Sony® (alpha) DSLR-A100

[drake336]

emm, found the source. took a closer look at the specs, don't seems to have all the features of the 7D. It boosted to 10.2 mega, and plus a anti dust function. But ISO range is compromised. Many direct access buttons & knobs are also missing. Seems like this is to replace 5D rather than 7D. What do u guys think? esp the 7D users.

I think most 7D users will hold onto their cams a while more, despite have some "upgrades", this body just doesn't have the feel the 7D users have come to love...

 

[drake336]

But of course the CZ lenses are another matter!

I for one will be looking out for that 1st vario-sonnar review...

 

[pai]

Quick Bro! de-registed and register back as pai 666:bsmilie:

:devil:

how, any 135 f1.8 for you?

 

[eow]

:devil:

how, any 135 f1.8 for you?

prefer the 35mm f/1.4...need WIDE angle lens for portrait:bsmilie:

 

[denizenx]

wah very silver leh... lol

TCs

 

[Zenten]

Looks like a D5D replacement. Seems very interesting indeed!

More like a re-worked D5D ........ not very interesting.:think:

 

[pai]

prefer the 35mm f/1.4...need WIDE angle lens for portrait:bsmilie:

yeah i bio that one for awhile already. but very big and expensive leh... i was thinking maybe a 28 f2 instead. but sony didn't release new one... :bheart:

 

[pai]

More like a re-worked D5D ........ not very interesting.:think:

different people interested in different things mah...

i quite curious about the bionz + dynamic range enhancer thing... but it seems to have no effect on raw files, only on jpgs

it seems to be an improvement on the 5d in almost every way (except maybe high iso noise, can't tell yet). i even like what they did with the function dial.

right now, since i already have a 5d, i'd rather save up for a good lens.

but i find this interesting because if this is this is what they came up with for a new entry level camera, then the next one or two generations of mid-level cameras will be very competitive indeed.

 

[zcf]

i quite curious about the bionz + dynamic range enhancer thing... but it seems to have no effect on raw files, only on jpgs

I suspect it's something like the "Auto level/exposure" thing in photo manipulating program, but it work inside the camera instead, guess it help people who don't/lazy to do post processing :sweat:

 

[grado]

More like a re-worked D5D ........ not very interesting.:think:

10.2MP, improved anti-shake and anti-dust, plus potentially low cost for a 10.2MP camera is quite a big step from D5D to me. AF speed is not that important to me, but rather AF accuracy, which the D5D i tried from my friend was good.

 

[pai]

i quite curious about the bionz + dynamic range enhancer thing... but it seems to have no effect on raw files, only on jpgs

i was wrong....

DCI:
Absolutely. Getting into the technology a bit, can you indicate how you see the new Bionz image processor being different than the Real Image Processors, and how is it a better fit for an SLR?

Mark Weir:
If what you’re saying is the real imaging processor specifically, I would say that probably the biggest difference is operational speed and also what it’s doing. I mean if you think about it, the main CPU of a camera has similar responsibilities from model to model. But in the case of this processor, I think more effort is put into the image processing and the method by which the image processing is accomplished, then in most other processors. Specifically, part of this is aimed at maintaining very low noise levels even with higher pixel counts and slightly smaller pixel pitch. Maintaining per pixel sharpness becomes more and more difficult to realize as pixel counts go up in APS sensors. But I think that the primary difference is the dynamic range optimization. Which, as far as I know, hasn’t really been attempted in SLRs to date. Up until now, and again, I’m not aware of each and every product on the market, but up until now, it’s my opinion that most every image optimization scheme that’s been attempted to date has been done after the image has developed.

DCI:
Meaning in the software rather than in the hardware.

Mark Weir:
Well, not only in the software rather than in the hardware, but after the image has been processed, in other words, the process is not applied to the raw data coming off of the sensor. If you think of the shooting process as a sensor capturing the data, the data being processed, and then the data being recorded to media, specifically or perhaps exclusively, all of the optimization has been performed on the image after it has been processed into a JPEG and before it is written to the media. So, in other words it’s not just post-capture, it’s post processing.

DCI:
So it’s basically like applying auto levels to the RAW files?

Mark Weir:
No, it’s much more than “a” parameter, we have slides that would probably help explain it in greater detail for you, but I think that there’s at least four or five separate parameters which are evaluated and optimized in the process, and to do that on a 10 MP RAW file without negatively impacting the processing speed and therefore without negatively impacting the shooting speed is the real breakthrough.

DCI:
Is there any difference in the way it performs those tasks on the RAW file versus a JPEG?

Mark Weir:
It doesn’t perform those tasks on a JPEG at all. Dynamic Range Optimization in the camera is performed exclusively on the RAW data, never on the processed data.

DCI:
Does it boost information in shadows more than highlights or are both given equal weighting?

Mark Weir:
Depends upon the mode. As you know, there are two different selectable levels of DRO: there’s DRO standard and then there is DRO advanced. DRO standard is primarily manipulation of Gamma, it’s not exclusively manipulation of gamma but it’s primarily that. It covers the entire image, and its primary purpose is to recover or extract shadow detail. DRO advanced can extract detail from the shadowed areas, but it performs the analysis on an area by area basis and it also manipulates additional parameters so it is able to recover the shadow detail, as well as the highlight detail, without affecting the entire image. The primary reason for having separate standard and advanced is essentially the processing time, because we can’t execute the advanced process in the time necessary to maintain the three frames per second shooting rate.

DCI:
Is there any way to disengage the Dynamic Range Optimizer?

Mark Weir:
Oh, sure.

DCI:
You can disengage it completely?

Mark Weir:
Oh yeah, you can turn it off. You can et it for standard or you can set it for advanced. It’s up to you. We know that there are plenty of people who would say no, no, no, no, no, I’m not going to let my camera do that. I’m going to do that in post processing in Photoshop. Those people are going to say no, I capture everything in RAW and I process every one of my images by myself, and I perform all of that optimization on my own and we’re like, fine, no problem. But if you think about it, the time it takes to do that—I mean, that’s a very involved process.

DCI:
Absolutely, it becomes much more of a control issue at that point.

Mark Weir:
Yeah, and what we’re saying is that through the aid of this processor, we’re able to take an operation that is a minimum of, oh I would say twenty minutes, thirty minutes, and, for some people, hours and reduce it to a near instantaneous process. But we are not requiring it in any way and of course you can always capture RAW and JPEG and leave the RAW data as it is and enjoy the dynamic range optimization in the file that is ultimately processed to JPEG and written to memory. But in no way do we require that, we just think that it’s a major step forward that a camera could put forward processing at this level of sophistication and do it in the routine operation of shooting. I mean, you can literally enjoy DRO standard while blitzing along at three frames per second unlimited.

DCI:
Yeah, that’s great.

Mark Weir:
And that, I think, is the primary accomplishment of the Bionz processor. I don’t know anything that can do that.

 

[OlyFlyer]

Happy birthday Alpha! And good luck to you all Sony lovers, I am sure you will love this camera and the intro to DSLR world.

I am not very highly educated on Sony logic and Sony cameras, but I wonder why it starts at ISO 160, which is a strange value. There are occasions when you want low ISO to be able to reduce shutter speed AND aperture or is Alpha only for low light conditions? I even wish mine had ISO 50 as low limit some times when there is just too much light.

Also, I don't understand the logic about the anti dust being activated when you turn off the camera. And the explanation is "to reduce start up time". It may be true if you always use the same lens, in that case it may not even be necessary. Dust enters mainly when you change lens. That means you have to turn off the camera, change lens then turn on the camera to be able to turn off the camera again to activate anti dust when it is needed mostly. That is not very logical to me.

Sorry for being so rude on this big day after The day of the Alpha. I think it is time for a Beta. :bsmilie: (I hope you don't mind the joke with words.)

 

[scenar]

Hey i actually interpret the statement: "It doesn’t perform those tasks on a JPEG at all. Dynamic Range Optimization in the camera is performed exclusively on the RAW data, never on the processed data." AS : It doesn't postprocess a JPG which already has all the parameters applied, i.e. WB/sharpening/saturation, but rather on the raw data in the camera just as it captures the image on the sensor and applies this dynamic range enhancement as part of the capture process. It does not refer to the file format in use. i.e., he's taking JPEG to mean a "processed file" and "RAW" to me RAW data fr the sensor, not the RAW file format.

 

[eow]

Happy birthday Alpha! And good luck to you all Sony lovers, I am sure you will love this camera and the intro to DSLR world.

I am not very highly educated on Sony logic and Sony cameras, but I wonder why it starts at ISO 160, which is a strange value. There are occasions when you want low ISO to be able to reduce shutter speed AND aperture or is Alpha only for low light conditions? I even wish mine had ISO 50 as low limit some times when there is just too much light.

Also, I don't understand the logic about the anti dust being activated when you turn off the camera. And the explanation is "to reduce start up time". It may be true if you always use the same lens, in that case it may not even be necessary. Dust enters mainly when you change lens. That means you have to turn off the camera, change lens then turn on the camera to be able to turn off the camera again to activate anti dust when it is needed mostly. That is not very logical to me.

Sorry for being so rude on this big day after The day of the Alpha. I think it is time for a Beta. :bsmilie: (I hope you don't mind the joke with words.)

dude it iso start at 80...
heard u talk so many wonderful thing abt yr gear...pls shw some pics..guru
i seriously thinking of jumping camp.......but pls post those shot in low lighting with high iso pls......especially action type.

 

[wind30]

i was wrong....

actually after reading your article, I think you was right. It doesn't affect the raw output. Just the jpeg output. it works on the raw file differently to obtain a different jpeg output.

I think it is very interesting. I can do that in photoshop in like 10mins but it is better if the camera can do it instantaneously.

 

[drake336]

I am not very highly educated on Sony logic and Sony cameras, but I wonder why it starts at ISO 160, which is a strange value. There are occasions when you want low ISO to be able to reduce shutter speed AND aperture or is Alpha only for low light conditions? I even wish mine had ISO 50 as low limit some times when there is just too much light.

Actually ISO 160 is not a strange value... old farts like me who started in the film era will remember that this was the speed of most specialized negative film for portraiture...

 

[zcf]

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1035&message=18751732

There is some evidence that the RAW files are processed, different settings of the D-R function alter raw data; they may also be compressed, and have NR applied in RAW, like Nikon D200.....

However, if the image is lower noise, and the same compression is applied as the D200, the resulting raw file will be smaller. So far - noise is lower than D200. Therefore smaller compressed raw file.

Sony ARW RAW files are processed? I always though RAW are native data only :sweat:

 

[OlyFlyer]

dude it iso start at 80...
heard u talk so many wonderful thing abt yr gear...pls shw some pics..guru
i seriously thinking of jumping camp.......but pls post those shot in low lighting with high iso pls......especially action type.

dude, in that case #1 is wrong because it says

ISO: Auto/160/200/400/800/1600

So you mean Sony Auto = ISO 80 or #1 got it all wrong or you got it all wrong? Otherway, generally speaking film ISO starts much lower than 80, actually the lowest I know of is 25.

Why don't you explain the logic and the facts behind the anti dust instead? I am not saying I am a guru, and I still don't have to proof anything, actually I also say I am not a pro nor an expert. Just one with the right to question and have opinions. I am not entering the sand pit competition again to play this childrens game about low light and noisy Oly. I know Sony makes the world best sensor.

My intentions on whishing the Sony community a Happy birthday for the new camera was real, honest and came from my heart, because I love people who love photography regardless of their camera brand. You can not take that joy away by trying to start and win a war which I am not interested in attending. And if I would not love my gear I would be a stupid idiot paying so much money for it and not being happy with it. That is not the way I do business, simply because my budget does not allow that kind of spending.

 

[OlyFlyer]

Actually ISO 160 is not a strange value... old farts like me who started in the film era will remember that this was the speed of most specialized negative film for portraiture...

I don't mean ISO 160 is strange, just that it is a strange starting point, according to me too high. Old farts like me remember ISO 80 and 160 as slide ISO, negative ISO was 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400, or am I remembering the wrong way round. I remember taking pictures with ISO 25 BW when I really wanted knife edge sharpness without grain...

 

[zcf]

dude, in that case #1 is wrong because it says

ISO: Auto/160/200/400/800/1600

So you mean Sony Auto = ISO 80 or #1 got it all wrong or you got it all wrong? Otherway, generally speaking film ISO starts much lower than 80, actually the lowest I know of is 25.

I think you info is not up to date :sweat:

ISO: Auto/100/200/400/800/1600/Lo80/Hi200

according to official specification page

Why don't you explain the logic and the facts behind the anti dust instead? I am not saying I am a guru, and I still don't have to proof anything, actually I also say I am not a pro nor an expert. Just one with the right to question and have opinions. I am not entering the sand pit competition again to play this childrens game about low light and noisy Oly. I know Sony makes the world best sensor.

Some forumers explaination on the Indium Tin Oxide layer/Anti-Static Coating, make some sense to me.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1037&thread=18719780
Sony demo, seem like fo very tiny dust, it's still difficult to shake away, a blower will help or anti-static will further facilitate the removal of dust.
http://www.sony.jp/products/Consumer/AMC/body/DSLR-A100/popup/anti_dust.html
Only time will tell how effective it is.

My intentions on whishing the Sony community a Happy birthday for the new camera was real, honest and came from my heart, because I love people who love photography regardless of their camera brand. You can not take that joy away by trying to start and win a war which I am not interested in attending. And if I would not love my gear I would be a stupid idiot paying so much money for it and not being happy with it. That is not the way I do business, simply because my budget does not allow that kind of spending.

Thanks, happy shooting.