Test the Sony Alpha DSLR-A100:
IntroAs a mythical bird rises from the ashes of Konica Minolta, Sony's first digital SLR, named Alpha DSLR-A100, marks the company's entry into the big leagues of digital imaging.
24/01/2022
IntroAs a legendary bird rises from the ashes of Konica Minolta, Sony's first digital SLR, named Alpha DSLR-A100, marks the company's entry into the big leagues of digital imaging. With a 10.2-megapixel CCD sensor, a host of handy features, an updated version of Konica Minolta's CCD-shift image stabilization, and a slightly improved design over the Maxxum 5D, Sony has delivered a worthy contender. in the sub-$1,000 DSLR market. . Since the camera accepts Maxxum AF lenses, anyone with an existing collection of such lenses should be very happy with this camera. At the same time, the DSLR-A100 offers a very serious alternative to the usual offerings from Canon and Nikon for DSLR beginners. Sony offers the DSLR-A100 in three ways: body-only; as a kit with the body and an 18 mm to 70 mm lens; and in another package that includes the body, the same 18mm to 70mm lens and a 75mm to 300mm lens.
Editor's note:
This review has been updated since originally published July 20, 2006. The rating has been changed to reflect subsequent competition, causing us to increase the design rating from 7 to 8 and lower the rating performance rating from 8 to 7, reducing the overall rating from 7.5 to 7.3.< /p>
Sony has definitely benefited from its acquisition of DSLR know-how from Konica Minolta. The body of the Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 feels very comfortable in our hands, which makes sense since it looks a lot like the defunct Maxxum 5D. Sure, Sony added some flair with glossy black plastic around the shutter and on the edge of the pop-up flash, and also moved some controls around, but it would be easy to confuse the DSLR-A100 with the 5D. if the two were sitting next to each other.
The main one of Sony's design tweaks was to put a bunch of often-used controls on a dial to the left of the flash. All you have to do is select a function - such as ISO, white balance or metering mode - and press the function button in the center of the dial to change that setting. In our field tests, this made choosing features quick and easy. It's not as easy to control as the Konica Minolta 7D, with all its dedicated dials and buttons, but it's a definite improvement over the 5D and other DSLRs that scatter so many dedicated function buttons around the camera. back and top of the camera. Unfortunately, Sony left the drive mode button on top of the camera and moved it further back, away from the shutter button. We found it hard to press, and since the 5D had three buttons on the back, it could have easily slipped into them rather than its current position.
Other buttons are logically placed, including the usual array of menu and playback controls that flank the 2.5-inch, 230,000-pixel LCD screen. Anti-shake control - now renamed Super Steady Shot, although it's CCD shift instead of lens shift stabilization found in other Sony cameras with a function of the same name - has a dedicated on/off switch on the bottom right of the back of the camera. If you're new to DSLRs, you'd probably consider the Sony Alpha DSLR-A100's 10.2-megapixel CCD to be its biggest feature. DSLR veterans, however, will look beyond the pixels to discover the wide array of other camera features. For example, if you're shooting a lot of action, you'll probably like the eye-start autofocus. A sensor below the viewfinder activates the camera's autofocus whenever it is triggered. So when you look through the viewfinder, your face triggers the sensor and the camera immediately begins to lock focus. While useful in some situations, it can be annoying and tends to drain your battery faster, as it will also start focusing if an object is about an inch from the sensor.
Of course, the Super Steady Shot image stabilization is one of the camera's main selling points. According to Sony, they've updated Konica Minolta's CCD shift technology and now claim between 2 and 3.5 stops of exposure margin, so you can shoot handheld at slower shutter speeds. In our field testing we found that while 3.5 stops is a stretch, they are right about the extra 2 stops. This means you can set your shutter speed 2x lower than your slowest comfortable speed and still expect reasonably sharp images - you'll need to make sure your subject stays still, though. Since image stabilization moves the sensor, you don't need to buy high-end lenses to get the benefit, like you do with image stabilization lenses from Canon and Nikon.
Speaking of lenses, since the Alpha system uses the same lens mount as older Konica Minolta Maxxum DSLRs, most AF Maxxum lenses and third-party AF mount lenses work with the DSLR-A100. Remember that the camera's APS-C sized sensor gives you an angle of view equivalent to that of a lens with a focal length 1.5 times that of full-frame 35mm film. Thus, the 18mm to 70mm, f/3.5 to f/5.6 lens included in the Alpha kits becomes the approximate equivalent of a 27mm to 105mm lens. Sony doesn't guarantee lens compatibility beyond the Sony Alpha lenses it markets, but a Minolta lens we tried worked just fine. Also, like the Maxxums, the DSLR-A100 shakes the sensor every time you turn the camera on or off to prevent any dust that may enter the camera when changing lenses. Sony also covers the sensor with a special coating to prevent the build-up of static electricity, which would attract dust particles.
As you'd expect, the Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 has the usual array of metering options, including 40-Segment Honeycomb MultiSegment, Center-Weighted and Spot. When it comes to autofocus, you can let the camera choose from nine focus segments, you can choose one of your own, or set it to use only the center segment. At any time, you can switch to center-point AF by pressing the button in the middle of the four-way rocker on the back of the camera.
The ISO sensitivity is perhaps the A100's biggest surprise. In addition to the normal options for ISO 100 to ISO 1600, there are Lo80 and Hi200 options. The latter two aren't just ISO range extensions, like with the boost modes offered by Nikon, Canon and others. Instead, they're intended for low-key, bright images, or in regular terms, very dark or very bright scenes. Lo80 boosts detail in dark parts of an image, although it comes at the cost of some detail in brighter areas. And Hi200, which is closest to ISO 200, is tailored to get more detail in the brighter parts of your images, although it may sacrifice some detail in the darker areas. Both of these seem useful for photographers looking to get more creative, but we wish Sony had offered an ISO boost to an ISO 3200 equivalent, as most DSLRs include it.
Other cool features include D-Range Optimizer, which automatically adjusts contrast and color during capture, and White Balance Bracketing, which varies the color cast when you take three shots in a row. , to ensure that the camera is correctly compensating for your current lighting conditions. This can come in handy, especially in mixed lighting, although your best bet is to shoot in raw format in such situations, so you can vary your white balance during processing.