Sony, one of the first to come out with digital camera prototypes back when they were just an idea, has finally thrown its hat into the ring with the big boys. Their first SLR is from a collaboration with Konica Minolta that leverages on that company's 26-year-old MAXXUM/DYNAX line. Though Konica Minolta this year pulled out of cameras altogether, the collaboration continued with Sony taking over the Alpha name (a name used exclusively in Japan) and the lens and accessory lineup. The first camera in the Alpha line is the DSLR-A100, a 10.2 megapixel, three frame per second SLR based on the Konica Minolta MAXXUM 5D.
The new camera holds a lot more promise than its predecessor, but brings with it the benefit of the established Alpha system. We had the opportunity to look at a pre-release version of the camera, and ran it through some preliminary tests. We have a user report and our usual thorough coverage of design and function, as well as timing and detail down to the menus.
