Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 Digital Camera

The Sony Alpha 100 is a digital SLR camera which means you can attach different lenses to the camera body (like the old 35mm film cameras) to suit the situation in which you are shooting your pictures. The boynet mount means changing lenses is a quick operation. Lenses are easily obtained and cover every conceivble range from wide angle to massive telephoto. With smaller lenses the camera is fully automatic and yet is easily over-ridden for those special effects. A range of settings will allow you to take superb portraits, sharp landscapes and multi image sports shots. The camera is sturdy without being overweight and as a Sony product is a quality product. The only thing I dislike about it is that it was not available earlier when I switched from 35mm to digital.

The Sony A100 has a 10.8 megapixel , 23.6 x 15.8 mm RGB CCD that delivers 10.2 effective megapixels. There are 3 image size settings (3872 x 2592 (L), 2896 x 1936 (M) and 1920 x 1280(S) and two levels of compression (Fine and Standard), which are recorded as JPEGs (8 bit). RAW (12 bit) format is also available, giving an image size of 3872 x 2592 pixels. An 18-70mm lens is supplied as part of the standard kit, which is equivalent to 27-105mm due to the 1.5x focal factor. The camera supports Compact Flash (Type I and II) and Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo memory cards (via a supplied adaptor). The Sony A100 offers an Anti-dust protection system. The CCD sensor's anti-static coating acts as a barrier to dust, while a CCD vibration function briefly shakes the sensor to dislodge dust particles every time the A100 is powered off. The Super SteadyShot anti-shake system (in the camera body) compensates for camera vibrations at the instant the shutter is released by shifting the CCD sensor in real time for sharper, steadier pictures.

The Sony A100 offers four advanced exposure modes - Programmed AE [P] with flexible program; Shutter Priority Auto [S]; Aperture Priority Auto [A]; Manual [M] - and 6 different scene modes plus a fully automatic Auto mode. Exposure compensation can be set up to +-2 EV in increments of 1/3 EV, and there is auto-bracketing (3 frames, 0.3 or 0.7 EV steps). There is also an auto-exposure and auto-focus lock button. The Dynamic Range Optimiser automatically adjusts gamma curve and exposure levels for more natural, evenly-exposed pictures under difficult lighting conditions. The shutter speed range is 1/4000 - 30 sec with a Bulb option available. There are 7 different ISO speeds ranging from 80-1600.

Focusing the Sony A100 uses a 9-point autofocus system with a central cross-hair sensor. There are 5 different focusing modes available - Single-shot AF, Direct Manual Focus, Continuous AF, Automatic AF and Manual focus - and 3 metering modes - Multi-Segment, Centre-weighted and Spot. The camera has 9 autofocus points which can be selected automatically or manually, and you can also choose from Wide AF area or Spot AF area (center). Focus can be locked by pressing the shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing the AE-L/AF-L button. Depth of Field preview is available. An Auto-focus assist lamp is also available when the pop-up flash is raised. For White Balance, there is an Auto setting, six manual modes, manual white balance and the ability to set a specific colour temperature (2500-9900).
The Sony A100 offers single and continuous shooting modes with a maximum shooting speed of 3 fps for unlimited shots when using JPEGs. In RAW mode, the speed is 3fps for up to 6 shots. The camera also has a self-timer mode (2 or 10 seconds) and 3 different bracketing modes. There are 2 colour space choices, sRGB and Adobe RGB, and various colour modes can be selected. Contrast, Saturation and Sharpness can all be configured in-camera.
The built-in flash offers a range of different modes; Auto, Fill Flash, Red-eye Reduction, Wireless/Remote Off-camera Flash, Rear Flash Sync, High Speed Sync and Slow Sync with AE Lock. It has a guide number of 12, supports lenses as wide as 24mm and offers a Sync speed of up to 1/160 The Sony A100 has a hotshoe that accepts Sony dedicated flashguns, either auto or manual. Flash compensation from -2.0 to +2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps is available.

All in all i like this!

this camera is terrific it has everything you could wish for from a budget dslr since buying it i have used it every day and had some wonderful results I had a kodak easyshare cx7530 no comparison in quality and zoom would not be without it now just waiting for the special effect pictures now

The A100 was bought to replace a worthy but slow 2-year old Fuji SLR digital camera.
I carried out lengthy investigations from both local retailers and the internet. The final choice was the Sony or a similar but more expensive Nikon. The Sony came out on top after a visit to a local camera store where I could handle both cameras.
Following this was a search for a decent deal and bought the camera with an additional lens with the savings I made. The Ebay seller provided a good service, as I hoped so no worries on that score.

Having used the camera now for a while I am totally convinced that the choice was right. Really there is little to criticise with the camera or lenses. It gives me versatility and the opportunity of expanding my photographic capabilities.

I am a very happy owner.

RELATIVELY EASY TO USE. TAKES PHOTOGRAPHY TO A DIFFERENT LEVEL FROM POINT AND SHOOT CAMERAS.IDEAL FOR A BEGINNER LIKE ME,BUT IT WOULD BE NICE IF THE MANUALS DID NOT ASSUME YOU HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE BEFORE YOU READ THEM.

My first DSLR. Easy to use. Loads of accessories available to make this camera a versatile, adaptable piece of kit. Shutter noise may put some people off, but if this is not an issue then I would recommend the A100, although Sony having read reviews on the A200 it seems they have reduced the shutter noise.

This camera was a replacement for my Panasonic Lumix FZ7 there is no comparison. The whole camera is vastly superior to the lumix. The zoom on the Sony is unbelievable, ok the interchangeable lens makes a big difference but unless you try you dont know, I would never have bought the items individually so would never have tried. Being able to take 3 shots a second is great for sporting events. The sony is easy to use, now its just about learning to use what lens and when. Overall I am very pleased with the camera.

The anti shake feature is a blessing. I take some photo's with a 210 zoom, and did not need to tripod it. The landing aircraft was crystal clear. I was going to buy the Cannon or Nikon variant, but this one came up at the right price, and the right time. I have no regrets whatsoever. The build quality is slightly plasticky, but that is being finicky. Apart from that, it has everything i need to take instant/clear 10.2MP pictures, at any given time. Even when it was -7 degrees, there was no time lag, at all. It comes with 2 manuals, one to get you started, and one to read after you have played about with it, and want to know more of it's features. I recomend using a CF memory card, as oppose to the sony memory stick duo adapter. Simply because it exchanges information much quicker, and you can buy a nice 4GB CF memory card, at a very reasonable price indeed. There are plenty of new sony lenses available, and the catalogue is getting bigger for them, also you can access any MINOLTA lens, from a huge back catalogue, and just plug in and play. Nice built in macro feature too, also with self cleaning sensor. In all, if you are thinking of upgrading to a DSLR camera! This is the one stop, user friendly option. With a lot of pro. features built in to its body. You will not be disappointed...

I have very creative children and they all wanted cameras for their respective birthdays this year. I decided to buy one a Nikon, one an Olympus and one a Sony. All have very good points.

The Sony user won a scholorship to go to a private art school where she majored in Photography. She told me that camera is everything she wanted and more. Coming from her that is praise indeed.

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Why did i buy the sony alpha 100 camera after looking at various makes and modles the sony felt right for me. I am a keen amateur and the range of control on the sony can be as easy or as hard as you want to push yourself.The site i bought the camrea from sold it with all the extra you could want which made the price extemly good compared with the prices on the high street.I am looking forward to getting out to take make the most of the camera

Excellent camera for a bottom of the range Price.
I've taken a handful of pictures with my sony alpha and the pictures it takes are phenomenal.
The only downside as with all dslr cameras is the price of new lenses ranging from about £80 to £5000.
But depending on how hardcore you are the standard lense is excellent.

This is an excellent 'value for money' for a mid range DSLR camera. I am impressed with the ease of use and superb picture quality. Auto focus is quicker than similar cameras in this price range.
The Sony Alpha DSLR-a100 Digital Camera has a 2.5in LCD screen, a clear-cut menu system with straightforward controls. The body has a comfortable feel in the hand whilst taking shots using the standard lens, although feels alittle out of balanced when using a zoom lens(lens heavy).
The Super SteadyShot facility is built into the Sony Alpha a100's camera's body and not in the lens as is the case with it's rival Nikon & Cannon counterpart cameras, which means the lens for the a100 are even better value for money.
The a100 also incorporates an anti-dust system, this is by means of a slight vibration shaking dust off the camera's CCD, activated each time the camera is turned off.
The first outing I had with the a100 was with my son & his friends when out 'paint balling', in very poor light, the resulting pictures using an 18-200mm lens without the use of flash, were very impressive considering the conditions.
All in all I fully recommend the Sony Alpha DSLR-a100 Digital Camera for the newcomer to DSLR photography, which will offer great results without having to trawl through mountains of technical jargon.

The A100 is a great camera for anyone considering taking their photography a little further. Any DSLR will offer the photographer far more options for creative shooting and this one offers more than most entry level cameras.

The A100 has recieved many brilliant reviews, including camera of the year 2006 so shouldn't be ignored in the usual nikon vs Canon arguments.
If you already own say a canon or nikon film SLR, then it is advised that you stick with your current brand so you can use those lenses you own on your new DSLR, but if you have no previous brand ties, the A100 is the camera to buy.

The stock lens isnt terrible (unlike the ones canon bundle with the 350/400) and is a decent option if you are on a budget, but if you can afford a little bit more its worth buying the body only and then buying a separate lens.

One plus point about Sony DSLR is they will happily take old Minolta AF lenses, which means theres alot of bargains to be found for eagle eyed ebayers, any new sony owner should look out for a Minolta AF 50mm f/1.7 and the legendary minolta 70-210mm 'beercan' lenses, costing around £50 and £100 each (respectively) they are much cheaper than buying new sony branded lenses and in some cases, give far better results. Any of the old Minolta auto focus (AF) lenses will fit the Sony, but look out for older manual focus (MF) ones that will not.

Dyxum is a great site for info about the lenses available for the Sony (and old Minolta) DSLRs.

*update may 08*
The A100 is now discontinued and has been replaced by the A200 model, a more streamlined but slightly less featured model, although not a bad camera by any means. Sony are marketing the A200 at a lower RRP than they did the A100, which not only means the A200 is more accessible to amateurs than the A100 was, it also makes the second hand price of the A100 even lower. The high ISO noise issues the A100 had (which were much exaggerated) have been smoothed out in the new A200 but I think overall, both models are still pretty much the same.

I bought the Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 Digital Camera because of its 35mm Minolta background. The camera feels the same and the controls are almosd identical to the minolta 600xi. My lenses, all Miolta are directly compatable with the new camera. So all the familiarity of a minolta 35mm SLR with all the benefits of 10 megapixil Digital SLR. Downside. Access to the USB port in the Camera is fiddleyand that's about it. A beautiful Camera

After having had an SLR 35 mm. camera previously, and then going through a few digital cameras with no more than 2.5 million pixels. I was very pleased with the quality of the digital pictures and the fact that I could transfer my lenses to this new SLR digital. However, I am somewhat disillusioned with the instruction details, as there seems to be a shortfall in the basic detail. Always referring to the "Read this first" volume, which was not in the kit. If you buy one therefore, this is the first item you should check is there.
The ease of downloading pictures by just removing the flash card and inserting into the PC is a boon. I would definitely recommend this product.

This is a great great camera for those who do not want to "follow the crowd" and purchase a Canon/Nikon DSLR.

Feature-wise it is exactly the same with each camera scoring higher in one area and less in the other (in a comparison test). The extra creativity that this camera offers (as opposed to a standard digital compact) is in the manual tweaks and settings you can employ to tailor make each picture.

I am still finding new areas and settings and would thoroughly recommend this camera to anybody, with my next purchase being a third party macro lens (Sigma/Tamron) to further specialise in my chosen field.

Received this as a 40th birthday gift, can't fault it. I have previously owned a Canon 300D, this not spots of it in both image quality and userbility.

very good spec, comfortable to hold, happy with camera and price .
only one complaint, case logic camera holster slrc2 was not in extras kit as advertised.

I have used a konica minolta bridge camera for the last two years,and found it to be a superb camera.The sony was the obvious choice for the move up to a DSLR.
I find it comfortable to hold and use,and menu user friendly.
I am very happy with the pictures i have taken to date.
I find the overall performance excellent.
Having had the camera for only a short time i will have more comments to make at a later date.

The Sony a100 is an excellent camera with extensive features and it produces superb quality photographs. It is an absolute must have for amateur photographers who possess that essential quality of having the eye for a subject. The instructions are comprehensive and easy to follow and the manufacture quality of the camera and accessories are superb. The camera feels sturdy and it's aerodynamic design makes it easy on the eye. This is a much respected innovative breakthrough camera in DSLR development and it is held in high esteem by the critics. Sony have produced a camera which competes at the high echelons of digital photograpy with Nikon, Canon and all the big hitters. I spend days at work longing to get home and experiment further with this amazing piece of kit. Shop around for a competitive price and I would recommend investing in a 75-300mm lens to really get the most out of your camera.

had visions of enjoying this product as i was getting a top of the range camera for nearly half price but unfortunately the whole deal went wrong.i paid 399.00 pounds for it and the seller decided to post it to a different address provided to him/her by paypal or ebay so as you can see this is not a review of the item but a review of what is happening and how it can all go wrong.(just another side of things that is not publicised too often.)
ps i never got the camera or me money back

this is an amazing camera would definitely recommend to anyone interested in buying one, it takes amazing quality pictures and it's nice and easy to use with it having the two dials at the top, saves you looking through thousands off buttons on the menu. if you get the chance get this camera, you wont regret it!!!

The Sony Alpha is a great camera with the ability to be as simple or as complicated as you like. Let me explain. Set it to 'Auto' and it functions as a high level 'point-and-shoot'. Set it to 'Manual' and you have full control over everything. If, like me, your eye-sight is not what it once was, then the 'auto focus' function is a blessing - but it takes a bit of getting used to as it has its own little quirks! But stick with it as the results, once mastered, are well worth the effort.
As well as a few prime lenses from Sony, the whole range of Konica Minolta lenses as well as several independents are at your disposal. this means that there are good lenses freely available, at reasonable prices, on the second hand market. Choose wisely and you can build a good range of lenses quite cheaply and enhance your photographic output accordingly.
I have used several different digital cameras and this has quickly become my personal favourite. The images I am getting are extremely sharp, and the ability to shoot in RAW and Jpeg is an asset which I appreciate more and more each time I use it.
All round, this is a camera which could take a novice photographer and with patience help turn them into an experienced amateur who could well go on to higher things.
I have started to sell some of the images I have taken with my Sony Alpha and I do not consider myself to be in any way a professional.
This is one camera I expect to be using for many years.

Excellent pictures, easy to use, anti shake is brilliant. No problems
Decided to buy because i hoped that all of the above factors would be covered.
I have no complaints.