Sony alpha DSLR-A100 Digital Camera Review

by Patrick Singleton
Published on November 29, 2006

Navigation
Intro	Testing / Performance
Physical Tour	Components
Design / Layout	Modes
Control Options	Image Parameters
Connectivity / Extras	Overall Impressions
Conclusion	Specs / Ratings

The RAW software packaged with the Sony alpha A100, Image Data Converter SR, allows white balance, sharpness, noise reduction and tonal adjustments. It's slow on our test machine, but we found that it produces good results. The A100 ships with Image Motion Browser, a simple viewing and organization package.

 

The Sony alpha A100 has all the standard ports, but some of them are in weird spots. The remote control jack is on the back of the camera. We didn't get to test one, but we expect that a remote control cable jutting out of the back of the camera would get in the way when the user is framing a shot, especially if the user is left-eyed. The video and USB interface is inside the media slot compartment, so the media door has to stay open while the camera is connected to a computer, printer or television. That's terrible – leaving the door open will allow dust into the camera, and vastly increases the likelihood of the door breaking. The external power jack is under a rubber flap on the left side of the camera. The flap looks durable, and seals the port well against dust.

 

The A100 has Sony's nonstandard flash shoe, which is too bad. Though relatively few users would want to use a non-dedicated flash with the A100, Sony's shoe is not as solid as the standard one, and the connector aces users out of the radio-remote control for studio flashes.

Direct Print Options (8.5)

The Sony α (alpha) A100 supports PictBridge printers, which can be connected directly to the camera's USB port, and DPOF printing, which saves a printing job on the camera's removable media. The A100 prints index prints on compatible printers, and can be set to make multiple copies of images, make borderless prints, set the image size, or print multiple copies of an image on a single page. It can print the image file name and the date. It's an extensive range of printing options, but it does not include image editing, a feature that's becoming more common on entry-level DSLRs.

 

Battery (7.75)

The Sony A100 takes a 7.2 volt, 1600 mAh lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion is the preferred technology for camera batteries because it is light and compact relative to the amount of power it stores. It is also rechargeable, so users don’t have to run to the convenience store for new batteries every few days. As we performed our image quality and other tests, the A100's charge lasted very well.

Memory (3.0)

The Sony alpha A100 has a CompactFlash slot, but comes with an adapter for Sony's Memory Stick Duo media. CompactFlash is durable, fast, relatively cheap, and ubiquitous. It's the preferred choice for DSLRs even though it is larger than other memory cards. Users who already own a Memory Stick Duo might find the adapter useful, but others should buy CompactFlash, and leave the adapter in the box.

Other Features (9.0)

Dust Control – The Sony alpha A100 fights dust on the image sensor in three ways: the sensor is coated with an antistatic surface, the sensor shakes similarly to the Olympus Evolt’s dust reduction system, and the camera has a cleaning mode.

 

Vertical Display – Konica-Minolta introduced the LCD display that switches shooting data to a vertical format when the camera is held vertically, and Sony kept that tradition up in the A100. This is very convenient.

 

In-camera Stabilization – The A100 carries on Konica-Minolta's in-camera stabilization system, which means that image stabilization is available with every lens that fits the camera. Stabilization adds hundreds of dollars to the price of competitors' lenses, so that's an exciting advantage.