The Sony A200 is the least expensive model in the company's digital SLR range, and replaces the A100, Sony's first digital SLR.

The A100 was, in fact, a development of Konica Minolta's Dynax 5D, which Sony bought up when Konica Minolta decided to exit the SLR market.

And while the A200 is now a further generation removed, there are still echoes of the Dynax in the design and handling.

Inside Sony's latest Digital SLR

The most obvious example is the power switch, which is still at the back of the camera and the top left, and which still prompts an odd cacophony of mechanical shunting noises that seems to accompany the power-up process.

This mechanical noise is no doubt connected with Sony's anti-dust and anti-shake (Super SteadyShot) hardware. This uses a CCD-shift system to counter camera shake at slow shutter speeds, as opposed to the lens-based stabilisation favoured by Canon and Nikon.

This system has been enhanced in the A200, and Sony now claims that it offers a 2.5 to 3.5 shutter speed advantage.

Where you might expect to see camera shake appearing at, say, 1/30 (depending on the focal length you're shooting at), you should now be able to shoot safely at 1/8 or even 1/4 of a second.

Systems like these aren't foolproof, but the Sony's does seem to work very well.

Minor improvements

Like the A100, the A200 features a 10-megapixel CCD and at first sight the differences between this camera and its predecessor look fairly minor. It's more of an evolutionary development than a big step forward.

Sony says that improved noise reduction has allowed a new maximum ISO of 3200, and the battery performance is impressive for an 'amateur' SLR at 750 shots.

The A200 normally ships with the Sony 18-70mm kit lens used on the A100. This offers a good focal range but pretty poor performance, with a drop in definition towards the edges of the frame and some fairly strong chromatic aberration.

However, we tested the A200 with Sony's more expensive 16-80mm Zeiss-badged optic.

Bulky camera

The A200 is a bit bulky compared with the likes of Nikon's new D60 and the diminutive Olympus E-410. The body panels are plastic, as you'd rightly expect at this price level, and they do create a slightly cheap feel.

The grip on the right of the camera is only tall enough for about three normal-width fingers, and it does leave your fingernails scraping the lens flange.