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Sony DSLR-A330 reviews
You can find here the most interesting reviews / ratings from the well-known expert sites about the Sony DSLR-A330 Camera. Here are the reviewers:
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- 21 September 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 13 September 2009 - |
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- 4 |
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- 19 August 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 18 August 2009 - |
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- 3.5 |
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- 14 August 2009 - |
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- 3.5 |
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- 11 August 2009 - |
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- 4.5 |
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- 10 August 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 01 August 2009 - |
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- 4 |
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- 14 July 2009 - |
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- 0 |
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- 09 June 2009 - |
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- 4 |
Shutterbug 's conclusion / rating - 21 September 2009 |
“ In all, this is a very nice beginner D-SLR that borrows from its more advanced cousins to yield very good image quality and some quite creative shooting options. It delivers all you could want for the price and certainly should be considered a competitive model in its class... ”
Complete review here
CameraLabs 's conclusion / rating - 13 September 2009 |
“ When Sony announced the Alpha A330 (and its siblings the A230 and A380), it wasn’t hard to understand why many enthusiasts were disappointed. Most have become accustomed to new cameras featuring more powerful specifications such as higher resolutions, quicker shooting and bigger, more detailed screens, not to mention the adoption of modern gadgetry, like movie modes.
With the new entry-level Alphas though Sony completely avoided that route, instead opting to keep essentially the same electronics as their predecessors, and simply house them in a redesigned body with a revamped user interface. Sure, there’s a switch from Compact Flash to SD / Memory Stick Duo and a new HDMI port, but in terms of major specifications, there’s little change.
As such the A330 is certainly not an upgrade for owners of the previous entry-level Alpha generation. Anyone with an A200, A300 or A350 looking for an upgrade from Sony would be better-served considering the higher-end A500 series. And if you are stretching to a mid-range budget, there’s a wealth of compelling rivals to consider, including at least two key models with HD video capabilities.
But that’s not to say the A330 is a failure. Sony’s done its homework and is squarely targeting its revamped entry-level threesome at confirmed DSLR beginners. In order to appeal to these buyers, it’s gone for a much less intimidating user interface and a distinctive body design, and while we weren’t personally fond of the latter, it certainly stands out among the competition.
The target audience are also unlikely to be overly concerned by the below average performance beyond 400 ISO, relatively slow continuous shooting and technical limitations of the Live View system; indeed they’re much more likely to be bothered by the lack of video recording. But ultimately many will be won over by the easy user interface, fuss-free Live View experience, built-in stabilisation and fairly unique styling. Brand-loyalty is also not to be underestimated, especially where Sony is concerned.
For our money, the A330 also hits the sweet-spot in this latest entry-level Alpha threesome. Like its predecessor, you’ve really got to hate Live View or be on a tight budget to go for the A230 instead, and in our tests, any resolution advantage of the pricier A380 is lost at higher sensitivities. To be fair, the A330 also suffers beyond 400 ISO and there are better choices if you regularly shoot at 800 ISO or above. But stick to lower sensitivities and you’ll enjoy good quality from a DSLR which boasts built-in stabilisation, fuss-free Live View and an HDMI port, all at an affordable price. As such the A330 comes Highly Recommended for DSLR beginners... ”
Complete review here
Steves Digicams 's conclusion / rating - 19 August 2009 |
“ Occupying the "mid-level" spot in Sony's consumer dSLR offerings, the Alpha 330 is a very appealing camera. I really enjoyed using it, and only found two real weakness:
I was not able to get the burst mode to perform up to Sony's claims
And, battery life was not up to par in my opinion, due to an anaemic battery
Other than the above, I found the A330 to be a sound camera. It produces pleasing photos in a variety of shooting environments, offers speedy performance, plenty of user-friendly exposure options, terrific high ISO results, and is comfortable to use/hold. With a street price of US$649.99 or less for the A330L single-lens kit (SAL-1855 standard zoom lens), or US$849.99 for the A330Y two-lens kit (includes both the SAL-1855 and SAL-55200 zoom lenses), we feel the Sony DSLR-A330 offers a great value for the capabilities and quality you are receiving... ”
Steves Digicams's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
TrustedReviews 's conclusion / rating - 18 August 2009 |
“ Although it does feature an exceptionally well implemented live view mode on a decent-sized tilting monitor, the Sony Alpha A330 is distinctly an entry-level model, with a limited range of features and options. While those upgrading from a compact camera will feel right at home, more experienced photographers will find its limitations restrictive. Build quality is adequate and the camera looks good, but the new body design is awkward to use... ”
TrustedReviews's rating: |
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- 3.5 |
Complete review here
PhotographyBLOG 's conclusion / rating - 14 August 2009 |
“ It is not uncommon for a camera manufacturer to release an incremental upgrade to an existing model - we have seen this in the past from basically all the major players. Sometimes the new camera will lose some of its predecessor's functionality while adding new features. It is, however, quite unusual to see a new camera that is a clear step back from the previous iteration without offering any novelties or improvements worth mentioning.
The Sony A330 appears to be one such camera. Its immediate forebear the Alpha A300 was a somewhat chunky but generally well designed DSLR that offered good handling and ease of use thanks to its sensible user interface and fairly good ergonomics. With the arrival of the Alpha A330, it has been replaced by an undeniably smaller but at the same time much less conveniently designed camera that is frankly uncomfortable to hold and sometimes frustrating to use. And that's a problem especially if we consider that the key word in the A330 announcement was 'ease-of-use'.
During our test of the new camera we got the strange feeling that the - new? - design team either had very little idea of what ease-of-use means to a photographer, or was explicitly instructed to design the A330 for non-photographers. That you need some half a dozen button presses to change the active AF point or enter a menu to pop up the flash when it's not in auto mode pretty much says it all. At the same time, certain things the camera could be expected to do automatically, such as switch to the second memory card when the first one fills up (provided there are two cards inserted, of course), must be done manually - again, not in the spirit of user friendliness.
Comparing a camera to its immediate predecessor is one thing, but what the Sony A330 will be measured against is its competition - and here the new offering still has the same advantages as the older A300; namely, fast Live View autofocus and no extra shutter lag or unnecessary mirror slapping. This alone earns it an 'Above Average' rating. Our recommendation, however, still goes to its predecessor the Alpha A300 or its higher-resolution sibling the A350, which offer the same advantage in a much better designed and ultimately easier-to-use body - so grab one until stocks last... ”
PhotographyBLOG's rating: |
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- 3.5 |
Complete review here
TechRadar 's conclusion / rating - 11 August 2009 |
“ As regards to image quality, we found the A330 more than capable of producing files that can be readily enlarged to give A3 prints and beyond, especially at ISO 400 and lower. Go to ISO 1600 and 3200 and noise is more significant... ”
TechRadar's rating: |
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- 4.5 |
Complete review here
PhotographyBay 's conclusion / rating - 10 August 2009 |
“ Like I said at the outset of this review, the Sony A330 is an excellent camera for those of you looking to make the switch from a point and shoot camera to a DSLR. If you like being able to frame your scene on the back of the camera’s LCD, you’ll love the A330. The fast autofocus during Live View shooting blows the competition away - sorry, Canon and Nikon, you’re behind the curve on this one.
Image quality is par for course; however, those who demand the best image quality, should look to the Canon Rebel T1i and Nikon D5000. You’ll miss out on the cool Live View functionality; however, the advances you get in overall image quality and ISO performance may be worth the trade.
Additionally, those of you who like a larger grip on a camera may be disappointed with the A330, which feels like it was made for a woman’s hands. My wife does love the A330 though - even over the Nikon D5000 or the Canon Rebel T1i - proving that functionality and comfort can trump image quality variances.
I can easily recommend the Sony A330 to potential buyers. If you’ve read this far, you know who you are and likely have a good idea whether the Sony A330 will be a good fit for you... ”
PhotographyBay's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
ePhotozine 's conclusion / rating - 01 August 2009 |
“ So the Sony Alpha A330 was squaring up to be a distinctly average camera then it came to the noise test and blew me away.
It's an interesting design with the materials that have been used and I can't help but think it's more style than function. Especially with the adverts trying to sell lenses as lifestyle accessories. Still, it looks good and works well which is the main thing, it fits nicely in the hands and I got some nice shots with it.
I really like the noise test results, I think it takes good portraits and the colour test chart provided fruitful. If I was in the market for a mid-range DSLR, this would be in my top three... ”
Complete review here
AlphaMountWorld 's conclusion / rating - 14 July 2009 |
“ Also worth noting; I found the integrated aperture/shutter speed graphic display almost charming, and even a good visual cue reminder for beginners on how the two relate to one another. From my recollection, this is the first DSLR design to incorporate a graphic user interface attempting a visual explaination of shutter speed and aperture. Not to mention a graphic user interface that can be engaged to explain nearly every setting as you adjust them. I can't wait to hear feedback amateur users and if they really find this feature helpful. I'm sure Sony already has a certain level of positive feedback, or they wouldn't have included this feature in the camera design.
As a first dslr, I would have to conclude that this camera will at least do 95% or so of what other entry level DSLRS will do. It is a good introduction DSLR, dare I say bridge camera from a point and shoot. In fact I'd go so far to say that this is really what Sony has in mind with these 3 new cameras. If you look at the next camera in the lineup below the A230/330/380, the Cybershot HX1, the upgrade path becomes much more clear for Sony users.
With an excellent kit lens, a host of accessories and new affordable SAM lenses, I think the new Alpha A330 is a great beginner camera. Not to mention that it is available in that really cool looking Copper Brown color above... ”
AlphaMountWorld's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
DigitalTrends 's conclusion / rating - 09 June 2009 |
“ We have no reservations suggesting first-time DSLR buyers pick up the Sony alpha DSLR-A330. It feels right and takes fine, accurate photos with little noise until you hit the outer limits (1600+). We did find the 3x zoom a bit limiting, and you should opt for a more potent lens to complement the kit glass. The Live View can’t be beat, but the burst mode is less than the competition, and the camera is definitely noisy, as the mirror mechanism clunks along when you’re firing away. Still, as a $649 list package, this one is hard to beat... ”
DigitalTrends's rating: |
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- 4 |
Complete review here
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