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Note: this camera was first sold in Jun 2006. There may be newer versions available.
Sony Alpha a100
Sony Alpha a100
B-
HQ Grade: B-
A is outstanding and exceptional, rated in the top 10% of digital cameras.
B means they are good, with some standout features.
C means they are mediocre, and probably more trouble than they are worth.
D & F mean they are absolutely awful or old. Avoid at all costs.
  • 4 out of 5
"sony a100"
  • 4 out of 5
"Excellent Introductory to DSLR Cameras"
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Rich (RichSonyQ) 0 pts
July 11, 2007 11:59 AM
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Will my Konica Minolta Maxxum Flash 5600HS sork from my Minolta Z1 digital camera?

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by James DeRuvo (byjamesderuvo) 58445 pts
July 12, 2007 11:55 PM
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Good question. It'll probably work on manual, but it's a toss up whether you can enjoy the automatic settings or not.
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Darrell 0 pts
July 27, 2007 4:37 AM
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It will work only in Manual.
NO TTL, NO HSS.
And it fires in FULL flash, so anything at less than 5m tends to be completely overexposed!
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Jerry 11 pts
October 22, 2007 12:49 PM
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Not true, in my experience, Darrell. The ability to take full advantage of the 5600 I already owned was a key deciding factor in buying the A100. All features of the 5600 work, as near as I can tell. HSS, TTL, wireless remote, AF helper lights, measured light output-- all work as described in the manual.
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Rich (RichSonyQ) 0 pts
October 22, 2007 1:37 PM
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Thanks Jerry, have you been happy with the A100/5600 combination. I have been very happy with the falsh on my Minolta Z1 and am willing to pay a bit more for the A100 so I do not have to purchase another external flash.
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Jerry 11 pts
October 23, 2007 3:36 PM
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I just got the A100 about a week ago. I have not had time to do much in the field with it yet. But I am pretty thrilled to have it sitting in my camera bag, and I can't wait to put it to work. This is the camera I wanted to buy 4 years ago when I bought the Minolta Z3. At that time, the Minolta 7D was just pre-launch, and I needed something for an upcoming soccer season, so I settled for the Z3. Now, here comes the A100, a DSLR with all the features I wanted back then, and a 10.2 MP detector-- at half the price of the old 7D!! I looked at the A700, but 2 more MP for twice the price made the decision to go with A100 an easy one. As far as the 5600 flash goes, it is the brightest light you can put on top of a Minolta, and the features it offers are all-pro. It was expensive to buy, but I have never regretted it. After all, taking pictures is about capturing light, and the 5600 gives you more options to produce usable light than anything else I have found. I have used it successfully now on 3 cameras: Minolta Maxxum 5 film camera, Z3, and A100. I wouldn't use anything else.
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D. Lezmy (dlezmy) 0 pts
November 3, 2007 9:17 PM
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Will my Minolta Maxxum Flash 5600HS Work the Sony ALPHA DSLR-A100 OR DSLR-A700 or any other make compatible to replace my ill fated lemon "Minolta 7i" that broke down on me without any big use or abuse.

Thanks in advance.
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by James DeRuvo (byjamesderuvo) 58445 pts
November 5, 2007 1:52 PM
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I don't think that it would. According to the specs, the flash mode(s) available are: Manual Pop-up: Auto, Fill-flash, Rear flash sync, Wireless off camera flash (with Flash HVL-F56AM, F36AM). Here are the list of compatible flashes for the A100:

External Flash Units Cameras
Model Number DSLR-A100 DSLR-A100/H DSLR-A100/K
HVL-F56AM Yes Yes Yes
HVL-F36AM Yes Yes Yes
HVL-MT24AM Yes Yes Yes
HVL-RLAM This flash is compatible when using the FA-SA1AM adapter provided with the HVL-RLAM. Yes Yes Yes
FA-ST1AM Sync Terminal Flash Adapter Yes Yes Yes
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Jeremy 0 pts
December 27, 2007 8:29 PM
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What lens works best for taking picture up close (smaller then a dime). I recently bought the A100 sony and don't know much about it. And what about the right settings for this to function correctly.

Thanx in advance..jh
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by James DeRuvo (byjamesderuvo) 58445 pts
December 28, 2007 2:25 PM
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Well, at those distances, you defintely want a dedicated macro lens. This is a lens that is designed for serious "up close" photography. In addition, you may want to invest in a light table box. You can get them for less than $80 and they come complete with lights, box, the whole smash.
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dare 0 pts
August 31, 2009 3:49 PM
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The 5600HS can be converted to work with Alpha cameras.
See http://www.voitzsch.net/index.php/en/flashconv-a-minolta-flash-converter
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