Sony Alpha A230L Digital SLR Camera With 18-55 mm Lens
Posted by Notcot on May 19, 2010 in Photography |
5 CommentsReply |
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This is Sony’s entry level DSLR and whilst well specified, it does not have the Live view or the tilt screen of the A330/A380, in all other respects it is the same camera….which is a good thing
For me, and I have tried the A230, the A330 and the A380, the choice is between the two 10MP cameras (the 230 and the 330), I would forget the 380 with its 14.2mp sensor…the 10mp version as used in this camera gives cleaner, more punchy results, and its cheaper too
So, great things about this camera…smaller and lighter than the camera that it replaces, better user interface which will have you snapping away in no time….there is really nothing bad to say about this DSLR only that you may want to handle one first as some people say the grip is too small….I personally think its just fine, and I have big hands.
Sony have really established themselves in this market now, and there is really no longer any reason to choose a Canon or a Nikon over this camera, Sony Alpha DSLR’s are here to stay, and Sony now have a really decent system on the market which is getting more and more established as time passes…no-one dismisses the Sony Alpha cameras anymore…they are excellent, so any lenses and accessories that you buy will transfer to future Alpha cameras
Just a definition of live view if you are unsure…..on a compact camera, you can see the image on the screen before you press the shutter button….on this camera you cant do that, you need to use the viewfinder at all times…thats all OK if that is what you are expecting, if you want that feature on this camera (many people are not bothered)…then you need the slightly more expensive A330….and as I say…forget the A380
So to sum up…good reliable entry level Sony Alpha which takes great photographs which are at least as good as any other 10MP DSLR on the market (Sony supply the image sensors to other manufacturers anyway…so the image quality is the same), its fast, lightweight, has a decent kit lens and it is nice to use, the handgrip has been criticised but in my opinion its fine, and last of all, the price is very competitive….you cant go wrong really
I give it a Recommended
Rating: 5 / 5
The Sony A230 is as good an introduction to using an SLR as I could have hoped for. Making the leap from a dodgy compact to a full blown SLR is quite a big step and I was slightly nervous about learning the ropes, but the a230 is totally intuitive and has a brilliant graphic display.
Within two or three days of use I am already playing around with the advanced features and am taking shots of a quality I never thought I would be capable of.
Note: the a230 does not have the tilting screen or live view – the photo and manufacturer’s description refers to the other models in the new Sony Alpha range.
Rating: 5 / 5
Recived this camera today & have just had a chance to test it out. It gives excellent results, pictures are sharp & clear & the viewfinder is bright & easy to use. The menu system on this camera is also excellent, very easy to use, well layed out & there is an onboard help system that explains each setting in detail as you highlight it.
The camera itself is quite small & light & has fewer buttons than most DSLRs in this class (although still keeps all the functionality), this can only be a good thing as it makes it easy to remember where everything is located for when you want to change a setting while taking a shot.
There are a few things that stop the camera from getting 5 stars though, mainly that there was no lens hood included, you have to take the battery out of the camera to charge it & the lens cap doesn’t have a tie hole on it (so very easy to drop or misplace). I know these are really only little things but there little things that you just expect to be included when spending £450..
overall though a very good little camera, I can’t fault the design & like I said above it produces very nice crisp shots.
Rating: 4 / 5
The Sony Alpha A230 is such a good DSLR for so many reasons.
If you need a camera that takes extremely sharp and vivid photographs, that is also easy to handle then this is your camera! You will find the process of manual photography so much easier with it on board help system, this helps you understand what each setting does and what it does to your picture.
The lens (18-55mm) is perfectly suitable for a beginner or even a professional, it has reasonable zoom capabilities and also very strong focus. Using the DSLR and its features will enable you to create your own personal photographs and not just holiday snap quality, actually using the focus and zoom correctly for the environment you are in, this will make your pictures look a whole new world better and will show more talent in your work. This is why I would recommend this camera to someone who is maybe starting an A level photography course of some sort.
Looking more at the settings now, lets say you’re not that into photography at this point and are still learning the ropes, in which case you can use a number of settings to achieve amazing pictures by doing nothing complicating, such as (Auto) this is a common setting which is on pretty much every camera (Apart from SLR’s) and is used so that the camera does everything for you, E.g. setting up the armature and ISO, also focus and shutter speed. (There will only be auto focus if you set your camera to AF not MF)
There are also other settings which are more relevant to where you might be such as: Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports Action, Sunset, and Night Port./View. Also there are settings named as “P”, “A”, “S”, and “M” these are for more manual settings where you might like to keep a particular setting (For more experienced photographers)
One of the more fun features is the choice of colour scheme (Theme) of the camera, pick from black, pink, white and light brown. Also being able to save your pictures to a Sony Pro Duo memory stick or an SD card, and be able to choose where they are saved)
Another thing people like to know is how heavy a camera is, and honestly this is not very heavy, easy to carry around or keep around your neck with the provided Sony Alpha strap.
I can promise you this is a very good camera which allows the owner to create amazingly sharp and vivid photos as soon as they get it out of the box!
Hope this helps.
Rating: 5 / 5
Bought this as a Christmas present – so far, am 100% satisfied with the purchase. Not knowing anything about SLRs, I’ve found the options on this to be very useful. Apart from manually adjusting all the aperture and focal settings, camera has a series of preset options useful for landscape, night, portrait, sunset etc. which is good for getting a feel for what the camera can do.
Only 4 stars because the standard 18-55 lens doesnt really do anything spectacular – to really use the camera properly, you need at least one more lens.
Overall, delighted with the purchase and looking forward to many hours of happy snapping
Rating: 4 / 5