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Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 Digital Camera

Sony Alpha DSLR-A200Digital Camera Resource Page

(3 out of 5)


A good entry-level digital SLR for those shooting at low ISOs or are willing to shoot RAW.

Review date: Mar 21, 2008

The Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 is a very capable entry-level D-SLR that needs improvement in one important area: JPEG photo quality. The A200 offers a lot of bang for the buck, with its 10 Megapixel CCD, built-in image stabilization, snappy performance, and great battery life. If you keep the ISO sensitivity low, the photo quality is very good. However, increasing the sensitivity (especially in low light) kicks the camera's noise reduction system in high gear, giving photos a soft appearance, with smudged details. Sure, you can get much better results by shooting in RAW mode, but my belief is that JPEGs should look just as good. If you're into post-processing your photos, then I can highly recommend the DSLR-A200. If you don't want to fuss with your computer to get the most out of the camera, then you might want to consider something else.

ProsCons
  • Very good photo quality at lower ISO settings or in RAW mode
  • Well built, easy-to-hold body
  • Sensor-shift image stabilization reduces blur
  • Dust reduction system
  • Full manual controlsl RAW image format supported
  • Snappy performance in most areas
  • Support for wireless flashes
  • Best-in-class battery life
  • Soft JPEG photos, with too much noise reduction above ISO 200 (in low light) and ISO 800 (in normal light)
  • Great RAW photo quality shots that camera is capable of producing much better looking JPEGs
  • Sluggish low light focusing
  • Small viewfinder can be hard to see in low light
  • No live view support
  • Legacy hot shoe limits third party flash options
  • 18 - 70 mm kit lens isn't the greatest (lots of corner blurring)
  • Manual not terribly detailed

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