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By N. Hunt (sheffield, UK)
This is my first DSLR camera and I looked into lots of options before buying at a very good price (approx £410).
So far I love it - picture quality is excellent and it's extremely easy to use, including the software provided. Although I've a basic understanding of all the functions this is still the first SLR I've owned and the display makes things so clear and simple I'm confident taking good pics in any situation. e.g. when changing aperture/shutter speed you've got a picture guide to show which setting is right for the scenario and it couldn't be clearer.
There are a lot of good independent reviews on youtube for most good cameras including this one. I'd originally been slightly sceptical about a sony lens as they've arguably not got the pedigree as some other brands, but these concerns were appeased by what the reviewers and "experts" were saying.
The pop-out display was what made me buy this one in the end and it is quite useful - more so than expected. If they could create one that can move left and right as well as up and down then it would be even better!
In short it's a top camera in my opinion. As a beginner it caters for all my needs and I couldn't be happier!
By Alan Crosskill (North Yorkshire)
On retirement in 2000 I disposed of my Canon EOS and Bronica equipment and reverted to a Ricoh GR which in time was replaced by a number of small digital cameras, I had few regrets. Two months ago a friend showed me his newly purchased Sony Alpha A380L DSLR Camera, I was smitten and immediately purchased one. I had no experience of other makers products nor made any comparisons. The 380 felt absolutely `right' in my hands and I quickly mastered the controls, something I never achieved with smaller digi cameras. Whilst I am perfectly satisfied with this camera I fully appreciate this review may not be a lot of help to others. I would however, suggest that you should handle one prior to purchase.
By V. Brean
We tried this camera but decided on the cheaper 10MP version (the A330) and as far as we are concerned, the A330 has much better image quality
This should have come as no great surprise really because I also felt that this also applied to the A300 vs the A350 (the previous generation), if you were happy with the image quality of the A350 then fine, but the A330 in my opinion is cleaner, sharper and produces more consumer friendly punchy images from the camera.
I can see no reason to recommend this camera over the cheaper A330 as it has an identical featureset and offers nothing extra, other than on paper...more resolution, but I cant really say that I can see that either
I happen to really like the design, menus and operation of this camera, and the live view implementation from Sony is brilliant...the best of any of the DSLR manufacturers and if the A330 did not exist, then I might even say it was a decent camera, but whilst this camera is just reasonable, the A330 is great in my opinion
So bottom line is A330 is great, A380 is the same camera but with inferior image quality....so simple, save yourself some money and get the A330 instead, I have reviewed the A330 as well if you are interested
So I give this one an "average" rating
By Louis Vallance (Sheffield, SY UK)
To all first time DSLR buyers and even the lower end enthusiasts, Sony was given the chance to answer your prayers. Building on the strengths of the a350, which I will be comparing this camera to, the a380 tries to make its mark as the new kid on the block. Other than the obvious physical changes, it seems that Sony have revamped many of the core features of the old series (dare I say it), with a complete overhaul of the user interface to boost its appeal to the photography novice, while attempting to keep the more advanced features up to scratch with its Nikon/Canon/Olympus competitors.
Out of the box the a380 is almost 100 grams lighter than the a350, resembling the light-weight build quality you would find on the Nikon D90 for example. However it is important to mention now that practically none of the selling points of the camera are a drastic shift from the a350. In the reviews I had read prior to pre-ordering, I saw the quick AF in live view mode, a tilting screen and the same 14.2MP CCD. In some ways it was like reading the same reviews again. What makes the a380 250 pounds more expensive then? As previously mentioned, the layout is much better on the outside; the function and trash buttons have been shifted inwards and the ISO and drive mode buttons have been condensed into the thumb pad. This touching up makes the camera a lot neater and definitely more stylish, but do photographers really spend their money on looks over functionality?
When inserting the memory card for the first time I immediately noticed a slight difference. Instead of having to use a CF/SD adapter as with the a350, the a380 features both slots with a handy toggle selector depending on which one you want to use. The menu is fantastic. New interactive graphics make changing settings much easier; even with DSLRs it's sometimes hard to tell whether you've got the right settings until you've taken the picture. However the new display helps you get it perfect first time.
Image wise, I am very concerned. An improvement to the ISO performance as well as image sharpness was expected however not delivered. I have only owned the camera for a day but I have taken a lot of pictures and fiddled with the settings extensively and I honestly feel that no improvement has been made whatsoever after uploading.
The 100 gram slim down does no favours for the new alpha. I enjoyed the bulky, albeit creaky build of the a350, and the shed in weight has resulted in a shed of build quality. On paper, it looks more stylish with its pillowed exterior, however in the flesh it feels tackier; I utterly dislike the lackluster top plate. Moreover, the new hand grip is inadequate and fiddly to use.
Overall I question the worth of buying this camera over the a350. For the price, I don't feel I have gained anything new. Trading in my a350 in the name of photography may have been a mistake and I regret not waiting for the price to drop as it is essentially the same camera with a bit of cheap makeup thrown all over it. I'm sure the price will drop significantly over time but if you are looking for a great DSLR now, save yourself the £250 and go for the a350 instead.
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