Sony DSLR Alpha DSLR-A230L 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera Kit With Sony 18-55MM Lens + Deluxe Photography: Capture your precious moments with improved clarity and reduced blur with the Sony DSLR-A230L digital SLR camera. Brimming with features, the A230 combines high-resolution 10.2 MP, simple operation, high sensitivity (ISO 3200), and advanced noise reduction. Plus, Eye-Start Autofocus and pop-up flash help you shoot faster while SteadyShot INSIDETM in-camera image stabilization works with virtually every lens. In addition to the on-screen Help Guide and convenient Creative style settings, the A230L has a bright 2.7" LCD and comes with an 18-55mm standard zoom lens.
FEATURE :
- 10.2-megapixel APS-size CCD image sensor for ultra-fine detail.
- Included SAL1855 18-55mm standard zoom lens.
- SteadyShot INSIDE in-camera image stabilization; Eye-Start Auto-focus.
- 2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD Plus display.
- Compatible with high-capacity Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo and SD/SDHC media (sold separately).
SOME OF THE SAMPLE CUSTOMER REVIEW FROM AMAZON :
1) Roughly as good as can be expected. - My title is rather pessimistic, I know, but I've been playing with this camera now for a couple of hours, so I've had a chance to get a feel for what consumers are going to probably like, and not like, about this lens kit.
First, if you are a serious photographer, you are going to be better off buying the body of this camera separately from the lens. It isn't that the 18-55mm, 3.5-5.6 aperture lens is bad: it just isn't great for inside work, as far as I can tell. The kind of "meh" aperture range means you'll struggle a bit in "normal" indoor lighting to get hand-held shots that don't really want flash, and the problem with the flash is it is straight-ahead flash, so that your attempts at head shots are going to potentially have a deer-in-the-headlights quality about them. This will be because even zoomed in to 55mm, you're going to need to be close to a subject for a portrait shot--closer than you really would like to be. Getting the two-lens kit, for a couple hundred dollars more, might be a really good alternative here, because I think the longer telephoto in that kit can go out to 200mm, giving you more flexibility in where you need to stand for shots. I was pretty sure when purchasing the kit that I was going to quickly need a really solid prime to go with it, and the Sony 50mm f 1.4 has already proven itself a valuable addition.
The good news is that, aside from the "adequate-but-kind-of-meh" lens, everything else on this thing mostly rocks! I was a bit nervous because I had seen other reviews in which some reviewers chewed on the ergonomics a bit, but I'm not really finding that to be a problem so far. The battery door, the door to the memory cards, etc., are rigid and open happily and confidently. As far as the battery goes, my advice would be to pick up an extra battery, because after charging mine the first time, I was down to roughly half power without having taken that many photos (maybe 75 RAW out of what I was being told was a 500-image total available. I didn't expect the battery to make it for 500 shots, but it looks like I would have gotten about 150 shots out of the charge, and I can definitely see situations where a photographer would run into trouble from that.)
One thing that may not be immediately obvious from pictures is that the right-hand grip is quite comfortable, and there is a design feature on the back (basically a bit of a "hump" that provides the right thumb a place to get a kind of secure purchase so that you really shouldn't ever feel like the camera is in danger of slipping out of your hand. I always put my left hand under the bottom of a camera anyway, so that I can adjust the focus ring easily, and even though this camera and its lenses have auto-focus, that's still a comfortable place for the left hand.
Many of the features and details of the camera are things that you can find in other reviews or in detail lists for this product, so I won't repeat all of that. I will state that I had no problems with the placement of the shutter button. I had seen some criticism on line suggesting that the reviewer felt like he was putting a lot of stress on a couple of fingers while firing the shutter button, but I really just didn't find that to be the case.
All of the controls are really pretty intuitive. I turned the feature off that shows the pictures of what various things mean. If you are stepping up to a SLR from a point-and-shoot, do yourself a favor and learn what aperture is, and white balance. The joy of this camera is taking a photo with "automatic" settings, and then going to manual, taking the same shot, and realizing how completely screwed up your own sense of the shot is! <smile> Actually, this is kind of valuable, in that the digital nature of the camera means that you (and I) can get a real lesson about what happens when changing aperture or shutter speed, even sometimes by very small amounts.
In many ways, this camera is an ideal camera for a serious hobbyist (I'm not going to go hyperbolic and say "professional," because the limitations of this camera are the sort that wouldn't be tolerated by a professional being pushed to the limits of digital photography. It isn't that a professional shot can't be taken on this camera, but that there are digital bodies that would make a professional's life much easier than the a230 would).
It is going to pretty much meet all of my needs for awhile, at least with the better lens on the front, and maybe a really good zoom to give me a bit more range of options.
The build quality seems fine to me. Nothing is jiggling. Lenses go on and off with no problems. Definitely buy the LCD cover that's available from Amazon. Otherwise, you'll discover that basically everything smudges the LCD display. It isn't the end of the world, but your nose will constantly be pressed against the display, so there will always be a bit of oil and moisture smudged on, otherwise.
This isn't a bad camera at all, and if you are JUST looking for a system that will give you some flexibility to take "normal" shots of the variety that other people make you sit through after they've fed you dinner, then you are going to be immediately happy. The camera will do many of the things that you need for it to do automatically, and can easily take better shots than you would take, if you knew nothing or little about photography, and had no interest to learn. But like many things, if you DO know something about photography, you will be pleasantly surprised about the sorts of things that you CAN do with this rig, as long as you are willing to make an investment in accessories that will give the body a chance to show its stuff.
By S. Davis on July 1, 2009
2) Sony Alpha a230L DSLR - This was a Christmas gift to myself, purchased mid-November 09.
I'm a beginner DSLR user. I won't go into a catalog of specifications this camera has, those can be found easily on the sales information listing for this camera on this website or from Sony. I will highlight the features I use and like or dislike.
This camera has been exactly what I wanted for learning photography. I did not want a lot of bells and whistle. Out of camera picture quality is very important to me. I am not ready to spend time at the computer post processing when I would rather be outside shooting pictures.
The Sony a230 does not have live view or video, but I did not want live view or video capability. I have both on my advanced zoom and never use it. Optical viewfinder important due to the fact that I am far sighted and find live view screens not usable in 98% of my pictures since I like shooting outdoor/nature/landscapes the majority of the time.
PROS:
*Out of camera colors/picture quality is great. I love the colors and textures this camera produces. Again, this is a personal preference. Exposure compensation can easily be changed +/-2 as well as color saturation in the menu. I have enjoyed the black and white out of camera results also.
*The GUI menu system is easy to use, clear/crisp with easy to find advanced menu settings. Because of the great GUI, I have to say that my learning curve has been much much improved over my advanced super zoom, in fact, I rarely use the Green Zone (auto/preset modes) on this camera. I am using Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority and easily experimenting with manual white balance etc. VERY FUN and REWARDING. If you so choose, different color scheme options allow you to change the display to either Black, Brown, White or Pink. (I haven't experimented to see what is the best viewing for outside use yet, leaving mine set to White default)
*18-55mm kit lens excellent IQ and good overall practical range to have for most photos. I love having this wide angle capability that I didn't have in my advanced zoom camera.
*ERGONOMICS & BUILD: At first glance I thought it looked a little plasticky, but once I held and examined it, changed my mind. It feels sturdy and well made (which was proven recently when it accidentally was toppled from my dining table onto the floor. I like to hike, and did not want a bulky heavy camera to lug around. I know this is a personal thing, but I really like the balance and feel of this camera in my hands, even with the additional larger 70-300mm lens I purchased later for this camera, it still feels good to me.
The menu buttons on back may be too simplified/stripped down for experienced users, but I like the way they are arranged, ISO setting is easy to access. For learning, having less buttons to accidentally hit and cause frustration has been good.
*VALUE reasonably priced for those on a budget. Kit lens 18-55mm included
*OPTICAL VIEWFINDER. I love this VF. Nice clear crisp, with sophisticated auto focusing when it senses my eye.(this can also be turned off if for batery power savings, since it will start focusing the lens if gets anything close to the view finder, when carrying)
Camera settings are displayed through the viewfinder, wheel on front of camera below the on/off power button allows you to change settings based on what menu mode you are on. Field of view seems to be very good in my limited experience. 9 cross focus points.
*Auto-Bracketing feature. Will take up to 3 different shots with exposures shifted either 0.3 or 0.7 steps.
I can't speak knowledgeably about dynamic range since I haven't played with those settings yet.
*Lens options. Knowing I can use Minolta A-mount lenses is a plus
CONS: *at some point, maybe I will wish there are more advanced features available on this model, like an AEL button. A "depth of field" button is mentioned by more experienced users, but being far sighted, I have to load the pictures up on my computer to see the true quality of the final picture, so I usually take several pictures of the same thing, tweaking the settings and the angle as insurance. So a depth of field button probably wouldn't help me.
*Bigger screen on back, it has a 2.7". Larger would be nice for viewing
*Not the fastest frames per second on the market at 2.5, but have to say this is not an issue for me so far. I have been able to get some decent bird in flight pictures. I don't normally shoot sporting events, except for baseball.
*like any camera, low light situations are a challenge. In low light, the auto focus has a hard time. Some patience and experience/or in my case, trial and error is needed. I find if I switch to manual focus and manual white balance settings this helps. Having the right lens probably also helps. I have 2 lenses at this point, neither are really meant for low light/night use. I recently successfully used the on-board flash using rear sync or fill, manual white balance settings set to daylight, ISO set to 800, to take a nice portrait of my husband at night by a campfire. This was the BEST outdoor evening portrait shot I have ever taken to date! I was evidently in the perfect range for the on-board flash, and accidentally through experimentation got everything right! After taking this shot, I would say that ISO 800 or below is where the best image quality will be for this camera. An accessory flash will be in my future, so the ISO capabilities will probably improve if I do that.
*Proprietary battery. Expensive and only found at stores that carry the a230/a330/a380.Won't be able to find the battery at the local hardware store or even electronics store if they don't carry this line of cameras or camcorders that use this battery.
There are no perfect cameras, but the Sony a230 has exceeded my expectations thus far.
By B. Weeks on March 5, 2010
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