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Top Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 Camera Reviews
Photography Blog wrote a review of the
Sony Alpha A100
and said: "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."
Digital Camera Views wrote a review of the
Sony Alpha A100
and said: "There is some barrel distortion at the wide end and
just a tiny bit of pincushioning at the tele end. There was no
sign of vignetting or purple fringing in our test shots.
Actually a very good performance for this kit lens. All images
showed good sharpness and excellent color rendition. Sharpness,
contrast and saturation can be beefed up or toned down over +/-
two steps. Low ISO levels were virtually noise free and it was
only at ISO 800 and above that noise became clearly evident.
However we found even those images taken at ISO 1600 to be
perfectly useable albeit with some loss of fine detail and color
saturation"
Trusted Reviews wrote a review of the
Sony Alpha DSLR-A100
and said: "The autofocus and exposure system proved to be
extremely quick and precise, certainly the equal of any of the
camera’s main market rivals, and the Dynamic Range Optimiser was
a revelation. At midday everything was either eye-searingly
bright or deep black shadows, but the system never missed a
trick, capturing detail in both shadows and highlights. Even
when I accidentally over-exposed a few shots when experimenting
with the manual exposure settings, the processing system managed
to retain detail in what should have been badly burned-out
areas."
Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 News Release Summary:
San Diego, June 5, 2006 — Sony is jumping into the digital
single lens reflex (D-SLR) camera market with today’s
introduction of the a (alpha) DSLR-A100 system. The system
combines advanced SLR features with other Sony digital imaging
innovations.
With its 10.2-megapixel APS CCD image sensor, the DSLR-A100
camera is expected to have the highest resolution available in
its class. It will be introduced with 19 high-quality Sony
lenses, and will be compatible with most of the former
Konica-Minolta Maxxum® mount lenses. The system will include a
wide range of accessories as well.
Sony developed a new Dynamic Range Optimizer® image analysis
technology to provide exceptional picture quality and natural
color reproduction, along with a new Bionz® image processing
engine. This new engine supports a continuous burst mode for
fast-action shooting and performs intelligent power management.
“Our system will be attractive to people who are ready for
something beyond what’s available in D-SLR cameras today,” said
James Neal, director of marketing for digital imaging products
at Sony Electronics. “Sony enthusiasts who want to upgrade from
point-and-shoot cameras, as well as former Konica-Minolta
digital and film SLR camera users who have already made
substantial investments in lenses, will welcome this
initiative.”
Fight Blur With Your Camera, Not Your Lens
The DSLR-A100 camera is engineered to combat blurry pictures
through high 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 telephoto, wide-angle, standard and macro lenses are
automatically image-stabilized. This also allows from three to
3-1/2 stops of latitude in exposure, which supports hand-held
shooting at longer shutter speeds than would otherwise be
possible. In the end, you have more opportunities to shoot in
natural lighting without a tripod or a flash.
Innovative Approach to Deliver Exceptional Image Quality
The a (alpha) DSLR-A100 will be the only D-SLR camera that can
optimize dynamic range, meaning the range from highlights to
shadows, including gain and contrast, through in-camera hardware
processing.
Sony’s Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO) analyzes the captured image
data and instantly determines the best exposure and color
tonality of an image before JPEG compression. Unlike software
optimization of a processed image, DRO is performed in the
hardware. It is the first hardware-based DRO solution with the
speed required for high-speed shooting.
Now You Can Really Catch The Action
The high-speed Bionz image processing engine allows you to
capture pictures at lightning speed. The camera will offer
high-speed burst shooting at up to three frames per second
continuously, at 10.2-megapixels and the finest JPEG
compression. For those action shots, you’re limited only by the
speed of your media card.
The new camera will also have a long battery life. The supplied
InfoLithium® battery gives you up to 750 shots per full charge,
depending on usage patterns and environmental conditions.
Get Dust under Control
“For D-SLR camera users,” Neal said that, “dust is the enemy.”
Dust collects on the image sensor, usually when lenses are
changed, and appears as annoying spots in photos, which then
need to be retouched later. Sony’s new system offers a novel,
two-pronged approach to fighting dust.
The camera’s CCD image sensor has an indium tin oxide coating to
avoid static build-up so that dust does not readily adhere.
Additionally, when you turn the camera on or off, an anti-dust
feature is activated to literally shake off dust particles.
A Flexible System for Creative Possibilities
Sony is continuing its long-standing relationship with Carl
Zeiss® to deliver superior optical performance for the a (alpha)
camera system. The two companies have co-developed three lenses,
including an ultra-wide, 16-80 mm Vario-Sonnar T* zoom model and
two fixed focal length telephoto models ─ a Planar T* 85 mm and
Sonnar T* 135 mm.
The system will also be supported with a full range of
accessories, including a line-up of flashes, cable releases,
rechargeable battery packs and several styles of carrying cases.
Convenience and Simplicity
The a (alpha) camera also features eye-start auto focus, which
starts focusing your picture before you even press the shutter;
a 2.5-inch Clear Photo LCD Plus™ screen for wide-angle viewing
and exceptional color reproduction; JPEG and RAW file format
support; and a comfortable camera grip with easily-accessible
function and mode dials.
There is a slot for CompactFlash Type I/II and Microdrive® media
cards. The camera also accepts Memory Stick PRO™ and Memory
Stick PRO Duo™ media cards through a supplied adaptor.
The DSLR-A100 camera body will be available for about $900. The
DSLR-A100K kit, which includes the camera body along with an
18-70mm zoom lens, will be available for about $1,000. Both ship
in July and will be available at SonyStyle.com, Sony Style
retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), and authorized dealers
nationwide. Pre-orders begin online today at www.sony.com/dslr.
Full-service product support for the a (alpha) DSLR-A100 system
will be available at http://esupport.sony.com. Sony is also
offering service to former Konica-Minolta customers. More
service information is available at www.esupport.sony.com/EN/KM/service.html.
For online support, such as drivers and other documents, former
Konica-Minolta users can also visit http://ca.konicaminolta.com/support/index.html.
Sony Alpha
DSLR-A100 Best Price:
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