Sony Alpha A200K 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with Super SteadyShot Image Stabilization with 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens

This is really an excellent camera. I definitely dont consider myself an expert in DSLRs (I have only spent time shooting with Nikon D200, D70, and Canon Rebel XTi), but Ive been very pleased with this one so far. Image quality is extremely comparable to the Rebel XTi, except in the greens, where it appear to be superior. Noise reduction is where the Sony sort of fails- low ISO noise is very acceptable, and definitely on a par with the Canon, possibly even better depending on the image. Once you get up to ISO 1600 the Canon appears superior and the Sony is beginning to look fairly noisy- check out sample images on camera comparison sites to see if its acceptable to you. ISO 3200 results in very noisy images, but frankly the Canon cant hit 3200 anyway, so at least theres that! In short, at low ISOs the Sony holds its own or slightly exceeds its competitors, at high ISOs it looks worse, but at the same time its capable of hitting ISO 3200 whereas the competition isnt. Kind of a toss up, I guess. The kit lenses are about what youd expect- a little soft, but overall not something the average user is likely to complain about. Image distortion and chromatic aberation dont really appear to be a significant issue. Theyre decent lenses, overall, definitely comparable to the kit lenses youd get from any other maker. Battery life so far is totally acceptable. The Dynamic Range Optimization isnt as powerful as Id like, but does work and is actually fairly cool. The in-camera image stabilization is truly a great feature, and works well. From what Ive seen it maybe buys you two speeds slower shooting that without it. The thing that really sets this camera apart from the others Ive played with is accesibility- its truly easy to use. I mostly got this camera for my wife, whos interested in SLR photography but generally unfamiliar with it. Shes had absolutely no trouble or intimidation in picking up and learning the camera quickly. Overall a very good little camera thats an excellent choice for learning and having fun with, and is also capable of taking great pictures in experienced hands.

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This is a great DSLR at an amazing price. It is a very sophisticated camera yet easy to use. The fucntions you need to change most often are easily accessable, not buried in a menu. Although this is considered an entry level DSLR, its far more advanced then that description would imply. You have total creative control over the image as well as in body stabilization. I would have given this camera 5 stars had it not been for the lens included in this kit. The lens is an old Minolta design that probably worked well with a 6MP camera but its limitations are clear with this 10MP CCD, the lens exhibits a limited area of sharpness and produces retatively flat images. My suggestion is to buy the body and look elsewhere for the glass.

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Sonys a33 and a55 have taken its digital cameras to a higher level and are to be preferred to the older camera reviewed here. However, the following comments still apply, particularly to the lenses. The 18-70mm kit lens was sharp enough for portraiture at its telephoto focal lengths. All-automatic exposure, focus and flash produced good results on many typical scenes. Both this lens and the companion 75-300mm kit lens should have numerically smaller f-stops, and so I bought a 1.7 used Minolta 50mm lens for serious available light work. Therein lies one of the Sonys attractions: Minolta A-mount lenses work in full auto mode. Sonys proprietary battery is outrageously expensive, but so are batteries for other DSLRs -- even so, its wise to have a backup battery.

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