Sony Alpha 100

The Sony Alpha 100 is a DSLR from 2006. It pairs an APS-C CCD sensor with the Sony Alpha DT lens mount, and it records stills only.

That combination suits someone who wants a straightforward stills camera. In-body stabilisation steadies handheld shots with any DT lens, and at 638 g the body is easy to carry.

Owning one means CompactFlash cards and a dedicated NP-FM55H battery. There is no WiFi or Bluetooth, so there is no wireless route for images off the camera.

The optics score of 46 is modest, and the specifications behind it explain why: 10 megapixels, an ISO range of 100 to 1600, a 3 fps maximum, nine autofocus points and a 1/4000 second shutter ceiling leave in-body stabilisation as the only field earning full credit.

That result places it in the bottom 18% of cameras in our database for Optics. The ISO ceiling and burst maximum are the figures to watch when light is low or subjects move quickly.

Its best optical asset is in-body stabilisation. It reduces camera shake rather than subject movement, so any Alpha DT lens gains steadier handheld shooting at slower shutter speeds. That matters more than usual here, because the ISO ceiling leaves little room to raise the shutter speed instead.

Framing is through an optical pentamirror viewfinder, since the camera offers no live view. A maximum burst of 3 fps and a nine-point autofocus system suit unhurried subjects such as portraits and landscapes better than fast sport.

This camera does not record video in any form. Movie capture is simply absent, so if motion output matters to you, this is not the body for it.

There is no built-in timelapse function either, so a stills sequence would have to be triggered some other way. Anyone wanting video or timelapse produced by the camera itself will need to look at other cameras.

The features score of 17 is limited. Live view, a touchscreen, GPS and Bluetooth are all absent, and the screen earns only partial credit for its size and resolution. Framing happens through the optical viewfinder, settings change through physical controls, and there is no WiFi either.

The 2.5 inch LCD does tilt, which helps when checking images at waist level or overhead, but without live view it cannot be used to compose shots. Its 230,000-dot resolution marks it as a basic panel.

Lighting options are stronger than the rest of the feature list. A built-in flash covers casual indoor shots, and support for an external flash leaves room to add a dedicated flashgun later. Just keep the body out of the rain, because there is no weather sealing.

The NP-FM55H battery is rated for 750 shots, a useful figure for a stills camera, though that rating is not a promise of real-world endurance.

Storage is a single CompactFlash slot that takes Type I or II cards. There is no second slot, so when a card fills mid-shoot you swap in a fresh one and carry on.

The battery cannot be charged over USB, so a charged spare is the practical backup for longer shoots. The limited score of 35 reflects the missing second card slot and the absence of USB charging more than the battery, which earns the section's points.