Sony Alpha A330 in Digital cameras

Image quality reveals no great surprises. At low ISO it's the match of its Nikon and Canon peers, and the D-Range Optimizer function, which is enabled by default, works fairly well to improve apparent dynamic range. It does tend to introduce noise into shadow areas, though. Noise is also a limitation at high ISO, with Sony still not managing to get the problem under control as well as Canon. Shots at ISO 1600 are usable but ISO 3200 remains a setting of last resort.

Our issue, as so often of late, is with the price of the new model. To some extent this is out of Sony's hands, global exchange rates being what they are. It's nonetheless a lot to swallow when a new, more expensive model is in some ways worse than the previous one.

Sony has made a rod for its own back by creating an expectation of stunning value that undercuts the competition. The A330 is a perfectly capable DSLR, streamlined and easier to use than the previous generation. But beyond ease of use it offers nothing we haven't seen before. It's a good camera but it's currently too expensive to recommend over its predecessor, as long as you can still find one.

Author: David Fearon