Sony releases Alpha A850, A550 and A500 DSLRs
Sony's really hitting two sweet spots this morning with its new (or, newly confirmed) full-frame A850 (pictured) and mid-range A550 and A500 DSLR additions to the Alpha family. The rumors were basically dead on, with the A850 offering a slight reduction to the A900's skillset while keeping on the exact same 24.6 megapixel sensor -- and nabbing a $1,000 or so price cut in the process (it's now landing at around $2,000). The A550 and A500, meanwhile, fill in any perceived gaps in the Alpha line with 14.2 and 12.3 megapixel sensors, respectively. They also both score tilt-out LCDs akin to the poorly-received A380, with the A550 sporting a much higher resolution screen than its sibling. Still, even with the other minor tweaks present, we're not sure how reasonable the $200 price difference between the two cameras is: the A550 goes for $950 ($1050 with a kit lens), while the A500 hits at $750 ($850 with a kit). The glaring omission in all of these cameras, of course, is video recording -- something that Sony's various competition is sporting in a majority of these pricepoints.
Sony's really hitting two sweet spots this morning with its new (or, newly confirmed) full-frame A850 (pictured) and mid-range A550 and A500 DSLR additions to the Alpha family. The rumors were basically dead on, with the A850 offering a slight reduction to the A900's skillset while keeping on the exact same 24.6 megapixel sensor -- and nabbing a $1,000 or so price cut in the process (it's now landing at around $2,000). The A550 and A500, meanwhile, fill in any perceived gaps in the Alpha line with 14.2 and 12.3 megapixel sensors, respectively. They also both score tilt-out LCDs akin to the poorly-received A380, with the A550 sporting a much higher resolution screen than its sibling. Still, even with the other minor tweaks present, we're not sure how reasonable the $200 price difference between the two cameras is: the A550 goes for $950 ($1050 with a kit lens), while the A500 hits at $750 ($850 with a kit). The glaring omission in all of these cameras, of course, is video recording -- something that Sony's various competition is sporting in a majority of these pricepoints.
