Editor's Choice 2007: Digital Compacts

EDITOR'S CHOICE Entry-Level D-SLRs

Camera of the Year: Sony Alpha 100

The Sony Alpha 100 inherits its ample capabilities from both the venerable Konica Minolta SLR system and Sony's own EVF line. Chief among these is a huge legacy of lenses. But it also includes the camera's sensor-based image stabilization, which steadies shots made with any of those lenses. There's no need to put stabilizing hardware in each and every lens that would benefit from it. The Alpha 100 also incorporates a new Sony technology called Dynamic Range Optimization (DRO), which analyzes and manipulates RAW data in-camera, before processing and compression, to recover shadow or highlight detail that might otherwise be lost. Especially in its "plus" setting, it improved highlight detail in our Large/Fine JPEG files -- in some cases lessening the need for RAW mode. Our favorite feature is the top-mounted function dial, used to quickly adjust settings that would otherwise require delving into the menu. These include ISO, white balance, flash mode, metering pattern, AF mode, DRO mode, and image parameters such as contrast, saturation, and sharpness. All that makes the Sony Alpha 100 an advanced D-SLR at an entry-level price.

Read more on the Sony Alpha 100. Next product: Canon Digital Rebel XTi.