Customer Reviews

Sony Alpha A100 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera

5 star:		(107)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Sony has finally come a full circle, by starting the digital camera, withdrawing from the initial SLR plans and now firmly back. Their first SLR is from the bones of a 20 year MAXXUM/DYNAX line from Konica Minolta. This is the initial camera in the Alpha line called the DSLR-A100, a 10.2 megapixel, three frame per second SLR mostly based on the Konica Minolta MAXXUM 5D. This Sony is between the Canon Rebel 400xti and the Nikon D200 and it compares very favorably to the Nikon D80 although the D80 takes better photos but has no built-in anti-Shake.

Overall I think the Sony is better than the new Canon EOS 400D Digital Rebel XTi. It is an amazingingly good value for your money and might suit your needs perfectly. BUT NONE HAVE BUILT IN ANTI-SHAKE. Only Pentax has the new K100D (which has anti-shake but lower 6MP resolution). All in all the Sony A100 is a winner and would get 5 stars if they fixed the noise issues.

First of all the PROS (Good Things)

1) Sony has used the best aspects of the KM technology including the built-in Anti-Shake mechanism, lens mount, exposure system, and menus, and improved them by its own new CCD sensor, image processing and LCD screens. Out of these, the Anti-Shake is the best feature. Allowing you to get Anti-Shake for every lens. This is one of the only cameras right now in the market after the KM5D and KM7D were taken out. Canon and Nikon have this feature not in the body like the Sony, but in some of the very expensive lenses. Of course this is a cash machine for Canon and Nikon and they charge a premium of between $300-500 to the cost of each lens... nice work if you get it !!! In my view, I think this feature is the best selling point of the camera and if you buy at least 2 or 3 lenses from Sony, you would recover the cost of the camera just like that.

2) The A100's 'Alpha' lens mount is the same as the older Minolta A-type mount, allowing it to work with all of the old Minolta A-Type lenses. Minolta has made some superb lenses over the last 20 years equalling or better than the Nikon or the Canon L series. Some of these you will find used for cheap.


3) Although the viewfinder uses a cheaper pentamirror than the ore expensive pentaprism used in the Nikon D80, the A100 viewfinder is still big and bright and looks a lot better. Likewise the 2.5-inch LCD screen (which on SLRs cannot be used for a live preview) is gorgeous with high resolution.

4) The A100 looks and feels excellent and looks vaguely like the Konica Minolta 5D, but the A100 is smoothly contoured. Overall the body has a black finish, except the front grip area which has a durable rubbery grip like the KM, and has a ridge to separate the middle finger from the ring finger for perfect alignment every time.

5) Flash. I have not tried the external flashes. I have heard good things that it appears to be wirelessly and remotely controlled by the A100. I am used to a Canon SLR system, and have always been envious of the free built-in wireless capabilities of the Nikon D200 & D70 control of the Nikon SB800 flash. Hopefully this works similar. I cant wait to test it.


Here are the CONS (BAD Things). Take this with a grain of salt. As you can tell by my 4 stars, the positives far outweigh the negatives:

1) Although build quality for the A100 is good, it is somewhat more plasticy that the Canon EOS 30D or Nikon D200. but this is not a big deal.

2) Does not have a small status LCD. The use of the main 2.5inch LCD for all functions as well as current status (rather than the small LCD screen in other models) might impact battery life.

3) The battery despite being an InfoLithium design, does not display the remaining time like all the other Sony cameras

4) Weak external controls. The older Konica Minolta 7D completely blows the A100 in ergonomics. Even the entry Canon rebel 350 and the Nikon D50 are a pleasure to use. I love it when any camera has direct dedicated input buttons for White Balance, ISO or Quality. Although arguably the Sony does have some direct buttons, it is made harder by some on the top dial, some on the back and using the LCD for everything.

Now for the more controversial items

5) NOISE: the A100 is noisier than any of it main cheaper rivals Canon 400xti. Even dirt cheap SLRs like the Canon 350 rebel, Nikon D50, and Pentax DL have exponentially lower noise. Noise on the A100 starts out at a low ISO400 and then goes up from there. Now I expected this.. with higher resolutions, when there is an increased pixel count without increasing the size of the sensor -less surface area for each photosite hence the signal to noise level is worse. However, some have compared the A100 to the Nikon D200 and D80 that uses the same Sony sensor and the noise is much more on the A100. A lot of folks seem to be confused by noise and the Anti-Shake. Anti-shake does not make high ISO redundant. For example, at a party or family gathering. It is important because to prevent motion blur in the normal actions of people, you need a min shutter speed of at least 1/60s. In a room lighted with bulbs or any interior during daytime, the light levels are such that you must push up the sensitivity to 800iso or 1600 (even with a fast lens, and more so with zooms). Thus, if you want good indoors pics without flash for family gatherings, kids. You have to use ISO 800 or even ISO 1600.

6) Dynamic Range Optimizer: I could not see the difference. This maybe more marketing hype. I took dozens of test pictures.

7) Anti dust system: Appears to be more marketing hype. I did not test this extensively.

8) Menus: recycled from the old KM menu system. Hard to use .. not as intutive as the Canon, Nikon or even the other Sonys.

9) Carl Zeiss: I have noticed that so-called prosumers are rabid about this (one more hyped up label to show off to their suburban neighbors). I have heard that the Carl Zeiss lens are only licensed coatings from CZ. Lens are supposedly made in the old KM factories or at Tamron.. I dont know.. these are the rumors circulating over the internet.

Bottom line. If you take most of your pictures outdoors-whats not to like. IT IS A GREAT CAMERA for the price-10.2 MP resolution, built-in anti-shake which works with all attached lenses, 2.5-inch high res LCD screen. No current production camera from Canon or Nikon even comes close. The final result is 10.2 MP digital SLR with built-in anti shake capabilities which work with every lens, an anti-dust system, long life battery, advanced image processing and a nice large LCD monitor. The price and specs are a great deal for about $900, you get a kit with 18-70mm lens. Again, this camera is in a class all to its own. Nothing really compares.


COMPARING THE A100 WITH THE 10 MP Canon Rebel 400 Xti. The A100 is shipping now. The A100 is around the same price currently but with a much better 18-70 mm lens, Anti-Shake, and better viewfinder. The A100 is also supposed to have better battery life.

COMPARING THE A100 WITH THE 10 MP Nikon D80. This competition appears to be stiffer: 1) The A100 is available NOW. The D80 will probably be shipping towards the end of the year. 2) The A100 is much cheaper but with Anti-Shake. 3) The Nikon D80 does NOT have built-in shake reduction and anti-dust. (However, I am in favor of the Nikon D80 kit with the new 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S IF-ED DX Nikkor Lens. However, I have heard that it is hard to find this combination. Plus the price is way too expensive. I would wait for this combo price to drop.) Sony has brought some serious competition which is good for all us consumers. However the Nikon D80 with 18-200 lens compared to the A100 with a similar lens will be about $500 or so More..

However if most of your pictures are indoors, at night clubs etc.. consider the new Pentax K100D which also has in-body Anti-Shake, sells for about $650 with 18-55 lens, but has an better ISO performance, but lower resolution at 6 MP.

PLEASE VOTE AND LET ME KNOW IF THIS REVIEW HELPED YOUR PURCHASING DECISION.

[Here's a reprint of the review I first wrote for the Camera + lens kit. Since that time, there have been some other, more scientific reviews, most notably, the one done on Digital Photography Review.

They had some additional positives, most notably the highest CF card throughput they've yet tested (even against top-of-the-line pro models). The biggest con listed was high noise at 800, and particularly at 1600. This might be a problem with anyone who's buying this camera primarily for low-light photography.

In conclusion, they gave this camera a "highly recommended" review, their highest mark.]

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The Alpha 100 is a nice first step forward in the digital SLR field for Sony. For those unfamiliar with the demise of Minolta (later Konica-Minolta), Sony took over production of SLRs, while keeping compatibility with former Maxxum lenses and flash units. Therefore, the Alpha is a logical step for those with Maxxum lenses and flashes (although they must be the later "D" series flashes). But the beauty in the Alpha 100 is what Sony has done to this upgrade.

Although based on the Konica-Minolta 5D camera, the Alpha has both finer lines, and a more solid, quality feel (often referred to as "build"). Dials have been improved in grip and visability.

The most obvious "spec" improvement is the CCD sensor, now improved to a class (under $1K) leading 10 megapixels. Being the actual manufacturer of this sensor is a definate advantage, but even more so coupled with their new "Bionz" processor. Sony claims this new processor can help increase "dynamic range", which means that it can help capture those contrasty scenes that have very dark to very light areas (and those that actually like working hours on a computer can turn this off!).

Sony not only kept the best thing from the 5D, image stabalization, but took advantage of it's ability to induce shake and creating an anti-dust feature.

A bit about stabalization. First, what stabalization will not do for you. It won't help you a whole lot taking photos of your kid at nighttime sports activities. A stabalizer allows you to hold the camera/lens combo steadier at slower speeds. For night time sports, the speeds where the stabalizer can help are much too slow to help for sports. It can help a bit for daytime sports, but faster shutter speeds tend to help freeze the action anyway.

The stabalizer will help you in low-light candid no-flash photography, but just as important, WITH flash photography. Every get that cardboard cut-out look? You know, the people are fine, and the background went black? The stabalizer allows you to shoot at slower speeds, which helps give you more background detail, making the scene more like your eyes see it.

The stabalizer is also handy for long telephoto wildlife shots, even on a tripod (think "wind"), or in heavy woods.

The camera also has all the standard features you'd expect from today's modern SLRs, and a decent selection of lenses have been announced. Although I'm not a crazy "CZ" fan, the addition of Carl Zeiss optics (including a completely new 16-80 design) will add another option to the already plentiful Minolta optics (& third party) available.

No camera has everything, and here's a few options you might like/need that aren't offered on the A100: No wireless remote; no vertical grip/extra battery grip; new battery not "info" type (althought they say it last longer); noise (grain look) not quite as good as Canon; and, no PC Terminal for studio type lighting (and the Maxxum type shoe makes it difficult to adapt).

The Alpha 100 is the most compelling camera in its class. What might make you consider a different camera would be if you needed a heavier, more durable camera, and especially if you need 5 fps (frames per second) vs. 3. If so, look at the Nikon D200 and Canon 30D (keep in mind these 5-Star cameras are 1.5x to 2x the cost). If you need to save a bit of money, look at the Pentax K100D (solid 4-Stars).

Otherwise, get the Alpha 100. Period.

The reviews below this one are thorough and written by professional-sounding photographers. So I'm going to give you my brief impression as an amateur. I have had this camera for 2 months now and use it regularly (several times a week). I am a flatwater kayaker and I use it mostly to take pictures of wildlife--shorebirds, deer, other critters--from the kayak. I purchased the 75-300 zoom lens to go with it. I also have the lens that comes with the kit, which I use for scenics or pictures around the house, etc. My previous cameras included the Sony DSC-H5 and the Canon S2 IS, both with teleconversion lenses.

Obviously, this being a DSLR camera, the pictures are crisper with better color. The image stabilization is effective enough to give me sharp pictures of birds taken from a kayak on moving water. While the 10 mp factor is usually (I gather) desirable from a printing standpoint, I find that it is helpful from a cropping standpoint. The zoom lens will only take me so close to a bird in a tree--cropping the photo enables me to, in effect, zoom in further on the picture itself, so the end result is that the little dot in the original picture can be cropped and zoomed to show up clearly and sharply as a belted kingfisher.

It's heavier than regular (non DSLR) digitals, a fact that put a friend of mine off it. It also has an unusually loud shutter noise (not the satisfying *click* of other models). I wish it used plain AA batteries instead of rechargeable--I am used to being able to replace the batteries on the go if necessary (instead of being SOL if they run out while I'm on the water).

But the fact is that you can't beat the price and I find the quality of the pictures I get with it to be excellent. It's my first DSLR and I am very pleased with it.

I got some good results while learning to use the camera. The noise issue referred to in other reviews wouldn't bother me, because I rarely take low light photos.

Unfortunately, after about 150 pictures, the camera stopped working. I received an error message after taking a picture. I called Sony customer service. After 45 minutes and a couple of contacts, no one had heard of the error message (odd that they would program an error message and then not tell support people what it means). I had to return the camera to Sony for repairs, at my expense....with a 7-10 business day turnaround. Maybe I've been spoiled by quick turn arounds (and free shipping) by Apple, Dell, HP, and others, but that seems a little long.

UPDATED:

I've had the Alpha since September and have shot more then 2000 photos now. I love it even more now then when I reviewed it in September. This is a great camera that takes awesome pictures in full auto for the person that isn't ready to venture out. But, it still has all the manual controls for the person that does the full manual photos.

I've done one wedding shower and one wedding with mine and the pictures I've gotten are amazing. If you watch you can get some great used Minolta lens for a decent price including some great low light lens such as the Minolta 50 f 1.7.

I would recommend this camera to anyone looking into a digital SLR. The in camera stabilization makes it possible to shoot with much slower shutter speeds which is awesome in low light situation.

It has a very easy to understand user interface. You don't have to hunt through an extensive and time consuming digital menu to find the most commonly used features. They are available with the knob on the top left and a push of the button. Custom white balance is fast and easy to set.

My only complaint is that if you shoot at 800 or above ISO you get some noise and grain but a good noiseware program takes care of that with no problem. So far I have only had to go to 800 once in all my shooting to get my shutter speed up enough that I didn't need a tripod. And if you shoot in raw you have even less problem with the noise then if you shoot in jpeg. I personally think the reason that many complain about to much noise is they shoot in jpeg and Sony does not apply as much filtering in jpeg as Canon and Nikon does. And for those that are still on the fence the sensor that Nikon uses in their cameras are a Sony sensor.

If anyone has any questions please feel free to contact me.


I'm in love with my camera. I have had it for 2 weeks. The photos coming out of this camera are amazing. I have a picture of a flower with rain drops in perfect focus with the kit lens.

Someone also spoke about the anti shake, I have a 100-400 lens and I have taken several pictures at dusk with this lens not on a tripod and they are perfect. With the same size lens on a Canon rebel I can not get a picture without blur. So I say the anti shake works perfectly. I have also been able to take night shots without a tripod and still have no blur. I think the antishake is amazing.

My only complaint about the camera is that the shutter is a little noisy and if you shoot at 800 iso you do see some noise. But, I very rarely shoot at 800 so it's not a problem for me.

I would recommend this camera to anyone. And if you already have minolta lens it's a no brainer.

I used to have a Maxxum 5 and was plannig an upgrade to either 5D or 7D. The first had some limitations (like the lcd resolution) and the last was a little expensive. When I saw that Sony had bought Konica's Digital Camera technology I couldn't believe that a camera with so many resouces could cost 1000 bucks. Taking advantage of being in US and of the Prime benefits, I deciced to buy the first release and so far I have absolutelly no complaints. I have taken many great pictures so far with the 18-70 mm that comes with the camera and with my old lenses that I used to use with my old Maxxum 5. The anti-shake technology is unbelievable! Allows great zooms with image perfection.

I had purchased a Sigma 24-135 mm f/2.8-4.5 and a RiDATA 4GB 150x CF card to go along with the A100 body. Together they have a really good feel. Love the pictures as long as you stay away from ISO 800+ unless you're a fan of sand. Tip - set the sharpness to +2 and Vivid colors while keeping the ISO to a minimum number. The flash, even though it only has a GN of only 12, really isn't too bad. It went down my hallway and illuminated the end really well. I wish that it wouldn't be too noisy though - both the body and lens. Also, the flash does not have an auto pop up feature. If there is, I could not find it in the manual nor can I make it work. I would have to pop it up manually. After buying a circular polarizer, I am armed well and really love taking pictures.

After several days and several hundred pictures later, I was confident that I had the right know how to manually adjust the program settings correctly and to take some really incredible pictures. Finally, my left brain feels excited. This camera is great for novices - not too expensive and comes with a lot of bang for the buck. Definitely more features than the Canon Rebel and has some features over the Nikon D70. The antishake helps especially when in max telephoto range. Don't understand the DR and DR+ setting yet. I like the fact that you can adjust the type of focusing to use. Unsure if Canon or Nikon has this. It is a 3 fps camera, not too bad. It can't compete with the Nikon D2Xs but for one fifth the price, I think it holds its own.

If I had to do it all over again, I would. I love learning with this camera. If you are considering the Rebel or the D70, this beats both because of its features and megapixel size. I can't wait to see what Sony adds to their next DSLR. I will keep this no matter what. For a new entry into the DSLR field, they sure came down with a heavy footprint.

...I MUST add here an E-Book that Sony should include and that I just purchased... "The Complete Guide to Sony's Alpha 100 Digital SLR Camera" by Gary Friedman... It makes using this camera even easier and FAR better results than expected... it can almost make you a professional overnight!

I will make this brief as there are enough posts to give all the gory details.

1. After a VERY exhaustive review of all the other cameras out there and many demos in the stores this was, to me, the obvious choice. What swayed me was several well-respected magazines saying how great it was... none of them said anything to sway me away due to noise... and me first week with the camera has shown this decision to be correct one. If you are going to blow up a 1600 ISO snap to poster size after cropping it and putting it thorough Photoshop etc... well, then noise might be an issue.

2. As I am a recent convert from the Point-And-Shoot world of digital pictures I wanted a robust yet easy camera to use and shore with my tech-shy spouse. She has already picked up many many skills that made this and even better option. The buttons are well thought out and not easily pressed if not intended.

3. Again, as a recent convert, I also wanted to be able to transition into the world of intermediate to advanced photography. The lens that came with the kit is perfect for almost every application... save true macro shooting (which I suspect vary few of us do often)...

4. Lastly, the value decision was easy... I got a steal matching a big box retailer that also included the long zoom $250 300mm lens for $100 extra bringing the total to $850... of course you will need to buy a memory card... and I STRONGLY recommend the 4GB card so you can shoot in the combo mode of RAW/JPEG... (two formats shot at once!). PLUS... the option to use the Minolta Maxxum line of lenses and KEEP the image stabilization in the camera (the other brands IS is in the lens, making the price VERY expensive... ).

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind this is the best DSLR under $1000... and maybe under $2000... if you buy anything else you will very quickly wish you had bought the Sony!

Ace Digital did a fine job in getting the order and sending the camera the same day. Tracking on UPS worked fine. It arrived in good order.

The A100K is a great camera. I have been a SLR photographer for a long time, pleased with the switch to PHD cameras generally (push here, dummy), but longing for the control and especially the accuracy of focusing that an SLR provides. The A100 does the job beautifully. Pictures are crisp and predictable. The 3 FPS cycle is fast. Battery life is awesome, including the sleep mode it drops into even when the flash is up. The literature claims 750 photos per charge, with every other shot using the flash, and I believe it.

The only thing I have found is that the Auto setting on the guide wheel is not what you want to use for everyday photos. If you are takng landscape shots, use the landscape setting. Ditto for portraits. Ditto for close ups. Auto does not do the best job for any of these conditions. In fact, I try to stay away from Auto, and I have found this curious. The problem is in focusing more than exposure.

The focus evaluation setting is really helpful. You can see if you had shake or subject movement very easily. The anti-shake function is really hard to evaluate: if the subject is a bit blurry, does this mean that the anti-shake didn't work, or that the subject moved? Tripod use improves focusing accuracy, but then it would on any camera.

I added the Sony 70-300 mm telephoto lens and I am really happy with that as well. Great resolution, especially at max tele settings. I live 30 miles away from a mountain with a lookout hut on top, and I can see the hut clearly at the 300 setting, using a tripod.

One last comment about tranferring photos. The Sony-supplied cable connection is 20x faster than removing the CF card and using the card reader on my HP computer. Since the 10 MP photos are 2.3 MB each, this time savings is considerable.

This is a great camera. I am very happy with it.

I bought this camera when it first came out. At the time nothing came close to matching it for the price. Now there are some other 10 megapixel DSLRs that are affordable but i'd still get the A100 (only other one i'd consider is the Pentax). It has been fantastic and is now an absolute bargin. Awesome image quality (below ISO 800), fast AF, great handling and very fast shooting. The battery life is awesome. Its rated at 750 shots with 1/2 using flash and I belive it. I've shot hundreds of shots in a weekend and not come close to emptying it. So much better than my old batter hog point and shoot digital. The built in metering is also very good and the manual mode very easy to use. Built in image stabilization makes this camera much more useful in low light (you can use 1/3rd the shutter speed of other camera and still get it sharp) than an unstabalized Camera and makes any lens stabilized. With Canon or Nikon you have to buy stabilized lenses which cost a lot. The grip is also better than that of any other low end DSLR i've used. Substantially bigger than the one on the digital rebel or on my old film Olympus SLR. Makes the camera just stick to your hand. Shooting is so much more fun with the control you get from a camera like this. I find myself wanting to do nothing but go out and shoot on nice days and have taken some great pictures on this. I've blown enlargements up to 13x19 with good results. Haven't tried bigger yet.

The kit lens is good for what it is. Very high quality but a small aperature that makes it slow to focus at full zoom and not the greatest at low light. This is a problem common to all kit lenses. Personally i'd get at least one faster lens, or just get the body and a faster zoom. There are a lot of used Minolta lenses out there that are cheap and good that you can use on this camera. The 50mm f 1.7 is a bargin as is the legendary "beercan" a 70-210 f 4 with amazing bokeh. Sony lenses are a little overpriced at this point, imo, so i'd look to either the used market or to makers like Tamron and Sigma for your lenses.