"Sony had promised to deliver a full-frame camera at the launch of its first APS-C DSLR, and prototypes had been on public display long before the A900 was formally introduced. While we believed the sensor would most likely be a 24.6 million-pixel Cmos unit, the highest currently available, the big surprise was not the inclusion of a built-in anti-shake system or a viewfinder with a 100% coverage, but the price.

At just under £1700 for the body alone, the A900 certainly isn't cheap, but at £2700 less than the 21-megapixel Canon Eos 1Ds Mk III, the new Alpha appears to have achieved a breakthrough in pricing. Sony claims the A900 isn't aimed at professional users, but add a couple of the recently announced top-drawer Carl Zeiss zoom lenses and there can be no doubting its appeal.

In many respects though, the A900 can be more closely compared with the new 21 million-pixel Canon Eos 5D Mk II, and to a lesser extent the 12 million-pixel Nikon D700. Like these two rival cameras, the A900 lacks the vertical grip of professional level cameras, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's still not what you would call compact, and next to one of the Sony APS-C-size DSLRs, for example, it's a bit of a monster.

"

    " Sony a (alpha) DSLR-A900 has a very high value for price. Excellent build. Photo quality at ISO 400 or lower is superb. Minor noise creeps in at ISO800 in the shadows and is apparent by ISO 1600 most everywhere. However, in most prints (or phots resized for the web) it is not apparent at all.

The intelligent preview is one of the greatest features ever on any camera. Just depress the DOF and get a sample shot with histo. Adjust settings with that preview then shoot with those setting. No 'test images' to delete - really streamlines the shooting session and post work.

Nice, fast, simple, straightforward working camera.0

The addition of magenta/green tinting to the color temp system is great.
"

    ""Having used the Minolta Maxxum 7000 for years and then switching to Sony's A 700, I thought I was in Heaven and then the A 900 came out. I found myself in a bad place. Owning what I had thought was the last(haha) camera I would need to purchase. After using the A 900 I feel on my sword and the compassion of the Sony corporation to allow me to return my A 700 and purchase the newer A 900, much to my surprise they agreed to refund my full A 700 purchase price, and Ritz delivered my new A 900. Incredible tool for any serious photographer. It has all the bells and whistles, and lets you decide which to use or not use. Powerful!!!!"

"

    "The CNet reviewer is an idiot comparing the speed of the 24mp A900 with the 12mp 300D. All things being equal the camera with the smaller file will always be faster. Also the focusing speed is very lens dependent. This camera should be paired with the superior Zeiss lenses not the kit tested. What about the A900's superior 100% viewfinder? What about the best resolution available for under $3000? What about the tank like build quality? I with my 40+ years of photographic experience have more knowledge of cameras in my finger nail than this reviewer has in their whole body. Anybody seriously looking at a camera of this caliber should not be reading CNet as these fools wouldn't know a good DSLR from a phone camera. CNet, stick to reviewing P&S cameras. "

    "Weighty in feel, Sony a (alpha) DSLR-A900 feels the business, and instead of having a 24mm APS-C sized sensor, it has a maddening 24 megapixel on a 35mm sensor. That in itself is not only class leading, (beating the yet to be launched Canon 5D Mk2 by 3 megapixels), but likely to be class establishing. The sensor is rumoured to be put into the next range of Nikon top end cameras with effect of late 2008/early 2009. Immediately the controls feel familiar to a Minolta and Sony digital user, and indeed as the layout of the controls on cameras became almost standardised, I should expect anyone who has used a digital SLR to quickly become familiar with the controls.

Sure it is missing the additional dials for flash and exposure control like the old Minolta 7D, but flicking around the display panel using the function button and the joystick, is just as easy. Shortcut buttons on the top of the camera are well out of the way of accidental presses, giving access to exposure, white balance and ISO controls.

Other options include creative modes, including black and white, and Dynamic Range options which try and squeeze the detail out of over or under exposed areas of a picture. Another neat touch is the preview mode. Press the depth of field button at your subject and release. A preview picture is displayed on the screen and various exposure and picture control options. Fiddle with these, until the picture looks the way you want it, and hey presto, those settings are set for you to continue shooting. Don't expect to keep the preview, it is just that, and gets deleted the minute you exit to the menus or take another picture.

When you find the settings you like, there are three direct access (save) registers to save those settings. Next time you want to use that particular set of parameters, just turn the dial to the register number you saved them in, and start shooting.

In essence, from a control point of view, it is a photographers dream. With fantastic automatic settings and manual overrides for almost everything you could wish for.

The camera is fast. Fast on autofocus, fast to establish exposure, and very fast in taking a picture, with up to five frames per second in burst mode. It also has built in image stabilisation so ANY lens fitted, even if it a 20 year old Minolta 70-200 beercan, can benefit from this blur reducing feature.

So it's fast, usable and feature packed, but what about the picture quality?

Well that's partly down to you, but once I had started to get the swing of things, this camera offers unparallel speed and accuracy for its price, and detail which is scarey. Imagine being able to count pores or stubble on the skin of a group of three people in your image, or see the veins across the surface of an eye in a portrait. Yes you can! Colour rendition is fantastic and the black and white mode produces beautiful images.

Sure the new Canon 5D will have a movie mode, but it is in no way a movie camera, and the feature misses the point of buying a DLSR. To take still photographs! Until last week professional photographers only had two choices of brand for their workhorses. Nikon or Canon. If Sony can deliver the additional accessories and lenses that professionals require, (and with their partnership with Carl Zeiss, it is entirely possible), then professionals have the choice of three brands.

However, for me, it is the quality of the product, it's compatibility and image improvement it offers my old lenses (with anti-shake), and the frightening level of detail that will make anyone over 25 blush as the wrinkles start to show.

What a great, great camera, I am truly bowled over. Well done Sony.
"