The Sony Alpha DSLR-A100K camera helps to combat blurry pictures through the use of higher light sensitivity (up to ISO 1600) and Super SteadyShot image stabilization, a Sony technology that shifts the image sensor to compensate for camera movement.
Because Super SteadyShot is built into the camera body, all compatible lenses are image-stabilized allowing from 2 to 3-1/2 stops of latitude in exposure. This means hand-held telephoto shooting at lower shutter speeds and more opportunities to shoot in natural lighting without a tripod or a flash.
View Source
No Comments »
Konica Minolta users, means ease of use and a stress-free transference of skill sets are required, and on those two counts the Sony alpha DSLR-A100K delivers.
That start up time of just over a second, mere 3fps capture, and loud shutter may not be good enough to please the pros, but it’s a performance that’s more than adequate given it’s a DSLR intended for mass market consumption. The steady introduction of Carl Zeiss branded lenses will further cement its claim on the pockets of enthusiasts anyway, and Sony has reportedly invested such a hefty sum in making its DSLR brand successful that failure is not an option. Arranged marriages can be fraught with problems, but this one appears to be working out. Sony has been careful not to claim all the glory for itself when talking to the press about the A100, hoping that what it has delivered is the best of Sony and Konica Minolta - and that seems true, at this stage. While in certain respects the product feels compromised by its enforced blend of technologies and, I imagine, rather quick development schedule - what the Sony A100 is, is a very good camera when I believe future generations will hopefully make it great.
This superb standard lens for the Sony α (alpha) DSLR-A100 camera handles the full range of shots you’ll take most often — but there’s nothing “standard” about its advanced optical design. In 35mm equivalent, it covers wide-angle 27mm to 105mm midrange telephoto for snapshots, portraits, interiors and more — an excellent all-around lens to travel with.
View Source
No Comments »
The strength of Sony’s initial foray into the DSLR market is testimony to the wisdom shown by Sony’s management in partnering with Konica-Minolta and eventually taking over their DSLR operations.
By any measure, the Sony Alpha DSLR-A100K delivers strong functionality and represents an excellent value for the money. The sensor-based anti-shake system Sony inherited from Minolta is very capable, and has the usual sensor-based advantage of making all your lenses into image-stabilized ones. We think that the impact of anti-shake is generally underappreciated by the public: It can make a huge difference in the number of usable photos you come home with, and should be a key contributing factor in the selection of a camera/lens system to buy into. Having this capability built into the Sony A100’s body is a fantastic user benefit.
We were very impressed with other characteristics of the Sony A100 as well, including its excellent fit and finish, high resolution, good color rendition, very good battery life, and very responsive handling. The only weak points we found were its somewhat high noise levels at ISO 800 and 1600, and a tendency toward exposure variability, particularly when wide-area AF was combined with multi-segment metering. Read the full review for a deeper discussion of this: We suspect that novice photographers won’t notice the fairly minor variations we observed, and more experienced users are likely to avoid the problem altogether by manually selecting their AF points.
View Source
No Comments »
All in all, Sony has come up with a decent camera in the Alpha DSLR-A100K. A good beginning is half the battle.
Consider the price/quality ration in the current market and you will see that the well known DSLR manufacturers have suddenly been confronted with a competitor to be afraid of! Not only is the Sony Alpha 100 a pleasure to work with, it also gives great results. People who now work with a Konica Minolta can go on to Sony without a hitch. This is immediately a strong point for Sony. As well as launching a camera, it has come up with an enormous range of accessories and lenses.
The Sony Alpha 100 is only the beginning of Sony’s rise in the world of reflex cameras. To the competitors, one can only say - watch the Sony Alpha 100 - this camera is ready to conquer market share!
View Source
No Comments »
Sony Alpha DSLR-A100K has plenty of features for both beginners and enthusiasts. If you just want to point-and-shoot, the A100 has several scene modes, plus a standard fully automatic mode. If you want manual controls, naturally they’re all here, from shutter speed to white balance.
The unique Dynamic Range Optimizer brightens up your images, though I found that the results differed greatly depending on your subject. The Standard mode brightens this up a bit, with Advanced mode going far beyond that. Sometimes that was desirable, other times it’s not. My advice is to shoot with DRO set to Standard most of the time, but it’s certainly worth experimenting with the Advanced setting when the scene could use it. Do note that the DRO feature is disabled when shooting in RAW, full manual mode, or when the metering is set to anything but matrix. Speaking of RAW: yes, the A100 supports this format, and the bundled software (for both Mac and Windows) does a good job at letting you adjust the various image properties.
View Source
No Comments »