San Diego – Sony unveiled Thursday three additions to its d-SLR line – the
DSLR-A500, the DSLR-A550 in the under-$1,000 range and the new more advanced
DSLR-A850.
All employ Sony’s Exmor CMOS sensor technology with on-chip noise reduction
that processes chorma and luma channels separately, and the company’s Alpha
lens mount system, which is compatible with all Sony Alpha SLR lenses, plus
Konicaminolta Alpha Maxxum/Dynax lenses.
In addition,
the A500 and A550 continue Sony’s recent approach to improving low-light
shooting quality, and include a light-sensitivity range of ISO 200 to 12,800.
Other common
features include Auto HDR feature, which takes two sequential shots at
different exposures and combines them into a single shot with
“optimal” highlight and shadow detail.
The entry
DSLR-A500 ($750 suggested retail/$850 with 18-55mm lens) includes 12.3-megapixel
resolution, Memory Stick/Memory Stick Duo and SD card slots, Steadyshot image
stabilization, Live View with two function settings for quick autofocus and
manual focus, a 3-inch tilting LCD with 230,400 dots, and nine-point
center cross autofocus system,
The step-up
DSLR-A550 ($950 suggested retail/$1,050 with 18-55mm lens) includes 14.2-megapixel
resolution, Memory Stick/Memory Stick Duo and SD card slots, Steadyshot image
stabilization, Live View with two function settings for quick autofocus and
manual focus, a 3-inch tilting LCD with 921,600 dots, and nine-point
center cross AF.
The A550 also
adds a Speed Priority model for faster burst shooting.
The DSLR-A850
(shipping in September at a $2,000 suggested retail for the body only) adds a 24.6-megapixel resolution
35mm full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor and fast image processing with dual Bionz
processing engines, capable of full resolution shooting at up to 3 fps.
Sony said the high pixel count and large size of the
24.6-megapixel Exmor sensor provide enhanced image detail and a wider dynamic
range for natural color reproduction and subtle tonal gradations.
The AF features nine sensors with 10 assist points. A center dual-cross
sensor comprised of two horizontal and two vertical line sensors, as well as a
dedicated f/2.8 sensor ,are included.
Sony’s SteadyShot image stabilization is said to provide an
anti-shake effect equivalent to shutter speeds faster by 2.5 to 4 stops.
The A850 includes a Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO) with five
levels of user-selectable correction, as well as DRO bracketing for enhanced
scene analysis and graduation optimization. Other features include a 3-inch LCD
with 921,000 dots, HDMI output and Photo TV HD mode enabling connection to most
HD televisions for playback of high-resolution still images (but no HD video
support).
The 850A includes slots for high-capacity Memory Stick PRO Duo,
Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, HX series and CompactFlash media.
Sony said it will offer its SAL2875 28-75mm F2.8 SAMfull-frame lens to complement the A850
model.
