As some may already know Konica Minolta bowed out of the camera business and transferred the assets to Sony.

Here's the fruits of their labor;

Sony DSLR A100 (http://www.dpreview.com/articles/sonydslra100/) by Dpreview.com

Here's another;

Sony DSLR A100 (http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/sony/dslr_a100-review/) by Dcresource.com

Looks like we're in for some interesting times again.

Even bigger news is that Sony is coming out not only with rebranded Minolta lenses, but also coming out with lenses of their own, the new lineup including 3 Carl Zeiss lenses:

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/sonydslra100/page3.asp

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/SonyDSLRA100/Images/Accessories/Lenses/SAL-1680-001.jpg
SAL 16-80 mm F3.5-4.5 Carl Zeiss

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/SonyDSLRA100/Images/Accessories/Lenses/SAL-85F14Z-001.jpg
SAL 85 mm F1.4 Carl Zeiss

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/SonyDSLRA100/Images/Accessories/Lenses/SAL-135F18Z-001.jpg
SAL 135 mm F1.8 Carl Zeiss
This ought to make a lot of well-heeled Minolta users happy. :) They seem to be going for the high end in terms of pricing!

Good detective work guys! At least all this stuff is coming from you and not us. We have been instructed to keep our mouth shut until this coming Saturday when we can reveal to you all the specs and details of the new Alpha. Glad to see that there could be some interest here in Sony.

start your collection na
I hope this doesn't get deleted again like before ;)

http://aycu15.webshots.com/image/894/1330097721952831068_rs.jpg

It uses the same 10MP sensor as the D200 and is $700 cheaper!

It uses the same 10MP sensor as the D200 and is $700 cheaper!

Guys, I'm here in Tokyo for the Alpha launch. Been here since Monday. Was part of 5 people sent by Sony to Tokyo to cover for the Alpha launch (proud moment). I'll post more details regarding the Alpha as soon as I've compiled them.

So far here's what I've learned:

Totally new sensor and image processor called Bionz.
Estimated to be around 2000 Singapore dollars (camera and body)
20 new lenses, 3 Zeiss, the rest Sony lenses (repackaged Minolta's lenses made in Malaysia)
New D-Range Optimizer
Cinnabar color (not orange)
Orbit mounts (you don't call them Minolta mounts anymore)
3 FPS, unlimited shots in jpeg mode
Supports RAW in Sony's RAW format
Fricking awesome Super Steady Shot, compensation for about 3.5 stops
Anti-dust and anti-static coating, making dust particles easier to remove with a blower


http://www.ncarandang.com/_DN_8717.jpg
Photo of Naofumi Hara, Senior Vice President and Senior General Manager, Corporate Communications

Glad to see your doing what you love and get paid for at the same time.

I hope you can clarify a lot of stuff because I'm a bit wary about the lens pricing. Even if you knock off 30% from the MSRP of the new lenses, they seem awfully pricey compared to more entrenched players at similar focal lengths and aperture.

I hope you can also get some better detail about the lenses themselves (construction, elements). Just looking at the pictures, they seem 'plasticky'.

Glad to see your doing what you love and get paid for at the same time.

I hope you can clarify a lot of stuff because I'm a bit wary about the lens pricing. Even if you knock off 30% from the MSRP of the new lenses, they seem awfully pricey compared to more entrenched players at similar focal lengths and aperture.

I hope you can also get some better detail about the lenses themselves (construction, elements). Just looking at the pictures, they seem 'plasticky'.

so far, no pricing yet on lenses. with regards to construction, got to test shoot and feel some of them. the zeiss lenses are far from plasticky. the G lenses, looks and feels alright.

A-ha, then all the guys on nikoncafe.com and D1scussions mailing list have been speculating on the sensor being the same 10MP one found on the D200. It would be interesting to see a comparo of the sensors and the images they produce. All the Nikon folk seem to be calling this the D200 killer. But only if one was starting his DSLR system form scratch. Well, once the reviews come out, who knows. We might see switchers to Sony!

A-ha, then all the guys on nikoncafe.com and D1scussions mailing list have been speculating on the sensor being the same 10MP one found on the D200. It would be interesting to see a comparo of the sensors and the images they produce. All the Nikon folk seem to be calling this the D200 killer. But only if one was starting his DSLR system form scratch. Well, once the reviews come out, who knows. We might see switchers to Sony!

Sony has a totally different division that makes the sensors for the alpha. We won't see that adopted by Nikon anytime soon. :Grin:

I'd be interested to hear when it will start showing up here and what the list price will be. :)

Hot damn, same resolution as the D200 on an "entry level" DSLR? Sony wants to get everyone back into the megapixel wars! :Grin: Looks like Nikon needs to get a D80 and a D300 out soon! :D

there's also a pro level under development. features are still undisclosed.

sony's banking on the bundled camera features (super steady shot, anti dust sensor, d-range optimizer) more than the resolution. for an entry level camera, the alpha 100 does pack some pretty serious heat.

TrustedReviews has its review out for the A100: http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=3009

Noise and exposure test shots are in the last few pages.

At ISO 1600:
http://www.trustedreviews.com/images/article/inline/3009-1600.jpg

Full images downloadable on a Japanese site for comparison of Sony A100 IQ to other DSLRs such as the Nikon D200 and Canon 30D:

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcamera.impress.co. jp%2F06_07%2Fauth%2Ftoku1%2Findex.htm&langpair=ja%7Cen&hl=ja&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

Translated via Google.

it's closer to the Minolta Colors minoltians love :)
10MP really needs a better lens than the kit lens :Grin:
musthavethismusthavethismusthavethismusthavethis:D


http://www.sony.jp/products/Consumer/AMC/exhibition/A100/stage.html

had a chance to test it pero beta product pa yung nandoon & 75-300 lang yung lens, nag request ako na ilabas yung cam sa daan pero ayaw so pinagtiyagaan ko nalang indoors :P, parang yung KM d5d ko rin siya pero medyo toyish ang dating niya ;), very noisy @ ISO 800 pero i guess it's because pre-production unit pa siya. anyway here area a few Shot @ ISO 200 @ 75mm, just resized

1/25s
http://aycu31.webshots.com/image/70/1090719617834488554_fs.jpg

1/40s
http://aycu02.webshots.com/image/2441/1743028572141138026_fs.jpg

1/40
http://aycu01.webshots.com/image/1760/1479833230690826179_fs.jpg

1/20 s
http://aycu11.webshots.com/image/2410/1334234245697858744_fs.jpg

CameraLabs has a review out, including comparison with the Canon 350D, Sony R1, and Nikon D200: http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/SonyA100/

With 2150 lpph of horizontal and vertical resolution, the DSLR-A100 improves on the Cybershot DSC-R1 and delivers a comfortably higher result than the Canon EOS-350D / Rebel XT. Indeed, despite being fitted with a budget kit lens, the Sony result is actually very close to that of the Nikon D200 fitted with a prime lens.

....

We're not surprised the Canon 350D beats it at higher sensitivities based on both its lower resolution sensor and Canon's reputation for low noise, but the Nikon D200 also out-performs it at 800 ISO and above, despite both models having essentially the same sensor. Clearly Nikon's image processing / noise reduction engine is superior in this respect. We would also like to have seen a 3200 ISO option on the Sony DSLR-A100, even if it had been very noisy.

Very interesting results!

Here's a flickr search (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=sony%20a100&w=all) for images captured using the A100.

Here's a set by flickr user Bobo Go II (http://www.flickr.com/photos/67956738@N00/) using the A100 exclusively.

Here's a full in depth review of a production unit...

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydslra100/

looks promising and it somehow confirms that it has the same sensor as the D200...

having sony in the game will only make products in this category even better =)

the last I asked was 65k body with kit lens..

not really sure about other outlets..

Here's a full in depth review of a production unit...

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydslra100/

looks promising and it somehow confirms that it has the same sensor as the D200...

when i asked sony regarding their sensor in the japan launch of the alpha, there official statement was that it's not the same sensor. research, development and manufacturing of the sensors for the nikon cameras are done separate of that for sony cameras. it was actually made clear that there were two teams from two separate locations developing two sensors.

I've heard that they dropped the price of the sony A100 way too low? why is this so?

I've heard that they dropped the price of the sony A100 way too low? why is this so?

How low is the new price, Victor? Maybe they are already pre-empting the release of the Pro-version of the Sony DSLR... to replace the Konica Minolta 7D body.

I've heard around P40k na lang daw, I've been thinking of buying it because my prosumer cams are Sony,but.. teka muna bakit kaya?

I've heard around P40k na lang daw, I've been thinking of buying it because my prosumer cams are Sony,but.. teka muna bakit kaya?

saan kaya yung 40k lang? any idea? must be grey market

I've heard around P40k na lang daw, I've been thinking of buying it because my prosumer cams are Sony,but.. teka muna bakit kaya?

where does it sell for P40k?

it should actually have been priced this way from the very start! the a100 sells for around $900 in the us. i was hoping to get one as a back up to my 7d but was turned off to find out that it cost P70k here. to think the 400d sold for only P40+k and it had most of what the a100 had except the built in is.

i hope sony phils prices the 7d replacement correctly.

:<)

I was surprised with the Alpha's local price too when I saw its launch/promo in Shangri-La Edsa a few months back... I was like "WHAT??? These specs are entry-level and it costs 70grand?"

Then I checked the US prices and true enough, the prices here seems to be 20-30K more than it should be...

It's still 70+K for the kit in Megamall (Sony showroom) as of yesterday.

I'm quite interested with the Alpha (when I finally have the dough) since I still have 2 Maxxum lenses from my old film Minolta.

i visited a sony showroom the other day to try out the Sony alpha, they are selling the kit P49K (thought it was P60k before body only) retail but the lenses are way too overpriced (may it be Zeiss lenses, G lenses or Sony lenses). the overall feel is way better than the 400D, but im not the big fan of the way they place the control buttons. but for a second cam or an entry level cam (lenses aside) i would choose the Alpha (singe lens kit - 18-70mm) over the 400d.

i visited a sony showroom the other day to try out the Sony alpha, they are selling the kit P49K (thought it was P60k before body only) retail but the lenses are way too overpriced (may it be Zeiss lenses, G lenses or Sony lenses). the overall feel is way better than the 400D, but im not the big fan of the way they place the control buttons. but for a second cam or an entry level cam (lenses aside) i would choose the Alpha (singe lens kit - 18-70mm) over the 400d.

49K for Sony Alpha? Where is this showroom? Seeing almost every store here sells the Alpha for 60K++ :(

@ Paul there is no For Sale section here & it is not allowed in the Forums to sell, anyways welcome to DPP.

You could try HERE (http://www.pinoyphotography.org/forum/index.php?action=forum)

I know somebody who is selling an Alpha for just P48,000. slightly used with 3 lenses. Pero parang I'm having 2nd thoughts.... I'm puzzled on why this camera has been dropping in price so quickly. Siguro kailangan ko borrow yung sa friend ko and play with it awhile to see if it performs the way it's advertised.

I know somebody who is selling an Alpha for just P48,000. slightly used with 3 lenses. Pero parang I'm having 2nd thoughts.... I'm puzzled on why this camera has been dropping in price so quickly. Siguro kailangan ko borrow yung sa friend ko and play with it awhile to see if it performs the way it's advertised.

It's a very good camera... But as for the price drop... Well... It wasn't supposed to be priced that high in it's introduction here... Someone made a boo boo somewhere IMO! :D