Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 - review

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 - review

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 is a good DSLR. Perfect for a beginner. With it, very high-quality photos are obtained, in my case this is my first DSLR and the difference between the photos taken is huge.

Of the advantages: It fits well in the hand, it is very convenient to take pictures. It comes with a convenient strap for wearing it around the neck. In principle, the camera itself is light. Undoubtedly, a large number of settings pleases, you can change the color of the display, a good flash, now you don't have to edit photos from red eyes, there is a timer, you can buy a remote control for it and much more.

Of the disadvantages: There is no video recording, it's somehow unusual. If you take pictures in the distance with poor lighting, dark photos are obtained.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 camera for Sony fans.
Greetings, Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 was purchased in 2010 - what attracted the first price, battery charge, matrix resolution, ease of operation. What's wrong in 3 years, the image stabilizer broke 2 times - with repairs, it came out at a cost like a new Canon, actually lies with a load in the closet and is waiting for the 3rd repair.

No matter what anyone says, comparing Sony with Canon and Nikon is like comparing a Lada 05 model with a new Mercedes in the world of cameras.

For comparison, the Canon 350D has been working properly since the announcement to this day without a hint of fatigue - although there are older versions of the Canon 650, the EOS 350 goes through the hands of my friends and participates in all the surrounding life around me, which gives great pictures consistently and for a long time.

I think that we still do not regret purchasing a product from Sony, since now I am sure of my choice in the direction of Canon.

Maybe with a large network of Sony service centers and the company's work on eliminating such malfunctions in future models, although the breakdown of the stabilizer is relevant to this day on older models, it will be possible to revise the negative on the Sony DSLR models.

So far, I do not advise buying models of such cameras for people who may have problems with future repairs in services, then how lucky.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 is my first DSLR. I chose spontaneously, next time I will take Nikon or Canon, the difference is obvious, I checked. But if you are a beginner and you need a DSLR at an affordable price, then Sony A290 is for you!
The photos come out good, the main thing is that the hands grow from the right place. The camera fits comfortably in your hand and weighs quite a bit for a DSLR. A great option for a beginner in the world of photography. And believe me-after him, you will not return to the soap dishes. The only drawback is the lack of video recording, but this is not so important.
Also, personally, I was not satisfied with the speed of shooting.

Also included is a jacket, which can not but please.

Overall, the camera is just great! You won't regret the purchase.

About 2 years ago, I was completely indifferent to SLR cameras, and I never thought of buying a Sony Alpha DSLR-A290.

During the real boom in the popularity of professional SLR cameras, people went crazy and every second bought for himself, and who just dreamed and dreamed about buying. For me, the usual digital camera was quite enough for photographing events, trips out of town, vacations. And not so long ago I realized that I needed to buy a really good camera with extensive capabilities and learn the basics of high-quality photography.

It is known that a high-quality camera is equated to good-quality pictures, and consequently to the fact that you can admire them for hours and remember all the best moments of the past time as a memory.

And so, by virtue of my capabilities, I decided to buy a complete set of my first, serious camera, decided not to chase new products and a huge number of functions that I, a beginner, did not need, but to stop at the initial model of a simple DSLR, to begin with. So, my first "moment-keeper" was a Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 SLR camera.

The initial model from the Alpha series looks solid, light weight, holds well in the hand, the case is rough, does not slip out of the hands. There is a convenient strap, with the help of it you can carry the camera around your neck. Equipped with 14 MP. It has great functionality and shooting mode, intuitive user-friendly controls, with hints! The color rendering is really accurate, without unnatural pre-colors or vice versa, fading. He takes pictures smartly, although there is a small problem with focusing points on the object, he does not always catch what he needs, sometimes he is so "naughty". The lens that comes with the carcass is pretty good, suits me, but in the future I plan to buy a portrait camera for a more accurate picture.

After a week of using and mastering, I post photos taken with a camera with a native whale lens in different modes.

I note that all photos are without additional processing, here is all the merit of the native object and the functions of the camera.

These are my first pictures, I try to improve further in the photo department just for myself, to comprehend new peaks, because there is a lot to grow!

I didn't regret choosing this particular model at all, and comparing it with the sensational Canon, and I tested this model a little, it doesn't lose a bit, Sony is much better and better in color rendering.

Lots of positive impressions from the camera! Solid advantages!

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 is a high-quality camera that continues to please for 6 years.
Usage experience: a year or more
Good day to all!

Like many people at that time (2011-2012), I had a desire to get a SLR camera without fail, since it was very, very cool and popular to take pictures/ be photographed with such a technique. There was no way to go to the store right away and buy a camera, and therefore it was necessary to wait for the birthday, when you can make some savings.

But even when some savings were made - I still could not buy it, there was still not enough money. And a few months later, my brother buys a camera.

At that time, Nikon and Canon cameras were popular, that's how I imagined my future camera. But my ideas were not confirmed - my brother brings home a huge box on which the inscription SONY is emblazoned. At first I was upset, they say why such a company. But I was deeply mistaken: the camera was no worse, although I didn't have much to compare it with. Only after some time I start looking for articles on the Internet, reading tips on photography in books. This gives an impetus to switch to such shooting modes as P/A/S/M and already work with them. Here you realize how huge the scope for creativity is - you open the diaphragm to the maximum to get beauty with a blurred background, you paint with light (frizlight). A couple of years later, we have a portrait lens - which becomes a new chapter in the hobby. The capabilities of this lens made it possible to get much better quality shots, it seemed that no matter what you take a picture, everything turns out beautifully and pleasing to the eye. The battery held the charge perfectly, it was enough for a day of active filming. Of course, over time, it began to discharge faster, but this is a common phenomenon. Charging lasts about 2 hours.

And now, after 6 years of use, the camera does not cease to please and give high-quality pictures.

Thus, I recommend to take a closer look at the SONY camera equipment.

There are no complaints about the Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 camera. As the first SLR camera, great!

I will write about my "professional" camera. This is the first mirror, probably not the last, but for a couple of years there have been skeptical arguments about its actual need in general. If you are just a home lover, then this toy is not only expensive, but also not always convenient to use.

I'll start right away about the reasoning.

1. It is inconvenient to take with you. Of course I take him on vacation, but it's terribly inconvenient. I think I won't take any more, it's not worth it. Photos with a small soap dish also come out quite beautiful (I'm talking about landscapes).

2. For an inexperienced photographer, the difference in pictures from a conventional digital camera and this one is not very noticeable (if you do not process anything, but leave the photos as they turned out).

3. It was not possible to shoot masterpieces in two years.

At the same time, what is it good for? Everyone! And convenient, and immediately bought with a bag. I, as a "blonde", like him in everything. There is no "video" function in it, but do you need it? In the camera? Personally, I think for a video camera, and this is a camera.

By and large, I use it for portrait photos at family celebrations, of course there is a difference here. It turns out to shoot children, kittens better, animals and flowers - better than on digital. You can say that if you are interested in macro photography, then you need a DSLR.

Yes, everyone who "understands" and really sees the difference between Nikons-Kenons-Sony, etc., fine, I don't see. A person takes pictures and how many pictures I have seen on very expensive cameras that did not cling at all, and if I did not know that they were photographed with a camera for 65 thousand rubles, I had no idea that this photo was not on a digital camera for 3 thousand rubles.

If you just want to understand what a digital camera is, you will understand it on Sony, believe me.

Why Sony? I bought it almost 4 years ago, and those times (and now, too) were very popular Canon and Nikon, but Googling I realized they are due to their hype, sell the worst cameras in terms of performance for much more money.

Specifications:

The total number of pixels is 14.2 million
The number of effective pixels is 14.2 million
Sensitivity 100 - 3200 ISO, Auto ISO
White balance automatic, manual setting, from the list
Built-in flash, red-eye suppression, shoe, ADI-TTL
Image stabilizer (photography) optical, matrix shift
Shooting modes: shooting speed - 2.5 frames./sec Maximum series of shots 6 for RAW
Timer2. 10 c working time
Frame format (photography)3:2, 16:9
Battery capacity 510 photos

About the advantages:

The photo quality is simply excellent! As compared to conventional digital cameras, and with many other DSLRs!
It fits comfortably in your hand!
You can choose the color of the menu which you like best - even pink, even black.
Relatively cheap, for such a price - the camera is perfect!
Many modes, both manual and auto!
My favorite bokeh in almost all portraits, although it's more of a lens.

In the fall of 2012, I accidentally dropped it on the asphalt, "killed" the lens, roared for almost a month. And the camera at least henna, intact! I replaced the lens with a "baby" minolta! Fortunately, quite a lot of lenses fit the camera, but unfortunately - only expensive ones. On the same canon, there are a lot of cheap lenses from 2-3 thousand, on sony I did not find such. And if there are such, then you will not find them on sale!

Now about the cons:

There is no video recording!
The screen does not show the image you are shooting! That is, you need to take a photo only by looking through the window!
It is not convenient to take with you for walks, although it has a relatively small volume, compared to other SLR cameras.
Indoors, the camera shoots poorly, and either "smears" photos, or when the ISO is increased, they are very pale, practically have no color! More suitable for street portraits!

Result:

I recommend it! Only alas, you probably won't find it on sale anymore.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 is my best friend. Usage experience: a year or more.

A little background. My first camera, the name of which I can't even remember now, appeared to me when I was 16 years old. It was a digital soap dish. I clicked everything in a row (actually, just like now), I really liked this activity.

For 20 years (it was in 2009) I decided to please myself and buy a more powerful camera, because the soap dish could no longer cope with its task, most of the photos came out absolutely not sharp, and there was no manual focusing on the soap dish. After a lot of digging on the Internet, my choice fell on the Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 camera. At that time it was a very advanced model.

Main Features:

- amateur SLR camera
- Minolta A
- lens mount included, check the model with the seller
- 14.2 MP matrix (APS-C)
- 2.7" screen
- camera weight without lens 508 g

This is how the camera itself looks like, I apologize for the quality, the photos were taken on the phone.

So, what are the advantages of this camera?

- First of all, it is the high quality of the pictures. Despite the fact that the camera is positioned as an amateur, the quality of the pictures is simply excellent.
- Many shooting modes, there is a completely manual setting.
- The lens is being removed. The camera is sold complete with a "native" lens, but it is possible to replace it with another lens.
- It is possible to connect an external flash, which can also significantly improve the quality of images.
- The camera itself is light compared to its counterparts. It fits comfortably in your hand.
- The battery lasts for 2-3 hours of continuous shooting.This is after 5 years of active use, initially the battery was enough for the whole day.
- The ability to use two memory cards at the same time. Useful for those who take a lot of photos. I can't even imagine how much I have to shoot to need a second memory card, I have enough for my 16 GB behind my eyes.
- Relatively inexpensive price.

Of the shortcomings , I can only note:

- No video recording

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 is a good device for a beginner. A full-fledged DSLR for ridiculous money. I was prompted to write a review on this camera by the fact that I currently have it in stock, I use it regularly and I really like it and almost 100% closes all my requests regarding the quality of photos and functionality. Although this model was released by Sony Corporation in 2010, as much as 12 years ago. And of course, it has long been discontinued and is not available in stores. But it is sometimes found on the secondary market, and there is every chance to buy a good camera in excellent condition inexpensively. Which I did, I bought my copy from an ad. In excellent condition and with a full set. I bought a camera from a girl who bought a camera in a store and was the first owner. Moreover, if you use the device for its intended purpose — only for photos, for an amateur Sony DSLR-A290 will satisfy the maximum needs, i.e. there will simply be no complaints about the quality. This is a full-fledged DSLR, with a large physical matrix size - APS-C (23.6×15.8 mm), fully manual settings, a good "automatic", high-quality interchangeable optics, shooting in RAW format. For a beginner, it will be just right. In conditions of a limited budget for photographic equipment — very well suited. After all, the main thing here is not what you shoot for, but how you see. If the soul does not lie to the photographic art, then the Canon 5D Mark IV lying on the shelf will not solve anything and will not help. You can shoot masterpieces on Sony DSLR-A290. There would be an appropriate mood. And a little patience, knowledge, skills. I strongly recommend mastering the manual settings — they will allow you to squeeze the maximum out of the camera. And you will be able to shoot in any conditions: day and night, in fog and in the dark. And exactly the way you need, and not the way the camera processor decided for you in the "automatic" mode. Now, really, there is no special need to attend paid photo courses, photo school (of course, if you do not need a paper certificate of education in this profile). YouTube — to help. There are a lot of free video lessons on the web, where everything is clear and outlined. Exposure, shutter speed, aperture are three key concepts. Theory, of course, is nothing — without practice. If you master manual settings on Sony DSLR-A290, then you will be able to use manual settings on absolutely any DSLR from any manufacturer without any problems (it will only take some time to get used to a specific user interface, i.e. to the location of the buttons on a specific device). According to the quality of the photo, Sony DSLR-A290 takes most of the smartphones, even the most modern, almost all digital inkwells and hyperzums. For it is a DSLR, with a good matrix, optics, electronics. The DSLR initially has a much larger physical size of the matrix than on all portable gadgets (I mean the physical size of the matrix, not the number of megapixels. The number of megapixels is a purely marketing parameter that matters only when cropping), respectively, any DSLR has a larger pixel, less noise, a clearer image compared to soap dishes. For a long time, two players dominated the professional camera market — Canon and Nikon. Each of these brands had its loyal army of fans from among the venerable photographers. They argued at photo forums, very fiercely, figuring out which brand is better, but this is a confrontation without clear winners, to each his own. Canonists love their devices for the color reproduction close to the film, soft, warm colors that are good for portraits, for reliable transmission of shades and texture of human skin. Nikon is loved by tech engineers, for advanced technical solutions and lovers of shooting landscapes, for the gorgeous transmission of shades of blue and green, stunning detail, and so on. But at one time Sony Corporation confidently pushed Canon and Nikon in the market of digital SLR cameras and camcorders. It all started when Sony bought Minolta. Minolta is one of the world's oldest manufacturers of photographic equipment, an absolutely iconic company for many photographers, it was founded back in 1928. Now Sony DSLRs are a great alternative to Canon and Nikon devices. Because Sony cameras are cheaper, have better and at the same time inexpensive optics, and are technically very well equipped. And most importantly, few people know (because this is not particularly advertised), but Nikon buys matrices for many of its SLR cameras from Sony. And this is noticeable, in terms of picture quality and color rendering, Sony SLRs are very similar to Nikon SLRs. Sony DSLR-A290 — for a DSLR has a fairly modest size and light weight, which is very convenient. The camera has good ergonomics. The regular battery lasts for a long time.

The built-in flash has a good power. Among the advantages, I would also like to highlight the fact that the camera supports two types of memory cards: not only the traditional MS format for Sony (cards that are not widespread and expensive), but also traditional SD memory cards (including SDHC). But at the same time, the camera does not understand the latest generation of SD cards, the SDXS format.He refused to identify my new 64 GB SDXC memory card. But on the other hand, he sees all the other cards of a smaller volume. And, for example, the old Nikon and Canon DSLRs have a slot only for CF (Compact Flash) memory cards. And this is a very old format, they are expensive and, it seems, have been discontinued for a long time, at least, they are sold in few places and are not cheap.

The Sony SAL1855, 18-55mm whale lens is pretty good in quality, better than Canon's whale lenses.

Sony DSLR-A290 — in fact has only two disadvantages:

there is no Live View mode (i.e. you cannot use the built-in LCD display as a viewfinder in real time. To make a frame, you need to look through the optical viewfinder. You can get used to it pretty quickly. The absence of the Live View function can be explained by the fact that the device is entry-level and it is many years old. Now there are no mirrors without Live View, there are no new models on the market.).

There is no video recording (This is also not so important for the camera. It's just that most of the DSLRs that know how to shoot video — the video is gorgeous in quality. Still: large matrix, good optics).

The LCD display of the Sony DSLR-A290 is quite large for older models — 2.7 inches diagonal and quite high-quality. The information is quite distinguishable even on a sunny day. Since there is no Live View, the display can only be used to view already taken frames, or to navigate through menus and settings.

The camera is made (assembled) in Thailand and the lens too — this is informed by a sticker on the bottom of the case.

At the moment, of course, the camera of this model is still outdated, but it still allows you to take excellent photos, suitable even for printing on A4 format, even for posting on the network, in social networks. networks and so on. And in the store you can shoot a camera in RAW, with manual settings, a large matrix and good optics — you can only buy for an amount 5 times more than they ask for a Sony DSLR-A290 on the secondary. Now I'm thinking about buying a more modern and more advanced DSLR. And, of course, my new DSLR will also be from the Sony brand.

I really like to take pictures. Not professionally, of course. I photograph quite a lot, especially cats and nature. I used to have two SLR cameras (Canon and Nikon). They were also amateur. But they didn't suit me, so
eventually I sold them. For a long time I took pictures with a regular digital camera (not a mirror). And so, I decided to buy myself a SLR camera again. Sony decided to choose it. If you buy a new camera in a store, it's expensive. Previously, the cheapest one could be bought for 10 thousand rubles (from mirror ones). It's the cheapest right now. I looked at all the prices and came to the conclusion that it is most profitable to buy a used camera. They are often in good condition.

Thus, I bought a Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 for only 5 thousand money! In very good condition (almost new). And with a full set. His lens is standard (whale 18-55). It is very easy to handle. Even a child can easily figure it out.

You can set the automatic shooting mode, and just press the button. No additional settings are required! And also, you can customize this camera to your taste. I really like the pictures taken with this SLR camera. All of them are made by me in automatic mode, without any settings. If you want to get cute and high-quality pictures, then this camera will give you such an opportunity. Despite the fact that now you can buy it absolutely not expensive with your hands. Since this model is no longer sold in photo equipment stores. Anyway, I didn't find it. With such a camera, you can get not only beautiful photos in nature, but also in the studio. To do this, a special synchronizer is put on top, which is issued in the studio when it is rented. I haven't taken studio photos yet, but I'll try in the future!

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 is my first DSLR. Somehow I decided to buy myself a camera. There was not a lot of money, so it was necessary to study the price of the issue. Of course, I already had an acquaintance with soap dishes, I wanted something else. I decided to take the Sony A290. Of course, the absence of such a function as video recording immediately catches my eye, but I still did not take a video camera. You can also see what you are shooting only through an optical viewfinder, only the picture you have already taken is displayed on the display, but this does not bring any particular inconvenience. The joy of great photos and the speed of shooting covers these shortcomings. Plus, the device fits perfectly in your hand, does not weigh very much, has a fairly simple interface and a bunch of different settings.