Sony DSLR-A100 Review

With this sony DSLR-A100 sony makes a great step forward on their digital camera products. While I like their Cybershot series, I can say that I’m waiting for this DSLR camera to be released. Using this digital camera you will be able to create a great quality images without having to take your photography class. However I have to say that I really love the Anti-Shake feature, it’s the best feature on this digital SLR camera.

Explore your creativity with the new sony DSLR-A100 digital SLR camera. Compatible with over 16 million lenses, this digital camera combines the extraordinary engineering with a long tradition of great quality. With the high-speed image processing technology, it will create detailed images with vibrant colour with an amazing depth. sony’s Alpha Mount System is the main key to the DSLAR-A100’s shooting versatility featuring anti-dust technologies for images with distortion free. With expandable memory they bring, up to 750 shot battery performance and high-speed shutter, the Alpha digital SLR camera from sony captures a greater number of professional looking digital images in lesser time. With sony’s image stabilization system will minimize shaking and blurs without changing the quality of the image created. With the help of CCD shifts to compensate for motion of the camera, you will be able to create clear images while zooming, shooting any moving objects or shooting in a low light.

sony DSLR-A100 Features:

The sony a-mount is compatible with more than 20 lenses from sony and Carl Zeiss as well as all KonicaMinolta lenses with A-type bayonet mount.

10.2 Effective megapixels

APS-C sized primary color CCD

Super SteadyShot in camera body means it is effective irrespective of the lens attached

D-range Optimiser for auto image enhancement and contrast optimisation

2.5″ 230.000 pixel LCD Screen

New Bionz image processor

Anti-dust system

sony DSLR-A100 Specifications:

Imaging device: 10.2 (effective) megapixel APC CCD sensor; 23.6 x 15.8 millimeters; RGB primary color filter

Chipset: Bionz Processor LSI with Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO/DRO+)

Recording media: Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick PRO Duo media (via MSAC-MCF1N adaptor); CompactFlash Type I/ CompactFlash Type II / Microdrive media

Shutter speed: 30 seconds to 1/4000 seconds, with Bulb

Exposure: Manual exposure: yes, with EV indicator

EV compensation: +/-2.0 EV, 1/3 EV Steps

ISO: Auto, 160, 200, 400, 800, 1600

LCD: 2.5-inch (measured diagonally) TFT (230k pixels) LCD with Clear Photo design; Eye-start Auto-focus sensor

Display: Histogram: Yes, live, RGB playback

Microphone/speaker: No/no

Red-Eye Reduction: Yes: on/off

White balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Flash (with custom White Balance color temperature adjustments)

Burst mode: Continuous burst mode at 3 frames per second (fps) to limit of media; up to 6 RAW images in burst.

Color mode(s): Black and White, Standard, Vivid, Adobe RGB (except for Adobe RGB, all other color modes use the sRGB color space)

Scene modes: Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night View/Night Portrait

Self-timer: Yes (10 seconds, 2 seconds, Off)

Still image mode(s): Normal (JPEG Fine/Standard), High-speed Burst (JPEG, RAW, RAW + JPEG), RAW (.ARW)

Memory Stick PRO media compatibility: Tested to support up to 4 GB media capacity; does not support Access Control security function

Flash modes: Manual pop-up: Auto, Fill-flash, Rear flash sync, Wireless off camera flash (with Flash HVL-F56AM, F36AM)

Flash effective range: GN12 at ISO 100 (39 feet/ 12 meters)

Output(s): Video: Yes, NTSC/PAL selectable

USB port(s): Yes, supports USB 2.0 Hi-speed

Battery type: NP-FM55 Lithium-ion rechargeable battery

Battery capacity: 7.2V, 1600 mAh; CIPA standard: approximately 750 pictures

Supplied software: Picture Motion Browser for sony v1.1 (Windows), Image Data Converter SR Ver. 1.1 (Windows and Macintosh), USB Driver

Operating system compatibility: Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, ME, XP Home and Professional; Macintosh OS X (v 10.3 or later). OS must be installed at the factory.

Limited warranty: 1 year parts and labor

Weight: 1 pound, 3 ounces (545 grams) body, not including battery, lens, and media

Dimensions (W x H x D): 5 1/4 x 3 3/4 x 2 7/8 inches (133 x 95 x 71 millimeters)

Lens: DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 standard zoom:

Features: DT lens design, aspherical lens elements, ED glass, circular aperture

Focal length: 35mm equivalent: 18-70 mm

Focal length: APS: 27-105 mm

Minimum focus distance: 1′ 2.4″ (38 centimeters)

Maximum aperture: f3.5-5.6

Minimum aperture: f22-36

Maximum magnification: 0.25x

Lens construction: 11 elements in 9 groups with 7 aperture blades

Filter diameter: 55mm

Dimensions: 2 5/8 x 3 1/8 inches (66 x 77 millimeters)

Weight: 8.3 ounces (235 grams)

What’s in the box: sony Alpha DSLR, NP-FM55 lithium-ion battery, BC-VM10 battery charger, video cable, USB cable, sony Picture Package software, sony Image Data Converter .SRF software, shoulder strap with eyepiece cap, and remote commander clip, MSAC-MCF1N MS-Duo to CF adaptor, body cap, accessory shoe cap, Image Data Converter SR Ver.1.1/Picture Motion Browser Ver.1.1 CD-ROMs (NOTE: No Memory Stick media or adapters are included.)

Customer Review: Excellent camera, whatever your interests
There some very detailed reviews, most of which I read before I ordered the camera from Amazon. There is ample evidence that professionals will find the camera useful. I want to take a minute to speak for the rest of us. The camera came a month ago and I’ve extremely happy with it.

Let me offer some perspective on my comments. The last camera I bought was a small sony shirt-pocket-sized camera that I was using alot and it got me back into taking pictures. I decided that since I was taking so many pictures I wanted a camera that would take much better quality shots, WITHOUT my having to get a PhD in picture-taking. I opted for this camera with the 18-200mm lens. I now take the same pictures I took with the small camera, but with the zoom lens I can frame them better and with the 10.2 mega pixels I can blow them up and frame them.

There are dozens (hundreds?) of features that I will grow into, but for now I am delighted to use this camera right out of the box, with just minimal reading of instructions. Everything I remember from my 35mm days (my first camera was a Minolta SRT-101 that I bought in 1973) can be put to use, but what I forget, the camera remembers.

My point–this is a camera that is ready to meet you wherever you are and grow with you should you decide you want to go farther out and deeper in.

Customer Review: Fine camera, works well with my old Minolta lenses
Echoing what most others have said, this is a great camera. It’s a dream to use, and the pictures are stunning.

Since it’s based on a Minolta design, it accepts the lenses from my old Minolta Maxxum 9000 (circa mid 1980s). This is a huge benefit to me; I now have an excellent quality 70-210mm zoom lens for my new Alpha-100 for no additional cost! The auto-focus and TTL metering work properly, and since the anti-shake hardware is in the camera body, that works with the old lens also. Even my old Minolta cable release (a switch on the end of an electrical cable with a proprietary rectangular plug) connects and works fine.

I’m very happy with the camera. That said, there are a couple of annoyances. One of them might be significant to you, depending on how you want to use the camera.

First, noise. Not picture noise, as in grainy low-light photos, but acoustic noise. The shutter mechanism is *loud*, much louder than my old Maxxum 9000. If you want to be an unnoticed photographer taking discreet pictures like Cartier-Bresson with his Leica, this isn’t your camera.

Second, the lens shade. This is a nit, but I find it more clumsy to use than the lens shade on the old camera. The old one was held on by a spring clasp; you just squeeze on opposite sides to install or remove it, or to reverse it for storage. The new one has to be positioned precisely so that tabs will lock into place when it is turned. Not as quick or as easy to use, but not really a big deal. I suppose it saved a couple of dollars, as the new one is one piece of plastic while the old one had several parts.

On the whole, an excellent product. I’d buy it again in a heartbeat.

Customer Review: Very good camera
This camera takes great looking pictures right out of the box. It is very easy to setup and shoot. You can go from using the presets built into the camera, or go totally manual.
What sold me on the camera was the fact that I could use the lenses from my Minolta camera.
I would highly recommend this camera to anyone that is considering buying a DSLR for the first time, or not.

Check prices for sony DSLR-A100 or Find other sony digital camera

Tags: camera, digital camera, electronics, nikon, canon, gadgets, review, digital camera review

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 14th, 2007 at 5:49 am and is filed under Review, Other Brands. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

With this sony DSLR-A100 sony makes a great step forward on their digital camera products. While I like their Cybershot series, I can say that I’m waiting for this DSLR camera to be released. Using this digital camera you will be able to create a great quality images without having to take your photography class. However I have to say that I really love the Anti-Shake feature, it’s the best feature on this digital SLR camera.

Explore your creativity with the new sony DSLR-A100 digital SLR camera. Compatible with over 16 million lenses, this digital camera combines the extraordinary engineering with a long tradition of great quality. With the high-speed image processing technology, it will create detailed images with vibrant colour with an amazing depth. sony’s Alpha Mount System is the main key to the DSLAR-A100’s shooting versatility featuring anti-dust technologies for images with distortion free. With expandable memory they bring, up to 750 shot battery performance and high-speed shutter, the Alpha digital SLR camera from sony captures a greater number of professional looking digital images in lesser time. With sony’s image stabilization system will minimize shaking and blurs without changing the quality of the image created. With the help of CCD shifts to compensate for motion of the camera, you will be able to create clear images while zooming, shooting any moving objects or shooting in a low light.

sony DSLR-A100 Features:

The sony a-mount is compatible with more than 20 lenses from sony and Carl Zeiss as well as all KonicaMinolta lenses with A-type bayonet mount.

10.2 Effective megapixels

APS-C sized primary color CCD

Super SteadyShot in camera body means it is effective irrespective of the lens attached

D-range Optimiser for auto image enhancement and contrast optimisation

2.5″ 230.000 pixel LCD Screen

New Bionz image processor

Anti-dust system

sony DSLR-A100 Specifications:

Imaging device: 10.2 (effective) megapixel APC CCD sensor; 23.6 x 15.8 millimeters; RGB primary color filter

Chipset: Bionz Processor LSI with Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO/DRO+)

Recording media: Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick PRO Duo media (via MSAC-MCF1N adaptor); CompactFlash Type I/ CompactFlash Type II / Microdrive media

Shutter speed: 30 seconds to 1/4000 seconds, with Bulb

Exposure: Manual exposure: yes, with EV indicator

EV compensation: +/-2.0 EV, 1/3 EV Steps

ISO: Auto, 160, 200, 400, 800, 1600

LCD: 2.5-inch (measured diagonally) TFT (230k pixels) LCD with Clear Photo design; Eye-start Auto-focus sensor

Display: Histogram: Yes, live, RGB playback

Microphone/speaker: No/no

Red-Eye Reduction: Yes: on/off

White balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Flash (with custom White Balance color temperature adjustments)

Burst mode: Continuous burst mode at 3 frames per second (fps) to limit of media; up to 6 RAW images in burst.

Color mode(s): Black and White, Standard, Vivid, Adobe RGB (except for Adobe RGB, all other color modes use the sRGB color space)

Scene modes: Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night View/Night Portrait

Self-timer: Yes (10 seconds, 2 seconds, Off)

Still image mode(s): Normal (JPEG Fine/Standard), High-speed Burst (JPEG, RAW, RAW + JPEG), RAW (.ARW)

Memory Stick PRO media compatibility: Tested to support up to 4 GB media capacity; does not support Access Control security function

Flash modes: Manual pop-up: Auto, Fill-flash, Rear flash sync, Wireless off camera flash (with Flash HVL-F56AM, F36AM)

Flash effective range: GN12 at ISO 100 (39 feet/ 12 meters)

Output(s): Video: Yes, NTSC/PAL selectable

USB port(s): Yes, supports USB 2.0 Hi-speed

Battery type: NP-FM55 Lithium-ion rechargeable battery

Battery capacity: 7.2V, 1600 mAh; CIPA standard: approximately 750 pictures

Supplied software: Picture Motion Browser for sony v1.1 (Windows), Image Data Converter SR Ver. 1.1 (Windows and Macintosh), USB Driver

Operating system compatibility: Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, ME, XP Home and Professional; Macintosh OS X (v 10.3 or later). OS must be installed at the factory.

Limited warranty: 1 year parts and labor

Weight: 1 pound, 3 ounces (545 grams) body, not including battery, lens, and media

Dimensions (W x H x D): 5 1/4 x 3 3/4 x 2 7/8 inches (133 x 95 x 71 millimeters)

Lens: DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 standard zoom:

Features: DT lens design, aspherical lens elements, ED glass, circular aperture

Focal length: 35mm equivalent: 18-70 mm

Focal length: APS: 27-105 mm

Minimum focus distance: 1′ 2.4″ (38 centimeters)

Maximum aperture: f3.5-5.6

Minimum aperture: f22-36

Maximum magnification: 0.25x

Lens construction: 11 elements in 9 groups with 7 aperture blades

Filter diameter: 55mm

Dimensions: 2 5/8 x 3 1/8 inches (66 x 77 millimeters)

Weight: 8.3 ounces (235 grams)

What’s in the box: sony Alpha DSLR, NP-FM55 lithium-ion battery, BC-VM10 battery charger, video cable, USB cable, sony Picture Package software, sony Image Data Converter .SRF software, shoulder strap with eyepiece cap, and remote commander clip, MSAC-MCF1N MS-Duo to CF adaptor, body cap, accessory shoe cap, Image Data Converter SR Ver.1.1/Picture Motion Browser Ver.1.1 CD-ROMs (NOTE: No Memory Stick media or adapters are included.)

Customer Review: Excellent camera, whatever your interests
There some very detailed reviews, most of which I read before I ordered the camera from Amazon. There is ample evidence that professionals will find the camera useful. I want to take a minute to speak for the rest of us. The camera came a month ago and I’ve extremely happy with it.

Let me offer some perspective on my comments. The last camera I bought was a small sony shirt-pocket-sized camera that I was using alot and it got me back into taking pictures. I decided that since I was taking so many pictures I wanted a camera that would take much better quality shots, WITHOUT my having to get a PhD in picture-taking. I opted for this camera with the 18-200mm lens. I now take the same pictures I took with the small camera, but with the zoom lens I can frame them better and with the 10.2 mega pixels I can blow them up and frame them.

There are dozens (hundreds?) of features that I will grow into, but for now I am delighted to use this camera right out of the box, with just minimal reading of instructions. Everything I remember from my 35mm days (my first camera was a Minolta SRT-101 that I bought in 1973) can be put to use, but what I forget, the camera remembers.

My point–this is a camera that is ready to meet you wherever you are and grow with you should you decide you want to go farther out and deeper in.

Customer Review: Fine camera, works well with my old Minolta lenses
Echoing what most others have said, this is a great camera. It’s a dream to use, and the pictures are stunning.

Since it’s based on a Minolta design, it accepts the lenses from my old Minolta Maxxum 9000 (circa mid 1980s). This is a huge benefit to me; I now have an excellent quality 70-210mm zoom lens for my new Alpha-100 for no additional cost! The auto-focus and TTL metering work properly, and since the anti-shake hardware is in the camera body, that works with the old lens also. Even my old Minolta cable release (a switch on the end of an electrical cable with a proprietary rectangular plug) connects and works fine.

I’m very happy with the camera. That said, there are a couple of annoyances. One of them might be significant to you, depending on how you want to use the camera.

First, noise. Not picture noise, as in grainy low-light photos, but acoustic noise. The shutter mechanism is *loud*, much louder than my old Maxxum 9000. If you want to be an unnoticed photographer taking discreet pictures like Cartier-Bresson with his Leica, this isn’t your camera.

Second, the lens shade. This is a nit, but I find it more clumsy to use than the lens shade on the old camera. The old one was held on by a spring clasp; you just squeeze on opposite sides to install or remove it, or to reverse it for storage. The new one has to be positioned precisely so that tabs will lock into place when it is turned. Not as quick or as easy to use, but not really a big deal. I suppose it saved a couple of dollars, as the new one is one piece of plastic while the old one had several parts.

On the whole, an excellent product. I’d buy it again in a heartbeat.

Customer Review: Very good camera
This camera takes great looking pictures right out of the box. It is very easy to setup and shoot. You can go from using the presets built into the camera, or go totally manual.
What sold me on the camera was the fact that I could use the lenses from my Minolta camera.
I would highly recommend this camera to anyone that is considering buying a DSLR for the first time, or not.

Check prices for sony DSLR-A100 or Find other sony digital camera

Tags: camera, digital camera, electronics, nikon, canon, gadgets, review, digital camera review

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 14th, 2007 at 5:49 am and is filed under Review, Other Brands. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.