Sony a850 - when

vbpholaw wrote: It may get some more photographers who are cost conscious and looking for the "best value," but at prices like $1999 or whatever the A850 will cost, I think these are more educated consumers (usually) who also are interested in the performance capability of the camera.

It is precisely because they are educated consumers, that potential purchasers who pick up an A900-type camera, with everything that comes with it (sealed magnesium alloy body, high resolution Full-frame), will realise how much of a roaring bargain would it be, at $1999.

Nikon's sales of the D300 did not seem to suffer although it was significantly higher priced than any of the other top-end APS-C cameras from Canon, Sony, or Pentax.

Yes, for Nikon shooters, the D300 was a D2X at less than half its price. Everything in the D300 was an UPGRADE over the prior Nikon flagship.

The A700 is $600 less expensive than the D300, but its sales pale in comparison for cameras producing the same basic image quality.

The A700 was hit from all sides by the RAW-NR fiasco - one of Sony's blunders that they learned from and resolved via the FW Ver.4. And once such a product is reviewed by all the review sites and panned in such a manner, the A700 as a product was doomed from a sales success standpoint. The later release of FW.Ver.4 was just damage control....the basic war was lost.

Who knows? Maybe Sony gave in and weakened the CFA and the A850 is a lowlight camera?

roweraay wrote: I was ready to pick up another A900 as a backup body, but this is great news, from my perspective, since I will pick up the A850 instead (assuming the price is sub-$2K).....I would have been happier, if this were a 14MP Full-frame, since that would have complemented my A900 better.

Well, now that all the mumbling about the A850 being or not a FF camera is finished, there's new food for thought for the a800...
A500-A550 won't take much time before we get the replacement for the A700
A7xx will place higher (better af, at last?) than A700
A8xx One is now clear, but will it stay alone on its 8-stand?
A900 ...as above