sony alpha dilemma, have no idea which one to buy as I have only 3 choices?

Jack, forget about the cameras you listed. Buy the new Sony A230, $429.95 w/18-55mm lens at B&H. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ Its been redesigned to be user-friendly for the beginner.

For photography inside a bar buy a 50mm f1.4 lens. Since the A230 can use every legacy Minolta Maxxum AF lens ever made you should be able to find a bargain 50mm f1.4.

Since the A230 has Sony's version of image stabilization in the camera body a 25 yr. old Maxxum AF lens becomes a stabilized lens. This feature will prove useful in low-light situations.

I shoot with the Sony A700 so I know a bit about the line. I'd say all the choices are bad ones. Here's why.

First the lens choices are bad. camera makers like to throw in two cheap lenses to cover a range and Sony isn't the only guilty one. They do a 18-55mm for a standard kit lens, and add a 55-200mm if it's a two lens kit. It's a bad choice. You'll find out quickly that carrying two lenses and making lens changes sucks balls, major balls. While you are doing that, you are getting dust on the sensor, taking the chance of dropping a lens or the camera, and missing shots.

next issue are your body choices. I understand money is always an issue, but everything you've listed is old. The newer bodies are similar in price to the ones they've replaced. Skip the A100, I owned that for a few months back when it came out. Even though I read every bit of info and all the reviews, they all failed to mention the horrible noise at ISO 400, 800 and above. I sold it a few months later and the got my A700.

The A200 is ok but I would not buy it new, look for a killer deal used. If you buy new go with the a230. Skip the 350 and take a look at the current 330 and 380. To make things even more complicated, not only did sony just drop the new A500 and 550, but TODAY they just announced the A450. It's so new that the official price is not out at this moment. Google the A450.

Try and get a body with no lens if possible. After that, get a 18-200 from Sony, Sigma or Tamron and attach that to your body and never take it off. That should be fine for a beginner. No extra lens to carry, no lens changes.

When you need something for low light because these budget zooms are poor for night/low light, no flash photography, you can pick up the Sony 50mm for 150 bucks, or do what I did and scoop up a Minolta 50mm f/1.7 for about 120 bucks. And bonus, if you carry this one around with you, it's tiny and light. Sometimes I throw that in my jacket pocket if I think I might need it. FYI all autofocus Minolta lenses work with Sony Alpha.