In comparison to 6- and 8-megapixel competitors, the A100 offers 10 megapixels.  But the pixel count is just the beginning. With the exquisite sensitivity of Sony’s Super APS-sized CCD, you get great pictures in candlelight or night shooting. And with Sony’s full 23.5 x 15.7 mm APS frame, you get incredibly low image “noise.” Plus superb dynamic range. Plus the power to blur the background for outstanding portraits.

Unlike most DSLRs, the A100 has image stabilization built into its  body, so that, unlike other cameras, any lens you use benefits from a stabilized image,  and this includes many of the 16 million Maxxum A-mount lenses dating back to 1985. The Super SteadyShot system empowers you to take spectacular shots where un-stabilized lenses would give you blur. It’s great anywhere a tripod is unavailable. Or in museums and churches where flash is prohibited. It’s perfect for indoor sports. Or candlelit subjects that would be ruined by flash. Or macro telephoto shots.

To capture life as it happens, your camera has to be fast. Most point-and-clicks have a delay of one to three seconds after you push the button before the image is captured.The Sony A100 brings the exceptional responsiveness of an SLR camera and adds innovative features that improve speed. With Eye-Start Autofocus, the camera begins focusing as soon as you put your eye to the eye piece, so it’s ready to shoot when you are. And Continuous Burst Mode lets you capture up to three frames per second – up to the limit of the memory card.

The Sony A100 is built on the foundation of 16 million Maxxum A-mount lenses dating back to 1985. These include such cherished Minolta glass as the classic 135mm Smooth Transition Focus (STF), the awe-inspiring 300mm f/2.8 G and the 500mm f/8 Reflex —the world’s only AF telephoto reflex lens. Not only is Sony retaining a wide range of these well-loved lenses, we’re also introducing Carl Zeiss ® A-mount optics, taking a proud legacy into the future.

A simple lens change can let dust particles collect on the image sensor surface, degrading picture quality.  Once there, dust is difficult to  remove.  That’s why the A100  has comprehensive anti-dust technology. A special Indium Tin Oxide CCD coating repels dust.  What little dust gets past this first line of defense is dislodged by a unique CCD “shake” routine. The result?  Clean, clear pictures!

Why can’t a camera capture what the eye sees?  Often, the culprit is limited “dynamic range.”  Expose for shadow detail and you end up blowing out the highlights.  Expose for the highlights and you end up crushing the blacks.  That’s where Sony’s Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO) comes in.  DRO Normal selects from the most appropriate of 400,000 gamma curves to improve shadow detail. DRO Advanced adjusts area-by-area, to maximize detail in both highlight and shadow areas.