Sony Alpha 230, 330 and 380: Leaked trio confirmed

Sony has released official details of the Alpha 230, 330 and 380 dSLRs leaked last week. We took a closer look

Richard Trenholm

Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.

See full bio

Richard Trenholm

May 18, 2009 6:27 a.m. PT

1 of 13

Sony has confirmed the troika of Alpha dSLR cameras that were leaked last week. The Alpha 230, 330 and 380 are set to hit Sony's online stores today.

Each of the consumer-friendly cameras boasts a 69mm (2.7-inch) screen displaying 230,400 pixels. The 230 and 330 pack 10.2-megapixels while the 380 rocks 14.

Each of the cameras shoots up to 2.5fps when peering through the viewfinder. The 330 and 380 also manage 2fps when using the live view screen, leaving you free to wave the camera around while tracking action. A new self-timer drive mode grabs a quick burst of three or five frames to make sure you get a decent group shot even if Uncle Herbert is looking the wrong way to start with. The maximum ISO speed is 3200 for lower-light situations. The cameras also include nine focus points and forty metering segments.

Click though our gallery to see more of the three new dSLRs, including prices and details of kits.

2 of 13

Each of the cameras boast a 69mm (2.7-inch) LCD screen. The 230's screen is fixed.

3 of 13

Each camera includes in-body image stabilisation, meaning you'll get the advantages of shake-free shooting even with older lenses.

4 of 13

The A230 is the smallest of the trio, weighing in at around 450g. It will start at £530.

5 of 13

The 330 and 380 are the same size, weighing about 490g.

6 of 13

Each of the cameras has an HDMI connection to output images and slideshows to HDTVs televisions, but they do not shoot video.

7 of 13

A selector switch allows you to switch between Sony's proprietary Memory Stick, and SD or SDHC cards.

8 of 13

The mode dial on the 330 shows the scene modes available, including portrait, sports, and macro. You also get manual, automatic, shutter and aperture priority.