Sony's $700 dSLR looks like a contender
Sony Alpha DSLR-A200K
(Credit: Sony Electronics)Though Sony's Alpha DSLR-A100 currently occupies the price slot of an entry-level dSLR, that's just an accident of time, a midrange model that stayed too long at the party. Sony's first true foray into the entry-level market arrives in the Alpha DSLR-A200, slipping into the market niche currently hogged by the Nikon D40x and Canon EOS Rebel XTi. Preliminary specs include:
- 10-megapixel, 23.6mm x 15.8mm Super HAD CCD
- ISO 100 to 3200
- Super SteadyShot sensor-shift image stabilization
- 9-point AF sensor with single cross-type sensor in center
- 40 segment exposure metering system
- 230,000-pixel 2.7-inch LCD
- Maximum burst speed 3fps (unlimited JPEG, 3 frames Raw+JPEG, 6 frames Raw)
- Viewfinder 95 percent coverage, .83x magnification
On one hand, the A200 seems to compare quite favorably to the Nikon and Canon competition--it delivers the same (D40x) or better (XTi) resolution and similar rated performance, but with the added attraction of the in-body stabilization, large LCD and user interface that I liked so much on the A700. But those models have been out in the market for a while already and likely due for a rev any minute now. (Given Nikon and Canon's histories, however, it's unlikely that either update would include in-body image stabilization.)
The $699 DSLR-A200K kit will include the f3.5-5.6 DT 18-70mm lens, while a dual-lens DSLR-A200W kit bundles an additional f4.5-5.6 75-300mm lens for $899. Both will ship in February.
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