Sony Digital SLR brings an affordable contender to the full frame market.

For many the idea of a Full Frame sensor in a digital SLR may seem like common sense, but for anyone who doesn't understand the benefits it's quite simple. A full frame sensor is roughly twice the size as that found in 'lower end' SLRs. If both cameras had the same resolution this means a bigger area for each 'pixel' to capture the light, which in turn means better quality at higher speed settings, for example when shooting in dark locations. Until recently this benefit was only available in the higher end Canon and Nikon Digital SLR cameras, but now Sony has entered the ring with what it hopes will be the new entry standard to full frames. So what are the benefits? To start with, Sony's A900 Digital SLR is cheaper than it's nearest competition (The Canon 5D MkII and the Nikon D700 respectively), and it features the largest resolution in it's class (a whopping 24 Megapixels). However it's a case of quality over quantity in the world of Digital SLR cameras and while the Sony A900 appears to do a fantastic job of keeping up in the features department with built in anti shake and a 5fps burst mode (holding down the shutter will allow you to take five shots a second in succession) a direct comparison in this months Digital Camera Magazine states that it delivers excellent results, however feels "crude and noisy" and rates the Canon 5D Mk II Digital SLR as the better of the three.

In summary, the A900 Sony Digital SLR delivers warm, rich colours and a high resolution, at a great price for those new to the market, however at high speed settings (that some would argue are the whole point of full frame digital SLRs) the Canon and Nikon Cameras appear have the advantage.