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Sony Alpha DSLR-A300

84

Very Good

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Pros
"Live View" handling is quite impressive
Very easy to navigate and operate
Cons
Noticeable noise at high ISO settings
Artifacting in high-contrast edges

$549.99
From 1 Merchant

Pricing: Very Inexpensive: $600 (5/15/2009)
Performance: Very Good: 84
Features: Good: 77
Design: Very Good: 86

Find out how these four scores, and their relative weights, combine to produce the PC World Rating.

Pricing

Very Inexpensive: $600

Performance

Very Good: 84

Battery
Battery Life Score	Superior
Number of Batteries	1
Number of Shots	500
Battery Life	273.5

Image Quality Tests (Max. points = 100)
Image Quality Score	Very Good
Image Quality, Color	56.4
Image Quality, Color--Auto	53.3
Image Quality, Color--Adjusted	59.5
Image Quality, Exposure	55.2
Image Quality, Exposure--Flash	63.9
Image Quality, Exposure--Normal	51.4
Image Quality, Sharpness	44.3
Image Quality, Distortion	63
Image Quality, Distortion--Noise	67
Image Quality, Distortion--Noise Reduction	57.4
Image Quality, Distortion--Sharp Interpolation	61.8
Image Quality, Overall	56

Features

Good: 77

Imaging
Max. Megapixels	10.2Megapixels
Maximum Resolution	3872 by 2592
Optical Zoom	3.8X Zoom
Zoom Range Min. (mm)	18
Zoom Range Max. (mm)	70
Highest Shutter Speed	4000
Lowest Shutter Speed	30
Wide-Angle Aperture Maximum	3.5
Telephoto Aperture Maximum	5.6
Manual Focus	Yes
Interchangeable Lens	Yes
Lens Model	DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6
Accessory Lens	No

Hardware
LCD Screen Size (inches)	2.7LCD Screen
Dimensions	5.3 by 4.0 by 3.0
Weight (ounces)	32.8
Viewfinder	Optical
Image Stabilization	Hardware
Media Slots	CompactFlash, Memory Stick
Starter Media or Internal RAM	No
Battery Type	Rechargeable lithium ion
Charging Dock	No
Remote Control	Optional
Flash Shoe	Yes

Controls
Scene Modes	5
Aperture Priority	Yes
Shutter Priority	Yes
Full Manual Exposure Control	Yes
White-Balance Calibration	Yes
White-Balance Bracketing	Yes
Exposure Bracketing	Yes
ISO Range	ISO 100 to ISO 3200
Flash Slow Sync	Yes

File & Printing Formats
File Formats	JPEG, RAW

Other
Included Hardware	battery, charger, video and usb cables, strap, cap.
Included Software	Image Data Converter SR ver.2.0, Image Data Lightbox SR ver.1.0, (all Windows & Macintosh), Picture Motion Browser Ver.2.1.02 (Windows only), USB Driver.

Warranty & Support
Labor Warranty (years)	90-day
Parts Warranty (years)	One
Weekday Support Hours	13
Saturday Support Hours	9
Sunday Support Hours	9
Toll-Free Support	Yes

Reliability & Service
Summary of results for all of brand's products in this category	Sony digital cameras are reliable, easy to use, and have few out-of-box problems, readers report. All-in-all, this is a great showing for Sony--and a repeat performance from our last R & S survey.

Reliability of brand's products in this category
Reports of product arriving with problems	Better than Average
Reports of products with any significant problems	Better than Average
Reports of problems that render a product unusable	Average
Buyers' rating of product's	Better than Average
Overall satisfaction with reliability of brand's products in category	Average

Service & Support Quality
Overall quality of vendor's phone support	Average
Reports of problems unresolved after contacting service	Average
Overall quality of service	Average

Design

Very Good: 86

Sony Alpha DSLR-A300K Digital SLR Camera Review

by Kathleen Cullen, PC World

- Updated 12/23/08: Like competing compact digital SLRs designed for users stepping up from the point-and-shoot realm, the 10.2-megapixel Sony Alpha DSLR-A300K has live-view functions--but it enjoys an edge over its rivals in that its flexible live-view LCD works in real time. Priced at $550 (available in a kit only, with a 18mm-to-70mm lens; price as of 12/10/08), this camera offers tilt-screen tricks that may make it attractive to stealth shooters and to people who want to capture unique images.

Read Complete Review »

User Reviews for Sony Alpha DSLR-A300

Reviewed by: xdr4gon

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: Very user friendlyDecent amount of advanced user functionsGreat as a first cameraBuilt in image stabilization into the body

Weaknesses: Kit lens not so greatNoise at higher ISOs, but works well for smaller prints/pictures.

Overall Evaluation: This was my first dSLR and I love it. It has all the features I wanted. It's everything you expect out of a dSLR. It's built off of the a200 but it's got the addition of live view and a tiltable screen. The liveview comes in handy sometimes, but I find myself using the viewfinder the most. The screen is nice and big and shows pictures nicely. You won't find liveview on many other cameras (nikon and only the newer canons). I've taken a bunch of pictures with this and am very proud of the camera. The built in SSS stabilizer saves a ton of money on lenses, let's see canikon do that!Just a great camera overall.Oh yeah, and don't bother with the a350, there's no improvements and a larger 14.2 MP sensor will not help. It's the same image processor and has the same amount of noise (if not more at the higher res). Get the a700 for that price range.
Reviewed by: davelin

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: Unbeatable value for your money; Live View w/ no AF lag; 700+ shot battery; built-in image stabilization; fast 9-point auto focus

Weaknesses: Included kit lenses are above average performers, but not as good as some competitor kit lenses; shutter click is noticeable in quiet settings; accessories can be expensive; no SDHC support

Overall Evaluation: This is a great camera value. While Sony is traditionally associated with design, technology and performance (not value), the consumer electronics conglomerate is making a hard push into the digital SLR market. As a result, their pricing these cameras below competitors, while adding premium features to swing the undecided. If you can get over not having a Canon or Nikon branded camera, you'll find yourself with a very capable camera deeply rooted in the rich photographic legacy of Konica-Minolta. **Caveat: This is my first digital SLR and I've only owned the camera for about a month, but I wanted to provide readers some insight into the thought process and early reflections of a person like me: a novice dSLR-user, who relied on online and magazine research. More details: Unbeatable value for your money (closest comparables Nikon D60 and Canon XSi) are hundreds more, except Olympus E510 Live View allows for point-and-shoot convenience with only slight AF lag, due to unique Sony live view technology 700+ shot battery w/ capacity gauge is an industry best Second-generation image stabilization is built-in to camera and produces great results with any lens 9-point autofocus is really fast and very accurate Large 2.7" LCD is bright, but not as clear as on other cameras Great accessory support, including battery grip, memory stick adapter for CompactFlash, wide assortment of Sony and legacy Minolta lenses.