That the Sony A380 is only a minor upgrade indicates one of two things. Either the entry-level user is already well-catered for, with everything they need to take the kind of images they would require, or a better-specified model which would sit a little higher up is in the pipeline. After all, a replacement for the A700 is long overdue, and the video recording and high-resolution LCD screens tend to be seen as niceties geared towards the mid-range market than limitations to this one. It's when using live view that the camera shines, and while other manufacturers have made their own advances in this area Sony still remains on top. It's only really the design of the body which may be problematic, though of course, this won't bother everyone. Even so, the usual advice of handling a camera before you buy it is something we'd strongly suggest here.
Verdict
That the Sony A380 is only a minor upgrade indicates one of two things. Either the entry-level user is already well-catered for, with everything they need to take the kind of images they would require, or a better-specified model which would sit a little higher up is in the pipeline. After all, a replacement for the Sony A700 is long overdue, and the video recording and high-resolution LCD screens tend to be seen as niceties geared towards the mid-range market than necessities to this one.
It’s when using live view that the camera shines, and while other manufacturers have made their own advances in this area Sony still remains on top. It’s only really the design of the body which may be problematic, though of course, this won’t bother everyone. Even so, the usual advice of handling a camera before you buy it is something we’d strongly suggest here.
Score
Score in detail
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Features 85
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Image Quality 90
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Design 75
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Performance 90
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Value 85