Sony Alpha a100 DSLR review
VerdictKey specsReview price: £599.00 The announcement earlier this year of Konica Minolta's complete withdrawal from the camera business came as a huge shock to most people.
23/01/2022
Verdict
Key specs
Review price: £599.00
The announcement earlier this year of Konica Minolta's complete withdrawal from the camera business came as a huge shock to most people in the camera industry and photographic press. Minolta has a pedigree dating back to 1873 and was one of the "Big Five Camera Companies", with a long history of innovation and excellence.
In addition to its popular line of compact digital cameras, it was also a major player in the DSLR market, with the Dynax 5D and 7D meeting with wide critical acclaim. The accompanying statement that all of the company's digital SLR technology was being transferred to Sony was met with some skepticism among those discussing such things, but in fact Sony and Konica Minolta had been working on a joint digital SLR project since July. from last year, so the news was not so surprising.
Well, the fruits of that collaboration have now been revealed, in the form of the Sony Alpha α100, the company's first DSLR. I was lucky enough to be invited to Marrakech in Morocco for the official European launch event and spent a few days in the desert learning about the camera and trying it out with some of the lenses available. While not quite my usual review model, it is based on handling a full production camera.
The basic details are certainly encouraging. The Alpha α100 uses the same 10-megapixel Sony APS sensor as the Nikon D200, and also uses the Minolta lens mount, giving it instant access to Konica Minolta's 10% market share in the camera market. digital cameras and an immediate offer of very high quality lenses. .
Optical excellence is assured through Sony's partnership with legendary Carl Zeiss, the German company that virtually invented optical engineering. The camera launches with a range of over twenty Alpha-branded lenses, along with a few flashes, a range of attractive bags and cases, and other useful accessories.
In general styling, the Alpha α100 unsurprisingly resembles the Konica Minolta 5D, but it's far from just a rebadged Minolta. In order to be taken seriously in the highly competitive field of DSLRs, Sony had to come up with something unique and special, and in my opinion, it succeeded admirably. The α100 is packed with advanced technologies designed to make taking great photos easier, solving most of the major problems that can ruin your photos.
To combat camera shake, it features an improved version of Konica Minolta's already excellent motion-sensor Anti Shake system, which is now renamed Super SteadyShot and offers 3.5 handheld shot stops. ultra low speed - more than any competitive system.
Dust on the sensor is the bane of DSLRs, as it damages the image of the black marks on every frame. The α100 has a double defense against this. Its CCD sensor has an anti-static coating, so dust is less likely to stick to it, and it also uses the anti-shake system actuators to vibrate the CCD whenever the camera is turned on or the The lens is changed, thus dislodging all but the most persistent particles. Although it does not provide 100% protection, it does at least go a long way in alleviating this problem.
The old digital bogeyman with limited dynamic range is also addressed, with the inclusion of Dynamic Range Optimizer, a system within the camera's newly developed Bionz image processor that is able to assess and adjust the exposure of different parts of the image separately, so in theory it should always achieve a perfect tonal range between the highlights and the darkest shadows, without losing detail in either.
What's funny is that all of these systems have been seen before. Olympus E-System SLRs have a vibrating CCD dust-reduction system, HP has used an evaluative gain adjustment system on many of its compacts to improve dynamic range, and of course the CCD-shift anti-shake system has already appeared on a number of Konica Minolta compacts and SLRs. The α100 takes these ideas, enhances them and adds them all together in one camera.
However, there's a lot more to a good camera than a bunch of smart electronics. Handling, performance and image quality are just as important and much more subjective. This is where the hands-on experience with the camera counts, and although I only used the camera for a day of shooting, that was enough to give me a good opinion of it.
Thanks to its Dynax pedigree, the overall handling is exceptionally good. The camera weighs just 545g, or around 630g when fully loaded, which is considerably lighter than any of its main rivals but strong enough to provide a stable shooting platform . The large rubberized grip is very comfortable, and the eyepiece is large and bright, with a wide soft rubber bezel that I was able to use easily despite wearing my sunglasses.
I found the shutter to be rather noisy with the reflex mirror making a loud clicking sound with each shot, but it was explained to me that if the mirror was damped to make it quieter it would transfer vibrations to the body that would interfere with the anti-shake system. Surely there would be a way to counter this?
An interesting point: the α100 takes CompactFlash cards, and is Sony's first camera that doesn't have a slot for the company's expensive Memory Stick cards. However, it does come with a CF-Memory Stick Duo adapter, so owners of existing Sony cameras can at least still use their old cards.< /p>
The control layout is extremely well thought out and I found it very intuitive to use, which is important because like all serious DSLRs the α100 is a complex beast, with a huge range of options and manual settings.
On the top panel are two large control dials. The one on the left controls all the major systems, including metering mode, flash mode, focus mode, white balance and the two Dynamic Range Optimizer system modes. Simply rotate the dial to the appropriate notch, press the function button in the center of the dial, then adjust the setting using the data dial positioned just in front of the shutter release. Quick and simple.
The α100 does not have a separate LCD screen for camera data, but all the information you need is displayed on the monitor screen.
On the right dial you'll find the usual five exposure modes (auto, program, shutter/aperture priority, manual) as well as six program modes; portrait, landscape, close-up, action, beach/snow and night scene. This gives it a wide enough range of manual and automatic options to satisfy both the experienced photographer and the newcomer.
< p>Other frequently used options are also controlled by external buttons, including self-timer, continuous shooting, exposure compensation and exposure lock. The only time I needed to go into the menus was to format the memory card.Shooting in the harsh desert sun is a challenge for any metering system, but the α100 coped with the conditions admirably. The autofocus and exposure system proved extremely fast and accurate, certainly on par with any of the major competitors in the camera market, and the dynamic range optimizer was a revelation. At noon, everything was either extremely bright shadows or deep black shadows, but the system never missed a trick, capturing detail in shadows and highlights. Even when I accidentally overexposed a few shots while experimenting with manual exposure settings, the processing system managed to retain detail in what should have been badly burned areas.
The DRO system has two settings, one that simply optimizes the image when shooting for a good tonal range, and another more complex setting that analyzes the whole photo and adjusts it area by area. This produces even better results, but adds about two seconds to the processing time for each shot. However, even using this mode, I was impressed with the shooting speed. In standard mode (i.e. with the DRO off), the α100 can continuously shoot three frames per second, and the big 1700mAh InfoLithium battery is good for at least 750 shots on a single charge, although I've been told privately that the actual figure is over 1,000 shots, which is extremely impressive.
Regarding the dust removal system, I changed lenses several times when shooting in a very dusty environment, but I did not see any dust spots in any of the photos I took. , so I must say that it seems to work.
As you will hopefully see from the sample photos attached, in the crucial area of image quality, the α100 produces first-class results. These photos were taken in RAW + JPEG mode, and what I posted here are the JPEGs of these pairs. As of this writing, I have yet to receive the RAW conversion software, so I can't say what the converted files look like yet, but the JPEGs produced by the Bionz processor are simply stunning, with rich, vibrant colors and lots of brooches. -sharp detail, without the over-processed look I expected from the DRO system. The JPEGs are around 3MB each, which is pretty heavily compressed, but I couldn't detect any compression artifacts. RAW files are around 8-10MB each.
Image noise is very well controlled at ISO 100-400, although it becomes an issue at 800 and 1600. However, this is fairly standard performance for a camera of this class and certainly not a real problem.
This camera's main rival will be the Canon EOS 30D, and in my opinion (and that of other reviewers I've spoken with) the α100 produced consistently better results despite the very difficult conditions. I have a Nikon D200 due for review next week, so it will be interesting to see how it compares, since both cameras use the same CCD, but I would say the Nikon is going to have to go some way to beat it.
The big news though is the price. Sony is launching the Alpha α100 at an RRP of just £599, £699 with an 18-70mm zoom lens or £849 in a twin lens kit. Since these are introductory prices, you can guarantee that the actual sale price will be much cheaper within a few weeks.
Sony said that within two years it wanted to challenge Nikon for number two in the DSLR market, and make inroads into Canon's dominating 50 percent share. If the company can maintain the commitment to quality and innovation that the α100 demonstrates, and do so at this kind of price, then it could well do well. If I was Nikon, I'd have an urgent board meeting right about now.
”'Verdict”'
A hugely impressive debut from a new player in the DSLR market, the Sony Alpha α100 is launched at the end of the consumer market, but is actually a better camera than most of its mid-range rivals too. . It has smart technology, but is very easy to use and still produces great results. It would be a good camera for an SLR beginner, but more experienced users will also find it very satisfying to use.
A range of test shots are shown on the next three pages. Here, the full-size image has been scaled down for bandwidth purposes, and a crop taken from the original full-resolution image has been placed below so you can get an appreciation of the overall quality. The following pages consist of resized images so that you can assess the overall exposure. For those on a dial-up connection, please wait while the pages download.—-
1/100th sec, f6.3, ISO 100 These two old Berber women seem quite happy. I don't know what she's mixing in that mortar, but I'll have ten dollars' worth.—-
1/125th sec, f6.3, ISO 200A A slight shift in metering made this shot much lighter, but it's still as smooth as the ISO 100 shot.—-
1/160th sec, f7.1, ISO 400At ISO 400, some color blotching begins to appear in the darker areas, but overall color rendition is still very good.—-
1/250th sec, f8. 0, ISO 800At ISO 800, there's quite a bit of noise across the whole image and a lot of speckle in the darker areas. Some contrast has been lost.—-
1/640th sec, f8.0, ISO 1600A ISO 1600, the image is quite noisy despite the very fast shutter speed. It's no worse than most of its rivals though.—-
This page consists of resized images so you can assess the overall exposure.
This photo was taken with an 18-200mm lens, which was a bit slow and noisy, and has a little chromatic aberration towards the corners.—-
The A100 has a sensor that automatically focuses and sets exposure as soon as the camera is raised to the eye, perfect for instant shots.—-
The color rendition of the A100 is simply superb and responds well to the old trick of slide photography of underexposing by half a stop to increase saturation.—-
This page consists of resized images so you can assess the overall exposure.
Despite intense sunlight, the Dynamic Range Optimizer system produces a well-balanced shot with good shadow and light detail. I think it's a golden eagle, but I could be wrong (it looks like a falcon to me – editor's note). taken care of. I blame Bourriquet.—-
This page consists of resized images so you can assess the overall exposure.
The color rendering of the A100 is very naturalistic, even in the deep shadow of this Berber goat wool tent.—-
This old boy was very busy making something that involved a lot of sticks and string. I watched it for about 20 minutes, but I have no idea what it was supposed to be. Impressive details though.—-
This page consists of resized images so that you can assess the overall exposure.
This was taken using a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens, and shows great detail despite the dust haze in the air.—-
The noisy shutter mechanism makes it difficult to take discreet photos, but these guys were just posing for the camera anyway.—-
< p>Trust RatingNote in detail
Value
9
Image quality
10
Features
Camera type
DSLR
Megapixels (Megapixel)
10.2 megapixels
Optical zoom (times)
By objectives