14 DAY TRIAL // After a cryptic announcement and a short presentation, Sony has officially launched its first DSLR camera, the A100.
It would be unfair to say that it doesn't bring anything new on this market, but considering that many of the technologies are in fact developed by Konica Minolta, don't expect a spectacular product.
The imaging device is CCD APS sensor with 10.2 MP, an impressive resolution for a camera in this class.
One of the most important Konica Minolta inventions has been the Anti-Shake technology, which stabilizes every lens mounted on the camera. This is an extremely important advantage, especially since stabilized lenses have enormous price tags.
Sony has implemented it in the A100, but has changed its name to Super SteadyShot; according to some reports, Sony's engineers have made some changes to the system, which allows even longer shutter speeds when using the camera handheld.
Related to taking photographs in dim light conditions, Sony allows users to use ISO speeds of up to 1600.
One of the interesting concepts implemented by Sony is called Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO). The new system analyzes the captured image data and instantly determines the best exposure and color tonality of an image before JPEG compression.
Another first is the Bionz image processing engine, capable of high-speed burst shooting at up to three frames per second continuously, at 10.2-megapixels and the finest JPEG compression.
To solve the problem of dust on the sensor, Sony has implemented a system similar to the one used by Olympus. 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 the camera is turned off, the dust particles are shaken off.
Sony A100 supports CompactFlash Type I/II and Microdrive media cards, and with an adaptor, Memory Stick PRO and Memory Stick PRO Duo can also be used.
For SLR cameras, one of the most important elements is represented by the lenses users can purchase. In this regard, Sony has a rich offer, including three Carl Zeiss lenses (two with fixed focal distance and one with variable focal distance).
Aside from the Carl Zeiss one, Sony also has rebranded Konica-Minolta lenses and some new long telephotos.
Speaking of the Minolta legacy, the new DSLR producer has also launched an impressive number of accessories, including two macro photography flash kits.
The estimated price for the DSLR-A100 body is $899, and for a kit with the 18-70 lens, buyers will have to spend approximately $999.
