Sony Alpha DSLR-A230
[ MUSIC ]
^M00:00:03
>> [Lori Grunin:] Hi, I'm Lori Grunin, senior editor with CNET, and this is the Sony Alpha DSLRA230. The A230 is Sony's most entry-level digital SLR, and frankly it's not a bad deal. There's a lot to like about this camera, including very speedy performance: it has fast auto-focus, which isn't terribly common in a lot of entry-level models, and it's one of the faster ones that we've tested. There are a few things at which it's slower -- including continuous shooting -- and frankly, I found that it couldn't keep up with kids and pets. Sony changed the design of the grip -- it's only about 3 quarters height, and I've found that it's not as comfortable, or it doesn't feel as secure as I'm used to with other SLRs. However, they also have this nice rubber texture on both sides, and that helps to keep it a little more secure. As you'd expect from an inexpensive model, there's not a lot in the way of features for this camera, although it does have built-in wireless flash, with a nice basic on-off implementation, as well as sensor-shift image stabilization -- "Steady Shot Inside," as Sony's calling it -- in the body. Sony updated its user interface a little bit, and it now provides a nice, entry-level-friendly read-out, which shows you the relationship between the smaller aperture and the larger aperture, and the slower shutter speed and the longer shutter speed. It also pulls up a little description of different features when you pause for a little while on that menu item. I'm not crazy about the controls. They feel a little shallow, and there's not a lot of tactile feedback -- you know, there's no travel to the button-presses. Also, to use the exposure compensation button, you pretty much have to move your whole hand. I think that's gonna discourage some people from using it at all. One of the nice aspects of the camera is, it has a very nice sliding door which covers the ports -- USB, HDMI, and -- yay! -- SD cards it supports, in addition to Sony's usual memory stick duo. The image quality is OK -- not best in its class, but not the worst either. The only problem is Sony's default settings for its creative style tend to push the colors so that you actually get some color shifts. And Sony's not very transparent about what the settings are -- everything's zeroed out -- so if you know enough and you're willing to play around with the creative style to get the results you want, you can get some pretty nice photos out of this. The A230 has a more expensive brother, the A330, which has a tilt-able LCD and supports live-view mode; however, the A230's viewfinder is actually nicer than the A330's, so if you don't want the live view or the tilt-able LCD, this is actually a better deal, because you get a better viewfinder and you're not paying extra for anything you don't need. I'm Lori Grunin, and this is the Sony Alpha DSLRA230.
^M00:02:50
[ MUSIC ]
Up Next
Panasonic Introduces New Lumix S5 Mark II and Mark II X Cameras
Up Next
Panasonic Introduces New Lumix S5 Mark II and Mark II X Cameras
GoPro Hero 11 Black Hands-on: Super-sized Sensor for All Your Socials
GoPro Hero 11 Black Hands-on: Super-sized Sensor for All Your Socials
GoPro Hero 10 Black Creator Edition Makes Vlogging So Much Better
GoPro Hero 10 Black Creator Edition Makes Vlogging So Much Better
GoPro Hero 10 Black ramps up resolution, frame rates to 5.3K60, 4K120
GoPro Hero 10 Black ramps up resolution, frame rates to 5.3K60, 4K120
Insta360 Go 2 review: A lot of fun, a lot of confusion
Insta360 Go 2 review: A lot of fun, a lot of confusion
GoPro's Hero 9 Black bulks up on power and performance but not price
GoPro's Hero 9 Black bulks up on power and performance but not price
Digitizing my old Hi8 tape collection
Digitizing my old Hi8 tape collection
iPhone SE or Galaxy A51: Battle of the $400 phone cameras
iPhone SE or Galaxy A51: Battle of the $400 phone cameras
The Mevo Start is a compact cam aimed at HD event streaming
The Mevo Start is a compact cam aimed at HD event streaming
Snap Spectacles 3 bring AR to sunglasses
Snap Spectacles 3 bring AR to sunglasses
Tech Shows
Latest News All latest news
What to Expect at Apple's iPad Event
What to Expect at Apple's iPad Event
How to Install Windows 11 on M-Series Mac Computers
How to Install Windows 11 on M-Series Mac Computers
Rabbit R1: Here's What It Can Actually Do
Rabbit R1: Here's What It Can Actually Do
How to Access AI on Your Apple Watch
How to Access AI on Your Apple Watch
Beats Solo 4 Headphones Review: Same Look, but Better Sound and USB-C
Beats Solo 4 Headphones Review: Same Look, but Better Sound and USB-C
Living With Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: 3 Months Later
Living With Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: 3 Months Later
Most Popular All most popular
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Latest Products All latest products
Rabbit R1: Here's What It Can Actually Do
Rabbit R1: Here's What It Can Actually Do
Beats Solo 4 Headphones Review: Same Look, but Better Sound and USB-C
Beats Solo 4 Headphones Review: Same Look, but Better Sound and USB-C
Robosen's Megatron Transformer Is Too Much Fun for an Evil Robot
Robosen's Megatron Transformer Is Too Much Fun for an Evil Robot
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
2025 Audi Q6, SQ6 E-Tron: Audi's Newest EV Is Its Most Compelling
2025 Audi Q6, SQ6 E-Tron: Audi's Newest EV Is Its Most Compelling
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Latest How To All how to videos
How to Install Windows 11 on M-Series Mac Computers
How to Install Windows 11 on M-Series Mac Computers
Tips and Tricks for the AirPods Pro 2
Tips and Tricks for the AirPods Pro 2
How to Watch the Solar Eclipse Safely From Your Phone
How to Watch the Solar Eclipse Safely From Your Phone
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra