Sony A500 DSLR: Review

Posted to Digital SLR 2009-12-29

Sony A500 DSLR review:

The Sony A500 DSLR is a new 12.3 megapixel digital SLR with included 18-55mm zoom kit lens from Sony. The camera features Quick Auto Focus Live View for composing shots on the LCD monitor and Auto HDR (High Dynamic Range), which captures more contrast than a single scene can handle by combining two exposures into one shot.

Other features include improved low-light operation with ISOs up to 12800, manual focus check Live View, which allows checking focus in live view when in macro mode or when the camera is on a tripod, and face detection technology. The camera includes a 3.0 inch 230,000 dot tiltable color LCD, up to 5 fps continuous shooting and Steady Shot INSIDE in-camera image stabilization. The Sony A500 also features eye-start autofocus, an HDMI output for HD viewing and a Smart Teleconverter 2X digital zoom.

Rating:

3.6 out of 5

Features

The Sony A500 DSLR has more features than most of the similarly priced competition. Its Live View mode is more versatile than the competition, and the eye-start autofocus is a Sony exclusive in this price range. The included kit lens is an excellent general-purpose zoom, and the Smart Teleconverter 2X zoom is another unique feature. The Live View manual focus check is a very convenient feature, and the auto HDR produces excellent results in high contrast situations.

Performance

The Sony A500 delivers very good performance. Image quality is better than average in this class, as is the 5fps continuous shooting capability. Low-light operation is better than average as well, and the camera does an above average job of noise processing when high ISOs are used. Autofocus is smooth and near-silent, and the zoom and focus rings have a firm and positive feel. And the tiltable LCD helps in composing those difficult shots.

Summary

If you're an advanced amateur, or maybe you're buying your second digital SLR, the Sony A500 makes a very good choice. It has a host of features, some unique, and is a cut above the entry level class of digital SLRs. So if you're ready for a more advanced camera, then the Sony A500 deserves a hard look.

Pros

12.3 megapixels resolution
18-55mm zoom kit lens
3.0 inch tiltable LCD
Live View autofocus
Eye-start autofocus

Cons

There are no cons for this product