Sony's entry-level dSLR, the Alpha DSLR-A200, delivers a just-the-facts-ma'am shooting experience. For the most part, it provides the average design, basic feature set, modest performance, and better-than-snapshot photo quality that typifies this market segment: not bad, but not notable in any way, either.
The 10.2-megapixel A200 comes in two kits: one with the SAL-1870 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 lens, which we tested, and a dual-lens kit that adds the SAL-75300 75-300mm f4.5-5.6 model. Those two lenses, plus the new SAL-55200, currently comprise Sony's complete entry-level lens lineup. For other inexpensive alternatives you'll have to turn to compatible A-mount Konica Minolta, Sigma, or Tamron offerings.
At 22.4 ounces with battery and CF card, the A200 weighs more than most of its competitors, despite its plastic-clad body. It feels solid, though, and the rubberized grip has a deep indent for your finger that makes the camera comfortable to hold. If you plan to connect the camera directly to your computer rather than use a card reader (which we don't recommend), then avoid the A200. For one, the USB connector is located inside the CF card compartment, which means you have to leave the door open while downloading, potentially allowing all sorts of schmutz to get onto the card-slot contacts (and, if you're as accident prone as me, providing a protrusion to hit and hurl the camera to the floor). More important, Sony uses a proprietary combo USB/AV connector on all its dSLRs, for no reason that I can see other than to force you to buy a cable from them if you lose the bundled one. That just peeves me.
Operating the A200 is straightforward. There are direct-access controls for ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation, and drive/bracketing/self-timer modes, while flash, AF, white balance, AF area, and D-RangeOptimizer settings are grouped under a screen pulled up by the Fn button.
The A200 supports wireless flash, uncommon but not unique in this price class, and I actually like the bare-bones implementation. Rather than grafting pro multichannel support on the camera, which can be quite confusing to configure, it's basically binary: on or off. The rest of its features--and their implementations--is pretty typical for its class, including sensor-shift image stabilization and a 2.7-inch LCD. Like most, but not all, of the cameras in this class, the A200 lacks Live View shooting, but you can get that by forking over another $100 for the otherwise identical DSLR-A300.
CNET Labs' tests indicate it wakes up and shoots very quickly--in roughly half a second. Under good, high-contrast lighting, it focuses and shoots in just under a third of a second, rising to a moderate 1.2 seconds in dimmer conditions. Typically, it captures consecutive frames in 0.6 second, jumping up to 1.3 seconds with the built-in flash enabled. Its 2.8 frames-per-second continuous shooting speed falls around the class average. Also as is typical for this segment, it has limited non-JPEG burst shooting capabilities: only 3 frames raw+JPEG or 6 frames raw in burst mode. In casual testing, the image-stabilization system delivered about 3 stops of latitude over what the reciprocal rule dictates--1/10 second versus 1/70 second for a 70mm focal length--which is pretty standard.
(Seconds--smaller is better)
 | Time to first shot | | Raw shot-to-shot time | | Shutter lag (dim light) | | Shutter lag (typical) |
(Frames per second--larger is better)
I do have a few performance gripes, though. For one, the 2.7-inch LCD is very difficult to view in direct sunlight. Second, the focus indicators for the 9 off-center focus points are lines (rather than squares), and very dim--some people may have trouble seeing them. And the shutter, or at least the mirror flip it drives, sounds unusually loud.
On the whole, the A200's photos looked okay, if unexceptional. It renders reasonable, if somewhat warm or cool automatic white balance, depending upon the lighting. In standard mode, exposures seem skewed too much toward the midtones--probably to avoid blown-out highlights--so images look a bit low contrast. Its noise profile looks good until ISO 800, at which point color artifacts become obvious, but that's par for the course on low-end SLRs. And the kit lens we tested produced soft photos.
This is the first entry-level camera we've seen in 2008, so it's quite possible that we'll be back to reevaluate the Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 more favorably in the context of its competition. But for now, there are better, more interesting models from earlier years whose prices are dropping into its territory; the Nikon D40x or Canon EOS Rebel XTi if you're willing to forgo the image stabilization, or the slightly more expensive Pentax K10D if you're not. You can even opt for the similar and still-available two-year-old Alpha DSLR-A100, if you don't shoot a lot at high ISO settings, and put the money you save toward a better lens.
Product summary
The good: In-body image stabilization; supports wireless flash.
The bad: Loud; Sony doesn't have a stable of inexpensive lenses for consumers; oddly located, proprietary USB connector.
The bottom line: The Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 is a solid entry-level dSLR that doesn't really stand out in its very competitive field.
Specifications
General
- Product Type Digital camera - SLR
- Width 5.2 in
- Depth 2.8 in
- Height 3.7 in
- Weight 19.2 oz
Main Features
- Resolution 10.2 megapixels
- Color Support Color
- Optical Sensor Type Super HAD CCD
- Total Pixels 10,800,000 pixels
- Effective Sensor Resolution 10,200,000 pixels
- Field of View Crop Factor 1.5
- Sensor Dust Reduction Yes
- Sensor Features Dust Reduction (image sensor vibration)
- Light Sensitivity ISO 100 , ISO 200 , ISO 400 , ISO 800 , ISO 1600 , ISO 3200 , ISO auto
- Shooting Programs Macro , Sunset , Landscape , Sports mode , Portrait mode , Night portrait
- Special Effects Vivid , Sunset , Neutral , Portrait , Landscape , Night View , Black & White
- Image Stabilizer Optical (Super Steady Shot, CCD-shift mechanism)
- Image stabilizer feature Optical stabilization helps prevent blurry pictures, especially for handheld cameras at slow shutter speeds or when using high optical zoom.
- Max Shutter Speed 1/4000 sec
- Min Shutter Speed 30 sec
- X-sync Speed 1/160 sec
- Exposure Metering Spot , Multi-segment , Center-weighted
- Exposure Modes Bulb, Manual, Program, Automatic, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority
- Exposure Range EV 1-20 ( ISO 100 )
- Exposure Compensation ?2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
- Auto Exposure Bracketing 3 steps
- Exposure Metering Zones 40
- White Balance Custom , Presets , Automatic
- White Balance Presets Flash , Shade , Cloudy , Daylight , Fluorescent , Tungsten light
- Still Image Format RAW, JPEG, RAW + JPEG
- Continuous Shooting Speed 3 frames per second
- Remote Control Optional
- TV Tuner None
Memory / Storage
- Flash Memory None
- Supported Flash Memory Microdrive, CompactFlash
- Floppy Drive None
- Image Storage JPEG , RAW 3872 x 2592 , 2896 x 1936 , 1920 x 1280
Camera Flash
- Camera Flash Pop-up flash
- Guide Number (m / ISO 100) 12
- Flash Modes Auto mode, Fill-in mode, Slow synchro, Flash OFF mode, Rear curtain sync, Red-eye reduction
- Red Eye
- Reduction Yes
- Features AF illuminator , Flash +/- compensation , Wireless off-camera control
Lens System
- Type Zoom lens - 18 mm - 70 mm - F/3.5-5.6 DT
- Focal Length 18 mm - 70 mm
- Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 27 - 105 mm
- Focus Adjustment Manual, utomatic
- Auto Focus TTL phase detection
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) 9
- Min Focus Range 15 in
- Max View Angle 76 degrees
- Lens Aperture F/3.5-5.6
- Optical Zoom 3.9 x
- Zoom Adjustment Manual
- Lens Construction 9 group(s) / 11 element(s)
- Filter Size 55 mm
- Lens System Mounting Minolta A-type
- Features ED glass , Aspherical lens
Additional Features
- Self Timer Yes
- Self Timer Delay 2 sec , 10 sec
- Flash Terminal Hot Shoe
- Additional Features AE lock , AF lock , DPOF support , Direct print , Contrast control , Histogram display , Sharpness control , PictBridge support , Eye-Start AF system , PRINT Image Matching , USB 2.0 compatibility , Digital noise reduction , Dynamic Range Optimizer , RGB primary color filter , Depth-of-field preview button
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type Optical - Eye-level penta-dach mirror
- Viewfinder Color Support Color
- Field Coverage 95%
- Magnification 0.83x
- Dioptric Correction Range -2.5 to +1
- Viewfinder Frames Autofocus frame
- LCD Display Information AE lock , Aperture , AF-in-focus , Manual focus , Shake warning , Shutter speed , Anti-shake scale , Exposure compensation , Wireless/remote flash , Flash charge completion , Frames-remaining counter , Flash compensation on/off , High-speed sync indicator
Display
- Type LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.7 in - Color
- Display Form Factor Built-in
- Display Format 230,400 pixels
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Type None
Microphone
- Type None
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x USB , 1 x Composite video output , 1 x DC power input , 1 x Remote control
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x CompactFlash Card - Type I/II
Software
- Software Drivers & Utilities , Sony Image Data Lightbox SR , Sony Picture Motion Browser , Sony Image Data Converter SR
System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support MS Windows Vista , MS Windows XP SP2 , Apple Mac OS X 10.4 or later , MS Windows 2000 SP4 or later
- Peripheral Devices USB port , CD-ROM drive
Miscellaneous
- Carrying Case None
- Included Accessories Body cap , Dust cap , Lens cap , Shoe cap , Lens hood , Eyepiece cover , Shoulder strap
- Cables Included 1 , 1 x USB cable , Video cable
Power
- Power Device Battery charger - External
Battery
- Supported Battery Sony NP-FM500H
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery - 1600 mAh ( Included )
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 1 year
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 ?F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 ?F
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