This Sony cropped sensor SLR is an older model, but it is easy to use and lightweight. The kit lens that came with it produces decent images. However, this Sony model has the A lens mount inherited from Minolta. I can use my Minolta Maxxum lenses from my Minolta film cameras. Using a 50 mm 1.7 Minolta lens (75 mm with the cropped sensor), I can take nice portraits with good bokeh. Quite satisfied with my purchase.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Only reason I bought this camera was for video which was stated as a feature and it only takes pictures
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Wonderful camera! Automatic mode is simple enough for anyone to use. Scene modes do exactly what they are designed to do. Manual settings are great for experienced shutterbugs. Only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is only shutter speed or f-stop can be adjusted in manual at a time, not both. My collection of Minolta lenses function flawlessly with this unit. Love it! Attached photo is an actual shot with this camera.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Sony’s Alpha A230 is the cheapest of three models in the company’s consumer DSLR range, featuring 10.2 Megapixel resolution and built-in image stabilisation which works with any lens you attach. It’s a fair specification for the price, although one which shares a great deal with its predecessor, the Alpha A200. This is an interesting strategy since the majority of new rival DSLRs look pretty similar to their predecessors on the outside but normally feature significant internal enhancements. Always fond of bucking the trend, Sony has opted for the opposite strategy here, keeping most of the internals of the A230 unchanged from the earlier A200, but housing them in a significantly redesigned body with a revamped user interface. Sony has done this in an attempt to appeal to those buying their first DSLR, who have previously been put off by large cameras and tricky controls. Clearly convinced it had the internal specification right on its previous generation, Sony’s instead concentrated on shrinking the body and making it easier to use.Read full review
This camera is very easy to use for just about anyone, its not much more complex than a point & shoot. Controls and display are easy to understand and use (the HELP feature is nice). The down side for me is that the grip is small for my hands & I really dont see the number of accessories for this camera as say a Nikon or Canon. That said, I'm happy with my purchase and will be using this dslr for years to come.
I've been wanting a DSLR for some time. The Sony alpha A230 fits the bill perfectly! It is the perfect camera for the DSLR beginner like me but also produces professional quality photos. The full auto mode makes it as easy to use as a point-and-shoot and the manual mode gives you full control and allows you to be as creative as you want. Excellent value for the money. The only con that I can see is that you cannot switch to AA batteries if you drain the included battery so, for long shoots you either have to have a second battery (expensive) or plan shorter shoots. That however, is a minor con. Overall rating stays at 5. Good job, Sony!
This is my first DSLR .. Have Had A Canon G5 point and shoot that took great photos ,, So i wanted to upgrade to the next level of photography . I look at the Big Boys and was shocked at how much you can spend . But this Sony was in my price range and light and small , and very easy to use. The photos are fabulous. and I think this is a great entry level DSLR camera ... so far so good ...
This purchase is my first venture into DSLR cameras. I came to focus on Sony because of the Minolta heritage, the solid reviews I've read, and, frankly, because the competition for other makes tends to drive their prices a bit higher, at least in the entry level range, where I wanted to be. I came to narrow my hunt on the a230 as delivering the best specs for the money I budgeted to spend. I am not disappointed. The camera is fairly easy to learn and is a fine performer. My only complaint would be that the manual selection of speed and aperture is a bit awkward to manage with the control layout provided. It's not a big issue for me now, and if it becomes one, I'll seek another camera for that purpose. The Minolta heritage behind all Sony DSLR cameras means that there is a good supply of compatible lenses available at very reasonable prices. I can't compare, of course, to anything else in the DSLR world, but the optical performance of this a230 easily outpaces that of my 40 year old Nikkormat SLR -- which takes fabulous pictures. I will say that the old Nikkormat is built like a tank and can take some punishment. The a230 is lightweight (a plus) but I doubt that it could suffer much impact. That's ok by me. I go to fewer extremes nowadays than I did once upon a time.Read full review
I've been wanting a DSLR for a long time so when I finally chose to buy I didn't want to invest a lot of money in case I didn't like it. I purchased this camera due to the ratings and the price, which were both really great. I have been using the camera for a couple of weeks now and I can say it takes beautiful pictures! It's easy to use and very similar in functions to the Sony advanced point and shoot I'd been using. I'm learning that it is important to get good lenses with a DSLR and the lens that came with the camera is an excellent all purpose lens. It's fully automatic which means I can manipulate more camera functions while using it, or I can set it to manual. Overall, I love the whole package. The battery life is great and I love the double slot for storage cards which allows me to use either Sony Pro Duo or a regular SD. I'd say if you're in the market for your first or intermediate DSLR, this is a great choice.Read full review
As the manager/owner of a detective agency (http://www.aaccurate.info), I was looking for a dSLR that would provide the lens swapping capability of an SLR while not breaking the bank. For a mere $380, each investigator gets an A-230L camera, 18-55mm Sony lens, bag, cleaning supplies AND a host of extra gear that includes a fish eye lens for landscape shots (a must for dSLR shots), a screw on lens doubler, a tripod, 4Gb card and LCD covers. Wow. That's a great place to start. For an additional $280, I purchase each new investigator a Sony 75-300mm A/F lens with a Sony A/F lens doubler. That kit comes with filters. That's less than $675 for a complete dSLR kit that covers A/F lenses of 18-55 / 36-110 / 75-300 and 150-600 (yes, that's all AutoFocus). Add the screw on doubler (disable A/F) and you're now at 1200mm for less than $700 for the kit. The shots are clear and Sony's LCD display is easy to learn if you have a good photo background (or you learn quickly). No hidden gotcha's yest. The multiframe capability is a little slower than I had imagined but still shoots a good rate for PI work. If multiframe shooting is your hot button (sports), you probably want to look at a different camera. My friends Nikon D-90 frames like a bandit but costs twice as much when comparably lensed. I forgot to mention that FumieCamera (that's our E-bay seller) included the 3 year warranty for the above price. The 75-300 lens and doubler came with a 5 year warranty from JerseyPhoto. The wife is going to shoot Senior portraits for the year book with the camera so we'll probably get the external flash for those. A PI really doesn't need the extra flash. The included pop-up flash does a really good job for what we do. Happy shooting! Brook Hammond, manager Aaccurate Investigations www.aaccurate.infoRead full review
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