Sony Alpha A100
Review Date : Tue, 1 Aug 2006
Author : Jamie Harrison
The 10-megapixel Alpha 100 is Sony's first digital SLR since the acquisition of Konica Minolta and features in-camera, CCD-based image stabilisation and compatibility with Konica Minolta lenses.
| Pros: | Image stabilisation, promising range of lenses, pleasant images, good LCD, good image noise control, high resolution, button placements |
|---|---|
| Cons: | Shutter noise, slight oversaturation of images, no histogram, extended dynamic range less effective than hoped, average build quality |
In February 2006, Konica Minolta announced the closure of its camera division, with the company's production facilities being bought up by Sony, along with much of the workforce. This wasn't a total surprise as Sony and Konica Minolta had already been talking about launching a DSLR, and the Alpha was already in development.
When Sony launched the Alpha system it also announced that it was to launch a range of 20 lenses during the year. The electronics giant also made a marketing statement of intent: Sony wanted 10% of the market in the first year, followed by the number-two position, before challenging Canon for the top spot in year three. Eveoin though that always sounded ambitious, just look at how Sony managed to capture the games market, displacing both Sega and Nintendo with its PlayStation brand.
Sony is a big player, with huge resources and a trusted brand name. It now also has Konica Minolta’s expertise and has added the respected Carl Zeiss brand to the name. Zeiss is one of the oldest German optical manufacturers, and has already worked with Sony designing the lenses for its Cyber-shot range of compacts.
It's abundantly clear that Sony has a well-thought out and ambitious strategy, but does it have the product to match?
Verdict
It’s always exciting to see the very first camera from a new (to this market) company. Sony’s reputation in consumer electronics whipped up a lot of hype in this camera, some of which is deserved, but generally overblown. Yes, this is a lovely camera, and boasts more pixels per pound than anyone else. That will change by the end of 2008 though, and the same chip in another model may be more interesting. Sony has played it a little too safe by essentially relaunching the Dynax 5D with a new chip and some extra features. Maybe when it has time to stamp its own design ethos onto SLRs we’ll see something more impressive. A good start with more than reasonable results, though. <br><br> <a href="http://www.sony.co.uk" target="_blank">www.sony.co.uk</a>
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