These include an eye level sensor that switches off the rear screen's info display as you bring your eye close to the optical viewfinder, plus a facility that automatically flips the same display through 90° should you turn the A380 on its side to shoot portrait fashion. At the time of writing retailers were offering the A380 and standard zoom lens for £610, even if Sony's own site was suggesting a less inviting figure of £719.Īlthough it feels surprisingly plastic in the hand, with a shorter than average grip and lightweight too at 490g, the Sony A380 has retained a couple of neat and sophisticated features. Like its rivals, Sony's APS-C CCD sensor sporting A380 is targeted at both hobbyist and family user, trying to entice those trading up from a compact or bridge camera with a promise of more professional looking images, ease of use and affordability.
So it's worth asking if the 14.2 effective megapixel A380, coming after the A350 and currently the highest specified of a trio of new models, including the 10.2 MP A230 and Jessops exclusive A330 (which looks nigh on identical), has what it takes to consolidate its manufacturer's market position and possibly even leapfrog its closest compact DSLR competitors in the Canon 500D and Nikon D5000? In terms of DSLR sales, in the UK at least Sony - a relative latecomer to the party - claims to be snapping at the heels of the traditional 'big two' in Canon and Nikon. Does the A380 offer enough to rival the Canon EOS 500D / Rebel T1i, Nikon D5000 and Olympus E-620? Mark Goldstein found out. Sitting in the middle of the Sony Alpha range above the entry-level A230 and A330 and below the prosumer A700, the Sony A380 has a street price of around £700 / $850 with the 18-55mm kit lens.
#Sony a350 camera body iso#
Replacing the A350 model, the A380 retains all of its predecessor's key features, with a 2.7 inch tilting LCD screen, Live View, anti-dust system, ISO range of 100-3200, anti-shake system that's built into the body, eye-start auto-focus system and Dynamic Range Optimiser. The Sony A380 is a new 14 megapixel DSLR camera featuring a restyled design and user interface to make it easier to use.