Customer Reviews

Sony Alpha A330L 10.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with Super SteadyShot INSIDE Image Stabilization and 18-55mm Lens

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been using this camera for several weeks now and I am very impressed. Here are the pros, in my opinion:

(1) The camera is very light and balanced when using the 18-55 lens. My wife was very surprised at the weight, or lack of it.

(2) Minolta Maxxum autofocus lenses work flawlessly with this camera! I have two old telephotos (20 years old) that produce incredible pictures with the new Sony. My old zoom flash works too, although I have to adjust exposure manually. Although the newer Sony lenses are much lighter, quality older lenses can be purchased on auction sites for a fraction of the cost of new lenses. Just remember: they will be much heavier than today's modern opticals.

(3) The A330 functions well as an automatic point and shoot camera, but also allows the flexibility to set everything manually if desired. I especially appreciate the ease of setting white balance for those flashless shots in changing lighting conditions. Depth of field was easy to adjust using Aperture priority.

(4) Picture quality is outstanding. Viewing the high definition output on my Sony Bravia through the HDMI output is an incredible way to preview photos. My TV remote even advances the photos in my camera as I watch!

(5) It will take both an SD memory card and a Memory Stick Pro Duo card AT THE SAME TIME. When one is full, the flip of a switch changes to the other card. Memory is mostly limited by the size of your wallet.

(6) The 3200 iso setting does well in low light situations, although there is some grain.

Here are a few cons:

(1) Some functions are buried in menus. This seems to be par for the course these days for all camera manufacturers.

(2) In moving up from an 8 mega-pixel camera, this 10.2 creates substantially larger files. It is important to take into consideration what the photos will be used for, and then set the resolution accordingly.

(3) The pop up flash knocks my hat off!


I did a lot of research before purchasing this camera. The primary selling point was the ability to use my old Minolta lenses, and the tilting rear screen. This camera reminds me of my old 35mm. It feels like I am really taking pictures again, instead of merely capturing digital images. Those wanting or needed more features should look at the higher end Sonys. However, for beginner or intermediate photographers, this should fit the bill just fine!

Ok, I have literally spent days painstakingly comparing entry-level DSLRs (Canon XS, XSi; Nikon d3000, d5000; Pentax k-x) and have even made my own excel spread sheet grading each of the technical pros and cons. Obviously, I finally chose the a330, so I will write this review from the perspective of the reason why i chose this camera and why I've immensely enjoyed it.

Picture Quality
- Since you are looking for an entry level DSLR, the picture quality for all entry levels is comparable (in my opinion). Since I am a manual mode shooter, the quality of my shots are really based on settings (aperture, shutter speed, ISO, light, etc) so you'll be able to get good quality out of all of them.
-I would rate the a330 as a bit more exceptional, because in the manual mode, Sony has something called "Creative Style" where you can further tweak your shot (vivid color, night shot, sunset etc....and for each one of those modes, you can further alter saturation, sharpness and contrast). See some of my pictures in my profile!

Lenses
-This was one of the first reasons why the Sony alpha series made my short list - any Sony or Minolta lens will work with this camera. In addition, because the image stabilization is built into the camera and not the lens, the cost is more reasonable compared to other lenses. Therefore, any lens I find on eBay I can use (don't have to worry if a particular Sony lens or older Minolta lens will work, so my options are endless).

Speed
- Although the continuously shooting isn't the fastest in its class, it's definitely usable. When I first was looking at FPS, I thought this was something that was high on my feature list, but turns out (unless you are a sporting-event photographer) when you shot something relativity still, you end up with tons of pictures, where you'll end up just deleting most of them. So the 2.5-3 fps is still faster then i will need.
- As noted by other reviewers, the AF is blazing fast (with 9 AF points), and the switching between Live View and the optical view finder is very fast as well!

Battery
- The battery power is pretty decent, especially since I don't shot with the flash. But here's my work-around: I just use a vertical battery grip, that add three batteries total to use seamlessly ([...]). This grip makes your camera look like the big 2k-5k cameras, and give you 3Xs the battery power.

A230 vs A330
- As those who have researched this well, the a230 is exactly the same camera as the a330, but it doesn't have the live view and tilting LCD. I thought, I'm definitely getting the a230, because the viewfinder is better, and the price is way cheaper. But I found that I love shooting with the Live view, because in manual mode, the live view gives me an estimate of how aperture, focus, shutter speed and iso would effect my shot vs with the viewfinder in the a230, where it doesn't show me any of that(in the viewfinder-only case, I'm stuck waiting unto the preview shows, so I would have to check every shot and then adjust, etc). So the Live view saves me time and space on my SC card and I get pictures right the first or second time, versus the 4th or 5th time!

I could write all about my experience with the Nikon a3000 and a5000, and Canon XS and XSi but I'll just say after testing all of them I like the Sony better

p.s. I realize Nikon and Canon are more prevalent in the market of DSLRs, which is why I wanted to give Sony a real chance - FYI I have a Canon HD video camera, which I love WAY better than any of the Sony models, so for video, I would definitely go with a Canon.

I am by no means a professional photographer. I was sick of my point and shoot taking so long to start & the delay between each picture. It's ridiculous & plain doesn't work with my toddlers. I also was sick of paying photographers hundreds of dollars a couple of times a year to do photographs of my kids. This will save me a bundle, two trips to the photographer & it's paid for. Google how to do professional portraits at home, you'll be amazed at what you find. The accessories you'd need/want are so inexpensive. A light disc can be had for under $20, for example.

Having said that, if you are looking to move up to an SLR from a P&S model, this is a great option. It received stellar ratings from Consumer Reports, earning their best buy logo. I have never used an SLR and read lots before purchasing this camera. I took it out of the box and as soon as the battery was charged, I was shooting away. The camera comes with an ultra simple quick-start guide & a full owner's manual. This is helpful when you can't wait to start shooting.

When purchasing this camera for photographing kids/sports, spend the extra $20-30 and get the pro-stick duo memory card made by Sony. I am always skeptical of the need to purchase name brand, but the additional speed the Sony card gives this camera is exceptional. I had a generic memory card from my point and shoot. It works in the camera, but slows down shots, especially in sports mode. Since this is very important to me, it is well worth it. If you were going to say, take pictures of landscapes and flowers, maybe not so much.

In hand the camera feels sturdy and comfortable. However, there isn't a great place to hold on with your left hand. I think they sell grips for this purpose, but it isn't a deal breaker, so I'll just let it go for now and see if I get used to it. In the regard of hanging on with just a couple fingers from your left hand, it's much the same as you would do with a little point and shoot.

Let's be honest 10.2 megapixels is plenty! How big do we really need to print our pictures? The price difference between this and 12 just doesn't make it worth the extra definition.

PROS:
Price (especially on amazon)
Quick shooting
Quick start up
Easy to use
Professional looking results
Internal stabilization
Crisp images
Plenty of functions/features
Well built construction, solid feeling

CONS:
Ergonomics for left hand isn't great
Functions best on relatively expensive memory stick


In conclusion, I will keep my cheapy point and shoot in my purse for emergencies. When I know I want quality photographs, this is my new go-to!

After years of using a Minolta Maxxum 700si, I made my foray into digital photography with the A330. It's a fantastic camera for those wanting something a little better than a point and shoot. I have tiny hands, so the ergonomics were perfect for me. However, even though I bought mine brand new, after around 7000 shots I discovered a few problems started to pop up.

*The sensitivity of the sensor started to play up in manual and auto modes, leaving my photos under exposed when in fact the reading on the meter said the light was balanced.
*The shutter started to jam at 1/100.
*Noise started to become more prominent at 400ISO rather than just at 3200, even in medium light conditions.

My old minolta mount 70-300mm teles work a charm on this camera and the 18-55mm kit lens is pretty decent. I have also dragged this camera around as a backup to my old A750 for weddings and it has taken some fantastic results, but not so good results in low light conditions eg, live events etc. Despite buying a couple of Canon 60Ds and a 5D Mk2 since then, I still wholeheartedly recommend this camera for entry level photographers... I have since had the problems fixed and have given this camera to my 9 year old niece who's a budding photographer and she absolutely loves it. It's durable, light and easy to use. Most importantly, it's a great way for entry level photographers to learn the basics of manual functions as it tells you what to do on the LCD.

Apart from the problems at high shutter counts, it's an awesome camera.

Love love love this camera!! We did our research before purchasing and are really happy with the pictures that we have taken.

Pros:
- Quickest AF on live view that you can find. We have 2 young boys and needed to be able to catch them on the fly without blur. Trying out the other similar cameras out there we found there was no comparison to the speed that the Sony has on live view.
- Size & style are perfect. We actually went with the bronze color for something different and have gotten lots of comments on it.
- Great picture quality and options
- Space for two memory cards at the same time

Cons:
- Screen doesn't flip around to protect it
- My husband blinks in every single picture with the normal flash. No one else does this that I have tried it on except for him. We had to purchase a bounce flash to take a normal family picture.


Because of the blinking problem we went back to the store to try out other brands (he blinks with every single Sony camera). The only one that came close in our mind was the Nikon 5000. Even then, I don't want to give up my Sony because it is SOOOOOOOO much quicker I know that I will just get annoyed with the speed of a Nikon. Even my blinking hubby doesn't want to give it up and purchased the new flash. :)

This is a fantastic product for an entry level dSLR user. It may be a great camera for an intermediate or advanced user too, but as I have little experience with photography, I really can't speak to the more advanced demographic. To research my purchase I spent time in two different brick-and-mortar camera shops. When I explained that I use a point and shhot digital and that I had experience 15 years ago with a 35mm film SLR, both shops instantly directed me to the Sony Alpha line (and to the A330 in specific when I disclosed my price range). They said that for the price, its the best quality camera in town and the only camera in the range with a tilting LCD for live view (They also mentioned that SOny makes most of the sensors used in Nikon and Canon dSLRs) which has already come in handy. The menus and display options are what really sold me. The menu interface when shooting on aperature and speed priority mode are very straight forward and the location of the scroll wheel is perfect for making changes without moving yout eye from the viewfinder. Changing the aperature, shutter speed, white balance, ISO, auto-focus area and all other in-the-moment settings are very easy and therefore fast. If you remember to look and pay attention the two different LCD displays make your shot all but dumie proof (which helps me a lot) and in live view you can get a histogram and a few more options to help optomize your shot. The body feels very solid in my hand and, despite being an entry level lens, I have captuered some great wild life and macro shots in the month that I have owned the camera. I have cropped some shots up to 60% and, on a 4x6 print, you would never know it was blown up.

Over all I am excited about my purchase and the quality that Sony is putting into A330.

I've had this camera since March 2010. I wanted to get some use in before reviewing it. Like others, I spent a great deal of time doing online research of many cameras before making a purchase decision.

I was using a Kodak z740 P&S which had become problematic for me in that it took forever to "process" a shot before letting me take another one. And I was getting better and learning more and wanted to delve into more manual settings.

I chose the Sony a330 for a few reasons. The tilting screen is what got me. I take a lot of outdoor closeup shots, and often can be found on the ground on my knees or belly. I knew that the ability to tilt the screen toward me would be a great help, and it has been. It also comes in handy when standing in a crowd around a stage. I can lift the camera up above my head and still see what I'm shooting! Wonderful!
I recommend getting a screen protector right away, since it does not rotate to protect itself. I did and have not had any problems with it.

I also like that if I so desire, I can find and use the cheaper Minolta lenses on eBay or elsewhere and still have image stabilization!

I like the live view on the Sony. The way they engineered it is pretty cool and unique in the industry, which makes it the best. Also, if you want to learn how changing settings like aperture, ISO, speed and others will affect your shot, you can see it happen as you adjust them on this live view! Pretty helpful for someone wanting to learn to use manual settings.

The ability to use two different types of storage cards is a plus. I tried using my old SD card, a 512mb, but it was slow. So definitely go for a newer SDHC card for additional speed. I could probably even do better than this, but its cost prohibitive right now.

It is a bigger camera, and it took me a while to get used to that, coming from a much smaller camera. That's the only reason for the 3 stars on portability. I had read a lot about the grip on the Sony too. Lots of people/reviewers think it is too small. And I did notice that at first and thought they may have something there. But in no time at all, my hand got used to it and its fine now. You just have to give yourself time to adjust to something different.

Battery. Simply get one or two extra. Anyone who uses their camera a lot knows to do this. Using live view sucks more battery life than using the viewfinder. But I usually switch to live view only when its most useful. I have been able to take 200+ shots on one battery in a day. And that's with several on and off cycles too. When you charge them, leave it on the charger for an hour or two beyond when the light goes off. It's in the manual. This gives you a more fully charged battery.

I just really love my new Sony! I do not regret going with this brand at all. If I ever decide to upgrade, it will probably be a bigger Sony model. My husband got a Nikon D5000 around the same time as I got this camera, and he said the menu system was better on the Sony.
If you decide to get it and really like taking photos, there are two groups on Flickr just for this brand and camera with useful info in the discussions.

I am very pleased so far with my Sony A330. It met one of my key requirements: it had to use my (pretty old) Minolta lenses, and they both fit and work perfectly. I was surprised, however, that I have to choose between the regular viewfinder and the video screen. I thought that even if I was looking through the viewfinder, the image would still appear on the screen. This hasn't affected my use of the camera, and my pictures are beautifully clear and sharp regardless of how I view them. I am delighted with my new purchase and looking forward to lots of great pictures, especially once I read the owner's manual!

This camera is easy to use right out of the box even though I purchased the book that explains all its features in depth. I bought it to take pictures at my grandchildren's football, soccer and hockey games. It is amazing how fast the sport mode is - it is like looking at a movie one frame at a time. I followed the recommendations of other reviewers and purchased a Minolta zoom lens for under $100 and it works perfectly. I like the fact that it uses two types of media to record on and I really like the fact that I wasn't paying for a camera that had a movie mode - I already have a great Sony movie camera and have never yet used my still cameras for movies. You can't go wrong with this camera if you want SLR features and yet don't want to pay over $1000 - checkout the review in Consumers Magazine!

Takes great pictures right out of the box. Auto everything works great. lots of extras with package from Willoughbys.