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Why We Should Buy a Sony Alpha 900

A few years ago I used to be a Sales Manager for a Best Buy store, and I watched manufacturers battle for the consumer line of digital cameras and the entry level DSLR cameras. In the consumer line, Sony was the aggressor and Canon was a very close second, thanks to the G-1 line. On the DSLR line, canon was the first out with the best product in the sub $1,000 line, but had a short life due to their shutter mechanism. A few years later, Sony came out with the Alpha line of DSLR cameras, that started with the a100, which I ended up buying. Nikon, well, they always struggled on the consumer line and the sub $1,000, because their focus was on their professional line. Who can blame them, they do make the best professional cameras in the world.

I chose Sony based on quality for price and I gambled on their new aggressive stance on the professional world of photography. It doesn’t hurt that they’re aggressive on prices too. That is why I’ve decided to upgrade to the Sony Alpha 900.

I’ve been studying the specs on the Sony a900 camera[link for specs and review here] at the best website on the planet, Digital Photography Review.

Sony Alpha 900 front view

Price right now is very important to me because of my current cost of living, and I am also trying to fund one trip a year overseas to a country I’ve never visited before. I wanted a full-frame [35mm size] digital camera and at the highest resolution possible. I had 3 choices, the Nikon D3x [24mp, $8,000], the Canon 5D Mark II [21mp, movie clips, $2,700] or the Sony Alpha 900. Although I already own a Sony Alpha 100, it didn’t play a part in my decision making, because my current lenses with that camera are consumer quality lenses, not pro. The Nikon is the heavyweight champion in this division, but too expensive. The Canon, same in price as the Sony, with less megapixels, less exposure compensation, and the real focus on HD video for 12 minutes was a major turnoff.

Sony Alpha 900 back view

With the $5,300 savings of choosing the Sony over the Nikon, I can use that money towards Professional Grade lenses and accessories.

16-35mm Lens with a 77mm Front

The very first lens that I’ll buy will be the 16-35mm Sony wide angle lens shown above. This will be my primary lens for almost any photography I do. The benefit of going with a professional grade lens over a consumer grade is obviously photo quality, but there are other benefits too. An extremely fast internal motor instead of an external motor. Far more accuracy in the focusing too. I love the fat front of the lens, allowing more light in to give a better range of aperture for my shots. On the lens, it also has a “focus hold” button which will come in handy for action shots.

f2.8 300mm Telephoto Lens

My next two big purchases that will soon follow will be a good telephoto lens and a good fixed lens for doing portraits, but haven’t decided the type yet [probably a 50mm or 85mm]. Above is the Sony 300mm lens going for $6,200, which I will not be buying. I had to show it, because it’s a beautiful lens. The telephoto lens I will be buying is the G-series 70-200mm. One benefit I liked is that the thread/filter diameter is 77mm, which is the same size as the 16-35mm wide angle that I’m buying. For a polarized filter costing $180, it’s great that it’ll work on both my lenses. It also has Tele-converter Compatibility as a future upgrade to lens, but I’ll need to do some reading and testing before I think about buying that upgrade.

Sony 70-200mm G-Series Lens

Other things I’ve had to consider with buying a setup like this is upgrading several things. I’ll have to buy a professional grade tripod, because of the weight of the camera and telephoto lens won’t be supported by my current tripod. I’ll have to replace my camera bag to store this much equipment and still have room for other future items I purchase.

Sony VGC90AM Grip

Although the two first photos of the Sony Alpha 900 in the article had the extra mounted grip, you still have to pay $380 extra to get it, because it doesn’t come with the body. With my old setup of the Sony a-100, I only used two batteries. One was always handy for backup. When I purchase this Sony grip, I’ll have to buy 2 more batteries and for 2 reasons. One, so I will always have backup, and two, the battery life on my current batteries are getting shorter due to their age.

Sony Alpha 900 without added grip

Although the Sony Alpha 900 doesn’t have all the added bells and whistles in the camera that Nikon has, I have been happy with Sony’s features in the past. The reason why we should buy this camera, lenses and accessories, is because the of the value and quality you get for it. You don’t have to buy a Nikon to shoot like a pro, because it’s simply a tool to photograph the images you want to make.You don’t take photos, you make them.

Once I own all this great equipment that I drool over, I’ll have to write about it. So in the near future, come back to this website to read the review.

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