Sony a230
£400.00
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A new DSLR that replaces the previous model from a brand generally sees a number of changes, and placing the latest a230 alongside the a200 will certainly reveal that Sony has reworked the design to be quite significantly different. But a look at the specification sheet may well raise a few eyebrows. The resolution has remained at 10.2 megapixels and the screen is still 2.7in. The a200’s 3fps continuous shooting has dropped to 2.5fps on the a230 too, so what’s the deal with this new model?
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To be fair to Sony, it’s not a major issue that some of the specifications have remained the same on the a230. In fact, the brand has put a lot of effort into revising the user interface so that the a230 is easier to use. The camera’s LCD screen now displays a visual guide to the relationship between shutter speed and aperture for controlling depth-of-field. This enables users who aren’t familiar with a DSLR to learn at the same time as taking hassle-free pictures. The reworked design means that general layout of controls has been kept very simple and you won’t be confused by a wealth of buttons. On the back of the camera alongside the LCD screen is an Fn button that offers quick access to the camera’s shooting function menu. Here you can set AF area, AF mode, metering and white balance, along with creative styles and D-Range optimiser very quickly and easily.
Built-in SteadyShot INSIDE helps to reduce the potential of blurred images at lower shutter speeds, and because it is integral to the camera, you get stabilisation on all the lenses you attach. The a230 also offers EyeStart activation for its 9-point AF, which means that your subject is already in focus when the camera is raised to your eye. Connectivity includes Bravia Sync, so if you have a Sony Bravia TV, then you can control the camera through the TV remote when playing back your images on the TV screen.
Features & handlingThe camera has some nice features, like SteadyShot and D-Range optimiser for shadow and highlight enhancement. The LCD is a good size but no Live View is a downside.
The chunky design isn’t the easiest to hold, but the layout is certainly easier to navigate. The data on the LCD will help those who want to learn.
Performance & image qualityThe a230 delivers an acceptable performance for the price. It’s not the fastest DSLR, and focus is slow, but for the beginner it does the job.
Images are sharp and well detailed. The ISO performance at 3200 is actually quite good and useable, os it’s a thumbs up on image quality.
VerdictThere are positives and negatives about this budget Sony. We can’t help but think that it lacks Live View and even the tilted screen found on the a380, but at around £400 with lens it is good value. Image quality is very good for the price, and even the noise levels at higher ISO settings are acceptable.
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Just wanted to re-submit my review as for some reason it previously listed itself as anonymous...so here goes.
It is difficult to compare a camera when it is your first one, however, I do still have a few things I'd like to point out about the Sony a230. I purchased this as it was advertised as an entry-level dslr that was a good starter camera for a newbie like myself. I do really like this camera but do not think that it is an ideal starter camera as a lot of newbie questions remain unanswered. It is very easy to get good photographic results from the camera using all of their pre-set settings, however, my previous camera, the Olympus mini had the same settings, with similar results and was much, much smaller & cheaper. When it comes the using it as an actual slr camera and manually changing settings for yourself, there is very little guidance. Even when getting help from other sources like photo answers and their associated magazines. There is nothing in their manual, on the camera itself or via their website that explains how to manually perform such actions as adjusting the shutter speed, which, through their automatic settings does not appear to go beyond the 2 second mark which isn't much fun when you're trying to have a play with low-light photography. From what I have learned about the camera so far, there are strange procedures like holding in two associated buttons while turning a dial to alter settings which, although after memorising would probably be okay, does not appear to be a very user friendly format. All in all, it is a great camera but in my opinion does not tick all of the right boxes as an slr for beginners. I dabbled a little with photography when I was younger with a manual 35mm slr and although a little more difficult to get a good photo, all of the settings were easy to find via the clearly labelled knobs & buttons attached to the thing!
(Written by: swyftie)
15 January 2010 11:06
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It is difficult to compare a camera when it is your first one, however, I do still have a few things I'd like to point out about the Sony a230.
I purchased this as it was advertised as an entry-level dslr that was a good starter camera for a newbie like myself.
I do really like this camera but do not think that it is an ideal starter camera as a lot of newbie questions remain unanswered.
It is very easy to get good photographic results from the camera using all of their pre-set settings, however, my previous camera, the Olympus mini had the same settings, with similar results and was much, much smaller & cheaper.
When it comes the using it as an actual slr camera and manually changing settings for yourself, there is very little guidance. Even when getting help from other sources like photo answers and their associated magazines. There is nothing in their manual, on the camera itself or via their website that explains how to manually perform such actions as adjusting the shutter speed, which, through their automatic settings does not appear to go beyond the 2 second mark which isn't much fun when you're trying to have a play with low-light photography. From what I have learned about the camera so far, there are strange procedures like holding in two associated buttons while turning a dial to alter settings which, although after memorising would probably be okay, does not appear to be a very user friendly format.
All in all, it is a great camera but in my opinion does not tick all of the right boxes as an slr for beginners.
I dabbled a little with photography when I was younger with a manual 35mm slr and although a little more difficult to get a good photo, all of the settings were easy to find via the clearly labelled knobs & buttons attached to the thing!
15 January 2010 11:00