SONY alpha900 ACCESSORIES - OEM vs COMPATIBLES
Sony offer a range of accessories for their alpha series DSLR's. None of these accessories are particularly good value for money, and it wasn't too long before I began to notice compatibles available for much less. To save you the chore of searching I have compiled technically equivalent accessories priced as advertised June 2010. Of course we all like a bargain, but a bargain isn't much of a bargain if it turns out to be an inferior copy of the oem product. Most of these compatibles I have acquired as part of my Sony a900 outfit. I have used them and found them perfectly satisfactory. I will go as far as to recommend them. Why pay more for the Sony oem when you can buy a Chinese compatible for a fraction of the cost? There are only two accessories on my list for which there is no Chinese compatible, the vertical grip and the leather hand strap.
Note that Sony's hot shoe is not ISO standard. If you buy a hot shoe fitting IR remote receiver you need a Sony Hot Shoe adapter.
SONY OEM:
VERTICAL CONTROL GRIP VG-C90AM £370 <http://www.sony.co.uk/product/dsa-vertical-control-grip/vg-c90am>Holds two battery packs and enables duplicate controls for the DSLR body when in portrait orientation. Note you cannot use the vertical grip & mount the camera body on a tripod.
HAND STRAP STP-HS1AM <http://www.sony.co.uk/product/dsa-cases---straps/stp-hs1am>Hand strap for holding camera grip without having to keep your grip tight. Use instead of shoulder strap supplied.
LEATHER HAND STRAP STP-GB1AM £60 <http://www.sony.co.uk/product/dsa-cases---straps/stp-gb1am>
REMOTE COMMANDER RM-S1AM £50 <http://www.sony.co.uk/product/dsa-remote-releases/rm-s1am>Use as an electronic cable release. Can be used for releasing shutter and by half pressing button, focussing. Cannot be used with mirror lock-up despite what Sony claim to the contrary.
REMOTE COMMANDER RM-L1AM £50 <http://www.sony.co.uk/product/dsa-remote-releases/rm-l1am>Electronic cable release with a longer cable.
LCD PROTECTIVE COVER SET PCK-LH4AM £24 <http://www.sony.co.uk/product/dsa-other-accessories/pck-lh4am>Polarised clear plastic protective cover for the LCD screen. I consider this accessory essential. The cover makes it easier to read the screen in direct sunlight, and it gets covered in grease from your forehead, not the LCD screen.
infoLITHIUM BATTERY PACK NP-FM500H £80 <http://www.sony.co.uk/product/dsa-batteries---chargers/np-fm500h>Replacement rechargeable Li-ion battery pack.
ANGLE FINDER FDA-A1AM £170 <http://www.sony.co.uk/product/dsa-viewfinder-accessories/fda-a1am>x1 & x2 focusing right angle viewfinder attachment. I bought one from Parks July 2009 for £150.
TYPE L FOCUSING SCREEN FDA-FL1AM £41 <http://origin.www.sony.co.uk/product/dsa-viewfinder-accessories/fda-fl1am/tab/compatibles>Grid with clear centre and focusing chevrons. Chevrons are illuminated by the AF, indicating which AF areas are being selected. Essential for astro-photography. Beneficial for architectural photography.
AC ADAPTER PW10AM AC £70 <http://www.sony.co.uk/product/dsa-batteries---chargers/ac-pw10am>External psu. Supplied with UK mains plug, and DC-IN lead and plug. Hard to locate. Warehouse Express had them in June 2010 @ £70.
HOT SHOE ADAPTER HS1AM Flash £69 <http://www.sony.co.uk/product/dsa-flashes---lights/fa-hs1am>Hot shoe adapter with surge protection. Enables ISO Flash guns to be used with a900.
SONY COMPATIBLES:
VERTICAL CONTROL GRIP SIMPLY ELECTRONICS Sony VG-C90AM Vertical Battery Grip £240 <http://www.simplyelectronics.net/mainproduct.php?pid=7390&gclid=CP-W45P5rZ0CFcRq4wodgkBHkw>Simply Electronics is an Importer/Distributor based on the Isle-of-Man. You pay no VAT or Duty when you buy on-line with Simply Electronics. This is a Sony oem vertical grip, but it costs £120 less than the price you would pay at a UK Mainland Sony Distributor.
A simplified version sans duplicated Fn, C & Joystick functions can be purchased from LINK DELIGHT <http://www.linkdelight.com/Standard-Battery-Grip/Battery-Grip-for-Sony-A900-A850-VG-C90AM-+2-NP-FM500H-Battery/flypage.tpl.html> for £44, or with x2 NP-FM500H infoLITHIUM BATTERY PACK, £57. The grip is manufactured by Hongkong Meike (MK) Digital Technology Co, Ltd <http://www.mkgrip.com/yw_version_en/www/intro.htm?ActiveNode=2>
HAND STRAP STP-HS1AM <http://www.sony.co.uk/product/dsa-cases---straps/stp-hs1am>
LEATHER HAND STRAP STP-GB1AM £40 <http://www.bestcameras.co.uk/shop/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Sony_STP_GB1AM_Leather_hand_Strap_565.html>Genuine Sony oem hide hand strap from Best Cameras. You save £20.
REMOTE COMMANDER RM-S1AM Compatible Sony RM-S1AM, RM-L1AM remote cord for SONY Alpha 900 £7.70 <http://www.amazon.co.uk/Compatible-RM-S1AM-RM-L1AM-remote-Alpha/dp/B0033QV4O4/ref=sr_1_155?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1275728314&sr=1-155>PowerPlanet are a Jersey based Importer/Distributor. You pay no VAT or Duty or postal fees. This product is a Chinese compatible imported from Hong Kong. You save £42.30p.
DX DEAL EXTREME JJC TM-F LCD Timer Remote Shutter for Sony/Minolta SLR/DSLR Cameras (RM-S1AM/RM-S1LM Compatible) $40 <http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.19695>JJC products are marketed from Hong Kong. Deal Extreme is an on-line Distributor. I purchased this Intervalometer unit earlier this year (2010). I have used it to shoot time lapse sunset sequences. It is easy to use and well made. It is a robust unit. Sony do not make an intervalometer, but similar products retailed in the UK cost between £80 to £120 and are no better.
GADGET INFINITY IR Shutter Release for Sony A900 $20 <http://www.gadgetinfinity.com/product.php?productid=17133&cat=285&page=2>Gadget Infinity are based in Hong Kong. This infra-red transmitter and receiver is a very clever gadget. You can use it as an IR remote. Unlike the Sony IR remote it can be used from behind the camera, and in front, not only from in front. If the IR receiver battery fails (they use coin cells and they don't last long, although they are cheap) you can wire the transmitter directly to the camera body REMOTE socket.
DX DEAL EXTREME RF Wireless Remote Control for SONY Alpha Series and Minolta a7D/a5D Digital Camera (DSLR) £16 <http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25928>I bought this Hong Kong based YongNuo 16 channel radio remote in May 2010. It takes a 1x23A and 1xCR2 battery (both included). UK retailed RF remotes cost between £80 & £240, depending on the range & frequency. This unit has a range of 100m & RF interference protection; it is the range a £240 unit would be rated for. You save a whopping £224.
LCD PROTECTIVE COVER SET PCK-LH4AM Sony PCK-LH4AM Hard LCD Protecting Cover £12 <http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/9006152/-/Product.html?title=9006152&source=9593&_%24ja=tsid%3a11853%7cprd%3a88610>A Sony oem LCD screen cover from PLAY.com UK on-line retailer. The genuine article at half the price. You save £12.
infoLITHIUM BATTERY PACK NP-FM500H PowerPlanet NP-FM500H Compatible Digital Camera Battery for SONY Alpha DSLR-A900 £11 <http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001TUP6UO/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=A2YIQ5A8YK0AP>PowerPlanet are a Jersey based Importer/Distributor. Why pay £80 for the Sony oem infoLITHIUM battery pack when you can get the same pack for £11. And yes the C cells within the casing are identical, I know, I've split packs open to identify the cells. They are Sanyo UR18500FK Li-ion C cells. You save £69.
ANGLE FINDER FDA-A1AM SEAGULL 3.3x Right Angle Finder for SONY £33 <http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110401728016> This unit comes out of Hong Kong. Seagull is a long established Chinese camera manufacturer. I have compared this x1 & x3.3 unit to the Sony oem x1 & x2. They are mechanically of the same high machining, fabrication & finish quality. Optically this unit is excellent. The screen is vignetted at x3.3, but if you use it in conjunction with screen L, the clear centre and chevrons fit neatly within the fov. Eye relief remains constant between x1 & x3.3 (22mm) and the screen remains in focus as the power is flipped. If you don't want x3.3, but x2 or x2.5, Seagull supply those also. You save £137.
TYPE L FOCUSING SCREEN FDA-FL1AM PLAY.COM £15 <http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/-/256/336/-/9006354/Sony-FDA-FL1AM-Type-L-Focusing-Screen/Product.html?searchtype=genre>PLAY.com Sony oem L screen. You save £26.
AC ADAPTER PW10AM AC Sony AC-PW10AM / PW10AM replacement AC power adaptor £14 <http://www.digi-quick.co.uk/Sony-AC-PW10AM-PW10AM-replacement-AC-power-adaptor__846?utm_source=ProductSearch&utm_medium=GoogleBase>digi-Quick is an on-line retailer based in Cornwall, founded in 2005. This unit is a Chinese import. You save £56.
HOT SHOE ADAPTER HS1AM Flash Flash Hot Shoe Adapter for SONY A500/A550/A850 FA-HS1AM £8 <http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Flash-Hot-Shoe-Adapter-for-SONY-A500%2fA550%2fA850-FA-HS1AM_W0QQitemZ220603239713QQcmdZViewItem?
rvr_id=&rvr_id=&cguid=5b2ff2f11260a0e201c00f10ffb2e373>This particular hot shoes adaptor offers the same surge protection as the Sony oem, unit. It is a Chinese copy. Use it if you want direct hot shoe flash connection to an ISO flash gun. You save £61.
GADGET INFINITY 4-pin FS-1100 Hot Shoe Adapter for Konica Minolta / Sony Alpha camera $16 <http://www.gadgetinfinity.com/product.php?productid=16892>Gadget Infinity are a Hong Kong based Distributor. You need this hot shoe fitting with their IR remote. It is a mechanical adapter with a socket for the REMOTE socket on the camera body. The lead comes with their IR remote. You can use a non-TTL ISO flash gun with this unit.
