only give KM devotees a few updated DSLR bodies, a rebranded older lens lineup, some new lenses, a few consumer DSLR models, then drop the traditional DSLR completely.  Almost like they planned it, because well, they did.

SLT design was the companies executives' next failed endeavor, and an excuse for their first failure to gain DSLR (er hem, SLT) market share. However even that design change ultimately flopped too because yet again, senior Sony management weren't listening to the right people. In hindsight some have been suspicious that SLT tech served only as a transitional bridge to carry users over from the brilliance of Minolta design to a new mount and the FE Sony cameras of today. I happen to agree with that point of view, at least to some extent.

Today Sony E and FE cameras carry almost zero KM DNA in their designs in terms of ergonomics and interface. It's quite a shame because KM made some interesting advancements and did a lot of things right. An updated set of A700/A900/850 cameras with their brilliant ergonomics and interface of their past would have proven quite popular I believe, quite possibly have brought them inline with the competition. All it would have taken were  some feature and technology updates in mark II versions of the same bodies. 

Today the original A-Mount is a metaphorical version of an aircraft museum. Yet, the A850 stands as one of the purest still imaging digital SLR's ever made, and it's actually aged quite gracefully in my opinion. 

If you understand what I'm talking about, then today you know there's almost nothing like it out there on the used or the new market. It's the last full frame camera made with mostly Konica Minolta design, and as you will see, one of my favorite still cameras of all time.

A850 Review:  Introduction

The Sony Alpha A850 is anything but today's generation instant gratification iPhone/smartphone device or mirrorless camera, which as it turns out, I believe is a stellar compliment to the A850. Metaphorically it's design is as opposite as day is to night. This is a still shooters camera 100% through and through. As they say, they just don't make them like they used too. 

Sony introduced the A850 in 2009 at huge discount to the A900 at $1,999.00 MSRP in the USA. Both were introduced during a time that digital cameras were still gaining popularity and sales year on year- a once in a lifetime phenomenon that we will never see again.

What Sony left in it's wake were two full frame DSLRS designed purely for still shooters. The two Sony's were designed by engineers who were also photographers themselves. When you use them this fact becomes obvious. This is one of the reasons why some photographers like myself are still deriving great pleasure from using these cameras today. 

Looking back through time at all of the full frame DSLR designs, they are the most capable stills only full frame DSLR ever made (that lacked any live view or video), bar perhaps Canon's 1Ds Mark III that was almost three times the cost. Of course it didn't have the resolution of the A850/900, but back then the photographic and press community were fixated on what the A850/900 weren't, instead of what they actually were.

Sony set expectations high, so I can understand why they were criticized. 

Time marched on, and all of the buzz and chatter has long since died down about these cameras. They are listed on used retailers and eBay for a fraction of the original prices. For those who have invested in the original A-Mount, there are a relative few that take great delight by shooting with these cameras today.

But hindsight is 20/20. The irony is that the A850 was criticized back then for the very thing that makes it nearly unique now. Plus it is darn fun to shoot with, and holds its value quite well considering it uses the zombie A-mount.

"Dropping In"-  with the Sony A850, F/8 @ ISO 800, 300mm

A850 Review: My "New"A850

My A900 had recently kicked the bucket, an internal servo motor failed and it gave me the treaded "camera err" message. Done. Unserviceable. I sold it for pennies as parts. When KEH (this is not an advert) ran a 20% off black Friday deal on a like new A850, a camera I felt was already heavily discounted at $399.00, I jumped on the opportunity. It was then that I started to remember my time with the A850 so fondly, not only was it a great deal, I was excited to use it again.

For the price I paid, it almost felt like an intervention moment in my life considering my last A900 died fairly recently. When it arrived I couldn't believe the condition. I swore it was new. Looked and smelled and felt new in every way. I was left with the impression that whoever owned the A850 before hardly used it at all. I almost felt like I stole it. But good things happen for a reason.

Condition wise, it could have been a new display model because it is literally looked brand new, not a single scratch anywhere, perfect condition. The rubber had some light "blue chalking" in a couple of areas due to normal vulcanization overtime- warm water on a wash cloth and light rubbing eliminated that problem.

Curiously, I checked the shutter count on shuttercount.com after realizing it seemed in abnormally new condition. And to my surprise this is what came up on my screen:

A nearly brand new A850 for almost exactly $300.00 shipped overnight with only 362 actuations? Unheard of these days, especially at that price. This camera is 16 years old.  I'm glad I had the knowledge enough to know that I shouldn't hesitate on a deal that KEH had going during a holiday sale. If you hesitate on a great deal someone will scoop it up very quickly on the internet. So if you are going to be shopping, have money to spend.

What I wasn't shocked about, was to see that it still had v1.00 firmware, considering its light usage I expected this. I knew this needed to be remedied right away, but the first question I asked myself was- did Sony still support firmware updates for a 16 year old camera? And even if they did, would a new computer even be compatible with the download/exe software? 

Oh no, the original firmware.

Updating the Firmware

The answer to both questions thankfully was yes! 

I was excited because firmware v.2.00 added some nice enhancements and features to the camera. Sony allows you to use an extractor to add the firmware update file to the card so you can update it in camera vs relying on a computer program. Smart. So for those of you worried than an A850 will no longer have firmware downloads available online, to this day they still support it. They also provide a user manual online free. For now.

The advantages of firmware v2.00 are worth the trouble and are listed as follows:

• Adds the ability to release the shutter even when no lens is mounted on the camera. This is available as a new menu item.
• Expands the Exposure Compensation range to +/-5 EV. Note: The range before the update is +/-3 EV.
• Adds a new Bracket Shooting setting to allow a deviation of 3.0 EV. Note: The maximum deviation setting before the update was 2.0 EV.
• Improves the auto focus (AF) speed. This is especially noticeable when using a telescopic lens. Note: Sony states the improvement varies depending on the lens used and shooting conditions, but what that really means is that autofocus works faster no matter what lens or condition you are in.

Now that is much better. Whew!

I can vouch for the faster AF speed. It made a noticeable difference with every lens that I attached to it, in every autofocus mode as well. Sony were conservative in their description of the improvements I think because expectations were really high from photographers. Regardless this is much appreciated and worth taking the time to update the firmware (more on this below). 

An EV range is fine at -3 to +3, but -5 to +5 is actually standard and this update brings it in line with newer cameras. The wider bracketing range is also appreciated as well as being able to shoot the camera with a lens that doesn't have lens contacts (adapted lenses or manual focus lenses etc.), very helpful to Astro photographers especially, and those who like 3rd party manual focus lenses.

I'm glad that I wasn't stuck with the old firmware- it makes noticeable improvements to the A850's autofocus and exposure value options. Back then feature enhancement firmware updates were incredibly rare. Kudos to Sony when they finally listened to A700 users, it was the first to receive improvements via firmware, and later even the A77. But most makers weren't doing that at the time, I think Ricoh were the only ones really leading the charge back then. 

A850 Review: Observations Over Twelve Years

Over the years I had became intimately familiar with the A850 and the A900. I shot most of my serious work on both cameras for a good chunk of time, and even used them after I transitioned to other camera mounts. I still have all of the raw images I made backed up on two separate drives. Going over those images recently brought back so many memories, not only of the mindset I was in at the time, but also the memories about some the in's and out's of this camera.

After the camera arrived, I realized pretty quickly what I also had forgotten.

Using the A850 again years after felt like putting on a pair of old jeans. You know the one's you've had in a drawer for years and almost forgot about? It felt really comfortable, sensical, simple and to the point. It reminded me that there was a time when cameras were designed exclusively for still photographers. 

There are no cameras made today are designed like this, which makes it kind of a classic.

The A850 is more of a "complete" specialist (classic) camera in the full frame space. For example, it's a hell of a lot better camera body than the Canon 5D (original), a cult classic SLR that in my experience is a bit too cut down. It's also more organized and ergonomic than the D700, another classic that needs no introduction. Lastly, it's a lot more intuitive and comfortable to use plus it's eminently more comfortable than a Nikon DF. I like all four of these cameras for one reason or another, but using the A850 has taught me that ergo's, comfort, and interface make a huge impact on the shooting experience. And it has the best of all four of them. 

It's not the best in every category of course, but for the sake of using an older camera to shoot stills with, I'd pick it first before walking out of the door.

A picture I made many years ago with the A850 and my hiking friend Nicole. She has this picture on her wall to this day.

Most cameras today, and pretty much any of those that came to market after the A850 are designed as Swiss army knives. Multi-tools. That they can do so much is nothing short of  amazing. But if you like to cook, you probably know that your best friend in the kitchen is the chef knife. Trying to use a Swiss army knife in the kitchen is a recipe for disaster, it has no place there. It's great when you are camping or on a hike, but near useless in the kitchen.

Still photography is like cooking in the kitchen. A chef knife is the most popular tool for cooking in the kitchen. And the A850, you guessed it, it is a really nice chef knife. 

Mostly it's an analog experience too, with all the exterior physical controls that it has you almost never needing to dive into the menu once you've set it up. Even if you do, the A850's menu system is the most logical and intuitive menu system Sony has ever designed. It is bolstered by three memory recall settings on the mode dial furthering delivering on the experience. 

It's metal build, big easy to find and use dials and buttons with excellent haptic feedback, its loud "ka-chunk" shutter/mirror cycle, and class leading optical finder, are among its analog highlights. It's not quite the same experience as the Minolta 9 film camera, but there's a similarity in the feeling of the overall experience as a full frame SLR.

Wrap up: Sony's A850 has a singular purpose, and it's a tool that you can easily master.

Nothing like using a chef knife for food photos. ISO 3,200 hand held ACR developed, Tamron 35mm f/1.8 VC USD.

A850 Review: The A850 Design

Its genetics run deep within the old Minolta gene pool, carrying over some of the brilliant design characteristics of camera designs long discontinued but not forgotten. But if you look closely at the A850's exterior design, you'll actually see some shape resemblance to Sony's Alpha FE mirrorless cameras today. A very pronounced viewfinder hump with flat shoulders- this is dominant design of every FE mirrorless camera they make. 

But thankfully, that is about where all similarities end. 

Such a clean and logical design. A switch's and buttons make for fast intuitive changes to settings, modes, and operation. A camera designed to be there for you without getting in your way.

The A850 is the anti-FE Sony mirrorless camera in nearly every single way. And I truly love that. It screams made-for-still-photographers! I'd describe the A850's design as pragmatically idealistic, an analog camera with a digital sensor. It never feels cramped even with thick winter gloves on, and it balances supremely with just about any size lens. 

Designers sprinkled in a lot of thoughtful design characteristics that bolster my claim that it is obviously designed just for the stills photographer. This is a picture making tool, pure and simple. And I like the fact that it's not shy about that one single bit.

A few of my favorite thoughtful design implementations are as follows:

• Every single port cover has an actual working hinge on it, even the round flash sync cover has a micro hinge, no bending or breaking. Every door is robust, thick, unlike the flimsy soft cheap rubber doors on cameras these days. They all snap into place assuredly. 
• The viewfinder has an eyepiece shutter built into it, this is a pro level feature that the Nikon DF doesn't even have. Incredibly convenient for blacking out the finder for long exposure work.
• 150,000K shutter life expectancy is plenty for this type of camera.
• The rear LCD is hard glass, and it has an effective (and robust) anti reflective coating. It also comes with a plastic snap on protector (similar but better than what Nikon did).
• The top LCD is minimal but helpful and the bright backlight stays on for 30 seconds, much better than my Canons that stay on for 5 seconds.
• The body is full magnesium, top, sides, bottom, front, and back, even the hand grip. This is pro build quality.
• The post lug straps are positioned in such a manner that they never dig into the bone of the shooting hand (unlike all of the FE mirrorless cameras).
• Ergonomics are as excellent as it comes, the grip is huge and spacious, comfortable and doesn't get sticky like Nikon rubber does.
• Quick Navi works fantastic and makes quick work of all changes, hover and rotate a dial over whatever you want to change.
• Jpegs have clean processing, a true noise off setting and true zero sharpening setting, they look very similar to raw output. They are actually useable by my standards (most Jpeg's have some level of processing). I like shooting Extra fine Jpegs in monochrome with custom settings saved on a C1 dial setting. With many Sony cameras that came after it Jpegs never got better.
• There's a rubber insert surrounding the tripod socket to help with resisting scratches on the body and keep the camera in place
• IBIS has a physical switch to turn it on and off. Since its IBIS this is very helpful because I turn it off when I don't need it (most of the time actually) and its so much easier and faster to just flip a switch.
• Command dials have multi-functions and features besides normal exposure changes, for example: the front dial will change ISO in full stops, the rear in 1/3rd stops, they can be used to navigate the main menu quickly, the rear changes the tabs up top, and the front scrolls through each tab, also they function using the quick navi interface. They are so large an comfortable to use and click so nicely, the command dials are life savers in cold weather conditions because of this (try using a touch screen with thick winter gloves on!)

A refreshingly simple and purposeful design. Easy on the eyes and brain when you have to make quick changes to settings. Minimal branding or adverts on the whole body. The mode dial screams professional- PASM, auto, and three programmable custom modes. Perfect. It hits a lock on both ends, you cant turn it 360 degrees (my preference).

A850 Review: Optical Finder

I'd consider it's optical finder as its headline feature, and even go so far as to say that the designers of the A850/900 wanted to showcase it physically. Unlike Canon and Nikon designs that seem to attempt to smooth/integrate the viewfinder pentaprism into the body, the A850 has flat shoulders next to the finder, showing off as much of its massive pentaprism as possible that sits below a tough magnesium shell. Sony's marketing team also highlighted it in press releases and brochures as a stand out feature- rightly so.

From my A900 brochure I still have today. Sony didn't do a full brochure for the A850.

Even today the A850 still sports one of the industry's best ever DSLR optical viewfinders (.74x at 98% accuracy). The only full frame DSLR camera's that have a larger magnification finder are the Nikon D850 (ironically) and the full frame Canon1DS/X series cameras. 

Three focusing screens are (or were) available too, the Type G (standard), Type L (adds gridlines otherwise similar to the G), and Type M (designed for bright aperture lenses (f/2.8 and brighter) and optimized for manual focusing). You can probably find them on Ebay or otherwise. I've used all three and I just stick with the standard G type for the A850. 

If you can find the rare FDA-ME1AM eyecup, I recommend getting it. I mean it is very rare and hard to find, I used to have three of them and regretted selling them. It can be used on the A850 even though Sony never stated it was compatible with the A900/A850 (doh!), and paired up with it together gives you the largest optical view of any DSLR ever made that allows you to see the entire view without vignetting or cutting off the borders. The overall view equates to .85x in 35mm terms which is very large.

Without glasses on, the magnifier gives you a completely unobstructed clear view in the finder at an approximate .85x value (the eyecup magnifier increases view by 1.15x). None of my other full frame DSLR's have this capability which makes manual focusing a complete joy with the A850.

For those that don't believe me, Canon's 1Ds/X series cameras cannot be fitted with an OEM pop on viewfinder magnifier cup at all, so you are 'stuck' with .76X equivalent. There are aftermarket ones that will fit, but they are inferior optically, and none will allow you to see 100% of the frame like the Sony A850/FDA-ME1AM will. The Nikon D850 only has a 17mm eyepoint, so if you use the round magnifier that Nikon used to make, you will only see about 85% of the view when using it. Sure if you put one on it equates to .9x, but you will not see the full view like the Sony, which limits its use. 

Another point for the A850 is that you still have plenty of - or + diopter to use with it attached. On my Nikon D850, the 1.2x round finder pegs the diopter all the way to one end of the diopter and I can barely use it (works good on my D800E/D810 though). With the D800/E/810 cameras, the magnifier does vignette a little, but the magnified view is .84x. So not as nice as the A850, but close.

I also like the eyecup because it helps ward off stray light and there's enough space between your face and the rear screen to essentially eliminate making smudges with your nose or face. If you keep your cameras as clean as I do, you'll appreciate this on a daily.

Although Sony says it covers only 98% of the scene in accuracy, in real life it feels more like 99% percent accurate. Almost no difference from the A900- so much so that I never think that I need to compensate for additional border in the frame I see.

An added plus, it's light transmission and view are nearly unparalleled. Canon's current high end EOS 1DS/X and Nikons D850 can out perform it magnification wise (.76x/.75x vs .74x) but at a cost of less eye relief  (21mm vs only 17mm on the D850). Some would argue that the clarity and light transmission are better than the Canon and Nikons, but I say it's a push and maybe a tip in the A850's favor.  

That 4mm extra in eye relief makes a noticeable difference in comfort, with or without eyeglasses on (I shoot both ways). Try shooting all day with a camera smashed to your face and tell me how much this makes a real life difference. For example, with the D850, I have to smash my glasses up good to finder to get a full view, so most of the time I just take them off. I have to do neither with the A850.

Eyepiece shutter activated, the white line is a nice reminder that it's in the shut position.

It comes installed with an eyepiece shutter too, accessible via a side switch. This is especially helpful to those doing long exposures by blocking out stray light coming into the finder. It's a quick way to block out stray light vs. having to remember to bring a separate plastic eyepiece cover that you have to install every time. A true pro camera feature. 

There's plenty of information available in the finder for the shooter and plenty of room to comfortably wander around with your eye to view it while you shoot. You never get the cramped feeling of an APS-C DSLR optical viewfinder either. In comparison to APS-C finders, it's akin to walking out of a room into the great wide open.

At the bottom of the screen is most of the important info, which includes something I forgot about- a camera shake meter on a rising digital scale to help insure steady shot is working optimally. The more you move the camera, the more those bars rise up. 

This seems to come at a cost of not displaying ISO full time in the finder. That's not a deal breaker for me, and had they added it to the bottom with everything else the info may have looked cramped. I think the solution would have been to have the shake meter on the right side of the view, much like Konica Minolta did with the 7D DSLR.

A850 Review: Image Sensor

Sensor wise, it's got enough resolution to please just about any type of photographer. Yes it has an AA filter but 24.6 megapixels is enough for any kind of work. With a native ISO range of 200-3,200 (100-6,400 extended) it feels a little restricted to modern cameras but only in relatively few circumstances. It's image quality is quite good, similar to Nikon's $8,000 D3X, not quite as good but similar. 

There's enough dynamic range, detail, and excellent color to please the most demanding professional for most work. I notice less chroma noise in the raw files than the A900, almost a stop less. This is only in the push ISO settings beyond ISO 3,200 which tells me Sony manipulated  reduce the chroma noise in the image pipeline.

A850 Review: Menu System and Interface

At first the lack of menu options, live view, and video, might make you feel like you are missing out on something. But don't panic. For still shooters like myself who spend 99% of their time or more behind the viewfinder making photographs- less is more. Percentage wise, I rarely use live view, and when I do its normally on a tripod or when I'm shooting high/low angle shots anyways.

It's menu system is logical and simple with no nonsense, I'd call it anti-mirrorless. It's so refreshing and to this day Sony's best organized and designed menu system. Sony should bring it back. Tabs are easily identified and finding what you need is quick- as it should be. Other than being a bit light on customization options it's one of the very best menu systems I've ever used. Right up there with Canon's layout.

Changing settings on its quick navi interface is incredibly intuitive and second nature quick. It's a camera designed with one purpose- to conform to the needs of the shooter on demand and eliminate as much fuss and interference with the shooting process as possible. And... it's a much better design than their SLT cameras as well. Again, why did Sony do away with something so perfectly designed?

Hover and turn a dial, that's the right way to design a rear LCD interface. Nikon's implementation requires a hover, press, then turn a dial- not nearly as quick and intuitive as Sony's design.

Thoughtful touches are nice too. For example, if you want to brighten the LCD screen on the back, just hold down the disp button for a couple of seconds and a brightness scale will pop up to allow you to increase or decrease it (again you can use command dials or the joystick).

There's a more detailed rear interface and a larger font less detailed interface option, as well as turning the rear display completely off. The rear LCD screen is glass and has an effective anti-reflective coating that does not wear off like the SLT and FE cameras do.

So by that measure, it's interface and menu are a raving success, easily one of the very best I've used of any camera brand. It rarely ever gets in the way between myself and the subject. That's how a still camera should be designed.  

I guess you could say the A850 almost rewired my brain. Less conveniences forces one to work harder and smarter. And I like that feeling, I'm glad to admit that. If there's one takeaway from this entire review, that is it. The pleasure you derive from overcoming the challenges or lack of conveniences gifts a sense of accomplishment that can't be had with with something more modern. 

For this shot I used the old KM 100-300mm APO lens. I forgot how compact and optically good this lens is. I have a full review published with it on my blog.

The temptation to use modern conveniences is just irresistible. 

But when they aren't there at all, you have to rely on yourself, not the camera for skill and execution. You are forced too, and that's the difference. Other cameras have them and ignoring them is not the same thing, not by a long shot. They are also in the way when you need to navigate the menu, or they take up physical space on the mode dial or other places on the camera.

Conveniences add capability sure, but with that comes with the fact that they encourage laziness, dependence, and leave you unfulfilled. The A850 is just capable enough in the hands of someone who wants to do real work, who wants to be more independent that way. Hard work and some practice is the right way to learn how to be a better photographer. 

And this the same reason I just can't seem to put it down lately. I enjoy shooting with it much more now than I did way back in 2013 because it stands out so much more than everything else I have available to me today.

A850 Review: Compared to the A900

Although the A850 is a little newer than the original A900, both share almost everything in common with each other except a 33% price reduction and a short list of items below. 

A850/900 Short list of Differences (A850 traits)

• Maximum frame rate in continuous drive is 3FPS vs 5FPS
• Buffer depth improved (only due to the slower drive)
• Viewfinder accuracy is 98% vs 100% 
• More durable flat black finish vs slightly more glossy
• Wireless controller not included vs included 
• No raised lettering on the main dial vs raised lettering
• Slightly different chroma noise pattern and overall noise in raw and jpegs

I've owned both and shot with both, and I have to say that I don't miss the 100% accurate viewfinder. I found that the A900's I used in the past had some minor alignment issues anyways, and the A850's 98% accurate finder seemed to benefit from the lack of tighter tolerances. I don't miss the frame rate either, I think 3fps is fine for a camera designed for studio/architecture/landscape work which is really where it shines the most. The A900's autofocus system  is still here and it was never really good enough for serious continuous AF action work anyways. 

There were other differences in the two designs that DPR and most other reviewers missed too. Differences such as the A850 didn't come bundled with a separate IR remote, nor could it use the inexpensive HVL-F20AM flash to trigger other flashes. But neither of those are issues I care about personally. 

In short, the tradeoffs made to reduce the price on the A850 were smart ones by Sony. 

It feels like an upgrade for the price with it's better finish and more realistic specifications and price point. In hindsight Sony should have just released the A850 first just as it is, and then later release the A900  after adding at least live view, a better AF system and buffer, faster frame rate, and a wider native ISO range, but hindsight is always 20/20. 

300mm F/7.1 ISO 800, focus nailed. Raven project, stashing food. The Tamron 70-300 SP is quite a good companion for the A850. Normally I shoot my Nikon D800E with the 28-300mm lens for my Raven project, but so far, I haven't missed that set up much a all.

A850 Review: Handling and Features

Buttons are large and spaced from one another so that you can use it with thick gloves in the coldest weather possible, with ease. Trust me, I have. In -0 sub freezing temperatures in the Sierra Nevada, the A850 was the most pleasurable DSLR I have ever used in those climates. You can't take off your gloves in the cold like that, so a camera's design instantly becomes much more important. I just kept on shooting with the A850 no matter how cold it got.

I've used plenty of other cameras in the cold and it gets frustrating or near impossible to change settings really quick. At least in this particular respect DSLR's from Pentax, Canon, Nikon, they are all inferior to the A850's design in this way. Useable of course in those situation but not without a lot of frustration.

Those spaced big buttons and prominent dial  on the top right and back side of the camera are so wonderful to use in any weather.

Because I could manipulate the controls without mashing multiple buttons at the same time, feel the buttons and dials individually, this was never a chore. With heavy gloves its near impossible to control other brand cameras on the fly like that. That kind of bond only happens in those conditions, and you become so thankful that engineers thought of making it perform in those scenarios. I wondered if this was intentional in design, because sure felt like it. 

Otherwise in good weather I never have issues finding  a control point with my eye to the finder. It's one of the best handling cameras I've ever used in this way. The grip is really roomy/large secure and comfortable with nearly any sized lens too. The camera balances well with smaller prime, medium sized prime/zooms, and even some larger lenses as well. There is a battery grip available for the really big stuff, although I don't currently own one.

Also like how Sony implemented the use of those controls navigating the menu system. You can use command dials or the joystick to move through menus like second nature, intuitively and efficiently.

A850 Review: Ergonomic Notes

Ergonomically it's a nearly perfect stills camera., not quite perfect, but close. For example, I would have swapped out the location of the ISO button with the drive button, but other than that I have no issues with the top layout. I can find everything I need with my eye to the finder. I consistently stay immersed in the scene and concentrate only on making a shot.

The command dials are awesome. Especially the front one, I can't tell you how nice it is to go back to this camera vs. using Sony's FE cameras of late. The larger dials are so easy to find and manipulate. The front dial is perfectly placed and so comfortable to use, literally a breath of fresh air. I like how it is placed facing upwards to the sky and not a far stretch/reach in front of the camera with the index finger.

The top LCD light stays on for about 30 seconds which is a long time. An annoyance with Canon DSLR's I have is that they shut off after a few seconds, something they never remedied. Nikon's can be programmed to stay on permanently which isn't always ideal either (but better than Canon), and Sony  are right in the middle of both having found a happy medium.

That little LCD might not be large, but it gives you the basic information you need. As soon as you push a button it will show you more information than when it is idle as it is in this image.

The A850 can be summarized as a superb still shooting experience in terms of ergonomics and handling. Just as some cars are more simple in design and give you something more techy cars cannot, so is the same with the A850. It's wonderful to hold and operate and becomes intuitive and instinctive with just a little commitment and effort.

A850 Review: Build Quality Notes

Build is absolutely exemplary and adds to the ergonomic experience for me. All magnesium body panels and internal steel frame, absolutely solid like a brick. Tolerances and seams are accurate and tight. It's guarded with seals so moisture and dust stay out of the body. Not something I would rely on in a downpour, but enough to keep dust and light to moderate rain out. I've had it in winter weather (snow/sleet) before with a weather sealed lens, and it's been fine so far.

360 magnesium, very few plastic bits on this camera. Internals are strong too. It can take serious abuse and keep on ticking. I don't recommend abuse, but it can take it.

Those port door covers are ultra thick and durable and hinged. They snap in confidently to the body unlike most cameras these days with wimpy cheap rubber doors. 

The finish is a major upgrade to the A900's more glossy/slick finish- something reviewers like DPR in the past completely missed when noting the differences between it and the A900. It's a powdered fine grained matte black finish that looks and feels very professional. It's much more resistant to scratches and scuffs, plus it's a bit more secure to hold in certain circumstances.

I actually forgot all about the new finish of the A850, what a pleasant surprise it was. This is something I appreciate every time I pick up the camera and use it. I recall that I always thought the A900's finish wasn't up to par with the Canon and Nikon gear I used and wished it were. The A850 fixed that.

I don't mean to drone on about one change on a design but for me it made a huge difference in the impression of quality. The fact that Sony cared enough to change it for users concerned with scratches and scuffs, and to make a more professional looking camera, is the kind of attention to detail that really makes me smile. 

Something that Konica Minolta engineers would think of.

A850 Review: Features

Further, the A850 is equipped with what I'd call fundamental features for the stills photographer, but most of these are related to Jpeg output. It's really void of typical bells and whistles that new cameras have.

It's got all the basics like bracketing, mirror lock up, bulb mode, wireless flash support, in body image stabilization, 40 segment metering, 1/8000th sec min shutter speed, 13 creative style JPEG options, and more.

There are a few DRO (Dynamic Range Optimization) variations that offer different levels of user control and output but do not affect the raw files. DRO auto, plus, and five increments as well. All they do is provide various tone curves to highlights and shadows. If you only shoot Jpeg, they can be helpful to tailor a look out of camera that you prefer.

I've raved about the optical finder, but you can't completely get around live view as a tool even with a good optical finder.  But the A850 meets you half way. You can pre check exposure and color in advance with the "Intelligent Preview" mode (that can be assigned to the DOF button). 

This mode captures an image and holds it in the buffer while you make on the fly adjustments in a preview setting. The image is simply displayed on the rear LCD so you can fine tune exposure compensation, wb, and other items before making another final exposure that saves to the card. I use it sometimes, but mostly I just check my histo and focus post shot. You can't save the preview shot unfortunately, nor can you check a magnified focus view- which is why this is really a halfway point to full time live view.

If you have APS-C lenses, the A850 has an auto APS-C Crop mode that can make an 11mp Raw + Jpeg file if you so choose. Lenses are detected automatically so that there's less fuss for the user, however you cannot turn the auto-crop off in the menu (as a workaround users have reported taping over one of the lens contacts that reports the lens information). 

From the Raven project again. "Raven call", A850, ISO 800, 300mm. Even at 12mp equivalent after a crop there's plenty of detail left over for a nice 20x30 print. 

Battery life is very good for a DSLR ranging anywhere from 500-1000 shots depending on how well you manage your battery life and use the rear and top LCD panels. Battery life holds even in cold weather due to lithium cells. I consider battery life to be very good for a pro level DSLR and have no issues wandering out with only one battery fully charges for an entire day's work. I've had one battery last an entire weekend with a lot of use even in tough climates.

The top LCD panel gives the shooter most of the basic information you'll need- it's not comprehensive but certainly covers the important parts quite well. Being a smaller screen, it consumes less battery life as well but I doubt this would be noticed practically speaking. The rear LCD screen set a standard for LCD screens at the time, at 920K pixels and 3" diagonally it was the best you could get at the time. It is also covered in hardened glass with anti-reflection coatings that actually work and don't wear off (like Sony SLT and FE cameras do).

Although the A850 is limited to three frames per second it has a very large buffer and processes images and instructions from the user at a blazing rate. Frames per second aren't the only speed spec worth consideration by far. The A850 is very fast in this respect.

The elevator style mirror mechanism is tough, but heavy and loud. Be prepared to use its dedicated mirror lock up mode any time fine vibrations can affect image qualty. Other wise, this design keeps the view large and the camera as compact as possible since a very large mirror is fit inside. Shutter life is guaranteed at 150K clicks, but I'm sure it will last much longer than that as Sony are conservative about this specification along with its weather sealing (less promise is less expectation).

Sony's parallel link mirror mechanism saved some space by moving upwards in less of an arc compared to other DSLR design. It also makes for a pretty loud and unique sounding mirror/shutter cycle.

A850 Review: Autofocus and Image Quality

 A850's autofocus system is the same as the A900's, 9 main AF points (center sensitive to f/2.8) with 10 centralized assist points to aid when the main points have issues locking onto a target. It's sensitivity is really good actually, and the A850 will lock onto targets quite quickly and accurately in single shot mode. For moving subjects in continuous mode, the A850 shows its age. 

9 main AF points in orange, purple are assist points. Center point is f/2.8 sensitive and will focus with lenses as dim as f/5.6 (be aware of this when using teleconverters, unfortunately it's not f/8 sensitive). Best results are when using the wide AF setting, since the AF point spread is pretty small overall, this is your best choice because it activates the assist points in this setting.

The processor than handles the information from the dedicated PDAF unit just isn't as fast as modern processors and you can sense the camera trying to keep up. Faster focusing lenses with dedicated motors will help matters however (like the Tamron 35mm SP f/1.8 Di VC USD for example), but that turbo can only add so much horsepower to this old engine. Still, it's fast enough in the hands of a skilled photographer. 

Would I rely on the A850 for action work? Sure, if you time your shots right and understand its autofocus system it will work. Although it is true that 3FPS isn't fast compared to other cameras, there's a lot of hype surrounding cameras with faster drive rates. Timing, proper autofocus, and planning shots are actually more important than insane "spray and pray" drive speed rates. For example, I use my D800E for bird in flight photography and it's "only" 4fps, not far off from the A850. Granted it has a better autofocus system and lenses available for that kind of work, but the point stands. 

It's not all about frame rates class.

Keep in mind now that subjects moving directly away or towards away challenge the A850's AF system. This is due to older computational processing power. It takes a bit of time for the A850 to "think" i.e. calculate subject movement compared to more modern DSLR's. That said, positioning to your subject helps as well. 

For example shoot in a panning position to your subject the A850 can keep up just fine in terms of autofocusing and your hit rate will be higher. Just like the shot of this aircraft I made back in day. I lined up parallel to the flight line on purpose. Granted this is a large subject but the technique is the same no matter what size subject.

For subjects like this, and with a faster focusing lens, the A850 has no problem keeping up with focus and making a series of shots, timing however is your best friend at 3 frames per second.

Keeper rates fall if the subject is moving towards or away from you, but again a faster focusing lens can improve that keeper rate too. Thus I have the Tamron 70-300mm SP Di VC USD as my telephoto lens. It's built in AF motor responds faster to the body's AF system than the screw drive motor in the body. I also have the Tamron 24-70mm SP f/2.8 USD for the same reason.

The A850 has surprised me on occasion. It's been dead on accurate at times when I thought it would fail. Mind you, I'm used to very high end sports bodies nowadays that are the fastest focusing cameras out there.  Overall it's not as consistent in this role as other DSLR's I use, but it bears repeating that lens you choose and your technique and decisioning makes a noticeable difference in the speed, accuracy, and ability to stay locked on a subject.

One last tip, be sure to tune the AF on the long end of the lens in the menu system. This plus my other tips can make a really big difference in sharpness and keeper rates. 

After re-calibration of my Tamron 35mm f/1.8, I found even more detail from its 24.6mp sensor which shocked me. So much so that I'd have no issue up-scaling the files to 36mp. By doing that and adding some sub pixel radius unsharp masking to them, the detail near matches my D800's native output. But as is, this sensor has plenty of detail for so many different tasks.

It will remember fine tuning choices for up to 20 individual lenses automatically. Also for action work, set the AF speed to fast, not normal, which is the opposite on the next section I discuss. And let's face it, the next section is where the A850 truly shines and what it was really designed mostly to do best.

For still subjects it's a different story. 

For example, the AF system is excellent in everything but the very lowest light levels on the central points. Even then it will hunt and try to lock focus after giving up initially and sometimes find focus on a second or even a third try *(set the af speed to normal, not fast).  Faster aperture lenses improve the sensitivity of the A850 as well, so if you can afford them, buy them for this camera as I have.

DC-3 Flabob Airport California

Now, if you enable the AF assist lamp (I suggest this) you can shoot a flat, black wall in a coal mine residing inside a black hole in space and it doesn't really matter what lens you have attached. Granted you can't use this for every subject, but it's a really nice feature of it's design that helps quite a bit more than you would expect. I'm not exaggerating about acquiring focus in black holes either.

The A850 has the best  AF assist lamp I've ever used on any camera brand (the Sony A700/900/A77/A99 all had it). It uses a big rounded split prism red LED beam that casts a red circle of contrast lines in visible light and infrared. To the PDAF sensor, it's similar to a lighthouse beam on a subject, you have to use it to believe it. 

That red lamp reminds me of Hal 9000 (what movie?). And it helps the A850 see everything in the dark, literally.

It's range is excellent too up to 7 meters (22') and seems to work flawlessly in every circumstance I have tried. Plus the red light is much less offensive to photo subjects than a bright LED flashlight in their eyes.  Which makes me wonder why Sony did away from this technology, cost savings?  

AF lamp red contrast pattern projection. It works for any kind of surface or lighting. This will not blind your subjects either- it's much nicer in every respect.

So many Sony FE mirrorless cameras that struggle to focus in low light (they are terrible!) could benefit today from this type of AF assist. It works so much better than an annoying bright white light too. When Sony eliminated it on the A77II and A99II and subsequent cameras due to cost cutting, they essentially lost my sale. I can't speak for others but that is annoying cost cutting and it meant a no sale for me. I never owned the A99II, and my time with the A77II was just a loaner (many years ago) I sent back pretty quickly. 

ISO 5,000, low light @ 1/15th sec, f/5.6, 300mm, no problem locking focus or making a sharp image. Noise is well controlled with good exposure techniques.

To be fair Nikon did away with AF assist lamps on the D500 and D850 as well. The AF system in those cameras is much more sensitive, but it would still come in handy. I noted this in my D500 reviews as a con despite how well they both work in lower light. 

Yet even without the AF assist on, I'm surprised how well it can focus in lower light for an older camera- even better than some of Sony's much newer FE full frame mirrorless cameras (pictured below). Not as fast or accurate in good light of course, but in lower light the A850 own's many of them by actually finding and locking autofocus on your target with the center AF point whereas five different FE cameras would give up on me. 

Focusing in low light is no real chore for the A850. Use it enough and you'll soon learn at what light level it will give up, but for dawn and dusk and indoors at night, the A850 can lock focus just fine.

Sony says generation IV (and beyond) FE mirrorless camera's apparently solved this issue but I haven't tested them to find out. I gave up on FE for lower light autofocus work. A separate PDAF sensor is just a better solution for this chore than on-sensor PDAF pixels, it is obvious at least with Sony cameras (I don't have this issue with my Panasonic DC-S1 though!).

Low light autofocusing sensitivity is important to me for many reasons and constantly comes in handy. It's one of the reasons I do not like using Sony FE mirrorless cameras vs. DSLR's. They just work better for that kind of thing. 

I do a lot of dawn and dusk autofocusing, and often focus on clouds during the day to set a quick and dirt "infinity" focus setting. I found the FE mirrorless cameras have trouble locking focus in those scenarios where my DSLR's like the A850 never really do. They seem to need a lot more contrast to lock focus than DSLR's do.

ISO 2,500 in low light processed from a raw file in ACR. No issues finding focus and the IQ is quite good still. There's slightly less chroma noise than the A900 and it's a bit tighter grain too, so not sure what Sony did in tweaking it but it's for the better.

Ironically it's EV sensitivity rating is 0-18ev, but in real life the low light sensitivity (with a lens at f/2.8 and faster) works better than those numbers suggest. I like when cameras out perform specs. My D800E is another camera that focuses way better in low light than I would expect with a -2ev rating. The A850 isn't far off from that actually but it requires a faster lens to get closer. 

So I'd say the real world ev rating for the A850 would be somewhere between -.5 to -1.5ev. Pretty good for an 'old farts' camera.

A850 Review: Image Quality Notes

If you expose correctly, the A850 will reward you with some really good images even by today's standards. Just be sure to check your histograms and be sure you are getting the most out of what it has to offer, multi-segment metering has a tendency to go to over and under exposing if the scene is dominated by highlights or shadows.  The sensor is light hungry due to less efficient circuitry so exposure to more photons is crucial if you want the most out of it. 

I was always a fan of how my A850/A900 handled sunset (blues and reds) colors. Reds can be brutal on exposures even in raw, but I always managed to get those clouds just right in post.

Given a proper exposure, ISO 200 raw files have plenty of dynamic range for landscapes and other subjects.  Image output is color rich with beautiful midtones and plenty of detail.  Sony really makes red's pop, and foliage looks really nice too. How much post processing talent do you have? I ask because it's an older sensor and the raw output takes a bit more finesse than modern cameras to coax out it's best capability.

I love the subtle midtones of the A850's sensor. Even in bright sunlight they stand out and color is quite excellent and accurate with the Adobe RGB applied in camera, and adobe neutral setting in ACR as a starting point.

The key finding the magic of this sensor is directly related to that. Getting the most out of the A850 seems to require more knowledge and nuance in post than modern sensors because they are more light efficient and have more malleable somewhat more clinically correct raw output. An A850 raw file in the right hands though, and you'll find it has a unique character that modern sensors lack.  Final processed raw shots can show lots of appealing color and contrast without appearing artificially exaggerated. 

Processed properly A850 raw files have a more imperfect film look to them than modern sensor raw files. In this case I'm going for more of a Fujifilm Velvia look with its saturated contrast look. But to the trained eye, the images have a certain appealing character that is hard to put into words.

Detail wise, there's ample detail  in the 24.6mp files even though it is equipped with an AA filter on the sensor. A little unsharp mask to a correctly developed raw file will bring out a bit more pixel level contrast to make it appear more detailed. Here's a shot with the Minolta 24-50mm RS f/4 with a bit of character (vignettes a lot but I like the look). Although this lens is not known for its resolving characteristics, there's still plenty of detail from the sensor. Again, you can see those reds really popping out.

Base iso is 200 but I like using 100 most of the time since there's plenty of dynamic range in the raw files. That said, the metering likes to underexpose so if you use 200 iso make sure and push the exposure about .7-1ev in aperture priority. You'll get some really nice looking files without any noise so long as you don't underexpose.

Overall the image quality is superb, and the Jpeg engine tunable to acceptable output even by my very  exacting standards. There are times when I'm tempted to just use a Jpeg right out of camera, which is almost never an option for me. I haven't included any monochrome images in this review, but I do attest to the Jpeg output looking really good. This is where DRO can help custom tailor a specific monochrome look for you.

Prints at 30x45"? Yep. Not a problem at all. Plenty, and I mean plenty of detail with a good lens attached.

Noise reduction can be applied to both raw and jpeg files if you prefer and you can actually turn it off. There are Zone matching and brightness options along with standard color, sharpness, and contrast settings. Dynamic range optimization can be applied to Jpegs as well if you prefer to have the camera to do most of your processing.

ISO 6,400 Tamron 35mm f/1.8 @ f/4 hand held. I prefer only natural light for subjects which creates more work and a headache at times, but I feel its worth it. Someone got a cup of coffee?

Higher ISO's look really great so long as you watch your exposure and apply conservative noise reduction in post on raw files, but proper exposure is the repeating theme here. Even the push 6400 setting has its uses as long as you understand the A850's dynamic range limits and don't abuse them. 

For example this shot above was developed in ACR and I only removed chroma noise. Using this ISO setting allowed me to shoot a sharp hand held shot in low light at f/4 to capture the nice dreamy natural light to match the texture of the subject.

A850 Review: Modern and Legacy Glass Options

If you want more modern design lenses without screw drive, you can find a few gems out there. Personally I think Tamron make a few that are the best bang for the buck in the A-Mount, but you can also find Sony G glass and even Sigma C glass for a discounted price. 

For Sony I'd recommend the first version of the Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8 and the 70-300m G, but both of those are going to cost you way more than the Tamron equivalent lenses I have, plus the Tamron 24-70 Di USD is weather sealed where the first Zeiss version isn't. The second is but it costs a lot more used.

For example I procured a Tamron 24-70mm Di USD in like new condition with caps and hood for $225.00, that is a steal for a fast normal zoom with USD focusing and weather sealing. For the Sony/Zeiss equivalent you are going to pay at least 3x as much and the Tamron performs better optically in my usage and over at Photozone (Tamron here, Sony here) as well. I did my homework so you don't have too.

Same goes here with the Tamron SP 70-300mm vs the Sony 70-300mm G. Some say they the same lens with a different exterior, and dimensions would suggest they are indeed similar in almost every respect. For the Sony you're looking at about $350.00 for a good copy used, I got my Tamron for $125.00 in like new condition with the original box on Ebay. Again, almost 1/3rd the cost and the kicker...optically they are almost identical when I've tested both. 

Sure the Sony has a nicer exterior but the Tamron is more durable on the exterior and it's no fashion show when you are making images. You decide but for me, I made the clear decision here with pro level glass for under $500 for both lenses.

For an alternative to the Sony and Tamron wide zoom, I'd recommend Sigma's 24-105mm f/4 C as well. It's not weather sealed, and it's much more expensive, but otherwise it's loaded with excellent style, build and handling, and a decent close focus performance. Overall it's got excellent optical characteristics (beyond f/4 at least) which includes nice (not stellar) bokeh, and of course really quiet and fast focusing. A constant f/4 aperture is my favorite sweet spot that unfortunately Sony ignored.

Lastly you'll probably want a fast prime lens. I chose the Tamron 35mm f/1.8 Di USD because of its price, feature set, performance, and overall updated design. I never shoot at f/1.4 or faster on full frame because I learned a long time ago that missed critical focus and performance penalties at wide open apertures like that are risky propositions at best. 

But the Tamron is sharp and very well behaved optically/performance at f/1.8 and that is uncharacteristic of fast primes. Plus it's weather sealed and has a very close focusing/magnification performance serving at a near macro prime all in one. A perfect prime companion for the A850 in size, price, handling, features, and performance. Tamron's 45mm f/1.8 USD is worth a look too but the 35mm has better optics and a more versatile focal length (don't have to crop much to get a 50mm field of view).

Sony's 28mm f/2.8 is also another nice small affordable and sharp option. I have had that lens since 2008 and for whatever reason have never been able to part with it. It's screw drive though, so keep that in mind if it matters to you. I'll bring that lens with me no matter what because of its size and weight, and wider angle of view than the Tamron 35mm.

For legacy glass, take your pick. All of them are screw drive, and many are really nice optically. I think KM only made a couple of lenses with internal focus motors. Check out the Dyxum website as they have an entire catalog of Minolta and Konica Minolta legacy glass with user reviews. My personal favorites for the price are the Minolta 100-300mm APO (which I reviewed here) and the Minolta 28-105 RS. 

If you want some "character" don't overlook the pint sized Minolta 24-50mm f/4. It vignettes and isn't that sharp in the peripherals, but it does have a great color and imperfect optical characteristic that can be pleasing to some. I'm not a big fan of the "beer can" 70-210mm f/4 but you'll see plenty of people rave about it. Optically it's pretty good I'll give it that.

 

A850 Review: Conclusion Part II

In the simplest of terms, the A850 is a classic film SLR with a digital sensor, and in my opinion the best representation of one. I think that sentence defines it best.

If I were asked to name one quality of the A850 that I like most, without question it would be its lack of modern conveniences and absence of complexity of more modern cameras. That's a big part of it's charm and what makes it so fun and (sometimes) challenging to use. For someone like me who's invested so much time and energy into learning photography from the ground up, it's a refreshing reconnection with what makes photography so rewarding.

Adding more modern type lenses to the A850 kit also gave it a bit of a boost in normal useage. I like this Tamron 35mm f/1.8 tremendously, and the pair of gen 1 SP lenses such as the 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-300mm USD pretty much completes a kit.

That's why I think the Sony A850 is an interesting alternative for stills shooters in this day and age. There's no live view, no video, no film simulations, no art modes, no confusing menus to wade through, and no … bullshit. 

My second go around with this camera has been so pleasant that I decided to buy 3 new lenses for it and keep it around to shoot with amongst my many other cameras. I had already given up completely on the A mount and sold nearly everything off- but the A850 revived my interest enough to not only re-invest in the mount, but to yet again shoot serious images with it. 

Out knocking off the dust of my landscape shooting skills with the A850 and Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8. getting used to a camera in the field is vital if you want to get the most from it. Practice makes better.

Ergonomically it stomps all over camera's that simulated or tried to emulate the classic SLR, cameras like the Nikon DF for example. And in terms of sheer capability as a DSLR, it's much better than the classic Canon 5D in nearly every single way (even the color will give it a run for the money). So if you are in the market for a "classic" DSLR, this is definitely one to consider against those two. Of course you can count the A900 in there too since they are very similar in used prices these days.

It's not perfect, no camera is because there's no definition of a perfect camera anyway. I've compiled some notes of what I deem are imperfections for the conclusion here, but none are deal breakers.

• For example, the location of the ISO button needs to be closer to the shutter release (swapped with the drive button), the AF points should have the option to be lit 100% of the time, and/or, be larger and easier to see and more spread out across the frame. A few more customizable control options would have been nice too, like the ability to bias the AWB setting to warm/cool magenta/green. 

• Metering can be a bit extreme at times, even multi-pattern metering. I routinely lock exposure estimating a 50/50 highlight/shadow lock. The more highlight or shadow dominant the scene its, the more extreme the metering can be. But you get used to it's behavior because it is consistent and you can predict what the A850 is going to do and lock/compensate exposure accordingly. No biggie at all to me, doesn't take long to adjust to that. 

• Would I liked to have highlight weighted metering that my D810 has? Well yes and no. Yes because it works so damn well, and no because I like making conscious decisions on where I lock my exposure in the scene- it's all part of the rewarding process of practicing fundamentals. 

But I don't really need those changes. That's the point really. Efficiency is better for stills shooting and simpler cameras are better generally, at least to a point. The design challenge is making sure a stills photographer has all they need but not much more than that because complexity can interfere with the process.

Lastly I think it's up to the photographer to overcome any challenging design aspects so they can get the most out of their gear. Sometimes gear makes that impossible, but I haven't found any road blocks with the A850 personally for what I'd normally use it for.  The fact that I only have a few preferential suggestions about design changes, well I think that says a hell of a lot about how much Sony (I mean Konica Minolta) got right out of the gate. 

Moving on to autofocus, well it is generally very accurate with a wide range of lenses. But I do recommend taking the time to micro-adjust your focus on lenses you use with it if you want all that fine resolution. All of my lenses were off just a tad here and there. If you don't care it gets you in the ballpark just fine- sharpness is NOT that important in the grand scheme of what makes a great image. You'll also get a boost of sensitivity and locking speed in lower light using brighter aperture lenses, it's very noticeable in fact.

As a stills only classic SLR, well I've owned similar cameras like the Canon 5D and Nikon DF, but both didn't impress me as much as the A850 in terms of it being a more well thought out well rounded SLR for still shooters. And when you stop to consider what the A850 really is, it's not just another DSLR, it's a unicorn amongst the rest of the herd. Every other DSLR I have used or currently own is a more complicated multi-tool in comparison.

The A850 is an SLR with digital output. Most cameras today are digital devices trying to look like an SLR. What are your priorities? In my book distractions slow you down, they make you lose your focus on the process.

I'm reminded of a time when cameras were designed specifically around the still photographers needs who's primary goal was solely focused on making a still image. And by that measure it has everything you need, an almost nothing you don't. Almost an extreme case example of that design paradigm. In fact, it's probably the last digital camera designed with this less-is-more design spirit. For DF fans, sorry but it has live view, and it's handling/design limit it too much. 

It's made me remember what it was like when I did not rely on conveniences such as live view, titling screens, obnoxiously high frame rates, incredibly complex autofocus systems, and when I didn't have an encyclopedia Britannica menu system to wade through. I mean, it's just gotten ridiculous (says the same man who just forked out for a Panasonic S1).

I can only imagine if Sony announced a camera like this one today, it would probably be categorized as a retro camera similar to Sony's Nikon DF. It ain't gonna happen but it's fun to ponder. It's funny now thinking of that considering it was on the leading edge of technology in 2009, and now it would be considered retro.  I think it would be entertaining actually, probably give a boost in the arm to the photo industry. At least there'd be much consternation and/or celebration of it's announcement to discuss. 

But being serious, still photographers would probably rejoice, especially considering all this pent up demand for something simpler and designed strictly for them. It just ain't happening anymore for them.

Surprisingly my reunion with the A850 has been a shock for the good, overall it's an absolute blast. I've definitely appreciate using it more these days then I did back in the 2012-2019 era. It's been a stout reminder that too many conveniences can actually make the photography experience less rewarding and dull the skills and senses. 

Wrapping this up:

Today the Sony Alpha A850 I'd describe as a refreshing, intuitive, simplicity prioritized camera, and all of that cannot be overstated. It's a break from the complication of other newer cameras.  It's a way to reconnect with photographic roots and think creatively and artistically. It's a tool that becomes integrated as a part of your process, not a distraction to it.

There's almost no friction between the large and bright optical finder, the subject, and to making a final image. I find it's all easy to lose myself in the creative and rewarding photography process and to forget all about the rest of world around me. With the A850, I slow down and concentrate on fundamentals that help to make a great photograph. Sure I'm rusty with it, but I look forward to shooting with it more than ever before.

Using it is in such stark contrast to modern cameras. New cameras bring too many choices, mostly poor ergonomics, generally convoluted menu systems, substandard build quality (in comparison), EVF's are too bright or too dim or outright laggy, plus there's an "AI" brain trying to make all the choices for the photographer. 

Do I completely blame the design of new cameras for that? Are they unusable?  No, certainly not! But if you are being fair, one cannot deny their heavy influences and inconveniences either. The only way to have a balanced view is to use something older like the A850, then you will see exactly what I mean.

The Sony A850 is what I craved for and I didn't even know I needed. I like cameras that conform to my will, rather, to be an extension of it.... one that consistently just gets the fuck right out of my way. I found all of that in the A850, and I'm glad I did. 

Hopefully a few of you will too. 

Stay focused.

-Carl

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!