Sony A200: Entry DSLR Roundup
by Wesley Fink on October 20, 2008 1:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Digital Camera
Sony A200 vs. Canon XS vs. Olympus E420/E520
All crops are 150x250 pixels, and images were captured at f4, manually focused, on a tripod at the same position. Color balance in all cases was manually set to Tungsten as all images were illuminated with a single tungsten 100W bulb high to the right side of the image. All three entry models are based on a 10MP sensor.
The Olympus E420/E520 uses a smaller 2X multiplier instead of the 1.5X of the Sony A200 and 1.6X of the Canon XS. Therefore a 50mm lens was used for capturing the Canon XS and Sony A200 images and a 35mm Macro lens was used to capture the Olympus images. This was to allow the full-size images, which you can see by clicking on any crop, to represent the same field of view regardless of the multiplier used by the crop-sensor DSLR.
| ISO Comparison - Sony A200 vs. Olympus E420/520 vs. Canon XS | |||
| ISO | Sony A200 | Olympus E-520 | Canon XS |
| 100 |  |
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| 200 |  |
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| 400 |  |
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| 800 |  |
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| 1600 |  |
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| 3200 |  |
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Click on any of the above image crops for the full image. Note: Full size images are between 3.2MB and 5.2MB! |
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It should be apparent that all three entry cameras at ISO 800 are all but equivalent in image noise. However, as we move to ISO 1600, which is the highest value available with Canon XS and Olympus E520, the XS and A200 are very similar in noise but the Olympus E520 is a bit noisier. This is most likely due to the slightly smaller sensor used in Four-Thirds cameras. The A200 is the only model in this class to offer an ISO 3200 option. At ISO 3200 the A200 noise is apparent and it is noisier than the Olympus ISO 1600 option. You will likely find ISO 3200 useful in a pinch or when a small print is all that is required, but these actual pixel crops show the ISO 3200 would not be useful for large prints.
Color balance is something we have complained about on Canon before. All cameras were set to the Tungsten preset, but the Canon idea of Tungsten is very warm under our 100W tungsten light source. The Sony is slightly warm but close to accurate and many will find the Olympus the most accurate color balance at the Tungsten setting. In our estimation either the Sony or Olympus colors are fine but the Canon would require custom adjustment under this light source for more accurate color rendition.
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Wesley Fink - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - link
Those coming from P&S who insist on Live View would probably be happiest with the Sony A300 ($599 kit) or A350 ($799). If they want a fast-focusing capable traditional DSLR the A200 has a fast 9-point module that works well with off-center targets, tracks moving subjects well in sports and kid shooting, and is one of the fastest AF and largest brightest viewfinders in its class.When the new Panasonic G1 micro 4/3 hits the shelves it features a sensor with truly fast contrast-detect AF that many users will find very satisfying in Live View mode. It is the first contrast Live View we have seen that is likely to satisfy DSLR fans. It is likely the first of a new generation of fast Live View sensors that will be used in future competing DSLR cameras.
Heidfirst - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - link
the wireless flash controller will also work with Sigma, Vivitar etc. flash guns too so you can certainly get down to at least 1/2 the price of a 42AM. I agree that it's probably a function not used y the majority of A200 users but some people who may might use the A200 as a 2nd/backup body to e.g. an A700.The A200 doesn't have live view & other than the A300/A350 with their particular & unusual implementation autofocus in live view is pretty poor (slow) on DSLRs. At any rate A200 autofocus is as good as (or better than) any other DSLR in it's price bracket.
remember that most p+s use contrast detect AF whereas DSLRs use phase detect (other than in live view except A300/A350).
computerfarmer - Monday, October 20, 2008 - link
I have noticed the Sony a200 review on dpreview dated July 2008 with an announcement date of January 2008. you can view it here.http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Sony/">http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Sony/
Perhaps there are changes I am unaware of.
This does appear to be a nice camera for the money. It has a good size sensor along with a decent kit lens.
Is it true the future is in cmos sensors?
What is the expected life span of CCD/CMOS sensors?
Wesley Fink - Monday, October 20, 2008 - link
CMOS sensors are cheaper to manufacture and it is much easier to integrate associated electronics into a CMOS sensor.It is worth mentioning, however, that the newest highest-res mid-size Kodak sensor, used in the new Leica Medium Format camera, is a CCD sensor, and some still claim the CCD to be superior in image quality.
For a more in-depth discussion of CCD vs. CMOS you may want to look back at our Digital Sensor Articles with Part 1 at http://www.anandtech.com/digitalcameras/showdoc.as...">http://www.anandtech.com/digitalcameras/showdoc.as... and part 2 at http://www.anandtech.com/digitalcameras/showdoc.as...">http://www.anandtech.com/digitalcameras/showdoc.as....
computerfarmer - Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - link
Thank you for your prompt reply.I took the time to read both the articles. They help in understanding the differences between CMOS/CCD sensors. Yet everything electronic has an expected lifespan. Does anyone have an expected lifespan for these sensors?
Hulk - Monday, October 20, 2008 - link
Looks to me like the lenses you are using are scratching the limits of the sensors, thus the results are all pretty much the same. Using a prime at f/8 will pretty much take the glass out of the comparison as most any prime is quite sharp at f/8 unless there is something wrong with it.Also please test using a subject with more colors so we can see how each camera handles demosiacing under increasing ISO.
Thanks for you hard work.
- Mark
Wesley Fink - Monday, October 20, 2008 - link
As stated on the test pages all the test shots used a 50mm f1.4 prime stopped down to f/4.0. We are down 3 stops from the rated speed and in all cases the glass is in its highest resolution range.The only exception to this is the Olympus tests, where we use a 35mm prime macro lens stopped down to f4, which has been tested to be in the highest resolution area of that lens.
This is because of the 2x factor on Olympus which gives us a 70mm equivalent. That is much closer to the 75- 80mm equivalent of the 50mm on the 1.5X-1.6X sensors. The 50mm macro on the Olympus would be equivalent to 100mm.
Test results are closer because other manufacturers have made dramatic improvements in their sensors in the last couple of years. Canon no longer enjoys the massive lead in sensor resolution and low noise they enjoyed with their CMOS sensors in the early years of DSLR technology. As pointed out in the test comments, many of today's competing cameras in the entry category use the Sony 10.2 megapixel sensor so results would be similar.
The biggest differences are detailed on page 9 in the comparisons of the 3 Sony sensors used in the A200, A350, and A700. The new 24.6 megapixel A900 could have been included as we have one in house, but it seemed a stretch to include a $3000 camera with resolution more than twice the entry-level DSLRs.
As Jarred has pointed out we always use the kit lens for sample images that are normally included in our reviews, so photos will be representative of what a normal buyer might expect. We similarly always use primes stopped down to the same f/4 for our noise and resolution tests to remove glass variations from the equation.
Hulk - Thursday, October 23, 2008 - link
The reasoning to use primes is NOT to test lenses but to try to eliminate lenses as a variable during testing and atually see how the bodies perform. By using less than very good lenses it's hard to tell what is limiting performance, the lens or the body.Since you are not testing scenes with any depth of field just use the sharpest setting, which is f/8 for just about any lens. f/4 would be applicable to test bokeh for a depth of field shot.
Again I know it's easy to complain. But really I'll I'm saying is use primes and stop down to f/8 so we can isolate the camera body performance.
Thanks,
- Mark
strikeback03 - Thursday, October 23, 2008 - link
According to photozone.de, the center resolution of the 50 1.4 is essentially constant from f/2.8-f/5.6, and down a bit at f/8 (corners top out at f/5.6).http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/159-canon-ef-50m...">http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/159-c...mm-f14-u...
slrgear calls f/4 and f/5.6 essentially tied, with f/8 a little worse.
http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/pro...">http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/pro...
Both of these tests are on an 8MP sensor, and the center resolution numbers are pushing the boundary of that sensor, so larger differences might be revealed in tests with a higher resolution sensor. For the 10MP sensors though f/4 would seem to be a very valid choice.
melgross - Thursday, October 23, 2008 - link
You know that 50 1.4's are not very good, even stopped down a couple of stops.I would choose the Olympus 35mm macro for quality over the 50's. Try a 50 or 60mm macro instead. It's about as close as you're going to get to the 35mm macro in quality to even out the lens issue.