Sony Alpha DSLR-A300 - Digital Camera

The Sony Alpha DSLR-A300, along with the DSLR-A350 are Sony's latest announced Digital SLR cameras. These models are essentially upgrades to the Alpha DSLR-A200 release in the fall of 2007. Both the 350 and 300 two distinct new features: 1) Live View mode for the LCD viewfinder, and 2) an articulating LCD screen. The A300 features a 10.8 megapixel sensor, whereas the A350 boasts an impressive 14.2 megapixels. The A350 will sells for $700 for the camera and DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 standard zoom lens (DSLR-A300K), and $900 for a kit bundled with an additional 55-200mm telephoto lens (DSLR-A300X). Both versions (A300K, A300X) are available for pre-order now from the Sony online store and are expected to ship April 2nd and April 25th, 2008, respectively.

Pros & Cons
Pros:

•More superior LiveView implementation compared to competition (has to be proven yet)
•Articulating screen combined with Live View allows for easier over-the-heads and ground-level shots
•Good balance between resolution (10.2 MP) and low-light performance for APS-C size sensor
•In-camera image stabilization allows for using of non-stabilized lenses, by thus lowering the cost of ownership
•Battery life is better than the competition
•Noise level is better than in A350
•FPS (frames per second) rate and overall performance is better then A350

Cons:

•Startup/shutdown time can be better
•A300X is not available in many parts of the world
•A300K is $100 more expensive in Rest Of the World than in US after currency conversion.

More information

Detailed Specifications

System

Camera type - Digital SLR camera with built-in flash and interchangeable lenses

Lens Compatibility - Sony α lenses, Minolta and Konica Minolta AF lenses

Image Sensor

Sensor type - APS-C type (23.6x15.8mm), with RGB primary color filters

Effective pixels - Approx. 10.2 megapixels

Total pixels - Approx. 10.8 megapixels

Anti-Dust Function - Charge protection coating on low pass filter and image-sensor shift mechanism

ISO sensitivity range - AUTO, 100 to 3200 (in 1-stop increments, Recommended Exposure Index)

A/D conversion - 12 bits

Recording

Recording format - JPEG (DCF2.0 and Exif 2.21 compliant, DPOF supported), RAW (Sony ARW 2.0 format), RAW + JPEG

Image size - L size: 3872 x 2592 (10M), M size: 2896 x 1936 (5.6M), S size: 1920 x 1280 (2.5M) L size: 3872 x 2176 (8.4M), M size: 2896 x 1632 (4.7M), S size: 1920 x 1088 (2.1M)

Image quality modes - RAW, RAW + JPEG, Fine, Standard

Media - CompactFlash (Type I, Type II), Microdrive * Separately sold "Memory Stick Duo Adapter for CompactFlash Slot AD-MSCF1" is necessary to use with Memory Stick Duo / Memory Stick PRO Duo / Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo

Noise reduction - Long exposure NR: On/Off selectable, available at shutter speeds longer than 1 sec. High ISO NR: On/Off selectable, available at ISO 1600 or higher

Color space - sRGB, Adobe RGB

Other features -Creative Style, D-Range Optimizer (Off, Standard, Advanced)

White Balance

Modes - Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Flash Color Temperature / Color filter, Custom

Bracketing - 3 exposures, H/L level selectable

Focus Control

Type - TTL phase detection system

Sensor - CCD line sensors

No. of focus point - 9 points

Sensitivity range - EV 0 - 18 (at ISO 100)

Modes - AF/MF selectable. AF modes: Single-shot AF, Automatic AF, Continuous AF

Focus area - Wide, Spot, Local (9 local areas selectable)

Other features - Predictive control, Focus lock, Eye-start AF, AF illuminator (Built-in flash, Range: approx. 1-5m)

Exposure Control

Metering - Type: TTL metering Sensor: 40-segment honeycomb-pattern SPC Sensitivity range: EV 2 - 20 (EV 4 - 20 in spot metering mode), (at ISO 100 with F1.4 lens) Modes: Multi segment, Center weighted, Spot

Exposure - Modes: Program AE (AUTO, AUTO - Flash Off, P), Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual, Scene selection (Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports, Sunset, Night portrait / view) Exposure compensation: +/-2 EV in 0.3-stop increments Bracketing: 3 continuous or single exposures selectable, in 0.3 or 0.7-stop increments

Viewfinder

Type - Fixed eye-level, penta-Dach-mirror

Coverage - 95%

Magnification - 0.74 x (with 50mm lens at infinity, -1m-1 )

Diopter adjustment - -3.0 to +1.0 m-1

Eye point - Approx. 20.8 mm from the eyepiece lens, Approx. 16.7 mm from the eyepiece frame

Screen - Spherical Acute Matte

LCD Monitor

Type - 2.7-inch type, TFT

Total number of dots - 230,400 dots

Coverage - 100%

Brightness adjustment - Selectable in 5 steps

Live view

Type - Pentamirror tilt system

Image sensor - Dedicated to live view

Metering - 1200-zone evaluative

Sensitivity - EV 2 - 17 (in all metering modes, at ISO 100 with F1.4 lens)

Coverage - 90%

Smart Teleconverter function - 1.4x or 2x selectable

Other functions - Histogram display, real-time image-adjustment display (exposure compensation, white balance, sunset / B&W in Creative Style)

Shutter

Type - Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane type

Speed range - 1/4000 to 30 sec., Bulb

Flash sync speed - 1/160 sec.

Super SteadyShot® (Image Stabilization)

Type - Image-sensor shift mechanism

Indication - Super SteadyShot scale and Camera-shake warning in the viewfinder

Compensation effect - Equivalent to approx. 2.5 to 3.5 steps in shutter speeds (varies according to shooting conditions and lens used)

Built-in Flash

Pop-up - Auto

Guide number - 12 (in meters at ISO 100)

Flash coverage - 18 mm (focal length printed on the lens body)
Control ADI, Pre-flash TTL

Flash compensation - +/- 2 EV (in 0.3-stop increments)

Modes - Auto (Flash-off), Auto, Fill-flash, Red-eye reduction, Rear sync, Slow sync,
High speed sync, Wireless

Flash bracketing - 3 exposures (in 0.3/0.7-stop increments)

Recycling time -Approx. 4 sec.

Drive

Modes - Single, Continuous, Self-timer (10 sec. / 2 sec. delay selectable)

Continuous shooting speed - Max. 3 fps (approx.) with viewfinder, max. 2 fps (approx.) in live view mode

No. of frames recordable - JPEG (L size, Fine): Until memory card is full, RAW: 6 frames, RAW+JPEG: 3 frames

Playback

Modes - Single (with or without shooting information, with 4 previous / following images, RGB histogram & highlight / shadow warning), 4 / 9 / 25-frame index view, enlarged display mode (max. zoom - L size: 12x, M size: 9.1x, S size: 6.1x), Image orientation, Slideshow

Interface

PC interface - USB2.0 Hi-Speed (mass storage, PTP)

Video output - NTSC / PAL selectable

Supported OS Environments

Windows Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional / XP Home Edition / XP Professional /

Vista Home Basic / Vista Home Premium / Vista Ultimate / Vista Business / Vista Enterprise

Macintosh Mac OS X (v. 10.13 or later)

Print

Compatible standards - Exif Print, Print Image Matching III, PictBridge

Power

Power source - One Rechargeable Battery Pack NP-FM500H * NP-FM55H for DSLR-A100 is not usable.

Battery performance - Approx. 730 shots with viewfinder, approx. 410 shots in live view mode * Both measured using CIPA standard

External power source - AC Adapter / Charger AC-VQ900AM (optional)

Others

Dimension (WxHxD) - Approx. 130.8 x 98.5 x 74.7 mm (5-1/4 x 4 x 3 in.) (excl. protrusions)

Weight - Approx. 582 g (1 lb 4.5 oz) (w/o batteries, memory card, accessories)

Operating temperature - 0 - 40 degrees C (32- 104 degrees F)

Casio EX-Z9 - Digital Camera

The EX-Z9 is Casio's newest offering of the ultra-compact camera in the Exilim product line. The camera is simple with 8.1 megapixel resolution and basic functionality. It has a large LCD screen for its size (2.5") and standard 3x optical zoom. Face detection technology is also part of its main offering. The EX-Z9's claim-to-fame is its simple and easy-to-use functionality. It has an Easy Mode option, which sets the menu to 3 options: image size, flash and self-timer. All the rest of the functionality and options are hidden from the user, making it a nice point-and-shoot for older or less tech-savvy users.

Pros & Cons
Pros:

•Stylish
•Great price point
•Easy to use
•Straightforward menus

Cons:
Nothing to think of

More information

Features

Self-timer
Movie recording at 848x480 resolution
Face detection technology
8.1 megapixels
3x optical zoom
Dimensions: width - 3.64” x height - 2.17 x depth - .91”
Weight (without batteries) - 4.48 oz

Best Digital Cameras (Ultra-Compact)

Canon PowerShot SD870 IS (Around $325)

Best ultra-compact digital camera. Critics identify the Canon PowerShot SD870 IS as the best ultra-compact digital camera. In addition to great image quality and ease of use, the 8.3-megapixel Canon SD870 IS has optical image stabilization. This feature helps counteract natural hand tremors and makes capturing sharp photos much easier, especially in low light. Its face-detection feature helps lock the autofocus on your subject, and its zoom lens begins at 28mm, giving this camera wide-angle capability and an advantage when shooting in close quarters. Its small size and classy case are further highlights.


Canon PowerShot SD1000 (Around $170)

Best value in a tiny camera. While it lacks image stabilization (to help counteract camera shake), reviews say the 7.1-megapixel Canon PowerShot SD1000 is a great value and an excellent performer, producing first-rate images with great colors and sharpness. This slim model is only 3/4-inch thick, with a 2.5-inch LCD display. It is a point-and-shoot camera, so manual controls are limited, but there are lots of scene modes to help photographers tackle common shooting situations.


Fujifilm Z10fd (Around $170)

Most stylish ultra-compact camera. Other ultra-compact digital cameras might take nicer photos, but the Fujifilm Z10fd is aiming for style and youth appeal. Reviews say it succeeds. It's available in five metallic colors, with sleek lines and a sliding metal cover.. The feature lineup includes face detection and a Blog mode that resizes images in camera for web posting and e-mailing. There are better cameras overall, but reviewers say the Fujifilm Z10fd is a good blend of low price, style and functionality.


Fujifilm F40fd (Around $190)

Best in low light. Many ultra-compact digital cameras struggle in low-light situations, but the Fujifilm F40fd has a unique sensor design that gives this camera an edge for indoor and nighttime shots. In addition, image quality under better lighting is excellent. There aren't many manual controls, and the F40fd isn't very stylish. It's essentially a simple point-and-shoot camera that does really well in dim lighting -- handy if you take lots of indoor shots.


Olympus Stylus 790 SW (Around $260)

Underwater digital camera. Although the Olympus Stylus 790 SW gets merely average scores for image quality, it is one of the few truly waterproof (down to 10 feet) digital cameras on the market. The Olympus is also shockproof (it can withstand drops of up to five feet) and freeze-proof (to 14º F) -- which means it can survive a jump in the lake or a trip down the ski slopes better than most other cameras. Still, if you are not looking for a camera to take on your outdoor adventures, other cameras in the same price range take better photos overall.

Best Digital Cameras

Canon PowerShot A570 IS (Around $175)

Best digital camera overall, best features. According to reviewers, the Canon A570 IS has the best blend of image quality, features and price, with lots of manual controls to give you room to grow. The 7.1-megapixel Canon digital camera takes excellent shots and includes optical image stabilization, which works to reduce blurry images caused by the natural movements of your hands. The Digic III image processor includes face-detection technology, which uses faces in a scene to set focus and exposure for the most natural color. This camera works well in automatic mode, but users can also play with manual exposure controls, as well as both an aperture and a shutter priority mode. One quibble is that the menu system can be a little dense for using these advanced settings. The Canon's movie mode is noted as excellent.


Canon PowerShot A560 (Around $135)

Best basic digital camera. If you just want a good basic camera, reviews point to the 7.1-megapixel, 4X-zoom Canon PowerShot A560. Images are good all around, and the camera has a nice movie mode and fun collection of automatic settings. Nice features for this price range include a 2.5-inch LCD display, a top ISO setting of 1600 and face-recognition technology. Although testers say the Canon A560 is generally fast, using the flash slows down shot-to-shot speeds considerably -- so it's better for outdoor shots than indoor shooting.

Nikon Coolpix L10 (Around $100)

Best $100 digital camera. If all you want is a camera for casual snapshots, reviews say the 5-megapixel Nikon Coolpix L10 is a great choice in its price range. Despite its very low price, this camera offers solid build quality, high-grade optics and technology to help take impressive photos without much fuss. There are no manual controls at all -- this camera works on no-brainer automatic -- but reports say that that the L10 does pretty well on its own, thanks to features like face-priority autofocus and best-shot selection. An excellent macro mode is perfect for taking photos for auction websites.


Fujifilm FinePix F40fd (Around $195)

Best for indoor shots and low light. The Fujifilm FinePix F40fd lacks a lot of bells or whistles and is mainly an automatic point-and-shoot camera. However, reviews say the Fujifilm digital camera occupies a neat niche. According to critics, the Fujifilm F40fd offers better low-light performance than most other digital cameras (including those in the Canon A-series), which means your indoor shots will turn out better, and you'll be able to use natural lighting more often. Image quality is on the high side of very good, according to reviews, and superior for low-light photography. However, shot-to-shot speed is slow. If indoor shots are a priority, experts say the FinePix F40fd is the best in its price range.


Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 (Around $365)

Advanced 10-megapixel digital camera. If you want the most flexibility aside from a digital SLR, reviews say the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 has a huge range of manual controls, image stabilization, a wide-angle 28-mm Leica lens and the ability to save images in RAW mode -- an uncompressed format that allows for extensive post-shot editing in Adobe Photoshop. The image sensor has a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, but it can also shoot 3:2 or 4:3 images at the press of a button. Images are excellent for a compact camera, but speeds are just average, so the Panasonic (like most compact cameras) isn't great for action shots. However, a good continuous shooting mode helps better capture action. If you just want a basic camera, the Panasonic is probably overkill.