Sony Alpha DSLR-A100

Pros: 10.2 MP AS Build Easy to use

Cons: No battery grip (but this is normal)

Summary: The Sony Alpha is definitely an outstanding camera for the new DSLR users.

There is no doubt that more professional grade machines will come out (see PMA reviews). This machine is not a weathersealed powerhorse and so it makes sense for it not to have a powergrip (especially since you can shoot 700+ pics on one charge).

People also forget that Nikon etc uses Sony CCDs, so to say that the Sony machine is not outstanding or somehow made by a novice in the market is a mistake (DSLR bodies are more CCD than anything else).

What is more, the idea that there is more noise in the pics at iso800 and iso1600 is a falacy. It is true when you shoot JPGS, but not when you shoot raw, since you do the postprocessing yourself. If you want to shoot in low light you should use RAW and if not you should use a flash to use normal ISO values (any "pro" would accept this).

The ease of use is outstanding, you don't need to read the manual, because all ISO, flash settings, DR/DR+, white balance etc are accessible from one rotating bezel (this is how it should be for a consumer DSLR, the pro versions are yet to come).

To say that there are not enough lenses for the Sony Alpha is also ridiculous. There are many many lenses on the market made by Minolta (bought by sony), so there is a lot of very good and cheap glass for this machine. Who would say that the 80-200 APO HS and 70-200 APO SSM lenses are somehow inferior to the Canon and Nikon versions? Same with the 300 F2.8 SSM. There are also many many lenses by Sigma, Tamron and Carl Zeiss lenses.

This machine is also perfect for the DLSR newbie, because of the Anti-Shake (AS) system. This is wonderful at reducing the price of lenses for the normal user and at being able to use lower F-stops in low light.

This machine is very complete, it does not suffer from missing options that a new DSLR user would need. If you are a pro then wait a little bit. You cannot expect Sony to launch everything at once. New pro glass is on the way and it is reasonable not to release this glass for a DSLR aimed at the amateur.