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User Reviews for
Sony a (alpha) DSLR-A100 Digital Camera
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After alot of research
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Reviewed
December 16 2006 5:30:09 PM
22
out of
23
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
Ease of use |
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Cons:
Haven't found any After weeks of research and going thru comparisons I decided on the Sony dslr A100.
I find that the sony is easier to navigate through. The settings are not confusing as with the canons and I like the view finder. It is very easy to look thru and it also adjusts itself to my eyes.
I like the fact that the colors of my photos are very bright and vivid..in comparison with the Canon 30D which tends to be a little bland.
The cost was also a big factor in my decision and you get alot of camera for your money when you buy the Sony.
The battery life is great and I can go for days without having to recharge.
You won't be disappointed in this camera!
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A new breed
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Reviewed
January 7 2007 7:34:41 PM
19
out of
19
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
Supersteadyshot, TREMENDOUS Carl Zeiss Lenses |
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Cons:
Immature firmware causing some noise at high ISO and short on "nice to have" features I chose this camera over NIkons and Canons simply because it seems to have more going for it, long term. N&C's are great cameras but the Alpha's supersteadyshot is a gift and improves so many opportunistic images. It was only after doing a test on this myself that I was convinced and it does make a difference and NIKONS DO NOT DO THIS yet.
Secondly, Carl Zeiss lenses put the optics on a par with some of the best cameras in the world (hard to quantify this but I believe!). They don't come as standard but they are (or will be) very reasonably priced.
Thirdly, the reviews of the camera were all very positive with going OTT or damning with faint praise. There was a lot of brand snobbery and perhaps that is part of the photographic process; "I have a good camera ergo I can take good pictures", but it makes their opinions a bit suspect. Reviews are also highly partisan (like this one? Judge for yourself.) and one reviewer who couldn't find anything wrong with a new Nikon seemed not to have heard about image stabilisation.
After assessing and reassessing the Alpha, I decided Sony were serious about bringing out a range of serious pro-sumer cameras and their technical expertise and Zeiss lenses made the camera a force to be reckoned with so I bought one.
One making my purchase, lo, I found a load of quality Minolta AF fit lenses were available and bought three for under
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Great SLR
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Reviewed
January 4 2007 2:29:43 PM
11
out of
11
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
Ease of use / Minolta compatible. |
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Cons:
Not a ton of lenses but more coming. I learned to shoot on a Minolta SLR 35mm and when they came out with their digital 5d and 7d I knew it was the camera I wanted. Last year they announced that they were leaving the camera business and all technology was going over to Sony I was crushed until I saw the A100. Same "in body" image stabilizer and an amazing 10.2 mega-pixels for under a grand. I am also able to use my old Minolta SLR lenses (although there are some exceptions but only a few).
The camera is very simple to use for those who know what they are doing and for those who don't know it all (like me) but know the basics, it is easy to play with and figure things out. I have a lot of fun playing with this camera and with an f1.4 50mm lens I can shoot in really low light without a flash and the picture comes out very nice (as long as subject is not moving around too much). The one thing I don't really care for is the flash. It makes everything kind of washed out looking but That can also get taken care of on the back end if needed. Gotta love digital.
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Best Value
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Reviewed
February 28 2007 11:59:17 AM
6
out of
6
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
Steadyshot,, and I can still use my Minolta AF lenses! |
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Cons:
ISO Noise is noticable on occasion I could have spent the money for the Nikon and Canon...
I did tons of research before buying the Sony Alpha.
The clincher in my case was that I had a full compliment of Minota AF lenses from my 35mm
Maxuum and they were now interchangable with my Alpha!
Even without the lenses, theres something special about this camera.
I've been a photographer for over 40 years and I've never been able to capture the quality of images that I have with this camera!
It's one of the best purchases I've ever made!
Would I have been happy with the Nikon or Canon...Probably
I like being a little different from the pack...so I'm sticking with this Sony Alpha!
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Best choice for beginners
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Reviewed
January 17 2007 7:59:19 PM
5
out of
5
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
Great features and east to use |
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Cons:
Sony lenses (if you bought the package) This is the perfect camera for anyone just getting into SLR photography. Great features (some you don't see in any other camera) and simple to use (if you leave it on auto mode). Before buying this camera I read everything about every camera that I could get my hands on and for a starter like myself, it seems to be the logical choice. What I really like however is that the camera auto focuses when the camera is placed close to the eye.. nice touch!
My only con is the standard Sony lenses that come in the kits, granted the are nice lenses and they are doing well for me (my advice is up the sharpness level for a more clear picture as the auto they come out looking to soft) it's just the darn purple lines (fringing) on white backgrounds.
In all, buy it. You won't regret it. I don't, I love it to death! Now I just need to find some good Minolta lenses and I'll be happy! (btw, which is another great feature about this camera!) 5 3/4 Stars!
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Initial "Hands-On" Experience with the Alpha
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Reviewed
January 17 2007 6:45:11 PM
3
out of
3
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
4
out of 5
Pros:
Kit price, SSS, Ext Flash compatibilty, Bright view, K/M experience |
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Cons:
Cold temp operation lag, High ISO noise This is my first DSLR after using several film SLR's and the K/M A200 digital.
I find the feel of the camera is somewhat less strong than my Nikon and Canon SLR's but adequate for my needs. The cold weather operation lag has to do with the menu and LCD at below freezing temps, an unpleasant surprise. The high ISO noise was expected but managed with post processing.
The big pluses for me is the package body and lenses price point and the bright viewer I required. The SSS, Super Steady Shot, is a big help when a tripod is not practical.
Probably the best DSLR deal under $1,000 USD.
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Bang for your buck
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Reviewed
December 30 2007 8:31:30 AM
2
out of
2
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
All the electronics are in the body CMOS etc so you can use ole AF Minolta lenses. |
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| Cons:
High ISO noise and slow low temp performance. Love this body since all of the electronics are in the body and older Minolta af lenses work well. Much more intiutive controls than the Canons and Nikons. Someone I think Olympus is boosting about a veiwing LCD but I can't see the benifit with an SLR at all, imagine holding an SLR away from you and peering into and LCD screen and keeping your camera steady, pure BS. Had my alpha 100 for about a year and love it ofcourse I am biased since I have been a Minolta man for more that 35 years. By the way a Tamron 28 -200 lens is a great ever day lens for the alpha.
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Better then ever
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Reviewed
November 19 2007 2:35:44 PM
2
out of
2
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
High Quality, easy to use |
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Cons:
controls are a little clumsy & take getting used to. This is really is a lovely piece of technology! I used a Minolta Maxxum for 15 years and was crushed when it finally suffered a malfunction, rather then repair I decided to go digital, I finally found this model after a long hunt for the Minolta 5D and once I finally had this camera I could not be happier. It really is a high end device, I am scared to think what more complicated cameras might have considering that this model is on the lower end of the price scale for digital SLR cameras and it still has a tremendous array of features, with an Ultra III Extreme CF card it has awesome response time, smooth operation, it focuses lighting fast and is ready for the next shot the millisecond my finger lets off the shutter button.
It gives you options on quality settings but I find them to be limited (RAW, Fine, Standard) on other digital models you can set the exact resolution you want and I wish that was a feature available here but alas it is not, even still the 3 settings take you from the highest quality shots at 10 meg file sizes to basic quality shots at 2.5 megs each, even the basic quality sinks any point and shoot camera on the market.
changing modes from auto to shutter, aperture, scene, portrait ect.. is as easy as breathing, however adjusting ISO settings and video and the like have proven a little less then intuitive in figuring out. when setting the camera to manual I found it cumbersome in adjusting the aperture and shutter as there is only a single dial for both so you have to keep taking the camera away from your eye and pressing a button to toggle the controls, the Maxxum has two dials that you could easily adjust while looking through the viewfinder.
despite these setbacks I am very pleased with my purchase, all of my old equipment works flawlessly with it and as a plus it is quite light, my wife who has never held an SLR before remarked at once that she was expecting a much heavier unit given it's size.
in closing: a wonderful device that I hope will last me another 15 years, interested to see what I upgrade to next :)
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DSLR for the everyday "Alpha" male
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Reviewed
June 16 2007 1:52:39 AM
2
out of
2
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
Easy to use out of the box, great bang for your buck! |
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Cons:
Max 3 fps continuous shoot (if I was to be picky) My first digital camera was a Fuji S7000, which I bought after doing HEAPS of research. Once I got it and started to use it I quickley discovered it's limitations and after 2 years I was keen to upgrade. The good news though is that I now knew what I wanted and needed in a DSLR.
Once again I did heaps of research and compared Nikon, Canon etc and ultimately settled on the Sony A100 because it has everything I was looking for in a DSLR and was considerably better value (IMO) than the more pro-oriented Canon & Nikon variants.
The selection of lenses is great and Sony has more in the pipeline.
The kit came with the standard 18-70mm as well as a 75-300mm, both are great. I also purchased the 11-18mm which I found to be brilliant for architectural photography. The latest addition has been a 18-200 which has become the day to day lens due to the greater flexability. Soon to follow will be a Zeiss 85mm and 135mm fixed focal length lenses for portraiture.
Overall I've found the Alpha to be a brilliant investment and can thoroughly reccommend it to any serious amature photographer.
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Absolutly love it!
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Reviewed
March 29 2007 3:02:54 PM
2
out of
2
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
5
out of 5
Pros:
High quality, built in super steady shot, Fine Sony Tech |
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Noisy shutter, noise at high ISO This camera rocks, feature heavy and strong feeling in my hands. As a low light shooter the super steady shot really helps me out. Kit lens is also very high quality! The damn shutter is very loud though and can cause problems when your trying to be incognito but otherwise feels very good. An all around great camera!
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