Sony A100 - shortcomings

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Alan Browne - 11 Jun 2006 16:11 GMT

While of course glad that the camera is in the birthing process and that
it is somewhat up to date in sensor pixel count, I can't help but see
what's missing from it: (Please correct any errors I may have made).

Lacks:
    -Dedicated shutter speed and aperture wheels (only
has one wheel)
    -Dedicated exposure compensation and flash compensation wheels
    -Exp comp is still limited to two stops
    -no dedicated meter control switch
    -no dedicated ISO control button
    -no dedicated WB/Kelvin switch
    -no dedicated shutter button mode switch
    -reduction in AF modes (or buried the modes in menus)
(I'm mainly a MF shooter, but ...)
    -Flash sync terminal
    -Flash sync is limited to 1/160 s (1/120 with A/S activated)
    -Shutter delay not spec'd, but probably as slow as the 7D/5D
    (Note, on Maxxum 7/9, shutter dealy is on the order of 50-60ms,
whereas on the 7D it is an abysmal 150 - 200 ms making
sports and action shooting esp. difficult).
    -fastest ISO is 1600 (no really big deal)

    -Some will note the lack of a really fast frame rate, but
this, to me, would only matter to a very few shooters.
    -Composition Priority (TM)

KUDOS:    (in no particular order)
    -flash mount (Minolta)
    -Dust "shaker" a la Olympus (not sure if it is the same
    technology or something different.
    -Compact Flash as primary (not Memory stick)
    -Menus are basically the Minolta menus which are reasonably
    well designed.
    -DOF preview
    -VF Diopter control
    -40 segment spot meter. (14 was "fine enough", will
40 be better?)
    -2.5" 230,000 pixel display (similar to the 7D 207k-pix)
    -Carl Zeiss lens designs to follow.
85mm and 135mm sound delicious; 16-80 sounds suspicious.
    (probably fab'ed by Sony on CZ design)


Uncertainties: I've seen one claim it's "plastic" and one claim it's
plastic over a metal body frame.

The lack of external controls reveals my worst nightmare: they've buried
everything in menus. What made cameras like the Maxxum 9 and 7 great
has been totally erased from the A100. I hope this is due to the use of
the Maxxum 5 "template" they appear to have settled on and that it is
not indicative of their future bodies.

In summary it appears to me that the camera is engineered for a price
point aimed at amateurs meant to increase sales volume and margins. IOW
a pure business decision approach rather than a photography approach
(which is what they're trying to push on the alpha website).

Cheers,
Alan.

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RichA - 11 Jun 2006 18:09 GMT

> While of course glad that the camera is in the birthing process and that
> it is somewhat up to date in sensor pixel count, I can't help but see
[quoted text clipped - 55 lines]
> Cheers,
> Alan.

Should point out that the criticisms levelled against it were made also
by Popular Photography magazine against the 5D as compared to the 7D,
that too much control
went to menus instead of buttons. A cost-saving measure.
Also, internal metal bodies have no benefit when it comes to strength
and are likely
done to preserve sensitive spacings and fittings that plastic cannot
satisfy because of
it's huge tendency toward thermally-induced expansion and contraction.

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bmoag - 11 Jun 2006 21:55 GMT

Having used Sony high end EVF cameras it is clear to me that their design
engineers have much to learn about camera ergonomics and the features that
are most important to more sophisticated camera users.
While Minolta may have not got it quite right in their initial dSLR
offerings the company had a long track record of creating quite excellent
cameras. Hopefully Minolta design engineers moved over to Sony or at least
consult on design issues.
However in all fairness I must point out that I am sitting with my D70 in
front of me and cannot for the life of me remember what some of the
adjustments and menus are for without referring to the manual-this after
almost daily use for over a year.

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Alan Browne - 11 Jun 2006 23:05 GMT

> Having used Sony high end EVF cameras it is clear to me that their design
> engineers have much to learn about camera ergonomics and the features that
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> adjustments and menus are for without referring to the manual-this after
> almost daily use for over a year.

The Maxxum 7D has most functions on switches/buttons/knobs/levers on the
body so that one does not need the menus much at all. And when one does
they are, for the most part, quite well designed for ease of use.

With the 7D they got it almost perfectly, IOW. And anti-shake to boot.

This is the legacy from the Maxxum 9 and 7. (And one or more of the 800's).

From the reviews it is clear that the Sony A100 does use the same menu
structure as the 7D/5D, regrettably, they don't use the 7D (or better:
Maxxum 9) control layout.

Cheers,
Alan

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