The leading model of Sony's
"upper entry level" trifecta of Alpha-branded shooters, the 14.2 megapixel DSLR-A380, has been hitting test benches lately and we've rounded up the results for your perusal. The consensus appears to be that Sony has focused on bringing fans of compact cams up to the big time, with its uniquely responsive Live View and straightforward usability. Alas, ease of use is not the only thing brought up from the little leagues, with comparatively poor output at ISO 400 and above, lack of any video recording (which can be found on the
Canon EOS 500D and
Nikon D5000, its nearest competitors) and unsatisfying viewfinder ergonomics. Conclusion? If you were looking for a point-and-shoot on steroids, your search is at an end, young hobbit -- but photography enthusiasts should probably look elsewhere.
Read - DP Review
Read - CNET review
Read - Camera Labs review
Read - Photo Review
posted August 25th 2009 8:02AM
Bummer...
So a DSLR on the cheap that has better features than the Canon 20D from just a few years ago that still isn't cheap? Well I'll be
does this have backlight CMOS?
If you meant back-illuminated CMOS sensor, then no.
It doesn't even have a CMOS sensor, it has a CCD. Strangely enough, Canon recently moved from CMOS to CCD in their G11, citing better low-light performance. But more often then not, CMOS performs better then CCD in low-light due to NR and A/D processing being on the sensor.
Look at the small diameter of the glass in that lens. It's almost a pinhole camera.
That's the new DT 30mm F2.8 macro SAM lens. Par for the course for that type of lens.
I searched a bit, it's the a500 and a550 that will have the new COS. I still own the A100 and it suck big time. I'll wait for an upgrade.
Check out the sample photos on dpreview. I have seen less noise on $200 point and shoots. That's what happens when you keep piling on the megapixels but the sensor itself is no good.
Buy new glasses. What you say is ridiculous.
Plain stupidity. The APS-C sized sensor that is in this camera is has an area of 370mm^2, your $200 point-and-shoot has a sensor size around 38mm^2. This is close to a factor of 9-10x advantage this A380 will have over a P&S in light-sensitive surface area. Even with 14MPs this A380 has far larger photosites then any P&S.
Throw stats all you want, my eyes see loads of snow static.
>>Throw stats all you want, my eyes see loads of snow static.
Because you're clueless and don't know what you're talking about.
This isn't bad noise?
Plenty of light here but she looks like someone is beaming her up to the Enterprise.
http://a.img-dpreview.com/gallery/sonydslra380_samples/dsc00237.jpg
ISO800 that's just terrible
http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-6501_7-10001356-3.html?s=0&o=10001356&tag=mncol;page
This cam should almost not even bother to do ISO3200. I have seen compact cams that can still do way better in low light.
http://www.photoreview.com.au/reviews/digitalslr/A380_DSC0247_night_ISO3200.jpg
Jason.. just stop embarrassing yourself. No P&S can rival a DSLR in terms of low noise levels, save for a few Fujifilms.
While the lack of video isn't a major issue, anything non-Canon/Nikon already has an uphill battle, with their market penetration and lens lineups. The fact that the ISO performance is poor above 400 is inexcusable in this day and age. I expect ISO400 on my dSLR's to be virtually indistinguishable from ISO100. If they can't get at least that right, no amount of swiveling screens will make the camera a proper contender.
As an avid Sony DSLR shooter, I was sad to see this latest batch released with little to no improvements over the predecessors. If anything, the A380 is a step backwards from the A350 with worse ergonomics and cheaper plastics.
Hopefully the rumored A500 and A550 will be the next step forward for the APS-C sensor Sony DSLR's I've been waiting for.
I've briefly used this camera and it felt better in my hand than I expected from just looking at it from photos. The location of the memory card slots to the left of the LCD is pretty unusual for a DSLR--I kept looking at the grip side of the camera for them. The lack of dedicated buttons for some functions is a bit distressing but most people moving up from a point-and-shoot won't miss them.
The live view function is still the camera's selling point. The dedicated switch to turn it on and the use of fast phase detection focus makes the a380's LV the most usable IMO. Nikon at least has a dedicated button for activating LV, but contrast detect focus is too slow for quick shots. Activating Canon's LV mode is pretty obtuse (improved from older models, but still not great), and it also (still) feels tacked on.
It's too bad that the image quality didn't improve from the a350 (it's still miles better than a P&S camera). Especially since the new kit lens is much nicer than the old 18-70mm DT.
Not a bad entry level DSLR, but it needs an under-the-hood overhaul.
That thing looks like a toy. Does it dispense candy?