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- DSLR-A200KSee more technical details
By C. J. Wilson (Leeds, UK)
Great camera, really pleased with it. However a bit let down by lack of a mirror lock up function.
By Mr. G. Manning (London, UK)
I'm writing this review with the fact that this is an entry level model DSLR and not comparing it to the abilities of a full frame professional body / camera.
Why did I choose it?
For several months before I bought it, I was convinced I'd buy a Nikon D40. Nikon's entry level model however when I picked them both up in store, the Alpha 200 just felt nicer to hold, more comfortable in my big hands and better built. The other main reason is that the image stabilisation is built into the body and not the lens which I thought would be cheaper in the long run when upgrading lenses.
So far I'm really pleased with it and still learning things 10 months on. I'd never been a photographer before so had to learn everything from balancing aperture, shutter speed and ISO to the features of the camera itself. If you've used an SLR before, you'll probably get it quicker. Within 6 months I'd won my first photography competition and was up against people with professional kit. I've also been on a pro food shoot and we compared a shot taken on a tripod with my A200 against a £15,000 studio camera and the difference was unnoticeable. Even the client couldn't tell. I'm not saying this is "pro" quality or that you'd use it for magazine work but the difference was very slight and could only be seen on zoom on a pro screen. As I said, I'm reviewing this as an entry level model and so far it's impressed me a lot.
Why you will like it
Cost - mine was £288 with a free 2gb card (it was the last one in the shop) so he gave me a free card.
Battery life - it is phenomenal. I can't take enough shots in 1 go to run the battery down. If you think you'll be shooting thousands of images, using the onboard flash for 10+ hours a day, just get a back up battery. Even the non-branded are good.
Anti shake in camera not lens - there's an argument to say the quality is better with the lens anti shake but this is an economical choice and the anti shake makes a big difference. I just leave it on all the time.
Dust cleaner - you can set it up in the menu to "wiggle" the sensor when you switch on/off which helps shake off any dust particles that gather. I've not had the need to clean the sensor in 10 months.
High ISO - personally I wouldn't go above 400/800 but people use 1600 and comment that it's great. If you don't know it's basically how sensitive the sensor is which means you can use a faster shutter speed in low light so you don't get a blurry subject. The trade off is that the image gets extra noise (grain) to it when you take higher ISO shots. Alternatively use a flash to "stop" the motion.
Eye auto start - you lift the camera up to your eye and it switches off the back screen so it doesn't glare into your eye or the view finder.
Dynamic Range Optimiser - if you shoot in RAW you probably don't need this. RAW will shoot uncompressed images so you can edit them later in their full original glory. If you only shoot JPG this will help with the end result.
Better build quality than the newer A230 (apparently) - I've read reviews saying it's better built. Some argue that the kit lens on the A200 creaks when zooming but I've not had any problems at all.
Apparently on the newer A230, there is no separate ISO button. Personally I'd find this frustrating as if you're shooting in manual mode or constantly changing light you'll have to go into the menu settings (adding a few steps) rather than pressing the dedicated ISO button on top.
The D pad on the back can be used to select one of the 9 AF (auto focus) points. Instead of it choosing the very centre to focus on, you can compose you image with the subject top right, use the d pad to select that point and focus in the right spot.
The inbuilt flash will be a good start but it will be too bright for any decently exposed images. You can set the compensation down a bit and get reasonable results. I haven't bought an external flash but I will this month. The good thing is if you buy a Sony flash, the built in flash triggers the external flash so you can be more creative with your lighting and it will trigger wirelessly.
Good selection of white balance modes to make sure you get the most natural shot you want. You can choose presets (eg fluorescent / tungsten / sunlight / flash) or set the temperature yourself.
Creative modes - if you can't edit photos you can go for a black and white straight in the camera for example
Good back screen - you can change the display between simple and advanced or have it to show you a histogram after you take a pic so you can see if you are overexposed etc.
When you're learning, just choose one of the custom modes eg sports (will increase the shutter speed), portrait (will open the aperture) etc.
Compatability - it's got the Minolta lens fitting so there are loads of 2nd hand lenses you can use, not just Sony. Some might not work with auto focus though. Also look at Sigma or Tamron for non branded quality lenses. My next one will be a Sigma as the Sony is too expensive.
Why you might not like it
There's no live preview on the back. You have to look through the view finder, not like compacts that let you view it on the screen. I think most people who are serious about photography would use the viewfinder anyway. It's a good habit to get into and if there if bright light / sun, the screen wouldn't be much use anyway. This wasn't, and still isn't, an issue for me. Some have a pull out tilt screen which would be good for awkward angles but remember this camera is really good value.
There's no onboard help guide like the new version of Sony's (or any brand). It's quite new for the 2010 season. For example, you choose aperture priority and a help guide appears. If you know what you're doing this won't matter. I don't know how good it is if you don't know what you're doing because I haven't used it.
It's a Sony - a lot of people will tell you to go for Nikon or Canon only. Sony is the new kid on the block but still makes some great kit.
Summary
There are things I'd like on my next camera but they're nothing that makes me say this is a bad camera. I'd like a depth of field preview and better high ISO quality for low light but then the camera body (without lens) I want is nearer £1800 so it would be unfair to compare it with this camera.
I don't think anyone would be disappointed with this camera especially considering the price hike for the latest model.
Apart from a bag to carry it in, I also bought the Sony 50mm f1.8 prime lens. It's a great addition and lets you shoot in lower light and gives you a shallower depth of field, creating that lovely blur you've seen.
I would recommend this camera but you need to think about whether you're going to expand much and way to stay with one brand so you don't have to start again. I'll probably part-exchange at some point if I need to but at the moment, it does everything I need. Check out my pictures for an idea of what you can do.
By N. Carter (Dorset)
Having been brought up on SLR photography I was looking for an affordable upgrade to digital. Have used a couple of digital compacts by Fuji and Nikon I still wanted the flexibility of a camera system and missed having a proper viewfinder. I was thinking of going for a Nikon as I had a Nikon SLR, but after doing a few searches on Amazon I accidentally found the Sony. Decided to risk it and am over the moon that I did. Forget the snobbery of names and labels, for most keen photographers this camera provides most needs without making life complicated with never used facilities. Even on a basic photo printer 10x8 pictures come up as sharp as I would like and lets face it most of us print 6x4 to hand around to the family and friends, so why go to the expense of higher mega pixel cameras? Also added the 70-300mm lens and am a happy bunny, covers all the photography I want to do and have enjoyed taking more pictures than I have done in years. Would recommend to anyone.
By G. Givens (Newcastle, UK)
Having decided to dip my toe into the water of DSLR photography, and after extensive research, I decided to go for the A200
I've owned for just under a year now and I am absolutely delighted with my purchase
The camera is simple enough to use that I can pick it up and take a quick snap or, of course, I can play with the multitude of settings and try to get the perfect snap - in my opinion, this camera takes great pictures
I bought a Lowepro bag with the camera and 4gb card
By Jason Hehir (London)
I've had the a200 for a few months now and absolutely love it. I'd always been pleased with what I could achieve with a standard compact camera, but was looking to take the next step. Having conducted exhaustive research I chose the a200 and haven't looked back since. Although apertures and ISO and shutter speeds and the like can all seem a bit daunting when you've never encountered them before, the best way to learn is to use them. The a200 can be used on fully automatic whilst you find your feet with it, taking excellent photos with no extra effort on your behalf. Once you're more confident, however, you can start to experiment with different things, learning how different aspects of the camera can be tweaked to get the photo you want. After a few weeks or months the only real limit is your imagination, the camera certainly won't limit you.
The only possible fault I can find with it is that the focus ring is a little small, but then I do have big hands. Apart from that the drawbacks are no different to what you get with any other dslr - having to carry the thing around and feeling like a complete geek when you pull it out, but these are soon overcome and more than compensated for by the breathtaking pictures you'll soon be racking up. I took it with me on my honeymoon and, although my new wife complained that she felt like she married a camera, she does now have some outstanding pictures.
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Buy Sony DSLR-A200K 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera + Zoom Lens Kit (18-70 mm F3.5-5.6) Now
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