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.
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?
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Sony Alpha a100 specifications
Score
Score in detail
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Features 95
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Image Quality 85
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Design 85
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Performance 85
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Value 85