Sony Alpha 100

Press Release:
Capture more than your imagination with Sony's new Alpha digital SLR camera.

Super SteadyShot inside
The exclusive Super SteadyShot function in the Alpha 100 adjusts the CCD position to counter hand movements. This lets you take photos that are sharp and beautiful even when shooting freehand at much slower speeds. This opens up a whole new range of shooting opportunities, letting you take quality pictures in low light conditions or when using a telephoto lens. And unlike lens based anti-vibration systems, the Alpha 100 has Super SteadyShot built into the camera body itself, so no matter which lens you choose, you can enjoy shooting without worrying about blur from vibration.

10 megapixel CCD
The Alpha 100 tops it's class with a high resolution 10 megapixel CCD, giving you the ability to capture incredibly minute details, subtle gradations and delicate shifts of colour and shading that lower-resolution cameras simply can't detect. Thanks to it's large-size CCD, the Alpha 100 provides a wider tonal range with less noise, and allows you to produce prints that are stunningly sharp and exceptionally clean even when enlarged to 12x16 inches.

Anti-dust system
Unlike compact digital cameras, SLR cameras have their insides exposed to dust every time the lenses are changed. The Alpha 100 includes two anti-dust measures that protect the CCD and keep spots and streaks off your images. The low-pass filter on the CCD has been treated with an anti-dust coating to minimise static charge and thereby reduce the attraction of dust. Furthermore whenever the Alpha 100 is turned off, the anti-dust vibration function automatically vibrates the CCD rapidly, shaking loose dust particles that may have accumulated.

High-speed response
Because the exact moment doesn't stand still, the continuous shooting function lets you take three photos per second in any file format, including RAW. And more remarkably, now you can capture non-stop action in high-resolution JPEG at three frames per second simply by holding down the shutter button. The larger your memory card, the longer you can continue shooting. The Eye-start system, meanwhile, incorporates an infrared sensor just below the eyepiece to detect when the viewfinder is being used. It then automatically activates auto-focus so you are ready to shoot immediately.

Bionz engine
Capturing the emotion of a magic moment means nothing if you don't have the power to reproduce it faithfully. Sony's exclusive new Bionz engine powers image processing for the Alpha 100to ensure that all of the rich colour and detail are as vivid as you remember. The sophisticated algorithm easily handles high-speed, high-quality processing to reduce unwanted image noise without degrading resolution or colour integrity. This engine also accurately controls colour saturation, contrast and white balance to produce sharp, vivid, yet natural images every time.

D-range optimiser function
The D-range optimiser function accurately adjust exposure balance when shooting under high contrast lighting and colour conditions, such as with strong back-lighting. In standard mode, the D-range optimiser measures the brightness of the entire scene in real-time to determine the most appropriate exposure balance. In advanced mode, the D-range optimiser analyses the image section by section and adjusts the brightness of each area individually to ensure your photo is as beautiful and balanced as the scene that inspired you.

Clear photo LCD plus
Clear photo LCD plus is a high-resolution 2.5inch display with a wide viewing angle, ideal for checking and enjoying the rich quality of your images. The high contrast 230,000-pixel display with anti-reflection coating ensures excellent viewing even in bright sunlight. When shooting, the convenient navigation menu displays all settings and shooting conditions in a single screen for verification at a glance. The Alpha 100 also automatically detects whether it is being held vertically or horizontally, and aligns the orientation to match.

Long-life stamina battery
Running out of power can bring everything to a halt. With Sony's new lithium ion stamina battery pack complemented by low energy consumption measures, you can shoot and amazing 750 shots from a single charge. And thanks to the extended battery life, the Alpha 100 satisfies the needs of even serious photographers, making it ideal for a long day of shooting, important events r trips away from home. To provide you pith better energy management while shooting, a five-stage meter displays remaining power on the LCD.

Specifications

Camera type	Digital SLR camera with built-in flash and interchangeable lenses
Lens used	Sony Alpha lenses (plus compatible with the full range of Konica Minota Dynax lenses.
Recording media	Compact flash, Microdrive, Memory Stick Duo
A/D conversion	12bit
Recorded pixels	Large: 3872x2592 Meduim: 2896x1936 Small: 1920x1280
Colour modes	sRGB, Adobe RGB
Quality modes	Standard, Fine, RAW, RAW+Jpeg
Noise reduction	available at shutter speeds longer than 1sec
Scene selector	Portrait, landscape, macro, sports, evening, night, night portrait
Metering sensor	40 segment honeycomb-pattern SPC
Shutter speeds	1/4000 - 30secs and bulb
Flash sync speed	1/160sec (1/125sec with Super SteadyShot active)
Super SteadyShot	CCD shift mechanism with indicator inside viewfinder.

UK recommended retail prices have been confirmed as:

Body Only	599.99
Body with DT 18-70mm	699.99
Body with DT 18-70mm and 75-300mm	849.99