Sony Alpha 450 Aims to Make DSLR More Affordable

By Geoff Duncan January 5, 2010

Camera makers are trying to bring the quality of DSLR photos to price points that consumers are comfortable with, and part of Sony‘s strategy is to actually bring DSLR’s below that critical $1,000 price point so folks don’t actually have to strive for DSLR technology—they’d actually have a DSLR. To that end, the company has announced its new Alpha 450 DSLR, which takes the CMSO sensor and design of the company’s more expensive 500-series and packs it into a model with fewer advanced features (and no swivel screen), but a more-attractive price point.

Sony Alpha 450 DSLR (CES 2010) — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Alpha 450 features the same 14.2 megapixel sensor that’s in Sony’s Alpha 500 series, combined with Sony’s Bionz image processing engine for high-quality imaging and ISO sensitivity all the way down to 12,800. Instead of the swivel LCD viewfinder on the 500-series, though, the Alpha 450 features a fixed 2.7-inch LCD display. The Alpha 450 is also capable of high frame-rate shooting (up to 7 fps in Speed Priority mode), and an Auto HDR mode that combines two successive frames at different exposure values for a high-dynamic range image. The Alpha 450 also includes Sony’s SteadyShot Inside 4-step anti-shake system to avoid blurring caused by camera motion.

The Alpha 450 also features extended battery life, with Sony claiming the camera can manage up to 1,050 shots on a single charge. The camera has slots for Memory Stick Pro-HG and SD/SDHC media, and can sync to compatible Sony Bravia TVs for slideshows and pushing images to a bigger screen.

Sony expects to begin offering the Alpha 450 in February; exact pricing hasn’t been revealed, but the camera is expected to come in below $1,000. Of course, all those DSLR lenses and filters are separate purchases.

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