SONY HAS GONE FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH since it acquired Konica Minolta’s Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras division in 2006.

It was Minolta, in 1985, that developed the world’s first autofocus system with its A-type bayonet mount – known now as the α (Greek letter alpha) lens mount.

Sony’s DSLR camera system, introduced 5 June 2006, uses and expands upon Konica Minolta camera technologies, and is also called Alpha or α. Virtually all Minolta AF lenses are supported on Sony DSLRs, and many Sony lenses work on Minolta’s film and digital SLRs.

This pedigree is further consolidated by Sony’s work fabricating sensors for Nikon as well as the company’s sizeable ownership stake in Japanese lens manufacturer Tamron.

As befits this giant Japanese manufacturer of consumer products, Sony’s DSLR cameras are notable for their user-friendly handling, as well as their overall quality.

Sony’s range of Alpha DSLRs includes the  α230, α330 and α380 crop-sensor entry level cameras (respectively left to right, top row of images below). Moving up through the range, with increasing image quality and functionality, are the crop-sensor α500, α550 cameras and the full-frame α850 DSLR (respectively left to right, lower row of images below).

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