Sony Alpha A300 with 18-70mm and 55-200mm lens Reviews: Digital SLR Camera

Photo of Sony Alpha A300 With 18-70MM and 55-200MM Lens Digital Camera

14 Real Customer Reviews - In Summary

“No matter how much experience you have, this outfit will suit a lot of people,…” kevin, durham View all 14 real customer reviews

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Product Details

2.7" Screen, 1x optical zoom, Compact Flash storage More »

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Real customer reviews

14 verified purchasers have reviewed this product.
100% of people recommend it.

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All purchasers (14)

Build Quality	8.9
Ease of use	9.1
Features	8.9
Image quality	8.9
Value for money (at time of purchase)	8.9
Overall rating	9.1

Experienced amateur (1)

Other (13)

*not all purchasers provided a score or review

Score 10.0/10

kevin, durham

+ no matter how much experience you have, this outfit will suit a lot of people, it`s so easy to use

- have not found any yet

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25 of 25 people found this review helpful

purchased 14 Aug 2008

Score 9.0/10

Peter, Stoke-on-Trent

+ Easy to use and great pictures. The camera looks good and feels nice and sturdy.

- The manual is a bit poor and there is perhaps a lack of features. That is being picky though and it is a great alternative to the Nikon D series.

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20 of 20 people found this review helpful

purchased 26 Jun 2008

Score 9.0/10

Roger, Burton on Trent , “Keen amateur photographer ”

+ Ease of use
User friendly menus
Autofocus speed
Image stablisation
Image quality
Value for money

- Won't autobracket +/- 2 stops
Viewfinder a bit small

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14 of 14 people found this review helpful

purchased 09 May 2008

Score 8.0/10

Anonymous verified purchaser

+ Excellent value for money. LiveView facility. Easy to use controls. Intuitive menus.

- No filters included in kit.

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12 of 12 people found this review helpful

purchased 13 Aug 2008

Score 10.0/10

Terry, Crowborough

+ Overall cost, comfortable weight balance when taking photo's and general ease of use.

- Slightly grainy pictures at higher ISO's, but who cares, it's a great camera.

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12 of 12 people found this review helpful

purchased 22 Jul 2008

Score 9.0/10

Archy, Wolverhampton , “Experienced amateur”

+ Compared to other SLRs in this price range, this camera is the best value. It's packed to the rafters with features to help you take top quality photos, but it also encourages you to be more creative and adventurous by using the manual settings with ease. This is my first SLR and the main reasons for buying this camera was the price. The two lenses that come with it are brilliant and if I had to buy either of these seperately, it would have pushed the price up considerably.

- There aren't any bad points really. You get what you pay for. If I was really picky, I'd say I want even better quality pictures but I have been comparing my photos to proffessional photos and I know I need a lot more experience and I'm looking at serious money for that type of equipment but this is a great starter pack to learn digital SLR photography with ease..

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9 of 9 people found this review helpful

purchased 31 Mar 2009

Score 10.0/10

Anonymous verified purchaser

+ point & shoot or manual

- none

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8 of 8 people found this review helpful

purchased 31 Jul 2008

Score 9.0/10

Andy, Stoke on Trent , “Keen to learn”

+ Easy to use straight from the box. Lots to learn though.

- Haven't come across any so far.

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purchased 27 Jun 2009

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Product Features

Camera Type	SLR
There are 2 main types of camera: The SLR and the Compact. SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. SLR cameras use a prism to reflect the exact image as seen through the lens and so offers a more accurate viewfinder. SLR cameras have detachable lenses offering greater flexibility if you wish to take a variety of different photographs. Compact cameras have a built in lens and an ‘above lens’ viewfinder which is less accurate but they are often cheaper, more sleekly designed and easier to carry anywhere with you to capture that moment perfectly without having to fiddle with complex settings or a bag full of lenses.
Optical Zoom Ratio	1
The amount by which the camera optics (lens) can bring the subject closer.
Screen Size in Inches	2.7
Screen size is measured diagonally from corner to corner.
Digital Zoom Ratio	1
Not to be confused with optical zoom, digital zoom enlarges a portion of the image thus simulating optical zoom. In doing so, some image quality is lost.
Face Recognition	Yes
A function for automatically detecting peoples faces and correctly adjusting the focus and exposure to take the best photo
Image Stabilisation	Yes
If a photo is taken at a slow shutter speed, or at a long focal length, the effects of ‘hand shake’ will be amplified. Some cameras come with built-in image stabilisation which is designed to act against this to produce sharper images. It’s great for low light shots without a tripod, like at a gig.
Colour	Black
The main colour of the product.
Memory Card Slot	Yes
Having a memory card slot allows you to save data to a memory card and then transfer it to another device. For example you may put a photo from your camera or mobile phone onto a memory card and then plug it into your printer to print directly. Memory card slots come in many formats: Compact Flash Card Memory Stick Duo Micro SD Card MMC SD Card SDHC Card
Media Format	Memory Stick Duo
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Media Format	Compact Flash
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
PictBridge	Yes
An industry standard allowing images to be printed from camera to printer, without needing a computer. CIPA PictBridge Standard Website
Macro Mode	Yes
This mode allows close-up photograpy of small objects such as insects and flowers.
Video Recorder	No
Video recording functionality allows the capture of videos in mpeg or avi format which is great if you want to capture a whole scene, not just one moment.
Manual Focus	Yes
Almost all modern cameras have autofocus. Manual focus allows you to override the autofocus and set the distance yourself. This is especially useful if your camera is struggling to focus in a low-light or confusing scene.
Timer	Yes
Having a timer function is essential if you want to get into the shot yourself. Make sure your camera has this feature if you plan to go on holiday and capture photos of you and your friends or family having fun together.
Under Water	No
An under water feature means your camera is safe to dive with, usually between 3 and 5 metres. Most dSLR cameras will require expensive separate housing so consider investing in a waterproof digital compact first.
Dimensions (mm)	98.5x130.8x74.7
The size of the device in millimetres, in width x height x depth.
Weight (g)	582
The weight of the product in grams.
Flash	Yes
Whether or not your camera has an in-built flash. Flashes are essential for fully capturing a low light image.
Body Only	No
dSLR cameras have detachable lenses and are sold in a variety of combinations. This facet lets you know whether the package your are considering comes bundled with a lens or whether it is just the body of the camera.
Resolution (Pixels)	3872x2592
A camera sensor, that captures the photograph, is measured in pixels. The number given here is the horizontal amount of pixels followed by the vertical quantity of pixels. The more pixels a camera sensor has, the bigger and higher quality the image will be.
Shortest Shutter Speed	4000
This is the fastest speed at which the camera can take a photo. Faster shutter speeds really freeze the action and are great for sports photography.
Longest Shutter Speed	30"
This is the longest exposure your camera will take. The longer you take a photo for, the more light is let in and the more motion is captured. Long shutter speeds can give fantastic, artistic results. Try photographing the night sky at 30s or longer to see how the rotation of the Earth causes the stars to curve through the scene.
Max. Aperture Lens 1	f3.5-5.6
Measured in f-stops the aperture of a lens dictates the maximum amount of light captured. If you want to do low light photography look for something with a wide aperture like f2.8. The widest aperture is given as a range as it changes when your lens is zoomed in.
Filter Diameter (mm) Lens 1	55
If you want to protect your camera or camcorder lens from getting scratched you will need a filter. A filter screws on to the front of the lens. The filter diameter is the distance across the lens.
USB Port	Yes
Socket for connecting devices such as a computers and other components

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Manufacturer's Description

If you’re new to DSLR photography, the alpha DSLR-A300 is the perfect choice for you. To kick start your new hobby, a high quality DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 standard zoom lens is included.

Compare prices for Sony Alpha A300 with 18-70mm and 55-200mm lens on 08 Nov 2009

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