Camera companies really want you to move from point-and-shoots to D-SLRs. The reason is pretty simple—they make more money. It’s no secret (even though over 35 million digicams will be purchased this year) that prices are dropping. To make up the dollar difference companies are driving down entry-level D-SLR prices--hoping you’ll spend more jack if you’re looking at a fully-featured point-and-shoot like the Canon G9 ($499 USD) or Sony DSC-H9 ($429 USD). D-SLRs are also enticing if you’re a seasoned digicam owner who is sick and tired of slow-acting shutters and even slower shot-to-shot times. Enter the new Sony alpha DSLR-A200, the replacement for the company’s entry-level D-SLR, the –A100. For $699 USD, you get a 10MP digicam, built-in image stabilization, anti-dust circuitry and 3 frames-per-second shooting. This speed and a D-SLR’s ability to quickly focus and snap photos are the biggest appeal—along with overall improved picture quality with less digital noise since all D-SLRs use larger APS-C sized imagers.

We thought it would be a nice test to try out the –A200—especially after testing the Canon EOS 40D, a newer D-SLR that costs twice as much. Sure it’s not fair but who said life was all peaches and cream? Certainly not us…