Photos of the Sony Alpha DSLR-A330 and a discussion of its design.
Lori Grunin
I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.
One of the nice design touches on the new entry-level Alphas is the use of a textured rubberized material not only on the grip, but also on the opposite side of the body. The manual focus ring on the new DT series of lenses also has a rubberized feel.
All the connectors and slots sit under a sliding door on the left side of the body. There are dual SD card and Memory Stick Duo slots with a physical media selection switch, a mini HDMI connector, and USB port. Having the card slots on the left side of the camera takes some getting used to; in most cameras they're either on the grip side or in the battery compartment.
The LCD can rotate up perpendicular to the body as well as tilt down by about 55 degrees. However, it seems a bit small and difficult to view in direct sunlight.
There aren't that many direct-access controls on the body; you get to frequently used options like AF mode, AF area, metering and white balance via a multiple-choice display brought up by the the Fn button. Though the camera has a modern information display, it's not interactive.
