Sony Alpha 850 – My Unexpected Journey Rediscovering the Joy of DSLRs

What initially drew me to the Sony A-mount system? It was, without a doubt, my youthful obsession with bokeh. Roughly a decade ago, this fascination led me to abandon my DSLR setup in favor of mirrorless cameras. The allure of on-sensor phase-detection autofocus, which offered far more reliable critical focus at f/1.4 compared to my previous DSLR, was irresistible. The elimination of tedious autofocus fine-tuning was a welcome bonus.

However, priorities shift with time. Back then, I spent considerably less time staring at screens and was captivated by technical perfection and the latest gadgets. Today, my admiration for pristine image quality and cutting-edge technology has waned. I no longer feel compelled to shoot every subject at f/1.4. My cameras have become tools, albeit ones I use less frequently than I’d like. Moreover, I’ve grown weary of composing images using screens.

This prompted me to explore a return to DSLRs, and I stumbled upon the Sony Alpha 850. This camera, a relative rarity, coupled with the affordability of vintage Minolta glass, piqued my interest. I took the plunge, and I wasn’t disappointed.

The 24MP sensor delivers remarkably vibrant colors, and the auto white balance consistently performed well. The viewfinder is bright and expansive, and by relying solely on the central focus point, I found the camera rarely missed focus. I even successfully used it to capture a private triathlon. The body is robust and, despite the somewhat awkwardly placed ISO button, it was a pleasure to handle.

Without breaking the bank, I assembled a collection of lenses, including 28mm, 50mm, 135mm, and 200mm primes, as well as the impressively solid and sharp Zeiss 27-70mm f/2.8 zoom.

However, there were drawbacks. While the in-body image stabilization helped minimize ISO levels, I had become accustomed to the superior low-light performance and post-processing latitude of my mirrorless system. I understand that opinions on image noise vary, and while noise reduction software exists, it doesn’t align with my personal workflow. The noise in the Alpha 850’s images often detracted from the overall experience. Furthermore, owning two separate camera systems proved financially impractical, especially given that my mirrorless setup consistently delivered higher-quality results.

Ultimately, I made the pragmatic decision to sell my A-mount gear. I used a portion of the proceeds to invest in a new lens for my mirrorless system. Admittedly, relying on screens has proven to be the more sensible approach for my current needs. But owning a Sony Alpha 850 was great fun! Thankfully, I still have my Fujifilm X100, which allows me to switch between the EVF and OVF whenever I desire. Again, diving into the A-mount system was a splendid experience, and I want to encourage anyone considering getting back into DSLRs to just go for it. Buy yourself a cheap DSLR and enjoy staring not into a monitor, but into ‘mirrored’ reality.

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