Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony Alpha A200 Digital SLR Camera (18-70mm Lens Kit)

From just one DSLR a couple of years ago, Sony have gone to five with two more on the horizon (march 2008). Sony are obviously ultra serious about this market...the lens range has also expanded hugely...so Sony is close now to having a full system in place

This is a great camera, and it is better in most ways than the A100 (which I also loved, but this IS better), This cam is a direct competitor for the Nikon D60, if you have no reason to go with Nikon or Canon (ie you have no lenses), then this is a very tempting offering...all DSLR cameras from the big boys are good these days, but this one is just such good value and the killer selling point is the on body stabilization (super steady shot)...seriously, its brilliant

Noteable points are...very easy P&S use in auto mode, which gives great white balance, excellent metering (much better IMO than the Nikon D80/D40 which tend towards overexposure if you dont constantly monitor the compensation), fast accurate focus (considerably better than the A100), nice colours in Auto, decent 18-70 kit lens....most kit lenses are fairly poor in my experience, but this one has a bit more range than an 18-55 and has been in production since the Minolta days...its OK)

I cant really think of anything bad to say about it really....just make sure you dont need/want live view, as there is a clever live view version of this camera (the A300)and a 14MP version with live view (the A350)about to be released, both will be considerably more expensive though
Assuming then that you are sure you want a DSLR and not a fixed lens camera (no lenses to buy) then just one last word of advice, if you are tempted by live view...still think about buying this model , and with the money you save, put it towads a lens...the kit lens is good, but I have a Sony 18-250 superzoom lens (over 14x optical in a compact package)...and the beautiful Zeiss 16-80 wide zoom, it was expensive, but wow, its so sharp, and you can always upgrade the body later when the live view models have fallen in price
I totally recommend this camera...no reservations

You will read many things about the A200 in various online reviews and may even think this camera is slightly sub standard in some respects (no live view, strange button positions, noisy focus, loud shutter click etc.). Well, what I would say as a beginner in DSLR and having nothing to compare it with, it has simply blown me away. You can pick as many holes as you like, even in top quality equipment costing thousands, so don't read too much into the reviews and accept that this is an entry level model at an entry level price made by a company that knows a thing or two about technology and risking their reputation if they sell you short in a market they want to capture. And don't forget, you can always upgrade to a better body later if you want to get serious but personally I'm totally content with what I have and not disappointed in any way - despite my initial reservations.

So just a little bit of feedback from a user to someone wondering whether to shell out; SteadyShot works a treat and has taken excellent photos when I know the camera wasnt steady and the light was poor - and will also save you a lot of dosh on lenses. Given an hour of practice the buttons and menus will become very familiar and easy to access, so much so that you may even enjoy using them. The 2.7" LCD is perfect size with all the information you need at a glance, plus menus that rotate with the camera, nice touch. If you're used to a compact the built in auto flash will probably surprise you by its wide range. The focussing speed is virtually instantaneous and the wide / spot focus system does exactly what it says - and spot will focus through closely spaced tree branches to something behind. You'll even see the part of the focus area light in red on the part of the subject which the camera has focussed on. The 18 - 70 does what it says on the box with a universal range that will suit the majority of requirements, its sharp and no readily apparent distortion. Battery life and a staggering 990 images at fine resolution onto a 4GB SanDisk Extreme III CF is not to be sneezed at either. And although it may be made of plastic and some people may express their dislike, it looks good, feels good and has the Sony name on it which is an extra bonus. It certainly does not look or feel cheap.

Two other points to mention, I read some very good reviews on the Tamron 70 - 300mm lens (with macro) which I bought instead of the Sony telephoto at a similar price and found to be excellent, and you'll need a CF card cos there isnt one with the kit. Fortunately I knew before I bought the camera so I wasnt disappointed when it arrived and couldn't play with it.

All in all the dogs... the best bit of kit I've bought in years and unlike other technology that always seems to fall short of expectations after you've purchased it, this kit just seems to get better and better the more I use it. Total respect!

I have owned many DSLR's over the past couple of years including an A100, D200, 30D, 400D, D80, D50, the list goes on. Out of all of them, the A200 (to me) is the best (if you don't need the weatherproofed build of the D200 that is) - Everything about this camera is superb - DSLR's are a matter of taste, nowadays there is little to choose from in photo quality from this £400 camera to say the Canon 5D (full frame I know but the actual output is very similar with all DSLR's now). This A200 has great features, built in stabalisation, dust protection, usable ISO3200 (and it really is), very good DRO, superb layout and in general it just feels right in the hands - As a fellow reviewer stated, you will see various reviews over the coming weeks/month about this, maybe some will say it is not much better than the A100 but to me it is, it is much much faster, quieter, better control over ISO and as stated previously, it feels terrific in my hand. So, for the money it is hands down winner of the best budget DSLR - If you look at the upcoming competition, D60 and 450D it is both cheaper (consderably) and at the very least, on a par spec wise with both. Sony say they want to crack the DSLR market, well if they carry on this way then Nikon and Canon will rightly be worried!!!!!!!!!!!
I have only had this for a couple of weeks now but in this short time I have only really had time for indoor testing and a few outdoor shots - Indoors, WB seems an improvement over the A100 and auto seems to handle most situations well, as mentioned, ISO1600/3200 have allowed me to take some great low light indoor shots, yes there is noise but it is well controlled and prints of A4 will be fine, the autofocus speed is much better than before. The only minor niggle is the removal of the quick access setting dial from the A100, I found this a great idea and very practicle, the new menu system does give easy access to all setting but not sure which I prefer, time will tell. Stabalisation seems to be slightly better as well which is alwys a bonus, it is a long way from being as good as the newer stabalised lenses from Nikon but hey, you would be spending £500+ on a decent IS lens alone!!! - If you want your first DSLR or if you are looking for U/G from an older model and you are on a budget, then this comes very highly reccommended.

This is my first DSLR. And i love it. Really easy to navigate. Lightweight and fits comfortably in your hand. Softwares easy to function. Get lots for your money compared to other similar DSLRs.- 18-70 lens, antishake, popup flash, 10.2 mega pix, manual and auto focus...
i didnt get mine here tho! Wasnt too sure about returns, reliability and guarantees from suppliers. Maybe they are reliable, maybe im just not trusting enough! Found a very cheap place in the UK tho: UK Digital. In Clitheroe West Yorkshire. They do online orders too.
I got the camera witha 17-80 lens, 4gb card, 6 foot tripod, and bag for under £400.
Google them. :)

Is a brilliant camera!

Upon opening the box and sliding out, like many, my first D-SLR I was overwhelmed with a sense of quality. Fitting chunkily (yet extremely comfortably) into my hands the factory battery life allowed me around 30 minutes before needing my first charge - enough to fall in love with this camera. After hearing the initial mechanical click (which was louder than I expected... but most welcomed) I felt like a real photographer.

However being a complete amateur when it comes to cameras, the automatic mode was a must - but what results! The A200 focuses almost immediately (literally) and provides a 3FPS shooting rate, allowing the trigger happy photographer in everyone to snap away at anything he/she feels fit. The buttons are intelligently positioned and the locations are easily remembered. The generously sized screen was clear and bright but most of all the pictures I took came out better than I'd have imagined.

The depth of field blurring the background when taking portraits is almost poetic, the quality of the pictures taken are sharp and boast realistic colours, the anti shake built into the body makes even the most caffeinated of shakers able to take pictures still - but this doesn't mean this camera is just for beginners. Every little mode possible can be tweaked with this beast offering a little something for everyone.

As for the competition, the only cameras I have tried are the Canon 400D and the Nikon D40x. Although both are equally competent, considering the price, the 'steadyshot' and the overall quality this camera has offered me I don't see myself ever needing to buy another camera.