Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony DSLR-A200K 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera + Zoom Lens Kit (18-70 mm F3.5-5.6)

Firstly - its a Sony, so it is well made and well documented. I also have a Nikon D40X which is much lighter and a don't think so solidly made. The A200 is well laid out and easy to use with a large screen to view and change settings. It produces excellent results both in auto and user set up. Only down side the focus is slightly noisey, 9 sensors against 3, but very accurate and the shutter is a little louder than the Nikon. Overall I am very pleased with the results.

Sony DSLR-A200K Digital SLR Camera + Zoom Lens Kit (18-70mm F3.5-5.6)

I have been taking pictures for over 40 years and my favourite camera was my Olympus OM1n. I bought a Canon superzoom which broke and replaced it with a tiny Olympus which is great but has no viewfinder. I can't compose a picture easily using a small TV screen which can't be seen in the sun. Then it goes black while the picture is taken making moving subjects very hit and miss. "Most" people love the screen but then "most" people used to ask the chemist to put the film in their camera!
I had wondered what happened to that fine company Minolta - they were bought by Sony. This camera is the cheapest and simplest DSLR in the Sony range. It has an SLR viewfinder and a mirror and as many features as I need. It is a bit bulky compared with the OM 1 but is easy to hold. It has a large LCD screen for viewing/editing and for giving information. It has some useful modes and some I don't use. It even has a non flash mode - great for someone like me who is irritated when people take flash pictures of sunsets etc. It can be auto or aperture or shutter priority or fully manual; focusing is a cinch with any of the modes - auto and manual. I haven't found it so bad in low light but I can use manual if I do. It can take about 3 shots per second - much faster than my hand cranked OM 1. It has a very wide to portrait Zoom as standard and I topped it off with an auto focus Minolta 70mm-210mm tele zoom bought cheap secondhand. There is a proper written on paper manual.
Best of all it has anti shake in the body - not like Canon and Nikon. I always liked taking pictures in available light and this is a big help.
I don't want lots of electronic features/exposure modes and so on. No doubt I will only use the default settings for colour balance etc. I want sensible choices of focusing, speed, aperture and ASA so I can get to know my preferred options. They will hopefully become second nature to the task of taking pictures. I don't want a plethora of settings, gadgets and gizmos which I can't remember how to work without a CD manual. I accept I am a 'less is more' kind of chap and expect anything electronic to have far more facilities that can ever be truly mastered but I am impressed and pleased with this camera. I can use it as a point and shoot with various programs for action, portraits etc, or like a traditional film SLR with manual or semi manual controls, or when I have mastered it I can shoot RAW and photoshop pictures to improve them.
In general I take cameras as they come and work around inconveniences - they are part of its character. Nevertheless I found this one easy to get along with. If I have a criticism it is that I can't quite see the viewfinder data with my glasses on - but that is true of almost all cameras I ever used.
So I think this is a great camera to allow me to adapt to digital photography. Lots of other people agree with me judging by the other reviews. Get one before it is discontinued.
Latest update is that I bought a better lens and then bought an A700. The A200 is still doing sterling service though.

Just got this camera and have to say am really impressed with it so far, It is definitely a step up from my previous camera a dsc v1 by sony, so far have only shot about 150 pictures with it all in RAW format only to allow for working in photoshop easier.

The battery life is very good after one charge and 150 pictures it is still on 66% charge and this includes all the playing around with the camera i have been doing.

I can really comment on the quality of the photos as i have only just started to get the hang of it but they do look very good quality.

I also have a tamron 70 300 lens with it which seems ok and certainly allows me to take some long distance pictures.

The last item i got with the camera is two 4gb sandisk ultra 3 cards which each hold around 250 raw files on them or about 190 raw and jpeg pictures on each one.

I would highly recomend this as a first DSLR.

Nick

A fantastic DSLR with plenty of features and capability for the incredible price. Arrived quickly thanks to amazons brilliant service, and after fully charging the battery the camera was away.

One thing to note is that it is larger than it's Nikon and Canon competitors, but the camera is very comfortable to hold and weight is not really an issue with the kit lens provided.

That's one of it's negatives though. The kit lens- though sporting a larger zoom range than it's competitor's, it doesn't do the lovely 10 MP sensor any justice. That said, I am being really pernickety.

Overall it is a lovely camera, looks good and is available at such an amazing price on amazon. Go for it!

I've never been that great with photography (having only ever owned one camera before) and after giving my old, but barely used, Fuji FinePix S7000 Digital Camera to a friend I decided to jump up to an entry-level DSLR to see what the fuss was about.

Having scoured reviews on Amazon (and other sites) of the A200 and its Canon and Nikon rivals, I decided to plump for the Sony...and I've been pleasantly surprised in the four months I've owned it. There are many in-depth reviews online, so I won't go into too much depth - but here are my thoughts:

Main Positives:
- Battery life is great (and the InfoLITHIUM on-screen battery life info is very useful)
- It's really easy to use - I took 700 pictures on the first night I had the camera!
- Despite the plastic body it seems sturdy and has taken a few minor knocks and soldiered on
- In-built image stabilisation is in the camera body and works for all lenses
- The A200 is compatible with older A-type Konica/Minolta lenses...

Main Negatives:
- No live-view on the LCD (you have to look through the viewfinder)
- The kit lens is a bit weak (especially in low light) - I recommend buying a good quality, all-purpose lens (18-200mm) for maximum flexibility if you want to travel light
- Lots of noise at ISO3200

Extras?
I bought the VGB30AM Vertical Control Grip and NPFM500H Rechargeable Battery Pack, before I found out that the single battery in the camera was good for upwards of 500 shots (with flash!) per charge. However, buying these two accessories has proven to be a boon: The vertical grip allows you to shoot portrait shots without contorting your hands/wrists (it provides an extra set of controls) and the extra battery life is also appreciated - although the additional weight may not suit everyone.

I also bought a SanDisk Extreme III 8GB CompactFlash Card, to provide the maximum amount of storage when I start shooting RAW, rather than JPEG images.

So far I'm really pleased with the shots I'm getting, but I'm planning on getting a standard 50mm lens and a good flash gun to round off the package. Oh, and a few books on photography!