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DCRP Review: Sony Alpha DSLR-A100

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As is the case with most D-SLRs, there are two "kits" available for the A100: one with a lens, and one without. Here's what's in each: * The 10.2 effective Megapixel Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 camera body * F3.5 - F5.6, 18-70mm Sony... See more » As is the case with most D-SLRs, there are two "kits" available for the A100: one with a lens, and one without. Here's what's in each: * The 10.2 effective Megapixel Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 camera body * F3.5 - F5.6, 18-70mm Sony zoom lens [lens kit only] * NP-FM55H lithium-ion battery * Battery charger * Memory Stick Duo CompactFlash adapter * Body cap * Accessory shoe cap * Neck strap * USB cable * Video cable * CD-ROM featuring software and drivers * Fold-out Read This First guide + 158 page manual As is the case with all digital SLRs, no memory card is included, so you'll need to buy one of those before you can start taking pictures. The A100 uses CompactFlash cards (including the Microdrive), and I'd suggest a 1GB card as a good starter size. A high speed card is always a good idea when you're using a digital SLR. If you've got some Memory Stick Duo cards laying around then you can use those too. Not because there's an MS Duo slot in the camera, though. Instead you can use the bundled adapter which puts your MS Duo card into a CompactFlash card, which then goes into the camera. One change from the two Minolta D-SLRs is in the battery department. Not surprisingly, Sony wants you to buy their batteries, so that's what you'll use in the A100. The included battery is known as the NP-FM55H, which packs a whopping 11.5 Wh into its plastic shell. That translates into 750 shots per charge (per the CIPA standard), which is pretty good for a D-SLR (and noticeably better than the 5D and 7D). Unfortunately, most camera manufacturers don't release battery life information for their D-SLRs, so it's nearly impossible to compare battery life. The usual negatives about proprietary batteries apply here. For one, they're expensive -- an extra FM55 battery will set you back a whopping $55. Secondly, if you ever run out of juice, you can't just pop in regular batteries like you can on a AA-based camera. There are just a small handful of D-SLRs that let you use AA batteries, and most of those require a special adapter to do so. It's worth mentioning that the A100 doesn't give you a minute-by-minute countdown of battery life like most of Sony's fixed-lens cameras. When it's time to recharge the battery, just pop it into the included external charger. It takes about 175 minutes for a normal charge, and 235 minutes for a full charge. This isn't one of those handy "plug it right into the wall" chargers -- you must use a power cable. Much to my dismay, Sony will not be offering a battery grip for the A100. Okay, now let's talk about accessories, starting with lenses. If a lens worked on the Maxxum 5D or 7D then it'll work here too. If you have an older Minolta lens then you'll want to check with Sony support to see if it works. Sony will be offering 19 lenses with the A100 initially, including three with the Carl Zeiss label. If there's a type of lens you want, it probably exists. And, since the A100 has CCD-based image stabilization, there's no need to buy special lenses to get this useful feature. Next up are flashes. Like the Maxxum cameras, the hot shoe on the A100 is proprietary, so you can't just attach any old external flash. Sony will be offering two flashes, the HVL-F36AM ($250) and the HVL-F56AM ($350), and I assume that other Minolta flashes will work too. There is also an off-shoe adapter which uses a proprietary flash sync cable. Other accessories include a wired remote ($53), an angle finder and various viewfinder add-ons, an external dual battery charger / AC adapter (for a whopping $130), and the ubiquitous camera cases. See less »

Tags:

alpha, camera, digital, lens, photography, pictures, sony

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From the list : drfred's Wish List by drfred

With the 18-300 Lens and the Flash

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DCRP Review: Sony Alpha DSLR-A100

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