Sony Alpha A200 DSLR Review

It's gonna be a rather quick review..

First, lets have a look at the spec sheet.

Sony A200 Basic Features
>10.2 MP Super HAD CCD delivering resolutions as high as 3872 x 2592pixels
>3.88x Kit lens, 18-70mm (27-105mm equivalent), f/3.5-5.6
>Optical viewfinder
>2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD Screen
>ISO Sensitivity: 100 to 3200
>Shutter speeds: 30 seconds to 1/4,000 second
>Compact Flash Type I, II, Microdrive
>Lithium-ion battery
>Dimensions: 5.2 x 3.7 x 2.8in (133 x 95 x 71mm)
>Weight: 22 ounces (625g) with lens, battery, and card


In the Box
The Sony A200 ships with the following items in the box:

>DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom lens
>NP-FM500H rechargeable battery
>BC-VM10 battery charger
>Video and USB cable
>Body cap
>Shoulder strap with eyepiece cap and Remote Commander clip
>Instruction manual
>Software/USB Driver CD-ROM

Now, we'll get to the pros and cons of the camera:

What I liked

-Well built, easy-to-hold body.
-Eye-start Autofocus starts up the autofocus system so that it is ready before your eyes are matched in the viewfinder.
-Super SteadyShot sensor-based stabilization reduces blurry images regardless of any lens mounted.
-Auto pop-up flash.
-Support for wireless flashes.
-Fast autofocus.
-Good shot-to-shot times.
-2.7-inch "Clear Photo" LCD which has an anti-reflective coating for easy viewing in the sun.
-Built in Anti-dust, with a static-free coating on the CCD's filter that is shaken each time the camera is powered off.
-Very fast USB transfer speed.
-Great battery life - up to 750 shots on full charge.
-Battery is "InfoLithium" type, allowing camera to provide real-time battery life info.

What I disliked
-It feels a little "plasticky" although the inner frame is clearly metal.
-Pop-up flash doesn't go very high and casts shadows on pictures with lens hood attached.
-Infrared sensor activates AF system when you don't want it to, like when it's hanging around your neck.
-Flash must be raised for AF assist, which casts a few strong strobes of light which might irritate people.

Pictures after the jump:
(pics are of low quality because they're taken with a handphone camera)