Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 Specifications

Price	• Body only (DSLR-A100): $899 • Kit inc. 18-70 lens (DSLR-A100K): $999
Body material	Plastic
Sensor	• 23.6 x 15.8 mm CCD sensor • RGB Color Filter Array • Interline interlaced CCD • Built-in fixed low-pass filter • 10.8 million total pixels • 10.2 million effective pixels  • 12-bit ADC
Image sizes	• 3872 x 2592 (L)  • 2896 x 1936 (M)  • 1920 x 1280 (S)
File qualities / formats	• RAW (12-bit,.ARW format, approx. 9.1 MB per image)  • RAW + JPEG Fine • JPEG Fine  • JPEG Standard
Dust reduction	• Static-resistant anti-dust coating • CCD-shift dust reduction mechanism
Lenses	• Sony Alpha lenses (also compatible with Minolta A-type bayonet mount lenses)
FOV crop	1.5x
Super SteadyShot	• CCD-Shift 'Super SteadyShot' system • Five level LED shake indicator in viewfinder • Anti-shake effect: Equivalent to 2 – 3.5 steps in shutter speed
Auto Focus	• TTL CCD line sensors (9-points, 8 lines with center cross-hair sensor)  • EV -1 to 18 (ISO 100) detection range • Predictive focus control for moving subjects • Auto-tracking focus point display
AF area selection	• Wide AF area • Spot AF area (center)  • Focus area selection (any of 9)
Focus modes	• Single-shot AF  • Direct Manual Focus  • Continuous AF  • Automatic AF • Manual focus
AF assist illuminator	• Via internal flash, must be raised • 1.0 - 5.0 m range
Eye-start AF	Yes, selectable from menu
Shooting modes	• Auto  • Programmed AE (with shift)  • Aperture priority AE • Shutter priority AE • Manual • Scene modes (below)
Scene modes	• Portrait • Landscape • Macro • Sports • Sunset  • Night portrait
Sensitivity	• Auto (100 - 800)  • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600 • Lo80 (ISO 80, Low key)  • Hi200 (ISO 200, High key)
Metering modes	• Multi-segment (40 segment Honeycomb pattern) • Center-weighted • Spot
Metering range	• EV 1 to 20 (Multi-segment / Center-weighted)  • EV 4 to 20 (Spot metering) (at ISO 100 with F1.4 lens)
AE Lock	• AEL button • Half-press shutter release
AE Bracketing	• 3 frames • 0.3 or 0.7 EV steps
Exposure compen.	• -2.0 to +2.0 EV • 0.3 EV steps
Shutter	Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane Shutter
Shutter Speed	• 30 to 1/4000 sec • Bulb
Flash X-sync	• 1/160 sec • 1/125 sec (with Super SteadyShot on)
Aperture values	Depends on lens, 0.3 EV steps
DOF preview	Yes, dedicated button
White balance	• Auto • Daylight • Shade • Cloudy • Tungsten • Fluorescent • Flash  • Color temperature (2500 - 9900 K) • Manual (Custom)
White balance fine tuning	• Auto (none) • Preset WB: -3 to +3  • Fluorescent WB: -2 to +4  • Color temperature WB: -9 to +9 (Magenta to Green)
White balance bracketing	• 3 frames • Hi or Lo steps
Dynamic range optimizer	• Off • Standard • Advanced
Color space	• sRGB • Adobe RGB
Color modes	• Standard  • Vivid • Portrait • Landscape • Sunset • Night view • B&W • Adobe RGB
Image parameters	• Contrast (-2 to +2) • Saturation (-2 to +2) • Sharpness (-2 to +2) (Available in all color modes)
Noise reduction	• Long exposure for exposures longer than 1 second  • User controllable: On / Off
Viewfinder	• Eye-level fixed pentamirror  • Spherical Acute Matte focusing screen (not changeable)  • Magnification approx. x0.83 • 95% frame coverage • Diotric adjustment (-2.5 to +1.0)  • Eye-relief 20 mm from eyepiece, 16 mm from frame  • Eyepiece cup removable • Viewfinder info bar
LCD monitor	• 2.5" TFT LCD ('Clear Photo LCD Plus')  • 230,000 pixels • Anti-reflective coating • Auto dimmed by viewfinder eye sensor
Flash	• Built-in pop-up flash (manual release)  • Metering: ADI, Pre-flash TTL, Manual flash control • Guide number 12 (ISO 100/m) • Angle of coverage 24 mm (35 mm equiv.)  • Flash sync 1/160 sec, 1/125 sec (SteadyShot on)
Flash modes	• Auto • Fill Flash • Red-eye Reduction (pre-flash) • Wireless/Remote Off-camera Flash • Rear Flash Sync. • High Speed Sync. • Slow Sync with AE Lock
Flash compensation	-2.0 to +2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps
External flash (optional)	• Sony HVL-F56M (guide no. 56) • Sony HVL-F36M (guide no. 36) • Macro Twin Flash Kit HVL-MT24AM
Drive modes	• Single-frame • Continuous • Self-timer (10 or 2 sec)  • Continuous bracket • Single-frame bracket • White balance bracket
Continuous shooting	• RAW: 3 fps, up to 6 frames • RAW+JPEG: 3 fps, up to 3 frames • JPEG: 3fps, unlimited
Self-timer	• 10 sec • 2 sec
Orientation sensor	Yes, for shooting, playback and control panel display
Connectivity	• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (mass storage or PTP)  • Video out (NTSC or PAL)  • DC-IN • Remote terminal
Video out	Selectable NTSC or PAL
Storage	• Compact Flash Type I/II • Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo via CF adapter • Supports FAT16 / FAT32
Power	• NP-FM55H Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery (1600 mAh)  • Battery charger included • Optional AC adapter
Vertical grip	Not available
Dimensions	133 x 95 x 71 mm (5.2 x 3.7 x 2.8 in)
Weight (body)	• No battery: 545 g (1.2 lb) • With battery: 638 g (1.4 lb)

Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 Review

Review based on a production DSLR-A100

In July 2005 Konica Minolta and Sony made an announcement that they were to jointly develop digital SLR cameras. This agreement hinted at shared technology between the two companies such as auto focus, metering and Anti-Shake coming from Konica Minolta and sensors, electronics and batteries from Sony. Some six months later Konica Minolta dropped a bomb on the camera market by announcing that they were withdrawing from the camera business and had transferred certain camera assets including the Maxxum/Dynax lens mount and related SLR technologies to Sony.

Almost a year on since that first announcement we have the new Sony Alpha DSLR-A100, a compact, ten megapixel (CCD) digital SLR with a (Konica) Minolta lens mount, Anti-Shake (now Super SteadyShot) and a definite cross-breed appearance. It's fair to say that while this camera may share some components with previous Konica Minolta digital SLR's Sony's involvement has brought external styling, build quality and finish up to a higher standard. The lens mount is to be called the 'Alpha mount' and Sony has announced no less than 19 lenses which will carry the Sony Alpha branding (although many are based on existing Minolta lenses).

Key features and technologies

Sony Alpha lens mount

Identical to the Minolta A-type bayonet mount, enabling the use of a large back catalogue of existing Minolta and third party lenses as well as avoiding the development of a whole new system. Interestingly only four of the new lenses introduced are designed for an APS imaging circle. 10 megapixel APS-C CCD
Interestingly Sony has gone for CCD rather than CMOS with this camera, so it's not the same sensor as used in the DSC-R1. We've no official confirmation but it seems likely that this is the same 23.6 x 15.8 mm CCD used in the Nikon D200.



Anti-Blur

Sony has renamed Minolta's CCD shift Anti-Shake system as 'Super SteadyShot', but the principal is the same

. However we have it on good authority that Sony's engineers have made some significant improvements to the system and now claim shutter speeds 3.5 stops slower can be used with Super SteadyShot enabled. The second part of the Anti-Blur story is the availability of high sensitivities of up to ISO 1600.

Anti-Dust

The 'dust' issue has been around since the beginning of digital SLR photography and it affects different cameras to different degrees. Olympus took the advantage with their SSWF filter, Sony appear to be keen to capitalize on this. Firstly a special anti-static coating (Indium Tin Oxide) on the low-pass filter in front of the CCD ensures no build up of dust due to static electricity. Secondly an 'Anti-Dust vibration' using the cameras CCD shift system, but instead of introducing a delay at startup this occurs at power off.




Bionz Image Processor

Canon can be thanked for the trend of branding the image processor used in the camera, Sony clearly realize the value of this but unfortunately haven't exactly picked a very dynamic name. Their new 'Bionz' image processor is said to be a significant improvement over anything used in previous KM digital SLR's, it also enables one of the A100's unique features; Dynamic Range Optimization. Sony claim this will be the fastest such system as it is designed in at a hardware level.

Eye Start AF

Eye Start AF isn't anything new to previous Minolta SLR owners but Sony are obviously keen to continue its use. On the A100 Eye Start AF does exactly what it says, when the sensor detects the proximity of your eye to the eyepiece it begins to auto focus and remains in 'continuous' auto focus until the shutter release is half-pressed or you put the camera down. In reality this means that the camera is likely to have an approximate focus on the subject before shutter release.




Continuous shooting until media full
We have seen this on a couple of other digital SLRs but the A100 allows you to shoot continuously at three frames per second at any image quality setting (apart from RAW) until the storage card is full (with a reasonably good performance Compact Flash card).

40 segment honeycomb pattern metering
The Konica Minolta 7D and 5D both featured 14 segment honeycomb pattern metering sensors, the A100 advances this with its 40 segment sensor.



2.5" 230,000 pixel 'Clear Photo LCD Plus' monitor
The large high resolution LCD monitor appears to provide a very good image and has good viewing angles (better from above, left and right than from below).

Lithium-Ion battery

The A100 takes a new NP-FM55H battery which while not carrying the InfoLithium name is apparently compatible with any other Sony DSC which used the NP-FM50, however the A100 doesn't have the InfoLithium readout. You can't use standard NP-FM50 batteries in the A100.

Main Review Sony Alpha

 

 

Sony Alpha, stylized as Sony α (Greek letter alpha), is a digital SLR camera system introduced on 5 June 2006.

It utilizes and expands upon Konica Minolta camera technologies, including the Minolta AF SLR lens mount, whose assets were acquired by Sony after the end of Konica-Minolta's photography operations in early 2006. Sony also has an 11.08% ownership stake in Japanese lens manufacturer Tamron,[2] which is known to have partnered with Konica Minolta and Sony in the design and manufacture of many zoom lenses.


Prior to the acquisition by Sony, the α branding had already been used on the Japanese market by Minolta for their AF camera system (marketed as "Dynax" in Europe, and "Maxxum" in North America.) Sony adopted the name "A-mount system" for the Minolta AF lens mount which has been retained in their new SLR range.[3]
Sony's entry into the DSLR market dates back to July 2005 where a joint venture with Konica Minolta would have resulted in both companies marketing an updated line of DSLRs to the masses. [4] Between 2006 and 2008 Sony was the fastest growing company on the DSLR market, reaching 13% market share in 2008 to become the third largest DSLR company in the world.[5] In August 2011, Sony confirmed that it is working on the production of full-frame Alpha cameras. [6] In May 2010, Sony introduced two Alpha NEX mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras equipped with proprietary Sony E-mount

Camera bodies

List of Sony Alpha cameras


Sony Alpha 900 with Carl Zeiss 135mm f/1.8


Sony Alpha 55 with Sony 1680Z (Carl Zeiss)


Sony Alpha 390 with 18-55 lens

The Sony Alpha model system works on the principle that the next model up in the series has additional features to the one below e.g. the α330 has the features of the base model α230 but with a tilt-angle LCD and Quick AF Live View; whilst the α380 has the settings and features of the α330 but increased resolution of 14.2 megapixels.
All Sony APS-C DSLRs have Live View, except for the Sony α100, α200 and α700 series. Live View mode features a 1.4x or 2x Smart Teleconverter which digitally zooms in on the subject and reproduces pixels on a 1:1 basis, preventing degradation of picture quality.

The designation "SLT" stands for "Single Lens Translucent" (a misnomer) which refers to a fixed beam splitter in the image path. Sony SLT can shoot movie files at Full HD 1080p AVCHD with continuous phase detection auto focus.[9]
Along with the α33 and α55 cameras, Sony also announced the Sony α560 which can also shoot movie files at full HD stereo 1080p AVCHD, but with limited manual controls and no continuous AF.

Sony α33, α55 and α560 use the same technology Sony EXMOR APS HD CMOS sensor. The α33 and α55 are SLT based (fixed translucent mirrors) and can take movie files with continuous Auto Focus, whereas DSLRs using reflex mirrors typically cannot, at least not without limitations.

Lenses and tele-converters

The α lens mount, originally known as the A-type bayonet mount was introduced by Minolta in 1985 as the world's first autofocus system. As a result, virtually all Minolta AF lenses are supported on Sony DSLRs, and many Sony lenses work on Minolta's film and digital SLRs.

During the initial introduction of the α system in 2006, Sony announced 19 lenses and 2 tele-converters, of which the majority are rebranded Konica Minolta lenses. MSRP and month of introduction are included for these lenses, below.

At the 2007 PMA Trade Show, Sony unveiled several new lenses, but has referred to them only in qualitative terms, not providing specific specifications. As a result, these newly announced lenses are not included in this list.

On 18 May 2009 Sony introduced the first A-mount lenses to feature their new SAM

(Smooth Auto-focus Motor) in-lens auto-focus motor for more lens-specific AF Speed improvements

. This introduction was made with the new X+30 series camera bodies (α350 + 30 = α380). These new bodies retain an in-body focus motor for backward compatibility with the historic lens collection. In addition, the new bodies utilize HDMI output for display on HDTV sets and feature dual memory card slots for both Sony's proprietary Memory Stick Pro Duo chips as well as SDHC media format, while eliminating CompactFlash support.


Designations

DT "Digital Technology", lenses for cameras with APS-C or Super-35mm size sensors, only. Cannot reasonably be used on 24x36mm full-frame cameras.
G "Gold" series, Sony's line-up of high-grade lenses.
ZA "Zeiss Alpha", manufactured and designed lenses by Carl Zeiss specifically made for Sony Alpha cameras.
SSM "SuperSonic Motor", silent in-lens ultrasonic motor used on some lenses. Can be used with manual focusing on cameras without SSM support (Minolta film bodies released before 2000).
SAM "Smooth Autofocus Motor", cheap in-lens motor offered on some entry level lenses since 2009. Supported by all cameras which also support SSM lenses. Can be used with manual focusing on cameras without SSM support (Minolta film bodies released before 2000).

Lenses

Main article: List of Sony A-mount lenses
Sony produces a variety of A-mount lenses, largely carried over from the Minolta models.


Other accessories

[edit]Flash system
Main article: iISO flash shoe


iISO flash shoe used on Alpha DSLR

The hot shoe on Sony DSLR/SLT and some NEX (carried over from Minolta's Maxxum/Dynax/Alpha and its bridge digital DiMAGE A1/A2/A200 series) is not of the same design used by most other camera and accessory manufacturers. Adaptors, however, are available.

The first two flash models released by Sony (HVL-F36AM and HVL-F56AM) are, like the first generation of lenses, rebadged models of the Minolta Program Flash 3600HS(D) and the Minolta Program Flash 5600HS(D). Later on Sony expanded its flash system further, allowing advanced wireless flash control, including grouping of external flashes into groups with full ratio control.

The HVL-RLAM is a ring-shaped LED continuous light, adapted for macro photos of static objects. The Sony flash system does not include a ring flash.

Model VX code Guide number [m] ISO Comments
HVL-F20AM 20 100
HVL-F36AM 36 100 identical to Minolta Program Flash 3600HS(D)
HVL-F42AM VX9039 42 100
HVL-F43AM 43 100
HVL-F56AM VX8950 56 100 identical to Minolta Program Flash 5600HS(D)
HVL-F58AM VX9010 58 100
HVL-MT24AM 24 100 Macro twin flash similar to Minolta Macro Twin Flash T-2400 with Minolta Macro Flash Controller MFC-1000, but lacking the jack for the Minolta Macro Ring Flash R-1200/1200AF
HVL-RLAM LED ring light, not a flash
HVL-LE1 LED video light, not a flash