Sony Alpha A3000 review

Sony’s digital imaging department has had an eventful year. With all the hubbub surrounding its full-frame Alpha 7 and 7R, the sublime RX100 II and its high-concept QX10 and QX100, there’s a risk that the Alpha A3000 will go largely unnoticed.

That would be a shame, though, because in one respect this camera is just as groundbreaking. The issue in question is its price. It’s available in shops and online for £249, which is the lowest price we’ve ever seen for a new camera with an APS-C sensor – the same kind that’s used in consumer SLRs.

FEATURES AND HANDLING

The Alpha brand and the distinctly SLR-like appearance disguise the fact that this camera uses E-Mount rather than Alpha Mount lenses. Sony has ditched its NEX brand, but in essence, this is a NEX camera that just happens to look more like an SLR. It uses the same controls and menu system as NEX cameras. It doesn’t even include a command dial – fortunately there’s a rear wheel for quickly dialling in settings.

We’re glad that Sony has seen fit to include a mode dial, but it’s hard to imagine this camera appealing to keen photographers who like to tinker with controls. On factory settings, various key functions such as white balance and autofocus options are buried in the main menu. However, the ISO button can be reprogrammed to reveal six user-defined functions across the screen, which works remarkably well for a camera with so few physical controls.

The big handgrip makes this, for us, the most comfortable E-Mount camera to date. It feels totally secure in one hand, and with two hands and the viewfinder pressed to an eye, it’s easier to hold steady than the compact-styled NEX models.

It can’t compete for glamour, of course, but we’ll put that down to individual taste – it doesn’t really bother us. We’re not too upset by the absence of an HDMI output either, although others may feel differently. The card slot is located on the side of the camera, so there’s no difficulty in accessing cards while the camera is tripod-mounted.

Considering that this is by far the lowest-priced E-Mount camera to date, it’s great to see an accessory shoe and viewfinder on board. It’s an electronic rather than optical viewfinder, as this isn’t a true SLR. Disappointingly – but perhaps inevitably considering the price – the electronic viewfinder (EVF) is much smaller and coarser than the luxurious high-resolution EVFs used elsewhere. Sony doesn’t publish its resolution, but it looks about the same as the rear 3in LCD screen, which is also rather coarse at 230,400 dots. Long-sighted people who struggle with LCD screens might appreciate having this EVF, but it won’t impress anyone who’s used to an SLR.

Unlike on most SLRs, autofocus is just as quick whether you’re using the rear screen or the viewfinder. However, neither mode is amazingly quick. We measured times between 0.4 and 1.5 seconds for the camera to focus and shoot, depending on the available light. Shot-to-shot times averaged 1.1 seconds for JPEGs and two seconds for RAW. It doesn’t help that this camera insists on saving JPEGs alongside RAW files – there really should be a RAW-only option too. Continuous mode set off at 3.5fps and slowed to 1.8fps after 12 frames. These results are on the right side of respectable, particularly for the price, but they’re unlikely to win over SLR users.

IMAGE QUALITY

The 20-megapixel sensor is probably the same one that we saw in the Sony A58 . Noise levels were lower than we achieved with the A58, though, as the A3000 doesn’t use a translucent mirror that reduces the amount of light reaching the sensor. Noise in raw files was broadly on a par with the 16-megapixel Sony NEX-3N, and not too far behind the best consumer SLRs. Noise reduction was applied liberally in JPEGs, and gave presentable results up to ISO 6400.

There would have been more skin texture if this shot was taken in stronger light, but at dusk (and ISO 1250) it still looks clean and reasonably detailed

There’s very little evidence of noise at ISO 2500 – a superb result

Automatic exposures were superbly judged, coping particularly well in high-contrast scenes, thanks in part to Sony’s Dynamic Range Optimisation that boosts the brightness of shadows. The Auto ISO mode maxes out at ISO 3200, and while we’d be tempted to switch to manual higher settings, it coped well in anything but the gloomiest indoor light.

We really like how the automatic exposure handled this tricky shot, maintaining detail in both the sky and the grass

The high resolution revealed the limitations of the kit lens, though. We’ve seen this lens a few times before, and once again, its focus trailed off towards the edges of frames. It’s not a critical flaw, and has little bearing for portraits where we’d only expect the main subject to be in focus. It’s not so attractive for landscape photography, but it wasn’t too noticeable at normal viewing sizes.

The kit lens’s focus deteriorates towards the edges of frames

The video mode performed well, with sharp, clean details and flattering colours. Recordings are at 1080i or 1080p at 25fps, with clip lengths up to 30 minutes. There’s full manual exposure control for those who like to get creative with their video productions.

CONCLUSION

Some people will be put off by low-resolution screen and EVF, the lack of a command dial and the less-than-blistering performance. There are cameras that address all of these issues, such as the superb Panasonic G6. However, the A3000 broadly matches the G6 for image quality, and it costs less than half the price.

The only direct rival at this price is the Canon EOS 1100D, but this three-year-old SLR is showing its age with noisier JPEG output, a smaller screen, slower continuous performance and basic 720p video capture.

Ultimately, we don’t think of the A3000 as an alternative to an SLR or pricier CSC. At this price, the A3000 is a credible alternative to a compact camera, and it may even tempt people who would otherwise not bother with a camera at all and just stick to their phone.

Smartphone cameras are so good these days that conventional compacts look less and less tempting, but the A3000’s superb low-light performance, interchangeable lenses, viewfinder and big handgrip mean it really does offer something different. At £249, we think it’s a recipe for success.