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Eclipse 
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Joined: 13 February 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Posts: 1486 |
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 Posted: 10 March 2010 at 18:33 |
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It's okay, no worries, I know about the A900 grip batteries.
One of the main reasons I use grips is so I can use cheap, rechargeable & easily available batteries in an emergency, so when I did find out that the Sony grips only use their own (expensive) batteries I was more than a bit put out- it takes away a very good reason for having one. I felt the A900 I tried balanced surprisingly well with the 70-200G without the grip, but was unable to try it with one, as per above. Annonying, as this was one of the reasons for me going to Focus, as I have nowhere here to try an A900 out with or without a grip. It is a bit mad really, as in their place I'd have taken at least two- and it may have lost them a sale, as I'm going to try it without and see if it's a problem. The Jessops price is now L1699 by the way- cheaper than the cheapest show offer at Focus- but I'm told they don't have many left, so anyone who fancies one at that price might have to move fast........... |
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TallPaul
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Joined: 17 March 2006 Country: United Kingdom Status: Offline Posts: 2590 |
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Posted: 10 March 2010 at 17:30 |
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@springtide, did you not get a Sony Advocates booklet/brochure thing? You are talking about Mike Jones (marine) and Celia Henderson (Macro) from that list.
@eclipse, sorry to disappoint but A850/900 grip is Sony batteries only, its not like a 7 or 9. Its also proportional to the A850/A900 so its larger than a 7 grip for example. I think the grip is an expensive thing you never use, then I bought one and its now an essential thing I constantly use. For portraits (I like portraits) the vertical handhold with shutter and all other buttons where you expect are perfect. With the 70-200 on the front its also very well balanced compared to no grip. It uses the two batteries one at a time not concurrently. I prefer this, as it means if I want to ditch the grip to travel light, one battery is probably 100% charged and can be swapped over leaving the partially used one behind. Rear screen where battery is shown becomes two lines, with percentage for each cell by the way. For events like weddings, its a b it more to heft around, but just leave camera on all day no worries about battery life I find (even with SSM lenses like 70-200). |
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AlphaMan
Senior Member
Joined: 26 August 2008 Country: United Kingdom Location: Cumbria, UK Status: Offline Posts: 1452 |
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Posted: 10 March 2010 at 13:35 |
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They are: Dominic Fraser, Grant Thomas, Dave Lawrence, Mike Jones, Gustav Kiburg, Celia Henderson, Michael Wayne Plant, James Brown, Duncan McEwan & Nick Webster.
Plus more soon ...? |
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springtide
Senior Member
Joined: 29 October 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Posts: 249 |
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Posted: 10 March 2010 at 13:17 |
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Unfortunatly I didn't see Gustav presentation. The only two "advocate photographer" that I saw I now can't remember their names. One guy was showing some lovely images of speedboats and other hi profile shoots (taken from helis etc) and a lady showing how she takes macro images of flowers etc. Does anyone know their names? Searching for "Sony advocate photographer" brings up nothing on the web. |
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Simon
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Eclipse
Senior Member
Joined: 13 February 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Posts: 1486 |
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Posted: 10 March 2010 at 10:32 |
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I have grips on all my others, but unlike them, the A900 didn't feel funny without one!
When I have the A900 and have used it a bit I'll find out whether I need one. Oddly enough, though I keep grips on my other cameras, I don't use the grip controls- never have. I just use grips so I can have better balance and use rechargeable AAs. |
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tigertimb
Alpha Eyes group 
Joined: 22 November 2007 Country: United Kingdom Status: Offline Posts: 2347 |
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Posted: 10 March 2010 at 08:57 |
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Other than taking two batterys, they don't offer additional functions, but what they do provide is duplicates for nearly all the controls, making it as comfortable and intuitive to shoot in portrait mode as in landscape.
They also help balance the camera when you've got a heavy lens on the front; pairing really nicely with the 24-70mm for instance. And they have an innovative recessed positioning of the shutter release so it's position in relation to the lens just feels natural. Luminous Landscapes sums it up better than me, and I do remember another reviewer mentioning that he thought it was the best designed grip he'd seen! Tim |
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Hezu
Senior Member
Joined: 13 October 2007 Country: Finland Location: HKI/KSNK Status: Offline Posts: 406 |
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Posted: 10 March 2010 at 01:29 |
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Eclipse
Senior Member
Joined: 13 February 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Posts: 1486 |
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Posted: 10 March 2010 at 00:04 |
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So that's where the battery grip for the 850-900 was. They told me they didn't have one.
 Havinf handled the grip on one of the other models, which I didn't like at all, and handled the A900 without the grip but with the heaviest lens I use (70-200G) I'm not convinced that I want one. It seemed to be okay without. Does it make any difference to drive or write speeds if you have a grip on with the extra battery?
I couldn't work out how to set the 900 back to AF, embarrassing to find it had been set to MF in exactly the same way as my Minolta bodies- why I didn't look down by the lens I don't know.  I must say, though, I think that dial down by the lens looks much easier to knock by mistake than the one on the D9 as it sticks out in a funny way. I suspect it will be a candidate for the black LX tape that decorates my other bodies in other vulnerable-to-accidentally-adjusing places.
I also had to ask what oooH meant on the top screen when I was playing with drive modes, only to be shown (very tactfully) the enormous screen on the back which explained everything even to the thick like me. (I'm not used to screens on the back, the D9 doesn't have one).
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Sharpedge
Newbie 
Joined: 25 August 2009 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Posts: 30 |
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Posted: 09 March 2010 at 22:12 |
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I can safely say that I came home sans A850 or a macro prime. I did however pick up another Lowepro, I might just get on with this one (Flipside 300). I was on the hunt for a Hoya 77mm HD Cir Pol but the prices were very much the same as they are online. I almost picked up a Sigma 10-20 but as previously mentioned the Sony stock levels did leave a lot to be desired.
I laid hands on the A850 for the first time today and I am thoroughly impressed. From the 350s microscopic view finder to the massive view on the 850, it's like day and night. After drooling on it from every angle I slipped in my flash card and started snapping away. Getting more adventurous I put it in aperture mode and snapped away again, only it did not snap, it sort of went sn............... I moved the dial back to auto and then back to A. Checked that is was set to 2.8 (2470ZA) and had a nice fast shutter speed, fired again no snap just a sn...... Took me ages to work out that the last punter had set it to bulb mode....DOH smacks forehead. After that it was plain sailing, wow what a camera. Lucky for my wife that I went for lunch right after that demo, if I had walked passed a stall selling the 850 I would have snatched it up... I was surprised that Sony only had one 1635ZA at the show and it just so happened that every time I went back it was still up on the stage, coincidentally the same place as the only bat grip for the 850-900. All in all I had a good day out, would have loved to buy loads of kit but I just could not justify the cost. |
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Eclipse
Senior Member
Joined: 13 February 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Posts: 1486 |
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Posted: 09 March 2010 at 19:36 |
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Lenses weren't the only things they forgot to bring with them, I wanted to try the grip on the A900 today but they didn't have the grip- and it's the same grip as for the 850.
Whoops.
But I came away happy, as they were willing to let me handle the A900 and answer my questions about it. They put a 70-200 2.8 G lens on it for me, as I'm used to that lens and they suggested I should try the body with a lens I was used to using on my curent body, which I thought was very sensible of them. They did do their best to find someone local to me who had the grip in stock as well. I also enjoyed one whole talk/demo from one of their experts and bits of two others. I was also able to talk directly to one of their speakers, who was very helpful with a focusing problem I've been having as well as giving me some good general advice about the A900. |
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Jocelynne
Senior Member
Joined: 17 June 2009 Location: United States Status: Offline Posts: 1540 |
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Posted: 09 March 2010 at 18:34 |
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Dear Folks, it is my sad duty to inform you all that lens lust is a terminal disease. It is evidently too late for me and the most of you. too. But PLEASE HELP FIGHT TERMINAL LENS LUST so that those who follow in our footsteps into the future may live longer, healthier lives than we can foresee for ourselves. Give until it hurts... Send all contributions to the Jocelynne Littlebear Lens Lust Fund (so that I can buy one of those lovely SONY 300mm f/2.8 lenses in order to make my final decades happier). Thank you. 
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AlphaMan
Senior Member
Joined: 26 August 2008 Country: United Kingdom Location: Cumbria, UK Status: Offline Posts: 1452 |
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Posted: 09 March 2010 at 17:26 |
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Eric, hope you don't mind the leg-pulling!
 By the way, welcome to the forum! 
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eric lee
Newbie
Joined: 10 November 2009 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Posts: 12 |
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Posted: 09 March 2010 at 16:45 |
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Ooops typo
 of course 70-400! 
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IanMiddy
Senior Member
Joined: 08 January 2006 Country: United Kingdom Location: Derby Status: Offline Posts: 1477 |
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Posted: 09 March 2010 at 16:29 |
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Well, colour me disappointed - neither Jacobs or CameraWorld had the 70-200/2.8 in Sony...although it was only L15 less than Bristols web price anyway.
...generally, the prices were nothing special - except maybe Calumets A850+grip+F58 - if I hadn't already got the 900 that would have been tempting! IDM Edited by IanMiddy - 09 March 2010 at 16:30 |
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Eclipse wrote:
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